Not sure how things will go on starting tomorrow but I know that’s exactly what I have to learn. People have to grow up after all.

It is a super nice camera produced at least 20 years ago.  It comes with a 80mm f/2.8 CF lens and an A12 film back (yes, it use 120 films, those very big ones in 6cm x 6cm square size).

It is all mechanical.  It runs forever without a battery.  Of course, that means that it doesn’t have a light meter (ie, you can not tell how bright your photo is and you cannot rely on the camera to set the appropriate shutter and aperture) so I need a separate light meter.  Alternatively, you can use an Apps on iphone to do the job, which I find it surprisingly accurate!

There is no prism in the camera and there is a 45 degree reflecting the image from the lens to the top viewer, which gives you a view like this:

I have been an autofocus guy since 20 years ago when I start photography so this camera really opens up a whole new world of photography to me.  But frankly, I really enjoy taking pictures with it and I find the image it produces are far better than those taken with my digital camera!

The spacious feeling of a camera like this is simply unbeatable by any much more expensive DSLR, NOT EVEN A LEICA S2!! After all, it’s the film / sensor size that matters!

Thanks Joanne and Cooper for giving me the chance to try out my first roll for my new toy!  The rest of the photos are here.

I am sure I can take much better photos after some time when I have mastered this camera!  See the other photos of this little beauty here.

Look at the summary, I’ve made 2 new post in 2010, yet I have got 1,800 views on my blog???  I guess many web surfers find the rest of the internet so boring that they decided to spend their time on my blog, with only 2 updates throughout the year…

Anyway, 2011 will be a very important year in my life.  So why not share my life with you all through here?  After all, with the deteriorating photo quality on facebook, slow loading speed af fotop.net, and the lack of space for me to share my thoughts, this should be a good place for me to hang around!

Oh, how about my travel experience with my beloved, too?

I took Natalie to Tuen Mun at 630 am on 1 Jan 2011 for her best friend’s wedding.  On the way back, I passed through Tuen Mun Highway and found this magnificent scene…

I believe this means something to me (come on, a drive from Robinson Road to Hung Hom and then to Tuen Mun at 6 AM on 1 Jan 2011?? Was I supposed to celebrate on 31 Dec??).  It meant to push me to treasure every moment in 2011.

So here I am again.  Keep browsing my blog and let’s enjoy 2011!

(photo: iphone4, HDR on, Photoshop 3 edited)

P.S.  I love replies  and comments.  I know it is not as easy as “liking” something on facebook.  But typing a few words after reading a post should not take up (or should help killing) much of your time.  So please feel free to drop me a line below!

如果你不知道其作者王迪詩是誰, 請google一下.

根據資料,她是一位28才的女律師, 於某跨國律師行工作.

根據本人的分析及對其文筆的感覺,她是由一位或一班港男/港女按他們對法律界或bobo族的認識而虛構出來的人物.

雖然有點為花了70元買她的著作而後悔,卻又因發現原來以律師的身份吹水都會有市場. 倒不如堂堂正正在此發揮律師的唯一優勢披露一個真正的律師的生活及感受?

We then go to a famous indoor market at Naha City, 第一牧志公設市場.  

We also have our late lunch there, with sashimi and lobster soup…it is not as freshy as I thought though….

Then a short trip to the only shopping outlet in Okinawa.  Well you can see how “interesting” and “attractive” this outlet is…

Dinner time, we follow some local guide book and go to this little shop.  I can say they serve the best ribs in the world.  Have you tried taking a ribs with chopsticks?  It’s mouth droppingly delicious!

See the little napkin with chinese writings?  They cannot speak english so we communicate by chinese characters!

Look at that, see how soft it is!!!

We then go back to our hotel after such a delicious dinner.  By the way, have a look the high tech parking slot machine!

That’s it for Day 5.  See the rest of my photos here: http://www.fotop.net/tamwaikay/okinawa08day5

Not sure whether I should go again this year…

See the whole album here: http://www.fotop.net/tamwaikay/hkflower08

I have been looking for a battery grip for it since I’ve back to Hong Kong, partly because it gives me an extra shutter button when I hold the camera vertically (you will know how important that button is when you shoot a lot of vertical photos like me), partly because it let me run the camera with AA batteries, and partly because it gives the camera a much more pro outlook.

Bad luck, have been searching through the web and many 2nd hand shops and still couldn’t find one.  Someone from dcfever.com is selling it together with the camera at $1,000.00.  I offered $250 for the grip only and I hear nothing from him since then (my offer is not unreasonably low isn’t it?  I mean, how can the grip costs 1/3 of the camera’s selling price?)

Eventually I sought help from Canon.  I left them an E-mail, saying that I am looking for a BP-300, which has been discontinued since 2006.  The next day a lady called me that it’s out of stock.  And then the next next day another lady called me saying that they have found the very last one in their warehouse and I can get it for $610.  All the conversations were conducted in a very friendly and timely manner, no bull shit or rought language used at all (see, I am asking them to find a film products when everyone else is shooting digital and that product itself is discontinued 3 years ago.  I would not be surprised if my request is being ignored).  I am pleased with that.

Yes it may be not worthwhile to buy a brand new battery grip for $610 when my camera only costs me $149 in US.  However, this is the funny thing about buying discontinued photography equipment, you can always increase your luck in locating one by paying more.  I do not mind to spend more on a battery grip at all, because the money I save for using AA batteries instead of those stupid CR@#654$@54654#!@%@#  camera batteries will soon compensate the higher price I pay. 

Plus, I do not have to pray and wait for a reply from the seller from dcfever.  Thanks Canon for such a wonderful service!

Happy photography everyone!

Yet I believe I may going to fail this time, again.

I just can’t figure out the organization, which one is responsible for which type of works, and what particular works one specific department focus on.  I tried to read it but I just couldn’t remember it.  And even if I could remember, I would not know specifically what type of works that section does!  It’s completely out of my expectation to being asked with these kinds of stuff.

I didn’t feel sad for my failure last time.  But this time it’s different.  I did wanna to be selected.  I did at least want to have a second chance.  If I could have better prepared, if I could have performed better.

I also hope my last question didn’t make everything even worse.

I just hate to act like a stupid or an idiot knowing nothing what’s going on in the conference.  I didn’t have this feeling 2 years ago even though I believe I performed even worse than saying nothing.  But this time it’s completely different and I feel so sad about it.

Well it’s gone.  All I can do is having my finger crossed and hope for miracles to happen…