Whi Bal card

and we tough the our A4 paper is white till we compare with Whi Bal card. The Whi Bal card has been measured and meets the standards of L.A.B color.

closer compare of the white

Click this link about the product here

Downlight test

after Leveling at Photoshop

before Leveling at Photoshop


fluorescent Test

after Leveling at Photoshop

before Leveling at Photoshop

you can download the images and use photoshop leveling to check it out. At level, use a white color picker and click on the white part of the whi bal card.

will come back later to write a personal review about this product.

Brussels with Panasonic GF1 + Zeiss 50mm f1.4 MF

Some photos I took yesterday at Brussels Bars and Cafe celebrating fathers day. No image enhance but only leveling at Photoshop.

Shooting Film Now - The Feeling

Lately I have been shooting with film camera and here I want to record down what I feels using back a film camera - the experience

1) I have to wait till I finish my 36 exposure only I can change to another ASA/ISO film.
2) even though each film is 36 exposures I will feels very hard to finish a roll. I really have to decide or my framing and composition. I always bring along another 2 rolls of films (both diff ASA).
2) I keep looking a the back panel to see the after shooting result - I still thinks that Im shooting with a digital camera with LCD viewfinder.
3) how come those days lenses doesn't has a lens hood?
4) I do not have a flashgun and if I have I do not feels like using it with a film camera.
5) I keep worrying did i load the film correctly!!!
6) you can only show your family and friends the photos after You have finish the roll of film, develop the film, and print it.
7) your family and friends will be asking you give give them a copy. So you have to get ready to print for them or you have to scan and upload to FB or your blog.
8) You will go around to try out different printer/ print shop (kedai gambar) to give you the paper you want to print on (Fuji or Kodak), glossy and matte, the chemical they use, the frequent they change their chemicals etc.
9) Im more concert with the battery - worrying the battery will die on me then I need it. 2pcs of AA battery will cost RM7 now - Everyready. It will be harder to get if your film camera using a coins give battery - lithium batt. So need to keep spare.
10) Your film now has an expire date. Usually when you buy off the shelf you have about 2 years to use the film. Use it before it expire.

Project Refurbish My Film Camera - old is gold

Two years back after dinner, I send my auntie and uncle from HK back and they invited me to their newly renovated home. Instead of showing me around their retire home, my aunt took a camera with two lenses said I can have them. He said my uncle is too old to use it.

wow! It consists of the body and 2 lenses.

one of the lens - 28mm f2. I would rate this condition as 9.5/10

the model - Contax 137 MD - 1980! Eye piece cap is missing

close up

made in Germany

the other lens 85mm f1.4. My rating is 9.5/10

it comes with both front and rear lens cap. Unfortunately it doesnt has body cap.

it uses 4 pcs AA battery. Not original Contax Strap

Project Refurbish Contax 137MD

The original straps -USD30 ex.shipping

Eye piece cap - Ordered and cost about RM50 inc. shipping from US

Original Contax 67mm UV filters!!! $34.95 ex.shipping. 55mm will cost US $19.88 ex.shipping.

Leather Case USD 9.95 at ebay ex. shipping

Body cap - Ordered and cost about RM50 inc. shipping from US

UV filters - if you ask me are there any diff in photo quality I would say NO NO NO!

There are the Hoya UV series that I owned plus 1 pc Leica

Been trying to write an article of my POV/ IMHO of about UV filters but still too many things to write. I will keep it short. I just keep typing whats coming out from my brain.

Hoya comes with few grade of UV filter ranging from Hoya normal blue cover, Hoya HMC - grey and orange, Hoya Pro 1 - dark blue and now Hoya HD - black cardbox.

The diff? try to get the range that you can afford. At lease HMC, personally I cant see any diff Between Pro 1 and HD from the photos. But what you can feel is the price different between these two. The diff is actually at the frame and the lenses. Please read more about it at Hoya website Here.

Some photographers don't even use a filter reason is degrade the image quality. They prefer to use with lens hood. Remember not all lenses comes with hood but you can buy them separately eg. Nikon 50mm f1.8 and f1.4 and 80-200mm doesn't come with lens hood. Lens hood can serve as protection to the front outer most glass at your lens but it has another purpose of its own, which is to prevent flare, which can seriously degrade the image quality of photographic lenses.

If you ask me any diff with and without UV filter, that's depend on the range. If you are using cheaper filter it will block some lights entering. Remember camera is about capturing lights. You can try it with and without your filters see any diff at your shutter speed.

I have not tried other popular brand like B+W because Hoya is already good enough for me and my wallet.

finally for me filter act as a protection to my lenses and not so much about the UVs. So if you want to get a filter like I said at least Hoya HMC or better PRO 1.

photo by "noelbynature" from photomalaysia - credits to the owner. Dare you walk out in the street without a filters!

guess which one is Hoya HMC and Leica UVa? Does the color reflected off from the filter mean anything to us?

surprisingly Leica UV is thicker than Hoya HMC

When I put on the Leica filter on my lens - no vignetting!

and if you ask me any diff between these two models but same brand I would say NO NO NO, the only this you will feel is the price diff.

so what is Hoya HD?

Hardened optical glass that has 4 times the breaking strength in ANSI standardized testing (ANSI Z80.3 : 2001) where a steel balls of varying size and weight were dropped from a height of 50 inches onto the glass.

HARDENED 8 LAYER WATERPROOF MULTI-COATING THAT IS SCRATCH & STAIN RESISTANT
Newly developed industry leading 8-layer multi-coating yields an average light transmission rate of 99.35% between 400 and 700nm (visible spectrum). These coatings greatly reduce reflections off the surface of the glass allowing you to capture more light in your photos.
As with all HOYA multi-coatings,HD HMC is applied in a furnace at high heat, bonding the coating to the surface of the glass. This process is called "hard coating" and it is far more durable than other coating techniques. The chemistry of the top layer is formulated not just to be more durable but to be resistant to oil stains. This means that finger prints and other oils are much easier to remove.

In short Hoya HD =

HD GLASS
• High Density Sharp Cut UV Glass
• Chemically Enhanced Optical Glass is 4x Stronger

HD COATING
• 8-layer Anti-Reflective Multi-Coating
• Water & Oil Repellent, Scratch & Stain Resistant

HD FRAME
• Wide-Angle Lens Compatible Ultra Thin Frame - same frame thickness to Hoya PRO 1 also
• Glass Mounted with High Pressure Press Technology

My really conclusion to Hoya HD filters is I will get only if I have extra $$$ to spend and want to protect my filter from knocking. FYI the diff between Hoya PRO 1 and Hoya HD 77mm is RM100.

Optically I cant see any diff from my images result. Cheaper range you might get vignetting and ghosting effects.

As you start to stack anything over the cheaper range of UV filter, meaning place another PL-CIR over you will get vignetting.



I'm thinking now what am I writing here!@!@#!

Nikon Coffee Mug - Finally

Items and the options are 24-70mm f2.8 and 70-200mm VRII available now on e-bay, click here. Not cheap ler! USD 50