Olympus latest compact, the XZ-1.

The Olympus Compact.THE XZ-1.
No ISO Auto limit selection, Max Auto limit is ISO 250.You need to charge the batt with the camera. Almost the same with LX3, XZ-1 looks sharper though will make further test surprisingly it is very easy, easier when I bought my LX3 few month ago.

It is worth considering the XZ-1. Its lens is a monster! There is none in the market right now to beat 112mm with largest f1.8 aperture lens on a compact camera.Am told that Olympus used to produce class leading compacts many years ago but have hardly forged a reputation for such compact cameras of late. The ZX1 therefore represents their renewed entry into the highly competitive world of the high end compact camera. The ZX1 will have to do battle against rivals in the form of the excellent Panasonic LX5, Canon’s proficient S95, Samsungs well received EX1.Well, you can always refer to http://www.olympusimage.com.my/products/compact/ I mean if you are interested to get one.

Photo credit to PC.Com

 

F-stop: f/2.8 Exposure: 1/80 seconds ISO: 160  sample photo from Olympus XZ-1.

Photo from my LUMIX LX-3.

F-stop: f/2.8 Exposure: 1/80 seconds ISO: 160  sample photo from Panasonic Lumix LX-3


The build quality of Olympus XZ-1 is wonderful, nice and solid yet not heavy at all, and it’s a camera you can carry all day long without feeling tired. In the past, point and shoot cameras where nothing but a joke, fancy on the outside but when it came to delivering quality images it always fell behind traditional DSLR cameras. Well that’s all changed now with these new generation point and shoot cameras. With outstanding quality lens and excellent in-camera software, a photographer is limited only by their imagination.

Attend Local Events and Practice Your Street Photography.

Local events such as festivals, parades, rally, demonstrations are some of the best way to practice and hone our skills as photographers, whether you are a an amateur, hobbyist, or a professional. Events are fun, exciting and can provide wonderful picture-taking opportunities.

Winner photo ..photo credit to www.financetwitter.com

 One good example of practice street photography is at 'BERSIH' rally in Kuala Lumpur on 09 JULY 2011 .To read more about what is 'BERSIH 2.0 rally you can log on to this website  :::
The most electrifying moment only happen in the city  

Rally by the political party in Sarawak during the State Election 2011.

Prepare your gear :  Making sure your gear is ready is a priority. In events I usually bring two camera bodies and two lenses, a wide angle lens and a telephoto lens. Check your batteries and make sure they are fully charged, make sure your memory cards are all formatted and in proper working condition.

Simple Rally by local apposition political party in Sarawak year 2010(Malaysia Day).

Local event rally in Kota Samarahan.

Once you get to the event, just blend in, let everyone know that you are taking photograph. Now, to tell the story, you need to be observant, focus on participants, look for facial expressions, details, colors. You also need to learn to relax and not be overwhelm of the crowd and actions that are happening around you.I hope you found this little tip helpful. If you have any street photography tip, I would be happy to hear them. Feel free to leave a comment below.
Thank You.

Probably the Best Compact Camera out there......

 

Not actually a video( testing from my Lumix LX3. )

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3

 Sorry for the title. Actually there is no overall “best camera”, “best laptop” or “best whatever”. It always depends on what you need. If you just need a compact camera to take some pictures of your family trips or your college parties, almost any camera will do the trick for a much lower price.

My LX3 motion picture project while driving.

 

 That said, if you are serious about learning photography you should probably get a DSLR. You can get a what ever branding  I own the Olympus E620 and I love it. Most of the pictures in this website were taken with that camera. 

 

Lumix LX3 with tripod.

 

 Then, why am I recommending the LX3? Simple. The only problem I have with my E620 (and any other DSLR for that matter) is the size. It’s not too big for a DSLR, but it’s not a gadget to carry everywhere.

So, if you want a portable camera which allows you to learn photography, the LX3 is for you. I won’t go too technical here, but let’s highlight some of the features

• 10 Megapixels (large enough for screen and print)
• Shoots in RAW
• It has manual exposure and manual focus modes, so you can learn all the basics
• And the automatic modes are really smart
• It’s actually a leica  and very good optics 
• Shoot Video (Motion Picture Mood)

Shot with my Lumix LX3 not shot while driving see above photo.......

Low-light and Night shots -Panasonic Lumix LX3.

Lumix LX3 is an amazing camera.Since I'm not a professional photographer,please allow me to explain in simple term.

Another similar mode, Film Grain, is also available and the effect is of a photo that looks like it was taken with high sensitivity film.

It takes really great photos even in low-light conditions.

That's right, with a Lumix there's virtually no need to use a flash (if you don't feel like it, and I usually don't)   I hardly use flash in photography and I'd much rather use available light because I feel that photos should look as natural as possible. (This isn't a rule in photography by the way, just a personal preference.) The Lumix LX3 pocketcam does not really boast of a high megapixel count, stopping at 10.1 megapixels, but instead it focuses on a bigger 1/1.63-inch sensor facilitating better low-light shooting.

This photo was shot at around 7 p.m. on last night. I didn't use a flash but as you can see, the image is relatively sharp and well-focused, and there is no noise or grain at all, as is usually the case with other compact cameras when shooting in low light. For this photo, I used another  mode, Film Grain, is also available and the effect is of a photo that looks like it was taken with high sensitivity film.

It can shoot dramatic, artistic photos using the pinhole camera simulator.

The Pinhole Camera setting has got to be my favorite fancy effect when using this camera. What this basically does is give a nostalgic vignetted photograph similar to what can be achieved using an old-fashioned pinhole camera.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easy Exercises for Everyone.....

Not every one likes to be involved in much activities that involve exercise. There are many people who hate to exercise and still want to maintain fitness and health, but it is easier said than done. For those who hate to exercise or should we say, the lazy bones, here are the best exercises that can help to keep you fit.

People of Kuching Love Cycling

Cycling – You can even enjoy cycling on an empty road or in an area that is not much crowded. Cycling is the best exercise and can be done by a person who does not like to spend time in the gym. To make cycling fun, you can ask some friends to join you everyday.

Enjoy cycling along Main Baazar old part of Kuching City.

All you need is motivate yourself to put down that plate, get off f that chair and walk into that better zone. Reward yourself with something healthy every time you overcome obstacles in your ‘exercise-life’. You’ll be amazed how much these simple exercises can help not only your body, but also your outlook of life in general.

6 Tips How to Master Shooting Street Photography with a DSLR.

When it come to street photography, I always refer to ERIC KIM STREET PHOTOGRAPHY.Recently he wrote  article on how to most effectively use your DSLR for street photography.
6 tips from ERIC:

Prefocus + set a high F-stop.

Don’t be afraid to bump up your ISO  .

Shoot with a wide-angle prime lens .

Determine your ideal shooting mode  .  

Use the right strap.

Cover up your logo.

Below are some example of my simple street photography using my DSLR.

Me..I did not use the  highly recommend handstraps.

Eric recommend to use the right strap(maybe I get one soon). " When it comes to shooting street photography with a DSLR, I prefer to use the Custom SLR shoulder glidestrap with the Custom SLR C-Loop. I used to highly recommend handstraps, but one of the faults I started to discover is that it can get tiring to use after a full day of traveling and shooting. The main benefit of the Custom SLR shoulder glidestrap is that it allows you to carry your DSLR with the weight distributed over your shoulders, which beats carrying it around your neck which causes strain. Not only that, but you can keep your camera slung to your side when you aren’t shooting to stay low-key, and you can bring it up quickly to get your shot. The best strap for DSLRS hands-down. ".say eric.

Example #1.

Example #2.

Example #3

Example #4.

The best thing about street photography is that it is possible for the final viewer of a print to see more than the original photographer. One of the great things about a city is that more things are happening, even within a small neighborhood, at any moment than any human can comprehend. Photography allows us to freeze one of those moments and study all of the small dramas that were taking place.

 

 

 

My Panasonic Lumix LX3 -ISO Test.

This is the first time I am doing this type of posting, so I apologize for all those not so align or standardize photos or even what i call not so good review write up for this posting and etc...), and this is more like a personal opinion after I have done some ISO testing on the Panasonic Lumix LX3, just to find out what is the maximum acceptable noise level (At least to myself) specially when taking a shoot with it. Anyway I just wanna make sure that I am familiar with the whole setting of this little toy (Lumix LX3).

ISO 400

ISO200 -ISO800: All subjects are only shoot with available light. I just wanna see how this P&S ISO is going to deal with the available lighting within this range.

ISO 200

ISO 800

Panasonic Lumix LX3 has the ISO level from ISO100 - ISO3200.
I have each photos label with the ISO settings that I used. Personally I think ISO200-800 still kinda retain the required details for the photos (and the noise level that I could accept).
So, from a P&S perspective I think it is not bad at all .