BOKEH Zuiko 17mm + GF1

Yes, the lens hunts but, but I am OK with the BOKEH.

PANNY GF1 14-45 Video Test

This is how the final output will look like in youtube if the camera is set to:
1. Motion Jpeg + HD quality. Record time is automatically set to 8min ++ in the cam.
2. When share to youtube or media browser it will only allow 808 x 540 quality to be selected

(I cannot select the movie quality to HD 1280 x 720 because is inactive)
3. The original *.MOV looks ok when directly run on itunes or quicktime.

*For this video : Manual focus means pressing the shutter in half until the subject is in focus (the lens ring was untouched and used for zooming purpose only)

BRAINS NOT BULLETS

OLY 35 RC

Rangefinder

My Life for One More Day

Listen my teachers
Listen my preachers
Let the world know he broke out
Mankind has failed just to see
What was inevitably
Satan has taken
And hidden painstakin'
One of the seven of fate
Out of the sea he has buried it
Under the mountain of greed

*Stone by stone

You must carry off
stone by stone
On and on
Until the final blinding light shows
it's too late
Too late

There is a chance for everyone
Takes time but can be done
Fight the darkness
Don't be afraid my friends
The last key you have to find
And so will save mankind
Keep on trying when I give away

My life for one more day
My life for one more day
My life for hours you must find the way
My life for one more day

You, who will find it
You, who will bind it
And throw it back into the sea
Will be successor and follower
Of all my unowned might

Reckon with treason
For just one reason
Reckon with envy and hate
Too many people will always belive
In the sermon of night

*

...

Now I must leave
Now I must leave
Banish the evil
Trust and believe
Trust that you need
Nothing but love

There is a chance for everyone
Needs time but can be done
Fight the darkness
Don't be afraid my friends
The last key you have to find
And so will save mankind
Keep on trying when I give away

My life for one more day
My life for one more day
My life for hours you must find the way
My life for one more day

[Music: A. Deris, M. Grosskopf / Lyrics: A. Deris, M. Grosskopf]

Olympus' $1,100 PEN E-P2 up for pre-order, played with early

Olympus' PEN E-P2 is destined to be a fine product, we're sure. What we aren't sure of, however, is how exactly the company came up with the nearly laughable MSRP. The second-ever Micro Four Thirds offering from the outfit is up for pre-order right now at Amazon, though the $1,099.99 asking price is just far too lofty for us to recommend snagging a place in line. That said, you're still probably interested in learning more about the device, so we'll be pointing you in Gadling's direction for that; the crew over at our favorite travel blog managed to snag one of these buggers early, and exterior color aside, we're told that it looks practically "identical to the E-P1." Hit up the links below for a closer look -- just keep your credit card far, far away until we see a full review.

[Thanks, Misael]

Amazon, Gadling

LUNA SEA is lunacy...:-)

Damned the Japs...full mark for the performance!!

Kagayaku koto sae wasureta machi wa
[NEON] no kouzui muyuubyou no mure
kusattayabou no fukidamari no naka
miageta yozora wo kirikizandeita [BIRU]
yume no nai kono sekai

Kagayaku hoshi sae mienai tokai de
yozora ni owari wo sagashi motomete
kono yoru ni kazashita hosoi yubisaki
kotae wo sagashi motometeiru

Yurete yurete ima kokoro ga nanimo shinjirarenai mama
saiteita no wa My Rosy Heart
yurete yurete kono sekai de ai suru koto mo dekinu mama
kanashii hodo azayakana hanabira no you ni

ROSIER aishita [KIMI] ni wa
ROSIER chikazukenai
ROSIER dakishimerarenai
ROSIER itoshi sugite

I've pricked my heart

By the time I knew. I was born
Reason or quest, not being told
What do I do, What should I take
Words "God Only Knows" won't work for me
Nothing starts Nothing ends in this city
Exists only sever lonesome and cruel reality
But still I search for light
I am the trigger, I choose my final way
Whether I bloom or fall, is up to me
I am the trigger

I've pricked my heart
I am the trigger
I've pricked my heart

kagayaku hoshi sae mienai tokai de
yozora ni owari wo sagashi motomete
kono yoru ni kazashita hosoi yubisaki
kotae wo sagashi motometeiru

Yurete yurete ima kokoro ga nanimo shinjirarenai mama
saiteita no wa My Rosy Heart
yurete yurete kono sekai de ai suru koto mo dekinu mama
hakanaku chitte yuku no ka hanabira no you ni

Yurete yurete ima kokoro ga nanimo shinjirarenai mama
saiteita no wa My Rosy Heart
yurete yurete kono sekai de ai suru koto mo dekinu mama
kanashii hodo azayakana hanabira no you ni

ROSIER aishita [KIMI] ni wa
ROSIER chikazukenai
ROSIER dakishimerarenai
ROSIER jibun sae mo

ROSIER aishita [KIMI] ni wa
ROSIER chikazukenai
ROSIER dakishimerarenai
ROSIER itoshi sugite

OLYMPUS E-P1 VS PANASONIC GF1

It took me 2 days to master the Olympus E-P1 and 10 minutes to understand the GF1. I found that GF1 s very responsive, good autofocus and it feel food in my hand. It's less a obstructive and a very well designed for 'pick and shoot camera', especially for street photography.

In term of quality of the picture, I can't hardly tell between those two just by looking via the lcd screen. As normally I would check and do a post-processing on every photo I take. That is where flaws will be noticed, perhaps with little tweek, things will disappear.

So which one is the best? Ok, if you wanna snappy and rugged camera then go for GF1 (with pancake), but if you prefer the retro and attracted to the gems-liked camera, and if you are used to the traditional rangefinders (where you take time to focus and compose) then E-P1 is for you. I'm not gonna compare any pictures because it is widely available on the net. Go to dpreview.com or such.

And also I'm not sure about the E-P2, but I think it won't change anything (besides the price gonna shoot up) as the feel, grip and the buttons placement are still the same (base on some review). The additional view-finder with additional RM/Dollar is a total 'turn-off' for me. Lastly, If you wanna get it (either of the above cameras), get it cash just don't fall into bad debt - honestly it is not worth it :-)

I own a Nikon D2H. So I expect a backup that is small (for PC and less intimidating) should at least behave like one. However, I'm holding myself back, waiting, should Panasonic comes out with GF2 with stereo and low noise at high ISO. I dont really care about the flash. seriously.

that's all.

more experts review:

http://www.infoborder.com/Digital_Camera_review/ExpertReview/PanasonicLumixDMC-GF1.php

Olympus E-P1 Pen first look video review

FEEL LIKE GETTING ONE...

Gamma Ray - Empress

Gamma Ray's Empress. It's low tempo but you definitely can feel the power of Kai's vocal. Good melody, musical arrangement. Superb work!

The sun is going down, the curtain's falling

The heat is rising now, the master's calling

Into the night I thunder, into the dead of night

and I will head the calling and leave it all behind

The holy man has lost the grail, signs of love from yesterday

the eyes of god of have turned away, the dream became alive

all my life I've waited for the yearning in my heart

right out there I see a star, the sun is going down

Kiss the princess, Empress of the dark

drink the poison , listen to your heart

Feed the Princess, Empress of the dark

All shall feel the fire...

French Alps - Gamma Ray

See you heavy metallist!

Into the Storm

You try to force me on my knees
Until you reach the point of no return
You can't change me, 'cause I am free
Let me out now, I've got some fuel here to burn
In the land of the free, they're calling out for me
I'm riding on the wind, I'm on my way
Into the storm, Into the storm

OBEY.LISTEN.HUMILIATE.RESIST.FREE - Kasi layan Heavy Metal bro...

ROYAL ENFIELD INDIA

RAJINIKANTH (soon to be)

FRONT DISC BRAKE 280mm - THE LARGEST IN INDIA

The thumping ekzos can blow-away the kid so easily...

A foxy combination of robust technology, higher torque,
full -bodied look & comfort styling.

The motorcycle features 40.85 Nm of torque at 3000 rpm, unique 19 -inch wheels, 280 mm front disc brake & the same engine chassis configuration being exported to Europe, USA & Australia.

Only 500 motorcycles will be made available country-wide. Hence, the charm of genuine custom accessories, viz. twin spring split sea t s, leather saddle bags and the Lexan anti-scratch wind screen will wow only a 'fortunate 500'.

Merdeka 52 - Parlimen Malaysia

Keberangkatan Pulang

DYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin- Yang Dipertuan Agong Malaysia

Merdeka 52, Parlimen Malaysia

31st August 2009/10 Ramadhan 1430

1MALAYSIA

1MALAYSIA

15 OGOS 2009

DATARAN MERDEKA, KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYA

The Blues

Superman on Wheels

Camera: canonet GIII

Location: National Stadium Bukit Jalil, Malaya

Let's do a traveling camera project! - OLY 35 RC: The Completed Map

I've not updated my self since Nov 2008, and now it is completed.

UPDATE:

As of May 28, 2009, the Little Oly II has arrived in Texas, now it's languishing in the hot Texas Summer sun for a good opportunity, carried around in my truck. I have found a perfect Texas style trinket though As for the project, now the tough part is over, the next part comes in: collecting the five photos from all participants.

As of April 22, 2009, the Little Oly II is nearing Texas, the end of its globe-trotting journey. Only a couple of hosts left and soon this project will come to an end. But.. let's see if chance doesn't throw another wrench into the gears

As of November 28, 2008, The original Ikkyu-san has been deemed lost somewhere in its journey to cross the Atlantic ocean. Wallace in Germany has graciously forward one of his 35 RC with incredible similarity to the original as the substitute (dubbed Little Oly II). And the project continues in the American continent.

As of July 24, 2008, Ikkyu-san has almost finished his tour in Europe. Ready to cross the pond, do the Atlantic fly-over, etc.

As of Jan 28, 2008, Ikkyu-san almost finished his tour in Asia and ready to head out to Europe. See the update pictures from Herman, Conrad, and Jon at the latest page at this point. Beware, lots of trinkets to behold...

As of Oct 15, 2007, the Little Oly is off to the second tour destination, Sydney, Australia. Don't miss Andrew's account on his week with Oly which can be found at page 5-ish of this thread.




Hi, welcome to the thread tha chronicles the "Little Oly's Big Adventure" project.

This kind of project as a huge source of fun and getting to know each other better.

Key phrase here is "GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER BETTER", which I think could have prevented some of the unpleasantness going on lately.

Now the fun part, what camera?

I'm volunteering my Olympus 35 RC. An all around favorite, tiny, all manual rangefinder with a Tessar-like Zuiko lens (for those of you who don't know).

I got it for free from Rich Silfver, so why not make it more precious by being the (I believe) first RC to travel the 6 Continents. We do have RFFers in Antartica, no?

The basics: Through a sign-up process, we'll come up with a list of participants. If you're a participant, you'll get the camera (no film) from another participant before you on the list. You then select your favorite film type, speed, whatever, and put a roll through the camera following the rules (see below). Then you develop, select (according to the rules below) and scan 5 pictures in the highest resolution available to you and send it to me. Clean up the camera, package it, and ship it to the next participant on the list.

Next, let's cook up some rules, chime-in please, any rules I come up with can be adjusted until it's finalized.

1. 20-ish participants spread around the globe (roughly 4 from each continent). I hope this can help the project to be done within a year, and hopefully we can capture different seasons in different parts of the world this way.

2. Each participant will submit 5 best pictures from their chosen type of film, this will net us 100 photos, perfect to bind it in a photobook (I'll put it together at the end of the project).

3. The 5 pictures submitted must obviously the most interesting of the roll (participants are welcome to spend up to one week and up to 2 rolls with the RC to come up with the best 5).

4. The 5 pictures must be: 1 of you and/or your family, 1 of your daily life (at work or at home), 1 or 2 of the interesting (which is not necessary the same as "famous") things your town/city/village are known for, and 1 or 2 creative/street/people/whatever shots.

5. The camera will ship from me to the first participant and ends with my turn to submit the 5 photos. I will then compile the photos into a book and make it available somehow both electronically and in print.

6. Participants will pay for the shipping cost to the next participant. This is the spirit of the community is built, the receiving participants may help with the shipping cost if it's overseas.

7. The 5 pictures have to be perfectly composed, following all the rules in the book, have the tonality that puts Ansel Adams to shame, and tell a story longer than all HCB's biographies put together.... NOT!!! (but everyone must have fun with it)

8. Each participant must post a report-posting in this thread when he or she is ready to send off the camera to the next participant. The report must contain your experience with the little RC and ONE (repeat: ONE) photo only of the five that your are going to submit. If you want, you may post more photo outside of the five submitted ones. The reason for this rule is to keep the interest high for other participants and spectators as the project progresses.

Some clarifications:

- The camera is all manual, I don't know if the battery works or not, so if you're not comfortable or dislike taking pictures manually, wait for other projects.
- Participants are welcome to use a battery, or fix it if it stopped working
- Participants are encouraged to put stickers on the back, dress it up, hang a cheap/tacky local souvenir on the lug, whatever.
- The self timer lever could be broken, I didn't try it because I'm afraid I'd break it, this is good, so participants need to be creative when taking the self-portrait.
- Although free, the camera is far from being worthless to me. I'm volunteering it for this project because I trust you gals and guys. I'd like to have the camera back with a (hi)story to tell.

Please

Ahoy! participants, Post #82 have some hands on to-do's for you. Please read it when you're not sure what to do.

PS: Curious on who are the participants? see post #76 in this thread.

Bumi from Earth

Title: Bumi from Earth

Camera: D2H

Lens: Nikkor 24MM

MALAYA KU TERCINTA

Title: MALAYA KU TERCINTA

Camera : D2H

Lense : 24mm 2.8

Title: Pancing

Camera: D2H

Lens: Cheap Nikkor 300

Melayang...

Tanjung Piai: Penghujung Benua Asia

The Southern most tip of Mainland Asia. 

Tanjung Piai, Pontian, Johor. Malaya.

14/03/2009

Classic D2H

Is where I dropped my nikkor lens rear cap.

---------------------------------------------------

Al-Quran tentang Zulkarnain

86: Hingga apabila dia telah sampai ke tempat terbenam matahari, dia melihat matahari terbenam di dalam laut yang berlumpur hitam,

Bittersweet

Kami Gig Bukit Jalil 2008

here more about Bittersweet

Bugis Street Kopitiam

Bugis Street Kopitiam. Now Opening

@ Pandan Indah, Selangor. Next to the Store

8.30 am to 2.30 am daily

Wifi Inside.

Home made Dadih and Malay Kaya also available.

This is a Bugis Kopitiam.

Bersih-Suci-Halal.

---------------------------------------

indoor shoot with iPhone Classic

Feel free to throw in comment or feedback about Bugis Street in here

(if you happen to go there because of this site)

Let's do a traveling camera project! - OLY 35 RC

Latest update.

GELIGA 09

Saja Naga

Selamat Tinggal Dunia 2008

Enjin Masih Berasap - smoking engine

Casualties

Kuala Lumpur 01 JAN. – Sambutan Tahun Baru yang sepatutnya disambut dengan ceria disudahi dengan kemalangan ngeri. Sebuah kereta terbabas, melanggar pembahagi jalan di Jalan Tun Razak pagi ini. Kejadian yang berlaku kira-kira jam tiga pagi  selepas 'countdown' itu menyebabkan kesesakan lalu-lintas di kedua-dua hala jalan tersebut. Kemalangan dahsyat itu mengakibat satu kematian dan cedera parah. Ambulan dari hospital Kuala Lumpur tiba 15 minit selepas kejadian. Pemandu dan penumpang dipercayai wanita.

sekian.
Herman Abdullah

--------------------------

Dua rakan maut selepas sambut Tahun Baru

01/01/2009 6:09pm

KUALA LUMPUR 1 Jan. — Kegembiraan tiga sahabat menyambut tahun baru bertukar tragedi apabila dua daripada mereka maut setelah kereta yang mereka naiki terbabit dalam satu kemalangan di Jalan Tun Razak di sini, awal pagi tadi.

Pemandu kereta itu, Nur Aina Rashid, 24, serta penumpang hadapan Nor Salina Abd Wahab, 20, terkorban manakala rakan mereka, Norida Meor Othman, 21, cedera di bahagian belakang bahu.

Pegawai Turus Siasatan dan Perundangan Trafik Kuala Lumpur, DSP Abdullah Roning berkata, kejadian pukul 3 pagi itu berlaku apabila kereta Satria Neo dipandu Nur Aina yang menghala ke Jalan Sungai Besi hilang kawalan di selekoh berhampiran terowong Jalan Tun Razak. - Bernama

TMP's Guide: Video recorder for iPhone Classic

The use of visual technology to capture history.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Blogger: iPhoneCycorder Experiment 

--------------------------------------------------------------------

iPhone comes naked. You have to get him some good clothing before he can serve and be your good friend. In other word, he has the gun, but no brainer to activate the trigger.

1. The following is the 'How to' setup a video recorder device for iPhone Classic.
   
2. Upgrade to iPhone ver 2.2
   
3. Browse the Cydia Featured Packages in the iPhone and download the Cycorder application. It's free.
   
4. Follow the setup guide provided by Cydia.
   
5. Use Netatalk application as bridge to manage the files between the iPhone and your Mac or PC?
   
6. Again, for Netatalk setup, follow the instruction provided by Cydia.
   
7. When all is done. You can start video-recording your kids and wife using the iPhone built in camera. Simple! No pornography please...
   
8. You will notice that the quality of the file recorded by Cycorder is reasonably high. The file is big, therefore uploading and publishing might take some time. (It is all depend on your subscribed-bandwidth provided by the service provider i.e Streamyx).
   
9. If that is the case and you can't wait, then compress your file using third party application if you feel like doing so. This is not DVD movie. No worries. I use iMovie.
   
10. You can use Youtube or use the video uploader facility in the Blogger to publish your video.
    
11. End.
    
12. If all is ok and the stepflow is smooth, then your iPhone is now ready for action! 
    
13. Good luck!

Herman Abdullah

*selesai tiga masalah.

Buai Hening

Bahau

Salam Aidilfitri

Get Hari Raya Graphics Here

4,000 U.S. Deaths, and a Handful of Images

BAGHDAD — The case of a freelance photographer in Iraq who was barred from covering the Marines after he posted photos on the Internet of several of them dead has underscored what some journalists say is a growing effort by the American military to control graphic images from the war.

Zoriah Miller, the photographer who took images of marines killed in a June 26 suicide attack and posted them on his Web site, was subsequently forbidden to work in Marine Corps-controlled areas of the country. Maj. Gen. John Kelly, the Marine commander in Iraq, is now seeking to have Mr. Miller barred from all United States military facilities throughout the world. Mr. Miller has since left Iraq.

If the conflict in Vietnam was notable for open access given to journalists — too much, many critics said, as the war played out nightly in bloody newscasts — the Iraq war may mark an opposite extreme: after five years and more than 4,000 American combat deaths, searches and interviews turned up fewer than a half-dozen graphic photographs of dead American soldiers.

It is a complex issue, with competing claims often difficult to weigh in an age of instant communication around the globe via the Internet, in which such images can add to the immediate grief of families and the anger of comrades still in the field.

While the Bush administration faced criticism for overt political manipulation in not permitting photos of flag-draped coffins, the issue is more emotional on the battlefield: local military commanders worry about security in publishing images of the American dead as well as an affront to the dignity of fallen comrades. Most newspapers refuse to publish such pictures as a matter of policy.

But opponents of the war, civil liberties advocates and journalists argue that the public portrayal of the war is being sanitized and that Americans who choose to do so have the right to see — in whatever medium — the human cost of a war that polls consistently show is unpopular with Americans.

Journalists say it is now harder, or harder than in the earlier years, to accompany troops in Iraq on combat missions. Even memorial services for killed soldiers, once routinely open, are increasingly off limits. Detainees were widely photographed in the early years of the war, but the Department of Defense, citing prisoners’ rights, has recently stopped that practice as well.

And while publishing photos of American dead is not barred under the “embed” rules in which journalists travel with military units, the Miller case underscores what is apparently one reality of the Iraq war: that doing so, even under the rules, can result in expulsion from covering the war with the military.

“It is absolutely censorship,” Mr. Miller said. “I took pictures of something they didn’t like, and they removed me. Deciding what I can and cannot document, I don’t see a clearer definition of censorship.”

The Marine Corps denied it was trying to place limits on the news media and said Mr. Miller broke embed regulations. Security is the issue, officials said.

“Specifically, Mr. Miller provided our enemy with an after-action report on the effectiveness of their attack and on the response procedures of U.S. and Iraqi forces,” said Lt. Col. Chris Hughes, a Marine spokesman.

News organizations say that such restrictions are one factor in declining coverage of the war, along with the danger, the high cost to financially ailing media outlets and diminished interest among Americans in following the war. By a recent count, only half a dozen Western photographers were covering a war in which 150,000 American troops are engaged.

In Mr. Miller’s case, a senior military official in Baghdad said that while his photographs were still under review, a preliminary assessment showed he had not violated ground rules established by the multinational force command. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing, emphasized that Mr. Miller was still credentialed to work in Iraq, though several military officials acknowledged that no military unit would accept him.

[More]

NUJ kesal jurugambar Utusan Malaysia dipukul

KUALA LUMPUR 28 Mei- Kesatuan Kebangsaan Wartawan Malaysia (NUJ) kesal terhadap kejadian seorang jurugambar Utusan Malaysia, Roy Azis Abdul Aziz yang cedera dipukul sekumpulan lelaki dalam kekecohan yang berlaku di Lebuh Raya Grand Saga Sdn.Bhd (Grand Saga) malam tadi.

Setiausaha Agungnya, Hong Boon How berkata, NUJ merasa terkilan terhadap perbuatan samseng dalam kekecohan itu yang bertindak mencederakan wakil media dan orang awam.

“Tindakan kumpulan itu menunjukkan betapa rendahnya semangat keprihatinan dan kesedaran terhadap peranan media.

“Kami berharap pihak polis dapat menjalankan siasatan lanjut bagi mengelakkan kejadian seumpama berulang lagi,” katanya dalam kenyataan akhbar di sini hari ini.

Dalam kejadian kira-kira pukul 7.20 malam itu, Roy Azis, 20, yang sedang membuat liputan bantahan penduduk terhadap pembinaan tembok penghadang di Bandar Mahkota Cheras telah dipukul dengan kayu dan topi keledar oleh sekumpulan lelaki.

Pada masa itu, kira-kira 200 penduduk sedang merobohkan tembok yang dibina bagi menutup laluan kenderaan ke Bandar Mahkota Cheras di sini.

Sumber : Utusan Malaysia

[Nota Penulis: NUJ perlu luluskan satu resolusi untuk membenarkan wartawan atau jurufoto bertindak balas bagi mempertahankan diri. Disamping mewujudkan satu skim Insuran bagi peralatan2 fotografi dalam menangani kekhuatiran terhadap kerosakan camera ketika bertugas!]

Esay Anak Omak.

Mana boleh Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia.

Homemade Dry-Box for Camera Equipments.

Hi folks!
It has been awhile since the last article I wrote about photography. Yeah, why bother? Photography is about photographing not writing.

In fact, the best practice is to go onto the field and shoot. You can share the accumulated experiences with others later in the writing- if you have the mood or feel like sharing. I only write when the mood is there...

Mumble and grumble, comparing your equipment with the latest D300 or D3 will not do any good. It will only improve your comparing skill...

Folks, people will look on to your pic-tures not the pic-xels! Just get over with it...

What do I shoot?
Almost everything. But capturing 'historical moments' is now become my priority. Sure it will not gimme money, but I got the pleasure and satisfaction in return. Yeah, I know every moment is historical, again it is very subjective.

So,how do I know that it has that historical value? Actually I don't really know..:-) But I just got the feeling that the photographs I took will ripe overtime, the longer the better - like wine. Depending on the subject.

Shooting with vintage.
Anyway, shooting with vintage camera is somewhat cool! Just like driving the old classic beetle VW...How would you describe it now? So it is authenticity, that I need not the fancy-mancy pixy or stuff like that. You know what I mean...

Now that I've shot so much using my vintage OLY Rangefinder (either 35RC or 35SP) and sometimes with my classic D2H (with the fixed Nikkor 24mm mounted on) almost makes me forget that my other equipment at home need a good storage to keep them dust free and dry.

Challenge in tropical country.
Everybody knows that(not really) Malaya is a genuine tropical country. Where the oldest rain forest in the world! located.

What do you expect? Besides the rain forest, it also has the perfect climate for fungus to grow and for the virus to spread on. Not only to humans but also to the electronic devices. You will know that it is time to get FUNGY when the people around you start to get cold and fever.

However, to be honest, I don't really care so much about the fungus if I put my equipment on free-airflow shelve with incandescent light on for 24/7 (The incandescent bulb is warm enough to dry the air). But I really care about my electricity bill :-) and to prevent someone from being electrocuted...

Again, these valuable equipment eventually have drained-out your pocket. So, why not put them in a proper storage?

Time for a proper storage.
OK, for that to happen, what choice do I have?

A closet - wooden, steel, plastic material?
A ****ing expensive dry cabinet?
A factory made dry-box?
What about the ideal price?
How about dehumidifier?
Am I gonna invest a lot more for it?

Frankly speaking, I don't wanna spend more on closet, dry-cabinet with hygrometer or such. I just need a simple one...just to keep-dry the container, relieving it from dust and spider web.

Apparently, I know what will become the problem - if i choose to put the equipment in wooden closet. Experience, actually make you wiser.

It happened a long time ago when my leather jacket and my Dr Martens boot start to have many white dusty spots on it. It was the Attack of the Fungus!

I can tell you that, even you put 10 packets of 'thirsty hippo' in the closet, it won't do the job! The fungus won't go away. Especially during the rainy season.

Therefore, a wooden closet will not do the job properly, it is not air-tight and get dampened easily.

Just imagine what the moisture can do to your camera equipment. It is quite daunting aint it? Especially to your lenses.

The silica gel behaviour.
The silica gels in the Dri-Box that I bought previously were pink in colour. The salesman did not tell me that I need to re-heat it back until the color turn-out to deep blue. Pink means it cannot pick up anymore moisture.

Not until I found this website : SorebentSystem.com, which tells me more about the behaviour of the Dri-Box.

Lucky me, if not for the website I will be forever dwell in astray...:-) Cmon guys next time please be sincere and informative when you sell your product...don't just behave like sucking leech making money from the unfortunate people!

I also stumbled upon many dry cabinet option in the Internet. Most of it are made by Wonderful. Well the price is also wonderful.

At last, I think it would be better for me to make the dry-box my self (DIMS - Do It MySelf). Furthermore, the one that they show on the Internet doesn't look so complicated anyway.

Homemade Dry-box in the making.
The concept is simple. Make the container air-tight and moist free.

So what I need now is an ice-box, enough Dri-Box or selica gel and a moisture absorber. (I can use plastic aquarium as well, but I don't like the transparency)

I use thirsty hippo as hygrometer and to identify the humidity in the container and to test how tight is the box.

FYI, thirsty hippo is very sensitive to moisture. It will absorb water much easily, better that the dri-box.

However, it can actually release it back to the contained environment and will be the main source of water inside the box. (You need to constantly check this thirsty hippo to know the moist level and ditch it once it soaked)

The ingredients for my homemade Dry-Box are:
1. Coleman Ice Box Storage
2. Wonderful Moisture Absorber 220 g II.
3 Five Dri-Box - celica gels.
4. Masking tape and cloth tape to seal-off the container mouth edge.

So simple aint it?

Now, lets go on with the trial and error experiment.

------------------------------------------------------------
First trial.
1. Camera equipment in the ice box + thirsty hippo without tape sealing edge.

Duration of test:
Overnight - 29/04/08 - 30/04/08!

Thirsty hippo condition:
Soaked with water.

Conlusion:
No good!

------------------------------------------------------------

Second trial.
1. My camera equipment in the ice box + 5 Dri-Boxes+ 1 Wonderful Moisture Absorber + container's edge sealed and tightly closed!

Duration of test (update 17/06/08):
- Overnight - 30/04/08 - 01/04/08 -still dry- no sign of water.
- 2nd night - 01/05/08 - 02/05/08 -still dry- no sign of water.
- 08/05/ 2008 -still dry- no sign of water.

-23/05/2008 - still dry - no sign of water.

(Most probably I will update this part weekly until the hippos are fully soaked with water. But in doing so, it will affect the hippo condition as every time I open the box, it will catch in moist from the external air. There will be pros and cons of this test).

Conclusion:
So far, it looks promising. For two days the hippo is dried. I can still hear the beads cricking!

updates:

17/06/2008 - (I threw in microfibre towel inside the box and leave it overnight)

This external element (clothing) seems to have an affect on the hyppo and the dry-box. It soacked the hyppo! So, dont put anything else in the DRY-BOX accept your camera equipement!

(Do insert extra Dri-Boxes, as sweat from the strap contributes to moist too).

I conclude my test today 17/06/08 - it's working and reliable. Thanks for reading! 

------------------------------------------------------------

DIMS Homemade Dry Box Picture:
This is how my Homemade Dry-Box looks like. I was in hurry :-)



So what?
After this long winded story about history, climate, vintage and storage, I guess it's time for me to confirm that, up to this stage, my homemade Dry-Box is reliable for the camera equipments.

It will keep things dry, dust free, spider web free, save my money and I can leave home without worrying that somebody will break-in my house and look for camera in the icebox. Because it doesn't scream camera storage!!..:-) and is very low in profile.

But again, of course I've got the house insured just in case they read this while looking for Cokes..:-)

End.

Fotosketches: Eye on Reflection

Eye on Reflection.

Camera: OLY 35RC Rangefinder
Film : Kodak Ultaramax 400
Location: Lake Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur, Malaya.

Fotosketches: Sepohon Kayu...

Masjid Bandar Kinrara.
Camera: OLY 35RC Rangefinder
Film : Fuji ISO 400
Location : Bandar Kinrara, Selangor DE, Malaya.

Fotosketches: PRU12 N17 Gombak Setia.

Malaysia 12th General Election - N17 Gombak Setia:
Policemen and the football fence separates the roaring crowd from the hall, in which the ballots counting event take place. It takes horribly 9 1/2 hours before the SPR announced the winning result for N17 that is finally belongs to BA.

Lihat siri lengkap fotostil di www.modmantfoto.com

Date: 08.03.2008
Event: PRU12 Ballot counting
Venue: Dewan Batu 8 Gombak, Selangor Malaya.
Camera : Nikon D2H
Lens: Nikkor 24mm f2.8

I am the shade in the shadow.
modmantfoto.com

Fotosketches: Datin Seri...with permission.

Datin Seri Normala Shamsudin

Venue: Merdeka Square, KL

Event: Ambang Merdeka 50

Camera : Nikon D2H

Excerpts: Photojournalism-The Professional's Approach

"Can anyone predict the future of photojournalism?
The death of the field has been announced numerous times. With the advent of television in the early 1950s. Robert Capa, the famous war photographer and founding member of Magnum (pages 10 and 359-360), stated that photojournalism was finished. He was wrong...

Some event say that with expansion of the World Wide Web, streaming video will supplant the need for still photojournalism. So far the prophecies have not materialized.

More than fifty years after Capa's prediction of its death, photojournalism is alive and well...In fact the WWW has resulted in an explosion of easliy available information. The mariage of still images and words remains the most efficient way to report a news.

Today's photojournalist no longer need a printing press to circulate their work. They can use the Web to distribute every picture and story they produce..."

by : Kenneth Kobre, 2004, Photojournalism-The Professional's Approach, Focal Press, UK

THE MALAY PRESS, laman baru penulisan lebih kritis.

Bismillah...

Sukacitanya penulis mengumumkan pembukaan laman baru iaitu The Malay Press sebagai lapangan khas bagi tujuan penulisan yang lebih kritis.

Penulis juga berharap dapat menyiarkan berita-berita tercorok yang tidak mendapat tempat dalam akhbar perdana, disamping membuat terjemahan dari artikel-artikel yang lebih berat dan bernas dari luar negeri atau dalam negeri untuk tujuan dikongsi bersama.

Diharap usaha penulis ini diberi kelapangan dan kemudahan dariNya.

Sekian.
Terima Kasih.

nota: 'THE MALAY PRESS' adalah sebuah nama khas. Ia bukan nama am yang mewakili warta/press Melayu (atau the Malay press) arus perdana yang sedia ada. Harap maklum.

Fotosketches: ...Horse Stable Kuda...

International Stable-Kuda.

Camera:Canonet QL17 Rangefinder
Date: 24 Nov 2007
Event: FEI07 KL Grand Prix
Film: Fujifilm 400
Location: Bukit Jalil, Malaya

Fotosketches: Subliminal twin..

Subliminal twin.

Venue: KLCC
Camera : OLY 35RC Rangefinder
Film: Fujifilm 400
Project : Lil' Oly Travel Adventure

Sketched by:
MODMANTFOTO.COM

Fotosketches: Bahau

Camera: Olympus 35RC Rangefinder
Film: Fujifilm ISO400
Location: Bahau,N9

Coloured by:
MODMANTFOTO.COM

Fotosketches: Tongah Banda Kolumpo.

KLCC Twin Towers

Venue:Kuala Lumpur City Center
Camera: Olympus 35RC Rangefinder
Film : Fuji Film 400
Project: Lil' Oly Travel Adventure.

Naked in daylight
MODMANTFOTO.COM

Fotosketches: Takkan...Melayu hilang di dunia

Faces I meet, sometimes, when on duty.

Event: Majlis Perasmian Bangunan Warisan, Kelab Sultan Sulaiman
Date: 8th December 2007
Venue: Kampung Baru, Malaya

A tribute to Malay photographers.
by modmantfoto.com

Fotosketches: Power & Grace

Camera : Canonet GIII QL17
Film : Kodak 400
Event: FEI 2007 KL Grand Prix
Date: 24 November 2007
Venue : Indoor Arena, National Stadium Bukit Jalil, Malaysia