Tapestry Of Time ~ Time Tapestry

Shooting the Leica M10P and M246 Monochrom in Cafe Leitz

2018-12-24T16:50:00.003+08:00

The Raffles Hotel Leica shop reopened recently and I managed to pop by to check it out (Uhm a few times). I love Leica cameras of course [have had previous blog posts on their bodies and lenses] and have owned some of them (M6, M8, M9, T) have tried some for a few days to weeks (M7, M240, SL, S Typ 007) still own and love the M6 and have had hands on with other bodies like the M10P and Monochrom which I took some of the below shots with. (Some of the pix below with the iPhone too).

The Leica Gallery has also reopened next to the retail space but a wonderful new addition is the uber cool Cafe Leitz! One of 3 in the world, the others being in Wetzlar and Thailand. The gallery has some wonderful images by Thomas Hoepker on display right now and it is great to enjoy them as well as checkout the photography books and magazines there over a nice cup of coffee and yummilicious petits fours from the patissier. I had the delicious Jade Mirror which is a pandan chiffon sponge with kaya cream and mousse and the Ho Ho Horlicks which is a horlicks creme brulee (salivating again thinking about it) washed down with a flat white prepared by excellent barista from the alchemist, who will be running the coffee bar ‪till 31 Dec‬ after which it changes to another coffee company to run for a time.

On the gear, the M10P is very quiet and nice, the new shutter being firm yet having a lovely soft sound. The M246 Monochrom is a cool camera that shoots just black and white without Bayer color RGB filter array and has better high ISO performance than it's M240 brethren and have better b/w tones. It is a very cool camera. M10P shots below taken with Summilux 28mm and Monochrom shots taken with Summilux 50mm (both current versions).

So sharing some snaps around the shop and of course I highly recommend folks who love Leica to head down too. Going down equals ownself poison ownself though ;) Ok on to the pix. Cheers.

Thomas Hoepker on display at the Galerie (shot with M10P)

Contact sheet from a Thomas Hoepker book I was reading at the cafe (shot on iPhone)

The lovely M10P (shot on iPhone)

Leica be selling watches now too (shot on iPhone)

Cafe Leitz! (shot with M10P)

Yummy mini confectionaries (shot with M10P)

Yes I would like more coffee (shot with M246)

Some dried flowers around the counter (shot with M246)

Taking a break (shot with M246)

Always happy with a good cup of Leica coffee (shot on iPhone)

State of the Watch World End 2018 and All I Want for Christmas ;)

2018-12-19T22:00:00.001+08:00

A Paul Newman Daytona

So in the past I did wishlists for end of the year but as I haven't written about watches for a time, let's have a quick look at where things are at right now.

Things are crazy right now!

Patek Nautilus for S$60+k (what in the hell...)
Richard Milles for silly money [the i have made it watch now for the young and rich$$$]
AP Royal Oaks (being hot as they should be)
Sports Rolex becoming more exclusive and hard to get. Super hot piece now being the GMT
Modern Tudor doing well
Vintage sports Rolex and Tudor getting hotter and hotter. Even recent pieces are going for silly money now... [Auction houses playing this up big time too]
And the rest of the brands playing catch-up

A RM

Another RM

Another RM

make it rain RMs!

Another...

The way many are approaching watch purchases now is to buy to flip. Set aside funds to buy and sell pieces and they might enjoy some of them for a while but most or all are not meant to be keepers, they are meant to be flipped.

It seems slightly bubble-licious but a lot of new money coming in and somehow a lot rich people popping up in China and all over buying up luxury products like it's going out of style ;) Amidst this buying frenzy all i can say is I will steer clear. I know what are reasonable decent buys right now and i'm not breaking the bank for silly premiums because of the crazy herds out there.

So my wish this year is to buy back all the watches I sold at super low prices for those same prices now! :) haha ain't gonna happen but i think it's echoed by many people who sold off what are now pieces that are going for double, triple of what they had sold them for. Have a good new year you consumerist bunch of flippers ;) [Some pix of hot pieces below]

Would you like some AP with your Nautilus sir?

Another Paul Newman Daytona

More Paul Newman Daytonas

It's Raining Paul Newman Daytonas

Some vintage Rolex

A vintage rolex

Another

More

Gimme more

I just can't get enough I just can't get enough

1665 DRSD double red sea dweller with Mark 1 dial

The Best Digital Camera [for me :) ] The Fujifilm GFX50S An Owners Review

2018-12-19T20:59:00.002+08:00

So there are all kinds of photographers out there who do all kinds of photography. Wildlife and nature, landscape, cityscape, weddings and events, interiors, architect, drone/aerial, commercial (including product, fashion), fine art, dance, stock, portraits, lifestyle, video/vlogging too, etc etc etc

So for me, i love shooting people. Be it portraits, fashion, street, dance etc as long as there is person in the pic I'm up for it :) [Side note: I do want to expand more into other areas of photography but there is no rush as photography is a lifelong passion] and the camera that is the best for the types of photography I do right now and I am most happy with is the Fujifilm GFX50S. [FYI, I have owned and used a lot, a lot of different digital camera systems]

First thing to note is medium format (MF) cameras are of course not good for all types of photography. Fast action, and any type of photography where both fast autofocus (AF) and a high frames per second with autofocus between frames is needed, then this is not the camera for it. Photography requiring super long zooms would not be the best suited too so shooting wildlife and sports would not be the best noting this.

On AF, my hope is in future iterations it does become better and faster, so then it will be able to do more of what the high-res full frame cameras out there can do on this front and then better it in the image quality department. Also it may be about time a new sensor comes out as the base sensor is a bit long in the tooth now (first used in Pentax 645Z in 2014). So with a new sensor image quality (IQ) gets even better? OMG! (in a good way)

A bit more on IQ

A lot of folks talk of high-resolution (let's say those with greater than 40mp) full frame cameras and speak of the IQ being similar to the digital medium format mirrorless cameras and the statements that come up with is usually 'oh the sensor is not that much bigger' and 'it's not the same size as film medium formats in the past' and those statements are true to a degree.

They are not as big as the film 645 size [56 x 42mm] which is already a smaller size for the film MF cameras but they ARE bigger than FF and can capture more of everything good, generally speaking :) as you can tell, i am well versed in technical terms. [Signal to noise, micro lens array, backside illuminated, gobbledy goobledy geek]

To my eyes, the pictures produced by Fujifilm GFX50S are some of the best image files produced by a digital camera out there right now (native glass to native glass at equivalent settings) and folks who want the best IQ should spend time with these cameras and realise how impressive the image quality is from these MF beasts.

The 51.4MP 43.8 x 32.9mm CMOS sensor in the GFX has the base sensor from Sony which is also used in the Pentax 645Z, Hasselblad H6D and X1D, some Hasselblad and Phase One backs. The DIFFERENCE though is magical Fuji micro lenses on the sensors optimized for 'light gathering performance and image resolution to deliver images that precisely reproduce the subject’s texture, three-dimensional feel and even the atmosphere of each scene.' excerpt from Fujifilm literature and they speak the truth! :)

The GFX RAW files are amazing and gives the user a lot of latitude for cropping and adjusting highlights and shadows (i.e. YUGE dynamic range). These files are just that bit more future proof too e.g. what if you had to print an image wall sized one day or someone wants to buy your pic and needs it big for your art gallery showing right? [ok maybe significant what-ifs but you never know :) ]. Not only capturing a lot of info but the quality of the capture with the excellent native Fujinon lenses is there. These all come at a price of course but isn't that normally the case for the better/best things out there? ;)

Mirrorless benefits

The benefits of mirrorless are significant too for MF and because this sensor is not so much bigger than FF, some 35mm glass can be mounted onto adapters for use on this body with minimal to no vignetting. This opens up the possibility of mounting a lot of available 35mm glass. Right now, it's mostly dumb adapters out there but techart have a smart Canon adapter which autofocuses those lenses on this body and that is soooo good ;) I have been using dumb adapters with manual lenses so far but may consider going the Canon route for glass if I want to keep costs down. What is important of course is to get good Canon glass which would also be pricey but won't be near the GF lens prices for those lenses that I am eyeing.

Other benefits of mirrorless is EVF and solid manual focus magnification and peaking aids for manual focusing. You can also switch on exposure and white balance previews so WYSIWYG.

No shutter slap means better shutter speeds can be used as compared to the mirror/DSLR style MF cameras.

Price

Speaking about price... The GFX50R is coming out at an amazing steal of a price for medium format (especially the bundle deals. In Singapore it is S$6,999 for the body and add in the GF63mm f2.8 for S$499. That's S$7,500 only for digital medium format quality). So if I was on the fence in the past, I would dive in for the R if I am into the rangefinder style body.

Alternatively, GFX50S pricing on the first hand and second hand market has come down too. So folks who prefer the S style and grip and other differences could look to pick them up for less (than when it launched) too. Brand new now is S$8,499 (down from original $10,099 price) and that's with the tilt adapter and hot shoe. The second hand pricing will of course be even better and not ridiculously far off from the high end full frame cameras too. In the past other than the Pentax, the rest of the medium format offerings were asking crazy sums of money. What Fuji has done is make a very good (possibly one of the best in it's range) MF platform attainable to many vs the $20+k entry points of the past.

What would I want improved on it?

- Better AF - Better eye AF as the current one sometimes misses the closer eye. Better low light AF and better AF in challenging strong backlight situations and faster AF is always welcome too [Note: GFX100Mp will have Phase detect AF]
- Newer and better sensor (perhaps with BSI)
- IBIS (why not)
- 4K video
[Uhm most of the above may be offered on the GFX 100 megapixels camera but thats 100mp. hmm may have to start saving my pennies for upgrading PC, storage, if I decide to get that beast]
- Faster lens options eg. in a focal range between 50mm (the current 63mm f2.8) and 86mm (current 110mm f2) would be great eg 75mm f1.4 or f1.2 equivalent in 35mm terms

Naysayers be saying: Oh but it has a slow 1/125 flash sync speed
Answer: High speed sync baby. I've shot thousands of photos on HSS and the following are just 2 with shutter speeds above 1/125
To keep costs down, I've used Godox and have been happy with it

In the end...

This review/writeup is not meant to say this camera is definitely the best out there for what it delivers and for it's price and it's not to tell you to go and buy one. What works for you may be something else entirely.

This writeup is just to share from an owner's perspective who has done A LOT of shoots with it for more than 18 months, what an absolute joy it has been to have this camera with me [acquisition article link]. With just the 63mm on mine, I use it for street photography too and take it out for casual outings without concern of it's weight and size in my small sling bag.

From all the great shoots I have done with it, all the way to winning prizes with images taken with it [Blessed with multiple-award wins LINK ~ All winning images shot with the GFX and 63mm, 110mm, 23mm lenses], it has been a great camera, a great tool companion and I look forward to many many more opportunities to shoot with it and enjoy it. Thanks for reading.

PS. Appreciate your follow and likes on IG too LINK where you can check out a lot a lot of pix done on the GFX amongst other cameras. Cheers.

Fuji 110mm f2 vs Zeiss Otus 85mm f1.4 on Fuji GFX50S... FIGHT!

2018-07-31T00:12:00.002+08:00

A shot taken this past weekend with the Zeiss Otus on the GFX

First off i would like to note that this is not a technical review with charts and a view of lpms and mtfs and such and there are other sites for that (google 'jim kasson zeiss'). This was me having 10mins at the fuji shop and having the zeiss on my gfx and saying let's do this! :)

For all the images below, the shot with the Fuji is on the left and the shot with the otus is on the right. I shall share the comparo images first before coming to my own conclusions based on this checking of the files. I excluded others I had taken favoring these as there wasn't any misfocus or shutter shake in these. ok onto some comparisons then.

the shot below is a crop in of the above shot and they look very much the same

Shot from moving back a little from the above position

crop in of the above shot and again they look very much the same

My thanks to the Fujifilm staff at Suntec City who was kind enough to let me take a quick portrait shot (all in the name of speedy lens tests :)

Do note the below is a super zoomed in crop of the above picture. and the Zeiss pic is more zoomed in than the fuji.

Conclusion

The Zeiss Otus becomes a nice 67.15mm f1.11 lens on medium format (in 35mm full frame terms). There isn't a lens for the GFX in this range right now as it's not a standard focal length used by most. But it is kinda like imbetween 50mm and 85mm and you have more of the scene to play with which is good and in tighter spots will be able work it better than the 110mm.

Cropping in a little and getting rid of the vignette makes it excellent. The sharpness and overall IQ of this lens is more than enough for GFX medium format quality.

Another negative is that the Otus is heavy... heavier than the autofocus Fuji. I would have preferred if the rubber bits on the otus weren't rubber and made out of metal or something that will last the ages but of course that would probably have made it even heavier!

Manual focus is the other biggie. I found some inconsistencies with the Fuji AF for nailing the focus on the 110mm lens but it means you refocus and take the same shot if you have the opportunity to. When it nailed focus though, that Fuji lens produces AMAZING image quality! The Zeiss Otus lens manual focuses quite easily but some fair bit of turning is involved to go from one end to the other.

For manual focus, I suggest focusing zoomed out to make sure the pic is getting into focus for most of the way and then punch in to ensure you get it focused right on where you want it to focus (eg. eye for portraits) and then it's rock and roll... sharp and bokehlicious Otus pix on Fuji GFX :)

Overall, I would say that the Zeiss Otus 85mm is a great addition to both your full frame and medium format arsenal as it straddles systems like Nikon, Sony, and I'm happy to say the Fuji GFX :) May do a similar test on a hasselblad x1d someday.

Cheers, Raph

Nikon D850 Review ~ Top of the line Full Frame Nikon

2018-07-25T21:18:00.000+08:00

This is not a full review with pics as I have taken too many of those. I will be posting more pix in this review soon. So this post is developing :)
[This is not a paid review. I get nothing from Nikon for doing this and am not told to say anything and everything written on here is up to me and that's it :) i got the loaner for 3 weeks and very much enjoyed having it for that time. Thanks to Nikon and their PR agency for the loaner! :) ]

A Herculean Camera [Shot with Nikon D850 and kit lens]

The short version: If this is within your budget (for body and lens you want to use with it) and you want to shoot with a top end full frame DSLR (and are not heavily invested in another system) then the Nikon D850 is the camera to get in my personal opinion. [The long version continues below :) ]

Product & Price (RRP in SGD)

D850 (Body) - $4,999
D850 (AF-S NIKKOR 24-120MM F/4G ED VR Kit set) - $5,949

Some notable specs

45.7-megapixel backside illumination FX-Format CMOS sensor. With a dynamic range of native ISO sensitivities, from ISO 64 to 25600
full-frame 4K UHD video capabilities, 4x and 5x slow-motion videos in Full HD
8K time-lapse movie production using interval timer photography.
autofocus (AF) engine that engages the 153-point AF system and 99 cross sensor
high-resolution tilting 3.2 inch touch-screen with 2359k-dot LCD monitor, and button illumination that is helpful when shooting in dark situations

To note first, I did not come from use of many Canon or Nikon full frame cameras. I have used a couple (D600 and D750) for short periods of time. I have however used a fair number of different cameras including the top Sony offerings A9 and A7RII (only played a short while with A7RIII so that doesn't really count), digital medium format (MF) (my current workhorse the GFX50s and i've done some shoots with the Leica S), Leica rangfinders (M6 for film and M9, M240 for digital), my old beater Nikon D90, a number of APS-C (Sony, Fuji, Ricoh) and m4/3 (Olympus and Panasonic) cameras.

Coming from someone who has used a number of cameras and without much Nikon full frame exposure, i can say this camera is a beast! it's big, heavy, chunky dslr and likely usable as a weapon if u need to knock them mirrorless fanboys out! ;) kidding about that yuh, I am a mirrorless lover too. What this is, I feel (and i think many others may have commented) is Nikon throwing everything it can into it's top of the line prosumer body to fight against the mirrorless assault (before it joins the fray properly in 2019?)... and that is a great thing.

The functions list is a long one and i recommend you go check that and other specs out at other review or sales sites eg amazon, b&h etc. i am taking this on from usability and if i got the shots i had wanted from it and views on aspects that matter to me standpoint.

Usability

1) Size weight chunkiness - doesnt matter to me. noting my main camera is a digital medium format fuji gfx50s

2) buttons and controls are all fine. nothing to moan about and quick youtube vid on doing specific functions and you're good to go. eg I did a timelapse video with the interval mode and picked it up after a 5min vid of it.

3) image quality and dynamic range - Excellent image quality and dynamic range. I think this sensor is a top of the line one for 35mm. In my dynamic range test with Sony A7Riii, the A7Riii loses to it (the image seemed noisier and pixelly in the shadow details i tried to recover and had some color artifacts) and it was just a bit lesser than the GFX50s.

Details wise, it loses to the GFX. overall noise performance it loses to the GFX.

the view, i have which is a personal one, is that the gfx is just that little better than all these mega-huge sensor 35mm cameras and if you value that little bit better for amazing IQ and willing to buy into that system than it's a great mirrorless digital medium format option. but it comes at a price. Although in the 2nd hand market you can pick it up for cheap now. makes my heart ache a little coz i paid top dollar but that's how the cookie crumbles [or that's how the 2nd hand pricing market tumbles :( ]

The Nikon D850 will be better in AF, AF lens choices and functions over the current mirrorless MF offerings and competes directly with the Sony A7RIII. This is needed to prevent more migration from Nikon to Sony.

4) AF speed and nailing movement shots - Very good but can still miss shots of course. I shot a ballerina doing a jump to try out the AF and in the series there were blurry shots which wasn't great :( could the A9 or A7III do better? hmm

Timelapse vid but not uploaded well as im not so good with vid uploads

Conclusion then is if you are invested in Nikon FX glass and have been using Nikon for awhile, and are thinking jumping ship to mirrorless... stop, pick this up and see if this is for you. [UPDATE 31Jul18] With the announcement of the Nikon mirrorless you might want to wait and see it's feature set and if it works for you. I believe Nikon has to come out with a very good AF adapter for most of it's legacy AF lenses so that folks invested in Nikon have a big incentive to stay with Nikon.

For parties on the fence and considering a full frame body with loads of megapixels, I would suggest loaning or handling both the nikon D850 and the sony A7Riii and the new Nikon mirrorless (the top of the line model) and then decide which works best for you for what you shoot. End of the day, this is a great camera in the Nikon line-up and much needed imo ;)

Hope the words work (and more pix to be uploaded soon). Cheers

J Myers Co NATO Leather Strap Making Course At Watch Wonderland

2018-05-13T22:32:00.000+08:00

So a couple of months back I had the opportunity to take this course at Watch Wonderland and it was a couple of hours well spent. You get to learn about different types of leather, different parts of it and processes and most anything you could actually want to know about leather, they can sort you out. very knowledgeable and cool instructors from J Myers were there to impart some strap making wisdom to us. links to their info here website Instagram facebook

starting off with some theory

but first off let's intro the main man... former professional photographer and now watch strap making (and most leather products) guru, Jeremiah Ang!

showing us some different leathers

ooh do i get to work on this?? uhm not really

calf leather will be supplied to make your custom calf NATO leather strap... Very Nice!

the theory was interesting

and getting my hands on some of the tools was fun

And at the end of it all... Voila! Cool unique NATO strap done by meself.

totally worth the price of admission

and final parting shot and thanks to Watch Wonderland and J Myers for this cool course offered there. There's also a strap corner in Watch Wonderland manned by Khairul from J Myers (who was also on hand to guide us during this course) who will be able to help with all strap related queries or purchases, so do drop by if you need a strap fix (literal and the itching to buy kind;)

and that's it. this course is highly recommended for watch and strap aficionados and if keen do reach out to watch wonderland to enquire on timings and reserve your slot now :) Ciao for now, raph

Fujifilm GFX50S Dynamic Range ~ Details and Recovery for under and over shots

2018-04-12T23:46:00.000+08:00

So this is not a technical site. For that you can check dxomark and such. But noting results the medium format sensor used in the Hasselblad X1D, Pentax 645z and the GFX is a very good sensor for recovering details in shadows and highlights. Overblown highlights being the tougher of the 2.

It is advisable therefore to shoot to the left. It is geek speak for shoot underexposed a little, to the left just means the histogram peak(s) are on the left side of the histogram graph instead of the right side which means more overexposed with possibility of blown highlights if it's very much to the right at high peaks. You can see this in the top right side of the Lightroom screen grabs below for the blown and severely underexposed picture.

So this was shooting in a studio and the flash didn't fire so I got a shot that was almost all black in RAW. too toooo much to the left

but this is no ordinary RAW... this is a (crop) medium format sensor :) though not a full sized proper medium format sensor this sensor is significantly bigger when compared to 35mm and captures more info and produces better Image Quality (IQ)... and so it can recover the below from close to black pic.

and with a few more tweaks...

and zooming in for detail which the gfx50s has a LOT of... not too bad i must say

so i swopped lens and was going from a slower aperture to a faster aperture and a few stops more light causes this. again look at the histogram at the right end of the graph

and recovered ot to this... not the best pic but it is definitely usable if I wanted to use it. nose may be a little too hot though

Timetapestry (Raphael Too) on Channel NewsAsia Site & Podcast: Investing in Top Timepieces

2018-03-12T20:56:00.001+08:00

Check out this podcast u must :) it's me sharing my thoughts on the luxury watch market, investment considerations and some general remarks. again just my opinion and some stumbles but ok lah first time recording for me LINK

Pic below the podcast page pic is from L to R, Julie Yoo, Valerie Tan, myself and David Bottomley.

A Watch Wonderland In Singapore Suntec City ... A Time For Curated Horology

2018-02-23T00:06:00.000+08:00

I had meant to do a writeup sooner but have been busier of late and this is the Chinese New Year period too :) Gong Xi Fa Cai and Happy Chinese New year to all Chinese readers out there. Ok on to it then! Watch Wonderland [ https://wonderland.watch/ | https://www.facebook.com/wtchwndrlnd/ | https://www.instagram.com/watch.wonderland/ ]

Welcome to Watch Wonderland! :)

they will work with the brands they carry to come up with limited edition (LE) tie-ups with

them so there may be more interesting pieces to check out in future

hmm what's on show you ask? et voila

i'll just share on the watches as i saw them (more or less) so first up is the gruppo gamma

It looks slightly similar to another brand out there

some pretty pieces though... these LEs are cool

colors are good

and the back is cute :)

next up... VENTUS! i liked them enough to buy them. nice designs from the makers of zelos

Interestingly enough, they carry select Seikos too. specifically some of the ones that I like :) i love a good turtle

Seiko is milking the reissues and it's great to have the old designs refreshed... just wish it wasn't at such high prices

i mean some even cost an arm and a leg ;)

up next are 2 brands that i had not seen before... orodeus which is a Singapore micro brand

and CLVII who came up with these skull head watches that look like high end speakers aeroskull from jarre technologies.. google it

they also got vintage, retro style watches there. some are pretty cool. that zelda watch is too cool :) but longevity is a question mark for that one

new old stock (nos) record watches... very nice retro styles

other than cool decor things going on...

they've got timing machines and nice large tables for courses that they offer the watch loving public. leather strap making and watch making. checkout their facebook page (link at the start of this post) for dates

last pix of the space.. oh and what's that over at the back

the electricianz... designed by studio divine, same folks who designed the 7 friday pieces... this reminded me of another timepiece and i just realised what it is... the sevenfriday q series with the time counter on one side

that's it for now and i will definitely be dropping by watch wonderland again and will be doing 1 or both courses in time. say hi if you spot me there :) ciao

Seagull 1963 Quickie Review cool column wheel chronograph movement

2018-01-09T00:53:00.003+08:00

This was never going to be a long post and this watch has been out there awhile with a number of variations of it abouts. I had always thought of getting one of these but something held me back in the past. This current variation ticks many of the boxes and it's aesthetics appeal to me. This is a good value (read 'cheap') and interesting watch coming in at €222.18 (approx S$360) for the leather strap version, shipped to me in Singapore.

Why interesting? It's got a pretty cool movement.

What ticks within the 1963 is a variation of the Venus 175 (31mm) that was a popular and decent column wheel chronograph movement in the 50s. Venus was a manufacture in the past producing movements alongside the likes of Lemania and Valjoux.

From Chinese watch wiki site (i.e. not sure how valid any of it is ;) : "Project 304 chronograph
In 1961 the Ministry for Light Industry received the order to develop a new 'aviator's watch' for the People's Liberation Army Air Force. This was designated "Project 304". The Venus Watch Company, Switzerland, were wanting to offload the calibre 175 chronograph tooling to raise capital for development of their calibre 188. The USSR were not interested, but the Chinese were. The 175 tooling was purchased for Project 304 and installed at the Tianjin Watch Factory. By October 1965, the third test batch were completed and submitted to the Ministry and Air Force for approval, which was passed in December. The production version was designated ST3. By May the following year, 1400 chronograph watches had been delivered to pilots of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF)."

Seagull have been using variations of the 175 ever since it was acquired. The original version of this watch model project 304 is said to have been created for the Chinese Air Force in 1963 and this is reissue of that model and explains the 1963 tag.

For this version, the dial has "21 zuan", Chinese for "21 jewels" below the 12 o'clock marker and the Chinese characters note "China" (1st line) and "Tianjin Watch Factory" (2nd line). I think the 21 Zuan is pretty daft especially noting where it is on the dial. That's where brands normally put their brand name or logo. Although Seagull there might no be too appealing too. For some models the logo is there and it's so so. In my mind, I pretend that it says 'Zi Juan' a Chinese brand name that means who knows what and it kinda works better for me then :)

Other things i like about this watch. They offer 38mm and other models in 42mm (but maybe with differences) but I am happy with the 38mm version which would be closer to the watches of old.

Overall if you aren't hung up about size and you actually like watches beyond just showing off the latest and greatest and uber expensive piece, then this is something worth considering in the affordable and fun range.

hmm maybe a white dial version would be good in future sold with a nice blue strap :) cheers, raph

Gear Review: Nikon D7500 Hands On At The Singapore Toy Game and Comic Convention 2017

2017-10-01T10:36:00.000+08:00

So of course there is excitement with the Nikon D850 announcement and I am interested to see how that stacks up againt the top of the line mirrorless offerings. What are the top of the line mirrorless offerings? To me, it's the Sony A9 and the Fuji GFX. So sometime later this year I do hope to pit it against those cameras but for now...

thanks to the kind folks at Nikon Singapore and their comms/marketing/PR folks I managed to play around with the APS-C / DX format Nikon D7500 for a bit of time and these are my personal opinions/overall thoughts from a light usage standpoint.

My Personal Preferences
1. APS-C is not doing much for me now. This has nothing to do with the D7500 but for me, I am not thrilled by high ISO performance of APS-C
2. I prefer EVF to OVF now
3. Mirrorless benefits make them better cameras to me than DSLRs for my type of shooting (portraits, fashion, street)

Some Specs

Updated 20.9MP DX-Format CMOS Sensor
EXPEED 5 Image Processor from D500
3.2" 922k-Dot Tilting Touchscreen LCD
Multi-CAM 3500FX II 51-Point AF System from D7200
Native ISO 51200, Expanded ISO 1,640,000 (yup that's a bit of a joke to me)

Pros
i. Some of the D500 mojo (meter and processor) and cheaper than the D500. for the body alone $1k less.

D7500 (Body Only): SGD$1,999
D7500 + 18-140mm VR Kit: SGD$2,419

D500 (Body only): $2,999
D500 + 16-80mm VR Kit: $3,999

D7200 Body only: SGD $1,469
D7200 Kit with AF-S 18-140mm VR DX Lens: SGD $1,879

ii. Reasonably good action cam with group AF
iii. carbon fiber body makes it light and it is small-ish

iv. 8.2fps shooting with a healthy buffer of up to 100 Frames

v. SnapBridge Bluetooth and Wi-Fi - I didn't play around with this but i think it's a basic requirement to have ability to transfer pix to and control your camera by phone now.

Cons

- The 4k video is cropped in 1.3x and it's already APS-C. This wasn't good for me as I wanted to take wide video and I couldn't due to space constraints and other items in the scene I didn't want to have.
- Colors were very warm on video for me. I am not a professional videographer and I just want good colors on my video off the bat and not have to color grade and play with profiles s-logs etc so this was not good for me.
- Pics wise, although the camera has super High ISO settings i.e. Native ISO 51200, Expanded ISO 1,640,000!!! (which most folks in their right mind won't use) I wasn't thrilled with it's regular ISO range picture quality which may be more of a factor of me being used to full frame (Sony A7s) and medium format (Fujifilm GFX50s) ISO performance.
- No 3D tracking af. AF in low light wasn't so great for me and i have missed af shots. AF doesn't focus on what i wanted in focus at times too.
- No dual slots so not an option in any way for professionals or folks who take on freelance jobs. you need to have backups as cards do fail. Not regularly but it happens and you can't explain it away to a client why u don't have images from *gulp* their wedding day.

My live pix using this camera follows and I used it as a walkaround camera for the Singapore Toys and Gaming Comics Convention (STGCC) 2017, 10 year anniversary. My overall view from use of it there is that it is a very good camera for APS-C and a definite consideration (against it's mirrorless competition) if it meets your budget, size/weight, features requirements.

All the pix were converted from NEF to DNG and lightly edited in Lightroom (LR). Overall I did not find high ISO performance good enough for me. I have noted the ISOs for the pix below and noise reduction (NR). Note all pix had sharpening of 25 to 30s range applied with some above 40s. ISO up to 1250 seems to be good but above that some degree of NR is needed.

ISO 220 No NR

ISO 360 No NR

ISO 180 No NR. AF missed for this range of shots

ISO 1600 NR 20 in LR

ISO 3200 NR 45

ISO 400

ISO 2000 NR 19

ISO 100 with flash

ISO 1250 No NR

ISO 10,000 NR 23

ISO 2800 No NR

ISO 1000 No NR

ISO 2800 NR 31

ISO 7200 NR 30

ISO 1250 NR 26

ISO 2000 NR 35

ISO 500 NR 40 (Cropped in significantly from original image)

ISO 450 NR 20

ISO 1250 No NR

ISO 4000 NR 44

"Pursue incredible moments with the intuitive DX-format D7500. Designed to be agile, the D7500 packs an updated 20.9-megapixel CMOS sensor and the EXPEED 5 image-processing engine, a combination that creates images with superior definition and reduced noise even at higher ISO values, into a durable and compact body, while a native ISO range from 100 to 51200 provides minimal noise in low-light scenarios, giving you the freedom to shoot detailed images even in harsh lighting conditions. With its 51-point autofocus system and a continuous shooting speed of approximately 8 frames per second, this camera is a paragon of fast-paced shooting. The D7500 records up to 4K UHD/30p videos in breath-taking detail, so you can take your passion to the next level. Seamlessly shoot and share on the go with SnapBridge, an app that automatically transfers your images to your smart device via Wi-Fi®. Whatever your subject, the D7500 will always deliver reliable and unparalleled performance with every shot.

Designed to fuel the passion of photographers is the new Nikon D7500, announced today by Nikon Singapore Pte Ltd. Nikon’s newest DX-format DSLR combines the performance of class-leading DSLR photography with outstanding agility and operability, creating endless possibilities for core photography enthusiasts and those on a quest to perfect their craft."

All of The Lights! Light painting Session

2017-07-23T03:17:00.000+08:00

Astronauts' Mission in Singapore & A 60th Anniversary bash!

2017-06-30T22:19:00.000+08:00

Before jumping into largely Omega provided text and pix I would like to thank Fiona & Rina and other fine folk at Omega for the invites down. Thanks all and on to it then! [Stuff in purple are my words and the pix have all been lightly edited]

Come meet the OMEGA astronauts on 7th July 2017 from 7.30pm at the Speedmaster 60th Anniversary Exhibition, on now until 9th July 2017 at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Level B1 from 11.00am until 9.00pm, daily.

In 1957, OMEGA set out to create a robust chronograph that was water-proof, easy to read, easy to use and exceedingly precise. The result was a watch quite unlike any other - the Speedmaster, the original timepiece in a legendary family. Few watches have the power to inspire like the OMEGA Speedmaster. The first watch ever worn on the moon, it has become an enduring symbol of the ingenuity and skill that took us into space.

Celebrating the past six decades of the Speedmaster, OMEGA presents the “Speedmaster 60th Anniversary Exhibition”. Within the exhibition space, visitors can admire the fascinating history of this timepiece through photographs, vintage watches and interactive screens, through which the visitors will be able to navigate on a microsite dedicated to the Speedmaster 60th Anniversary and a special section called “Faces of Speedmaster” that collects images from famous Speedmaster owners all over the world.

OMEGA stages a space-inspired soiree to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the legendary Speedmaster

29 June, Singapore: Time travel, space exploration and high-tech installation art came together in spectacular fashion, as OMEGA celebrated the 60th anniversary of its legendary Speedmaster collection in Singapore with a multi-sensory extravaganza that also heralded the opening of the brand’s latest flagship boutique at The Shoppes At Marina Bay Sands.

Over 130 guests, including VIP customers, members of the media...

[Singapore Celebrity Friends of Brand, Chen Han Wei & Yvonne Lim]

[Sheila Sim, actress and model and Nu Models agency owner]

and prominent watch bloggers (and a notable speedmaster loving barista) attended the multi-facetted event.

Teleporting attendees to the OMEGA universe from the get-go, the evening started with cocktails at a special exhibition area at the Marina Bay Sands mall, followed by a space-themed party at the Art Science Museum.

Upon arrival, guests were whisked to the Speedmaster 60th Anniversary Exhibition at the Marina Bay Sands mall. There, they journeyed through 60 years of the world-famous watch collection, courtesy of carefully curated exhibits.

The experience was further enriched by the presence of Jose De Cardoso, President of Swatch Group South-east Asia,

and OMEGA’s Head of Product Management, Mr Gregory Kissling,

...who was on hand to share insights on the brand and the Speedmaster’s legacy. Meanwhile, guests capped the exhibition by sharing their memories on social media, posting selfies against a photo wall that featured 60 of the most important Speedmaster models from 1957 to 2017.

After a tour of the exhibition and boutique, guests adjourned to the Art Science Museum, which was transformed into an OMEGA universe unto itself, and took on a futuristic, space-inspired milieu to express the Speedmaster’s legacy in NASA space explorations.

Indeed, the evening was more than a celebration of one of the most iconic watches in the history of horology – it served as a reminder that OMEGA is in pursuit of even greater milestones to come.

Fujifilm GFX50s watch macro trial & A Ricoh GR disaster!

2017-06-15T11:43:00.003+08:00

So the sad news first... my ricoh GR died :(
the lens assembly is stuck in the forward position and when you press the on switch the lens element moves in and out a little, the back screen flickers and then it all shuts down.
the technician on the line hearing the issue has said that it likely requires a lens assembly change which costs S$400 :-0 as it is likely dust and moisture have gone in. they've seen similar cases before.
For other gr users out there, a possible way of reducing this is to mount the GH-3 Adapter and put a filter in front of it. GH-3 Adapter & Hood set goes for about US$49.65 on B&H which is not too bad. Not sure if the SG shops stock it as this is a low vol item.
so instead of fixing the gr at the high price, another option is to buy a new gr II. this might make more sense as other issues might crop up for the old body and the new one will have the usual 1 year warranty.
the sad thing is i have other compacts that went through more years of abuse and don't have any problems at all (Canon compacts that have lasted twice as many years and are still fully functional, Fujis, Panasonic LX100 (more use and abuse but working fine) to name some. so to me at least, i view the gr as not having good build quality even though it's an excellent compact camera in other regards, which is sad and likely the reason i won't be getting a gr II which is essentially the GR with wi-fi.

For my own record and for other gr users who need to get their gr fixed, the number to call is 62739622 (the ricoh/pentax servicing hotline). If you want to drop it off for servicing, go to:
3791 Jalan Bukit Merah, #07-20 E-Centre @ Redhill, Singapore 159471 (Open Monday to Friday 930-530 and closed 1-2pm for lunch) LINK

On to GFX50S thoughts... the AF isn't the best with the 63mm there's a lot of in and out focusing which is pretty noisy. they should have designed the lens with internal focusing. AF tracking is not strong which is kind of to be expected and the evf is not as good as some others i've seen BUT the image quality (with native lenses so far) is still that bit better than any that i've seen.

some watch macros i tried out with the 120mm f4 lens. it wasn't fun carrying it to take the shots vs my nikon rig so i may not do it too often. will see. file pixel size wise, we are talking:

RAW size is 8256 * 6192
cropped jpg number 1 original size is 5025 * 4020 [all of them will be resized by blogspot to whatever is their max size] - basically what this means is you can print this SUPER HUGE if you felt so inclined and get the details in the print
further crop jpg number 2 size is 2084 * 1667
further crop jpg number 3 size is 1029 * 1029

A great reference for sensor difference and 35mm equivalent focal lengths for the GFX lenses is here LINK

A WhiteBox [ lightbox from lightbox.sg ] Review

2017-06-14T21:53:00.001+08:00

First off, whitebox is a product from lightbox singapore LINK https://lightbox.sg/

Small whitebox sells for $40 size 20cm * 22cm * 25cm
and the Big whitebox goes for $57 size 40.5cm * 40cm * 43cm
they also sell a tripod for handphones for $7.50 and a bluetooth remote for $4. the tripod could come in handy for shoots as u can angle and make sure theres no shake in your shot and the bluetooth remote if u don't want to use a timer to reduce camera shake to take the shot.

large whitebox pictured

Ok so some pix follow... taken with the whitebox and iphone

everything in focus coz of the small camera sensors on phones giving lots of depth of field (DOF)

taken through the hole on top. LED lights will show on reflective surfaces

LED lights will show on reflective surfaces

and these are with my regular cameras, 1 with a regular kit lens and 1 with a macro

so if the wording is sharp on the lens, the leica logo is not in focus. probably have to go much higher f stop to get all in focus and sharp

u're ok on the same plane though

again thinner dof evident in these pix

BIG whitebox

positives
- great carrying bag
- comes with 4 color backgrounds (white green red black)
- comes with led lights and switch that can turn on and off
- cool feature of a removable cover for a hole on the top to take top down shots
- iphone or phones with small camera sensors will take pix with loads of depth of field so everything is in focus

negatives
- no instructions so you have to figure out how to open it the first time. if you are reading this to find out how, USE STRENGTH and yank it out. the plastic is hardy and can flex but you need to force it open.
- it doesn't keep a symmetrical shape and straight sides. so effectively the shooting window is smaller because the edges come in (see first pic).
- led lights will show on reflective surfaces so the issue with that is not diffused light

SMALL whitebox
positives
- comes with led lights
- iphone or phones with small camera sensors will take pix with loads of depth of field so everything is in focus
negatives
- only white and black background. better if its sent with same 4 or more.
- led lights will show on reflective surfaces so the issue with that is not diffused light

and my thoughts are if u r a:

(1) regular carousell/ebay seller (with no separate flashes/speedlights/strobes) [RECOMMENDED BUY - size dependent on what u want to put up for sale] - if u r looking to sell stuff online and want to take better pix of your products/items for sale, this is a good way to get better lighted pix.

(2) starting an online shop or something similar and no light tent and flashes and nice larger camera [RECOMMENDED BUY]

(3) guy with a portable light tent already and flashes i.e. someone like me [DEPENDS] - For me personally it's a buy for the small one coz of its portability. and i can shoot simpler watch macros in it! :) the big one is big but has a good carrier. if u know u r shooting bigger stuff, a light tent or the big whitebox are both good options. the backdrops that come with this are better than the cloths in the lightbox which has lines on them. for someone with flashes u may also not use the leds if u r shooting reflective objects.

and that's it for this review. for folks with no intent to buy more pricey cameras and flashes and want to get better product shots with phone cameras, this is a good product for you to get better shots done and that is a good thing. to better photos :) cheers, raph

Fujifilm GFX50S Mirrorless Medium Format AAAARRRRRFGGGGHHHHH!!! New Toys In Da House

2017-05-29T23:42:00.000+08:00

my last post started with a picture of a box... and so will this one... not just any box though... more than S$10k spent AND not on a watch :-0 EGADS u say what is wrong with the raphmeister? not a watch for Rolex $money$? let me share with u my descent into medium format madness ;)

first i was poisoned... poisoned badly at the fujifilm gfx50s preview in Singapore. thanks to Fujifilm Singapore / APAC for the invite down and for the great setups for folks to get cool shots with the cool models there. some of these pix follow.

this #rooster is a #zoom in from my last picture and you still get a very good amount of detail. original file pixel size is 8256*5504. this crop is still 1970*1560 resized to 1280 on the long end #crop

then i rented it for one day from camera rental centre (recommend folks give them a try as they're top class) and these are some of the pix i took...

and i m sold! this is the camera i m looking for!

iso1600 is good and 3200 is probably just acceptable but maybe to be only used in desperate times but for anything 1600 and below you r going to get awesome awesome awesome image quality! Highest iso is 3200 for decent files. In good light 6400
gobs of detail and cropping power... oh my the cropping power...
the 63mm lens is really nice and sharp and the out of focus rendering is beautiful. for the 63mm handheld at 1/80 it's ok. 1/60 if u're real steady.
110mm f2 is the lens i will be getting next... looking forward to the separation!
A lot of pixels to play with so high cropability factor. for 4*6 aspect, we are talking 8256*5504! (or wall sized prints here i come!)
Fuji processing = wonderful fuji colors. bayer + tried and true Sony sensor [i.e. used in Pentax 645 and out since 2014 but still awesome]. no fussing about with xtrans which some might want but i think is unnecessary (save it for the next iteration with better high iso perhaps)
mirrorless which means no mirror slap. having used the leica s typ 007 with the 75mm summarit f2.5 i can attest to the need for mirrorless in medium format. the mirror slap in the leica meant a lot of camera shake making a lot of pix unusable. [for film medium format users, u will know of mirror slaps that have made u think of Thor! The Thunder God :) ]
new huge positive1: flash sync used to be at 1/125 but high speed sync flash is here - Use GODOX AD200 it is a great portable light

Negatives

Huge file sizes (but raws can be opened up in camera raw). this is a tradeoff for resolution so i'm fine with it
Autofocus misses at times in normal light and low light autofocusing isn't good
focus by wire lens so not ideal for manual focusing but hopefully i wont be needing to do this much or at all
electronic shutter silent shooting is there but a lot of warping as compared to a Sony A7s electronic shutter. so any movement of u or subjects will result in serious warp
wireless tethered shooting is a positive BUT it needs a wifi card... hmm..
63mm lens has a motor issue for many as it needs to move in and out when you on and off the camera. sometimes things impede this movement and you get a lens error and a note on your display asking you to switch on and off the camera. sometimes switching on and off doesn't work and that means sending it in to fuji to fix.

That's it for now but more pix / posts will come on here or my ig LINK . Cheers raph

What's In the Box?

2017-04-25T22:19:00.000+08:00

Well no surprise... it's a Seiko just going by the first pic of course :) but which one? a blue lagoon turtle or samurai?
another turtle perhaps? well u know what... turtles are green and so is this baby :)

yup green edges on the box

oh yeah! turtles are coming out in all colors but this one works for me (uhm other than the 2 i already have)

serial 993

on the watch caseback too... nice! limited productions aren't limited to anything other than waning demand. un-numbered limited editions are weird and numbered is just right

mandatory wrist shot... good in the night

and good in the day

turtles are green and apples are red! i got a new toy for the Mrs at about the same time hence it is pictured here

soooo (product) red and sooo nice

Apple are a smart company and we are just lambs buying whatever phone they put out... waiting for the iPhone8 now

some slight deviation at the end there but just happy to have new toys in the house. Final note, always, always spend within your means... ok? :) have a good week. cheers, raph

Singapore Yacht Show 2017 at One Degree Fifteen Marina Cove 6-9 April

2017-04-09T11:19:00.000+08:00

So I was too busy to go down earlier in the week but managed to swing by Saturday, 8 April. Sharing my experience in pix below [Note as there were tooooo many pix i put all of them in my facebook photo album here LINK]

the yacht show is up till tomorrow so if u r interested in checking out some cool yachts (or buying one or two like my friend Mr K. Ang), fancy cars or anything else that might catch your fancy, i'd recommend heading down for the last day today, 9 April 2017. i may too, will see. for info and tix for the show click here LINK

Ok let's get our bearings first... big boats are here, here and here... smaller boats are here and here...

hmm i think i'll do this chronologically instead. post registration as media, i walked the booths in the air-conditioned area first and chanced upon a familiar face... selling some villas and apartments... sounds marvellous!

i know this booth babe :) it's a cool model I shot with before

moving along...

and saw harley quinn pretending to be a sales rep for a stealth wheels... segways and mobility devices...

she didn't fool me though ;)

rolling on... there's this cool booth with girl playing with her robot submersible (sorry didn't get the name of the co) but it is a submersible that takes video and pics underwater. very cool quality too. when will it go rogue though... hmmm ;)

here's her taking a pic of me with it

my attention was drawn to other distractions...

bmw7 for sale?

ladies all asking me to buy their boats...

but you know me... i was here JUST for the boats ;) and so some boat pix follow.. from the big ones

to smaller ones for charter

other sizes for sale

going on to scenes about the place

SOLD! (possibly to Mr C.H.E.R)

and some pix getting in closer with the ferretti 700

a couple of nice cars showed up too

this chap almost ran me over ;) jk... i hear he's into watches and bromance too

nice and shiny... precious

there's grub there too... a friendly friar... i mean fryer

but soon it was time to bid farewell... ladies all asking me to stay with them on their yachts but alas i am taken :)

and i rode off into the open seas on the best seagoing craft at the marina... my trusty magical unicorn :)

hope u enjoyed the post and signing out for now ;) cheers, raph

60 years of Speedmaster

2017-03-26T23:28:00.000+08:00

6 decades... wow... I remember when it was celebrating 5 decades and it didn't seem that long ago :)

there have been many noteworthy pieces through the years of course but the beginning ones always hold a place in my heart. the originals from the 60s... the cal 321 speedys ...

many of the qualities of the originals can be found in great modern versions sold today and speedys are to me, a must in every serious watch collector/enthusiasts' collection. the good thing about so many versions is you are bound to find one that calls to you. be it ones that hew closer to the originals or are modern takes on them or those that bear the speedy name but looketh like no 60s speedy... whatever the case go forth and buy speedys like these chaps below; )

Enjoying Photography and Notes on Lenses with Leica M9 and Sony A7S

2017-02-14T22:02:00.003+08:00

So I have been enjoying photography of late [appreciate a follow on instagram LINK #followforfollow ] and it's a better outlet for me personally as i don't spend so much $$$ [all my photography gear for less than a used AP for eg] and I get to create something, which is great. i enjoy the process of getting the image and am happy when others like them too of course :)

I did also want to share my (wholly non-professional super non-technical) view on some Leica M mount and other lenses through use of them (either owned or rented for sufficient time to do versus tests) on the Leica M9, M6 film and Sony A7S. Do note that for the Sonys, these lenses will perform differently for the different A7 types so my comments are purely for the A7S.

No test charts but many weird and boring un-postable shots taken from certain perspectives in my room and also of my wife watching the telly, helped in drawing the below findings i have made along the way. Most of them tie with what other reviewers have noted of these lenses and this post serves as a reference for me to hopefully help me not to stray and get more gear I don't need. My M9 lens settings also noted down in case i forget or ever have to reset them.

'Princess kept the view'
shot with Leica M9 and Voigtlander 21mm f1.8 ultron

Opinions of these lenses will be only relevant for Sony A7S and Leica M9 / M6. how i've coded the non-Leica lenses is noted below in purple as well.

Leica Summicron 35mm f2.0 ASPH (ASPH = aspherical) [Prices i have seen it range from S$2.3-2.5k]:

This may be the perfect lens for many on the Leicas. Sharp, contrasty, good (not great) bokeh to my eyes but that is totally acceptable for f2. wonderful on film and digital leicas and on Sony A7S for the typical modern lens look.
Has very good 3d pop in my opinion
Price: New in Singapore it's over $4k for the latest version of it. Second hand you can get earlier ASPH incarnations from about $2.3-2.5k or more depending on condition.

Zeiss Biogon 35mm f2.0 [most people say to code it as the non-asph summicron but i find that putting it as the asph is better so 11879/11882 for me, just my opinion] [Prices i have seen it range from S$800-1k]:

So so performance on the Sony A7S due to it's unique Biogon design and the fact that the rear end of it extends a fair bit into body.
I have now owned this twice as although not stellar on the A7S, it is a very good performer on the Leica bodies and i have it on my M9 a lot of the time.
Excellent in my opinion on the M9 and M6 which means it would do well on rangefinder bodies. No focus shift issues and sharp enough wide open for me in real world shooting

focus was on the eye and uhm not the booty of course ;)

street portrait shot as i was walking... i like this shot alot

Leica 35mm Summilux ASPH:

if you need faster than f2.0 of the summicron, have the cash and are happy with the weight and size of it, then just go for it. it is probably the best there is for a fast rangefinder 35mm. from f1.4 it's good but it gets better when stopped down of course.

Voigtlander 35mm f1.2 v1 (or v2) [Prices i have seen it range from S$650-750]:

Fastest 35mm rf lens out there and while their 50mm f1.1 is not a recommended fast lens, this is actually pretty decent on the mirrorless body. the sad thing is that it is a bit soft on the Leica M9. seems to be alright on the M6 from probably f1.8 on.
has great separation for a 35mm which isn't common and can't be achieved by most others because of the speed and has good 3d pop on the sony
for v1, it's soft wide open and has a bit of vignetting going on but nothing that can't be fixed up easily. (v1 vs v2, i read that v2 is slightly sharper and contrastier and that may be true but i wouldn't know as i have not used it before. what is a fact though is that the v2 is a smidgen lighter)
heavy and fair bit of rangefinder (RF) blockage which is why some have two 35mms, one faster (eg this or summilux) and one slower (Leica summaron, summarit, voigtlander f2.5 or Zeiss Biogon C 35/2.8)

Leica Summarit 35mm f2.5 [Prices i have seen it range from S$1k-1.3k]:

A great lens but f2.5 is sometimes not good enough. Not built as well as it's more pricey brethen with sad rubber bits (assessing it from the ones i have owned before, both the 35mm and the 75mm)
About half the price (or less) of the summicron in the used market but a very decent performer IF you can live with f2.5.
Note many many many folks out there say the Voigtlander 35mm f2.5 is a very capable performer too so if you don't want to shell out for this, try the Voigtlander to see if it meets your needs. [i personally have not tried it as i decided f2.5 is just not fast enough]

Zeiss Planar 50mm f2.0 [coded for me as 50 f/2 11819/11825 etc] [Prices i have seen it range from S$600-800]:

Wonderful sharp, contrasty lens, with nice 3d pop. It renders in a modern, coldish way which means it always has a place on one of my camera bodies. Sure an old Summicron may not be a lot more $ but it may suffer issues that older lenses might have (cleaning marks, haze, aperture blade issues etc etc).
Can be shot wide open all day long. sharp from f2.0
Newer Summicrons probably cost two to four times more depending on how much u can get these in the market for (depending on age, condition etc) and this Zeiss I think can hold it's own against them which is very cool.

great on the M6 too as the next 2 pix show

Leica 50mm Summilux ASPH:

Much like the 35mm summilux asph, a very capable performer. A money no object lens as I would take this over the noctilux.

Leica Noctilux 50mm f0.95:

What an amazing lens! it can see in the dark :) and it's an art type lens because of what it can do with it's razor thin depth of field.
And to the negatives... it's sooooo big and heavy and makes your camera point down all the time and makes your neck hurt after long usage. i wouldn't want to leave the house with it most times coz of weight of it.
it's razor thin dof makes it hard to hit critical focus for what you want sharp in a picture for rangefinder focusing at f0.95. focus and recompose won't help that too... hmm.
for me, it's a rangefinder lens that you can only squeeze max performance out of by using an EVF and magnification to focus [eg Leica SL / Sony A7Rii / A7S (i or ii)]

Voigtlander 50mm f1.5 Nokton [Prices i have seen it range from S$700-850]:

Very decent performer wide open. i hated the focusing ring with the bulgy bits.
when not shot wide open, not too nice sharp edged bokeh balls.

Zeiss 50mm Sonnar f1.5 [Prices i have seen it range from S$900-1.1k]:

a lens with quirks. it was made in an earlier time when coatings weren't what they are now and has some curvature thing going on (other more technical mumbo jumbo which i can't speak to), what it means is can be sharp in the centre and smooth bokehliciousness for the rest of it.
it has focus shift so the calibration of it matters. you will have to move backward and forwards to hit focus at f stops and distances it is not in most focus for.
it has a signature rendering which folks might want so it's a whether you want that look. I do at times which is why I am looking for one that is sharp at f1.5 now

Canon 50mm f1.4 (Japan Summilux... Not):

Doesn't perform anywhere near the Leica of course and nicknamed as such because it has the same focal length and aperture speed.
as it's an old lens, will be hard to find one in good condition without haze or other old lens' issues.

Now the 35 and 50 are the common focal lengths that most people will need and spend most of the time shooting. but folks will invariably want to use other focal lengths below and above this. for that i think a lot depends on how much you might want to shell out for a lens you might not use a lot of.

Some folks with loadsamoney will just buy the best, which are the Leica's but for me, knowing i won't use these focal lengths a lot, i have the following voigtlanders which are capable lenses to me BUT their build quality is not so hot.

to note, cosina makes both voigtlanders and zeiss lenses and they know how to make lenses.. yuh you know that uber expensive top of the line zeiss lenses? it is made by them in Japan. so it really comes down to the lens you want to shell out from them. [Per Zeiss: Though no longer physically manufactured in Germany, the current offerings from Zeiss are manufactured in Japan under the supervision of Zeiss technicians whose job it is maintain a century old reputation of building the finest optics.]

15mm f4.5 nokton [Prices i have seen it range from S$400-500]
A fun lens to create super wide shots. Only major negative is that it works horribly with the M9 (vignetting and weird color casts, magenta cyan corners) so this will only get used on the sony a7s body. oh but it does perform on the A7s!

21mm f1.8 ultron [coded for me as 21 f/2.8 11134] [Prices i have seen it range from S$800-900]

This is a great great 21mm lens for me. Sharp and minimal distortion which is amazing for a 21mm. if you need a 21mm on a leica digital body and can accept non-Leica glass, this is a wonderful wide angle that is pretty fast. Can be had for a good price compared to other m mount wides and is a bit on the big and heavier side but it's f1.8 man and it's called ultron (cool innit?)

75mm f1.8 heliar classic [coded for me as 75 f/1.4 11814 etc] [Prices i have seen it range from S$500-750]

So some say it's softer due to the classic reference and it may lack the contrast and bite of modern look lenses... and they are right. it is just about just about sharp enough for me at f2 and i did not find it too lacking for contrast so am happy with it. bokeh is decent for me.

Leica 75mm f2.5 summarit [Prices i have seen it range from S$1k-1.3k]:
a good 75mm lens but f2.5... faster would be better but faster for Leica would cost a lot, lot more.

for longer than 75mm and more bokeh-liciousness, i will go with 85mm f1.4 samyang [Prices i have seen it range from S$250-350]. cheap and good and the only negatives are size and weight. easier to manual focus with sony evf than a 90mm on rangefinder and i did some comparos with the sony g-master 85mm and uhm, well the differences aren't anywhere near 6-8 times and more like 10-20% better on the outer bits ands some other aspects and a smidgen more contrast and sharpness. oh and one autofocuses too which is of use.

85mm g-master

85mm samyang

and that's all for now. i hope there was something useful here for others using M lenses on Leicas and the Sony A7S. cheers, raph

OMEGA #SPEEDYTUESDAY SELLS AT RECORD SPEED! GONE IN 4 hrs 15 mins and 43 secs!

2017-01-13T19:35:00.000+08:00

All 2012 pieces of Omega's new #SpeedyTuesday were snapped up at record speed, as watch enthusiasts around the world rushed to secure the brand's latest Limited Edition Speedmaster.

For the very first time in its history, the Swiss watchmaker OMEGA promoted sales of a new timepiece online and the response was extraordinary.

The Limited Edition Speedmaster, produced to celebrate the online phenomenon known as #SpeedyTuesday, was made available for pre-order via the brand's social channels at 12 noon on Tuesday the 10th of January and just over 4 hours later (well 4 hrs 15 mins and 43 secs to be precise ;), all 2012 pieces were sold out. In fact, the response was so immediate that OMEGA stopped promoting the watch on Instagram shortly after the campaign was launched.

A SPEEDMASTER FIRST ~ OMEGA OFFERS ITS NEW LIMITED EDITION "SPEEDY TUESDAY" VIA INSTAGRAM

2017-01-10T20:36:00.000+08:00

PRESS RELEASE: For the very first time, the Swiss watchmaker OMEGA is offering online sales of a new timepiece. Expanding the reach from its global network of boutiques, the brand is excited to connect to its online community in a new way.

For now, one unique watch will be marketed and sold exclusively online. The OMEGA Speedmaster “Speedy Tuesday” Limited Edition will be showcased on the @OMEGA Instagram channel LINK and customers will be able to click through to a dedicated page at omegawatches.com where they can reserve the watch. There are 2,012 models to reserve and, subject to availability, customers can even specify the Limited Edition number they want. Once chosen, the watches will be delivered in the summer of 2017.

The OMEGA Speedmaster “Speedy Tuesday” Limited Edition has been produced five years after the creation of the #SpeedyTuesday hashtag by Fratello Watches founder Robert-Jan Broer.

For half a decade, an online community of #SpeedyTuesday fans has been steadily growing around the world with Speedmaster pictures and comments being shared every week. In tribute to these chronograph devotees, OMEGA is proud to introduce the new model that blends some of the Speedmaster’s most popular design features.

The design is inspired by OMEGA’s Speedmaster “Alaska Project III” model, created for NASA in 1978. At the time, NASA insisted that the watch had to be both anti-reflective and easy-to-read, or in other words - suitable for use in space. The “Speedy Tuesday” has stayed true to these qualities with a brushed matte-finish stainless steel case and large radial numerals on the subdials.

In fact, the return of these famous radial subdials is just one of the vintage touches on the watch.

The use of the “Reverse Panda” dial is also influenced from the past. First used by OMEGA in 1966, the white opaline-silvery subdials are set against a black dial, encircled with a bezel ring and tachymeter scale in matte black aluminium. There is a rare appearance of the vintage OMEGA logo and all markings and radial subdials have been coated with bright luminescent ink.

Other classic Speedmaster touches include a domed hesalite crystal with a central OMEGA logo, as well as a vintage-cut brown leather strap with vintage buckle and stitching. Of course, OMEGA has also retained the calibre 1861 on the inside, the movement used in the famous SpeedmasterMoonwatch.

Turning the watch over reveals a screw-in caseback stamped with the Speedmaster’s iconic Seahorse medallion, encircled by the words SPEEDY TUESDAY ANNIVERSARY - A TRIBUTE TO ALASKA PROJECT III as well as the Limited Edition number (only 2,012 have been produced). Circling the outer-edge of the caseback is the word RADIAL.

For those who purchase the watch, it is delivered in a special leather watch roll containing a spare NATO strap with #SpeedyTuesday engraved on the strap's loop, as well as a strap-changing tool.

Not only is this a wonderful timepiece to own, but it also has its own place in OMEGA’s history as the brand’s first watch sold online. OMEGA has a strong web presence, but has never before used a social platform as a selling tool. As expected from a watchmaker always willing to push at the boundaries, OMEGA is excited by this new challenge. Followers of @OMEGA on Instagram are encouraged to look out for the watch from today and be quick with their reservation if they hope to own one of these Limited Edition pieces. Watches can be reserved by visiting OMEGAWATCHES.COM/SpeedyTuesday

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays & A Blessed New Year in 2017!

2016-12-27T01:11:00.004+08:00

So we're at the end of the 2016... some interesting events in the year (brexit, the trump) and passing of some great artists/musicians/poets (Carrie Fisher 'Leia!', her mum Debbie Reynolds Singin' in the rain, and many others... Prince, Bowie, Leonard Cohen, to name a few. RIP all) makes it a bit of a downer year for many. well, if 2016 was a low year, here's hoping that there's more upside in 2017. Hopefully there will be a brighter way ahead for Singapore, oh uhm and the watch industry, which is in a bit of a doldrums.

not that this will turn it around but here's some photos of some beautiful ladies with nice watches on, and no, buying these or similar, pricey luxury watches does not mean you will have any of them or anyone similar looking to them by your side. well it may be correlated to something else... no matter, just the pix then :)

and to end off, will just share one of a beautiful lady in a white dress sans watch... i think 2017 will have me taking more

of these kinda pix which i hope u like too as i focus more on photography. appreciate the follow on instagram LINK

don't look back, look forward ;)
here's to 2017! cheers, raph

STOP BUYING STUFF! :)

2016-11-28T00:45:00.000+08:00

Note that the title is just advice to myself (and maybe the Mrs too ;) I moved house recently and what struck me other than the amount of stuff i have picked up over time is that for some of them, there was the belief that they would hold value so it was fine to pay a pretty penny for them. demand of course is not constant and things can have higher or lower demand at a point in time. you just hope that when you do look to liquidate (to buy the next new toy... DOH!), there is still some healthy demand especially if it was a once hot and now not item.

what un-sage advice do i have then (for myself)? we don't bring all this stuff with us when we pass on and for those with kids, they would be wondering 'what is all this junk i have to get rid of?' and so the advice is...

Buy Less. Make Better Choices. Don't make rash, gut-instinct purchase decisions. Don't retail therapy yourself into stuff you use once or never use at all (i think most adults are guilty of buying stuff that has never been used once)

Waitamoment though... we're coming to the end of the year... what are some of the purchases i've had this year that i am enjoying? Note these are my happy purchases that i'm just sharing about and to each their own for these items :)

On the watch front - No brainer here, the seiko padi turtle. seiko was right to bring this line back. wonderful timepieces

Cameras! - Leica M9... (last year it would have been the Leica M6) it isn't a slam dunk camera for me but right now i am enjoying it and learning better how to work with it & Lens - Zeiss 50mm planar f/2.0 and Voigtlander 21mm f/1.8

and that's about it. super marked up uber expensive watches isn't so much my focus now as it is right to question the value of them. for under US$1k pieces though (of which there are a wide variety) there are many cool ones out there and i expect even more to come given the market sentiment. here's looking forward to more exciting, priced appropriately timepieces in future. and on the camera front, hopefully the next M will knock it out of the park.

have a good December and hols ahead! cheers, raph

Ventus ~ Singapore Kickstarter Watch Project I am Backing

2016-10-13T23:24:00.001+08:00

I'm keeping this short. In my view, this is a worthwhile project to back on kickstarter and i am backing it. to check out the kickstarter page click here LINK

so what's it got going for it (to me)?

1) numero uno and what's probably most important, Ventus has come up with a good looking watch. Sure it 'borrows' a little here and there but most watches out there are copies of copies of copies (well a bit here, a bit there anyways) and the good thing is this is not a blatant ripoff or 'hommage'

2) it's very reasonably priced. now it's like about US$239 which is cheaper than some watch straps out there.

3) How many brass watches do you have? Well i've got none and everyone needs at least one no? to me, this is a good price to pick one up at

definitely good looking

side profile. it's slim and lean and it will age over time

nice diver logo on the case back. seiko movement behind that which is always good ;)

with a good cup of coffee

this just to look at the vintage lume color on the pilot watch. there are 4 versions with
2 more being looked at so do check out the kickstarter page to see the all the options

i will likely get this version... who knows i may even buy another one :)

To conclude then, in the metal, for me personally this a no brainer watch buy. Back this fine Singapore gent and watch lover on #kickstarter for a great looking #brass #dive #watch

Each #Mori #Diver will now also come with a 4 slot canvas watch roll and other color versions are being offered depending on the goals hit. more info here LINK