ROBIN WONG

I Bought The Cheapest DSLR I Can Find - Canon 350D

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 13:00:00 +0000

I bought the cheapest DSLR I can find in the used market - the old Canon 350D from 2005. I wanted to get a replacement for my previous Canon 5D which produces such beautiful color output, but the 5D was just too bulky and I sold it off to a friend. To satisfy the Canon color itch, I found the Canon 350D at such a good price and in very good condition, I just could not resist. There was nothing special about this old DSLR really, it was an entry level DSLR camera made for beginners with stripped down features and capabilities, but I do like that it is smaller than most other DSLR cameras at its time, and the camera still works perfectly fine, capable of shooting some beautiful images. Oh yes, the glorious Canon colors! I did a quick test around town with the Canon 350D!

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Black & White Photowalk With Azul

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 13:36:53 +0000

It was a lazy Sunday morning that I participated in a Fujifilm Malaysia event led by my friend Azul Adnan (IG @azuladnan). It was organized in conjunction with J One Camera Store, and the theme of the outing was Black and White. Yes, you heard that right, it was a Fuji official outing, which means, I have a Fuji camera at hand. More about the camera to be revealed soon, I just wanted to share some quick snapshots taken earlier this morning in the event. Azul, as usual did a fantastic job sharing about black and white photography and he led the group in a short walk from GMBB in Bukit Bintang to Lalaport Shopping Mall, and back. We were asked to submit one photograph for comment and critic, and I submitted the opening image of this blog entry, the panning shot of the man carrying a wrist watch in his hand. It was truly a fun outing, learned a thing or two from the amazing Azul, and I must remind myself to do more black and white shooting.

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Oki Shokudo Pink Ramen (Fish Broth)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 05:17:06 +0000

When the awkward pink colored broth Ramen showed up on my friend's social media suggestions, I thought this would be fun to give a try. I mean, what could possibly go wrong? The Oki Shokudo restaurant serves fish broth ramen, and their specialty is the Pink Ramen. It was the beetroot juice that contributed to the pink coloring. Since I have not tried a fish broth ramen before (we typically opted for Pork based broth), why not explore new things? Food knows no bounds, and I was glad I went to Oki Shokudo. The ramen was good, but nothing exceptional, I dare say it was a good first try, maybe no repeats. Still, quite an interesting experience seeing and eating something pink.

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Sometimes, A Change Of Background Improves The Shot

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 09:03:44 +0000

It is almost comical when it comes to suggestions on how to improve a photograph, the most common answers are - use a sharper lens, use a certain magical camera feature, use bokeh or add some mystical LUTs, filters or film simulation effect. Most of the times, these tricks do not even work. Instead of focusing on what you can do with your cameras, lenses or even editing skills, why not pay more attention to the subject and see if you can improve the following: lighting, background, composition. Even a single change of background can drastically improve an otherwise, failed, boring shot. An example shown in the cup of coffee here.

The improved shot - find a darker background so the white cup pops out

The original shot - boring, dull, no contrast

The coffee was serve in a white cup on a white table. The white cup blends into the white table, looking uninteresting and flat. No matter what lens you use, no matter what camera settings you change to, or computational photography features you use, no matter what filters or LUTs you apply, it won't improve the shot a bit. Understanding visual appeal is the key here, in order for the white cup to stand out from the scene, you need a darker background. Contrast, the difference between bright and dark areas usually will make a huge difference.

In order to add contrast to the frame, I relocated the coffee cup to a wooden chair. The brown wood color of the chair matches the coffee in the cup perfectly. The light came in through the window, a dramatic side lighting, which did not fall all the way to the floor, and that created dark shadows which immediately helped the white cup to visually stand out. There was no special recipe, or hidden trick here, a harmless and easy change of background significantly made the shot of the coffee cup so much better.

No, you do not need the sharpest lens, or the most expensive 100MP camera. All you need is some common sense and artistic direction. Let your eyes and imagination do the creative work. The camera is just there to capture your vision.

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Shooting ISO25600 Is Not As Horrific As It Sounds

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0000

When you hear ISO25600, most people would cringe in fear, but I think that is not the end of the world. I found myself in a position where I had no choice but to shoot with crazy high ISO numbers up to 25600 recently. I attended a play at Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Center (KLPAC) as an audience and I was shooting from a fixed seat. Since this was not a job, I brought a simpler setup, a small camera, Olympus E-PL6 and a small telephoto zoom lens, the Olympus 40-150mm F4-5.6 R. The compounding effects of smaller lens aperture with dimmer than usual stage lighting and constantly moving actors on stage left me no choice but to shoot with uncomfortably high ISO numbers. You know what? The images come out perfectly fine. Yes, of course there is noise, there is obvious image degradation, but if you don't pixel peep, and if you look beyond the technical flaws, I believe what matters more are the stories, emotions and the moments of the show. I hope I have successfully captured them! Obsessing about high ISO noise won't get you anywhere, if you need to bump up the ISO, bump it up!

ISO3200

ISO12800

ISO16000

ISO12800

ISO25600

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Shooting Portraits of Zarah Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Continuing from yesterday's blog entry about using the Sigma 56mm F1.4 for portraits, here are more shots from the same session. All images were taken on OM System OM-1 camera. Initially the plan was to meet up and shoot in a local park. I arrived an hour and a half earlier than the others to film my talking head footage and B-Rolls for my POV video. However, as it approached the meeting time, the sky turned pitch black and it poured cats and dogs. We decided to change location to an indoor venue, obviously so we did not get wet. I have shot in this particular place several times before, and it has been a reliable, versatile location for portrait shooting. Zarah (IG @zarahjuana_06) our beautiful model was a great sport and I think I got some nice shots of her using the Sigma 56mm F1.4! I don't think I will do a full review for the Sigma 56mm, after all it is an old lens and there are already many reviews available out there. I just want to have fun shooting with the lens!

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Sigma 56mm F1.4 - Shooting Portraits of Zarah Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Sigma 56mm F1.4 is a highly regarded portrait lens for Micro Four Thirds, and finally I got my hands on one. I have used this lens briefly previously, but never had an extensive shoot with it. I mounted it on my OM System OM-1 and did some portraits shooting, with POV video recorded! You can watch the POV video here (click) to see my camera's LCD screen before I press the shutter button. From this limited experience, I found the Sigma 56mm F1.4 to produce very good results - resolving admirable sharpness with plenty of fine details captured, excellent contrast and beautiful bokeh. This was just a portrait shooting session so I did not shoot the lens with a full review in mind. The lens rendering however lacks overall depth, they look rather flat and could use better 3D pop, which I see more from my usual portrait lenses like Olympus 45mm F1.8 and 75mm F1.8. Nevertheless, it is a decently budget lens, priced way lower than the Olympus 75mm F1.8, so I don't expect the output to be equal. For the money I have paid, indeed the Sigma 56mm F1.4 is a great value lens that delivers beautiful portraits! Special thanks to our model of the day, the beautiful Zarah (IG @zarahjuana_06)

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Yes, I Do Use The Smartphone Camera, Sometimes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 07:32:58 +0000

We have to acknowledge the fact that smartphone camera is, and has been the most widely used camera for a while now, and even the most dedicated photographers with their die-hard gear of choice would turn to smartphones from time to time. I am no exception, for convenience, for the day to day casual shots where the camera seems to be a chore to take out of the bag, or for just some very quick snapshots, why not? Of course I am not buying into the marketing propaganda of how the latest smartphone camera can outperform the best of the best professional grade mirrorless or DSLR cameras, like they can replace the whole system, seriously? Let's be real, there is a place and time for every device, and for what I want to do with my photography many times the smartphones are just not good enough. That is an argument for another day - why smartphone cameras today is still lagging behind dedicated cameras. For today, I just dug up a recent photograph taken at the observation deck of Icon Siam, the largest shopping mall in Thailand. We have had a full day photowalk and I was completely exhausted. A quick snapshot was all I could manage, and that was the perfect job for the smartphone camera.

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Reasons Why I Don't Have Abs

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0000

I was kidding with the title, though the lack of abdominal muscular definition was due to my own lack of discipline, instead of blaming irresistible Malaysian food. Not that I was aiming to push myself that far to have abs, but hey, life is too short to starve and not enjoy God's glorious provisions, such as the Nasi Lemak. Nasi Lemak can be considered a national treasure in Malaysia, surely it is the national dish, everyone can enjoy Nasi Lemak at any time of the day, literally. It is a typical breakfast food here, but you can have it during lunch or dinner as well. We have a tendency to make the already not so healthy (full of fats and oils) dish even unhealthier by adding caloric dense foods such as fried chicken. Oh, give me Nasi Lemak any time of the day!

Nasi Lemak Ayam Goreng at Nasi Lemak Shop in Sunway 163 Mall (previously Kiara 163)

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Some Recent Favourite Macro Shots

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0000

As I was combing through my insect macro images from the recent months for my latest video topic about diffraction, I thought why not share them here in this blog as well? I think half of the battle of macro is physically being out there spending more time hunting the bugs in the wild. The more time you are shooting the more opportunities you will encounter some really cool bugs, or those little creatures doing something interesting. I for sure have not spent nearly as much time as I would like to doing insect macro, but hey, if only insect macro can being in income. As long as it remains a hobby, it has to be at the back bench - I got to worry about the coming bills and food I need to put on the table. Nevertheless, every time I go out to shoot macro, I always come home with something exciting!

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Chasing The Glory

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 06:41:51 +0000

I observe that photography is not merely a hobby for a most people, it has become a platform to chase gratification. Many seek attention and validation, especially through the sharing of their images on social media. How many likes will I get? How many comments saying "wow this is an amazing photograph!"? Will the post go viral and get 1000 shares? Photography in the internet age has been reduced to popularity contest and I hope that we can turn things around before it is too late.

Image taken by Jon Low (IG @jonlow), used with permission

I do photography only for 2 reasons - as my income source, shooting paid jobs for clients and of course, as a hobby, shooting purely for fun, for myself. When shooting professionally, I listen to the paying clients, get the shots needed, deliver them and get paid, it is as simple as that, end of story. When I am not shooting for clients, I also use photography as my hobby, something I do during my free time. When I am doing my personal projects. I do what I want, there is a freedom of expression, without needing to fulfil anyone's requirements, or job specifications, I decide my shots taken with my camera. That is the fun of it - your photography is your own!

I would be lying if I said I'd not care about social media or the audience. I have been fortunate to gain quite a good size of following through this blog alone. I also have a YouTube channel, not a big one, but also not too small either. Instagram, well let's just say I have given up on it and never figured out how it worked, so no point trying further. I do sometimes plan my photography outings based on the content that I am making on my YouTube channel. There could be a selected topic or idea where I need sample photographs to support the talking points. Nevertheless, when I am out there shooting, I decide what I want, how I want my images to look like, and I maintain 100% creative control.

YouTube has somehow become a source of income for me, alongside my photography jobs that I do. Because of that, I cannot just completely ignore what the audience wants to watch, or see in my images. It would a stretch to say that I chose what to shoot based on what the audience wants to see, that is entirely not true. The photography subjects still remain what I love to shoot - street photography, insect macro, stage music events, portraits, nothing has changed much since I started my photography journey, before I gained this number of following. I have always loved shooting these genres and I don't think that will change. I think it is important to love what you do, not just do something for the sake of numbers and viewership.

I never cared about photography contests, or winning any awards. When I share my images on social media, yes I do peek at the numbers, but if the images don't gain much attention, it is not the end of the world. I saw some friends get bent out of shape when they thought their winning image was supposed to go viral but nothing happened. I saw some begrudged friends going to photography exhibitions and saying how bad the photographs on display were and how their photographs were better deserving to be exhibited instead. Or openly mocking the winning photographs of some prestigious contests questioning the qualifications of the judges and loudly claiming how they should have won because their photographs were clearly better than the winners.

When has photography become about winning and being better than others? What is the point of comparing and why feel bad about others being exhibited or getting the spotlight?

When has photography become so bitter?

To me, I shoot because I can. I shoot because I want to. I shoot because it is fun. I go out with my camera and I shoot whatever that attracts my attention. There is no further agenda, there is no drama. I am not trying to save the world, I am not aiming to become the next National Geographic photographer. I simply want to enjoy clicking the shutter button. Is that not good enough?

If you are truly a good photographer, your work shows. You don't have to convince others relentlessly about how good you are. It is like in the fitness world, if you know what you are doing, your body is the proof of your fitness, people can see the hard work and experience in your appearance. Having an out of shape body and still trying to convince others about your exercise program and diet advice will be an uphill battle. The proof is in the pudding, if your photographs cannot sell themselves, no matter how charming you are as a person, your photographs don't magically become better in quality.

You don't need validation, or external recognition. Sometimes, chasing these gratification can be exhausting. We all know that the algorithm on social media platform these days are not playing nice, it perhaps has nothing to do with how good your photograph is - maybe your post is buried for all other kinds of reasons. Just because your images are not being liked and commented on, that is not a true reflection of your work quality. Too many people put too much emphasis on what they can quantify on social media, and that degraded the quality of photography in general.

Shutter therapy is sacred to me. I don't let other people tell me what to do, or how to do it. Even if no one likes my photographs, or no one cares, it does not bother me, because I am shooting this for my own soul. I think we should take a break from social media and spend more time outside shooting instead!

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The Shooting Location That Was Never Meant To Be

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 07:12:59 +0000

Me and my friends have been trying to do an outdoor portrait shooting at one specific location - Taman Tasik Titiwangsa. For whatever reasons beyond our control, we were denied the opportunity twice. The first time we had a shoot there, our model stood us up. So we headed downtown for street photography instead. The second time, which was just a few days ago, we had a model that showed up but when we met up the sky decided to pour cats and dogs. We had to switch location to plan B, an indoor venue so we did not get wet. I honestly have not done any outdoor portrait shooting at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa, but now that we failed to shoot there twice, I am starting to believe maybe that location was not meant for us after all. Shall I try for a third time?

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Photography And Fitness

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 09:48:25 +0000

I don't really have a good relationship with fitness, but I do my best within my capabilities to stay in good shape. I believe as a photographer you are required to have a good level of fitness if you want to perform and deliver results. Sure, you don't need to lift massive amount of weight, or run miles and miles to produce photography work, but it is a lot more than just merely holding a camera and clicking the shutter button. Being fit allows you to push yourself further and do your best consistently. As lazy as I am as a person, I understand this, hence I miraculously managed to find myself in the budget local neighbourhood gym and hit the weights.

While most of my photography jobs are not physically strenuous or demanding extreme fitness levels, being healthy and in good shape bring a lot of benefits.

For long hour shoots, I can see myself lasting longer and do not burn out physically as fast as my peers shooting alongside me. I am also more agile, being able to move faster from one spot to another quickly and this is a huge bonus if your shoot is dynamic and requires you to be on your feet moving all the time. Having that extra energy to last the day allows me to function better, be more alert and do more before the day ends. Coming home after a long day shoot I still have enough energy reserve to back up my photos, and start editing them if I have to. Waking up the next day, I do not suffer from muscle pains or body stiffness that many of my peers do, because the weights I lift in the gym are way heavier and I do that consistently to avoid muscle fatigue handling cameras and lenses all day long. I am ready for another round of job if there is one, or I can do something else like making a YouTube video, without feeling the body dragging me backward.

Preaching about fitness is the last thing you'd expect me to do, but I do have to write this down. I am no expert in this topic. The truth is, I am not getting any younger and no one is responsible for my own health, but myself. If I don't take care of my body physically, I foresee the next phase of my life will degrade in quality very quickly. It was not an easy decision, certainly it requires a lot of discipline and will power to be at the gym consistently. It also took quite a long time for me to improve my fitness level, and get in better shape. I was not obese or overweight or anything, but I was certainly not fit. It was a long journey, but the benefits I gained along the way from being fitter did not lie. I can almost say, I am a better photographer being fitter.

I really love photography. I love playing with cameras. I love going out to shoot and do my shutter therapy. I want to be able to do what I love - photography as long as I possibly can. When I am older, I still want to be able to shoot. I think the foundation of health starts when you are younger, you do not wait until you are older and you start making changes in your lifestyle for better health. I realize in my 20s and 30s, I did very little to boost my health, and I did not have a long term plan. No one told me, or maybe I was not listening to the right people about health. Now I am in my 40s, I think it is the right time to pay attention to my physical wellbeing.

There is no shortcut to health. If you want optimum fitness, there must be a balance to everything. The three big factors - lift, rest/sleep and diet. Lifting weight in the gym is only one part of the equation. Quality and quantity of sleep is also equally as important - this I managed to fix rather quickly after I quite my full time day job. Diet is the tricky part - you are after all what you eat. I am guilty of not eating clean most of the time. Hey, don't blame me, being here in Malaysia I am constantly surrounded by oily, fatty, overly sweetened, high cholesterol food everywhere anytime! Having said that, I do make an effort to cut down on the bad calories, and up my protein intake.

People often talk about the ways to get fit but not many people talk about the cost behind it all. Health is not cheap these days. Going to the gym? That costs some money. Want to eat healthier? High protein food, heck even vegetables and fruits these days are getting expensive. One important cost that is so obvious - time. I need my 8 hours sleep every day, I spend an hour in the gym per day, but getting to and back from the gym would cost me another 30-45 minutes. All these time spent adds up - and time is money. This is a luxury many people do not have, but you have got to sort out your priority in life. If your own fitness is not a priority, then what is? If it is a priority, then the cost becomes a necessity. I just have to manage it.

If you do care about doing your best as a photographer, then I believe you cannot ignore your fitness level. I want to continue to enjoy photography, that itself is a good enough reason for me to come back again and again to the gym!

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Yayasan Sime Darby Arts Festival - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0000

I don't do much large scale event shooting anymore, admittedly I am not getting any younger, I don't have the energy of a 20 something years old that can bulldoze anything along the way without food or sleep for 24 hours straight. When this job came, Yayasan Sime Darby Arts Festival which was the largest arts festival in Malaysia up to date, happening in Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre, I just had to do it. It is not just shooting an event, it was the privilege of being a part of something larger than yourself. Being able to contribute my craft in supporting the local performing arts was something I can be truly proud of. Looking at the images captured during the festival, I have to say there is so much to celebrate when it comes to diversity, culture and artistic adventures in Malaysia. The camera is just a tool, but art is real. Being present, showing up and working my skills to get these shots gave what I did as a photographer meaning and purpose. Why else do you want to become a photographer, if not to capture such beautiful moments?

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Sometimes All You Need Is A Cat Sleeping On Your Feet

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 09:23:22 +0000

I enjoy giving the stray cats some love and attention whenever I find them or they find me. I have been warned by my doctor friends on the risks of exposing myself to all kinds of bacterial and viral infection if I am not being careful playing with them. They do carry a host of diseases, the most notable one being rabies, which technically is still incurable. Yes, there are still rabies cases here in Malaysia. Nevertheless, nothing beats the affection of a complete stranger cat coming to you, choosing you to engage in some body rubbing and gentle cuddles. Sometimes, when this happens, all the worries and problems in the world just melt away. How can anyone not love cats? Moments like these are best captured with a smartphone camera - it is there all the time with you, and the image does not require technical gymnastics, it just records the scene as is. With the amount of stray cat images taken with my phone, I can actually start an exhibition with this series!

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Yayasan Sime Darby Arts Festival - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0000

I was fortunate enough to be hired as the official photographer for the largest arts festival in Malaysia, the Yayasan Sime Darby Arts Festival. This is a biannual event happening at Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre, with hundreds of performing arts and creative events happening all at the same time spanning one weekend. It was not an easy job to shoot, I had a small team working under me (all Olympus shooters), the shooting hours were long, with practically dozens of simultaneous events happening all at once, but I think we managed it quite well. There was a lot of running around, lots of ground to cover, lots of stairs to climb (5 floors of event space), I was really thankful I used my lightweight/compact Olympus Micro Four Thirds gear that did not slow me down. It was such a fun job to shoot, so much vibrancy and color, so much passion and love for the arts, you can literally absorb all these energies being just there. Having the opportunity to work my camera was simply a bonus!

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They Rearranged The Photos! Ricoh GR Exhibition at The Starhill

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 07:29:59 +0000

I first saw the exhibition that featured a few of my photographs in prints on the opening day, my images were scattered randomly and it was like a treasure hunt to locate them one by one. And then my friend Jason Lioh visited the exhibition and sent me some photographs he took with his phone which indicated the arrangements have changed! Now they lumped all images of the same photographers together. I think this new arrangement works much better, it is cleaner, there is a flow to the series of images and now the order makes more sense. Each photographer has a distinct style and shooting approach, even different subject content in their photographs, so mixing and matching everything together randomly was not really a good idea to begin with. Of course, I had to go see it again, and my friend Amir took a portrait of me with my images this time. If you are in Kuala Lumpur, do stop by the Eslite Bookstore in The Starhill, Bukit Bintang and check out the Ricoh GR exhibition there. This is open to public during shopping mall hours until 30 June.

Image taken by Amir Shariff, used with permission

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OM Digital Solutions Should Update The 45mm F1.8 Lens!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0000

I think the Olympus 45mm F1.8 is truly a gem for Micro Four Thirds shooters. I have been using it extensively over many years for my professional shoots and my clients have been always happy with the results from this lens. It is such a wonderful lens for portraits as well as anything that requires a medium telephoto reach. It renders sharp results with such beautiful bokeh, yet it is so compact and light. The Olympus 45mm F1.8 represents the ideals of what Micro Four Thirds stands for. I believe it is time OM Digital Solutions update this lens with a Mark II version - add weather-sealing and improve the coating for the lens, I will buy it in a heartbeat! I brought the Olympus 45mm F1.8 and did some street photography with it recently, mounted on my Olympus E-M5 original! If you like to see the POV shooting, you can check out the video here (click).

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Spicy Chilli Noodles At Arimau Beta

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 08:43:17 +0000

It was a brunch catching up session I had with my friends Jackie and Jaslyn recently, that we decided to try this trending restaurant Arimau Beta at Hextar Mall. I had low expectations, it looked like a normal restaurant trying to be hipster and unique by blending different local dishes together, namely nasi lemak and dry chilli noodles. When the dish came, all I did was whip out my cheap smartphone camera and took a quick shot with little regard to my composition. I just wanted a documentation of what I ate. Surprise surprise, the Dry Chilli Noodles Ayam Balado I ordered turned out amazing - in fact it was one of the best tasting noodle dish I have had recently. The photograph may not do the dish justice. It was unlike anything I have tried before - and the unique blend of nasi lemak ingredients inside the dry chilli Noodles turned out extremely well! Who would have thought? Perhaps I should revisit this dish and capture a proper photograph.

Dry Chilli Noodles Ayam Balado - taken with my cheap smartphone

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What Made People Think I Stopped Using Olympus System?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 09:03:56 +0000

There is a weird mystery going on for a while now, every now and then I'd receive emails or comments on my YouTube videos with random people welcoming me back to Olympus and saying how they got heartbroken when I stopped using Olympus and glad that I have returned. It got me completely dumbfounded, because the truth is I never stopped using Olympus! I seriously wonder where this confusion came from, because I take a lot of pride in not being the photographer/content creator/influencer that changes his cameras as frequently as they change his underwear!

Image taken by Van Ligutom, used with permission.

I have been using Olympus as my main camera from day 1. My first DSLR was Olympus E-520 in 2008 (well, technically E-410 which got stolen 3 months after purchase, but that's a story for another day). I then upgraded to Olympus E-5 in 2011, and subsequently migrated to mirrorless in 2014, with Olympus OM-D E-M1 original as my main camera replacing the E-5. In 2017, I upgraded to Olympus E-M1 Mark II, which I have used ever since as my main workhorse. I still use the E-M1 Mark II today for my professional shoots. I have remained consistent over the years, I never pursued other systems. Not only have I used Olympus cameras for my jobs, I also produced tonnes of content over the years on my blog here, as well as on my YouTube channel. I'd like to think that people would know me as a faithful Micro Four Thirds fan. I don't mind to be called an Olympus, or Micro Four Thirds fanboy, that is just a fact.

Some events that happened involving Olympus directly. I worked for Olympus Malaysia as a product specialist from 2013-2017. I left to pursue a full time career as a photographer. In 2018 I was invited by Olympus Malaysia to join the Olympus Visionary program. It was just a fancy name for being a brand ambassador, we did not have that before 2018, I was the first in Malaysia to join the program so I said yes, since their interests aligned with mine and I still do genuinely believe in their camera system. After Olympus Malaysia got shut down in 2020, and the global Olympus Imaging got carved out and bought over by JIP, the local distributor of Olympus/OM system products in Malaysia, OMD World Imaging engaged me as their ambassador for a year, from 2021-2022. I left the ambassador program in 2022, because of zero communication and support from OM Digital Solutions global office. I still remain in good relationship from the local distributor here in Malaysia.

Throughout all the events that I have listed, I have never switched systems, I have always used my Olympus gear and nothing changed. I quit my work in Olympus Malaysia, I still continued using Olympus system for my professional shoots. I stopped being OM System Ambassador, I did not "jump ship". I still continued on with my existing gear and I'd like to think that counts for something. I never made any videos or blog articles saying "I have given up or stopped using Olympus", or "used another system to replace Olympus".

The only explanation that I can think of is this - every time a brand ambassador quits, automatically that photographer would give up on the existing brand immediately, and switches over to another brand or system. That is the stupidest thing anyone could ever do. If I believed in the brand when I was an ambassador, I still believe in it even after I have left. Whatever I have said, whatever content I have made, all my reviews, my claims about the good qualities of the system I helped to promote, still are true even when I have left. Just because I am not an official ambassador it does not invalidate all my hard work I have done in the past. I am consistent, I don't change my mind that often. Apparently that is not a common trait among a lot of other photographers.

Photographers, like artists, are emotional creatures. Maybe overly emotional. When something bad happens between them and the brand they work with, that bad blood translates to their real life decisions. It is not difficult to predict that once the contract is over, they would dump the system which they have worked so hard in the past year or more to promote. Suddenly, what was the best thing ever became yesterday's news, and another new camera from another camp replaced the slot of the best of the best. All the good things that were mentioned were forgotten and became untrue overnight. Emotions drive their goals and ambitions, and there is zero regard for credibility and integrity.

I chose another path. I chose not to suddenly change my opinion because I no longer was an ambassador. If I said this lens was amazing when I was an ambassador, I still say it is an amazing lens even when I have left the program. My opinion cannot be easily bought or swayed. Especially now in the age of internet where everything is online and people can easily search back your old articles or what you said back in the day, and if you are not consistent, people can easily call you out.

Yes, I admit I have flirted with a lot of different cameras and brands, but isn't that just a general curiosity of being a photographer? If you truly are a photographer, you should love all cameras regardless of format and brand. There are no bad cameras, only bad photographers. If I have all the money in the world I would spend every day trying out different cameras and that would be a dream! Just because I tested other cameras that did not mean I abandoned my main Olympus system! Also, being a camera reviewer, someone in my position with a sizeable audience, I need to constantly educate myself and keep up with what is available out there, new releases from any brand. How can I be objective and create meaningful content if I just use one system and never had any experience trying anything else? How can you trust what I have to say in my review if I had nothing to compare to, or am totally unaware of competing products? I'd say it is not a crime to explore different formats and systems, your knowledge base expands and you learn more, that is a necessity being a photographer in the creator space.

Let's come back to the opening question - why do people think I have given up on Olympus and then come back? Honestly I don't know. Maybe it is a mystery best left unsolved. It is just strange being questioned this way, because I cannot think of another person, at least not in the YouTube/Blogging community that have stayed on with one system for as long as I have. That is something worth celebrating, don't you think?

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Panasonic Used To Make Awesome Compact Cameras

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0000

One of the cameras that I wish I have purchased many years ago was the Panasonic Lumix LX5. It came out in 2008, I just graduated and started working on a lousy engineer's salary in Malaysia and I could not afford one. I have always been curious about what the LX5 can do, I have heard so many positive things about the camera. Now in 2026, I found a used unit in the marketplace at such a cheap price, though in quite a banged up condition. It is still fully functional so I brought it out for some shutter therapy. It was so fun shooting with something truly compact in form factor, yet the camera was capable of delivering great results. Panasonic used to make such amazing little compact cameras. It is too bad that they have discontinued the LX series, but I think it is the right time to revive it, Panasonic should definitely bring compact cameras back! There is a huge demand for it, why not? I made a video to talk about the Panasonic LX5 here (click).

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Why Do I Use LCD Screen?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 06:45:10 +0000

I have gotten this question more and more recently - Robin, why do you shoot with the LCD screen of your camera instead of the viewfinder? It was directed to me at the POV street shooting video on YouTube, with the purpose of the video showing how I composed my images before I clicked the shutter button. For sure, you would know that it is impossible for me to record the viewfinder if my eye was pressed on it while I was framing my shots, right? I thought it would be fun to record the moments before each photography was taken, with the action camera showing wide view of my surrounding as well as the LCD screen itself. Needless to say, this has nothing to do with my preference to shoot with LCD or EVF, the only way for this format to work was to shoot with LCD screen!

It becomes increasingly alarming to see how people need others to agree with what they do, or the way they do things. If I use the viewfinder, others must use it too. If you don't use the viewfinder, if you shoot with LCD screen instead, you are branded unusual and something must be wrong with you. I must then question your unorthodox decisions of using LCD screen which will be life-threatening. I mean, does it really matter whether I used the LCD screen at the back of the camera or the electronic viewfinder to get my shots? A photograph is a photograph, good or bad, that has nothing to do with how I shot it.

For my paid jobs, depending on situations, I'd say the ratio of EVF to LCD screen use is about 50/50. For my street photography and macro work (which I mostly do on non paid sessions), the ratio changed to about 80% LCD screen, 20% EVF. Sometimes I use the EVF more, sometimes I use it less, and the thought of using which never came to mind when I was actively shooting. I simply used LCD screen more for my street and macro because I tend to shoot at really awkward angles, for example, as shown on the image on this blog, the cat was on the ground. Do you honestly expect me to lie down flat on the floor with my eye pressed on the EVF? Not only will that quickly scare the cat off, I will dirty my shirt and pants rolling on the dusty pavement. The sensible choice here, without even the need to think which to choose - LCD, with the tilt screen I can angle my shot comfortably without contorting my body in impossible yoga positions to get my shots.

I don't know why many photographers are so against the use of LCD screen. You tell them you use LCD screen and they give you that stare like you are the unwanted deformed kitten with 6 legs. I love the freedom to move the camera round, without it being stuck on my face. I am free to lower the camera to interesting perspectives, or raise it above my head - these can create more dramatic framing that the normal standing position of human eyes do not see. Yes, shooting through viewfinder will produce very boring shots. That is what they call the "Leica Syndrome", you have no choice but to force yourself to use the rangefinder type viewfinder and spend too much time getting your subject in focus, hence being restricted to a certain type of composition that can look overly repetitive and somewhat bland. Composing with LCD screen mitigates that and will drastically improve your framing, I promise you.

Look, I don't care if you prefer shooting with the viewfinder, or LCD screen, or shooting blind without looking at any visual aids. I don't think we should be that invested in what others are doing. Just focus on your own shooting. I use whatever tool that is available to me, I use both the electronic viewfinder and LCD screen interchangeably. In harsh sunny conditions in Malaysia, of course the electronic viewfinder helps a lot. On the other hand, I also have not come across a situation where the LCD screen is impossible so see under the open sky, yes visibly is impacted but I can still comfortably compose my shots. Yes, at the end of the day it is your own preference, and that is OK.

I love doing the POV shooting videos. There is a thrill in recording the before clicking the shutter button moment and being able to share that is quite exciting especially I do have a lot to talk about and share when it comes to my shooting. I hope you see that the only way to truly show you how I get my shots, is through the LCD screen. Sometimes, there is nothing more than just using the screen as it is, there is no deeper meaning, no philosophical debate, no justification of why I don't use EVF, just plain necessity to show you how I grab my shots on the street.

We have not even wandered into the topic of cameras with no viewfinders. That is another can of worms which we shall open for another day.

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Some Of My Images Featured In Ricoh GR Gallery At The Starhill, Bukit Bintang!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:52:54 +0000

I have several photographs printed and exhibited at Ricoh Malaysia's GR Gallery at Eslite Bookstore in The Starhill, Bukit Bintang. It came as a surprise when I was invited so submit some images for this exhibition, because I was only briefly involved with Ricoh Malaysia for the launch of their GR IV last year. It was humbling to be featured and having my images displayed among many other talented Malaysian GR photographers. If you happen to be in downtown Kuala Lumpur, do drop by The Starhill (previously known as Starhill Gallery) and see if you can spot my images there! Exhibition is open to public on shopping mall hours from 1-30 June 2026.

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Using Olympus MC-20 Teleconverter On Olympus 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 (Old Four Thirds DSLR Lens)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0000

I did a fun experiment recently - I attached the Olympus MC-20 2X teleconverter on the old Four Thirds DSLR lens, Olympus 50-200mm F2.8-3.5. This combination officially is not compatible, but I managed to make it work. In order to attach the MC-20 Teleconverter, a compatible lens requires a receiving in to slot in a protruding part. The workaround was the Four Thirds to Micro Four Thirds adapter that has a hollow gap in it which allows the protruding part of MC-20 to fit in nicely. I technically had a 100-400mm F5.6-7 lens to work with, so I participated in a birding outing to Fraser's Hill organized by OM System Malaysia and YL Camera! The performance of this combo was a mixed bag, I did get some decent output which I am showing in this blog entry, but if you are serious about birding and wildlife photography, I'd say the glaring compromises are enough to point you to the other direction. I shared everything in my latest video here (click).

Chestnut Caped Laughing Trush

Olympus MC-20 on Olympus 50-200mm F2.8-3.5

Technically, 100-400mm F5.6-7 after using the teleconverter

Grey Throated Babbler

Rufous Browed Flycatcher

White Tailed Robin

Juvenile White Tailed Robin

Partridge

Juvenile White Tailed Robin

Oriental Magpie Robin

Lesser Shortwing

Juvenile White Tailed Robin

Rufous Browed Flycatcher

Grey Throated Babbler

Mountain Fulvetta

Juvenile White Tailed Robin

White Tailed Robin

Little Pied Flycatcher

Juvenile White Tailed Robin

Partridge

Obviously not a bird

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Pak Peng Arcade Part 3 - Event Shooting

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 29 May 2026 13:00:00 +0000

While I had too much fun playing with wide angle compositions during the Pak Peng Arcade job, I was also required to shoot the event like a normal event. To document what actually happened, wide angle lens was not sufficient, often times longer lenses are needed. In this situation, many photographers would prefer the use of zoom lenses for flexibility and convenience, but I chose primes instead. My lenses I used for this shoot were Panasonic 9mm f1.7, Panasonic 15mm F1.7, Olympus 25mm F1.8 and 45mm F1.8. I did bring along the Olympus 75mm F1.8 and used it for several shots. I used my main camera, the Olympus E-M1 Mark II, still rocking on even after almost 10 years now! Since I have showed mostly wide angle shots in my previous Part 1 and 2 of Pak Peng Arcade series, all the images in this blog entry will be from non-wide angle lens.

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