Random shots, from my Cokin P-series holder, P121 M 3-stop Graduated Neutral Density filter, and P113 +3 Split Field filter.

The Split Field is rarely understood, being a close-up filter sliced exactly in half, so you can focus on objects close to you in one half of the frame, and far-away objects in the other half.

Like so.

Unfortunately it works best with objects that go across the frame, or else you’d have unnatural bokeh nearby.

The 3-stop GND however is one of the most commonly-used filters, and a good reason alone to buy rectangular filters instead of circular, screw-on ones. Here, the GND is oriented with the ND part on the top.

Another one. You wouldn’t be able to get a even exposure otherwise.

The holder I bought holds 3 Cokin filters – so I could combine filters by putting them in different slots.

Finally, just the GND.

More than 2 years ago, I played with a Canon EOS 5D MkII with Canon 24mm F1.4L MkI. Here it is at F2.0.

Again, at F1.4 and ISO12800, at a shutter speed of 1/2000s! A downside of such a fast shutter speed in flourescent light, of course, is that there is no flourescent light in the picture, especially so on the right where ambient light is all that there is…

Then I tried the M-PE 65mm F2.8 1x-5x Macro lens – here it is at 5x, F11.

One thing that annoyed me about the Canon system was the lack of the classic flash shutter speeds e.g. 1/60s when using flash – instead, slow sync flash was the default so I was getting 1/4s until I changed it to manual exposure! Or at least the owner of the setup said was the case.

And here’s a video with auto-focus and auto-exposure with the 24mm F1.4L MkI. The Canon system isn’t quite up to automatic video handling!

The Canon 85mm F1.8 USM on the Canon 50D. Nice!

The Tamron 60mm F2.0 Macro at F4.0. Even at F2.0 it was a bit too sharp, much harsher than the Tamron 90mm F2.8 Macro I’d say.

I also met KJ’s Metz Hammerhead flash. Boom!

How it mounts: Via a flash bracket.

Metal-T-shirt-wearing Zizo.

Sweep Panorama and moving objects make for some interesting shots!

I’m not even sure what the light was.

The glorious Minolta 85mm F1.4G on my A900.

Left to right: Sony E 18-5mm F3.5-5.6 OSS, Minolta 50mm F1.4 Original on Sony LA-EA1 A-mount to E-mount adapter, Minolta 24-50mm F4.0 Original. All the same size!

Iqbal looking at 3D Sweep Panorama pictures using red-cyan 3D glasses and StereoPhotoMaker!

Overkill. The Sony Alpha SLT-A55 does all that, without add-ons – you get fast phase-detect autofocus, you get an electronic viewfinder (so no need for the loupe), and you can fold out the rear LCD. If you do want a bigger screen there is an option via the HDMI output.

And now, for a breather from all the geek – here’s KLPF for you!

Hello there!

Well I’m not sure what she is promoting. Not that it matters.

Shot with the Sony Alpha NEX-5 with the Voightlander 35mm F1.4 Nokton via a M-mount to E-mount adapter, I believe. It feels like a Minolta F1.4 lens wide open, with just a touch of portraity dreaminess.

I think this was with the Carl Zeiss Biogon 35mm F2.0 ZM replacing the earlier lens. The Zeiss wide open feels like a Zeiss – no softness, just straight out crispy, contrasty business.

The Voightlander Ultra-Wide Heliar 12mm F5.6 Aspherical II on the NEX-5 isn’t full-frame but it is still pretty darn wide!

And now, we shift to Android geeking.

At the office. Clockwise from top-left: Apple iPad 2, Acer Iconia Tab A500, Motorola Xoom WiFi, Samsung Galaxy Tab 7″ 3G.

The Acer Iconia Tab A500 is one of the very few Android 3.0 tablets to have a full-size USB Type-A port on the tablet itself. The only other one I know of, is the Toshiba Thrive. There is also the Asus Eee Pad Transformer, with 2 full-size USB Type-A slots, but those slots are only on the keyboard dock.

The Dell Streak 5″ dwarfs my HTC Desire (3.7″). I have to say, it has a much more comfortable pocketability than the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7″. Though there is a bit of wiggle room, so I’d tolerate at most a 6″ tablet in my pants pocket. Make it 1280×800 with an LED notification light, Tegra 2 and 4G and I’m sold!

17th April 2011: PIKOM PC Fair 2011, down at the KLCC Convention Center.

But first, we had a Teh Tarik session about Sony Alpha cameras where we noticed the table next to us was having a Teh Tarik session about the Nokia N8! Yes, they fell like dominoes a few times.

Loads of cool gadgets on sale!

There were also loads of cheap Android tablets running on modified Android 2.2, with virtual keys for Home, Menu and Back at the top row.

In comparison, Android 3.0 Honeycomb, the proper tablet OS, has the virtual keys on the bottom.

Garmin show booth girls.

Interestingly, a Garmin pedometer! They might as well make a bicycle mount and use the Garmin Asus A50 with its GPS software instead.

Y’know, because Albert is so cool they just mosey up to me.

More cheapo Android 2.2 tablets! The right one has a iPad ripoff button. Ugh. The keyboard doesn’t even have the full set of Android keys! I’ve seen much better Bluetooth keyboards.

It seems now that antivirus vendors go all out on the girls.

But can any be as slim as the Sony Ericsson Arc?

She projects a wonderful smile.

And this is a cheapo tablet being plugged via HDMI. Any and every screen can be mirrored to a HD TV on Android! You just have to have the port.

This LG Optimus 2X, has the HDMI output in the form of a Micro HDMI Type-D port.

Outside.

Eat that, Toshiba Thrive!

An alternative to having physical buttons on the front, would be to put them on the side. Though I think Home was the iPad-style button on the front.

“Are you done with the geeking already?”

“Yes, I say.”

Hello Monique!