Boaz Wibowo

Canon PowerShot SX20 IS - short review

2009-12-09T11:29:00.009+08:00

Last month I bought a new Canon PowerShot SX20 IS to replaced my 3.5-year-old Olympus Stylus 760 which had had some dead pixel in its sensor. After comparing some mode from various brand, I chose PowerShot SX20 IS simply because of three things: the massive 20X zoom lens, the HD Video capability, and the flash hotshoe which is compatible with any latest Canon Speedlite. Having a huge focal length in one camera is always useful and comfortable, I have an active baby to video-shot, and I own a Canon Speedlite 430EX II.

The appearance of this camera is a bit bulky, barely pocketable and weighs about 560 grams (almost 600 grams inc. batteries). So it is heavy, but it got pounds of features.

Below are some results from Canon PowerShot SX20 IS

Full wide: 28mm equivalent.

Full zoom: 560mm equivalent.

ISO Speeds in lowlight environment, f/5.6, no flash:
Good performance at ISO 80

A little noise at ISO 400

More noise at ISO 800

Lots of noisy and unsharp at ISO 1600

HD Video:
I am very happy with the result. The IS works continously and the Zoom works well during recording. Unlike most digital cameras, you don’t need to switch to movie mode and press the shutter release to start filming. You can press dedicated video button in any mode you are. You can record 1280 x 720 resolution movies at 30 FPS with stereo sound up to 4 GB or 30 minutes per clip (whichever comes first). A 4 GB card will hold about 20 minutes worth of HD Video.

Startup Time:
It is good: two to three seconds only from power on to take the first shot.

LCD Screen:
It is a good thing to have a swivel LCD screen although I almost never use it. Most of the review said that 2.5 inch LCD screen is too small compared to the competitor. But 2.5 inch is enough for me.

Control:
I like the control especially the wheel control. It is similar with the wheel control at EOS xxD and xD series. Although SX20 IS' wheel is smaller, it has cross-key buttons in the middle and the entire disc is pushed up, down, left or right.

Quality:
The image quality is good but it is not comparable to DSLR cameras.

Good points for me:
* Massive 20X range from 28mm wide angle.
* Effective optical Image Stabilization.
* 720p HD video with decent stereo sound.
* Easy zoom during video recording.
* Flash hotshoe and HDMI port.

Bad points for me:
* Not pocketable.
* No battery indicator.
* Only image ratio 4:3 and 16:9 available. No image ratio 3:2.
* Video recorded in unpopular MOV format (Quick Time).
* No soft case or bag provided.

Specs:
* Image Sensor: 12.1 million effective pixels.
* Metering: Evaluative, centre-weighted; spot.
* Sensor Size: 11mm.
* Lens: f2.8-5.7/5-100mm (28-560mm as 35 SLR equivalent).
* Shutter Speed: 15 to 1/3200 second.
* Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps.
* Memory: SD, SDHC, MMC, MMCplus, HC MMCplus cards.
* Image Sizes (pixels): 4000×3000, 3840×2160, 3264×2488, 2592×1944, 1600×1200, 640×480.
* Movies: 1280×720, 640×480, 320×240 at 30 fps.
* File Formats: JPEG, AVI Motion JPEG.
* ISO Sensitivity: Auto, 80 to 1600.
* Interface: USB 2.0, AV, DC input.
* Power: 4AA NiMH or alkaline batteries, AC adaptor.
* Dimensions: 124×88.3×86.9 WHDmm.
* Weight: Approx. 560 g (body only).

Pumpkin's 3rd Swim @Woodsvale

2009-12-07T12:51:00.007+08:00

Kecintaan si pumpkin terhadap air sudah terlihat sejak dia berumur 3 bulan. Dia seperti menemukan dunianya sendiri ketika berendam di ember atau bath-tub. Dia bisa berlama-lama bermain botol plastik atau bebek-bebekan sambil ngoceh sendiri. Karena itu, tiap kali ada kesempatan, kami membawanya berenang. Pagi jam 10 di hari Sabtu yang lalu kami membawanya ke Woodsvale di daerah Woodlands supaya dia bisa berenang di kolam yang besar, sekalian mengunjungi Feeldy, Santo, dan Ganto.

Untuk sesi renang kali ini kami sudah membelikannya pelampung Baby Swim Support merek SwimSafe karena neck float-nya sudah kekecilan. Tapi ternyata dia malah tidak merasa nyaman berada diatas pelampungnya. Dia lebih ceria ketika berdiri sendiri di pinggiran kolam sedalam 0,5 meter. Dia menepuk-nepukan tangannya di permukaan air. Beberapa kali dia kehilangan keseimbangan dan kelelep sebentar. :))

Click here to see more pictures.

Mickey... Cihuiiiii.... cihuiiiii...

2009-11-21T23:58:00.003+08:00

ten-month-old pumpkin

2009-11-14T21:33:00.006+08:00

Sekarang si Pumpkin sudah 10 bulan. Dia mulai menjadi sangat manja dengan si Jontor. Bahkan kalo lagi kumat manjanya, tangisan-tangisannya menggelegar dan panjang. Tidak ada orang lain yang bisa menenangkannya selain si Jontor. Dia juga sudah mulai pasang tampang sedih saat kita pergi kerja. Dan menjadi begitu excited saat melihat kami tiba di rumah.

Sudah tiga hari ini dia selalu terbangun tengah malam dan nangis-nangis, mungkin karena akan tumbuh gigi lagi. Beberapa kali juga dia sangat susah makannya. Jadi kami harus pintar memilih menu yang menggugah seleranya. Selalu saja ada perdebatan apakah si Pumpkin sudah cukup makan atau belum, makanannya enak atau tidak, sampai dia bisa mengatakannya sendiri. :)

Hal yang sedikit mengagetkan buat si Jontor saat mulai sekitar dua minggu yang lalu si Pumpkin tidak mau lagi netek. Jadi si Jontor harus bekerja keras merah tiap hari (pagi, siang, malam...) untuk mempertahankan produksi ASI-nya. Kami masih berpendapat bahwa ASI merupakan makanan yang terbaik buat si Pumpkin, walau bukan yang satu-satunya. Semoga si Pumpkin masih bisa mendapatkan ASI sampai setidaknya dia berumur satu tahun. ^_^

Berikut data-data si Pumpkin di bulan yang ke-10:
- sekarang sudah ada 7 gigi... 4 atas dan 3 bawah...
- sudah tidak mau netek lagi... (sayang ya... padahal mumpung masih bayi...)
- baru demen belajar berdiri sambil pegangan baby cot-nya
- rasanya dia baru sadar kalau punya lidah... suka melet-melet dan liuk-liukin lidahnya...

Si Pumpkin sudah bisa duduk sendiri

2009-10-23T22:17:00.003+08:00

Setiap perkembangan, sekecil apapun, yang si Pumpkin capai dan tunjukan selalu membuat kami orangtuanya lega dan senang. Sebenarnya si Pumpkin sudah mulai bisa duduk sendiri dua hari yang lalu, 21-Oct-2009. Namun baru hari ini saya dapat videonya. :D

nine-month-old pumpkin

2009-10-19T10:33:00.003+08:00

Hari Rabu yang lalu, 14 Oktober 2009, si Pumpkin tepat 9 bulan. Si Pumpkin bukan lagi bayi mungil yang tak berdaya, tapi dia sudah menjadi bayi besar, ceria, ekspresif dan banyak maunya. Teman-teman bonekanya semakin banyak. Koleksi buku-bukunya juga makin menumpuk. Jadi walaupun si Pumpkin mulai suka bosanan, selalu ada banyak pilihan bagi kami untuk membuat dia tidak rewel.

Sesuai jadwal, 9 bulan adalah waktunya untuk vaksinasi Pneumococal yang ketiga. Jadi hari Sabtu, kami bawa si Pumpkin ke TMC dan ternyata Pediatric Center-nya baru tutup karena public holiday. Baru sadar kalo hari itu ternyata adalah Deepavali. Terpaksa kami pulang dengan sia-sia dan kembali lagi hari Munggu-nya. Berdasarkan hasil pengukuran, berat si Pumpkin sudah mencapai 9,10 kg, panjang 70 cm dan lingkar kepala 45 cm. Bisa dikatakan, selama tiga bulan, si Pumpkin tumbuh secara baik. Seimbang antara asupan yang dia dapat dengan energi yang dia keluarkan saat beraktivitas.

Berikut data-data si Pumpkin di bulan yang ke-9:
- sekarang sudah ada 6 gigi... artinya ada 2 gigi baru... 1 gigi seri atas kiri dan 1 gigi seri bawah kanan...
- sudah mulai mbrangkang ke depan... walau belum lancar...
- baru hobby mencucu, cemberut, manyun... :D

Click here for more pictures.

Dragon Boating @Kallang Basin

2009-09-26T21:18:00.006+08:00

Yesterday I had a great time spending the afternoon with doing something new and interesting: Dragon Boating. Dragon Boat (or Dragonboat) is one of the fastest human-powered boat. Originated in China over 2000 years ago, Dragonboating has been a popular modern water sport, beside its importance as a main performance in Duanwu Festival (Dragon Boat Festival) in many areas in Asia with significant populations of ethnic Chinese, such as: China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia.

We, all ITG staffs left the office in the afternoon, directly went to Kallang Riverside Park. All of us joined together with Canadian Dragons, a Dragon Boat team in Singapore, learned history of Dragon Boat, prepared the equipments, learned how to handle the peddle and use it, practiced in the water, and had fun and exciting races. We were grouped into two teams, Blue and Green. I was in the Green Team together with Heng-Cheong, Selva, Florence, Michael, Emmanuel and Suryanto, guided by Jim and Rob. From the three race, we won two races over the Blue Team (Jeff, Rio, Anu, HJ, Sean, Pavan, guided by Raj and one more person).

After the three exhausting races, we had a pleasant meal. The foods are so good, asparagus with ham, beef steak, sweet potato salad, grilled chicken, steamed fish, burgers, satay and more than enough beer. What a perfect afternoon. :)

Click here to see more pictures.

Selamat Idul Fitri 1430 H

2009-09-20T09:21:00.001+08:00

eight-month-old pumpkin

2009-09-14T22:48:00.004+08:00

Hari ini tepat si pumpkin berumur 8 bulan. Yang menyenangkan adalah melihat dia tertawa atau tersenyum lebar dengan menunjukan gigi-giginya yang sudah berjumlah empat. Yang lebih menyenangkan lagi adalah ketika memberinya minum susu botol dan habis lalu nggereng-nggereng kekenyangan. hihihi... Namun beberapa kali, tidak sering sih, dia malah memuntahkan susu yang sudah masuk ketika dia didudukan. Memang tidak mudah untuk melihat seberapa lapar dan seberapa banyak makanan atau susu yang dia butuhkan. Terlepas dari beberapa insiden muntah, si pumpkin tumbuh sehat dan mungkin beratnya sudah lebih dari 9kg. :)

tentang si pumpkin di bulan yang ke-8:
- gigi sudah 4... atas 2 bawah 2...
- masih belum bisa mbrangkan ke depan... tapi sudah bisa atret pelan-pelan...
- suka banget dengan air... bakalan pinter berenang nih... good Toby... :)

Click here for more pictures.

Si Pumpkin @Intercontinental

2009-09-06T21:43:00.002+08:00

Sabtu lalu kebetulan papa Roy sedang berkunjung ke Singapura dan nginep di Intercontinental di daerah Bugis. Jadi untuk ambil barang-barang titipan dari Jakarta, sekalian aja kami ajak Toby untuk berenang disana. Dengan baju renang dan neck float (pelampung yang dipasang di leher) yang kita beli sebulan atau dua bulan yang lalu, si pumpkin bisa ngambang sendiri. Dia bisa menggerak-gerakkan tangan dan kaki dengan lebih leluasa. Namun karena si pumpkin cukup gemuk, neck float-nya jadi terlihat terlalu ketat, dan saya yakin tidak akan cukup lagi untuk digunakan di sesi renang berikutnya.

Kali ini si pumpkin terlihat lebih bisa menikmati enaknya di kolam renang. Dua bulan yang lalu waktu berenang di South Haven, dia terlihat tegang. Kali ini dia senyum sumringah, ketawa ngakak kalo diangkat-angkat, walau udara cukup panas dan sinar matahari sangat terik hari itu. ^_^

Click here for more pictures.

Singapore Zoo - Aug'09

2009-08-20T21:36:00.002+08:00

Last Saturday was the fourth time I visited Singapore Zoo. The reason why I go to zoo quite often is because of the free ticket from Kevin who has a member card from his company. That time, I brought my mother and my 7-month-old son along with me and si jontor. For my son, si pumpkin, it was the first visit to zoo, seeing animals directly. As usual, he was calm and looked enjoying the time every time he went out. Although it was drizzle and humid, I could see that he liked to be in outside, from his stroller, looking around to see people, trees, and animals. :)

There was no much differences since my last visit on October 2008, except the new Kidzworld and WetPlay. It was very crowded there since that place was very interesting for children and where KFC and Ben&Jerry's be. Beside that I saw an animal that I had never seen before. It is Tree Kangaroo. He is brown, looks like half bear-half kangaroo, but shy and slow. I think that he has been there for years but I was just not lucky enough to meet him. ^_^

Photo Album:
Boaz@Multiply - Singapore Zoo - Aug'09

Links:
Welcome to Singapore Zoo
Uniquely Singapore - Singapore Zoo
Singapore Zoo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos courtesy of Boaz Wibowo
If you upload the photos to other sites, you must add the phrase "Photo Courtesy of Boaz Wibowo and iorboaz.multiply.com" somewhere near the photos.

64th MERDEKA, Happy Birthday Indonesia

2009-08-17T20:50:00.003+08:00

seven-month-old pumpkin

2009-08-15T14:43:00.005+08:00

Kemarin, 14 Agustus 2009, adalah hari si pumpkin tepat berumur 7 bulan. Kali ini kami tidak perlu membawa si pumpkin ke klinik karena jadwal imunisasi baru akan ada lagi saat si pumpkin berumur 9 bulan. Jadi kami tidak tahu berapa berat, panjang, dan lingkar kepala si pumpkin saat ini. Yang jelas, dia makin besar, tumbuh dengan baik, nafsu makannya bagus, 3 kali sehari, porsi minum susunya juga bertahan.

Tentang si pumpkin di bulan yang ke-7:
- tetep ganteng seperti bapaknya donk... ^_^
- akhirnya dia bisa tengkurep sendiri saat berumur 6 bulan 1 minggu... :)
- suka ngoceh kalau lihat mobil... dari jendela apartemen maupun waktu di dalam taksi...
- dan sudah ada satu gigi tumbuh baru-baru ini...

pumpkin's new car

2009-08-01T11:54:00.005+08:00

Macro Photography with M2M Ring & Reversed Lens

2009-07-24T23:15:00.007+08:00

I just finished trying a Male-to-Male (M2M) Ring for Macro Photography. I mounted my EF-S 18-55mm IS lens to my EOS 40D. Then by using the Male-to-Male Ring 58mm-52mm, I linked the reversed EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens to the main lens. The good thing about this method is that the capabilities on the main lens are still available, such as the Auto Focus and the Image Stabilizer. Beside that it is more flexible if the main lens is a zoom lens, so we can try some focal length to get your best shot.

I took some shots of my wife's watch (smaller than my watch), our wedding rings and some other ring. Personally, I am more comfortable with this method than using Body-to-Male (B2M) Adapter or Macro Extension Tubes. Next time, I will try my EF 70-300mm IS lens as the main lens for outdoor macro photography.

Below are sample pictures. None of them are cropped.

Click here for more pictures.

Price in IDR:
* Male-to-Male Ring (M2M Ring) 58mm-52mm: IDR 45,000

pumpkin tootbrushing

2009-07-22T11:51:00.001+08:00

Enchanting Indonesia 2009

2009-07-20T10:46:00.007+08:00

Sejak tahun 2007, tiap tahun KBRI Singapura bekerjasama dengan beberapa institusi lain, mengadakan event spesial Enchanting Indonesia. Masih tetap diadakan di halaman depan Ngee Ann City (Takashimaya), Enchanting Indonesia 2009 diadakan selama dua hari penuh (18-19 Juli 2009). Secara dekorasi panggung, Enchanting Indonesia kali ini lebih sederhana dan klasik jika dibandingkan dengan Enchanting Indonesia 2008. Namun acara dan pertunjukannya dikemas sedemikian rupa menjadi lebih menarik dan interaktif. Mungkin tahun ini lebih banyak sponsor yang mendukung, seperti Batik Danar Hadi, Batik Keris, Garuda Indonesia, AirAsia, dan beberapa perusahaan terkenal lainnya.

Saya hanya mengunjungi Enchanting Indonesia 2009 di sesi ke-dua di hari Sabtu. Padahal sesi yang paling menarik adalah di hari Minggu ketika Miss Indonesia 2008 dan Putri Indonesia 2008 berada diatas panggung. Walau hanya menonton sebagian kecil pertunjukan tari-tarian dari beberapa propinsi di Indonesia, saya cukup puas bisa mendapat beberapa foto di event ini. Terlebih lagi, di event yang menyertakan 13 propinsi yang memiliki penerbangan langsung dari SIngapura, ada beberapa restoran Indonesia di Singapura yang membuka booth untuk melayani selera lidah Indonesia, seperti: Ayam Bakar Ojolali, Java Kitchen, Waroeng Penyet, dll.

Click here for more pictures.

Link:
KBRI Singapura

Equipments:
Canon EOS 40D
Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

Photos courtesy of Boaz Wibowo.
If you upload the photos to other sites, you must add the phrase "Photo Courtesy of Boaz Wibowo and iorboaz.multiply.com" somewhere near the photos.

Macro Photography with Macro Extension Tube Set

2009-07-17T23:00:00.006+08:00

Continuing my exploration on Macro Photography, I tried the Macro Extension Tube Set that I have. It is very simple and dirt-cheap, because there is no AF confirmation available on it. Coming in five sections, it allows us to play the combination to varying length: 12mm, 20mm, 36mm, or any combination between them. Using Macro Extension Tube Set, the distance between the object and the lens is much more flexible rather than using Body-to-Male (B2M) Adapter and Reversed Lens.

By placing the extension tube between my EOS 40D and its kit lens EF-S 18-55mm IS, I took some pictures of coins, bank notes, a pen, and an xD card. My tripod helped me a lot to get sharp and blur-free results. Actually, it was still not easy for me to get good pictures of tiny things, especially in manual focusing part. I think it will be more comfortable and easier if we have Macro Extension Tube with AF Confirmation. :)

Below are sample pictures which are not bad to share (no cropping):

Link:
About macro extension tubes

Price in IDR:
* Macro Extension Tube Set for Canon EOS: IDR 120,000

six-month-old pumpkin

2009-07-15T16:43:00.003+08:00

Kemarin, tanggal 14 Juli 2009, our little pumpkin tepat berumur 6 bulan. Bukanlah waktu yang singkat dari saat dia lahir hingga saat ini. Tangisan, ocehan, senyuman, dan tawa menjadi hiburan bagi kami tiap hari. Kami bersyukur karena si pumpkin sangat sehat dan tumbuh dengan baik. Terlebih lagi setiap hari dia juga mendapat penyertaan dan kasih sayang dari Oma-nya. Jadi kami boleh meninggalkan si pumpkin dengan tenang ketika kami harus pergi ke kantor. :)

Untuk imunisasi, si pumpkin juga baru saja mendapatkan vaksin 6-in-1 (suntikan DPAT, IPV, HIB, HBV/HEXA, serta vaksin Rotavirus lewat mulut) seri yang ketiga setelah sebelumnya di bulan ke-2 dan ke-4 mendapatkan vaksin yang sama. Di bulan yang ke-6, si pumpkin juga bertumbuh lebih baik dibanding bulan ke-5. Saat ini beratnya mencapai 7,880 kg, panjang 67 cm dan lingkat kepala 42 cm. Yang terpenting si pumpkin jauh dari sakit-penyakit dan tumbuh dengan baik tubuh dan jiwanya. ^_^

Ini beberapa hal tentang si pumpkin di bulan yang ke-6:
- rambutnya mulai tumbuh banyak setelah di-gundul tiga minggu yang lalu...
- masih belum bisa tengkurep sendiri... kenapa ya? :(
- ngeces-nya makin parah... harus selalu pake bib... ^_^
- suka ngemut salah satu jari telunjuknya... hihihi...
- mulai suka melet-melet kayak Michael Jordan... lidahnya panjang lho... :p

Click here for more pictures.

Peranakan Museum

2009-07-12T18:44:00.005+08:00

Peranakan Museum di Singapura terletak di 39 Armenian Street, menempati gedung tiga lantai bekas Old Tao Nan School, tidak jauh dari City Hall MRT Station. Seperti halnya museum-museum peranakan di kota-kota lain, seperti: Baba Nonya Museum di Malaka dan Penang State Museum, museum ini menyimpan berbagai pernak-pernik, sejarah, dan budaya yang unik dari komunitas peranakan di Asia Tenggara. Tidak hanya peranakan di Singapura, museum ini juga merekam keterkaitan budaya peranakan di daerah lain seperti Malaka, Penang, Sumatera, dan Jawa.

Dengan adanya 10 galeri dan dua geleri untuk special exibition, serta alat-alat multimedia yang tersedia, kita akan menjelajahi dimensi sejarah dan etnologi dari budaya Peranakan, termasuk warisan bendanya (seperti perak, porselin, perhiasan, tekstil) serta warisan yang tak berwujud (seperti gaya hidup, bahasa, makanan, dan ritual keagamaan). Normalnya harga tiket masuk museum ini adalah 5 dollar saja, namun karena kebetulan ada special exibition Baba Bling, harga tiket hari itu adalah 6 dollar.

Click here to see more pictures.

Links:
Peranakan Museum
[Wiki] Peranakan Museum
Uniquely Singapore - Peranakan Museum

Equipments:
Canon EOS 40D
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II
Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

Photos courtesy of Boaz Wibowo.
If you upload the photos to other sites, you must add the phrase "Photo Courtesy of Boaz Wibowo and iorboaz.multiply.com" somewhere near the photos.

Macro Photography with B2M Adapter & Reversed Lens

2009-07-11T23:12:00.005+08:00

Because I don't want to spent some money for a dedicated macro lens which is cost around S$800, several months ago I bought some equipments for macro photography in the Bursa.Fotografer.Net. Following a tutorial and some other pages in the internet, I bought a Body-to-Male Adapter for EOS-58mm, a Male-to-Male for 58mm-52mm, and a Macro Extension Tube Set for Canon EOS. But only this evening I tried those equipments.

I took my first macro shots with Body-to-Male (B2M) Adapter between my Canon EOS 40D camera and reversed EF-S 18-55mm IS lens. I put my objects about 5cm from the end the lens. In the beginning it was not easy as I thought. But after some shots and trying some focal length, I got used to it. You can see the detail picture of some coins and some images of bank notes below (no cropping):

Prices in IDR:
* Male-to-Male Ring (M2M Ring) 58mm-52mm: IDR 45,000
* Body-to-Male Adapter (B2M Adapter) EOS-58mm: IDR 83,000
* Macro Extension Tube Set for Canon EOS: IDR 120,000

Links:
Reverse-Lens Macro Photography [tutorial]
Reverse Lens Technique

Canon Speedlite 430EX II

2009-07-07T21:55:00.012+08:00

Last Saturday at John 3:16, beside Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens, I bought a Canon Speedlite 430EX II flash for S$480. It was a bit expensive if we compared with its price in Jakarta. I didn't started using it when I was in The Armenian Church and Singapore Philatelic Museum. But after reaching home, I unpacked it and read the user manual carefully since it is the first speedlite I have. Then I took some shots on my wife and my baby pumpkin. I got a lovely picture of them. ^_^

Video of unpacking Canon Speedlite 430EX II

Link:
John 3:16 Photo Supplies

Review:
The-Digital-Picture: Canon Speedlite 430EX II Flash Review
Photo-Tips-Online: Canon Speedlite 580EX II flash review

Singapore Philatelic Museum

2009-07-05T21:01:00.005+08:00

Setelah mengambil beberapa foto di The Armenian Church, saya mengunjungi Singapore Philatelic Museum yang tidak jauh dari situ. Terletak di 23-B Coleman Street, museum ini bertempat di gedung bekas Anglo-Chinese School yang dibangun tahun 1904. Singapore Philatelic Museum pertama kali dibuka untuk umum pada tanggal 19 Agustus t 1995 untuk mempromosikan sejarah dan perkembangan filateli di Singapura yang multi-etnik. Tiket masuk cukup murah, 5 dollar saja.

Di tempat ini, kita akan melihat tidak hanya sekedar perangko dan kartu pos, tapi juga segala peralatan dan pernak-pernik seputar pos, seperti kotak-kotak pos unik, proses pembuatan perangko, vespa untuk mengantarkan surat, macam-macam stempel tanggal, dll. Terdiri dari dua lantai, ada beberapa ruangan utama, yaitu: Green Roon, Purple Room, Orange Room, Atrium, Room of Rarities, Heritage Room, dan Children's Room. Selain itu ada beberapa ruangan untuk eksibisi khusus: Gallery 1 dan Gallery 2.

Click here to see more pictures.

Links:
SPM Website
[Wiki] Singapore Philatelic Museum

Equipments:
Canon EOS 40D
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II
Tokina AT-X 124 AF PRO DX lens - AF 12-24mm f/4

Photos courtesy of Boaz Wibowo.
If you upload the photos to other sites, you must add the phrase "Photo Courtesy of Boaz Wibowo and iorboaz.multiply.com" somewhere near the photos.

Armenian Church of Saint Gregory the Illuminator

2009-07-05T18:14:00.004+08:00

Armenian Church adalah gereja tertua di Singapura. Terletak di Hill Street, gereja ini dibangun oleh komunitas kecil orang-orang Armenia di Singapura. Gedung gereja tersebut selesai dibangun tahun 1835. Di halaman belakang kita akan menemukan nisan-nisan dari beberapa pendiri gereja dan tokoh gereja seperti: Agnes Joaquim dan beberapa anggota keluarga Sarkies. Armenian Church ditetapkan sebagai monumen nasional pada tanggal 6 Juli 1973.

Click here to see more pictures.

Links:
The Armenian Church of Saint Gregory
[Wiki] Armenian Church, Singapore

Equipments:
Canon EOS 40D
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II
Tokina AT-X 124 AF PRO DX lens - AF 12-24mm f/4

Photos courtesy of Boaz Wibowo. If you upload the photos to other sites, you must add the phrase "Photo Courtesy of Boaz Wibowo and iorboaz.multiply.com" somewhere near the photos.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

2009-07-04T22:38:00.005+08:00

This afternoon I just bought a Canon EF 50mm F1.8 II lens. John 3:16 at Funan IT Mall sells it at S$130 only. Right after getting the lens, I tried my first prime lens on my EOS 40D. I took some shots at Singapore Philatelic Museum and The Armenian Church not far from Funan IT Mall and I started loving this lens and its bokeh result. Beside the good price, I like its lightweight. The image quality is also good and it gives sharp result at f/1.8. This lens allows us to take picture in a low-light environment without setting the camera at high ISO. The cons are the plastic material and slow focusing. But what else can we expect from 130-dollar lens? :)

Below are some test pictures:

Specifications:
Focal length: 50mm
Diagonal Angle of view (FF): 47º
Diagonal Angle of view (APS-C): 31º
Maximum aperture: F1.8
Minimum aperture: F22
Lens Construction: 6 elements/5 groups
Number of diaphragm blades: 5
Minimum focus: 0.45m (1.5 ft)
Maximum magnification: 0.15x
AF motor type: DC Micro Motor
Focus method: Unit focus
Image stabilization: None
Filter thread: 52mm (does not rotate on focus)
Dimensions: 68.2mm diameter x 50.5mm length
Lens Mount: Canon EF only

Link:
John 3:16 Photo Supplies

Reviews:
DPreview: Canon EF 50mm F1.8 II review
The-Digital-Picture: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens Review