is gear important or the picture ?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/liewwk/6586588091/in/photostream/lightbox/

after years use my Canon 5d … follow me to countries, beaches, volcanoes , mountains, forest … etc … and finally it giving problem  … and need to go for full check up … I would say I have make full use of it by full test on salt water, poor environment (dirt, sands, cold, hot) … etc

I still ask myself a question .. “gear important or picture ?” and do you ask yourself too ? and my answer always the output so i have always put my 5d on risk .. 🙁
picture above was capture while we really close to the wave …. sometime I just go as close as 3-5 feet and as low as 5-10cm from the beach ground …..
and after get some shot from the strong wave
after get closer ....

you just have to trust your tripod ….

… I trust my friend – tripod …

to capture a beautiful photo, it is not just skill, luck … but we need to have right tool … e.g. of condition below .. we really need to trust out friend – tripod … [my gear – Tripod – fotopro]

Fotopro PGC-78c – Bigger for wildlife, bird .. taller

Fotopro M-5mini PRO – easy to carry and pocket size …

FLM Fiction Ball head – stability, fiction control … firm angle without fall down after lock ball head

Fotopro CT-5A   – a new concept of tripod combine Mini M5 I share previously and MGA-584N … = CT-5A

Fotopro PGC 484 – a travel tripod only <850gram only (without ball head)

Fotopro T-series T64c/T74c/T83c  – new design better stability, better sand proof …

 

we have trust our tripod

 

 

the pillow …

How many of you still sleep with pillow ? 😀 I need pillow to sleep well 😀 , think the lizard have the same feeling too

... where is my pillow ...

 

 

2012 Jan – MACRO Outing & Workshop [postpone]

due to the CNY and some schedule job, sorry for postpone this

When : 7-8 Jan 2012

What : MACRO basic with Post Processing workshop

– understand basic light, DOF, and how to design own Diffuser

– setting for MACRO .. why , what to change

– Post Processing workflow , how I stack pictures

Where : Kuala Lumpur – PJ area

Who :  those love nature, small tinny creatures … but prefer to own macro len, raynox, Extension tube… (but I have 1 Raynox, 1 set of Canon ET to borrow)

How Much : RM350 per person (MAX 8 ppl)

2/8 seat taken

 

... how to design diffuser for reflection object ...

 

... stacking .. pictures ...

How I have more MACRO DOF …

As we know anything >1:1 macro, we have very limit DOF … I had it share before … what we DOF have while we shooting macro e.g. at crop body, F16 at 1:1 .. the dof we have is just ~1mm … so how we have more DOF ?

1. angle is important , if we want the main objects “focus”

e.g.

limit DOF

at certain angle, we have not possible to have both object focus .. e.g. choose one , shoot small to crop , or using stacking method I use (discuss before HERE)

by using the stacking … we can get both beetle focus as below

 

or discuss http://liewwkphoto.com/blog/?p=922

 

of if we do not want to do much on post process… choose the best angle to have both object focus e.g.

 

more beetle collection click HERE

Miss Toba Lake, Indonesia …

North Toba

update 2013 Jan 8

... beautiful Mount Sebiyak ...
… beautiful Mount Sebiyak …

 

thanks Jamal & Ali to bringing us there for wonderful trip 2010 Oct … and I promise to make a re-visit there again but not fail to do so as 2011 just too many plans …

a place that good for landscape, human interest …. etc .. and my previous sharing HERE

people here are friendly, view here is gorgeous, food is good too …. so have to start plan one trip there again on 2012 ….

more Toba Lake picture from me click HERE

My Gear – Ball Head [FLM]

CB-38 FT with QR70 | CB-32 FP with Fotopro QR | CB-32 FP with QR40

How I choose a ball head or you … good friction , weight and price

1. friction , we do not want our ball head fall lower down after we fix the composition … especially we shoot at portrait mode
WE DO NOT WHAT WE CAPTURED is not WHAT WE WANT 😀

2. weight, bigger ball head tend to have better friction but it weight

3. price, but do we got many good and cheap option ?

 

I own few head to put on my tripod and will slowly share those one by one … but today would like to share my main ball head which is FLM ball head which brought to you by Leephoto from German …..

I only have 2 of it which is CB-32FP & CB-38FT….

the P –> mean it come with the “Pan” nut/option and T —> come with both PAN and Tilt nut/option (view below video for more)

the ball head are solid, hold it and you feel the different.. even the price is bit high if use with the original quick release system .. but we do have option to use cheaper Manfrotto, fotopro quick release system to bring the cost down ….. and it still perform well…

 

some update pictures

###########################

1. FLM CB 38FT with QRP70 – 38F with T5

LEFT - FLM CB38 FT with QRP70 RIGHT - FLM CB38 F with T5
LEFT – FLM CB38 FT with QRP70
RIGHT – FLM CB38 F with T5

 

2. Quick Release different FLM QRP70 – Fotopro T5

LEFT - FLM QRP70  RIGHT - Fotopro T5
LEFT – FLM QRP70
RIGHT – Fotopro T5

 

3. FLM CB 38FT with QRP70 – 32F with QRP40

LEFT - FLM CB 38FT with QRP70  RIGHT - FLM 32F with QRP40
LEFT – FLM CB 38FT with QRP70
RIGHT – FLM 32F with QRP40

 

4. FLM QRP 70 – QRP40

RIGHT - FLM QRP70 LEFT - FLM QRP40
LEFT – FLM QRP70
RIGHT – FLM QRP40

 

 

 

###########################

1. FLM CB-38FT with FLM QRB70 quick release

support 25KG

friction control

panning control

tilt control

FLM CB-38FT with FLM QRB70 quick release

 

2. FLM CB-38FT pan nut/option

FLM CB-38FT pan nut/option

 

3.

FLM CB-38FT tilt nut/option

4.

FLM CB-38FT main ball main control

5. FLM – CB32FP with fotopro quick release

support 20KG

friction control

panning control

FLM – CB32FP

6. FLM CB38FT and CB32FP

FLM CB38FT and CB32FP

for more specifications details pls check at http://www.leephoto.com.my/flmballhead1.html

5. LB30/60 Leveling Base

– this is a base to level the “ball head” so we can improve the panorama capture

– use when the tripod (or ground no flat or balance) so this leveling base can easily level the ball head base

LB60 with FLM 38FT
LB60 with FLM 38FT

#################################

few simple movie show how it work …

how to control tilt and Pan
– the pan is standard but tilt …. after you fix the composition and you want little up or down without affect your horizontal tilt ….i like this MOST ..

set the friction – Yes, we can control it

set the friction

loose friction or low number

tight friction or high number
– like this also .. i can just move my len without open/loose the ball head control …. even with heavy 70200 F2.8 len

you may contact me for FLM ball head price …

liewwk76@gmail.com

 

Night trekking without light

do not want to turn on torchlight or try to walk real slow and dark … any reason ?

I did above while I was hiking up Mount Batur, Bali, Indonesia ….and because something is on my left and it is so obvious …

almost reach top

the milky way on my left

while walking slow

side by side

more Bali pictures click HERE

Nightscape click HERE

 

and

it is good to have 2nd camera …the small one

I love to bring my Panasonic LX5 around so I no can capture what I see quick without take out my DSLR and change the correct focal length …

especially those macro object … which i share some pictures before here

so another e.g.

... the Long Tongued Blue Banded Bee ...

and while I am waiting ….

while waiting for the light ...

 

and in the plane …

... fan still ...

 

etc … it serve me right for a decent image quality so far …