Adventures in Sleepy Singapore
Usually people tell me Singapore is really boring. Both Singaporeans and expats have told me this. However, as a photographer, if you find a place boring ("there's nothing to photograph), then your eyes (and your mind, more importantly) are failing you. So with that in mind, I'm making the best of my week and a bit in Singapore.
Yesterday, when Ben and I were crossing the street (um jaywalking) to our parents' hotel, a lady ran to me, blurting: "A taxi driver is having a seizure, help." I just ran with her. Surely enough the taxi driver was still in his seizure when I ran up. I didn't even know the emergency number there (Ben gave me "999") at first. I called on my mobile and the emergency operator promised an ambulance would be on its way.
Staff from the hotel had come by at this time, trying to talk to the driver (who wanted to drive off again, although he wasn't in much condition to do so). One staff started signalling the oncoming buses to go around us, as we started getting some attention from onlookers.
A police car came and after the passengers (a Eur-Asian family of 4) gave them a statement, we all left. Aparently the father was able to steer the taxi and turn of the engine after the driver started seizing up. I'm glad that they weren't up to speed when it happened. Ahh adventures in Singapore.
Well, in other news, I am finally a proud owner of a Canon 10D digital SLR! I've been trying ot procure one for ages, only to be thwarted by a Ray's 10D (which I was going to buy from him) going bonkers on him and out-of-stock-for-many-months-in-Singapore-shops syndrome. After saving up for this, I'm going to start saving money for a new wide-angle lens (the 17-40 f/4 L, if anyone would like to start donating towards that eventual purchase). Cathay Photo in Peninsula Plaza is a great place to buy your photography equipment. Great people, great prices (be sure to print off their i-quotation from their web site) - and they don't rip you off (in fact I got some sweet deals on accessories - about 50% off - at the same time.)
Also, I've been having a good time meeting up with some Singaporean friends, both new and newer. It's very nice to relax like this. We'll go see a rugby tourney tomorrow and Sunday, do some more electronics shopping, go to KL on Monday night, and also try to get my laptop fixed.
Who says Singapore is dull? It's really what you make of it (and who you know!)
Comments
10D eh...
Crazy boy...
Nikon F70 was released today! :D
Posted by: Claudia | April 3, 2004 7:29 PM
Hey Claudia... Nice work on your site! You mean the Nikon D70, right? Well, I already have some Canon equipment, so I'm going with the 10D. (The D70 is manufactured in Thailand, too!)
Posted by: Dan | April 3, 2004 10:56 PM
haha Hi Dan. I just got back from sg w/ Alan and he informed me of my F70 typo (I was simultaneously thinking about F series hehe).
Aw, you're a Canon user eh. I was just going to ask you: I can't get my non-AF Nikkor lenses working with my Nikon (F series hehe) even when it's on full manual mode. I'm not sure if it's something I'm doing wrong or if it's not even possible (but logically, if a camera is on manual then it should work with a "manual" lens...)
Dunno. Any insights?
Posted by: Claudia | April 5, 2004 10:49 PM
Dan,
congrats. can't wait to see more of your shooting! go D70 go! =P
hey, claudia, what do you mean by non-AF lenses to work with your camera? do you mean metering (which means technically non-cpu lenses)? or you are unable to actually shoot? which model of the F series do you have?
nikon seems to be about the money these days and have pretty much crippled their cameras when it comes to non-cpu lenses (the chip basically relates the max aperature to do metering)..
there's 2 guys in the world (that i know of) that have upgraded their lenses (or will do it): i'm about to embark on trying this procedure :P
rolland elliot: site
bjorn rorslett site or more specifically: page 1.
hopefully that's what you're asking about :P
Posted by: dr rumble | April 13, 2004 3:51 PM
Mark,
Thanks for the response... I got Alan's email.
What I mean by metering is the camera's ability to meter light; it works in conjunction with the len's aperture as you said (to some degree hehe). So yea, a non AF lens would be fully manual with no CPU.
I have an F3, F60 and F80.
In a way I think you're right about Nikon and money. But I don't see how it's exclusive to Nikon; it's more of a marketing thing. The more money you pay, the more bells and whistles/funtions/options you have so that the product can appeal to a whole range of consumers. Dan just told me how Canon changed their line of lenses and now some aren't compatible with some bodies. Same thing.
The higher-end F4, F5 and F100 are compatible with both AF and non AF lenses. So you'd just have to pay more money ;)
And so yea, I found out that my bodies aren't compatible with non AF lenses. That's all :)
I'm not sure where you were going with the upgrading lenses thing because it has more to do with upgrading the body, but I'll go check out their sites.
Peace.
Posted by: Claudia | April 13, 2004 6:30 PM
Part 2:
Nm, I get what you say about "upgrading" your lens. hehe Modifying it with a matrix metering chip eh.
Cool.
Posted by: Claudia | April 13, 2004 6:45 PM
Well, Canon changed their system some 20 years ago now (from completely manual T-mount to the EOS system), but it caused a huge stir among photographers, because of the cost. In retrospect, that gutsy move really revolutionized the 35mm camera industry.
Now both Canon and Nikon have introduced "digital-only" lenses. Canon's got a new EF-S mount (with just one lens in that mount, but with more lenses planned) which only the Digital Rebel has right now. EF-S mount is backwards compatible with other EF lenses, of course. Nikon's new digital-SLR-only lenses are the "Nikkor DX".
That's really too bad lower Nikon models can't use non-AF lenses - it's not like those lenses demand greater "computer power" from the body, right? Maybe Nikon designed their consumer bodies so that they're unable to deal with old-school lenses. And it's not just Nikon who's out making a (fast) buck, Canon and the other guys put quite a bit into their marketing efforts - it's quite interesting to see that in SE Asia - there's so much dang product placement it's almost sick (and almost like a real-life Josie and the Pussycats movie).
Regardless, I know that I'm going to start saving towards a good wide-angle lens. (And as far as I can tell, there isn't much marketing for pro-end camera stuff anyways.)
Posted by: Dan | April 15, 2004 3:43 PM
hehe, read those sites i sent claud... it's not the lower bodies.. it's that all modern bodies are crippled by non-cpu lenses.. but the lenses CAN be upgraded... unfortunately, not many ppl do it. i gotta talk with some of these shop guys.
the josie movie was funny when it came to that weird ad stuff.
yup the change from FD to EF changed canon's fortunes.
so where are some pix :) lemme see some 10d pix. and when are you back again :)? i never remember dates very well.
Posted by: dr rumble | April 16, 2004 2:21 AM
What's the deal with CPU and non-CPU lenses? :-p well, I'm just more familiar with Canon these days - and their system is quite different from Nikon's - don't have to worry about CPU's in the lenses - it's mostly controlled by the body.
Oh yeah, 10D pix. I need a vacation from my vacationing, seriously. My folks came to visit, and it was non-stop going around. I'm not sure when I'm coming back right now - I'm starting with UNESCO tomorrow, so we'll see how long that goes on for. And yes, I will be getting my life in order - which will mean posting photos really-soon-now (TM).
Posted by: Dan | April 18, 2004 1:30 PM
i think canon has cpu chips in their lenses.. to debunk something that sounds complicated - the chips basically tell the body what the maximum aperature of the lense is. nikon D lenses tell the distance based on focus as well (great for fill flash calculations, etc).
hehe, i know what you mean by vacation from vactioning. that's my life :P
Posted by: dr rumble | April 21, 2004 4:04 AM