Using FullFrame Canon 6D

I went to a missionary trip recently and was tasked as a photographer. With a loan Canon 6D and a 24-70f2.8L lens, I went with my Singapore Team to Pahang Malaysia to minister the Orang Asli Children and support the teaching of Christianity.

Using the DSLR 6D and the L lens, brings me back to my old days when I was using the DSLR before switching entirely to m4/3 system. The DSLR is really made to get the job done! Focus was fast but there are still situation it can't focus(subject with less contrast etc) , ISO can up till 3200 without loss of detail. Bokeh was easy to make with a f2.8 lens. The one and only disadvantage is still the weight and size. Really cumbersome to carry whole day and find a bag to place the camera is also a headache. If I were to add the 70-200mmf2.8, it will be really heavy for travel.

Nevertheless, the output from a Fullframe DSLR is very good.
Here are some photos from the 6D.

What people do in Bukit Brown?

Exploring this cemetery again with my foldie, I saw some horse riders in the cemetery with their horse taking a stroll. . People also jog and bring their dogs for walk inside the cemetery too. Will be great this cemetery can be made into a heritage park instead of clearing it for highway and for housing in the next 40years.

Cycling inside Bukit Brown Cemetery

Since 2011, this Chinese cemetery is in the limelight after our government has announced to build a 8 -lane road cutting across this old cemetery. Many Singapore and nature lovers are concern over the long term effect of this modernization. There are numerous blogs, websites and news dedicated to this lovely site.

For me, after about a year without a bicycle, I decided to buy a used fold able bike recently. This bike is a Dahon Vitesse D7. I brought it to the cemetery and ride the vast open land. After turning from the usual busy Lornie road, this place suddenly bring you to another world. It is so peaceful. I do not personally believe in haunting. People bring their dogs there daily for a walk and the vast greenery is amazing. Wild life like birds are abundant too.

Personally, I think this place should be preserved. I think most Singaporeans or PRs will not bother about this historical place. Concerns over when to buy the next property or which "top" school the children will go are their main worry. Nevertheless, having a old Chinese cemetery in the heart of the city island is something special which no artificial parks like the Gardens by the bay can replace.

The ride around the whole cemetery with hilly slopes is very enjoyable. The total distance on all the paved road is about 5km.

I will continue to explore this place before the destruction comes.
Photo with bicycle are taken by Samsung Note II. The rest are by OM-D Olympus

OM-D after one year

It has been one year since I bought the Olympus OM-D Em-5. I have enjoyed using this camera more than any others I have used during the past few years. To me, it is a "complete" camera, for a person to enjoy photography. Till date, I have shot more than 10K shots. I used it for family outings, Church event shoots, Macro shoots and any other subjects. It is light and small, bringing it out is a no-brainier thing.The image quality is so good, I don't really worry when I tune the ISO to1600 and above. 

I have used Panasonic GF-1, GH1 and G1, Fuji X100, Olympus Ep-2,EPM-1. I have no negative views on OM-D than those earlier mentioned. 

Although there is a EP-5 out now with better spec than OM-D, I still find OM-D has the edge. It has a built in EVF where I do not need to worry if i I remember to put the external EVF in the bag. It is also weather-proof with my 1:1 60mm f2.8 macro.This is important as shooting macro is at outdoor. (putting the camera on wet grasses and slight rain etc)

The AF speed is very fast and the size is still small enough for my waist pouch.

It's EVF and 5-axis stabilizer made my old manual lens come alive. 

At times, I am still tempted to go for DSLR fullframe or even the Fujifilm new X camera (XEM-1 or XPro1), I still feel the  m4/3 system has more than I need to enjoy or to get the job done.

I am wondering what Olympus will design for the next generation of OM-D?

View from Marina Bay Sands (MBS) rooftop

My family were invited to this hotel by my cousin. She was kind enough to bring us up the rooftop of the hotel. This hotel is huge and there is a casino attached. It was packed with visitor today and coincidentally, there was a National day parade rehearsal too. The actual day of the Singapore National Day is 9th of Aug.

Using my OM-D and 20mm or 45mm. All hand-held. This shoot, I used alot of the Olympus built-in ART filter like the Dramatic Filter, Diorama (miniaturist) and POP ART as the lighting was kind of bad that day as there are still some haze looming.

Portrait of the praying mantis

Shot by OM- D and 60mm macro. Simply love the setup. Light weight, sharp, nice Olympus colours. No sweat compared to my old Canon 180mm and DSLR plus heavy tripod to hold heavy equipment.