I just bought a new NOKIA 6102 mobile phone. I love it. It is shiny red color with a built in camera that does 640×480 pictures, fun. The main reason I got this model is that it is BLUETOOTH enabled and I am now a firm believer in BLUETOOTH technology. I can walk around with my little BLUETOOTH headset, talking to myself ha ha… No seriously it frees up your hands allowing you to do other things while talking on the phone.

Ok one major complaint with this new phone. The charger plug is one of the new small pin type that is not compatible with the existing series of phones. One of the great thing about NOKIA phones was that all the chargers worked with all the phones.  What were they thinking. I almost took it back to the shop when I found this out, but then I figured that they are probably changing all the new phones to this type of plug, well at least they better be…

I bought a 400D about three weeks ago and I must say that I love it. Let me tell you what I like about it and then you can make up your mind.

My intention was to buy a 5D, but when this camera was announced with the SELF CLEANING SENSOR thing, I thought that maybe I should wait for the new generation 5D that will also have sensor cleaning. From my experience with the 5D and from reading on this forum, the 5D is very prone to dust problems. So I am waiting for the new 5D or whatever they come out with in the mean time. It is Photo-Kina week so lets see…

However having said that, I needed a new camera, I had been shooting with a well used 10D, it has shot close to 100,000 frames and had the shutter replaced once and is about to need to have it done again (Error 99), it is making that funny noise that says ‘I am tired, retire me’…

So the 400D at the very low price it is was the natural choice. Once I get the new 5D?? The 400D will become my backup.

So, now that that is out of the way, let me tell you how it feels to use this camera. It is light, very light always welcome to me and one of the things I love about it. I just shot a five day conference, 12 hour days and I must say the reduction in weight is welcome. I must add, you need to get the optional battery grip to turn it into a real camera, without it is is just too small…
The controls on the back are wonderful and changing between ISO, WB, Meter Mode and Shutter Mode is a breeze and very intuitive, much better than the controls on the 10D, 20D or 5D, it is just very good quick way to change function, and the large display screen is great. I found myself easily switching ISO and WB without even having to look at the screen, very intuitive, I hope they move to this style of mode selection with the next generation cameras. I must say I do miss the dial wheel on the back, I only shoot in full manual and finding and using the Av button to set the aperture is not the easiest.(Does anyone know if it is possible to change the settings so that the aperture is controlled by the shutter wheel next to the shutter, basically switch the functions???)

What else do I like; the display that shows RGB histograms, instead of just the levels, this is great as you can easily judge if you are over exposing skin tones etc… A very useful addition. Also the LCD screen is very good to preview your images, you can zoom right in to see details and check you focus. Ah yes, how could I forget. The focusing.

This 400D focuses and locks on to a focus in a breeze. The 9 point AF works a treat. I love the 10D focus, think the 20D is terrible, the 5D is pretty good, but this 400D takes the cake. Last year I got rid of a 20D as did several of my colleges as the focus mechanism just does not do a good job, especially in low light. Well I am happy to report that the 400D has no such issues. Of the 5000 frames I shot last week at this conference, I would say 99% are focused properly even in low light.

Getting to low light, as with any new camera release it is as yet unsupported for Adobe Camera RAW plug in for CS2… This is a real pain as I had to shoot RAW-L for the whole time I was shooting this job as the stock opportunities are great and I have to have my files in RAW, but I also had to give the client a CD everyday with the shots from that day so… I have 6 flash cards totaling 10GB, I was having to unload them all everyday… I filled the drive on my laptop and had to burn DVs and dump the RAW files so I could unload more. In the end I shot over 30GB of images… (yes I am having fun with the edit)… My point was. I have yet to really see what the level of low light noise is with this camera. I was shooting mostly at 400ISO and with the in camera jpg compression, there is a level of noise that is slightly noticeable, especially on images that are underexposed. Once I have Camera Raw I will be able to comment further, but for now I would say noise is similar to that of the 10D, which is not really that bad.

Last thing. Shooting speed, one of my major complaints with the 10D was the speed that it wrote images to the Flash card, shoot 10 frames and wait a minute for it to write. The 400D is about 100x faster than the 10D. There was only one occasion where I had to wait for it to clear the buffer and I was pretty well shooting continuous. Then I had to wait maybe 10seconds for it to clear and give me another frame, then when I gave it a chance to breath say 30 seconds the buffer was clear. It is not as fast as a 5D by any means, but it is fast enough.

Well, maybe I should right a book, but suffice to say, if you are looking for a great second body, or even a light weight travel body the 400D is a great option and at US$7?? You just can’t beat the price… I am very happy with mine.

Oh, one last thing. It had dust on the sensor when I took it out of the box and shot the first few frames with it. I cleaned it the same way I clean my other cameras (Pec Pads and Eclipse) and it seems to be fine now. I will update you all on this once I shoot some studio stuff with it…

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Update 5 days later after having a look at the shots with Adobe LightRomm Beta, I can see that the low light noise level on this camera is as significant as on the 10D, 20D… At 400 is slightly underexposed conditions there was a significant amount of noise. LightRoom is able to take care of most of it and then launches the images straight into CS2. LightRoom is like Camera Raw, comdined with a very Aperture like interface. First impressions of this very impressive software.

The opening ceremony for the FDI World Dental Congress was something else. We had front row standing as the official photographer for the congress we were able to get some amazing shots of this truely amazing show. Now after seeing this, the opening ceremony for a Dental Congress, I ask myself; what is the opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics going to be like???

So check this out. Today I was watching the rehearsal for the Welcoming Ceremony for the World Dental Congress. The Shao Lin Kung Fu troop are performing. Wow, is this ever a high energy show. I can’t wait until tomorrow when we get to see the real thing.

Anyways, this guy is being held up by 4 spears, for real…

They are part of the WHEEL OF LIFE Shao Lin Monks…

The 2006 FDI World Dental Congress will take place 22-25 September at the SZCEC (Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center) in Shenzhen, China.
FDI World Dental Federation

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We are the official FDI photographer and will be covering this event for the next five days…

Modern dentistry offers a multitude of materials and restorative/ prosthetic options, which can make the selection a complicated task. The dentist must consider which combination of treatment & materials will lead to longevity, optimal esthetics, minimal discomfort and reasonable cost. Current all-ceramic systems hold potential for high esthetics but show some limitations. CAD-CAM technologies employ high strength ceramics, but are these systems superior to conventional ceramo-metal? The course reviews contemporary restorative & fixed prosthodontic treatment methods and innovative materials, examining their correct indications and optimal use. Published success/ failure statistics that may help clinical decision-making will also be presented.

A workshop that helps to discover the potential of the latest CEREC 3D hard- and software. The attendees will make their own first steps in chairside CAD-CAM guided by one of the most experienced CEREC Trainers. Designing biomimetic posterior full ceramic crowns using centric and functionally guided path registrations simultaniously, anterior crowns and laminate veneers as well as ceramic inlays and onlays within minutes participants can test the CEREC 3D system that has revolutionized the dental practice.

A friend of mine is working for this guy who just made a documentary about Sharks. The trailer looks awesome. Hope it gets released here in Hong Kong.

Any ways check it out at SHARKWATER

A couple of days ago we were commissioned to shoot a campaign for a German company called Anycom. They make quality Bluetooth headsets. The weather was not great, grey and cloudy and threatening rain, but in the end it was actually great as the light was very soft and we got some super great shots. Many thanks to Rebecca at Signal  8 models for lending us her swanky Mercedes Benz  and also for arranging our model Amanda. Also a big thanks to Megumi for the hair and makeup. Great team and the results are very nice.

Last week we were asked to photograph the opening of the Exhibition “Dialogue of 8″ at the Rotunda of Exchange Square. Running from now until the 19th of September.

The glass art work at this exhibition is beautiful and if you are into glass art, please check this one out. Here are some photos of the exhibition

Thailand is a country of many wonders from the ornate splendor of the Grand Palace in Bankok, to the natural beauty of the northern hill country, and lets not forget the beaches of the south. Thailand seems to have something for everyone, and everyone seems to be going there. Thailand now get in excess of 20million tourists visiting each year. You can see them all everywhere you go following after their tour guide, snapping away on their little point and shoot cameras. And what are they shooting, Thailand Tourist Travel photos.

http://sdbphoto.com/blog/my-favorite-photos/10-days-in-the-kingdom-of-thailand/ 

Well to have a look at some of our Thailand Travel Tourism Photos click on over to our Alamy Stock Library.

Yesterday we had the pleasure of photographing some Botero sculptures for Opera Gallery in Hong Kong. This piece is called Ballerina and is for sale in Opera Gallery.

Here is what WIKIPEDIA has to say about this artist…

Fernando Botero (born April 19, 1932) is a neo-figurative Colombian artist, self-titled “the most Colombian of Colombian artists.” He strives in all his work to capture an essential part of himself and his subjects through color and form. His work includes still-life and landscapes, but Botero tends to primarily focus on situational portraiture. His paintings and sculptures are, on first examination, noted for their exaggerated proportions and the corpulence of the human figures and animal figures. The “fat people” are often thought by critics to satirize the subjects and situations that Botero chooses to paint. Botero explains his use of obese figures and forms as such: “An artist is attracted to certain kinds of form without knowing why. You adopt a position intuitively; only later do you attempt to rationalize or even justify it.” He is an abstract artist in the most fundamental sense of the word, choosing what colors, shapes, and proportions to use based on intuitive aesthetic thinking. This being said, his works are informed by a Colombian upbringing and social commentary is woven all throughout his work.

This is also the first photo we have published using the new 400D.

Well so much for this fancy SELF CLEANING SENSOR UNIT. Today I had the first opportunity to take my new 400D out and do some work with it. It looks a bit funny with a great hulking 28-80 f2.8L lens on it, but it functions like a dream.  The controls are a bit finiky, you have to hold the AF button and then spin the control wheel to change apperture. For those of us used to having a thumb wheel on the back of the body, this is a bit of a change, but one I have gotten used to using the 350D for the last few months.  With a new SanDisk Ultra II 2 gig card the write time is incredible. The focus works very well and it picks up and locks onto a focus point very easily and the pics I took were all crispy clean, mind you the lens I am using is one of the old series of L lenses that weights a ton, but is also about the sharpest lens I have ever had the pleasure of using, much sharper than the current 28-80 L.

So the only dissappointment was when I got home and downloaded my pictures onto the computer only to find that there were several significant dust spots on all the images. DUST ON THE SENSOR, very dissappointing.

We got a new camera, we got a new camera.  Wow cool man, 10.1 megapixels, 9point AF, Sensor Clean Technology blah blah blah… its nice all the control buttons are black and it just looks pretty cool. At HK $5600 you can’t really go wrong now can you.

It is the same body as the 350 with some slight styling changes. Have yet to put it through its paces.

One thing that really pissed me off is that it is not supported by CAMERA RAW plug in yet, so I cannot open the RAW files in my brand new licensed Photoshop CS2… I am sure they will have the new version out very soon, lets hope…

Brasil’s wine country beautiful land given over to the cultivation of grapes for making wine. Not as big an industry as in other parts of south america notably Chile, but none the less some very good wines produced in this region as well as a thriving tourism industry.

nature crops cropland farmer field yeild grow harvesting harvests planting produce agrarian agricultural bounty agriculture cultivate cultivation Sean David Baylis travelling touristis tour interest learning viniculture producing landscape visitor rural attraction holiday crops cropland farmer field yield grow harvesting harvests planting produce agrarian agricultural bounty agriculture cultivate cultivation travel holidaymaker sightseer excursionist tour tourist traveller travelling sightseeing destination voyage globe-trotter vacation destination attraction tourism trip wander itinerary

A candle and a rose, actually two of each. One to burn now one to burn then.

The passing of a flame, from universe, to universe.

When love is given all is fair. Ye well my sweet grammmaa…

Sean david Baylis