Damien Photography Blog

Happy Chinese New Year 2012 from Charlie the King Charles Spaniel

2012-01-30T12:28:00.000+08:00

;)

Nikon D4

2012-01-06T12:31:00.000+08:00

WHEN THERE IS NO SECOND CHANCE: THE NEW NIKON FX-FORMAT D4 MULTI-MEDIA DIGITAL SLR IS THE DEFINITIVE UNIFICATION OF SPEED AND PRECISION

New, Nice Things come with the New Year!

Its a Nikon D4. Nothing much else to say. Top of the line flagship magnesium alloy full frame shooting machine with 16 megapixels, ISO204800 and a usd6000 price tag. What else you need?

Press Release
Hands on Preview

Key Specs:

16.2 effective megapixel, full-frame sensor (16.6MP total)
10fps shooting with AF and AE, 11fps with focus and exposure locked, 24fps 2.5MP grabs
91,000 pixel sensor for metering, white balance, flash exposure, face detection and active d-lighting
ISO Range 100-12,800 (extendable from 50 – 204,800)
MultiCAM 3500FX Autofocus sensor works in lower light and with smaller apertures
Two sub-selector joystick/buttons for shooting orientation
1080p30 HD video at up to 24Mbps with uncompressed video output
New EN-EL18 battery (21.6Wh capacity, CIPA-rated at 2600 shots)
Twin card slots - one Compact Flash and one XQD

;)

Happy New Year 2012!

2012-01-01T10:06:00.003+08:00

;)

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T16:07:00.000+08:00

;)

Nikon's New SB-910 Speedlight

2011-12-01T10:21:00.001+08:00

Amidst all the rumors and hype of Nikon releasing some new high-end dslr bodes this year, there was much disappointment because no new dslr body has been announced yet. Instead they announced and released the Nikon 1 System which you can read all about further down this blog.

And then, surprise surprise, a new high-end flagship flashgun comes along, the SB-910 Speedlight!

Fuuuuu...

Being a heavy flash user myself (let there be light when there isn't enough), and a sb900 owner, of course i'm thoroughly interested in any new flashgun! But after checking out the new sb910 i see that its actually just a refresh of the sb900. They have added weather protection and fixed the overheating shutdown. Other than that, its identical in features compared to the sb900 plus a little more weight!

Thermal shutdown (flash switches to off mode when too hot, can be very annoying during a wedding shoot) on the sb900 has been an issue for many continuous burst shooters but its not a problem. Its how the sb900 is designed to work. The sb900 is a powerful and fast flash. When you push this type of performance to its limits, the sb900 will shutdown to protect itself and your wallet because Nikon will not repair a blown out flashgun even under warranty for free. This shutdown can take up to 10 mins to recover. Faster if you remove your batteries. If you change batteries, you can continue shooting because its really the batteries that heat up so much during fast discharge. With the sb910, Nikon have slowed down the cycling time to prevent the flash and batteries from reaching shutdown temperature! A clever fix!

The sb910 will set you back USD549. RM1750!

The user interface has been simplified to sb700 gui. This is cool because sb900/700 gui is the best and fastest flash interface on this planet. Imho at least.. Its a joy to use. No fumbling through lenghty menus or groping in the dark looking for buttons to press...

No need to chat more about what this flash can do... Its a Nikon Speedlight!

News release: http://www.dpreview.com/news/2011/11/30/sb910speedlightlaunch

;)

Tanjung Jara Fisherman - Oct 2011

2011-11-20T11:08:00.001+08:00

Early one morning at Tanjung Jara, i was on the beach hoping for a decent sunrise which of course did not appear, this guys comes along and starts trawling the rocky beach line.

After studying the waves, apparently looking for schools of fish and very cleverly timing his net throws he actually lands some fish! So i head over for a chat...

Actually he's no fisherman! He works for TNB as a meter reader and does this fishing just for fun. The net belongs to his uncle.

But catch enough fish for a hearty lunch he did!

Ah, the simplicities of life!

;)

High Rez:

http://www.damienphotography.com/Landscapes/General/10229713_z7nSC4#1592938048_LxbKKhm-A-LB
http://www.damienphotography.com/Landscapes/General/10229713_z7nSC4#1592933180_qKwJB4g-A-LB
http://www.damienphotography.com/Landscapes/General/10229713_z7nSC4#1592934044_GFgdmmP-A-LB
http://www.damienphotography.com/Landscapes/General/10229713_z7nSC4#1592936874_zXgg3rs-A-LB

;)

Cloudy, Rainy, Foggy, Golden...

2011-11-19T12:20:00.001+08:00

Looking out my back window.

;)

At Peace - 31 Oct 11

2011-11-02T18:16:00.001+08:00

Straits of Malacca
(+4° 12' 7.96", +100° 32' 8.26")

Its a Nikon V1

2011-10-11T10:39:00.001+08:00

Sometime around mid september, Nikon announced a new camera system. Its called the Nikon 1 system and comes in two flavours. The V1 and J1. Nikon have introduced a new sensor type called CX with this new system, and it comes after FX and DX. See the pix below!

The good stuff is the V1. Compact body with interchangeable lens. Dslr type speed, control and functions.

To simplify, its like a dslr without a mirror and viewfinder. The new system removes the 'single lens reflex' so the viewfinder and mirror are now electronic allowing the V1 into the compact size territory. Another term for this type of camera system is known as EVIL like the olumpus and panasonic mirco 4/3 or sony's nex line of cameras. By going EVIL, the shutter is also electronic. Another important size reducing factor.


The difference in sensor sizes.

So whats exciting about this new system? You can buy a lens mount adaptor for the V1 to accept Nikon-F mount! Yes, that means, any existing nikkor lens can be used on this tiny camera. Or perhaps better to say, the V1 can be mounted onto any nikkor lens. V1 has all the iso and image quality like any nikon dlsr!

Its like a midget on steroids!

Nikon V1


The V1 System


Nikon J1

You can see the multi-coloured J1s.

V1 Specs: http://forums.dpreview.com/news/1109/11092120nikonlaunch.asp#specs

All images courtesy www.dpreview.com & www.nikon.com.my

;)

New Nikon AF-S DX Micro Nikkor 40mm f/2.8G

2011-07-12T14:06:00.001+08:00

Nice! New 40mm DX macro lens (equals 60mm in 35mm)! Cheap too, expected around rm900. f2.8!

Its a macro, magnification ratio is 1:1

Important note : It uses an internal focus system with close-range correction to attain a minimum focus distance of just 16cm / 6.4", equating to approximately 5cm / 2" from the front of the lens.

Specs:

Maximum Aperture • f/2.8

Minimum Aperture • f/22

Angle of View on DX • 38°50’

Number of Elements (Groups) • 9 elements, 7 groups

Minimum focus distance • 16 cm (6.4")

Reproduction ratio • 1:1

Aperture Diaphragm Blades • 7

Filter Thread • 52mm

Size • 6.4 cm wide x 6.9 cm long (2.5" x 2.7")

Weight • 280g (9.9 oz)

Source : http://www.dpreview.com

;)

The 39th Nurburgring 24 Hours (Live Stream Screen Captures)

2011-06-27T12:59:00.006+08:00

Hi. Long time no post..

This years Nurburgring 24 Hours Endurance Race as usual has limited tv coverage and only available to 98% of the world via web live streaming and english commentary only available via web radio. They have some strange tv broadcasting rights thingy happening in Germany.

So for keeps sake, am posting up some screen shots of the race. Btw, ferrari lead about 14 hours, then bmw took over, then Porsche won in the last two hours. The racing during the twilights of sunset and sunrise are just amazing.

;)

Nothing new to see here, move along...

2011-05-31T09:08:00.001+08:00

Lol!

One year old Charlie

;)

Yeay! New 50mm ƒ1.8

2011-04-27T12:35:00.004+08:00

Finally they announce the obvious.. heh, something the community knew for 1 month ago.. That a new 50mm ƒ1.8 lens from Nikon is available! And cheap too.. Nice! Estimated around rm900 only.

Press Release

Specification

;)

Compressing Time - Storm Clouds

2011-04-17T10:18:00.003+08:00

Hey Yall. Just trying out some time lapse photography. First time trying and creating videos so please be forgiving for the jerky and overly simple video clips. Also, i did the timing manually. Ideally an interval meter should be involved with the recording process. The meter will make sure timing is perfect and it can be left to record by it self. Manual recording requires baby sitting plus i'm not a human stop watch. Lol. As with anything video, perfect timing is whats its all about.

Some details: Both videos compresses 20 minutes of time into less than 10 seconds. About a 120 photograph frames for each video were shot over that 20 minute period at roughly 3 to 5 seconds intervals (this is where a proper meter will produce accurate timing). Videos are available in HD too, no sound. The second clip may seem less sharp, thats because it raining quite heavily. Heh.

Have a look see..

Do let me know what you think..

;)

YGNetwork China (.com.cn) is a Scam

2011-04-15T08:23:00.004+08:00

Apparently some China internet domain name company is concerned about my (damienphotography) Intellectual Property rights and protection as they want to register the same name as their trademark and domain. Here's the email i received on 14th april.

From : john.wang@ygnetwork.org.cn
To : alvin@damienphotography.com
Date : Thu, Apr 14, 2011 at 2:42 PM
Subject : Urgent notice of Intellectual Property protection

Dear Manager:

This email is from China domain name registration center, which mainly deal with the domain name registration and dispute internationally in China and Asia.
On April 13th 2011, We received HAITONG company's application that they are registering the name " damienphotography " as their Internet Keyword and " damienphotography .cn "、" damienphotography .com.cn " 、" damienphotography .asia "domain names etc.., It is China and ASIA domain names. But after auditing we found the brand name been used by your company. As the domain name registrar in China, it is our duty to notice you, so I am sending you this Email to check. According to the principle in China, your company is the owner of the trademark, In our auditing time we can keep the domain names safe for you firstly, but our audit period is limited, if you object the third party application these domain names and need to protect the brand in china and Asia by yourself, please let the responsible officer contact us as soon as possible. Thank you!

Best regards,

John
Oversea marketing manager
Tel: +86(0)21 6191 8696
Fax: +86(0)21 6191 8697
web: www.ygnetwork.com.cn

Yes, its a scam. Here's another link telling their story.

Tobacco!

2011-04-12T12:32:00.001+08:00

;)

Yeah...

2011-04-11T10:06:00.000+08:00

Clearly updated the look of my blog, removed that aging banner pix, retained most of the colours to match the darkness of my main site.. ;)

Whaddyall figure...?

;)

New Nikon D5100

2011-04-06T09:38:00.012+08:00

Oh my..a new articulated-screen-camera from Nikon. Nice! The D5100 replaces the D5000 with some new key features:

16.2 megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor
Side-articulated 3.0" LCD monitor (920,000 dots)
11 AF points (with 3D tracking)
IS0 100-6400 range (Up to 25,600 equivalent when expanded)
HD movies (1080p, 720p or WVGA)
4 fps continuous shooting
In-camera effects filters in both stills and video modes

That's a pretty impressive spec upgrade.

You can read the preview here.

There's a brochure here.

Nikon D5100

* i notice the red nikon trademark under shutter button has changed in shape, a first since they started making dslrs, some what 12 years now...? this is truly a new nikon!

;)

Charlie Portraits!

2011-01-21T14:15:00.001+08:00

Charlie is a 9 month old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Boy Pup.

Lovely character, confident once comfortable, moody when not.

Terribly adorable!

Very friendly and of course, overly playful.

Photographed here just upon waking from an afternoon nap.

Otherwise a fully awake pup is just too jumpy for any photo session.

;)

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T10:47:00.001+08:00

;)

Genji at Hilton PJ

2010-12-21T08:53:00.001+08:00

Last week's Big Red Food Review took us to Hilton PJ. Their Japanese Restaurant, Genji.

Alys Review : Genji

The foto album : Genji

;)

Makan Kitchen at DoubleTree by Hilton KL

2010-12-13T13:08:00.002+08:00

If you are a frequent visitor here and/or my blog, you will know that i generally don't comment much on restaurants. There's a good reason for that. But every now and then, a comment needs to made.

Makan Kitchen is The main restaurant of DoubleTree Hotel, a hotel by Hilton KL. This place deserves a mention on its lighting. The first thing that hit me very solidly in the face when i walked in from the lifts was.."WAAH, so bright the place..., nice!" And then as you explore the place, you really feel how the lighting guys who engineered this place really went over the top! Because, the light in this huge venue that seats 350, gradually dissolves into darkness and privacy, and at any table you sit at, the light fills only the table and whatever is in front of you.. just right. Look away and you see darkness with small un-obtrusive lights fading away.. You don't see the spot and fill lighting (which there is a lot of) at all. It creates a very nice atmosphere.

Go and check it out.. and while your there, might as well dine or lunch on their awesome buffet spreads...They have three separate complete sections, covering Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisines with that very homely cooked taste.

Aly's Review : Makan Kitchen

Full Photo Album : Makan Kitchen

;)

il Lido, KL

2010-12-02T17:14:00.006+08:00

A nice cosy restaurant down along Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, KL. il Lido is an Award Winning, World Class Italian Dining + Lounge Bar, the attention of this week's Big Red Food Review.

Aly's review : il Lido

My full album : il Lido

Port Wine Braised Wild Boar

Wagyu Beef Cheek with Celeriac Pure and Fava Beans

Wow, its been a month since my last post...

;)

Sharing Good Photography Info!

2010-11-02T15:01:00.007+08:00

Hey yall.. if you are interested in photography and have the time, check out this blog..

www.goodphotography.info

Its good photography info indeed, simple easy to understand and down to earth writings by Andy Lim.

I've added this blog to my links here on the right.

Thanks Andy Lim for the Share!

;)

Social at GTower, KL

2010-10-30T12:52:00.018+08:00

Social at GTower, KL was the attention of this weeks' RedFM's Big Red Food Review.

A lovely cosy place with a healthy wine collection, great food & drinks and below at the lowest level is a happening, hip bar with all the nice beers on tap!

Cheers.

See here.. Aly's BiG Red Food Review of Social!

See here.. my social full album!

Wafer Martini

Peppered ahi tuna

Tiger King Prawn Noodles

Pizza Chicken Satay

Smoked salmon and avocado sandwich

Thanks for Viewing!

;)