Fujifilm FinePix X100 is Retro-delicious!!!

Looks like Fujifilm is going all out to recreate an experience for old-school shooters. I like how the X100 recreates the retro look and feel faithfully - the aperture ring on the lens, the shutter and the EV dial, the self-timer knob, and the "FUJINON" and "MADE IN JAPAN" labels (and I wonder if the old shutter release really works on it!). Instead of an EVF, the X100 boasts a new development called Hybrid Viewfinder that overlaps shooting info on the optical viewfinder. The body is made with magnesium alloy and leather details. Fujifilm also downplays any branding on the front of the X100.

The X100 comes fitted with the large APS-C CMOS sensor at 12.3 mp, with a fixed focal length non-interchangeable Fujinon 23mm f/2 lens equivalent to 35mm. Fujifilm claims that R&D effort is put in the ensure premium image quality and performance. For that, we can only ascertain once the test review units are available. I might consider getting it if the price is wildly attractive (but personally I don't think that's gonna happen). Otherwise, the X100 is primarily targeted at the professional photographers and image-conscious enthusiasts.

Fujifilm X100 Press Release

The Samsung i-Function: How It Helps Beginners to be More Creative

In my earlier post on the NX100 first look review, I briefly mentioned that the Samsung i-Function does not provide added efficiency for me, as all the settings offered by the i-Function can already be accessed easily from the NX100 itself.

That was from an advanced user's perspective. Actually, the i-Function does benefit budding photographers and offers creative assistance in image control.

In almost every digital camera targeted at beginners, there are always some form of assisted shooting modes to help users in capturing images without worrying about the controls. Samsung already has the Smart Auto and SCENE modes in their existing camera models. With NX100, Samsung introduced this new feature called i-Function (symbolised by iFn) that allows advanced beginners more control in capturing images.

The concept behind iFn is about offering a higher level of image control instead of just using the usual "idiot-proof" modes, yet not to the extent of a full-manual expert control. Samsung implements this by centering the shooting experience around the lenses, one of the critical elements in creative photography. With iFn lenses, the user can make the most elemental shooting adjustments by pressing the iFn button on the lens.

Although all the settings via the iFn can be adjusted on the NX100 body, the user using the iFn will not have to remember what settings are important to make an image and to look for the buttons on the NX100 to make the necessary changes. Neither would the settings parameters obstruct the display from the scene that the user is shooting. Using iFn, and depending on the shooting modes, the user can adjust the aperture, shutter speed, exposure compensation, ISO speed, and white balance. The settings parameters will appear at the bottom part of the screen, unobtrusive from what you are shooting. As the parameters are modified, the screen updates instantly to show the result of the change.

So, does the iFn provides skilled photographers like me with any real gain in shooting? No it doesn't, as I still find it quicker to make exposure changes via the NX100 body (that's just my preference). But I am elated to recommend this feature to the learning shooters. In fact, the iFn will encourage users to move on from the "idiot-proof" modes to be more adventurous in controlling the images and experimenting with photography.

With the new iFn feature, Samsung is giving empowerment to the NX100 user. The result of their slogan "Why Capture? Create!" is materialised with NX100, the latest hybrid mirrorless still camera that is equally usable to the beginners, the advanced shooters, and now the learning but adventuring image creators.

To find out more on the NX100 and try out with the i-Function simulator, visit the the NX100 microsite

Samsung NX100: First Look

Today, Samsung Singapore passed me the NX100 for first-hands experience, allowing me to work on my upcoming training workshops for them. Here once again, practicing my "review-within-a-day" philosophy, I offered as much initial opinion as I could.

The NX100 is a modern twist to the retro rangefinder camera design. Admittedly when I first saw the NX100 from the online press release, I was rather skeptical about its non-DSLR form factor, especially the absence of flash. In my mind then, I felt that the NX10 would still be a more usable camera .

When I held the NX100, my opinion changed instantly. Despite the modern design, the handling is improved to the extent that I feel I am even able to manipulate the exposure controls much faster than the NX10.


Firstly, the test set comes with the jacket case, which offers a much better ergonomic grip. I recommend serious photographers to get this accessory for the handling advantage and protection.

The leather jacket case certainly enhances the retro look (though it might look more cohesive on a black NX100 body)

Second, the new rotation dial around the 4-way navigation button allows me to control the aperture, while the commander dial behind the shutter button controls the shutter speed. Now, I can adjust both settings at the same time, instinctively!

The shutter release button lights up in Samsung-blue when power is on

Thirdly, the relocation of buttons appears to be well-thought and sensible. The bottom 2 buttons are for playback and delete, placed away from the other shooting buttons. The MENU and Fn buttons are placed immediately above the 4-way navigation button, for intuitive access. The 2 less-common used buttons, exposure compensation and AEL, are positioned above the MENU buttons. The DISP button is placed at the left of the camera, above the AMOLED screen. The depth-of-field preview button is, interestingly, positioned at the left side of the camera, but nonetheless easy to access (I like to customise this button to do manual white balance).

Image courtesy of Samsung Singapore

I really like the "green button" found in all the Samsung NX cameras. Basically it is a reset-to-default button. The beauty of NX-series cameras is that all the function settings you select do not require you to "commit" or click "OK". The moment you select the value, you can use it. But what if you do not intend to keep the setting? Just press the green button! I find it so easy to use this green button to, say, return my AF area to the centre of the frame, or to return the exposure compensation from the extreme +/- 3 back to 0, or reset all the 4 Picture Wizard parameters back to 0 at one button.

The biggest selling feature about the new NX100 is the i-Function lenses. It is indeed useful to adjust camera settings on the lens, but I feel it does not provide added efficiency, as all the functions offered by the i-Function (aperture, shutter, ISO, EV, WB) can already be accessed easily from the NX100 itself (shows that NX100 is well-designed).

Post edit: I have written a separate blog entry to share how a beginner (as opposed to an advanced user like me) will benefit from i-Function. Read it here

But I must commend that the i-Function button is correctly positioned near the focusing/value ring (as opposed to behind the zoom ring, where most lenses would put the OIS or AF/MF switches). I reckon the i-Function would be more useful for someone using the optional electronic viewfinder, as it would allow the user to modify the functions without leaving his eye off the viewfinder. The i-Function is currently available on 2 lenses: 20mm f2.8 and 20-50mm f3.5-5.6. The latter is smaller than the current 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 but lacks the optical image stabiliser.

Left, 18-55mm lens at the minimum size. Right, 20-50mm at the maximum protrusion.

Other comparisons between NX10 and NX100 are:
- NX100 is lighter
- NX10 feels more rugged and solid
- NX100 focuses faster (plus point!!!)
- NX100 can shoot up to ISO 6400 (albeit very noisy)
- NX100 has some additional software feature enhancements like Smart Filter (vignetting, miniature, fish-eye, sketch, de-fog, halftone dots, soft-focus), Sound Picture
- NX100 has new Smart Shoe that supports optional GPS module and viewfinder

Product Announcements in Digital Photography and Mobile Devices

I can't even begin to describe how excited this week has been - and it's not even past the mid-week yet! Here, I highlight some of the products that greatly interests me:

Samsung NX100 - a new stylish hybrid interchangeable lens camera. Besides the slimline body design that shys away from the conventional DSLR look, the NX100 supports i-Function lenses where users can adjust settings via the focus ring.

Canon PowerShot G12 - a refreshed version of G11, with updated hardware to improve high-sensitivity performance.

Nikon D7000 - a worthy upgrade to Nikon D90, the D7000 is the first Nikon semi-pro DSLR under the 4-digit series. Unlike the other 4-digit series, the D7000 has a focus thread to support older lenses without built-in focusing motor. I guess Nikon would stop using 2-digit series.

Nokia E7, C6 and C7 - latest Nokia touchscreen smartphones running on Symbian^3 OS. E7 has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard in similar fashion as N97.

From top (clockwise): Nokia E7, C6-01, C7.

LG Optimus One and Optimus Chic - these smartphones designed in collaboration with Google. I had a play with the Optimus One from my LG contacts and it feels compact and runs pretty smooth. Reports are out that LG wants to sell 10 million units with these new models, and I was told that the RRP would be extremely hard to resist - so much so that my peers are seriously considering these models as their first Android device when they are launched.

(From left) LG Optimus One, Optimus Chic

Incidentally, for Transformers fans out there, "One" is also "Prime". How I wish the LG Optimus One exudes a bit more leadership and heroism in their design and specs. Hahah.

Samsung ST60 Bought at Comex 2010

A week before Comex, Dad casually commented that the current digicam has battery problems. So since Comex is around the corner, I decided to buy a new camera for Dad. I was looking for a compact camera that is cheap yet delivers good performance. While I do not expect the top-of-the-line features, the functions must be reasonable and the user interface should not be sluggish.

I was pleasantly surprised to find a good buy at the Samsung booth. The Samsung ST60 has similar user interface as the ST550 that I currently own. The ST60 is slim and has a metallic body similar to Canon S90 but at a smaller and slimmer form factor. Its lens is 27.5mm wide, a 4x zoom, 12.2 megapixels, and supports 720p HD video recording. The zoom motor is speedy and the 2.7inch LCD screen is clear. I chose the black colour, which gives a very classic and elegant look. All these for less than S$200.

The minor gripe I had was the icons are embossed onto the silver buttons and so it is not easy to identify the functions of each button at one glance. The card-battery compartment door is also not very well-built. One has to slide with care and make sure it's properly closed. Good thing that the multi-function port (for charging and data transfer) is located at the side so I can still access the SD card slot while charging.

I only had a few hours to fiddle with it before I passed to my Dad during dinner that evening. I was glad he likes the camera, which will come to good use during his company trip next month.

I Bought a BD-ROM at Comex 2010

I started experiencing Blu-ray discs (BD) movies early this year when I bought my first Philips BD player. In general, playing a BD is not as speedy as DVD, because its huge amount of data requires more time to load into the player before it can be played. It is expected that some new discs would not start-up properly in your old BD players and may require firmware updates via BD-Live. I also noticed that BD contains a lot of trailers and disclaimers and warnings, so much so that it takes more than a minute to get to the main movie. Tough luck if you accidentally stop the player: there is no "instant resume" like VCD or DVD. I also experienced technical glitches among my separate home theatre equipment linked together with HDMI cables. Sometimes the TV does not recognise the BD signal and I get blue screen, so I had to restart the power to get them working.

It's a no-brainer that BD quality is superior to DVD because the resolution is so much higher. But that doesn't mean that DVDs are unwatchable on your HDTV. It really depends on the DVD compression quality. I did a few visual tests and found that some DVDs (like the Lord of the Rings Trilogy Extended Edition) can playback on HDTV with no visible pixel artifacts, while some BD releases of old movies (like Bram Stoker's Dracula) looked none the better. So, don't replace your existing DVD with BD equivalents, although if you are buying new movie titles , you should consider getting BD if price is not an issue.

Over the months, I have been borrowing BD from friends and buying a few for my collection. Last Friday, I decided to purchase a BD-ROM for my PC. I found that LG is offering a price of $149 for the read-only BD drive with the usual multi-writable DVD/CD features (a rewritable BD drive would cost $199). I have been waiting for the price to drop to a reasonable level and at $149, it's a good price to start owning one (considering the fact that I spent over $600 on the first-gen TEAC 2X CD-Recordable drive in 1997). The model I got is LG CH10LS20 and for the Comex promotion, it comes a 3D-glasses freebie (the normal red-cyan type). Apparently, the included Cyberlink software can convert videos into 3D. I tried and well it kindda works, but I never liked to use these 3D filter glasses that give an awful tint to the images.

LG CH10LS20. Specs link

The advantage of getting a BD-ROM drive is the ability to watch BD from my PC. Why not from my TV? Well, it's a hassle to even get started: I gotta turn on the TV, the soundbar and the BD player. I gotta wait for over a minute to get to the main movie. Besides that, I have to keep the volume down as the family is asleep so it's hard to catch the conversation.

Now with the BD-ROM installed on my PC, I can easily browse the BD movie or the special features by inserting the BD in the drive, put on my headphones, do some surfing or other PC stuffs while the BD loads up. I can skim the movie by dragging the time bar, or pause the movie as I attend to other stuff on the PC. The $149 price is also reasonable enough to invest in the BD-ROM in view of the general benefits.

If you do purchase the BD-ROM, remember to check that your PC fully supports BD playback. It is very particular about your hardware specs, not to mention all the copyright controls that prevent the playback of content on your monitor. For instance, I had to disable my second monitor before I can play the BD because it's connected via VGA adapter and the system do not recognise the monitor as HDCP-compliant (high-bandwidth digital content protection). I also had to update the Nvidia 9500GT display card driver before I am able to watch the BD movie in full screen without problems.

Download iPad Apps from Office and Install from Home

Scenario: I am an iPad Wifi (no 3G) owner. I bring my iPad to work every day. My work place do not have open  Wifi, so I am unable to connect iPad to the Internet. I use the office computer and find free iPad apps, but these iPad apps are free only for a very limited time. By the time I return home, the apps are no longer free. I do not want to plug my iPad to my office computer iTunes because I do not want my office computer to sync all the apps in my iPad.

My solution: I install iTunes on my office computer. I login using my Apple ID. I download the apps from my office computer via iTunes. I copy the .IPA app files to my USB drive. I bring the files home. I open the iTunes from my home computer. I drag and drop the .IPA app files from my USB drive to iTunes. I sync my iPad in iTunes. The apps will appear in my iPad.

Yes it might be a longwinded way of getting apps into your iPad, but it is an effective way of getting the free apps that are often offered in very limited time frame. You will save time by downloading huge apps from office. And if you are like me who tethers my iPad to my mobile device (Nokia E72 via Joikuspot Premium), it might be a good idea to save the monthly bundled data. 1GB might seem a lot, but if each app size is 100MB, 10 downloads would deplete your monthly quota. And did I mention the battery drain when using your mobile device as a Wifi hotspot?

To find the folder that stores the .IPA app files, go to the iTunes Apps library that displays all your installed apps, then right click any app and select "Show in Windows Explorer".

Oh, and you can only install the .IPA app file on devices with the same Apple ID. So you can't share the .IPA file with your friends. iTunes will not allow the app to be installed in devices with a different Apple ID.