Reviews Archives - Ferdz Decena

Bags | Pacsafe Camsafe Venture V16 Camera Slingpack

Posted on Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013 at 10:00 am.

Written by Ferdz

Shooting at Mt Tapyas Coron with Pacsafe Camsafe Venture V16 (Photo by Oggie Ramos

The camera bag I bring on a trip is dependent on what gear I would bring or the type of photography I would be doing. For casual street photography, I would eventually bring something like the PacSafe Camsafe Venture V12 Sling Bag. But on my recent trip to Coron Palawan, I knew I would be bringing a lot more, like my MacBook, a larger selection of lenses, some reading materials, notebooks, a water bottle and probably a few quick snacks since I would be staying longer and shooting a wider variety of subjects. I was fortunate to have the PacSafe Camsafe Venture V16 Slingpack for me to try out on that week long trip to Coron, PacSafe’s new camera bag geared for the active traveler.

Stay | GoHotels Puerto Princesa Palawan

Posted on Friday, May 17th, 2013 at 10:30 am.

Written by Ferdz

By this time, I have been familiar with GoHotels brand of accommodation. I’ve stayed in their Mandaluyong and Dumaguete branches already and their staple character remains – the no frills yet comfortable rooms painted with the freshly colored green and orange, windsor beds, memory foam, rain shower, Cable TV, complimentary wifi, within mall vicinity and good value rates. These are all there on their GoHotels Puerto Princesa Palawan branch as well, the difference is in the location and the personal service.

iPearl mCover Hard Shell for MacBook Protection

Posted on Wednesday, May 15th, 2013 at 9:00 am.

Written by Ferdz

There are laptops but there are Apple MacBooks. The people at Apple took pains to create this simple yet sleek looking design. Not to sound like a fan boy but people pay also for the design aside from the functionality. While it looks fashionably good out there and bare, MacBooks can easily get scratched. For a guy like me who likes to rough it out when I travel and slip the MacBook on my backpack sleeve, my MacBook does need an extra protection. I decided to use a shell case for that extra layer of protection and looking around for some options I decided to try the iPearl mCover Hard Shell. After more than a month of using it, here’s what I can share.

Bags | Eagle Creek Vagabond Courier

Posted on Wednesday, April 24th, 2013 at 8:23 pm.

Written by Ferdz

The Eagle Creek Vagabond Courier Shoulder Bag

There is always that little bag we take where we put the stuff we readily access and need when we travel like mobile phones, passport, flight tickets, notebooks, mints etc. The type of bag differs from each people. Some prefers belt bags or fanny pack, personally I like using shoulder bags and keep them on my side. I have used a lot and to add to the growing list is the new Eagle Creek Vagabond Courier. A new shoulder bag geared for the mobile tech and smart urban traveler.

Bags | Pacsafe Camsafe Venture V12 Camera Sling Bag

Posted on Thursday, April 18th, 2013 at 9:00 am.

Written by Ferdz

On the field with the Pacsafe Camsafe Venture V12 (Photo by Roadworthy Man)

Choosing a camera bag requires the same care and conscientious thought as buying a camera itself. Why? It’s the one thing that would hold your precious gear. It should be tough enough to carry its weight, rugged to take everywhere and withstand the elements and to add to that growing concerns, secure enough for prying thieves. That where PacSafe comes in. I’ve been using their “anti-theft” products for years now and it does add a certain piece of mind when securing my stuff while traveling. And lately they have been extending their line to include camera bags that caters to different styles of photographers. One of the recent camera bag models they have is the Pacsafe Camsafe Venture V12 Camera Sling Bag. I put the bag to the test on the recent Aliwan Fiesta 2013 and here I share my impression of this camera sling bag.

Stay | Unexpected Home at Hotel Winotosastro Yogyakarta

Posted on Sunday, April 7th, 2013 at 9:00 am.

Written by Ferdz

It was one of those cases when I originally booked in one hotel but ended up in another. When I got back to Yogyakarta coming from my Borobudur trip, I took their efficient bus system and alighted at the station near JL Parangtritis. Hotel Winotosastro already caught my impression as I was passing by especially with their promo of IDR 137,500 (US$14) for their basic room but decided to take a very long walk to a lodging at the Jalan Prawirotaman. To make a long story short, the US$10 accommodation I booked was so far at the said street, I didn’t feel comfortable and secure with the room so I decided to just look elsewhere.

Stay | Manohara Hotel Borobudur

Posted on Wednesday, February 20th, 2013 at 3:08 pm.

Written by Ferdz

It’s not often I splurge on an accommodation, but when the need arises for the sake of photography, I would make a consideration every now and then. For my trip to the UNESCO Heritage site of Borobudur in Indonesia, I wanted to be within the vicinity of the temple for easy access for the sunrise and staying in Manohara Hotel Borobudur would be the best option to stay.