High key images

A high key image is one where the background is intentionally white and featureless. If you Google for examples of high key images, you will see what I mean.

Today I managed to create a high key image that I feel good about. In particular, my greying hair no longer reveals itself starkly against a dark background. So for you guys out there, when your hair turns grey, you might also want to consider high key portraits of yourself.

Cost of Micro Four Thirds camera vs Full Frame camera

Micro Four Thirds (MFT) camera bodies are relatively inexpensive, compared to a full frame (FF) camera, but the MFT lenses are much more expensive than FF camera lenses. Is the cost justified? Here is the math.

For this study, I compare a top tier full frame Nikon camera versus a top tier micro four thirds Olympus camera. I use a range of lenses that a serious general photographer might purchase, citing prices (in US$) from the reputable B&H store. For lenses, I chose FF lenses that are closest in focal length/maximum aperture to the MFT equivalent.

Nikon D800 (full frame sensor)
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$2997: camera body
$121: 50mm f/1.8D lens
$360: 24mm f/2.8D AF
$899: 180mm f/2.8D
$670: 24-70mm f/2.8-f/4.0D
Total=$5047

Olympus OMD EM1 (micro four thirds sensor)
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$1399: camera body
$399: 25mm f/1.8 (*DOF=f/3.7) M.Zuiko
$799: 12mm f/2.0 (*DOF=f/4.0) M.Zuiko
$899: 75mm f/1.8 (*DOF=f/3.7) M.Zuiko
$999: 12-40mmf/2.8 (*DOF=f/5.6) M.Zuiko
Total=$4495

In summary, although a MFT camera body costs only about half of a FF body, the cost a complete lens/body system is actually only about 10% different.

You might notice that the true DOF difference is 2 f-stops worse in the MFT than in the FF system. Therefore the deal breaker is not in the price, but in the equivalent depth of field. That is to say, if you want maximum depth-of-field in your images, a FF camera is irreplaceable.


(*DOF = Depth of Field equivalent. A MFT sensor gives the lens a crop factor of 2. Not only is the focal length multiplied by a factor of 2, but the depth of field also increases by 2 f-stops)

We don't need a smarter smartphone

If you follow what is being announced at the Mobile World Congress this year, they are all about smartphones with new looks and features. Notice that it is not called Smartphone World Congress; it is called Mobile World Congress for a very good reason. It is not about telephony anymore; it is about computer-in-a-pocket.

I do not see any compelling improvements in the new smartphone that make me want to replace my Galaxy S2, as far as my telephony needs are concerned. I don't need a smartphone to monitor my heart rate, as in the new Samsung S5. I don't need bigger screen or higher resolution as I'd rather carry a smaller phone. I don't need a faster processor; mine runs fast enough. I don't need more apps; (help!) I am already overloaded with them, most of which I don't use.

I do so want to replace my Galaxy S2 though, if the right phone comes along. I want one with a week-long battery life, in a small and light body. I don't need lots of features, but low price tag would be nice. I want one with reliable internet connection, both broadband and WLAN. I want built-in WhatsApp, Viber, Line, Skype and whatever good free phone or messaging systems are out there. Built-in emails like Gmail and other popular email systems would be good. The problem is, these apps seldom come as built-in apps. Instead, you get lots of unwanted bloatware.

I now carry a non-smartphone (Nokia 210), which many call a feature phone. I don't like that term because these phone are really quite featureless phones. They are good for the intended purpose of making calls and delivering SMS and not much else. My phone is cheap, small, light, and has several days of battery life. What's more, the alarm works even when the phone is switched off at night! This serves to extend the battery life and I get to sleep with being interrupted by calls and message alerts.

Going low tech with my Nokia 210

After using a smartphone for several years, I decided to swap out my Samsung Galaxy S2 for a regular Nokia phone running on Symbian. This was prompted in part by an overheating problem on my Samsung, and in part by a desire to break free of smartphone addiction (have you noticed how people seem to be peering at their smartphone wherever they go?).

My Nokia 210 dual SIM phone seems to fit my needs very well. It can go for three days before I need to recharge. It has built-in apps for Youtube, Facebook and Whatsapp, as well as an internet browser. The processor is not very fast, so the apps are a little sluggish as compared to smartphones. My Nokia 210 costs me AUD$80, while an average smartphone at today's prices costs about thrice that amount.

The Nokia 210 does not have a touchscreen. It has a camera but not as good a one as on my Samsung S2. It can record video but at 15fps. It can accept Symbian apps but they are usually not great for running on small screen with low processing power. The 3" display is functional but not high resolution, nor does it have wide viewing angle.

So why should anyone bother with this phone? Well, I call it technology fatigue with using smartphones. It is quite liberating to go out with just a low tech phone. I don't feel compelled to fish out a smartphone every few minutes to see what is going on. I have enough features on my Nokia 210 to stay connected, but the features are not compelling enough for me to want to keep on peering at the little screen. I now leave my smartphone for use at home; I still enjoy playing with the apps and doing many things with it, such as listening to internet radio and reading the news when I am relaxing at home. But I am definitely keeping the smartphone under house arrest from now on.

What's so good about Nokia Asha 210 phone

Frankly speaking, I have enough of my Samsung Galaxy S2 smartphone. True, it does everything from the mundane to the esoteric. I have an app to tune my guitar, an app for star gazing, a posing app for photography, etc. In fact, it has basically replaced my need to use a regular PC other than for serious photo editing purposes.

Turning my attention to feature phones, I am quite taken in by the Nokia Asha 210. This phone runs on the old Nokia S40 platform (not as sophisticated as the Android). As a result, power consumption is very low and the processing speed is supposedly fast (i.e. I haven't bought one to try out yet). I really would want a phone with a battery that lasts for a week based on low usage.

The Asha 210 has a physical keyboard, which is a classic feature to have now that anything retro is in vogue. It has a dedicated button to bring up Whatsapp. Due to this and due to the physical keyboard, it is the ideal phone for heavy texters. It also has a dedicated button to launch the camera, which is great for impromptu shots.

The Asha 210 runs only on 2G and not 3G, but it this is probably alright for text and call purposes, since we are not talking about internet browsing here. It also has WLAN for use on home wifi, which is very handy to have.

Without having tried one and basing on specs alone, I daresay the Asha 210 is quite a good alternative to my smartphone for my text and call purposes. The built-in Whatsapp makes it THE reason to want this phone. If you are interested to get one too, make sure it is the RM-928 variant, which has dual SIM capability and which allows you to charge the battery through the microUSB port.

Review: Epson Expression Premium XP610

This is the fifth printer I have bought in the last 11 years. I have enjoyed using every single one of them and everyone of them have all been well and truly utilized. When I finally upgraded to Windows 7, I had no choice but to retire my trusty HP Laserjet and my old faithful HP PSC 2310 inkjet. Both were still in good running condition but are incompatible with the newer OS.

So here comes my new "toy" - a spanking new up-to-date printer that has all the important and necessary features for modern home use. I won't list down all the features, but only the ones I am thrilled about.

Perhaps the most exciting new feature is the built-in wifi, which I have wanted for a long time. Setting up was quick and easy. I can now print straight from my smartphone, my laptop, or my PC. The printer sits far away from my PC. It does not need to be connected up with a PC. It is also compatible with Apple's Air Print and Google's Cloud Print.

I can scan by using the front panel, straight into a memory card, a PC, or to any cloud storage location. On my old scanner I had to launch a scanner program on a PC in order to scan. The scan quality is practically flawless, both in terms of sharpness and colour reproduction.

This printer has 5 separate ink cartridges, including a photo black. The ink levels can be viewed easily on the printer's front panel or on a computer. Third party (much cheaper) replacements can be bought from the Caribbean Market or on eBay. It has very good reviews for its colour prints. I have yet to try it out on high quality archival paper. I have quite positive vibes about it.

I would certainly recommend it to anyone for home use, especially due to the fact that it works almost straight out of the box (for heavy usage, consider the Epson Workforce series). Setting up was easy and hiccup-free. In spite of all the advanced wifi and cloud features, the front panel is very simple to use and a non-techie should feel comfortable with it.

Venus Bay outing for pipis

Here's the scoop. It is about a great catch, but not of pipis but of my camera falling into the water.

Last Sunday was a great day for pipi catching at Venus Bay. The water was not too cold and the mid-morning sun was not too hot. The pipis were large and plentiful at the low tide. I had to work fast as the tide was coming in quickly and the strong wind was creating waves about two feet high. I was getting myself increasingly wet; first at knee level and then at waist level.

Alas, pipi catching and photography do not go hand-in-hand (was that a pun?). I was carrying my little compact camera with me, kept in a pouch tied around my waist. The pouch got a little wet at first. Not a problem. Then I got a phone call. While scrambling to fish the phone out of the pouch, my camera fell out. It hit the water, but due to quick action I managed to save it from drowning... fully submerged, that is. But the damage was already done. The camera still turned on but behaved oddly.

As hoped for, after three days of drying out by itself, the camera is back to normal now. This will be the last time I am going pipi catching with a camera. Besides, the strong wind on that day was blowing up fine sand and it would have been a disaster had I brought my expensive lenses and DSLR with me. The sand would have easily gotten into the zoom lens where it protrudes. I have learned my lesson. Get a Go Pro instead.