Dreams

i had a dream. i dreamt that i was back with my ex-girlfriend. i felt alive, free, and thrill, i guess that was what i felt back then, so much younger, nothing to worry, just feeling alive. But then, i saw my youngest daughter at a distant. She's running around, playful, just like she is today. I put my arms forward as if i'm about to hug her, but she didn't see me, i was invisible, i realised i was not able to meet her, play or talk to her, i seem to not exist, all this life i knew, i took for granted, is now gone. I was terrified. I'd give my life to be back with my family. I knew what's going on between me and my ex are just flings. I realised i took this life for granted. i was devastated.

And then i woke up. I was next to my wife and my daughters.

I've never been so grateful in my life.

AVCHD fail!

I hate AVCHD. it sucks! not the format or qualities, just the file structure. I hate the fact that i had to copy the whole "private" folder so my Final Cut Pro will be able to preview the file. or read the file. its unlike VGA or MPG file, where i can just copy just like how i copy jpegs. I just format my SD card, assuming i copied everything because i already imported all those JPGs into lightroom. I was on auto pilot, and i dont know what happen to me that day but my fingers just easily formatted the SD card, very confident that i copied everything (because i already imported all into lightroom). Wrong! usually i'm not the type to delete or format everything quickly, even the SD cards that i used for my italy trip which was 7 months back, has yet to be formatted but that day.... just with a flick of a finger, format the Singapore trip's SD card. take some new pictures and get on with life. and then i realised that i havent copy the "private" folder. i have all the JPGs but not the videos, the AVCHD videos, if only i was recording in MPGs then my ass is saved but no...its AVCHD and its gone forever. i guess its meant to be. why would i format the card? im not that type. i guess its meant to be. I know its human error. Everything in life is human errors. but still the file structure is inconvenient. I love my Sony Rx100iii but that inconvenient avchd file structure just make me feel like selling it! like i said, i should just get the iphone6plus where i wont be accidentally formatting everything. yes yes yes its human error, im the dumb one. not sony's fault, its my fault but still inconvenient is inconvenient. i guess its meant to be gone. Gone are the videos i took for my Singapore trip. i'm not so much of a video guy. but still a lost is a lost. I've tried all the recovery files program out there and i'm out of luck. The best of the bunch i guess is photorec. Even that cant saved my ass. I believe its gone because i've used the SD card to take some new pictures, its overwriting the header and stuff... thats too technical. Well.... i guess time will heal my wounds.

Look what i got for my Happy Meal!!

My M9 is here! Just one week after i got my M8. Where the hell are my frikkin lens? i need to shoot now! Should have ordered my lens from the US rather than Hong Kong. So close and yet so far.

Should have taken out the orange label. its super distracting! looks like the M8 is sexier than the black M9. but something about the black and its vulacanite that just look super gorgeous. i just need to have both colors. lol

Happy new year.

Whats the plan two thousand fifteen?

So i got the Leica bug. Suddenly i feel like i wanna take pictures now. My passion is mode ON now. So i'm thinking i wanna set out on an adventure, depends on the budget and bring my Leica with me. I'm thinking of visiting to neighbouring countries which in the first place i had no intention of going. Countries that i never step foot on. I'm going on a solo trip so theres no stroller to push, no need to wait for someone, i'm just minding my own business, just go with the flow, where my legs will bring me. ya know, just exploring the place all by myself and at the same time take pictures. I got the green light from the wife and all i need to think is budget. I'm thinking of countries like Vietnam, Taiwan, Shanghai, or maybe Myammar, Cambodia, just countries that are closed by and like i said depends on budget. Just at the weekends, so that i dont need to spend my work leave. I'm also in the process of buying "something", i wont tell you what but it needs a lot of $$$, so thats like a big stumble block for this adventure. So far i have set Singapore and Vietnam. I've never been to Vietnam. So i'm pretty excited on that one. I need to do something different in Singapore. Need to explore other parts than what i usually do. Need to get out of my comfort zone. but also need to make sure that its safe. i dont want to get mug. Probably going to New Orleans but thats very unlikely. Its almost January now and New Orleans must be January. I'll be checking other destinations for my solo Leica adventure. Maybe Bali....

I'll bring my Leica for these trips. Probably the Leica M9, which is as we speak on its way here. I hope both Leicas are in great taking photos condition. After reading a lot of issues in the forums just freaked me out but still i want the Leica.

I'm looking for the ultimate lens. I dont wanna lug around bag full of lenses. or maybe i will since i'm on a solo trip. no kid's bags to bring, no kid's ipads to bring, no stroller to bring, you get the idea. i told you i ordered the Voigtlander 40mm 1.4. what i haven't told you is that i also ordered the 15mm 4.5 II. So that pretty much covered the wide angle and a bit of telephoto. So i am looking for in the middle. and preferably fast and pancake size. im thinking of shooting wide at night. with the 15mm, at 4.5, thats probably a headache for the M9, i haven't test it but based on stories, reports, its not Fujifilm's ISO.

Something in the middle, between 15mm & 40mm. fast, small pancake size. Is there such a lens?  I was thinking of the 28mm at f2.8 because it will be smaller than at f2. Leica 28mm elmarit cost like a used M8. A voigtlander ultron 28mm f2 looks kinda bulgy on the Leica. I've decided to get the Zeiss 28mm f2.8 but its kinda rare on Ebay. IF there is one it cost just like the elmarit. There's a CV 35 1.4 but its kinda bit redundant because i have the 40mm. Only 5mm wide. i really really want a 28mm but theres not much choice. i want a lens that is already an M mount, no need adapters. But then i saw a comparison between 15mm, 18mm and 24mm on the internet. and what a difference 3mm is. not much but still wider. So i'm thinking of the 35mm 2.5 color skopar. Pancake lens, kinda fast than 2.8 but not much wide than the 40mm, so i've decided if i didn't find the Zeiss 28mm distagon, i'll just get the CV35mm color skopar. i hope its not GAS talking.

So here i come Singapore and Vietnam. See you in 2015.

Look what Santa put under the tree!

My Leica M8 is here! in 2014!
Now i just need a lens to go with it.
Funny, my Leica came first, flew all the way from the US instead of my Voigtlander lens that i bought (which the seller is based in Hong Kong). I mean i'm in Asia, literally i'm like 3 hours apart from HK but the stuff from US came first? and i bought the lens first before i bought the M8. talk about world's apart standard.

Oh man, i'm so eager to take my first shot with the M8. I can feel my passion is switch ON mode again!

But as we speak, a certain Leica M9 is on its way here! Gulp!

This blog survives a year!

I have countless of blogs before, and none of them survived in a year, or at least got updated, its still out there in the seas of the internet. But with my new alter ego oobist k noobist, i survived! I finally blogged for a year now, although there are times when i'm too lazy to update this blog more frequent. That was when my passion for photography declining, i mean the artistic and "creatistic" juices are not flowing anymore, its all about the bass, i meant all about the gears, i was thinking too much of gears, GAS... well this is what this blog is about. talking about GAS. but even one time i was lost interest in gears, especially the Fuji X30, Lumix LX100, Pen EM7 and probably the X100T too....thats when i lost interest in writing this blog which pretty much a photography blog i supposed? because thats what i've been talking about for the past year but i wanted to add my personal life event too in this blog so i can read it when i'm 64 and laugh at myself for whatever shit that i posted here. at least theres something i can read about besides photography. Maybe next year i'll start writing more about myself inspired by Bridget Jones Diary that is showing on HBO during christmas time. One year passed just like that, so quick, so dreamy-like, i think i was just blogging about the Fuji X-T1 a couple of months ago but in fact that was already a year. Gasp! Is the world spinning faster? and how did all the clocks in the world sync with it? how did it keep time? One hour felt like 10 minutes. Dont you think? its fast right? and its scary if i think too much of it. Now come 2015....

So what did i do in 2014? Not much i guess.... I sold my X100S to fund my Leica dream even after reading a lot in the forums that these Leicas are not reliable, sensor corrosion issues, LCD break down , i still wanted the Leica, aesthetically they are simply beautiful, even the retro Fujifilms cant touch em.... but reliability, thats where i think Fuji wins. I have 3 Fujis and none of them have yet suffers a major breakdown such as those of Leicas. even after a fall to the ground, remember my X-M1? Although it is kind of unfair to Leica because i have yet to take a picture with it. Soon, my friend, soon! All these reliability talk makes me want the Fuji X100T. or wait for the next iteration X100X. I cant believe the wifi feature of my Sony RX100M3 is so satisfyingly pleasurable. Sending my photos to my ipad mini, really nice to view it in those ipad screen than the LCD of my Sony. 3inch but yet still small and i feel like taking a microscope with me. Now, my favorite camera of all time the X100 series has a wifi feature. all the small things that really makes a world difference. But Leica didnt have all these wifi features but still i stand behind them. I guess i'm a BRAND biased. i'm lost for words.

So now come 2015. Happy new year ya all.

I hate Singapore on Sundays and in December!

It is just so crowded with people! I guess this is gonna happen when there's 4 millions of humans in a small island. A small island that stretches about 60km from east to west. 60km?? thats really small!! I really mind the crowded people as i pushed a twin stroller, i have to avoid strangers legs, scramble for the lift as people are being inconsiderate, its like "I was there first, i pushed a stroller and i need the lift more than you frikking young lazy people, go use the escalator and exercise a bit..do more walking you schmuck!" .... i was frikkin pissed man... in the end i'd prefer pushing my stroller onto the escalator than to race who gets into the lift first. fuck ya all.

Okay, i was really that pissed. Anyway.... Singapore, despite the crowded issues that i had, is still my favourite holiday stops. its nearby to my home country, there's a lot of places to go and do. night's still kinda busy even though its midnite and something something something. i'm just lost for words. i think its shopping shopping shopping. I went to Singapore last October and it wasnt this crowded, so December = black listed. and Sundays is normal to be crazy crowded. This country makes me wanna buy all the stuffs put up on sale. i almost bought the iphone6 plus. but i was also worried that it will replace my Sony RX100iii for everything snap shot. i went to Vegas with just an iphone4 back then. So too Washington. But i want to stick to my reasons when i bought the Sony, telling myself that it is compact enough for my pockets and travel. Well it did fit my pocket and adds a considerable amount of bulge to it and kinda makes my pants heavy too! In the end i prefer to put it in my sling bag although sometimes in my pocket. But i still believe the Iphone is so much better in the pocket. except when it bendgates. Much easier to put it in and take it out of the pocket. i have whatsapp on it, facebook, emails, ebay, and camera!! everything in one device. super cool. I havent bought the iphone6, and i dont really take pictures with my iphone4 anymore because it suck now, it didnt suck when it was still apple's flagship smartphone. So i did use a lot of the Sony for this trip. although there are still times when im too lazy to take it out of the bag.

Anyways, enough ramblings and ranting, let me show you some of my snap photos taken with the Sony RX100iii. I didnt really put much thought on taking the photos, just snap my shots away. creatively, artistically = none! This post was actually about the Sony RX100iii, but when i was writing this post, it remind me of the things that pissed me while i was there lol. The supposed title was "Sony RX100iii, what a little gem this is". All shots are OOC, Auto everything, WB, ISO, Exposure, Everything in Sony's Intelligent mode.

Check out the crowd. and that blind guy got mean blues skillz yo! Makes me wanna pickup my guitar

 Some 3D painting was on display.

 Christmas is around the corner. Santa is everywhere!

 Miss Santa

I love the OOC Colors on this one. Great job Sony. But not so great at being hacked LOL 

 Some boy band singing to the The Beatles 

Universal Studios Singapore 

Glowing Cotton Candy for $7SGD! 

Literally or Figuratively staying here until USS is closed 

I also liked the colors on this one 

 Seriously, not my lip's mark. it was like that when i got it. now that i think of it, could be Barista's lip mark? 

Just one of those time when i need a gondola ride in Singapore. 

The Wifi feature is neat! I can just send all the pictures i took to my ipad mini and look or review the pictures on the bigger screen of the ipad mini and sip a cup of coffee. as you already know they are tons of apps in the app store for picture editing, edit the picture on the ipad and then maybe share it to instagram or facebook if you're that kinda person, who likes to share their life on facebook.

All in all, this is a great travel Camera. Great IQ. Compact. Fit in my pocket. But now that i think of it, the way i just snap all my photos i think i might just get the iphone6. Pity underutilized Sony. or Maybe that is just GAS talking?

So what now!?