Sometime around August, Nikon annouced two new DSLR models - the D3 and the D300. Since I only look at sub 10K bodies, the one that caught my attention was the D300. The D300 was the replacement model for the D200, which has been in my equipment bag for a couple of years now.
Rather than repeat the press releast from Nikon, you can get it straight from the horse's mouth over here.

Will this be the next item on my must-have list?

Let's go through the differences together:-

Major Features

1. New DX-format CMOS image sensor with 12.3 effective megapixels
My Opinion - This is not necessary a good thing, if the increase is solely in the number of megapixels. What this effectively means is that they are squeezing more pixels into the same old sensor size. Unless they introduce new sensor technology, this will almost certainly result in increased sensor noise.
In any case, more megapixels mean larger pictures, which make archiving more tedious - especially if you shoot raw (NEF format). I used to shoot in RAW - now I'm using my D70 on Medium JPG as standard. If you never intend to Photoshop your photos or edit them with a Raw converter, stick to jpg, as the Medium JPG on the D70 still makes excellent 4R prints.
Lastly, you'll need a larger memory card to shoot at full resolution, as the camera will now hold less shots per card....

2. EXPEED — Nikon’s image processing concept embodied
My Opinion - OK, so it's got a new name (seems to be the marketing strategy to have a high-tech name for the image processor, like Sony's Bionz and Canon's Digic I/II/III). They've got to let the end users what exactly this new chip is good for.

3. High-speed continuous shooting
My Opinion - My D200 shoots at only 5 frames per second max, versus the 6 / 8 fps of the D300. In actual fact, I never ever use this mode - except during the penalty shootout of a football match. In all other situations, I run of space very, very fast (especially if shooting on full size). This is a feature I'd like to have, but will possibly get used less often than I change my car's timing belt....

4. Immediate response
My Opinion - refers to power up and shutter release lag. Not so much an issue for me, as I can still live with my D70's timing. Once the shutter lag is in miliseconds, your reflexes will be more of a determining factor.

5. Scene Recognition System
My Opinion - It's good if you totally rely on the camera's ability to set the correct exposure, ie, put it in "P" mode and fire away. However, once you realize that no camera system is perfect, you'll need to know what the system will do in a given situation so you can compensate the exposure accordingly. This used to be more predictable with the standard center-weighted and spot metering mode. Now, you'll have to either trust the camera, or know how the camera will respond in a given situation, and compenstate accordingly (more of a wild guess). For night scenes, I usually fall back to center-weighted metering to get a more consistent exposure.

6. AF system employing high-density 51-point AF
My Opinion - Regardless of how many sensors my camera has, for my D70 and D200 I only use 1 sensor - the one right in the middle. I have a bad experience of using multiple sensors, as they always lock on to the wrong subject. If the sensor made more sensitive and accurate, I'd welcome this into my stable any time.

7. Picture Control System
My Opinion - Seems to be the new name for the in-camera picture compensation. I used to shoot with low saturation to edit later. You know how tedious that gets, so nowadays I shoot with saturation on maximum with color space III, to get nicely saturated prints right out of the camera. May look appealing to normal consumers rather than pros, but then again, the majority of my viewers are just that - normal consumers. To them, colorful and vibrant are preferred to dull photos (even if the actual scene is itself lifeless and colorless!).

8. Two Liveview modes available
My Opinion - Ever since the days of my Coolpix 5400 and 5700, I have learnt to live life through the viewfinder and not use that big old screen at the back. While it would be nice to have, the reason I use the screen on my coolpix pair is that they allow shooting at odd angles, either way below on the ground, or up over the heads and obstacles of crowd. This gives my photos a unique perspective. With the D300, there's no movable screen, so, even with the higher resolution screen, I'd stick to the viewfinder for a true TTL view.

9. Large, bright viewfinder that achieves 100% frame coverage
My Opinion - Yep, this one is great for reviewing the photos and sucking battery power, but I think I can live with the D200's screen. My D70 allows me to quickly check if anyone blinked - that's also good enough.

10. Durability that will go the distance
My Opinion - Never used a camera still it broke down, so can't comment on this. At this rate, you'll likely upgrade to a new model before the old one dies a natural death anyway....

11. Active D-Lighting
My Opinion - I've always set my contrast on the lowest setting, as I like as much dynamic range as possible. This is why the Fujifilm S5Pro appeals more to me (with exception of the astronomically high price). If this works as advertised, then it's one improvement I'm looking out for.

12. Self-cleaning Sensor Unit for efficient dust reduction
My Opinion - If you only use your one and only kit lens, then this won't mean anything to you. For my case, I've lived without this self-cleaning sensor, so far so good. Having this feature wouldn't hurt.

13. Exclusive Wireless Transmitter WT-4 (optional)
My Opinion - Never imagine using this, as you'll need to have a laptop up and running to receive. Works best in a controlled environment - like a home studio. For me, I work mostly in the field. Lugging around a laptop, or worse, leaving it set up unguarded somewhere public, is not the way I would work. Besides, this will likely be a very expensive accesory.

14. Multi-Power Battery Pack MB-D10 (optional)
My Opinion - The camera body should have this incorporated into the design. This thing costs over RM1000. Paying that much for a battery holder? Sure it's got the second shutter release that allows you to shoot in Portrait mode comfortably, but I don't think I'm the only one who thinks it overpriced. Fortunately, the D300 takes the same batteries as the D200, so some parts are still backward compatible.

Other Features

    * The large top control panel (46 x 20.8mm) features an improved interface with lettering that can be switched to best match shooting conditions;
    * HDMI Output supports HDTV display;
    * Supports GPS devices via optional GPS Adapter Cord MC-35;
    * Retouch Menu provides handy access to Filter Effects, Trimming, Red-eye correction, Image overlay and other in-camera editing functions;
    * Software Suite CD-ROM included.
My Opinion - GPS support with an expensive add-on cable, no doubt. Hopefully, the software bundle will allow for proper NEF processing, unlike the previous software which came with the D200 (which was really, really basic).

Overall view:-
Before making my conclusion, I'd like to state here that I'm not a photographer by profession, so I don't make any money from this. It's more like a hobby. In my company, we have a recreation club and many corporate functions which I have volunteered to serve as the "publicity guy". This gives me plenty of opportunity to use my photographic gear. I also help our my friends for their wedding events, and an odd birthday celebration from time to time.

Having said that, I grade myself into the prosumer category. Somewhere between the novice / family user that snaps family and vacation photos, and the professional photographer who uses this to put food on the table. I don't require (nor can I afford) a 5-figure camera with a 5-figure lens.

From what I can see on paper, the D300 is an incremental improvement over the D200. I don't care much for the 2 megapixel resolution increase, as I'm more interested in the picture quality. Feature-wise, the self-cleaning sensor and live-view stand out - but these are already on the competitors' products, so it's more of and effort to keep up, rather than an innovation to keep ahead of the pack. Given my needs and abilities, there is nothing I would not be able to do with my D200 that I would need a D300 to finish the job.

So, final verdict - I would skip this D300 and wait for the next major innovation from Nikon. At the current rate of production, there'll probably be no stock available for the D300 for months. This is one aspect that Nikon will need to improve in order to go head-to-head against Canon, Sony and Olympus.

Well, the views and opinions voiced here are my own as I am not affiliated with Nikon nor any one of their competitors. If you're considering to get yourself a DSLR, do your extensive homework and try out your choice at the camera shop before you make your purchase.

A trip to Penang over the weekend - the Finale and the journey home

Well, it was time to depart. On the way home, planned to stop by Damansara for lunch with my father and (hopefully) my other sister as well.

The traffic going south was smooth, with no traffic jams. It's likely that there was no upgrading work being done on Sunday, so for the PLUS highway, both lanes were open.

Arrived at Damansara at 2pm, some 4 hours after leaving Penang. As half-expected, my sister was not free, so went for lunch with my father at Old Klang Road.


The CWZJ / home of tea kings restaurant


Have not been to Old Klang Road for some time now. The entire area seems to have undergone a lot of development, with raised ramps for cars, and new housing condominiums. Anyway, back to the restaurant. The name CWZJ is an acronym for a chinese phrase which I am unable to pronounce or spell out here. Hence the only text I can read is "The home of the Tea Kings" restaurant.


Dual language, for those of you who can read Chinese, please help to verify...


Tea on display on the shelves


Apart from the selection of freshwater sea food (the "raw material" is on display in the aquariums at the entrance), this shop specializes in tea. The waiters and waitresses are constantly topping up your cup of chinese tea while you eat.


Full contact info and address for those who are interested


After lunch, went back to my house, where I sat down for barely half an hour. Then it was time to leave for home. We went straight to my grandparents house, where my grandmother was cooking dinner that night. There we had authentic Baba / Nyonya food (the real deal, not like the commercialized versions you find in the restaurants around Melaka).


A sample of my grandmother's cooking...


Well, that was my trip to Penang. From calculation, appears that I covered 1162km within the last couple of days. Enjoyed this brief trip, and do look forward to another traveling experience soon...!


Final reading on the odometer

A trip to Penang over the weekend - Pt II

It early on a Saturday morning. However, I didn't want to take any chances with traffic, so I left early. There was some "upgrading" construction on the Penang bridge, but it did not affect traffic like on the PLUS highway.

I dropped my wife, mother and sister at Queensbay Mall and headed for my supplier's office. Spent the rest of the day working out some of the bugs and add in "last-minute-user-input" also! By the time I was done it was mid-afternoon already.

When I got home, I notice that my front left tire was flat. Due to the extensive soundproofing and Autofoam on my Civic, there was no telltale sign or noise that my tire was flat. I'm not advertising, but this is my experience. If you're wondering where I mod my Civic, it's at KL Auto.

Just drove as normal. Fortunately, from the look of the tire, it must have just happened, as the tire rim was still intact and the tire rubber too.


Tough luck - scratch one off the list


There was a tire shop just outside that was still open. However, they didn't have the same brand of tire that I was using (205/55R16 Yokohama DNA dB ES501), so I am now running with an odd Bridgestone tire swapped to the rear left to minimize impact on handling due to mismatched tires. Gotta make arrangements to fix this when I get back to KL....


Front left a little sunken....


The compact spare looks funny. Being smaller than the standard tire, you're not supposed to go faster than 80kph with this on....


At the tire shop, found a 1-inch tear in my tire. When they tried to inflate the tire, it deflated completely within 5 seconds. That was a really large hole torn into the side of my tire (right at the edge, where the tire surface meets the sidewall). Don't know what could have caused such massive damage....

Well, that night, we decided to take dinner at Gurney Drive, which was located on the North Western coast of Penang Island. That required crossing the Penang bridge again, and that was where we got stuck in yet another traffic jam. Right after the toll booths, all of the lanes converged to a single lane on the bridge. Reason? A short distance ahead, a car had broken down on the right lane, hence all traffic had to squeeze through the left lane. Imagine 8 to 10 lanes converging, and competing with over-zealous drivers, buses and lorries....


The quality of the photo is poor. Wish I had my SLR with me. Had to make do with my Sony Ericsson W810i....


Hawker foods galore! All sorts of food available from the many stalls.


Due to lack of parking, had chosen (poorly) to park in the basement of the nearby Gurney plaza. That turned out to be a big, big mistake, because when it was time to leave, there was (yep, you guessed it) a bad traffic jam all the way from the basement level 2 floors below right up to the exit. By the time we got to the exit, it was an hour later (parking ticket expired already, but the guard let us out anyway. I guess they're used to this already).


Down here also traffic jam?!


As if crawling slowly out of the basement wasn't bad enough, we had to contend with inconsiderate queue jumpers and horn-loving motorists! That last group was pretty annoying, and quite amusing too. Imagine, all the cars are stuck. Some impatient guy starts honking. Suddenly, by coincidence, the cars just start to move (but stop soon after). The feeble human brain may register a false co-relation between honking and getting cars to move. Immediately, EVERYONE starts blasting their car horns...! Once again, extensive soundproofing on my Civic saved the day!

That was the last notable traffic jam encountered during my 3 day trip to Penang. Though it wasn't a public holiday or anything, it was during the School holidays, so that may have accounted for the extra traffic on the roads.

So, imagine, set out for dinner at 8.00pm, got home only at 12.00am....

[ ... End of Part II ... ]

A trip to Penang over the weekend - Pt I

Just this weekend, went up and came back from Penang. I was actually on Business trip, having to buy-off some equipment purchased by my department before they shipped it down to us. Going along with me were my wife, mother and sister. We planned to stay at her (my wife) sister's place - therefore, saved the cost of accommodation.


The journey begins - odometer reads 10752


Left on Friday afternoon after lunch. Took my Civic this time. Though it would be a smooth drive. That's where theory and actual fact shoot off in opposite directions....

These past few days, I have been caught up in more traffic jams than I can remember. On the PLUS highway North of KL right up to Penang, they were upgrading the roads, with the final intention being to widen them. Unfortunately, they had to close the two lane highway to a single lane in order to do this. At many points, my speed was a constant "0 kph".


Toilet break at rest stop


Traffic jam as seen from the road-side rest stop


That was in the afternoon, through to the evening, right through to night time!


It's dark, but still inching my way to Penang (still stuck in traffic jam!)

Record-breaking speed (break record for patience while driving)


Though we called ahead and told my sister-in-law and family to go ahead and eat dinner already, they still insisted to wait for us. So eventually, we arrived at our destination (Juru Autocity) at 9.00pm. That's 7 hours from departure time.

For dinner that night, we went to a Korean restaurant, which I don't frequent that often. Food was quite spicy, practically every dish contained chilly as an ingredient.


Huh, this is what restaurant?


Ah, now I see - Tar Chang Jin Korean Restaurant. Much clearer now....


Hot plate chicken meat (they help you to cook and serve)


Spicy food served with tea


Stone(?) rice (I think that's what they call it)

Another hot and spicy dish


If you cannot take spicy food, then you'd better pass on this one....

After a filling dinner, we walked around for awhile before heading back to my sister-in-law's place. Had better get some sleep, as I plan to get a head start to my supplier's office the next morning....

[ ... End of Part I ... ]

Pon and Tay's Wedding - 17 Nov 2007

Last weekend, was busy with my old friend's wedding. I have know him from my former company (which neither of us are working in today), since 1999, when I first started work.

The night before the big day was the bachelor's night. Unfortunately, only I and my friend Ho (+ his wife) cound make it.

The next morning, was at Pon's place at 8am+. Was a good thing too, as we had to leave for the bride's house already. Through some calculations that involved some inputs such as the bride and groom's date and time of birth (as well as that of their parents), it was computed earlier that we should get there before 9am, but cannot return until after 11am.

Once we arrived, we were greeted by their relatives. As per Chinese tradition, usually the bride will be inside one of the rooms, with her "sisters". The door will be locked. In order to gain access to the bride, the groom will need to overcome a series of Challenges posed by the "sisters". To aid him are his band of "brothers". Well, I feel that this was the shortest ever challenge phase that I've seen. I think it took only 30 seconds. Remember that my time it was maybe 15 minutes or so. Must be a new record...!

Once that's over, time for the customary tea serving ceremony, where the bride and groom will serve tea to the elders and other members of the family.

There was one bit I still figure out. That's the requirement that the couple get into the wedding car, go for a round and come back, before we all took off for the groom's house.


Anyway, back at Pon's house, we had lunch there before the tea serving ceremony at the groom's side. There was still much to prepare for the dinner, so all of us left soon after.

Dinner time was officially at 7pm. I made it there at 6.30pm to beat the traffic jam. It seems that it was a good day to get married, there were many other wedding cars on the road on that day.

Pon and Tay arrived a little after 7, due to a long queue at the hair-dresser. Dinner started at 8.15pm, shortly after the Wedding March (this timing is normal).



On the stage, was some hired entertainment, with some karaoke session involving members of the floor. Midway through the dinner, the couple went up on stage for the cake cutting ceremony and was joined by the other members of the family for the wedding toast.

Towards the end, was the table-to-table Yam Seng session, where the couples toasted with all of the guests.


Well, I've done my best to support my friend on his wedding ("Brother" + "Photographer"). Have compiled all the photos into the many albums here accessible to my friends:-

From a photographer's point of view, I used my:-
  • Nikon D70 + Nikkor 85mm D f1.8
  • Nikon D200 + Tamron 17-50mm f2.8
My choice was that the Tamron 17-50 was a superior choice, especially at night where I needed the large aperture. The Nikkor 85mm, to be honest, has never been used in real action before, so I wanted to see how it performed as a low light, mid-telephoto, portrait lens. Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed!

Vandalised road signs

Today, went around doing some GPS Tracking with my Garmin eTrex Vista HCx. Today's assignment - to track the Northern and Eastern housing areas of Bukit Beruang, which includes filling in the road names as well.

In the latest version of the Malsingmaps map v2.14, there are some roads that are not yet named, and also not mapped yet. So, I decided to help fill in the blanks.

It's while going around today that I realised - we really have a lot of vandalized signposts around. Thus, there are a number of roads that I simply cannot identify by name because the signs are unreadable.

Some examples of what I saw today:-


There are a lot of stickers and bills on this sign post. So, we're supposed to play wheel-of-fortune to discover the road name? I'd like to buy an "A"...! :)


Some people get quite creative. The typical unattractive rectangular sign has been modified to a hexagon shape. Maybe this is to remove the sharp edges, since this sign is just outside a kindergarten?


This sign is leaning as though hit by something. Don't remember the wind ever being that strong....


This one looks like the victim of a level 5 hurricane. Not that we get any of those around here....

If you're lost, now's the time you pray that someone shows you a sign....

So, GPS mapping / tracking has its challenges. You can track all the roads down, but naming them is a different matter. Pity the postman who comes to these parts.

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