GX GARNERINGS

(Camera: Ricoh GX200) Cycling past a junction the man took no heed of the red light which told him to stop and give the right of way to the traffic coming along. He went on his way as he saw fit and could not care less about safety. In fact, going one way and looking up to the other, he could not care even less about others' safety. To him, the riding to the destination and the flight of the mind was so very important that these temporarily negligible things -- safety, himself, others -- are nothing but trivium. This reflects something typical of men. Men are with a different design compared to women. For women, they are physically and psychologically born with a meaning -- briefly put, to bear and raise offspring. But men are not conditioned to stay committed to a dedicated course of pursing a lifelong resolution. To the contrary, they are required to find their own place in life. They always struggle in life to assure themselves of a material identity and a significant standi...

(Camera: Samsung WB600) Across the busy Nathan Road on a freezing rainy morning came a lady so warmly-clad that cycling became a clumsy endeavour.  Notwithstanding this, she rode on this bike with shopping in the front basket and, more notably, some filled the makeshift back basket on which a white plastic sheet was meticulously placed to fend off the raindrops. As if these stuff and the slippery wet surface had no bearing on balance, she had one hand on the bike handle and the other holding an umbrella, crossing the thoroughfare with ease. To most mums, the sense of duty to the family rules them as the moon rules the tides.  But they always make as little show as possible of being burdened. These excellent matrons, who could have never in their best days been pretty, are actually the most beautiful persons to whom we will find in our middle life living happily without giving back enough care and attention as they age. To the excellent mum in your heart, let's salute. --...

(Camera: Samsung WB600) Wondering whether the recent hypes about a short film and the studio shots done with the ubiquitous smart phones forebode the doom of the cameras as we know them?  Well, our take is that there should be no cause of concern. This is not a foolhardy wild guess. As far as revolutionary ideas are concerned, a cellphone fitted with even a 40mp full-frame sensor and a Leica lens will not be an utter, unparalleled challenge to the cameras as we know them today. In principle, such a cellphone can gives movie makers and photographers a more convenient and economic way to do their things.  But a fair bet is that this will probably be as good as it can get.  The rationale behind this argument is simple. While changes in forms can bring about some material gain to a product, like the ipad versus a netbook, it is the change in the media that revolutionises a concept. History has seen enough examples to prove this. To take the mode of writing for exa...

(Camera: Ricoh GX200) The title is meant to be an analogy pointing out why an expensive top-notch model doesn't suit photography tyros: they just don't have the skills to put the tool to the best use.  That's where the entry-level models come in. Wait a minute.  Don't we all know this platitude full well?  So, how about if we say, these expensive top-notch models don't necessarily make for a sensible choice even for seriously experienced photographers? The other day when going to work, the author was amazed at the sight of a teenager having an expensive Leica M9 digital hanging around his neck on a strap.  Whao, what a dazzling flaunting of wealth!  Honestly, that wealth-/ skill-level-flaunting mindset is prominent in a great number of photographers when they buy expensive cameras.  But whether they are really skillful in the craft is another matter.   A true story goes like this: a rich amateur photographer from Mainland China wanted to spe...

(Camera: Ricoh GXR A12 50mm) Yesterday, the GXG co-editor had a good question, "Are all the upgrade items for the A700 replacement (or whichever camera's replacement for that matter) necessary?"  For sure, if there is one unnecessary thing, it is the sturdier built. Let's put the illustration this way: if you can pay 5 pounds or 8 US dollars for a roll of film, will you embrace an upgrade version with a sturdier film case but for a dearer price?  Such a cheeky proposition will be a non-starter because what's important about the roll of film is the content, not the case. Likewise, let's further say that actually a digital camera is a metal case fitted with contents of imaging technology: Would you pay more for a sturdier metal case with the similar contents? Fact is, whether in the film or digital era, this metal-case identity of a camera has not changed.  What has been changed is the content from, in short, a roll of film to an imaging sensor.  In the ...

Wandering a bit away from the COMPACT path of GXG: With a magnesium body, better EVF, higher-pixel sensor and so on – and the same technology as implemented in the existing two SLTs – the A700 replacement is said to be priced at the area of Canon's 60D. Pricier, certainly.  Bulkier, likely.  But are all the upgrades necessary?  Just wondering. What say you?

(Camera: Ricoh GXR P10) This is Sunday.  Untie yourselves! The P10 module did justice to the colour and texture of the crabs and the weeds.