One has to continue to explore new interests especially when you are getting old and living alone. You really have to do something you find it interesting and also enjoy doing it. The good thing about engineer is that he or she could easily understand all the technical stuff that is written in books or from the internet. It is really wonderful at this modern age of IT that one could easily google a lot of articles regarding a certain topic with just one click of your mouse.
I recently read about bicycles and came to understand how different high quality and reputable components of bicycle could cost a lot more than one could ever imagine. It surprises many people how a good bicycle could cost somewhere in the region of RM3-4K as against the China made unknown brands at just RM100-200. The use of Shimano gears and other pricy components could cost one a fortune! I finally decided to buy a used Scott bike at RM1K, hardly used by previous owner and the original price was RM2700.
Recently I also read more about DSLR. This comes to my mind after the trip to Jiuzhaigou because most of my friends are carrying along DSLR as they could shoot better pictures compared to my point-and-shoot Nikon Coolpix camera. It is hard to discern the quality of pictures taken by using a normal camera and DSLR at the first glance, but the experts would be able to tell. There are a lot more one could do and play with a DSLR compared to the normal digital camera.
I read through the top brands such as Nikon and Canon, their market share and also the availability of their lenses, support etc. Also learn about ISO 1600 and ISO 3200 etc which are to be used in low light condition without using a flash. And how the various sizes of CMOS or CCD sensors affect the quality of photos at high ISO. Understood the term "noise" is used to describe the grainy effect of those photos taken at high ISO numbers. There are other factors such as image stabilization built-in in the camera or lens so that one will not get blurr image without a tripod. Plus the so called Four-third size form factor which reduces weight and size of lenses used so that the camera could be easily carried to anywhere without feeling its bulkiness and weight.
I always have a budget in my mind as I could not afford the luxury that I had before when I worked overseas. I also anticipate the possibility of a new hobby could die of natural death or fade over time after investing a lot of money on the gears. For those reasons, choosing the entry level models and to read about all the reviews seem to be the right move. Currently for these entry level DSLR, Sony Alpha A230, Olympus E-450 or even a Pentax Kx are the choices in my mind. Sony is not so established in the DSLR business compared to Nikon and Canon, but they have Minolta/Konica as their backing and it is also easy for me to review photos taken in the Sony 40" Bravia LCD TV at my Kuala Lumpur home. As for Olympus, the lightest camera available in the market, its weight factor is something that intrigued me, nobody other than the professionals would like to carry a heavy camera with its protruding lens hanging on the neck for sightseeing and touring. Pentax is also very well known brand but Pentax Kx model is using AA batteries, heard that battery draining out problem is a big issue though AA batteries are supposed to be for convenience and they readily available everywhere.
Sometimes I just immerse myself in the quest of such new hobbies without actually making a decision to own them or going into it. Perhaps the fun of it is to go through the process of finding out. A typical example would be buying and reading the Motor Trader magazines, looking at some of the favorite Volvo and Mercedes cars which I intended to buy, but eventually ended up buying a Proton Exora.
No comments:
Post a Comment