Tsarli's Musings

My first tank watch: the Orient CEVAC002WY

2010-11-08T09:51:00.005+08:00

Hard to imagine that after all these years, the Orient CEVAC002WY is my first tank watch. I have loads of diver's, pilot watches, mil-spec timepieces, but this is my very first tank watch. And quite a beauty it is:

It wasn't an impulse buy since I already spotted it a week or so ago, but since our first meeting, it was horological love at first sight. Classic clean lines, legible dial, and most of all - titanium.

And best of all, a great price: PHP3,300 (USD$78). It was an offer I just couldn't refuse.

Smith & Wesson 2nd Gen Tactical Pen

2010-10-04T10:55:00.014+08:00

It's been quite a while since my last entry. 2010 has zoomed by at light speed with nary a word from yours truly. I attribute this to the tons of changes that happened on the home front (new job, new toys, etc.) Anyways, I figured it was about time I started writing down all the important new gadgets I've acquired in the past few months.

So without further delay, I'd like to present the first of my many toys for 2010: Smith & Wesson's 2nd Generation Military and Police Tactical Pen, and its amusing product code: SWPENMPBK.

Still as mean as its predecessor with twice the versatility.

I like the addition of a lanyard hole. After all, what self respecting tactical device doesn't have one?

Made out of 6061 aircraft aluminum, the S&W 2nd Gen Tactical Pen features significant changes over the previous model, the SWPENBK

Better grip, easier to use
Gone are the fluting on the body which according to users of the previous model hindered its usability. Instead we now find some rings on the aluminum body and some nice knurling in the pen's mid-section. Definitely aids in gripping. One could even add some paracord to the mid-section and create an even better grip.

Less conspicuous tip, better body grip. Very dart-like in appearance.

New business end
Also altered are the aggressive tip on the previous model which has been now replaced with a more civil-looking bullet shaped tip. Less medieval-looking than its predecessor the new look in my opinion would enormously aid in making the pen less conspicuous and less likely to be considered a weapon. In spite of its "friendlier" looking shape the 2nd Gen Tactical Pen can still get the job done. Striking at pressure points would still yield the same painful results.

New cap retention system
Another important change applied was the pen cap. The extremely well-made metal clip is still there but the new model no longer screws down on the pen. Instead, the screw treads have now been replaced with a plastic liner with little "bumps" along the interior to help retain the cap on the pen via friction. It makes the pen now easier to open and close. No more twisting necessary. A lanyard hole has also been added affording neck carry option for those who desire to carry their pens in this fashion.

Brand new cap retention system.

At first I was a bit concerned with the dependability of this new friction retention system. The last thing I want is for me to find that all I had left was a cap and that I had just lost the rather expensive pen that came with it. But a few snaps on and off convinced me that the new retention system could be equally reliable if not better than its screw down predecessor.

For one, the friction system makes the pen look more ordinary and less weaponized than it needs as opposed to something that requires screwing down. After all, what regular pen uses a screw down cap? And looking less like a weapon means its also less noticeable and less likely to be regarded as a threat. And being less noticeable is one of the main reasons for getting a tactical pen in the first place.

Another big plus for the cap friction retention system is now you can actually snap the cap on the other side of the pen like any regular writing instrument.

Nice balanced look. In a pinch the pen could also probably double as a dulo dulo.

Why a tactical pen?
Different people will have different answers to this question. For me it boils down to one simple thing: legality. In most parts of the world, at least in places where weapons are needed most, it is usually illegal to carry a bladed weapon or a firearm. Pepper spray would be another viable alternative if permitted by law (I also carry one), but in some places even this is restricted as well. Being legal means a tactical pen can be on my person always.

For me the tactical pen is the perfect weapon for someone wishing to be discrete. It’s also an impact weapon making it easier to use. Used to deliver hammer blows to pressure points, it is definitely more versatile than brass knuckles which require hits to the head area for maximum effect. Aside from being able to smash skulls, the tactical pen would be equally effective to strikes to the head, arm, hands, throat, abdomen, sternum, the list goes on.

Hammer strikes are the way to go with a tactical pen.

Oh and one more thing, the pen (which takes Parker refills) writes well too.

Last timepiece for the decade

2009-12-28T15:36:00.010+08:00

A day after Christmas, I got myself a yellow dialed Seiko 5 Sports with model number SNZG87K1 from Citizen Emporium over at Avenida. My last watch for the first decade of the 21st century.

After first seeing this thing a couple of months ago, it was simply love at first sight. The PVD treated casing and black accented hands were perfect for the yellow dial. It seemed to spring right at you!

The Z22 rubber diver's strap complements the overall design quite well.

The PVD treated buckle gives a nice "tactical" feel to the timepiece.

The military-inspired stenciled numerals, rectangle indices, knurled bezel and crown rounded off the tactical look of the SNZG87K1.

It may not be tritium, but Seiko Lumibrite will not disappoint.

Like most Seiko watches, this fine looking timepiece also deserves a nickname. Lemme see, tactical PVD treatment, military font indices, commando-inspired look, I think I'll call it the Seiko Yellow Devil.

The Samsung B2100: tough and disaster proof

2009-12-14T10:33:00.020+08:00

Millenarian nonsense aside, one thing is for certain, natural disasters of ever increasing severity and frequency are on the rise. So, hope for the best but prepare for the worst is what I say, which is why I recently trooped to Greenhills and traded in a couple of my old unused Sony Ericsson Phones for a Samsung B2100 Xplorer. This isn't a full enumeration of the features of the Xplorer. If you're after that, read all about it here. This is about stuff I like about the phone.

The B2100 Xplorer (Marine as it is known in South Asian markets) is Samsung's latest foray into the rugged phone market. Prior to the Xplorer Samsung released the B2700 earlier this year. It was the spitting image of the Xplorer and one would be hard pressed to spot the external differences, but look deeper and you'll see that the differences are more than just cosmetic. The B2700 sports 3G connectivity, while the Xplorer merely has EDGE. The camera was also downgraded from 2MP on the 2700 to a mere 1.3MP on the Xplorer. It also lacks a compass, pedometer, and altimeter, unlike its older relation.

Apparently devoid of a lot of the B2700's features, is there anything new that the Xplorer brings to the table? Something new? An advantage perhaps? The answer is yes, the Xplorer may lack some features but it has an innocuous, albeit, very important advantage over the B2700: a back door lock.

Torture tests conducted by GSMArena.com on the B2700 revealed one potentially fatal design flaw. The back portion of the B2700 tended to pop off during certain tests. The phone did survive since these tests were conducted in a dry environment. But if the lid popped off during a typhoon, think: catastrophic failure. The Xplorer's lock definitely puts my mind at ease.

The Xplorer is also relatively cheaper than the B2700, a direct result of dumping 3G and those other apps. But perhaps the biggest advantage of the Xplorer is it's battery life. Rated at 600 hours stand-by time and 9 hours talk time,it's almost twice the performance of the B2700! A commmon complaint on the B2700 was it's miserable battery life. Most likely the altimeter/compass/pedometer were energy guzzlers.

So, was the trade off worth it? Definitely! The Xplorer's lack of features may have turned into what others may see as nothing more than a waterproof and shock proof basic phone, but for most users like me, this is exactly what we are looking for. Besides, if I find myself in an outdoor activity, I'd probably be wearing my Suunto Vector so I wouldn't need another digital compass or altimeter. Specially one which might suck the life out of my only lifeline with the outside world.

Basic, basic, basic. If you're looking for a phone with a built-in TV or microwave oven, look elsewhere. The Xplorer is a basic phone. B-A-S-I-C. Which is why I love it!

So, is the Samsung Xplorer all that it's cracked up to be? I haven't intentionally flung it against the pavement nor do I intend to, but I did accidentally drop it on our tiled dining room floor from a height of about 1 meter. It landed on it's bottom (ouch!) and upon inspection, no damage was noted. In the old days a drop like that would have seriously damaged or even killed a Nokia 8210. Not so with the Xplorer, built like a Tiger Tank, it just shrugged off the assault.

Another thing I absolutely love about the Xplorer is its Mil-Spec (military specification) water resistance. It may be just for 1 meter and for only 30 minutes, but considering that most phones won't survive being exposed to rain, that's plenty.

By the way, I think the 1 meter/30 min. thing is the limit of its standards ((IP57, MIL-STD-810F) ratings. If one were to push it even further, I think the Xplorer would still survive with flying colors. And how, you may ask do I plan to "push things even further"? Well, for starters I plan to use this as an underwater camera on my next visit to the pool this summer. The built-in camera functions with ease even underwater! No need to buy a dedicated underwater housing for my digital camera.

Hmm. So this is how a goldfish sees the world from inside that bowl.

Speaking of photos, the Xplorer takes decent enough photos. Better than I'd expected, but it could have been better.

For actual sized pic, click here. Like most (if not all) mobile phones, there is some smudging of fine detail but hey, I didn't buy this to replace my DSLR. Good enough for swimming pool use. One small thing which disappointed me was the lack of EXIF data in photos. Come on Samsung, no EXIF data?! You can do better than that. How about a fix in a software update?

Finally, one more noteworthy feature worth mentioning is the Xplorer's built-in flashlight (torch to folks from the Commonwealth). Definitely brighter than those found in Sony Ericsson or Nokia phones, I estimate the brightness to be around 6 lumens.

I arrived at this figure after comparing it to my Fenix L2D flashlight's minimum output level of 9 lumens. 6 lumens of a purplish LED beam may seem paltry to flashoholics like me, but in real world use that's plenty and should satisfy most folks. An added bonus is the lanyard hole which sits in the middle of the top portion of the phone. Unlike most mobiles the Xplorer's sizable lanyard hole is large enough to fit parachute cord. Nice going Samsung!

This isn't my first rugged phone, I used to own a Nokia 6250 before it was stolen from me eight years ago. This isn't definitely going to be my last. Mobile phones no matter how tough are in the end, still disposable items. Nothing we can do about it, it's just the way things are. For now, the Xplorer serves my needs, and that is all that matters.

Disasters: Real and Imagined and why 2012 is the new Y2K

2009-11-26T14:18:00.011+08:00

It's been a while since I've been able to update my blog. And since my rather long hiatus a lot has happened. Typhoon Ondoy hit the country like a brick last September 28. In a country continually battered by tropical storms Ondoy seemed just like another run of the mill rain maker. But as the morning of September 28 wore on, everyone including me, was taken completely by surprise.

I had to abort a trip to the mall and walk home from Pasig to Taguig as a result of the flooding. Taguig hadn't seen a flood like this in 10 years. But we had it easy, Pasig, Marikina and most of Rizal were utterly devastated.

We hunkered down and resigned ourselves to the fact that just like in the past, this flood was going to take months to dissipate. Taguig has had a long history of flooding. In the meantime, Duke who was experiencing a flood for the very first time, had a little fun from this odd and novel experience.

But lo and behold, barely a week later the flood was gone! As quickly as it arrived, it disappeared just like that. What a pleasant surprise! Turns out that since the last flood a decade earlier a vast array of anti-flood countermeasures were put in place for an eventuality like this. This foresight on the part of City planners proved its worth. Other towns were not so lucky. They had to endure this water borne hell for a couple of months more. A slew of typhoons then hit the country shortly after Ondoy bringing even more misery. Its now late November 2009 and hopefully we've seen the last of the great disasters for now.

Or have we? Ondoy and the flood made me think of the last deluge in Taguig 10 years earlier and of predictions of disaster made back then. A disaster which they said would happen midnight of December 31, 1999.

A decade earlier, the headlines were filled with foreboding and predictions of impending doom and disaster. Not about stories of typhoons and flooding in Taguig, but about something entirely different. In 1999, the world witnessed what has been described as the hoax of the millennium: the Y2K Bug hysteria.

It was impossible to ignore the doomsayers back then. Y2K in all its insidious forms was everywhere, on TV, in newspapers and magazines, on talk shows, there were even a couple of B-grade movies trying to cash in on the hysteria. Office memos were filled with warnings on Y2K. We at Philippine National Bank's Corporate Affairs Office were even tasked with making a handbook about Y2K. "Laughable" is what I and the boys at the Corporate Affairs Office called this whole nonsense. But we were but a very small minority in what was an orgy of Y2K madness. Everyone wanted in on this spree of Y2K kool aid drinking.

And where were the information technology or IT professionals during this time of need? The one group of people who could have possibly brought some much needed perspective on this whole affair and stepped on the brakes when things were starting get out of hand? Sadly most of them were in on the scam as well. And why wouldn't they be? Considered nerds and geeks, they now suddenly found themselves in the role of saviors of the world, transformed into a cabal of priests who would save us from something we didn't understand. It was a role they were only too happy to oblige. Of course it didn't hurt that they could also earn a bundle by hyping the problem. What kept the scam going was the fact that very few people knew about computers and as such had no idea they were being taken for a long and very expensive ride.

January 1, 2000 came along and surprise, surprise! Nothing happened. The scammers all patted each other on the back and exclaimed loudly how good a job they did in preventing total world collapse. Really? If that were true how come countries, companies, and institutions who ignored or failed to undertake Y2K "compliance measures" emerged completely unscathed? Saying Y2K compliance was effective is like arguing the effectivity of alien repellent spray (See, no aliens!).

10 years after Y2K, it looks like some folks are at it again.

This time, people are getting worked up on the Mayan Long Count calendar and how supposedly, the world will come to an end in 2012. There's even a big budget disaster movie of the same name about this event.

But unlike the IT scam meisters of 10 years back , 2012 director Roland Emmerich and his pals at Columbia Pictures aren't saying this is an actual prediction of things to come. Heaven's no! There is money to be made in sequels and the world actually coming to an end would definitely put a damper on future profit margins. This is strictly for entertainment purposes only. A little suspension of belief if you will. Remember the root word here is entertainment. Nothing wrong in making a little (or in this case, a lot) of money in the name of entertainment. However, it's a different case entirely if you go down the Y2K scammers route and pass it off as real. Now that is criminal.

Perhaps you're saying, no way the world isn't going to fall for a scam like that again, or, it's never going to happen again. Wrong on both counts. In 1938, a young Orson Welles narrated a radio adaptation of H. G. Wells' science fiction classic War of the Worlds. What ensued after the broadcast was pure mass hysteria. Some folks actually believed that the Earth was really being invaded by Martians!

But this doesn't end there. In 1949 a radio station in Quito, Ecuador broadcast a Spanish-language version of Welles' 1938 script. Hard to believe but once again panic ensued which led to widespread riots in Quito. Unfortunately some Ecuadorians had to pay for this hysterical outburst with their lives during the ensuing riots.

Today, even our so-called modern and sophisticated mass media society can all too easily fall prey to anyone with something to sell. After Y2K, another example would be the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Fox News utilized the Orson Welles' technique to great effect fooling a lot of people into believing Iraq was a threat and that they had WMDs. Surprise, surprise! Just like Y2K, that turned out to be a lot of fertilizer as well. 2012 is still a couple of years off and you can be sure someone, somewhere is going to try to pull a fast one on us again with predictions of doom, and promises of salvation... all for a nominal fee of course.

So how can we guard against these false prophets? With the best weapon of all: our brains. A little critical thinking now and then can do wonders. Doubt is your friend. Besides with so many natural and man-made disasters around us, from raging typhoons to mass murdering politicians, who needs fake disasters?

And finally, a little food for thought: If the Mayans could really see the future, how come they never predicted the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors? Not even a hint?

Globe Duo for yours truly!

2009-07-26T11:31:00.028+08:00

At long last, I finally put an end to my PLDT landline woes thanks to Globe's new Duo "landline" service. What Globe has done is quite simple: they assign Duo subscribers with a new number which for all intents and purposes functions 100% like a regular landline. So now a Duo subscriber's mobile phone has two numbers assigned to it: their regular mobile number, which doesn't change, and a brand new one which a subscriber could use, one-to-sawa to call regular landlines within Metro Manila. No limits, no per call crap, just knock yourself out and call as much as you want.

For postpaid users, a flat rate of P399 for 30 days is charged on top of existing subscription charges. Prepaid users have a choice between P25 per day, P450 for 30 days, P125 for 5 days or P350for 14 days, charged to one's load. The so called lock-in period for the service also seems reasonable enough. Instead of the usual year or two, subscribers only have 90 days (roughly 3 months) lock-in for the service. Pre-termination fee is P1,200 for prepaid subscribers.

The subscription plan, which currently is also offered to Cebu residents, also allows unlimited access to Cebu-based landline numbers. Unfortunately, subscribers in the Metro and Cebu can't do any crossover calling with each other. The service is limited to the subscribers' respective geographical areas. All calls made to landline numbers outside their respective coverage areas, the mobile account kicks in and one is charged the usual rates.

I've had my Duo subscription for a couple of weeks now and so far I'm quite satisfied with the service. All of the calls I've made have gotten through and likewise, most of the folks who in turn call my number experienced no connection difficulty or problems. So far so good. Voice clarity was also surprisingly good, maybe not superior, but not any worse from a regular mobile phone call's audio quality.

A happy ending? I sincerely hope so. However... oh boy here it comes... In my opinion this could all change once Duo starts eating up on the subscriber base (read: profits) of major telcos like PLDT. Full disclosure: I've never been a fan of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company. For as long as I could remember their service has been nothing but craptastic to the max. I won't give a blow-by-blow of how rotten their service was (past tense yeah!) suffice to say their service sucks big time. Good riddance to bad garbage.

In my opinion we can probably expect a directly proportional increase in Duo's "connectivity problems" with PLDT as Duo's subscriber base also increases.

So why not fight fair and simply come out with a similar plan. Copy-and-paste and call it something else, "PLDT Twosome" or something like that. Or better yet PLDT could let their subsidiary Smart handle it. Smart would just love to go head-to-head against Globe and take them on at their own game. In a stand up fight they probably would win too.

Here's the thing, I don't think they can unleash a Smart copy of Duo. Why? Because it would directly compete with PLDT's own mobile offerings. Namely PLDT's Landline Plus and Call All. So, what's wrong with these PLDT offerings? Nothing, unless you find it ok to lug around those truly laughable handsets and look like a complete dork. Then there's the fact that Landline plus also means plus more money to spend: P600 and still unlimited. Call All on the other hand although offering unlimited calls, has a lock-in period of two years. Then there's the Call All "Phone". Be prepared to be questioned regarding the wisdom of bringing the TV remote out of the house.

So, is Duo the best thing since sliced bread? Not exactly, like all things its bound to have its drawbacks. Here are a few I can think of. If you want to make it your landline replacement, then you'll need to leave it at home. But then again you could buy a new prepaid Duo SIM. So now for rougly the same amount as a regular PLDT line you would now have two landline phones armed with unlimited calling each. Then there's the question of battery-life and usage. The more you use, the more you're likely to end up with a dead phone by the end of the day. Common sense solution: a back-up battery. How about this one: more mobile phone use = more likelihood of cancer, restless leg syndrome, mild Hulkism, migrating genitals and braintooth, or whatever else. You know what? If you think this is a problem, then you shouldn't be owning a mobile phone in the first place!

I don't know about you folks but I'm sold. Adios PLDT landline, hello Globe Duo!

The WiFi detector

2009-03-10T10:27:00.008+08:00

Recently got this real handy gadget from Cd-r King: a pocket WiFi detector.

Selling for P280 (March 2009 price), its about the size of a disposable cigarette lighter. Features 3 green LEDs which light up in relation to the WiFi signal strength. One green LED for a weak signal while 3 indicates a strong one. A single red LED will light up if there is no signal at all.

This thing is perfect for laptop and netbook owners. Use this to check an area for a signal. Finding one, you can then proceed to bring out your portable PC. This gadget could save you a whole lot of trouble. Starting up your portable PC only to find that there is no signal to be had can be quite frustrating!

Disadvantages: it won't indicate if the WiFi signal is password protected or not. You'll have to find that out the old fashioned way by trying to log on the network. And since this only detects WiFi signals, it won't tell you anything about internet availability. For all you know the signal it could be receiving are from a WiFi router used to merely connect devices locally sans internet. A rare possibility to be sure but a possibility nonetheless.

Still, it can be quite a time saver. Imagine all the effort you could have saved when you brought out your portable PC in the hopes of surfing the net only to find... nothing.

Say hello to my little friend: the Astone UMPC

2009-02-09T14:46:00.022+08:00

A novel concept a decade ago, "Wireless Fidelity" or WiFi for short is now an everyday reality with hotspots sprouting in various locations all over the country with even more on the rise.

Being the gadget freak that I am, I really wanted to cash in on this mobile internet revolution. But how to do it without breaking the bank? Smart phones, though truly portable and useful are just too expensive (at the time of this writing anyway). The next option would have been the iPod Touch, small and portable it would've been perfect. What held me back though was the presence of my current iPod, the 1st Gen Nano. Given to me by my father 3 years ago, it still works great and serves me well. I wasn't really in the market for a new iPod.

Then a co-worker introduced me to a whole new class of gadgets which hitherto were unknown to yours truly: the netbooks, also called ultra mobile personal computer or UMPC for short. Liliputian in size, these netbooks aren't dumbed down PCs or tablets, these are full fledged personal computers using the exact same operating system or OS of their larger brethren. In short, they were very small laptops. And the best part, a lot of these netbooks sell for less than PHP10,000 (February 2009 prices). Cheaper than a mid-tier mobile phone or a PSP!

After considering several models like the Blue H1 I finally settled for the Astone UMPC seen here with my mobile phone to provide scale.

I won't go into a highly technical description of the Astone UMPC. For the nuts and bolts aspect of the Astone, check out it's product website here.

So, why so cheap? Some credit the use of a non-Intel processor: the Via C7-M. Incidentally, the 2 netbooks to breach the less than PHP10,000 mark, the Blue H1 and Astone, use this processor.

Aside from helping to bring the price down, it has also reputed that the Via processor also uses far less power than it's Intel counterpart, which directly translates into longer battery life.

The Astone is a fairly simple netbook. Mine is currently running on Windows XP, Service Pack 2 and everything works as it should. It is WiFi-capable and also sports a wired LAN option. On its right side are 2 USB ports, an ethernet port, exhaust vent and a mic and earphone inputs.

Although it has a built-in mic I've noticed that for "best results" it's sometimes best to use an external one.

The left side finds a DVI port, even more exhaust vents and an SD/MMC-Sony Memorystick card reader. Too bad it doesn't sport a CF card reader. That would've proven handy for us DSLR users. Fortunately, this is nothing an external card reader won't fix.

Another added bonus is the Astone's interchangeable module slot on the right side of the screen. Which theoretically at least could be kitted out with anything from a GPS unit to a bluetooth phone. The default device is a webcam, which I may add works quite well.

Unfortunately, as of press time, no other devices (BT phone, GPS, etc.) can be had. So for now you'll have to make do with the webcam. Speaking of bluetooth, the built-in bluetooth also works quite well. I use to sync my Sony Ericsson K530i with the freeware MyPhoneExplorer . Absolutely sweet, you can send SMS, transfer files and even answer calls through your Astone. Sure you could get a bluetooth dongle from CDr-King but trust me, it won't work. My desktop has one and although you can transfer files, you can forget about answering/sending SMS. It's not going to happen.

The final layer of icing on the Astone cake: it's touchscreen capability. Quite a handy utility given the miniscule trackpad located in front of the keyboard. Caucasians with their oversized fingers will probably find the trackpad next to impossible to use. Enter the Astone's stylus. Point and clicking was never this easy. For best results though you should use a bluetooth mouse or one of those which sport a retractable cord.

I find Surfing the net with the Astone to be an adequate experience. It's no great shakes given its 800 x 480 default screen size but it's definitely better than squinting and scrolling on an iPhone or iPod Touch.

Gaming, though no great shakes is passable with the Astone. Classic time wasters like Zuma work fine.

However, you can forget about playing Left4Dead or any hardware intensive games on the Astone. It's not what this gadget was built for so quite predictably, it's not going to work. Older games like Counterstrike and Starcraft work flawlessly. I've even read that some users playing Warcraft III and DOTA on theirs.

So should you rush to your nearest electronic gadget store and grab an Astone UMPC? Not so fast. This device is not without its flaws and there are some really notable ones. First and foremost is it's Via Processor. It may be inexpensive and some say even perfect for a netbook (given it's low power consumption) but it is never going to come close to an Intel-based processor in performance. Maybe in the future Via can come up with something at par with an Intel, but not in this current form. It can be slow.

Another drawback to the Astone is its rather slow hard drive speed. At 3600rpm, you won't be breaking any speed records with this one. Some find the slowness of the hard drive simply infuriating. But then again, these folks are probably expecting desktop-level performance. If you are one of them, then stay away from the Astone and save yourselves from a world of hurt and aggravation.

It's best to know what you're getting into with an Astone UMPC, and that is an ultra portable bluetooth-enabled, touchscreen surf and chat machine. It's what this was built for, it's what it does best.

The Zuiko 35mm f3.5 Macro

2009-02-04T09:41:00.000+08:00

The world of the very small has always held a special interest for me as a photographer. One of the first things I always check when handling a new digital camera is it's macro mode. But not all macro modes are created equal. To get really good macro pics, one needs to use a lens specially designed for that purpose. Sure you could get by with a kit or standard lens, but if you feel the need to rise above the mediocre, then a dedicated macro lens is the way to go.

Enter the Zuiko Digital 35mm f3.5 Macro lens. Bought it at the recent Photoworld Manila tilt in Glorietta and has been a constant companion with me for the last couple of days.

I was pleasantly surprised to find it quite light compared to my 17.5-45mm kit. The manual describes it as having a configuration of "6 groups, 6 lenses" and is capable of a shooting range of "0.146 m(0.5ft) to ∞(infinity)". The lens itself is fairly recessed except when the 1:1 zoom is engaged, then it goes forward, but not to the outer section of the barrel. It's still fairly recessed so as not to warrant the need for a protective filter (which degrades image quality to a significant degree).

As I mentioned earlier, I've only had this lens for a couple of days and I'm still learning the ropes so to speak, but I'm beginning to really love it! It's like a whole new world of photography just opened before my eyes... literally!

Yup, for me the world of the very small got better!

A visit to Ark Avilon, Ortigas

2009-01-13T14:17:00.000+08:00

Since early 2008, I've been hearing about this supposed mini zoo right in the middle of Ortigas in Pasig City. Called the Ark Avilon, it first gained my attention after a supposed incident involving one of the creatures accidentally biting a visitor made the usual e-mail rounds. I think it arrived with a batch of Microsoft is giving away millions chain e-mails so I paid scant attention to it. Months passed and since then, nothing but good reviews was heard about Ark Avilon, so last December 30, 2008 Duke and I decided to pay a visit ourselves.

The place was easy enough to find. It was right beside this humongous children's playgound facility in the Tiendesitas - SM Hypermart area. By the way, this playgound is also worthy of it's own dedicated visit one of these days.

Oh, and before I forget, right from the onset, our trip almost ended in disaster (well at least for me anyway). It was only after arriving that I realized I forgot to bring a camera! Oh the humanity! I wasn't planning on bringing my DSLR (next time I will), but I even forgot to pack my trusty Fuji F50fd. Major bummer. Luckily though my Aiptek AHD200 camcorder had still photo capabilities so that's what I used for most of the day. Even my mobile phone, a 2 megapixel Sony Ericsson K530i was suddenly pressed into active service. Better than nothing I figured. Actually, the first two images in this entry are from my mobile phone.

Anyway, back to our trip. Camera or not, Duke had an absolute blast! In my opinion the P200 entrance fee was worth every penny as far as we were concerned (your mileage may vary he he). Being an animal lover he was thrilled at the opportunity of directly interacting with these beautiful creatures. He's been to the Manila Zoo in the past but nothing came close to the level and quality of interaction he experienced here.

This bird isn't your run of the mill chicken.

Up close and personal with a primate.

Not just something on TV anymore, a real live donkey!

Sheeps and lambs have always held a special place in Duke's heart, courtesy of those Serta plush toys his grandfather sent him. A chance to finally meet some real sheep was a great experience for him.

I must admit though, that I had mixed emotions over my Ark Avilon experience. On the one hand, it made me happy seeing my son enjoying his visit to the "Ark", interacting with the creatures he saw. We spent the greater part of the day there since he simply couldn't get enough of the place. Which makes a return visit a given.

But on the other side of the coin, I couldn't help feel a twinge of sadness seeing majestic animals like these big cats cooped up in such a confined space. I'm no biologist, but I don't think these animals were ever meant to live this way.

Maybe this beautiful fowl (which by the way was free to roam the Ark), crocodile, fluffy bunny rabbits or fish won't mind, but I'm sure not all of the other creatures feel that way.

There are a number of ways I could probably justify this situation. Phrases like, "at least the animals are well cared for", (which they are) can make up for any pangs of guilt one might feel. Or maybe "they don't have to worry about predators or food". Let's also throw in a "they educate humans about the animal kingdom". All well and good except for one small detail: I doubt if any of these creatures chose to be where they are right now. In all likelihood a human made the choice for them.

At any rate it is a difficult conundrum, and one which will not be resolved any time soon. If there is any consolation to this story, it is that the creatures who currently call Ark Avilon home are treated the best way possible, well at least by Philippine standards.

And on the subject of Philippine standards, maybe we could also think of these wonderful creatures as sort of entertainers who are just trying to make a living. Whether they're being exploited in the process is another matter entirely. Perhaps this charming little Hill Myna (Gracula Religiosa) could give us a little insight on "entertainment" and "exploitation". Why don't we hear what it has to say?

First day at work for 2009

2009-01-05T16:37:00.000+08:00

The final weeks of December 2008 were specially good for the Pinoy worker. A lengthy two week vacation to top off the year. Not to mention it was Christmas! A great time for all (well, almost all).

But sadly, like all great vacations it eventually had to end. And now it's time to confront the sobering reality of trudging back to work and facing what could be one of the bleakest years in recent memory. Let's hope it turns out better than what the experts predict. The road ahead is going to be a long one that's for sure. Let's just be thankful we have work to trudge back to.

New Year's Eve 2009 Fireworks

2009-01-04T16:18:00.000+08:00

It is often heard at New Year's Eve celebrations that "last year's was better..." The good-old-days syndrome, when the past was always better than the present. Always.

And if the doom sayers are even partially right about this economic recession (or should I say, depression), then you don't need to be a Nostradamus to predict that this year's fireworks display will most certainly be better than the next.

Spectacular displays like this may prove to be simply a reminder of better times in the not too distant future. Let's enjoy it while we can.

Speaking of enjoyment, I really got a blast (pun intended) from my neighbor's fireworks that mimicked an effect from the movie Platoon. It sure looked like the tracer effect (was the film trying to mimic tracers?) in the last battle scene.

The "Platoon" Effect from Charlie Laigo on Vimeo.

The Lambency Golden White "Lightsphere"

2009-01-04T15:32:00.000+08:00

Another made in China knock-off of an extremely popular photographic tool. Costing a mere P750 to P800 in Hidalgo, Manila, it is definitely much more affordable than the $200++ original Gary Fong version.

Labelled as the Golden White Lambency Flash Diffuser it is probably named so because it comes with an amber (golden) and white dome. Not very imaginitive these knock off makers he he.

So, does it work? It does!

The light is diffused and much more evenly distributed compared to a direct head-on flash exposure.

However, it is not without it's drawbacks. For starters, it does look like a cup of instant noodles landed on top of your flash.

Seriously though, the danged thing is quite heavy and if you're flash's head isn't rigid enough (like my Sunpak 383) then it does tend to droop if not held correctly. I would hesitate to use this in a wedding though, it's too heavy for my 383. Then again, it would look much better than using this on your flash: