Retro-Styled Cameras

With Nikon's new Full Frame, the Df being announced on the 5th of November, everyone is very excited about this good news on Full Frames since the day of Nikon's first Full Frame debut, the D3 in 2007. 

Over the years, the FX format has definitely got better, faster and of course cheaper. What used to cost an arm or a leg is now certainly more affordable. Now I need to simply sell away my dry cabinet to raise funds to get one instead of robbing a bank. Hopefully as the days go by, Full Frames may well be within my reach so much that I may consider switching from MFT to FF. 

The All New Nikon Df

Talking about the Nikon Df, one can certainly comment on the strong retro-styling look with all the mechanical dials and buttons. Well, personally I like this kind of retro design. 

First impression wise, it does reminds me of the Olympus OM1!

The Olympus OM1 from the 1970s

In fact, talking about such classic designs from the past, I notice that many camera manufacturers are certainly going towards the retro design and classic look approach; Leather grips coupled with aluminium finish and retro range finder design - a complete  blend of old and new, bringing together a very traditional design with modern technologies. The retro design is making a comeback and old is new once again.

While mobile phones are getting smaller, smarter and sleeker, cameras on the other hand, are getting retro and re-adopting the 1970s design. This may be good news for camera manufacturers because smartphones are gaining popularity and consumers are relying more on the bulit-in cameras and this has inevitably hurt the sales of cameras. 

Going retro for cameras may be one way to retain users from ditching their cameras. Mobile phone designs can only be more sleek, futuristic and modern, the designs would not go backwards, at least for the next 3 years. So you can have a retro style camera but you cant have a retro styled mobile phone!

Now, let's take a look at what are the new and existing cameras out there sporting the 1970s look:

Olympus OMD-EM5

Here's one good example, the OMD-EM5 from Olympus. Well, the OM-D E-M5 features a rugged and lightweight, retro-inspired magnesium-alloy body that has been very popular since its inception and we have people actually ditching their 5DM3 into this retro camera to rock and roll!

Besides the well-received EM5, comes along the Olympus PEN EP5, in which the retro design EP5 is a reminiscence to the original PEN introduced in 1959. Boasting high end built quality with a retro-styled design, the Olympus PEN EP5 combines timeless styling with modern technologies for the photo enthusiast.

Olympus PEN EP5

Of course, tracing the 2013 PEN EP5 will lead us to the first retro styled mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, the PEN EP1, that was launched by Olympus in 2009,  on the 50th anniversary of the company's original PEN. 

Olympus PEN EP1 back in 2009

The Original Olympus  back in 1959

The original 1959 Olympus Pen was designed by Japanese Olympus designer Yoshihisa Maitani and was the first Half Frame camera produced in Japan. It was one of the smallest cameras to use 35mm film in regular 135 cassettes. It was called the PEN because its as small as a PEN. I guess PENs are very much bigger in 1959 as compared to now. 

Anyway 1959 was a memorable year for the world of cameras as the year saw the release of the Nikon F as well, appealing to both ends of the photographic market. 

Nikon F in 1959

The Nikon F was Nikon's first SLR camera and was one of the most advanced cameras of its day.

Alright, so much about history, lets go back to 2013 and take a look at what Panasonic, another MFT partner,  has  to offer. 

The 2013 Lumix GX7 marks the first ever retro-designed camera from Panasonic. With a solid retro-range finder style magnesium construction, Panasonic has also jumped into the retro design overhaul.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC- GX7 

With the Lumix DMC-GX7, comes the world's smallest Micro Four Thirds, the Lumix DMC-GM1 just a few weeks ago. 

The Panasonic Lumix GM1

Other than Japanese makers Panasonic and Olympus, let's take a look at another Japanese compay.  Fujifilm too, has a retro-styled one, the XE2. The design of the XE2 does resembles the cameras of the film age. In fact, Fujifilm has been one of the main driving forces behind this classical trend with its X-series of cameras, having introduce their first ever retro camera, the  FinePix X100 back in 2010. 

Fujifilm XE2

The FinePix X100 was a classically styled camera that bears more than a passing resemblance to film rangefinders from the past, most notably the Leica.

Fujifilm X100 in 2010

Pentax, the last major manufacturer to join the enthusiast compact mirrorless category, also joins in the retro fun with their very own retro-designed camera, the Pentax Q in 2011. 

Pentax Q 2011

With the Pentax Q, comes the Q10 queueing in 2012, , as well as the Q7 and MX1 in 2013.

Pentax Q10, 2012

Pentax Q7, 2013

Pentax MX1, 2013

Talking about modern gadgets, how can we forget the South Korean electronics giant Samsung and its new NX300?  With their popular Galaxy smartphones and tablets pitting against rival Apple's iPhones and iPads, they too are into the retro camera race. 

Samsung NX300

We cannot talk about cameras and not mentioning Leica. This is as unforgivable as missing a great shot. 

Leica M Type 240

Well, so much about retro-styled cameras, the above are just a few designs out there sporting the old school look but I am certain that there will be more designs to come. The only manufacturers missing up there is from Sony and Canon as we have yet to see a retro-styled EOS M or NEX.

So what is it about the retro design that make these cameras so appealing? 

Whether will these classic designed cameras rekindle the emotional connection from yesteryear or will they intensify our passion for photography and take photography to a re-defined experience,  it looks like this will be the continuous trend for camera manufacturers. 

Right now, I am actually looking forward to retro-styled camera accessories such as retro-styled tripods.

Remember The New Nikon Df On The 5th Of November

The Fifth of November 

Remember, remember! The fifth of November,

The Gunpowder treason and plot;

I know of no reason 

Why the Gunpowder treason 

Should ever be forgot! 

Talking about the Fifth of November, many of us can simply think of Guy Fawkes, the member of the foiled Gunpower plot who was arrested while attempting to blow up The House Of Lords in the UK in 1605. Of coz, I can also remember the very sexy Natalie Portman in the 2006 movie, V For Vendetta. 

More recently, we can also think of the Anonymous Group's annual 5th of November operations  over cyber space and their latest attacks on Philippines and Australian websites just a couple of days ago.

Individuals appearing in public as Anonymous and wearing Guy Fawkes masks

Source: wikipedia

Talking about the Anonymous, I certainly respect this group of cyber freedom fighters and in fact, I have been paying very much attention on their recent movements. To me, reading news about Anonymous is certainly more exciting than watching my favourite Manchester United beating Real Sociedad 1-0 in the Champions League. Sometimes, we as commoners felt helpless at times and  look forward for a saviour to come along to save the day, Anonymous gave commoners the hope that we are waiting for. 

Time magazine has also named Anonymous as one of the 100 Most Influential, number 36 to be precise. The 5th of November has such an interesting story behind. However to the photography universe, the 5th of November has another meaning; The 5th of November is the day that Nikon announced the all new Full Frame Df DSLR!

Remember, remember! The fifth of November, The All New Nikon Df

Its certainly very exciting to see yet another Full Frame from Nikon and adding to its large sensor camera line up since the day the Japan camera manufacturer release its first Full Frame, the D3 back in 2007. 

The Nikon Df DSLR is a very classically designed camera with mechanical dials and buttons but along with modern Nikon digital technologies.The Df stands for Digital Fusion and this new camera is armed with a 16MP Full-Frame CMOS sensor inside and fully compatible with Nikon’s range of lens including classic non-AI lenses. It offers an ISO from 100 to 25,600 (expandable to ISO 50 - 204,800 equivalent ) and  maximum 5.5 fps continuous shooting.

With a 39-point autofocus system with 9 cross-type AF points, which is similar to the new Nikon D610. Unlike the D610, the Df only has a single SD card slot.

The All New Nikon Df

Its certainly interesting for Nikon to annouce a new camera on the 5th Of November.

And with this new retro styled Df from Nikon, I am excited about what Nikon's rival, Canon have up on its sleeve, perhaps a retro-designed Full Frame EOS M? 

MFT For The Light Weight Traveller

Photographer John is finally back from his one week holiday in Taiwan.

As you know, I am very much of a fan of the Micro Four Thirds. Barely 3 months after getting my first MFT camera, it has already become my travelling companion and a very easy going one too. 

While nothing ruins a trip more than a bad travelling companion, according to America writer and traveller Randy Wayne White with his travel philosophy: ``Two things guaranteed to ruin a trip are dysentery and bad travelling companions, and I frankly prefer the former, because dysentery at least ensures some quality private time.'' 

Bad travelling companions can certainly add burden to his mates and ruin the trip however a good companion can actually halved everyone's load and double the fun. For my trip, my Olympus has been such a great companion. A free-and-easy trip like mine where you need to do lots of walking and climbing up stairs, running after trains and carrying lots of cheap shopping from the Taiwanese night markets, size indeed matters. 

Besides my trusty Olympus EPL6, I have also gotten with me 3 lens to Taiwan ; The M Zuiko 14-42mm kit lens that I gotten with my camera, my newly purchased M Zuiko 40-150mm as well as my all time favourite, the M.Zuiko 45mm F.18. 

I shoot anything and everything and do not have any specific style of photography, therefore I have decided to this basic 3 lens setup; The 45mm for medium range shooting and portrait photography, the 14-42mm for landscape and close up shots and finally the 40-150mm for the ultra zoom. This setup should suffice for most scenarios. I guess I may be sticking to this for the time being until I have saved enough money or till Lady Luck decided to smile on me and bestow me with the million dollar lottery.

I did not get any extra batteries for my MFT as I always have a habit of charging my battery every night at the hotel, and that was the case for my Canon 60D when I brought it out during my last trip. Unless I am travelling to some really rural locations where getting electricity can be as challenging as snapping a beautiful shot.

I have also gotten with me a lightweight tripod for the steady shot. And one thing I would like to remind all travellers to  remember to check in your tripod with your luggage. A tripod cannot be hand carried. Under aviation security regulations, a tripod if used the wrong way for purposes other than mounting a camera,  can just be as deadly as a hammer or a knife. Very soon, airports might be banning Canon L Lens from hand carrying altogether. 

Lastly, for every trip,  I do ensure that I have enough memory cards as I always have a phobia for card errors. Its not so much of the capacity of the cards but rather the number of cards that is important. Nothing is more frightening to a photographer than lost images due to card malfunctions. Even though I do not shoot for a living but losing images is just like losing money to me - Equally heartbreaking. 

Therefore for this 9 day trip, I specially prepared 3 cards altogether ( 16GB x 2 and 32GB x1 ; One card every 3 days so that should there be any mishaps, I would just lose 3 days of shots. It may sound a bit too much but I always believe in this saying.

" Its better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one, 

than to have an opportunity and not be prepared."

Another alternative would be to back up every now and then with an Eye Fi card but this would drain the battery off my phone which I would very much like to retain for navigation purposes in a foreign land. I would also love to bring my laptop along but then, lugging around a trip with a laptop, its very much like bringing along a bad travelling companion again. 

Anyway, with all these equipment housed inside my Vanguard bag, the entire gear is still so light and comfortable to carry. The switch to MFT has clearly given me lesser weight, more flexibility and more lens options with me all the time. In fact, while I was roaming along the streets of Taipei, I can see many users of MILCs, with their cameras hanging on their neck as they proceed with their daily tasks. 

Here are some shots straight from the cam.

Taken from the plane window

Carton King : Everything's made of paper!

Paper Pig from Carton King

Am still in the process of organising my photographs and therefore I shall post them when I am done.

Nikon's New Full Frame???

Ever since Sony unveiled the World's Smallest And Cheapest Full Frame, the A7 a couple of weeks ago , rumours about an upcoming Full Frame from Nikon began to surface. 

This particular piece of news is stretching the limits of everyone's imagination as we began to wonder how would it look like; Would it be a combination of the D610 Full Frame housed in a Nikon J1 body just like the Sony A7, a Full Frame in an NEX body? Clearly, this may be Nikon's version and answer to the World's Smallest And Cheapest Full Frame.

Nonetheless, this is certainly very exciting news for Full Frame fans like me especially now we know that the price of a Full Frame will not only become more affordable in time to come but Full Frame camera bodies should also become much smaller. 

So now besides having bigger MFT camera such as the OMD-EM1, we also have smaller Full Frames!

According to Nikon Rumors, this new Full Frame Nikon camera will not have any video capabilities,  no AA filter and possibly a hybrid mechanical shutter.

As the Full Frame market continues to grow, I also hope to see Canon coming up with a new Full Frame in response to Nikon's this new model.

 Maybe a 5DM3 in a EOS M body???

Photography Is A Serious Business

Today, buying a camera can as tough as choosing a life parter.  With so many variables to consider, we seriously have to go through rounds and rounds of decisions before buying one. 

Besides deciding which brand to go for, you need to choose the type of sensors that you want; Whether its getting that Full Frame Mark 3 to show people that you meant business or getting that Olympus PEN to Share Beautifully. After deciding on the size, you need to select the right lens so that you do not end up using a macro lens for a friend's wedding.

As if all these are not enough, you also need to embark on a learning cycle for your new gear. Even if you managed to decipher through all the various terminology like the ISO , you are still confronted by the vast amount of options on your camera menu.  

After going through the above, choosing a camera and lens and hitting the shutter button and taking the photo is only half the work done. Now you need to edit that RAW file. After hours of editing and converting to Jpeg, you also need to save it somewhere. 

It seems like a long journey and whether you shoot with your D4 for a living or you are to the weekend photographer, we know that photography can be a real serious business.

Talking about a serious photographer, Dilish Parekh of Mumbai, India has a collection of 4,425 cameras since 1977. Mr Dilish, who works as a photo journalist in India, has a huge collection of cameras made by  Leicas, Rolliflexes, Canons, Nikons, Kodaks, Zeiss and Linofs. 

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Dilish has a collection of 4,425 cameras. His earlier world record was a collection of 2,634  cameras. In other words, this camera aficionado breaks his own world record!

"Cameras are my life. I can't stay without them," said the serious photographer

Dilish started out when his father left him his personal collection of 600 cameras. Dilish found them so interesting that he decided to see if he could find some cameras that were not  in his collection. And from that day onwards,  Dilish went on adding more and more cameras to his collection until he rewrite his own Guinness World Record. It took him almost 30 years for this amazing feat.

Besides our friend from India, Thurman Jack Naylor is another serious human being who has been able to experience the essence of photography through his super huge collection of cameras.

Naylor's  inventory was an impressive collection of camera gear that any photographer would drool over.  His collection ranges from unique and extremely rare items, such as  of spy cameras, pre photographic equipment to a staggering collection of photographic related books and signed photographs. 

Since the 1950s, Naylor began his collection.  Over the course of more than 50 years he collected many thousands of items, a collection that has described as "indisputably the most comprehensive one in the world."” and termed as a complete history of photography.

In November 26th, 2007 Naylor died in his sleep from complications of spinal cancer.

So let us pay our tribute to this two extraordinary gentlemen and start to take photography a bit more seriously.

Leica Luxus : A Symbol Of Luxury

Anyone fancy a million dollar Leica Luxus 1? 

Here’s your chance to own one of the only ninety five pieces of the Leica Luxus 1 in the entrie world. This rare piece of camera is going to be up for bids at the Bohhams Auction in Hong Kong this coming November. 

However these Leicas are only for the rich as each piece commands a premium. Perviously, an early model, the Leica I, Prototyp 1 produced in 1923 fetched a whooping 2.16 million Euros  at a WestLicht auction in early 2012. The Prototyp 1 is so rare that a mere 25 pieces were ever made for testing and only 12 made it till today. Other Leicas were snapped up with an average of $300 to $400K Euros at this year's auction.

Just in June this year, a similar gold-plated Leica Luxus 1 from 1931 with lizard leather with two lenses was auctioned for  US$683 000 at an auction house in Vienna. 

Exotic lizard leather already cost a premium, coupled with a piece from the 1930 lizard species then seal it with gold, the  symbol of luxury and you get a very sought after item for the very rich. While I am working my arse off and trying to save and scrimp on a EOS1DX,  these are the kind of prices the rich are very much willing to fork out to lay their hands on an extraordinary and irresistable piece of art. 

These vintage Leicas would be at least 80 to 90 years old today and very much older than my grandparents. Given Leica's high quality optics, precise mechanics and excellent craftsmanship, they should at least last a few more generations. This is also the reason why each piece command such a hefty price tag; so much higher than the combined annual income of my entire office colleagues.

While I am not sure if I can ever afford one, I am certain it should have been an optimum tool for the artists at that time.  Perhaps I will snap a picture of myself holding it and sell to Shutterstock if I ever lay my hands on one.

Lumix DMC-GM1 : The World's Smallest MFT

I have been very excited about the World's Smallest Full Frame Interchangable Lens Camera, the Sony A7 which is indeed a game changer in the mirrorless arena.  To add on to my excitement today is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM1; The World's Smallest Micro Four Thirds camera. 

This new camera from Panasonic, is somehow different from what Sony offers - big sensor in a small body. Now, if Micro Four Thirds is all about compactness, the Lumix GM1 is even more compact than ever. Measuring just  98.5 x 54.9 x 30.4 ( mm ) , Panasonic can really describe the GM1 as compact in the fullest sense of the word. 


From far, one can easily mistook the GM1 for a point-and-shoot. In fact, a Canon point-and-shoot like the Powershot series already has slightly bigger dimensions in the region of 100 plus x 60 plus x 30 plus ( mm ). 

With its classy traditional rangefinder design, solid aluminium and leather packed in a small body, Panasonic managed to squeeze in a 16-megapixel Live MOS sensor with the Venus image processor just like the Lumix GX7. In fact, the GM1 is very much like a scaled down version of the GX7; Shedding off some weight yet retaining the same performance. This is very much like putting a V6 engine into a go cart, the feel and handling may be different but you get a whole lot of boost of performance. While I am not so sure if the GM1 can fit comfortably in the hand, it will definitely be a faithful travel companion.

Similar to the GX7, the GM1 also offers an ISO range of 200-25600 for better use in low light condition. Just like other Lumix models, the GM1 also adopts contrast AF for its focus system too. The GM1 features a high-speed Light Speed AF, making it possible to capture  fast-moving subjects clearly and accurately.  This autofocus system is also the same as the one in GX7  which is fast and responsive in whichever mode to quickly and accurately acquire focus under a wide variety of lighting conditions. 

Whats interesting is a completely silent electronic shutter; All other sounds can be disable too and there is nothing more discreet than that now. You can practically bring such a small camera anywhere and snap a shot or two without becoming too obtrusive or being labelled as a nuisance.  This is a valuable tool for street photography as well as spy photography. Now you can stalk your beautiful classmate and capture her candid moments in an absolute stealth mode. Let all lovers of MFT thank Panasonic nicely for such a Micro invention.

Other nice features includes a maximum shutter speed of 1/16000 seconds, focus peaking, pop-up flash with a guide number of 13  and Full HD 1920 x 1080 video capabilities. What's more,  full-time AF and tracking AF are available in the video recording mode. Wi-Fi connectivity is also available for the  transfer of photos and videos to mobile devices via the Panasonic App. This is quite a standard for new cameras these days and social media lovers would appreciate the convenience of an instant backup + upload to their favourite social media sites.

On the down side, the GM1 does not have an Electronic View Finder but I would say this may not bother anyone so much since there are also other MFT cameras out there without one too. Let us only start worrying if there was no rear LCD. 

Anyway, users can simply rely what they have, and thats this 1036K Dot Touch Screen 3 Inch LCD for framing and focusing. Also, as the camera is able to shoot in RAW and any  mistakes that goes undetected on the LCD can be rectified in the post editing process. So its not really of a big problem. Well, just to take note, the GM1 also does not have a hot shoe for an add-on EVF option. 

Another missing is a tilt-able screen and hence no more self-protraits for the narcissist.  Also, as other Panasonic models have image stabilisation  through the lens, the GX7 may however, the first to provide image stabilisation in the body itself. As for the GM1, there is no image stabilisation in the body. In exchange, Panasonic offers the new Lumix G Vario 12-32mm F3.5-5.6  ASPH MEGA O.I.S. lens with Panasonic's advanced hand-shake correction technology that collapse electronically to a pancake size. 

This is an absolutely fabulous setup as pocketing an MFT camera with the lens can be quite challenging. With small retractable lens coupled with a small body, this is truly the World's Smallest MFT.

Being small and compact as what Micro Four Thirds are known for, the GM1 can now be stuffed into your front jeans pockets  without looking too obscene. 

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