The Malaysian Technographer

How To Update Your Godox TT685 and V860 F flash for Fujifilm X-T2

2017-12-03T00:13:00.003+08:00

Just got news that Godox released a firmware update for their TT685F and V860F flashes from Fujirumors.com, my favourite source of anything Fuji. One of the reasons why I switched from Yongnuo to Godox was because they had the ability to update firmware, and coincidentally, they released one a day after Fujifilm released their firmware version 3.0 for my X-T2.

Unfortunately, it's not a simple to upgrade the Godox as with the Fujifilm camera. Because I had two TT685F flashes, I decided to try one.

First of all, the download link of the Godox firmware provided is broken (as of today 2nd Dec 2017) on the English page. Good news is I found the same file on the Chinese page here: http://www.godox.com/CN/Downloads.html. Does it change the flash interface language? I'll soon find out!

Next, download the Godox G1 firmware update software that's found on the same page (not Godox G2 which is different updater software). My second hurdle was found when I realised it only works on Windows whereas I have a MacBook. Good thing for virtual machines software.

The next step is to extract the rar files, where there is one instruction PDF and the firmware file.

The instruction file might see a bit vague, so I'll try to explain it from my experience.

Here's what you need to do:

1. Install the updater software

2. After completion, let the drivers get installed (if you missed this step by accidentally cancelling it like I did, then please read on)

3. Run the software. Unfortunately for me, it looked like this when I ran it. :(

4. Change the language to English by pressing the bottom left most button

5. Select your firmware file (.fri file, coz they did it on Friday...)

6. Turn OFF your flash and remove batteries from your flash

7. Connect it via USB to your computer

8. Press the test button once (the lightning button) on your flash to discharge the flash fully

9. The driver should be installed at this stage. If it fails, then manually go to your devices settings in Windows and update the driver manually. Select drivers from C:\Program Files (x86)\Godox G1

10. Press Connect on the updater software. It should say successfully connected

11. Press Upgrade. Once it finishes in a few seconds, you can remove your flash

12. Check firmware version by holding the Zm/C.Fn button on your flash for 3 seconds. It should say Ver 1.1 on the top right corner.

Here are the two new functionalities:

1. Wireless ID. It will only work with the Godox XPro wireless flash triggers, which is still not available for Fujifilm. How it works is basically to further ensure only your trigger works with your flash (setting between 0 to 99) which you need to setup on both flash and trigger.

2. Slave LED. This is basically the blinking red light on the front of the flash when the flash is set to Slave. If you find you don't need this function (coz it irritates the heck out of you), you can now stop it from blinking.

And thank God my flash interface was still in English!

I've tested this firmware briefly with my X-T2 firmware version 3.0 and TTL and HSS works fine. I have not done through testing, so update at your own risk!

Hope this helps someone since it wasn't so straightforward as I thought. I still haven't had the time to review my Godox gear for Fujifilm, but I shall soon. But so far I'm loving them!

Real Life Honest Fujifilm X-T2 vs X-T1 Comparison and Review

2016-12-14T01:06:00.002+08:00

I did it. I bit the bullet and sold my beloved Fujifilm X-T1 for the new X-T2. I contemplated very hard to justify buying the new camera.

Here are my reasons for trading my X-T1 for the X-T2:

My two year old X-T1 workhorse still had good market value. While I believe it will last me at least another year, trading it before it breaks down would save me a considerable amount of money. The rubber parts are already coming off which was quite a turn off
My sister-in-law's wedding was two days away and I have volunteered to be the videographer. Yes, I don't have any videography experience, but the X-T2 video capabilities were touted one of the best. So I had a 2 days crash course.
With the Ringgit plummeting and prices of Fujifilm lenses just raised by 30% here in Malaysia, I was afraid that they would do the same for the bodies.

Because I use my camera for actual client photoshoots, I am looking at my X-T2 as a monthly lease, which I would probably sell in 2 years time as I did with my X-T1. Because Fujifilm releases just one (or two) flagship every 2 years unlike other brands my investment is relatively safe. Also, buying into their flagships is a sure way to get the most regular Kaizen firmware updates. Trust me, I know because I had an X-T1 and an X-M1.

Now, here are my brief thoughts and tips in my few days of using the X-T2:

Although they look the same, it's actually significantly heavier than the X-T1
Love the box it came in, more elegant than the X-T1's box
X-T2's menu looks prettier and interface a little different
I can't tell the difference between boost mode and non-boost mode in the EVF in practical situations, but I can confirm it works (use the EVF and look at a spinning fan and you'll see the difference). Boost does nothing to the LCD
It takes a bit of getting used to to open the LCD to portrait swivel because there's a lock there
The focus lever/knob's usefulness is partially negated by the fact there's so many new focus points now. It takes too much effort to move from one focus point to the other. I now use zone focusing instead, which seem to work better than on my X-T1
So many things to click now. There are 9 customisable buttons and there's the clickable focus knob, front and back dials are now clickable too
Double click on focus knob in preview mode to switch SD Card slots
No more holding stupid button to turn the ISO dial
The accessories door looks like better plastic material compared to bendy doors from X-T1
Shortcut to format my SD Card! Hold delete and press back command dial
Two SD Cards slots, with a setting for one for pictures, the other for videos or RAW files
AF-C tracking that actually works. Shot my sister-in-law's walk-in with the 56mm f1.2 wide open with sharp photos. Impossible with the X-T1
Rear/2nd curtain sync with third party flashes. Tested working with my YongNuo 560IV. Finally!
Max 1/250s flash sync speed vs 1/180s on X-T1
File sizes are now averagely 15MB vs 5MB with the X-T1. :( [Update: I now use the medium size photo settings for non-critical photo shoots. The effective pixel resolution is 12MP, which is more than enough for social media and even 4R prints)
My LCD screen seems yellower than my X-T1 and X-M1. Darn!
Shutter lag is definitely much shorter. Everything's snappier
AF-L doesn't work the same way as the X-T1. In the X-T1, pressing that would make the camera auto focus and the lock focus. In X-T2, you need to half-press the shutter to focus first before you use the AF-L to lock it. Or you can configure the AF-L to become a focus button but you can't get them to do both
I can't tell the difference between a 24MP photo from a 16MP photo. They both look great to me
ISO6400 is good, but not that much better than X-T1 [Update: after shooting more with ISO6400 and ISO12800, I realized that ISO12800 on the X-T2 is actually better than the X-T1's ISO6400. Really impressive]
Classic screw type shutter button like all the other X-series bodies, now can be hipsterized with metal shutter release buttons and use a retro looking mechanical shutter cable
USB charging. The good - bring your powerbank to charge your camera! The bad - charging is only available while the camera is off, unlike a mobile phone where charging continues even when the phone is turned on.
The video function really is much better that the X-T1, especially because the dedicated button on the X-T1 is so darn small
Lenses with focus clutch like XF14, 16 and 23 is nicer to manual focus on video mode than the other fly-by-wire lenses
Dedicated 3.5" audio jack separate from the 2.5" remote jack
Live audio levels now display on the video screen
Ability to change focus point while in video mode, by using AF-C and focus knob. But it's not perfect as there is no way to control focusing speed
Using a 64GB Sandisk Extreme XC1 U3 V30 microSD card works well to store 4k movies without noticeable lag. Stores up to 70 minutes of footage.
Max video frame rate for 4K is 29.97fps. So no slo-mo effects.
Flickering under Malaysian florescent light when using any video frame rate other than 25fps and 50fps [Edit: flickering, not rolling shutter effect]
Adobe Premiere Pro on my MacBook Pro 15" 2015 does not like X-T2 4k movie files. iMovie and Final Cut Pro is the better choice

So is it worth the upgrade?

If you are planning to do video work, then it's bang for the buck, coz the latest Sony A7SII would be much more expensive (to be honest, I can't catch up with all the A7 series naming convention. Sony, please stop churning flagships like dirty laundry!). Yeah, it doesn't have body stabilisation and yeah it's not full frame. So? Get a gimbal. By the way, I found out the hard way that manual focusing while moving the camera is almost impossible without resulting in shaky videos. Better to use larger depth of field to get more things in focus, and hence a crop sensor may be a better choice than Full Frame (unless you have money to splurge on follow focus contraptions)
Do you need that extra ISO boost? With the X-T2, I can comfortably use the 55-200mm f3.5-4.8 lens in dark situations and use up to ISO12800, and save on weight and cost of the 50-140mm f2.8.
Do you need better AF-C tracking? If so, X-T2 definitely would be better
Do you need better flash support? I.e. faster flash sync and rear curtain support for third party flash? Perhaps X-T2 is your answer

Summary

The X-T2 looks like the X-T1. But somehow feels like a more mature version of it. Everything has improved, and there's only a few annoyances like the LCD tint that hopefully can be solved with future firmware updates. Now I'm waiting for the X-E3 so I can replace my X-M1 with that (can't afford another X-T2 or X-Pro2, and I don't like how the X-T10 looks).

OK enough talk. Here's one photo I took as a guest of my sister-in-law's wedding, wide open 56mm f1.2 using Classic Chrome SOOC (with resizing done only). Tact sharp while they were walking in. Why just one photo? Coz I can't tell my X-T1 photos apart from X-T2 photos when it's displayed on the web.

Malaysia's First Online Science Shop - Science.my!

2015-01-19T14:30:00.001+08:00

Wow, has it been 4 months since I last posted?

Time flies. Been too busy with some personal projects and recently found a new job so I kinda left this blog for awhile.

Anyway, I'm back!

Today, I'm going into introduce to you Malaysia's first online science equipment e-commerce store, aptly named as Science.my (and very easy to remember too).

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The Fujifilm X30, X100T, XT1 Graphite, XF50-140 f2.8 and XF56 f1.2 APD Malaysia Launch (phew!)

2014-10-10T18:29:00.000+08:00

The Invitation

One thing I like about being a Fujifilm photographer is that I get to attend their product launches. The last one was the launch of the X-T1 and two weeks ago I got this special invite in my mail box. I immediately signed up as I just had to try their new XF 50-140mm f2.8 lens, but the event start time was rather odd, at 5pm.

The Event

I won't bore you with the details of the location, except that it's at the top most floor of a new hotel here in KL. There was also the usual hotel fried rice, fried mee, sandwiches and coffee. The registration was cool, as we get our own Instax photo taken with their Evolution to Revolution poster and that becomes our "name tags" sans the name. Oh, and in our goodie bag comes a free Toshiba 8GB SD card, to store our sample photos taken later with their new gear. Nice!

There was an area with exhibition which looks like stuff they took from Photokina lately, such as the mock ups of the 2015 lenses and the dissected XF50-140 sacrificed for our viewing pleasure. Around the corner was counter to do a quick check on your camera and a couple of printers to print photos you took from the event.

XF16mm, XF 90mm, XF16-55mm and XF 140-400mm mock ups

The sacrificial lens

Typical of Malaysian events, although the invite said 5pm, they started their launch at about 5.45pm.

Awaiting the launch

The event started with a talk by Keitaro So, a Fujifilm regional marketing guy with a funny sense of humor. Kinda reminds me of Nobita all grown up. He talked about the new technologies, lenses and bodies and did a good job capturing our attention. I won't say much here, everything has already been revealed in Photokina. But I was sold by two things:

The new film simulation mode called the Classic Chrome which apparently Zack Arias himself sent So a personal email with his very positive feedback.
The OIS on the XF 50-140mm compared to a competing 70-200mm f2.8 FF lens' IS (he made us promise not to tell which brand C**** it was!). Shows very impressive results that it can take sharp pictures even at 1/10s while the FF lens was all a blur already.

Keitaro So san, really entertaining guy actually

But he did reveal some SRP pricing for the Malaysian market, as follows:

XF 50-140mm f2.8 RM5,988 - available in November 2014
XF 56mm f1.2 APD RM5,688 - available in December 2014
X-T1 Graphite Edition RM4,988 - available in November 2014
X100T RM4,388 - available in November 2014
X30 RM2,288 - available since September 2014

Later on, was a pro photographer Louis Pang who gave his personal experiences with the X-T1. Can a pro use Fujifilm X for pro work? Definitely.

Gear Test!

Then came my favorite time of all, which we can actually test all the new toys! We were led to the pool area and there were some models for us to shoot.

For me, my goal was to test the XF 50-140mm f2.8, and I managed to do just that. There was only ONE test lens and boy was I happy to find it. So-san was raving all about the OIS and it's 5 stop capabilities, so I was looking forward to trying it out. Here are some photos I managed to get out of it. The first picture was taken with my XF 18mm f2, to give a overview of the location. All unedited photos.

Shot with my XF18

Shot with XF 50-140mm f2.8 at 50mm, f2.8, 1/42secs

Shot with XF50-140mm f2.8 at 140mm, f2.8, 1/42secs

Shot with XF50-140mm f2.8 at 54mm, f3.2, 1/38secs

Shot with XF50-140mm f2.8 at 140mm, f2.8, 1/45secs. Sorry for the cheesy smile.

My observations with the XF 50-140mm f2.8

Although a brief time with it, I have already some opinions of the lens.

While it looks huge on my X-M1, it's surprisingly lighter than it looks
OIS works really well, and although I did not test it beyond 1/42 secs at 140mm the LCD was very stable when composing
Focusing was fast and accurate even on my X-M1. Definitely faster than my XC 50-230mm lens.

The XF 50-140mm f2.8 on my little X-M1. Surprisingly it feels pretty comfortable for it's size.

My X-M1 travels through time!

Can't wait to see how my camera would look like on Fujifilm's future lenses, I mounted these mock-ups to see how it would fit.

The XF 140-400mm super zoom on my Fujifilm X-M1. See how tiny my XF 18mm f2 looks like beside it?

The XF 16-55mm f2.8 from the front on my Fujifilm X-M1

The XF 16-55mm f2.8 on my Fujifilm X-M1

Observations

The XF 16-55mm f2.8 may look big, but like it's telephoto brethren, it's quite comfortable to hold
The XF 90mm f2.0 is HUGE for a f2.0 aperture lens. I used to own a Samyang 85mm f1.4 which looks a tiny bit smaller, but of course that lens had no OIS or AF
The XF 16mm f1.4 looks like the XF 14mm f2.8 to me

Tired of boring old images? Can't get creative? Try this.

Final Words

Lucky draw but only for one lucky guy

The event ended at 8.15pm, which was 45 minutes over scheduled, though everyone stayed back for the lucky draw vying for the X30 prize. Unfortunately, I did not win, but everyone did go back home with a really cool "Evolution to Revolution" t-shirt to remember the day.

Many thanks to Fujifilm Malaysia for the invite. Always a pleasure attending your events. :)

My XiaoMi Redmi 1S Review

2014-09-25T00:12:00.000+08:00

The Excitement

I was in my office, minding my own business and ready for lunch, when suddenly I heard my colleague screaming a loud "YES!!! I GOT IT!!!". She was about 24, bubbly and at that moment... really excited.

Oh no, I mused, not another one of those crazy XiaoMi purchase. There has been an air of excitement going around my office the past month with a couple of colleague of mine had gotten hold of some phone called the Mi3 earlier on. They boasted about how cheap the price was and how it blows the Samsung Galaxy S5 out of the water. But I really couldn't tell why they wanted a "China" phone so much, and this is partly because I am loyal Apple fan. But my many colleagues' enthusiasm really got me wondering: is the XiaoMi really that great?

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Updating to iOS 8 on iPad Mini Retina

2014-09-21T23:28:00.002+08:00

It's that time of the year again! Yes, Apple finally released the iOS 8 update to the mass consumers. I did my update on the very first day it launched and will do a quick share a bit of my experience here. :)

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Top 10 FREE Mac Hacks and Tips for Newbies and All!

2014-09-12T20:00:00.000+08:00

Macs are simply awesome. On the outside, they are beautiful to behold and to hold. On the inside, you have Mac OS and free annual OS updates which actually improves the experience.

As much as I love my Macbooks to bits, there are just times where you simply wonder why can't Macs be like Windows. Often the answers are right under our nose (i.e. it's built into Mac but we never knew!) and other times, you need some help. Whether you are a Mac newbie or a relatively seasoned user, I hope are my top 10 tips and hacks that I use daily will benefit you. And the best part? They are 100% free.

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Cheap Macbook Air USB Ethernet LAN Hub Review

2014-09-12T19:30:00.000+08:00

Macbook On A Budget: Episode 1

Welcome to my latest series, exploring how you can stretch your wallet after you have sold your kidney for the latest Mac.

One thing you will notice sorely lacking when you buy your Macbook Air, is that there is no Ethernet aka LAN port. It's all great, if you don't need it, but when you are in the office fighting for WiFi connectivity with 50 other colleagues, this can be a lifesaver. There are two options for you to add an Ethernet port to your Macbook Air, either through USB or through the Thunderbolt port. Both will set you USD29 if you are to buy an original Apple accessory.

Let me now show you how you can get not just an Ethernet port, but another extra three USB ports for 6 times cheaper!

The Apple Watch and My Humble Opinion

2014-09-11T00:03:00.000+08:00

Today two of my all time favorite companies released a load of new products: Apple and Fujifilm. And Apple revealed their Apple Watch.

When I first saw their 10 minute ad narrated by Jony Ive, I have to say I was mesmerized. I never thought I would ever want a "smartwatch". Digital watches are so 1990 and I have not had a digital watch since I was 12. When Samsung and others started with their smartwatch trend, I had not a tinge of desire for them. So what makes Apple's so appealing to me? After the morning hype, I decided to objectively think about the reason behind this.

The Boy Inside

Remember I said I last worn a digital watch when I was 12? That was when the Casio calculator watches were the coolest watches on earth too, but something my parents would never buy for me. Deep down, buried deep inside of me, there must be this desire to own the ultimate digital watch, but has never surfaced until I saw the Apple Watch.

Ah the classic

The Build Up

Jony Ive said, Switzerland is f***ed just a few days before the launch. Saying it's a big claim is an understatement. And the publicity about how Apple are snapping up watch and fashion industry leaders to work for their "secret" project simply means that they are willing to spend top dollar to hire people who knows the industry inside and out to design something not just an appliance, but as a fashion statement too. This leads to a lot of credibility subconsciously, telling me that what they will release is not just a digital watch, but a highly fashionable one too.

Not just popular for Mont Blanc

The Brand

A watch is highly personal. You wear it everyday, almost all the time. When we choose a watch, a brand plays a very high importance whether you know it or not. A Swiss watch would be the best, or if on a budget, perhaps a Japanese brand. But it's just strange to put a brand that made your fridge and washing machine on your wrist. Apple on the other hand has always been a premium brand, which is synonymous to beautiful designs and innovative products. The experience of buying a Macbook from an Apple Store is simply a different class, and I foresee that the Apple Watches will only be sold in the branded stores and specially trained sales representatives on how to sell watches and not just gadgets.

Do you want to wear this on your wrist?

The Buckles and Straps

Oh, the buckles and straps. A watch is incomplete without it's buckle and strap. And Apple took that and really gave the widest ranges available and with seriously nice designs too. What more, they are going to make both a male and female sized versions of the watch.

Random buckle I found online

The Brains

The Apple Watch must first appeal to the wearer that it is worthy of being put onto their wrist first. They did it by their brand value, but also by their action of hiring industry experts. They then made it very appealing physically, with the classical looking Digital Crown and the strap choices. While I'm not a rectangular face watch fan, I've seen many expensive watches of rectangular faces, so it's really a subjective thing here. A rectangular face allows better use of screen real estate, compared to a round one like the Moto 360. The final touch to why the watch appeals to me is really it's brains and what it does inside. The many choices of watch faces, the many sensors inside the watch for health monitoring, the vibrating function to subtly remind the wearers of notifications, the touch and pressure feature, the personal sharing of little gestures to your loved one, etc.

The many pretty faces. Like Mickey Mouse!

What Others Are Saying

As usual, there are loads of naysayers about the Apple Watch. Why would anyone need another device on their hand when their phone is always with them already. It's the same notifications anyway. Or, what's the battery life gonna be like. Or, it still needs to be tethered to your iPhone for it to work. And as history will tell you, they will still make boatloads of money and one day the person next to you will be wearing one. And then three years from now, you probably would too. Remember how people used to ask who needs an iPad?

Was all over the Facebook when iPad got launched. Guess who has the last laugh?

Why the Apple Watch is a game changer for Apple

Apple has always sought to take an important part of our lives and make it easier: Music. Computing. Mobile Phones. And they always do it by conquering the ecosystem first. Today, they are planning to take on your Payment and your Watch. Both have been around since forever, and their digital counterparts ahead of Apple too (does Google Wallet and Android Wear sound familiar?). And here's why I think they still did it:

1. The watch industry is a high-end market industry. A watch can cost as much as a car. Heck, it can cost as much as Ferrari. Even a super simple Swiss designed watch from Tissot would cost RM1000 (USD300). And at the same time, the watch is something that almost everyone has and need to have. A lot of people have more than one, for different occasions. By tapping into a lucrative market like this, Apple can sell their watches at USD300 or even USD500 and can still safely get a huge market. And the cost of making an Apple Watch is probably significantly lower than an iPhone, since there are fewer parts and components and materials required. This means really high margins.

A Franck Muller watch with it's signature rectangular-oval shape which most people can't afford

2. The smartphone industry is saturated. Yes the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus will sell another boatload, BUT their market share is being severely taken up by the cheaper and comparable competition. Just take a look at XiaoMi. Their XiaoMi Redmi 1S selling at RM419 vs the iPhone 6 at around RM2800. Is it an unfair comparison? Not really. I've one Redmi 1S and I can say it can do almost anything the iPhone 6 can do. At 6 times cheaper, one can afford to change a phone every year for 6 years but with the iPhone, you really have to stay with it for at most 4 years. I did it with my iPhone 4 and it was great the first 2+ years, then it became quite unbearable as apps became more processor and memory intensive.

Nope, not the iPhone 6 Plus. It's the XiaoMi M4 which is 3 times cheaper.

By launching a watch that requires a user to also own an iPhone (iPhone 5 and above only mind you), means one has no choice but to get an iPhone to enjoy the Apple Watch. Simply put, it's a brilliant strategy for Apple to get you even more hooked into their ecosystem.

3. New form of App Store revenue. Having used both iOS and Android, I have to say the App Store apps win hands down in terms of quantity and quality. With the Apple Watch, I foresee a huge potential in new apps made specifically for the Apple Watch, and that really means even more money in the pipeline.

Potential reservations for me

Having said all of this, I do have some reservations before I buy the watch. Here are my list:

I'm already getting a lot of wireless radiation from my phones. Do I really want to put another bunch on my wrist?
I really don't like the thought of putting an expensive "Made in China" watch on my wrist. Of course, Apple will do it's best to hide this fact, but that's the plain truth. Call me old fashion, but Swiss made watches have a special appeal to them.
It's rectangular in shape, and I do prefer a round watch. May be it'll grow on me.
I need to buy an iPhone to use the watch. Getting both watch and phone will burn too big a hole in my pocket now.
I can't really think of a killer app for the watch just yet. Is it the health monitoring? The NFC (payments or other usages)? Other than those two, there are no real compelling reasons to own one, except probably it looks pretty with all the different faces and that Jony Ive wears one too.
Unknown battery life. While the charging is rather cool with the magnetic magsafe like thingy, we still don't know how long it would last. And it's pretty sad if I had to carry the charger everywhere I go. Ideally it should really go for at least 3 days before a charge but I doubt it.

Well, that's just my humble opinion and I'll probably be wearing the Apple Watch 3S one day.

UPDATE 12 Sept 2014:

After looking at the response of friends on Facebook, it seems like Apple has hit the target with the ladies, something that the other smartwatches were not able to do. Three lady friends who are non-tech savvy people are already asking their husbands for the Apple Watch their birthday/valentine's/anniversary/Christmas gifts. While the naysayers on the net are mostly (probably all) geeks, they are not the ultimate buyers of watches and especially not fashion. Notice how Apple calls their watch "Apple Watch" rather than iWatch or iTime or even iGear? Would a woman wear a gear on their wrist? I am not one and I wouldn't too. The Apple Watch is really positioned as firstly as a watch, and then only a "device".

Transformers: The Original Bumblebee Human Alliance Transformation

2014-06-21T22:28:00.000+08:00

The next Transformers movie sequel is coming out (again?) and to "celebrate" Micheal Bay's "movie", I've decided to post some photos I took when the first movie came out. And can you believe that it's been five years?

To be honest, the toys are pretty cool, especially the Human Alliance series. They reminded me so much of the Alternators/Binaltechs (same scale too) and they had these dorky little figurines that came with them.

Here are the original set I took of Bumblebee Human Alliance series doing a transformation step-by-step.

How To Select the Simpsons Lego Minifigurines

2014-06-18T23:45:00.000+08:00

If you grew up with the Simpsons, then you would absolutely want this.

A little surprise awaits you at the end of the blog!

Tamron SP Adaptall-2 2x Teleconverter 01F Review

2014-05-28T23:42:00.003+08:00

The 01F teleconverter (TC) does two things:
1. It doubles your macro magnification (e.g. a 1:2 macro becomes 1:1, or the 1:1 to become 2:1)
2. It doubles your focal length (e.g. from a 90mm to a 180mm)

However, it also doubles your effective aperture. So if you had a f2.8 lens, it will become an f5.6 lens.

The 01F teleconverter on the Tamron 90mm f2.8 72BB

Tamron SP Adaptall-2 60-300mm f3.8-5.4 23A Review

2014-05-28T23:41:00.003+08:00

The 23A lens has often been compared with the 19AH in terms of image quality and macro capabilities. the 23A is also an SP lens, a little bigger and heavier than the 19AH. It's advantages over the 19AH would be the wider zoom range and the higher macro magnification. The 19AH however, beats it in terms of the aperture and ease of use in macro mode (you'll see why later).

How it looks like on a Spotmatic. Not so sexy as the 24mm.

Tamron Adaptall-2 70-210mm f3.8-4 46A Review

2014-05-28T23:40:00.004+08:00

This lens is probably one of the very under-rated Tamron Adaptall lenses. It is smaller and lighter than the 19AH and a little slower (I would consider it as a f4 constant lens). It's also push-pull zoom and my copy's focusing ring was a tad stiff. However, when I compared the 46A's image output, it's almost as good as the 19AH. Check out the photos below and see for yourselves.

The lens' closes focusing distance is 0.9m and macro magnification is 1:2.6, really close to the 19AH. The build material however is half plastic, half metal and the focusing and push-pull mechanism isn't as smooth as the 19AH or 23A.

Tamron SP Adaptall-2 70-210mm f3.5 19AH Review

2014-05-28T23:39:00.002+08:00

The 19AH has been touted the best 70-210mm ever made on the adaptall-2.org website. Of course, that's a 20 year old review.

The lens is fully metal and uses a very smooth push-pull mechanism for zooming. If you have never used a push-pull lens, well you gotta try this one. Buttery smooth and no zoom creep! It has even very good macro magnification of 1:26 and a close minimum focusing distance of 0.85m, which is closer than most telephoto zooms. Unlike the 23A, the macro function does not require a separate locking mechanism.

It also features a quick focusing mechanism in which the focus point does not change even when you zoom in or out. So if you lock a focus at 210mm and zoom all the way back to 70mm, the subject is still in focus, assuming you did not accidentally turn the focusing ring. This feature is unique to the 19AH lens.

Another unique thing about the lens is the hood. While most hoods screw on to the front, this lens screws on to the push-pull ring. This makes buying a third party screw on hood impossible, and you need to own an original hood (which thankfully I do!).

Most importantly, this lens is a constant aperture lens, and while it is not f2.8, it is only a little more than half a stop slower (0.64 stops to be precise) AND a lot, lot, lot more cheaper than a modern 70-210mm f2.8 zoom lens!

Tamron SP Adaptall-2 90mm f2.8 72BB Mini Review

2014-05-28T23:38:00.001+08:00

Like the 52BB, this lens is a true macro lens, except I can go all the way down to 1:1 image magnification. It is a tad slower at f2.8 instead of f2.5 and it is all plastic material, making this lens much lighter. It's not as classy looking as the 52BB and is harder to find. However, this lens is the true grandfather of the current Tamron 90mm f2.8 macro lens which is more than twice the price.

Tamron Adaptall-2 35-70mm f3.5 17A Mini Review

2014-05-28T23:35:00.006+08:00

The Tamron Adaptall 35-70mm f3.5 is not an SP lens, but it is rather similar to the 28-80mm f3.5-4.2 lens. In a way it is actually better, because of the constant aperture and it is much smaller in size. The zoom mechanism also uses a secondary ring twist, but a rather small ring for that.

Strangely also, the focusing ring is counter-clockwise to infinity, compared to all the other Adaptall lenses. This made using the lens a bit difficult as it breaks the standard workflow.

Tamron SP Adaptall-2 28-80mm f3.5-4.2 27A Mini Review

2014-05-28T23:35:00.001+08:00

I got this lens when I was eying for one of the PKA mount on eBay. It's a SP lens which interestingly requires ring twist mechanism to zoom instead of a push-pull mechanism which is the common zooming practice.

The 28-80mm f3.5-4.2 lens is the one on the right. The left one is the Tamron 90mm f2.5 52BB lens.

Tamron Adaptall-2 24mm f2.5 01BB Review

2014-05-28T23:30:00.002+08:00

The 24mm is one of the smallest Adaptall lens, and the second widest (the widest being the 17mm f3.5). It is supposed sharper than it's cheaper and more widely available 28mm f2.5 sibling. The one I have is the second generation lens, but I think it looks better than the original one. I fitted it on my Spotmatic and it just looks handsome on it!

What a good looking combination. Shot with my Fujifilm X-M1 on the XF35 lens.

My Bonanza Tamron Adaptall Lens Review and Resources!

2014-05-25T20:15:00.001+08:00

Welcome to my Tamron Adaptall Bonanza article! Everything you need to know about the Tamron Adaptall series is here, from what it is, how to videos, loads of fun facts, my mini reviews of the 11 Tamron Adaptall lenses I bought over the last 4 years as well as some resources I've put together over that period, including those old school brochures AND a for-sale page right here!

My Existing Tamron Adaptall Lens Collection

Some Adaptall Lens Mounts I have

TRANSIT:KL Distillation Big Data Week 2014 - Photo Review

2014-05-19T02:01:00.001+08:00

Paraphrasing the words of it's founder and chief organizer, Warren Tan, TRANSIT is an event which brings people of different worlds together which no other events would. It is a mishmash of food, music, ideas, technology and start-ups. TRANSIT is all about creating such a space to encourage collaboration, exploration and serendipity.

This year, I had the privilege to attend and be the official photographer for the event, which happened on May 5th, 2014 at PJ Trade Center, Damansara Perdana.

Here's a short photo review of the event all taken with my Fujifilm X-M1, with the following lenses: Samyang 8mm fisheye, Fujinon XF 18mm, XF 35mm and XC 50-230mm. Oh yes, along with my Fujifilm EF-42 flash too.

A nice surprise for your Yes 4G Eclipse

2014-05-15T23:21:00.001+08:00

If you are one of those few people still using a Yes 4G Eclipse phone, I must say "Wow" to you!

Perhaps you are using it just for the WiFi tethering (like me, since I don't have a Huddle), you will find that going to the Settings to do it every time a chore.

Don't fret, there's an app for that!

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jaybit.market.wifitethertoggle

Just install, put in on your homescreen and tap the app icon to start tethering, and tap again to turn it off. Works perfectly on my Eclipse.

What is NFC, really?

2014-05-06T00:07:00.001+08:00

NFC (Near Field Communications) is like that strange uncle in your family. He's seems to have a cool job, you see him once in awhile, but you don't really know what he really does. I wrote a little something recently for my work on this subject, and thought I would share it with everyone.

Defishing your Fisheye Lens with Adobe Lightroom

2014-05-04T00:02:00.002+08:00

This is the second part of my fisheye lens defishing series.

I have been using PTLens for my defishing needs so far, and it works great. However, it is really cumbersome since I have to switch applications to do this. Is there a way I could use Lightroom to do it directly?

Well, apparently there is!

This is the original straight from the camera

Which outcome do you prefer?

Below are two photos, one defished using PT Lens and the other using Adobe Lightroom. I tried to make both as close as possible. Can you tell the difference?

I am guessing it's really hard! So how did I defish the Samyang 8mm f2.8 with Adobe Lightroom?

Go to Lens Correction
Select Lens Profile
Select Make: Sigma
Select Model: Sigma DG 8mm f3.5 EX
Change Distortion amount to 80

Viola! No more editing using external software! The photos are automatically cropped and saves me lots of time.

So back to the original question. The first picture was created using Lightroom while the second using PT Lens. I am still waiting to get my hands on the Fujifilm 10-24mm f4 to pit it against my el-cheapo defished ultrawide photos to see just exactly how wide and how good defishing is. Oh Fujifilm Malaysia, can you loan me one to review???

The HP WiFi Mobile Mouse (LQ083AA) Review

2014-05-02T23:32:00.002+08:00

If there's one thing you touch more than your phone everyday, would be your mouse.

I've had my share of mice in my life, but this HP mouse is probably the only mouse of it's kind. HP has never been known for making accessories, so what makes this so special? Actually, this mouse landed on my possession by coincidence and being the tech geek I am, I couldn't resist trying it. Why? Because I simply have not seen a WiFi enabled mouse before. Plenty of 2.4GHz wireless dongle type. Plenty of Bluetooth enabled ones. But WiFi enabled? How does it even work, since I need my laptop WiFi for the Internet, will I need to disconnect my WiFi connection first?

HP's special little rodent.