Melaka's Solero Shot

But not as spine-chilling as that (the Solero Shot) lah.



It is known as Menara Taming Sari. The 110m tower is finally opened to public and me and the gang were going to try it!



The air-conditioned cabin takes you high above the ground while rotating (in a very slow motion), so you can enjoy the 360 degree views on Melaka.



It takes around 5 to 10 minutes for the ride, but the only thing I can remember is that once it took off, I was standing and busy snapping the pictures non-stop. I didn't even have the chance to enjoy the view :(



The gang...



Not forgetting...



The breath-taking views:





The rest turns out to be blurry :(

The ticket cost RM10 for myKad holders, RM20 for foreigners. It operates from 10am to 10pm daily.

Got My Canon 450D Finally

Today is the day when a big hole will be burnt in our pockets.

After having our breakfast, we headed to Sg Wang, KL all the way from Melaka to get something that's luring us for the past weeks and months.


Kimfei, the driver, and...


Jian and Hanping

Four of us, the soon-to-be photographer.... wannabe... LOL!

When we reached Sg Wang around 11 something, the whole place is so quiet, not crowded like during weekends. I like.



Without wasting much time, we started going from shops to shops for price surveying. The price is almost the same, but the services from the shop varies. Some explain to us how the things work patiently; some just ignore us; and one even like quarreling with us (Kesian Han Ping, he's the one kena. Luckily I don't know how to speak fluent Cantonese! XD)

We tried a few models to "feel" the body before deciding. The one I aimed for the past weeks didn't disappoint me. It fits perfectly in my hand.



Fattien came around 1pm and we had lunch together while he shares his knowledges with us. He's a nice and friendly person.



After the lunch, Fattien had to go back to his work, leaving 4 of us to continue hunting for our babes. After some surveyings and discussion, we finally decided to get from the first shop we visited in Sg Wang. The shop lady smiled when she saw us. 4 dSLRs to be sold at the same time with cash, imagine that.



After some negotiating and cock talking in the shop, we paid the money, and walked out happily with 2 Canon 450D, 2 Canon 400D and empty pockets.

We had yumcha session in Old Town Coffeeshop together with Hung Wei who dropped by in Sg Wang for the fashion show at 8. So the 5 of us, sitting in the coffeeshop, drinking and chit chatting until the time when we should be going back... YEA RIGHT! Right after we sat down, all of us took out our dSLRs and started to play with it like thrilled kids. Of course, we learned something from Hung Wei who is glad to teach us.


Hung Wei with his Sony A100


Kimfei playing his Canon 450D


Hanping with his Canon 400D

Tarak Jian with his Canon 400D's pic... :P

I bought myself a Canon 450D with Canon 50mm f1.8 prime lens, which means I can only eat grass for the next few months T______T



Included in the package are: Camera Bag, 2GB SD card, Tripod, Canon Backpack, UV filter and screen protector.

Comparing the 450D and 400D side by side...

Front view:


Back view:


Top view:


And last but not least...

















WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Take a Guess

Take a guess, what camera did I used to take this picture:



No prizes for those who are correct though. Answer will be revealed in the next post. Have fun guessing :P

Note: No EXIF file peeping!

dSLR: Canon vs Sony, which to buy?

I bought my cam, A700, around a year ago. Within that period, I had used that cam for various occasions. With the knowledges on photography grows day by day, I've finally face some limitations from it. The ISO sucks a lot from 400 onwards, the shutter speed is too slow to freeze the motion, the grip is too small for me which decreases the stability... and because of that, I'm too lazy to bring out this "toy" as I can't get the shiok effect from it. Oh and by the way, I'm using Canon A700, not Sony A700 ^^"

And now, I'm thinking for an upgrade; an upgrade to the world of dSLRs. I did a lot of homeworks and researches, looking for the best performance over values entry level dSLRs that are available in the current market. And here comes the headache part, after narrowing the choices of entry levels dSLRs, it leads me to a few options that I can choose from:

Sony A200: One of the best choices entry level dSLRs for budget buyer. With one of the main selling point which is built in Super Steady Shot (SSS), I mean, where on Earth that you can get a dSLRs with built in image stabilizer with the price of just RM1.7k with SAL17-50mm kitlens?

Sony A300/A350: Another Alpha series from Sony. Apart the features which is almost the same with A200, A300/A350 offers true lifeview and a tilt screen! A350 has been launched and available in the market while the date for A300 to be on sale is still uncertain. If I'm going to choose one of the two, most probably I'll go for A300 for its lower price and I don't think I need that much megapixels from A350. And the big question is, when will A300 be launched?

Canon 400D: An almost two years technology and it was always on my mind whenever entry level dSLR is mentioned. Cheaper accessories is one of the reason why I wanted to go for it. I think an additional battery grip is needed if I were to get it as most of the feedbacks from users I've read are small grip of the dSLR.

Canon 450D: I told you that 400D was always on my mind when it comes to entry level dSLR right? Well, it was always on my mind until... this 450D appears in the market! With the features and body build that is 10000 times better than the 400D (OK, I exaggerate too much on the 10000 times better part), the only set back for me is the price. If only it was launched six months ago so the price would not be that high as now *sigh*



You must be wondering why don't I just go for 450D? Well, I've mentioned bout the best performance over values thing right? I want to get something that's worth the money I spend on. Added that expensive/new != good. Those money doesn't come easily and it takes me some times to save them. VERY DIFFICULT TO SAVE THOSE MONEY YOU KNOW!!! That's why I'm still hesitating to decide on one of those. I don't want to regret after spending so much money on it.

In case you are wondering why Nikon is not inside my list, let me put it in this way, the D40, D40x, D50 and D60 do not attract me at all. If I'm to get a Nikon, I'll go for D80 but D80 is waaaaaaay out of my budget :( My initial budget is only around RM2k plus and the most money I can ooze out is 450D which is below Rm3k, and that already leave me stuck with what is included in the package for a few months or maybe years to come.

I really don't have any clues on which one to get when it comes to getting my first dSLR where all of them have their own pros and cons. And again, I have to emphasize that I'm looking for one that is worth every cents I've spent on it. Headache right?

Choosing a suitable dSLR is quite a tiring task which I'm totally clueless now, however I've created some useful *cough* tips after getting one though. And these might be the stuffs that I'll keep on reminding myself after I bought one to prevent from regrets. Here goes:

1. Keep your eyes wide open before choosing a suitable dSLR. After you bought it, close you eyes and don't look back so you won't regret.

2. Short term pain (in the pocket) is always better than long term pain (regret for the rest of your life), get the best that you can afford.

3. For those that still keep on hesitating after getting their own dSLR, has weak heart or can't accept criticism well, just stick and chat with your own brand community, as fanboys from other brands will start to argue and bash your puny lousy dSLR that is worth nothing more than a piece of shit which in the end will kill your confidence for the brand you go for and make you regret after the purchase. So stick to your own brand community as they'll praise your dSLR like it's a diamond that drop from Heaven, even if it isn't that great at all and can be easily pawned by competitor's product. At least it can boost your little ego and confidence, that's a good thing... right?

4. If the war between brands can't be stopped, you have to prepare the war by equipping yourself with your ultimate weapon (the dSLR), unlimited bullets (battery power) and magazines (memory spaces), together with FLASHbang that'll blind your enemy while making them inferior with your BIG and LOOONG bazooka (lens FTW!!!). Remember to bring along a combat knife or a parang and no, it has nothing to do with any of the dSLR and the accessories, just in case his dSLR pawns yours (blame yourself for not being rich :P), you can always the knife and... leave a few scratches on your enemy's lens and camera body, that will make him/her cry. What? You think that I'm going to tell you to stab them? I'm not that violent wan... hehehe

Enough of the craps, for those that is new to dSLR and want to get a suitable dSLR, besides doing tonnes of research and homework, it is advised to try out the dSLRs and see which one of them that you are comfortable with. FYI, that's the most advise given for those that are clueless, undecided and full of hesistations (like me) I've read.

And of course, if you like to leave some comments regarding this article, especially shedding some light for me to walk the right path, you are welcomed to do so! However, please keep in mind that flaming or bashing without supported facts will not be tolerated and will be deleted immediately. Fanboyism is allowed (there must be some reasons why you want to support the particular brand and I'd like to hear it) but please don't make it to the extend that you start to bash other brands.

Please let me know if you know any shops in KL that offers the best deal for the four models I mentioned, especially 450D. Thanks!

On a rational thought, don't judge a dSLR by its brand.

Side note: I guess this is the longest post I've written in my blog so far, and even myself is amazed :P Going to get busy for midterm exam and FYP report :(

Updated: Bought a Canon 450D in the end after trying out the DSLRs in the shop. More pictures taken with this DSLR can be viewed in my posts starting from 28th April 2008 onward.

Spin Spin Spin

This post is for Chu Kiok who loves watching things spin. I guess she watched too much bollywood movies in TV2 during her childhood time, so can't blame her for that. Eh, Chu Kiok, sorry to disappoint you as I'm not in either one of the movie clips ah, and my brain is really spinning now due to FYP report and assignements @@"





Sorry guys, been busy with the reports and assignments hence the less updates (like I update my blog frequently for the past :P)

Qing Ming Comic Part III

Part I
Part II

Qing Ming Comic Part II

Part I

Qing Ming Festival

Qing Ming Festival (清明节) is a traditional Chinese festival and it falls on this Sunday. Usually family members to visit the ancestor's tomb, paying their respect to the ancestor and cleaning the tombs. This tradition is to remind us to appreciate and be thankful for what our ancestors had done to make sure the future generations live a comfortable life.

It's a belief that by burning items with the ancestor's name written on it, the ancestor's will receive the particular items in the other World. Which means that the fire works as something like Poslaju (courier service). The only difference is that the recipient get the goods almost instantly and the service is free of charge.