boy oh boy, i must really apologize. i am sorry everyone, for being not posting for such a long time. it has taken me so long to get settle down ever since i got transferred back to kajang. i just couldn’t get used to all the jams and such. it’s usually bloody late when i get back to PJ. but that’s not the main reason, i have actually suffered a bad bout of bigbellyphotographersitis…

see what i mean?

well, i have been hitting the gym lately. and no thanks to the jam and such i usually come back home late, tired, and wasted.

ok, enough about meself. time to talk about photography. while i do look like a lazy bum in the picture, i have not been slacking much in the photography section. well, sort of… it seems i have taken LOTS of pics, but i didn’t really got them developed as it takes me forever to reach my favourite developer. gosh i hate KL traffic.

SO, what did i do then? me being the genius got this…

TA-DA!!

yes, i have finally jumped into the bandwagon, i have finally joined the camwhore elite group! the instax group! ladies and gents, boys and girls… introducing to you… the fujifilm big ass instax 210!

boy oh boy, you just gotta try out one of these, nevermind the 210, just go out and grab any one of them! i am very sure of this: shooting with an instax camera is highly addictive! it’s such a simple camera! you can just forget about exposure, and also braving the traffic just to get your roll of film developed!

well, of course there’s some trade off… the films aren’t exactly cheap, so you really have to think 3-4 times before taking a shot, but if you get it right, you will be highly rewarded.

another thing to consider for street shooters… this is a very effective tool for you to approach shy subjects. this is the perfect ice breaker! what i usually do is to take a picture using the instax and instantly show the subject the result. and with this, you give the shot to your subject, and in return, you can shoot all you want as you have earned your subject’s trust. this is so cool!!

well, strangely due to the 210 construction, one needs a magnifier to perform camwhore shots. not really a big problem to me anyway…

well… that’s it for now. will try to update you guys as much as i can… till then, don’t miss me too much yeah?

I am confused?

Which is better?

What should I buy?

…read on and it will show you the path!

—

1. Spec sheet comparisons

It’s like looking at the difference in cars…LOL.

In terms on numbers the DH2 trashes the DH1.

But what does these numbers mean to you?

Sensor pixel – Higher megapixels means that the pictures can be enlarged bigger. If you want to create big prints like A4 size and above, the higher the megapixels, the better!

Macro mode – Shorter the range, the nearer to the object you can shoot. DH2 (3cm) beats the shit out of DH1 (10cm) in terms of macro mode. Picture below is from the DH2 macro mode.

Memory – The bigger the number the better, means it can support bigger memory cards which enables you to capture more pictures and more videos.

bla.. bla.. bla.. NEXT!

2. The main differences

• Digital Harinezumi 2 records sound in movie mode.
• Digital Harinezumi 2 has a monochrome mode (black & white).

3. What about the camera?

Superheadz says this

“We made a decision that Digital Harinezumi would be a somewhat whimsical camera. Think about it – it’s much more fun if each camera has it’s own personality, right? That’s why each one can have such a difference in the way it takes photos. Also, we are updating the way the camera works – changing the firmware, the menu, even the lens.

And, so it goes. Now 2 is out, some people say that 1 is better. Some people prefer the limited edition white version. Some people say 2 is the newest and best. What’s important is.. What do you think?”

4. That’s just the difference between the DH1 and the DH2, what about the DH CHINON?

The Digital Harinezumi CHINON is basically a DH1 preloaded with firmware v1.00. This means you can tweak the colors of your picture and enable live view. The cool thing bout tweaking the color of your pictures is that you can recreate the effect of your favourite film like the Agfa ct precisa 100. So if you prefer the DH1 over the DH2, you should get this version.

5. What do *I* think?

For those who have known me or asked me this question before “Which is the best?“. My reply is always simple, pictures first, camera second. After all a camera is for taking pictures no?

Furthermore I don’t think there is such thing as the “best”. Other than sharing the name of harinezumi, both cameras are essentially different and takes significantly different style of pictures. They might as well called it digital sang kancil.

My advice?

Get both.

But let’s be realistic, not everyone has a deep pocket. So my recommendation is to go to the digital harinezumi gallery (you can compare between DH1 and DH2 pictures!) and see which pictures that capture your attention most. Choose the camera which shoot the pictures that attract you. This is the BEST way to choose ANY camera.

So let me know what do you think and what is your choice?

An application I just installed is the moreLomo app by More-Thing. The best thing about it is that it’s a free app! The latest version has an option to choose between the original photo or the ‘lomorised’ photo. In my opinion, it’s a pretty nifty app.

Here are a few examples of photos taken with moreLomo that I found on the web.

moreLomo is available for download HERE or go to iTunes and search for ‘moreLomo’.

Have fun and don’t forget to share your images with all of us at TCS.

Basically, U can see what this post is all about through the title clearly.. I have inserted Fuji Velvia into the BBF borrowed from Adrian last month and bringing it everywhere with me. Shoot here and there and these are what u get from the equation at the title.

Velvia 100f gave me a brown color effect or a little bit like redscale every time I xpro it and its not suitable to take night shots with it especially u are using it with your color flash as it only yield the same old brown color. For me, I always feel that slides are not suitable for night shots but I will try to prove myself wrong as I am still lack of experience in trying taking pics this way. I use mostly normal negatives to shoot with color flash as it gives exactly the color u want. U are totally in control with it.. Add some multiple exposure shots with different colors of flash with it.

Here are shots using the same roll of film but with color flash and u can see clearly that the color is almost the same and did not yield any colorful pictures..

And for the photo below, I used normal negative with color flash and you can see the colors clearly especially with multiple exposure technique. Photos are taken with Holga 135bc.

Although Velvia 100f yields brown color pics most of the time but there’s a few shots from me in the past that gave some surprise. This is what i meant here, look at the pics taken with the same velvia 100f, xpro, using my holga 135bc..

The pictures produced from different films may be affected too by the scanner you used to scan it. I am using a Canon Canoscan 4400F to scan most of my pictures but I am always not satisfied with it especially when it involves slides. In my previous post, I mentioned that the Fuji Sensia slides I used for my Penang trip was not as nice as I am expecting, I think the problem is with the scanner I used. I come to this conclusion because another roll of slide I used, Kodak Elite Chrome EBX gave me poor results too. The pictures are not as nice as those I saw in Flickr.

I managed to ask the lady that processes my films in SS2. I asked her why the pictures I scanned myself were not as nice as those she scanned for me where I need to pay RM7 for it. She gave me a very good answer.. My scanner costs RM 400k, yours.. RM 400.. LOL..

I will try to upload some pics from South Africa next time.. Stay tuned clickers..

The Fuji Instax invasion is here at TheClickShop!

For those who don’t know already, I have the Choco one and I’ve never looked back since! It’s a very fun camera that I take around with me everywhere and there are so many oohs and aahs when friends or family see the photos that pop out from it. It’s light and very easy to use. The manual, albeit in Japanese, is very fuss-free and the images alone are able to assist in setting up the Fuji Instax. I know because I set mine up in less than 5 minutes.

So for those of you who are interested and are still thinking about whether the Instax is worth it, I tell you it is!

And from what I hear, there are only a few units available. Better be quick and grab it while you can.

Once you have, please share your photos with us here at TCS and if you’re on Flickr, do submit your photos to this group.

I have been busy blogging about my adventures in Bali at my personal blog, so that’s why you see some irregularities here.  But, that’s no excuse as Adrian’s been a good slave driver fella, and I intend to help out as much as I can.

Let’s talk a bit on photography anyway. Why? Of all hobbies, why did you choose photography? Is it because you were taking pictures of your friends and the turn out crappy and enjoyed it? Or is it because you once took a picture and the bokeh is just astounding, it made you feel like a million bucks and you think you’re pro? Or you like taking pictures of booth babes, which in time nobody really gives a damn anyway.

Well, for me, I can’t draw. Yes, if I were to draw a dog, it would look like a PC. But somehow, I have always felt the need to express myself, to try and show people what I see. I have always liked the oxymoron theme, but then again I am a lousy photographer and can’t really see through it.

taken by me ages ago, was playing quite alot with photoshop then.

So you have bought a new camera, be it a DSLR or a toy camera, you have spent a few hundred on your hard earned money on this wonderful contraption that has the ability to capture light. You take pics of your lens cap, your dog, your dinner, your parents slippers and also your stationary. Wow, your pictures are sharp, heck it’s vivid too, the colors pop out. Vunderbar! Then you occasionally use it to take pictures of your friends during a wedding dinner, y’know, those typical warm coloured, blurry pics you take in the wedding banquet? And that’s it. You think your camera is lousy, why la the colours are so lousy one? It’s ORANGE! And gosh, I have applied plenty of makeup and my face looks super greasy like pimples are going to launch a Mardi Gras on my face.

That’s the problem boys and girls. We buy a camera and we don’t use it. It’s like owning a car with automatic gear. Slip in the keys, shift to “D” and press the stop and go paddle.  We never even bothered to appreciate the qualities of the tool you posses.

Yes we have all heard it before, it’s not the camera but the person holding it that makes a difference.

How to improve your camera skills then? I do try to keep my method simple. I used to join forums, www.photomalaysia.com or www.shutterasia.com is a nice place to start out. You post your pictures there and ask for comments. One thing you have to be aware of. Some of the forummers there are rather direct, so be prepared to get comments like “your pictures suck”, or “rather pointless picture you got there”. All in all it was meant for your benefit. Take in the suggestions you think is beneficial and leave out the ones which you think are childish or pointless. By joining forums you can get the general sentiment on how people view your pictures and also get a few pointers in technicality or composition. Do try to make a few friends while you’re at it. Be on a look out for outings, try to participate.

this uncle won’t be stripping at your home for sure.

Here’s the second part on how to improve your photography, by joining outings you learn a few things. Yes, it’s fun to shoot indoor stuff like your shoes, lens and anything on your table, but in reality the world is outside there waiting for you to be photographed. The mountains can’t come to you, the sunrise/ sunset won’t come to you if you don’t bother to step outside. There’s more to shooting lens and group pictures you know. Now that you have a few friends who knows a teeny bit more about photography, you can all shoot in groups, it’s much safer for first timers and it builds confidence. You will get to see what other people see and why didn’t you think of that before. You also get to know more about your camera, what can it do and what it can’t do. Think of outings as free photography workshop with intense practical application.

Oh wait, something wrong here? What about improving composition? Composition is very subjective. My friend once told me before that a blurred picture of a soldier killing a civilian is much better compared to a picture of a sharp tip of a screwdriver. Yes composition is very important, it is the very essence of expressing yourself, this is something that no one can take away from you. But of course, before one starts doing weird funky stuff one has to go through the basics like rule of thirds, leading lines and so on. But to make it easier, go to flickr and look at other people’s pictures, try to learn or emulate their shots and try to enhance your technical side, discuss it with your mates or in forums, see what did you lack of. One must learn to float before one learns how to swim.

Remember, practice makes perfect. Don’t be a slouch on weekends and sleep it off. Get to know your gear, learn photography, get some sun tan, work off some sweat and most importantly, have fun! If you fail the shot you wanted, try again, if you entirely missed the shot, laugh it off and don’t be so hard on yourself.

Remember! Remember to have fun!

no, this is not a photoshopped picture, firemen were testing this hose, and i did something this impulsive. LOL!

That’s a really bad intro anyway. Ah, it has been a while since I posted anything, I am pretty sure I am about to be treated with a fried squid (that’s calamari for you sophisticated ones). The reason? I was away on vacation at Bali.

Well Adrian said we contributors were extremely handsome and pretty hardworking in contributing to his site, he decided to give us the Plamodel DIY Super Kengchau 135 Toy Camera each! Since this was meant as a Christmas gift, I decided to open it at Bali.

Like what Renee described earlier on one has to do a bit of reading on the manual to get the assembly right. I’d love to do some camwhoring while fixing it, but I was too lazy to set up my tripod and my wife was asleep anyway.

Yes, even as an impatient person, I really had to pore through the manual to roughly know what to do to avoid screw-ups.

i spent about 3.8 seconds to study the manual thoroughly and i got cracking. actually, it’s extremely easy. even a butterfingered monkey IQ fella like me managed to get it assembled succesfully. the assembling part was actually the fun part.

You get to feel like you’re a craftsman to the highest degree…

yes, i have the most delicate and accurate touch, in the world

mm, yes, the lens, rated at 28mm F/9.5

the viewfinder…

and voila! it’s complete!

only i forgot to install the strap in, it was a bit of a struggle when i was trying to get the cover together. but it’s still functional never the less. the end result was pretty much satisfying.

Now, for the specs, it’s fixed shutter speed at 1/125 and aperture at F/9.5, that is pretty much for sunny days with a teensy hint of underexposure for iso 200 film. Well of course then, i then plonked in an iso 200 film (duh!). the film i used is konica centuria DNP.

Now, since it’s christmas, i have spent my day in Bali pretty much by chilling out, none of those exciting trips like mountain trekking or cycling. all i did was accompany my wife to Ubud town central to do some souvenir shopping. here’s some shots

yes, you can do panning shots with it.

was rather surprised when i got the films developed, i was expecting helluva light leak (and secretly hoping for one too) but it turns out to be right as rain. overall, i’d grab one if i were you, toy cameras don’t come as cheap, you’d be surprised how much bang 75 bucks can give you.

till then, merry Xmas and a happy new year!

PS: When they say it takes 20 minutes to fix, they were dead wrong, it took me 20 minutes and 3.8 seconds!

How’s everyone doing? What did all of you get for Christmas?

Somebody (you know who you are!) read my wishlist and I am now a proud owner of the yellow UWS. Yes, be jealous, be very jealous. I’ll post up some photos of it soon.

Adrian, from The Click Shop, surprised me with a very unexpected gift - The Plamodel Camera Christmas Edition. I chose the red packaging although I’ve been told that essentially, it is the same camera inside and it comes in only one colour; black. Inside the packet, I found an instruction manual and the camera parts. It is very very important to make sure that you lose none of the parts. Before starting, I would recommend you give the manual a once over. Locate all parts mentioned in the manual. This can be done easily because the parts are numbered.

I expected it to be difficult but with the help of a friend, it took us about an hour, slightly more to complete the camera. It is quite gratifying to work on the camera, building it up from scratch. I learned that a lot of work is put into building a simple 35mm camera. I’ve got a new appreciation for film cameras now.

I’d recommend this camera to anyone who likes d.i.y and isn’t afraid of a challenge. It makes a great way to spend an afternoon with a friend too. I know this because that’s what I did.

So go ahead, don’t not buy it because you think it’s complicated. If I can complete it, just about anyone can.

Yes, this is how the Golden Half Chelsea Maika looks like Eh wait. I heard someone asking who is Chelsea Maika!

Name: Chelsea Maika

D.O.B: 1989, March 11

Blood Type: B type

School: Art & Fashion

Occupation: Model (TV, magazine shows, etc.)

Read more at *here*

Now my very honest review on Golden Half Chelsea Maika. To be very very VERY honest, I am a bit shocked with its size. It looked nothing like i have imagined! I think I love the feel of the camera itself. Seriously, it has this kind of a nice silky feeling. Haha. That is the best I could describe it. It fits my palm easily and nicely, small yet dangerously sinful!

Very user friendly. I manage to figure out how to use it (well, minus the phone call cause I freaked out a bit. Shall explain it later) and yes, it does not need any batteries at all. It is all about the power of your finger or in my case, fingers! You know, the old way of using a film camera – snap, roll, snap, roll continuously till you can’t roll anymore which is the cue that the film finished already.

Ok. The part I freaked out was the film counter. As this is a half frame camera (Instead of your normal boring 36 pictures, you get 72 pictures! Or in my case, 75 pictures -.-), the film counter works in a different way. You see, the normal film cameras work this way – you snap a picture, the counter turns 1, 2, 3, 4 and so on. Golden Half Chelsea Maika works this way instead – 0, 6, 12, 18, till 72. Being a super curious kid, I went home and tried it A.S.A.P. It was then when I freak out cause the film counter is not moving, or so I thought. It took me 3 days to figure it out -.- Speaking of it right now, I am pretty amused at myself.

Golden Half Chelsea Maika comes in 3 settings – Sunny, Cloudy and Flash. Yep, you got me right! This is one of the features of Golden Half Chelsea Maika. Flash hotshoe to attach a flash! I tried the flash hotshoe using my SB600 :p yes, it worked! The settings comes in different aperture. Sunny – F11, Cloudy – F8 and Flash – F11. And to change the settings, just twist the camera lens!

See! Told you it is so small and it fits my palm nicely! Haha! I think this camera would be good for a beginner. Reason – it is very user friendly and that it is small enough to be brought everywhere. Oh before I go, I promised to tell you why I think Golden Half Chelsea Maika is a good name for this little camera. Well, the Chelsea Maika is pretty much understandable. Chelsea Maika is originally a lover for photography and art, thus she was given a chance to design her own Golden Half which stands out in spectacular color and difference in design, it is good to be given as a gift as the box design is extremely unique as well.

This is purely my thoughts on the name Golden Half. This camera is indeed a gold itself. Reason being that it is a half frame camera which double the shots! A normal 36 exposure film can produce 72 pictures. Now, doesn’t that explain why it is Golden Half?

To purchase Golden Half Chelsea Maika, *click* here!

P/S: My first roll is still not done yet! Haha. When it is done, I will post the pictures

My Christmas wishlist:

1. My girlfriend come back safe and sound from South Africa and dont get too tanned..

2. Lomo LC-A+

3. Lomo Colorsplash flash

4. Lomo Splitzer

5. Lomo Hipshot bag (Got it)

6. Longchamp for my mum

7. A surprise for my girlfriend

Wow! I need lots of money. I hope they give Ang Pows on christmas..   So, this is my wishlist, what’s yours? Take a deep breath and write down a list. Its okay to reward yourself sometimes. Dont feel so guilty. Merry X mas everyone and have a great new year..