Design Go Weigh To Go

I may travel a lot but I also encounter some packing blunders such as overweight and underweight luggage when I’m not backpacking. I remember when I got really stressed out in Singapore Airport as I was relying on sharing my excess baggage weight with my companions, to find out it can’t be done since I have a separate ticket. I had to make adjustments on my luggage by removing items and weighing several times just to get it right. I certainly don’t want to pay the SG$15/kg excess baggage fee.

weigh to go expanded handles and hook

Compact and Travel Ready

Then there’s another boo-boo of bringing less luggage on my way back to Manila from Guam since I misread the scale, reading lbs instead of kg. I didn’t bring as much presents as I could have because of that.

After seeing Kaoko‘s handy luggage scale at the Macau Airport on our way back to Manila, I thought that was a very useful travel gear. So when I got back to Manila, I remembered that I should find one for myself. I got the same one as Kaoko’s but returned it after I found it defective. Then I got this digital luggage scale from Design Go called Weight To Go. It’s a digital luggage scale which is more expensive than the analog ones but there’s a lot to like with this one.

What I like:

• Compact and sleek design
• 40kg weight limit
• Digitally Accurate
• Weight is recorded and stored after weighing (just press “reset” to clear)
• Initial 2 Triple A batteries included

What I didn’t care for

• Loose handle lifts (it would be nice to have a locking mechanism to avoid unintentional sliding)
• Slightly steep price tag

The Design Go Weigh To GO Digital Luggage Scale SRP is P1890. Available at ROX, BratPack and Travel Club branches.

Using the Eagle Creek Twist Pack 22 as Backpack and Trolley Bag

A good reliable bag is an investment, that’s why I try not to scrimp out on the quality as I know most of my valuables would be packed inside. I don’t want my bag having torn shoulder straps from weight and tears from its sheets. On my recent travel to Palawan, I was able to try out Eagle Creeks’ Twist Pack 22 bag. It’s a very versatile travel bag with wheels.

The Eagle Creek Twist Pack 22

Bag Space

Comfortable Backpack Straps

A Trolley Bag. The Eagle Creek Twist Pack 22 has a 49L capacity and weighs about 7lbs. It has large space much like a suitcase so I’d be careful putting things in and a nice adjustable strap to hold the stuffs inside. It’s not exactly a carry-on bag in Philippine Standards but not exactly too large either. On top you can pull out the retractable handle if you like to just wheel it out.

A Backpack. I very much liked the rugged design of the bag (I had the black and grey) and thought it is much fitting as a backpack. And good thing the back has shoulder and hip straps with metal connectors to convert it to a backpack. I tried it out and it’s a comfortable fit even for a large bag.

Organized front dompartment

Wheels, hip strap and metal connectors

Organized and Secured. There’s an organized compartment on the front of the bag for putting small items. And I can attach locks on each compartment’s zippers for security. The front pocket can hold quick-grab items like a book or jacket. I was able to use the side straps to hold my tripod.

What I liked

• The rugged design and style
• Convertible trolley bag with wheels
• Comfortable fit as a backpack
• Organized front compartment
• Secure Zipper lock options

What I didn’t like

• A bit large and bulky for carry-on in the Philippines
• 7lbs heavy empty

Bottom Line

I liked the Eagle Creek Twister Pack 22 for its design, sturdy quality and versatility. I think this is ideal for long trips where I can pack in cloths for a week long getaway. But for a 2-3 days trip I might leave this one if I want to travel light.

Eagle Creek Twist Pack 22 SRP is P12,000
Available at ROX and Travel Club branches

Canon Selphy CP780 Prints

I appreciate a good photograph especially when I have it on hand and looking at a good quality print. During the recent Backpack Photography Batanes, we were able to test the portable Canon Selphy CP 780’s durability and performance. We wanted our participants to print their favourites so we can do critiques as well as give them something to keep as mementoes.

Controls and LCD Screen

Memory Card Slots

Features: The Canon Selphy CP780 is a much more compact portable printer than the one we used in our Banaue Workshop (The Selphy ES3/30). I think it is a lot more stylish with its colors Silver and Red (which we had for this review). There’s a 2.5 LCD screen, large quick access buttons, direct memory card and camera printing, paper trays for 4R and Card Size printing, optional battery pack and Bluetooth for wireless printing.

Use: printing with the Canon Selphy is straightforward. We didn’t use any battery pack as the unit was plugged. We printed directly from memory cards on the 4R tray.

What I liked:

• Compact Design
• Faster Dye Sublimation printing than the ES3/30
• Very good quality and smudge-free prints (only 2-4 misses out of 108prints consumables)
• Easy and fool-proof operation
• Border printing

What I didn’t like

• Colors tend to be a tad darker due to reflective surface (brighten photos before printing)
• Less controls for cropping and brightness (upgrade to ES3/30)
• Consumables are a bit pricey per print and can be wasteful (but less so than the ES3/30)

Ink Cartridge Slot

Bottom Line

It’s a fun printer to use and am sure it would be a hit when used on special occasions like birthday parties or other celebrations. It delivers very good quality prints and is easy to use. Watch out for the cropping though, I find myself printing with borders to make sure the whole picture shows up. And the price per print can be a bit costly so make sure you choose which ones to print first.

Canon Selphy CP780 SRP P9,950.00
Consumables 4R 108 prints (P950), 4R 36 Prints (P395),  Card Size 36 Prints (P510)

The Canon PowerShot S90

Small is the next big thing when it comes to digital cameras nowadays. When Panasonic made a hit with their advance compact LUMIX LX3, camera manufacturers saw the demand for a small pocketable camera boasting high image quality. Canon a few months ago revived their PowerShot S-line when they released their top of the line compact G11. Sporting a similar sensor and Digic processor as the G11, the new Canon PowerShot S90 is smaller and more compact. I was able to take this camera on a test drive when I went for a two vacation and here’s my long overdue quick hands-on impression on the S90.

The Canon Powershot S90 on Hand

The front Lens Control Ring

(Sample images are out-of-the-camera JPGs, resized and watermarked)

Canon S90 Key Features

• Lens Control Ring
• 10 million pixels sensor
• RAW shooting
• Fast f/2.0-4.9 maximum aperture range
• Lens covering the classic 28-105mm range
• Dual Anti-Noise System (high sensitivity sensor and Digic 4 noise reduction)
• 3.0 inch PureColor II LCD
• Optical Image Stabilization
• Smarter Scene Detection
• Low Light mode
• DIGIC 4 image processor
• HD output

Canon PowerShot S90 Rear View

Handling and Controls

The Canon S90 has a soft matte finish on its minimalist unique IXUS-like design. It feels really solid on hand and kinda sleek in appearance, but too sleek that I’m always careful not to slip it through my hands since it doesn’t have a proper grip. The strap around my hands makes sure it is secure.

My favorite feature on this camera is the Lens Control Ring, which is very customizable in function. I enjoy setting it on Aperture function since it reminds me of the analog film cameras before where the aperture is set at the lens control ring. On the rear end, the control wheel at the back is too loose for me that it’s too easy to accidentally control the other settings.

Macro shot of this 1 1/2 inch figure

Operation, Autofocus and Macro

The Shutter Button seems a little off for me and could have been placed a little more to the right as I often mistake pressing on the mode dial instead. There are direct buttons for Macro, Exposure Compensation and Flash Settings and Timer modes. Of course the center button on the control pad is the Function to enter the Menu Controls for changing other settings. Like other Canon Compacts, it’s easy to get used to especially on its large 3-inch 430k-resolution screen.

Tumon Bay Afternoon

The wide 28mm focal range is really handy for landscapes and especially photographing large groups of people. The Autofocus seems average but with a slew of other functions like face detections coupled with smile and blink detection when shooting people there’s nothing much to complain on that department. Macro is also decent but not outstanding. I can get close up to 1-cm.

Inarajan Natural Pool

Image Quality, White Balance, Metering, RAW

For a compact camera, it has very good image quality if you get the exposure right. Left on its own, the metering can easily clip highlights and over expose especially on high contrast situations. It’s best to take control of your settings to get that tack sharp and highly detailed images.

Merizo Sta Maria Kamalen

High ISO is really good for its class but there’s some loss and softness in detail due to noise reduction from 800-3200 for that clean and smooth look of the images. Too bad the camera doesn’t have noise reduction level settings. I noticed Canon seemed to have a common problem with White Balance on artificial light and S90 is no exception but I did notice improvements on tungsten lighting.

People Portraits at Tumon Bay

It’s a good thing S90 can shoot RAW and I highly recommend using it even if the camera has nice JPGs because I could recover highlights and even adjust white balance. I also noticed it has more details when processed via Adobe Camera Raw.

A sample food shot

Stabilization and Battery

The camera has built in Optical Image Stabilization, which I found effective shooting up to 1/20sec. I found the Battery Life good without charging it to a couple of days on casual shooting with images reaching more than 200 images on RAW+JPG.

Sunset over Tumon Bay

Verdict

I’m sure there are a lot more feature on the PowerShot S90 that I haven’t touched since I only had a two weeks stint with the camera. But in the time I was using it, I found it delivers high quality images once I got used to the camera controls and idiosyncrasies of handling. The downside I also see is that it only has VGA 640×480 movie mode, which is behind its competitor’s especially on its current price point. But if you’re willing to trade high quality image for an advance compact class and that Front Lens Control ring, it’s a worthy buy for a fun camera to bring along anywhere.

Canon PowerShot S90 SRP in the Philippines is PHP 31,950.00

Odos Ongkoy, South Cotabato (Sony A550, f 5.6, 1/1250, ISO 200, 18mm, out-of-camera)

Before the on-set of the holidays late last year. I introduced the Sony Alpha A550 with Sony DT DT 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 SAM here. And after about three weeks with the camera, here is my express field review of this DSLR. Three weeks is actually a short time to really get to know a camera. Some people can run the entire lab test they want but it is different with actual usage and application of the camera in the field. I wasn’t able to fully utilize all the camera features here because of the short time and also of the holidays but I think I covered the important aspects of the camera below. Note that most images here are out-of-camera JPGs (OOC) with only resizing and watermark done on the images.

Sony Alpha A550 with articulating 3" 920k dot LCD Screen

Handling, Live View and Viewfinder

Optical Viewfinder with Eye-level Sensor

Like I mentioned before, the camera is moderate in size. The build is solid despite the plastic feel and the grip is fairly easy and comfortable. There are easy access buttons for the main functions like changing ISO, Exposure Compensation, Drive Modes and Switching from Optical View Finder and Live View Mode. There is only one control dial at the front which I find a little small.

Sony really made good use of the A550’s 3-inch 920k dot articulating screen. Not only is it sharp and captures details well whether shooting in Live View mode or reviewing images. It is also easy to view on the outdoors, under bright sunny conditions. The Live View is also the fastest on any DSLR I’ve tried yet that I’m sure people coming up from compact cameras would find it easy to use.

But for those who prefer looking through the Optical Viewfinder may find the A550 short on this department. The field of view is 95% and is average in viewing size similar to Nikon and Canon mid-level DSLRs like Canon 500D. While there are easy access buttons on the camera, I find that their placements are not really optimized for the Viewfinder user. I’m accustomed to changing camera setting even while looking through the viewfinder but for the A550, I find it hard to reach for the buttons. The A550 buttons and controls are really optimized for using it during Live View.

Young T'Boli Dancer (f 5.6, 1/80, ISO 400)

Operation and Autofocus

Once familiar with the controls, it’s fairly easy changing the settings whether on aperture, shutter or manual settings. The Main menu however while looks nice, isn’t really giving much helpful in use. I like the straightforward control panel on the traditional view but I can’t navigate around to change it. I have to go through pushing the Function Menu to change other settings.

Changing Autofocus to Manual focus is as easy as turning the switch on the lens. The Sony A550 actually has an eye-level sensor on the viewfinder. So when you put your eye it auto-focuses automatically much like a shutter half-press. But the problem here is that other object brushed near the sensor activates this as well.

Giant Lantern Festival (f 5.6, 1/5, ISO 400, -.1 EV)

With the Sony DT 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 SAM the Autofocus is snappy in feel. In good light the 9-point autofocus locks in easily. In low-light though, I noticed that it has focus-confirmation at times but the images isn’t really focused. I guess it struggles a bit on low-light. I’m sure with a better lens, performance would change.

T' Boli Brothers (f 5.6, 1/500, ISO 200)

Image Quality, Metering and Working with RAW Files

Now here comes the essential part. Sony has been heavily promoting their higher sensitivity EXMOR CMOS Sensor combined with the BIONZ processor. But does it deliver the goods?

Lax Hotel Hall (f 35, 1/15, ISO 1600, IS)

100% Crop ISO 1600

The base ISO on the A550 starts at 200 going up to the 12,800. While I really have no practical use on the higher ISO above 1600, I thought that 1600 is quite usable. Their noise performance is actually very good but I do find the details smearing off when going higher on the ISO range. I hope I had the option to choose noise reduction aside from the High or Normal.

On good light, lower ISO and even lighting the JPGs out of the camera does produce very good quality images but more to the consumer liking. It means more saturated and contrast images than its actual real life counterparts.

While shooting with the A550, I also noticed that left to itself, it occasionally over-exposes its photos on bright outdoor conditions with big skies or high contrast lighting. I’m not sure if the metering goes wonky in these conditions or the EXMOR sensor itself. It is similar to how the compact sensor Cybershot TX1 with EXMOR R sensor acts so I usually set exposure compensation to -0.3 to -0.7 when shooting under bright and contrasty conditions.

Outdoor Shot Comparison (left: Sony A550 JPG (OOC), middle:Sony A550 Adobe Camera Raw Conversion, right: Olympus E-3 JPG (OOC))

With this I find shooting RAW+JPG advantageous. Aside from its inconsistent Auto White Balance which I also noticed, I can recover some of the highlights lost from the inconsistent metering. Check out the comparison I did with the out-of-camera JPG, Processed RAW file from Adobe Camera Raw and the out-of-camera JPG from Olympus E-3 which I have at that time. I know it’s not fair to compare the pro-spec E-3 to this 10mp model but the latter is already at least 3-years old since release so I was expecting lower end models have already caught up.

Highlight Recovery (left, JPG out of cam; right, Adobe Camera Raw Conversion)

D-Range Optimizer and Auto-HDR

D-Range has been around for a while on Sony DSLRS. It’s actually similar in concept with other manufacturer’s versions of D-lighting or Auto Gradation where it tends to lift out shadow details from the scene. For non-RAW Shooters this is actually useful since you do the levels of processing in-camera. A550 lets you choose 5 levels of optimization aside from the Auto.

D-Range Optimizer Test

The Auto-HDR is one of the Key Features of the A550, while not unique in the DSLR with Pentax K-7 offering first; the A550 does have an advantage of hand-held capability by shooting two images in rapid succession and combining them in one image. I’m a bit biased with HDR though since most of the images I’ve seen looks artificial and over processed. But A550’s approach is more subtle with balancing out more of the shadow, highlight and midtone details. But I doubt if I would be using it more often than I need it.

Auto-HDR Test

One caveat on both modes is that they are only functional on JPG settings. While they increase the Dynamic Range of an image, working with RAW Can produce similar results. I guess if you’re a JPG user it could be handy.

Image Stabilization, Storage and Battery Life

Dual Card Slots with Compartment Switch

Sony is also one of the brands (aside from Olympus and Pentax) that offer In-Body Image Stabilization. I found it very useful as I tried shooting up to 1/15s hand-held at night. Sony claims a 1,000 shot capacity on a single charge of its battery. While I haven’t reached that number yet, I do noticed that never had problems of having low battery signs while shooting more than 500 images already.

The A550 also has a dual slot for memory cards. One is for SD cards and the other is for their Memory Sticks. The only qualm I have with their set up is I have to open the compartment and switch from there to use either slots. There is no option in the menu to change slots.

Fruit Basket (f 5.6, 1/30, ISO 400, IS)

Verdict

I think Sony has a little identity crisis when the created the Sony Alpha A550. On one hand, the fast Live View mode and scene presets would surely appeal to people moving up from Compact to DSLRs. But its price range of US1050 (Php 64,999.00) on a kit puts it on a spot near the mid-range models like Canon 5000D, Nikon D90, Olympus E-30, Pentax K-7.

What I liked:

• Very Good Image Quality especially when working with RAW Files
• Very Good High ISO capability
• Big bright 3” Articulating LCD with good visibility outdoors
• Fast Live View function with Manual Focus Check
• Effective In-Body Image Stabilization
• The D-Range Optimizer and Auto-HDR function can be useful (but only for JPGs)
• Dual-Card Slots (except for the exterior switch)
• Good quality kit lens (Except for the rotating front barrel)
• High Speed shooting (Up to 7fps on speed priority)
• Long Battery life

What I didn’t like:

• Too consumer oriented colors not close to real life colors
• Controls are not optimized for Viewfinder user
• Metering tend to over-expose and clip highlights more often
• Unreliable White Balance
• Less customization
• Minimal options for File compression and Noise Reduction levels
• Pretty but unusable Exposure Display
• Too expensive
• At this price point, lack of video is also a negative

Sony Alpha A550 DT 18-55mm Kit Contents

The year 2009 has been ground breaking for digital cameras. Every manufacturer seems to be putting out new features and technology that are changing the way people do photography. Sony was able to contribute to this growing technology by introducing their EXMOR R sensor. Sony Philippines was generous enough to give me a chance to play around with two of their recent cameras and both uses the new sensor technology EXMOR R with new BIONZ Processing engine. And the first up is their Sony Alpha A550.

Sony Alpha A550 Right Top Rear controls

The EXMOR R Sensor. This is a new CMOS Sensor designed by Sony. It is also called a back-illuminated sensor since the circuitry is behind the Photo-diodes unlike the common sensors. Since the light would directly be received without passing through circuitry, it promises twice the sensitivity of conventional sensors and low noise.

The Sony Alpha 550 DSLR using an APS-C sized EXMOR Sensor is somewhere on the mid-range line of Sony DSLRs judging by its price range and features. Looking at the back of the box, these seem to be the highlight features:

Sony Alpha A550 Box

• Quick AF Live View
• MF Check Live View
• SteadyShot Inside
• 14.2 Mega pixels
• Exmor CMOS Sensor
• BIONZ Image Processing Engine
• High ISO 200-12800
• 9 point AF
• Dual Slot Memory Stick Duo and SD
• D-Range Optimizer
• Auto-HDR
• 5 fps on viewfinder (7fps on live view)
• Face Detection with Smile Shutter
• 3” Xtra Fine LCD
• Photo TV HD

Sony DT 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 SAM

Sony A550 Body Front with cap

I know Sony inherited the Minolta heritage but I really haven’t used a Sony DSLR before so I was excited to try it and see if I can adapt to it easily with my shooting style.  Here’s what’s inside the box of the 18-55mm kit:

• Sony Alpha A550 DSLR Body
• NP-FM500H Lithium-Ion Battery
• BC-VM10 Battery charger
• Body cap
• Shoulder strap
• USB cable
• Software CD-ROM
• Manual and Warranty

Trying out the Sony Alpha A550 out of the box

Initial Impressions. Take note that these are what I noticed when I opened the box and started tinkering with the A550 with the battery’s factory charge.I will write my entry soon on the A550 as I report actual use on the field.

• The A550 body is light and of moderate size for a DSLR
• Solid “plastic” feel build with gun metal color on top
• Rubber portions with nice easy grip
• I love the high resolution 920,000 dot articulating 3” screen
• Certainly didn’t like the plastic body cap and lens mount cap
• Battery doesn’t have a cap/cover
• Live View is the fastest I have used on a DSLR and works well with the articulating screen
• Viewfinder is just average
• 9-point auto focus is responsive
• DT 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 SAM front element rotates, (could be bad on filters)

The Sony Alpha A550 with DT 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 SAM (Silent Autofocus Motor) standard retail price in the Philippines is Php 64,999.00 as of this writing.

Alodia Gosiengfiao (Olympus E-P1, ISO 800, 17mm Pancake, F2.8, 1/80sec)

It took a while for my second installment of the Olympus E-P1 Diary as I took my time in actually using the E-P1 in various situations. One interesting challenge for the E-P1 is on shooting portraits using its current kit lenses, the 17mm f2.8 Pancake and the 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 Zoom. I shot most of the portraits here under natural lighting conditions as I rarely travel with flash or any reflectors since these are personal travels. It is interesting how the Olympus E-P1 fared in this situation.

Ashley and Alodia Gosiengfiao (Olympus E-P1, ISO 800, 17mm Pancake, f2.6, 1/100sec)

The first set of photos was an impromptu shoot during a tour in Singapore’s Chinatown Heritage Museum. It was a dimly lit room on the upper floor of the museum. But there was a dramatic light leaking through the windows and a set of chairs. It was just hard to ignore the scene so everyone began having their photos there. Among the willing models were popular cosplayers, the beautiful Gosiengfiao sisters Alodia and Ashely. They were a great subject as they are used to posing for cameras and really knows how to project.

Ashley and Alodia Gosiengfiao worm's eye view (Olympus E-P1, ISO 800, 17mm Pancake, f2.6, 1/60sec)

For this shoot I positioned myself near the window where the light is coming from to get that dramatic gradient of shadow and light. I was using the 17mm Pancake at that time and had no time to change lenses. It’s a good choice since the place is actually dim the f2.8 aperture was good but I still need enough light so I boosted the aperture to ISO 800 with Image Stabilization ON,  Noise Filter set to LOW and Gradation set to Normal. On the first shot I try to focus more on the eyes on the second shot, since I’m using the Live View of the E-P1 I tried a worm’s eye view for a dramatic angle. At first the E-P1 kept on focusing on the foreground so I switched to selection focus and set to aim on their faces instead.

Alodia 100% Crop of the first image

The images were processed from RAW using Adobe Camera Raw 5.5 with minor global adjustments and unsharp mask. Here’s a 100 % crop of the ISO 800 image. It looks good it retained some details on the highlights and the grainy quality on the shadows.

Caysasay Lola Candle Vendor (Olympus E-P1, ISO 400, 14-42mm Kit Lens, f4.7, 1/80sec)

On the next photo, it was during a tour at Caysasay Church in Taal Town, Batangas. I was actually the one left behind already so I was rushing. But I couldn’t resist taking a photo of the Elder by the church door selling candles. So before I left I asked to take her photo. I was using the 14-42mm kit lens at that time with ISO boosted to 400 since that zoom lens really isn’t fast on low light situations as this. Nevertheless I was glad the photo was sharp when I viewed it on the computer.  The photo posted was cropped a little on top to remove a minor distraction.

Playing Baby Alexa (Olympus E-P1, ISO 800, 17mm Pancake, f2.8, 1/30sec, Soft Focus Art Filter)

Shooting portraits of Kids is another challenge. I have a bunch of nephews and nieces staying in our house so it would be nice to take photos of them. Baby Alexa is quite active and never stopped moving. I already boosted my ISO to 1600 just to keep up. I think 3 out of 10 shots were sharp enough considering the indoor fluorescent lighting conditions.

Baby Alexa (RAW File on the left and JPG File with Art Filter Sof Focus on the right)

I also thought it would be nice to try the Soft Focus Art Filter on the E-P1 which would produce soft light images and it matches the kids fairly well. I Included a comparison of the actual photo processed from RAW and the out of camera JPG with the Art Filter for comparison.

Siblings (Olympus E-P1, ISO 1600, 17mm Pancake, f2.8, 1/25sec, Soft Focus)

Both lenses 17mm pancake and the 14-42mm zoom are really not designed for portraits, but I think it’s fair to say that they deliver very good results with on the E-P1. They capture good details even up to ISO 800 and I somehow like the smooth bokeh on the 17mm f2.8 when doing close up portraits like those of Baby Alexa. There were times when the camera focuses somewhere else I didn’t want to but switching to manual focus points could fix this.