It’s yet another geekout session with Albert, starting with a night in Titiwangsa Lake Garden.

Interestingly, the Eye On Malaysia has shifted to Malacca!

KJ sits on a power box.

I don’t know what he sees.

This Casio Exilim F1 sees at 60 FPS. No, not video – continuous bursts! Unbeatable for capturing sports action, really!

Size comparison, left to right: Minolta X300 with Seagull 50mm F1.8 lens, Olympus E-420 with Zuiko Digital 14-45mm F3.5-5.6 lens.

Though for me I’m not excited about the Four-Thirds system as much as the Micro Four-Thirds system; here’s the mirror-less Panasonic G1!

Then there’s the Olympus Micro Four-Thirds prototype with a possible 20mm F1.7. SWEET!

Sunpak Auto 16R Pro ring macro flash.

The Canon MP-E 65 5x-1x macro lens on a Canon EOS 50D!

Top pictures are the lens at 1:1x magnification; bottom pictures are the lens at 5:1x magnification.

It’s not an easy lens to use – changing the magnification then requires you to change distance, too. It’s basically a 65mm F2.8 on a variable extension tube. Interestingly, the Minolta 3x-1x uses a 50mm F1.7 and has auto-focus…

And now rewind to the plastic Diana F+! Interesting that it has focus control.

Left to right: I’m guessing the icons really represent apertures from F8/F11/F16/F22; the film indicator switch tells you it’s 120 medium format; the internal parts are all plastic.

Here’s another medium format camera, the Pentacon six TL!

Fitted with a Carl Zeiss Biometar 80mm F2.8 lens, which is a normal lens on medium format, similiar to 50mm on full-frame 36x24mm.

Shot with the Minolta 70-210mm F4 beercan at 70mm F8.

I tried holding the Biometar in front of my A700 and focusing manually.

I then tried to tilt the lens upwards to give a shallower depth of field. Of course, the light leaking in from below would cause this loss of contrast and add flare…

This was a far more challenging shot at 80mm F2.8 – it was tilted downwards. Note what is in focus.

And now, for a gratituous set of pictures of lenses to show relative size comparisons!

Left to right: Minolta 85mm F1.4G, Minolta 24-105mm F3.5-4.5 (D), Minolta 35mm F1.4G, Vivitar Series 1 28-105mm F2.8-3.8, F&N canned drink.

Left to right: Minolta Dynax 7 with Minolta 85mm F1.4G, Nikon D700 with Nikkor AF-D 85mm F1.8.

Left to right: Sony Alpha 200 with Sigma 30mm F1.4 EX DC, Sony Alpha 300 with Minolta 85mm F1.4G.

Left to right: Minolta 135mm F2.8, Minolta 28-85mm F3.5-4.5.

Left to right: Minolta 28-70mm F2.8G, Sony Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 24-70mm F2.8 SSM ZA.

Left to right: Sony 18-70mm F3.5-5.6 DT, Sony Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 16-80mm F3.5-4.5 DT ZA. Honestly I expected the Zeiss to be a lot bigger.

Left to right: Sony Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 16-80mm F3.5-4.5 DT ZA, Sony 16-105mm F3.5-5.6 DT.

Left to right: Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4.5 DC Macro, Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC Macro. Both focus to a crazy close 20cm but the 17-70mm has the advantage of focal length to achieve a magnification of 1:2.3x!

Left to right: Peleng 8mm F3.5 circular fisheye in M42 mount, Minolta 50mm F1.4 (in A-mount), Jupiter-9 85mm F2.0 in M42 mount.

Left to right: Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 135mm F1.8 ZA, Sony Carl Zeiss Planar T* 85mm F1.4 ZA, Sony Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 24-70mm F2.8 SSM ZA, Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35mm F2.4 in M42 mount, Sony Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 16-80mm F3.5-4.5 DT ZA. It was a pity that we could not get the Sony Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 16-35mm F2.8 SSM ZA to join this party!