I had a chance to play with a Canon EOS 5D before, the original version, not the Mark II version. You might have noticed this in my previous post; the picture was taken with a 5D. The first thing I immediately notice is the built of the buttons and dials. It’s kinda hard to explain, but the sound of the shutter press is very soft, yet very solid and assuring. And the sound of the shutter flapping against the camera body exudes class and confidence. Sure, it’s not exactly fast. At only about 3 fps, it is the same as my previous 350D. A machine gun shooter will likely avoid this camera. But a 5D is designed for a different class of photographer. The slow thinking photographer, the landscape artist, or the macro freak. It will have a slight disadvantage when shooting weddings and sports.

Canon EOS 5D, with the EF 50 mm f1.8 II attached

The screen is a reminiscence of the 350D; small and uninspiring. Even the menus are similar. That is to be expected, both the camera uses DIGIC II.

Small screen eh? Reminds me of the 350D

Other than that, the other controls are similar to the 40D. The spinning dial at the back, the (still awkward) power-on dial, the multi-directional panning button, and the top panel.

Top panel like the xxD EOS series. Looks more pro compared to on-screen menu!

It shares so many similarities with the 40D, even their batteries are interchangeable!

So how does the image look like? I only have one measly EF lens to mount on this baby, the indispensable (and cheap) EF 50 mm f1.8II. But that lens is enough to bring out the best bokeh for the buck you would care to drool over. Check this out:

Hui Yan as my 5D model

If you check the EXIF, the aperture was only at f/2! PHEW!!

I did not do further testings, but it is a well known fact that this camera also handles noise extremely well!

*sigh* ….. have to wait 20 years for prices of FF cameras to drop to affordable level then only can buy ….

Let me set my expectation first. I DO NOT want to see another “look, I can speak perfect Cantonese like the Hongkies!” movie, nor do I need to see another “look, I can speak perfect Mandarin like the Taiwanese / Chinese” movie. I think we can safely put that aside, because to be fair, modern day Malaysian Chinese movies / serials uses a lot of local Malaysian elements in their production. Just look at Iron Lady, a thoroughly engaging and sensational Malaysian serial that got me hooked to the TV set for a while. And that’s saying a lot, because I do not watch TV, other than the occasional Spongebob Squarepants cartoons.

Even then, Iron Lady looks too Korean drama-like to my liking. And the accent still sounded, well, like a Singaporean. So when I watched Tiger Woohoo, I was expecting at least a similar kind of acting and directing, if not worse. I’m glad to say that not only was I terribly wrong by a mile, I came out of the cinema highly entertained!

I watched the show in Mines. I bought the tickets online on Friday, 2 days before the show. At that time, I can still select some pretty good seats. But when I reached the cinema, the hall was full! I was still expecting a low occupancy rate, especially in this not-so-famous cinema.

The show started at 7 pm sharp without any commercials. When we sat down it was already 1 or 2 minutes into the show. Yan Yan also followed us into the cinema. I was expecting Yan Yan to throw a tantrum midway into the show, so I could bring her outside and escape the show. In the end, Yan Yan did leave the cinema, but only because she wanted to go to the toilet. And I didn’t want to leave my seats, because the show was simply too engaging! So my wife had to bring her to the toilets.

Not wanting to reveal too much plot, let’s just summarize some of the points in this movie. This is basically a comedy, but not some mindless banter and stupid jokes, but very Malaysian jokes. You don’t get some lame monk dressed in orange asking for donations anywhere else but here in Malaysia! The acting by the main characters were believable (except for Jack Lim and Gan Mei Yan, IMHO). When they laugh, you laugh with them, and when they cry, your heart cries with them. I was touched on at least two occasions. Kudos goes to Royce Chan Chee Hong and Zhang Jie Yu, you guys shed the most realistic tears! I absolutely adore Zhang Jie Yu!! And I also love the character of Mindy, she is so sweet!

The cinematography and the editing were also very marvelously done! Each scene merged in seamlessly with the next, no sense of hanging, and it makes full use of the incredible scenary of Kampung Beserah, the place where this all takes place. Which takes me to the next point, the panoramic location where this location is set. The hut where the 4 little girls hide from their parents, the dried fish platform where Ah Huat practises his dance, they are all very authentic, very original, very Malaysian. But come on lar, why does all scenes with bridges always has to be filmed in Putrajaya?

Speaking of Ah Huat, you also get to see the outtakes at the end of the movie. Very normal lar for any comedies nowadays. But we also get to see a very painful stunt slip-up of Ah Huat, ala Jackie Chan style! OUCH!

This movie is made in Malaysia, by Malaysians, for Malaysians. A non-chinese Malaysian might also be able to enjoy this movie by looking at just the subtitles alone. There is a lot of scene with Malay dialogs thrown in too. “You boleh tukar nama you kar?!” The accents spoken by the actors are believable Malaysian, northern Malaysian mandarins always have the “goh”, “pun” and “tapi” thrown in. As another reviewer has already pointed out, this movie will have a hard time being understood by Hongkies, Taiwanese, or even our neighbour Singaporeans! Finally, something that belongs to us!

Strategic Product Placement

Fuhhhh, this movie is guilty of it, BIG TIME! Astro and Eu Yan Sang earn the biggest screen time. Followed by other more insignificant ones, but still visible. Spritzer mineral water, Mac, Volkswagon among others, but they were probably not intentional. See if you can spot more.

The first thing that came to our minds when the show was over was “When can we buy the show on DVD?” My wife has got a good point, if not us Malaysian Chinese, who else would be supporting them? And a damn good movie too! So what are you waiting for? Go catch it before it’s too late!

In May last year I have made the decision to sell off my trusty old 350D. Lots of people were surprised, many even made the prediction that I will buy another DSLR in no time. Initially that was the plan. And initially there was a plan to go to Bangkok in August 2009. With an impending holiday like that, it would make sense to get myself another camera as soon as possible.

Then I got cheeky, I have always wanted to buy a small point-and-shoot for my wife. I owe her since her birthday in February! The IXUS 870IS came to mind. That’s where I got the idea to buy that IXUS first and tell everyone that I really downgraded myself from a DSLR to a PnS!

Plan backfired. Although the Bangkok trip was rescheduled (due to the raging H1N1 at that time), my hands got itchy. There was a good affordable 40D on sale at that time. I gave my wife a sad, lost puppy look, and she (reluctantly) agreed! HAHAHAHA!!!

On another hand, Canon had just announced their latest Powershot, the S90 that is more powerful and more sexy than the IXUS. So instead of the PnS, I bought the 40D, and only in December bought the S90 for her. Better than nothing right?

So there goes my plan for the prank, down the drain.

At least I get to own a 40D now …..

My usual setup now, 40D with EF-S 17-55 f2.8 IS USM almost permanently attached

…….. or about a funny japanese translation that went haywire:

I'm so hungry, I could eat a car ....... order

Bought this thing from Daiso, inside IOI Mall Puchong. It’s only RM5, but the main reason I bought it is because of the misinterpretation.

This is the camera, the new Canon Powershot S90.

Canon Powershot S90

Remember when I mentioned that I wanted to buy a PnS? I wasn’t kidding!

Why did I choose this camera? Well there is a lot of reasons actually. For one thing, I must confess, that I am a huge Canon fanboy. And another thing, being a techie that I am, I know for sure that I am getting top quality pictures with this baby. On papers the camera boasts some incredible numbers:

• 10 megapixel sensors (and not just any sensors. It’s the sensor used in its much larger brother the G11. The size of the sensor is the biggest among point-and-shooters among its class, which should translate to lower noise)
• 28 mm – 105 mm equivalent IS (image stabilized) lens
• Fast f2.0 – 4.9 aperture. (Faster than my EF-S 17-55 f2.8 IS at 28 mm!)
• RAW shooting! (Yay~!)
• 3.0 inch LCD screen, 461,000 pixels. Not exactly the high resolution screen found in newer DSLR’s, but good enough.

The rest of the advertised features (dual-noise removal, DIGIC IV smile detection, scene detection etc) are merely marketing gimmicks.

First impressions and ergonomics

3 inch screen, enough for most shooting conditions, except in strong sunlight

Pick the camera up and you will know that this is not just another point-and-shooter. It weights quite heftily in your hand (197 grams, the official figure, including card and battery) and for a camera this size, it sure feels solid. There is no noticeable grip for my hand when holding this camera, and it takes a conscious effort to hand-hold it securely. Fortunately you can always wrap the camera’s lanyard around your wrist to prevent it from swinging out of your grip.

Being small (no bigger than an IXUS) the grip was rather insecure. But being small is exactly what my wife wants!

In operation

This is where the camera stands out. The S90 distance itself from the competitors with a rather unique way of interacting with the camera; using a front ring system. It works similar to how you would operate an aperture or zoom ring of an old SLR camera. You turn on a ribbed ring to change settings, like exposure, zoom or aperture, depending on the mode of operation that you are in. And yes, the function of the ring is customizable.

There are the usual “up-down-left-right” buttons that doubles as the secondary ring dial behind the camera. What I do not like about the secondary ring is that it turns far too easily. I have set the secondary dial to adjust the ISO values, and I often find myself accidentally knocking the ISO value off when operating the camera.

Notice the ring around the lens

Sample pictures

Enough talk. Let’s get to some real world scenario, the camera in action. As mentioned, the reason this camera is so different is the sensor. It’s big, and the lens is bright, so taking pictures in the dark will not be an issue. And I am glad to say focusing in the dark does not pose a challenge at all for this baby! I know of some DSLR that still hunts (searches forever without getting a focus lock) in the dark.

It focuses properly in the dark, but will the picture turn out noisy? I would be lying to myself and to everyone else if I said that the picture are noise-free at high ISO. This is, after all, still not a full fledged DSLR! I’ll let you see some sample pictures:

Hui Yan and mommy, ISO 3200

How does it looked like zoomed in?

100% crop. Details are lost around the hair

Another picture taken at maximum ISO:

Care for a cuppa? ISO 3200

Here is a detailed view:

100% crop, again details are lost

Another picture …..

Jonker Street, ISO 800, perfectly use-able! Only processed in Canon DPP

Detailed view:

Some noises are there, but only if you pixel peep

Did I mention that this baby also takes pictures in exposure brackets? Yes, this means I can do HDR with this camera, albeit a bit slower. The maximum in can go between frames is about 1 second. And the maximum EV it can go for exposure bracketing is only ±1 EV, a total of 3 shots. But combining with RAW file format, it does wonders!

HDR was combined with Photoshop and Photomatix

Another thing that I noticed is that this camera tends to overexpose its shots when encountering a tricky shot. The shot below was shot using P mode, 0 EV:

Overexposed is the norm, it seems

I find that for these situations, I must always remember to dial down the EV to compensate:

Have to dial down the exposure a bit

Personally I am impressed with this baby! Its ability to still take decent pictures in the dark is one of its major selling point. If I were to complain, it would definitely be the rather dismal performance of the battery. After only about 3 hours of shooting, the battery complains of tiredness.

All in all, a very good camera. The advantage it has sometimes even outweighs a DSLR (small size, light, shoots video). Being small it is also very stealthy, I can take discreet pictures without the guard shooing us away, something that always happen to me when I use the DSLR.

See more pictures taken with this little camera at Kit Yan’s field trip.

Hairy fella ain't he?

Picture taken by wifey today, more than 2 weeks after my last shave. I get a lot of weird looks and comments from people, as if they are saying that a chinese guy should not keep a long beard like that. Rather stereotypical aren’t they? *sigh* looks like I will have to shave my face lar today before I go to work tomorrow. I hate shaving, especially when you need to do it everyday!

Boy was I glad that I was wrong! The Extreme III 8GB vanished completely from stores by mid-December! I thought that it was just a temporary stock clearance, and that I would be seeing it again a few weeks later. I waited and waited, but the Extreme III never appeared again. Panic came over me, what if the card really has been discontinued? Does that mean that I will have to buy the more expensive but unnecessarily bigger cards, or the slower cards?

After more excruciating weeks of waiting, I decided to test the market and I asked a few sellers. They told me that the Extreme III 8 GB are really not in production any more, and that I should buy the cheaper Ultra 8GB. Then I noticed something that wasn’t there before, the Ultra cards are now rated at 30 MB/s!! WTF??

Upon further searching, I realized that the entire line of the Sandisk CF cards has been revamped! The changes include changes in names and rated speed. The changes can be summarized with the following:

• Ultra II 15 MB/s (100x) → Ultra 30 MB/s (200x)
• Extreme III 30 MB/s (200x) → Extreme 60 MB/s (400x) (UDMA)
• Extreme IV 45 MB/s (300x) (UDMA) → Extreme Pro 90 MB/s (600x) (UDMA 6)

As you can see, this is a clear double increase in speed to quench the insatiable thirst for more speed in today’s super fast and high resolution cameras. Add to the fact that cameras nowadays are equipped with HD video! The icing on the cake is even sweeter; the price stays at or around the same as the old price!

Does this mean that I am going to get me the new faster Extreme cards? Absolutely NOT! My camera is already at its fastest at 30 MB/s. Any faster is a waste of technology. Besides, my old camera does not support UDMA. So now I am targeting the Ultra 8GB instead. Which is great news; I just came back from Low Yat Plaza this evening, the price of an Ultra 8GB is about only RM150!

All hail technology!

Things gets worse when you find out that the photo is a very important photo that you absolutely must keep. So how can you save it? I have personally seen a lot of people successfully saving their bad pictures digitally, but they were damn fucking stingy. They did not want to share their techniques to the world. Hate these fuckers.

Luckily a bit of Uncle Google and some photoshop experience helped me to figure it out. Take a look at this picture below:

Incorrect exposure, making the foreground dark and the background bright

That’s my little girl Hui Yan. You really can’t blame the camera. You can see that the bright background threw off the camera’s exposure metering calculation, which made Hui Yan’s face dark, and blew the background away. A really bad picture. If I saw this picture a few months back, I would have thrown it away. But I tried to salvage it. The cute expression on my girl’s face is just too previous to throw away just like that!

Traditionally I would increase the exposure setting for the foreground and decrease it for the background. But doing so made the contrast go awry, the effect was not very pleasant at all.

Uncle Google to the rescue! He told me that the way most people increase expose is to duplicate a layer of the original picture. Here’s the trick: change the blend mode from “Normal” to “Screen”. Then repeat the process, copy another layer from the last layer and change the blend mode to “Screen”. Do this as many times as necessary until you are satisfied with the level of exposure.

To decrease the exposure, do the same step, but this time use “Multiply” as the blend mode.

Needless to say, I used layer mask to blend in the brightened up foreground and the darkened background. Here is what I have got:

The picture is correctly exposed, and Hui Yan's face is clearly visible!

What did I learn from this? There is one very important lesson from all this. And that is underexposing is much safer than overexposing. I used only 3 layers to brighten up the foreground, but more than 6 layers before I can properly darken the background. As you can see from the photo above, the details in the curtains are lost forever, and I can hardly bring back anything there. But the underexposed foreground is still save-able, albeit with a bit of a noise. But noise can always be taken care of right?

Anyway the title is a bit confusing, ’cause technically speaking the places we went to were not only confined to KL. We also went to Sunway and Putrajaya.

It was during Deepavali. Obviously.

This round of post processing involves some newly learnt workflow. This is the first time I utilized LucisArt for that Dave Hill look. Tell me if that works.

Silly face. Processed using LucisArt

Then on the next day we went fooling around in Putrajaya. There is really nothing much to take in Putrajaya, other than lakes, gardens, and more lakes.

COME BACK HERE! Yan Yan on the edge of the platform

So I decided to do something crazy: bring the family to take pictures in KL! The only place I can think of is Pavilion, which is good because Mei Fen had never really been there before.

That silly face! Perfect for a Dave Hill effect

In the middle of shooting, Yan Yan began to whine already. It’s way pass her afternoon nap time.

She is beginning to get tired liao

Struggling on the bench like a worm

We were getting hungry already, so we went to Starbucks for our dose of lunch.

View of the world from Yan Yan's point of view

Went to Bukit Bintang jalan-jalan a bit. Came across this guy standing in the middle of the busy street. And I do mean STANDING very still!

Caught this guy standing very still. Check out my shutter speed, 1/10 seconds!

Actually I have had this picture in my mind already. So I decided to give it a try using Mei Fen as the subject, and everything else just moves around her:

My version of "standing still in the middle of a busy street" picture

Well, it worked, somewhat. I got Mei Fen standing still alright, but with a bit “too much” of a busy background! =)

Went to take the monorail from Bukit Bintang station, and went to the end in Titiwangsa, and came back to Bukit Bintang, just for fun!

What is this MyVi doing among the mercs and beemers?

Went to KLCC next. Did the one thing Yan Yan love, SWIMMING!!

Are you wet yet?

By the time we went back home, Yan Yan and Mei Fen were already very tired. Slept immediately on the way back.

Head on to my gallery for more pictures.

Anyways enough of the technical details. Go ahead and enjoy your “tang yuan” 汤圆 with your family!