Olympus 8-25mm F4 & 100mm Macro PRO Lenses In Updated Lens Roadmap

Just one week after the shocking announcement of Olympus entering memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Japan Industrial Partners, Olympus announced a few key developments in their immediate future product line-ups. There were some really exciting items in this announcement, all positive developments and I want to share my thoughts in this blog entry. To me, at this moment Olympus is pretty much still alive and there are some very exciting products coming, and I can't get my hands on them and play with the new products! Of course, I also made an accompanying video for those who prefer to just watch or listen to me rant for 10 minutes or so on screen. 

I intentionally spaced this blog article and video a few days apart after the official announcement, to give myself a clearer head to think, without being drowned by the miserable voices over the internet. Also, the OM-D Webcam video took a lot more time and effort to make, and I needed a break. I don't want to spend so many days consecutively making videos and writing blog articles, I do have a life to live. Even if that means sipping coffee and petting the stray cat. 

I fully understand the overwhelmingly negative reaction from the general public. A lot of people are frustrated, angry and felt betrayed by Olympus. Unfortunately, a lot of this anger is also directed to me, and I can see why - I am at the forefront communicating with everyone. Let me be clear - I am an outsider, I do not work for Olympus. Yes, I am their brand ambassador, but I am probably the last person to get information about business decisions. I too, was completely shocked when the announcement came about Olympus imaging being sold off. I was rooting hard for the company, and I have strongly believed in them from day one. 

However, the cat was out of the bag and we all knew the less than optimistic truth - change will happen for better or worse. It is still too early to say what will happen - there is no point speculating, making baseless assumptions, or worse, screaming your anger pointlessly at all directions. The way I see it, there are two options - 1. remain calm and positive, hoping for the best outcome, or 2. be all negative and bash the heck out of everything. I am not here to ask you to choose how you react, the choice is yours completely to make. I choose to be be positive. I choose to believe the brand will live on, and this is NOT the end of Olympus. 

Now, onto happier news - that multiple announcements that happened last Thursday, 2 July 2020. First, Olympus started rolling out their Webcam software at 10am (Malaysian time), then merely 4 hours after that at 2pm (Malaysian time) they made a flurry of announcements which included some major update on upcoming products. I am not sure why they split the announcements, it would have been easier to lump everything together. Or to completely space these two announcements apart, maybe 2 weeks apart would be ideal to regenerate interest on the brand. I don't know, I was not the one making decisions and I was nowhere near where these weird marketing decisions were made. Nonetheless, I can only see this as a positive turn of events - Olympus is telling us it is business as usual, they are not going anywhere, they are still selling cameras and lenses and they have some interesting stuff in their pipeline. 

In case you missed those announcements (Olympus official full announcement here):

1) Olympus OM-D Webcam Beta  - I have blogged about this (click here) with a video that demonstrates how the webcam software enables your camera as a webcam for video conferencing/streaming. 

2) M.Zuiko 8-25mm F4 PRO revealed in the updated lens roadmap

3) 100mm (F2.8 maybe?) Macro PRO lens added to the lens roadmap

4) M.Zuiko 150-400mm F4.5 IS PRO is coming in winter (more definite release timeline)

5) E-M1X will get a new "Bird" intelligent Subject Tracking AF mode

Wow. Can we just stop at the 100mm Macro lens? Give me that lens already! Take my credit card. 

While some may be thrilled about the 150-400mm PRO and the E-M1X getting a new firmware update, I am extremely excited about the two updated lenses on the roadmap - 8-25mm wide angle zoom and the 100mm macro! These are two lenses that I am deeply interested in, and will most likely purchase when they are released. 

8-25mm zoom makes perfect sense. It has a more versatile focal length range than the older 9-18mm lens, and continuing the tradition of F4 Zoom (taking cue from the recently released M.Zuiko 12-45mm F4 PRO) it should be small and compact in size. F4 constant aperture may be slower for some people, but it is absolutely necessary to maintain smaller footprint of the lens, and if they can truly make it compact (I am expecting maybe smaller than the current 12-40mm F2.8 PRO) I am sold. We already have the excellent 7-14mm F2.8 PRO, but that lens is also quite large by Micro Four Thirds standards, and stopping short at 14mm at the longest end, which is still technically a wide angle. 

I'd gladly add the 8-25mm into my camera bag, if it is truly compact and has similar image quality output from the 12-45mm F4 PRO. I am not expecting the lens to be as good as 7-14mm PRO in terms of sharpness, but hey, you gotta sacrifice something. Some will be quick to point out Panasonic 8-18mm lens, which I did review before (just do a quick search, don't be lazy) and I did like the lens, but it was also not as great as any of the Olympus PRO line up of lenses when it comes to critical image quality. Don't even start on the Panasonic 10-25mm, 10mm is not even ultra wide, I find 9-18mm barely enough in some tight situations, and that Pana 10-25mm is HUGE, and surely, far from being affordable. I just cannot justify my purchase, not matter how many praises that lens gets. While the Panasonic 10-25mm has constant F1.7, for ultra wide angle shooting, I don't need fast aperture, I can live with F4. 

That 100mm Macro lens, oh how I have waited for so long. There was the 100mm F2 Macro on the lens roadmap for the Four Thirds DSLR system, just before Olympus killed off that line of products. I surely hope the same fate won't repeat itself for this coming 100mm macro lens. There are many sites reporting Olympus filing patents for the new 100mm F2.8 Macro lens, so it is safe to assume it will be F2.8. I am genuinely interested in this lens - both using it as a dedicated macro lens for my insect macro shooting as well as a lens I can use for my professional shoots. 

There is nothing wrong with the current 60mm F2.8 Macro lens from Olympus, in fact that is possibly one of the best macro lenses out there in the market across all brands. However, there are a few times (quite rare) I wish I had a bit more working distance between the lens and the tiny creatures, those that are sensitive and get spooked easily. The 100mm Macro should at least almost double the working distance, and that will be appreciated! The use of 100mm as a telephoto prime lens is a wonderful idea, this will add to my 75mm F1.8 and 45mm F1.8, and I can cover all bases. While the 40-150mm PRO is a great all around zoom lens, it is also not small, and honestly I don't zoom more than 100mm for most of my shots. Being the official photographer for events, I do get access and I can get close to the stage or the people I want to shoot. Having 100mm is more than sufficient to cover most bases. And using the 100mm as a portrait lens! Oh the possibilities. 

I know some would say it is unwise to invest in a brand that has an uncertain future. I agree. I also don't know what will happen, and whether these lenses will even see the light of the day. These may just be announcements and within a few months Olympus may change their direction completely under new management. Personally, I don't think Olympus intends to betray their loyal customers and their own brand. It is a strong legacy. It may seem like they are giving up, we don't really know what goes on inside the company that led to this drastic decision. What I do know, being a resilient company they have fought very hard over the years and this was the final decision that they made. 

I just want my 8-25mm F4 and 100mm F2.8 Macro lenses already. 

What do you guys think? I am sure this announcement sparked some thoughts, please share them!

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Olympus Launches OM-D WEBCAM Beta

Update 2 July 2020, 10.25am:
Official Olympus product page for OM-D Webcam beta is here (click). The official download link is still inactive, not sure when it will be live. I will post an update here when the download is available. 

Update 2 July 2020, 10.35am: 
Download link for OM-D Webcam Beta is now LIVE! Go to official download link here (click). 

Hot after the worldwide shock announcement of Olympus being sold to JIP (Japan Industrial Partners Inc) one week ago, Olympus launched their version of software: Olympus OM-D Webcam to enable selected OM-D cameras to be used as webcams when connected to the computer. While the world is not done recovering from the surprise and the overhanging gloomy cloud that overshadows everything else in the camera industry, Olympus decided to soldier on and continue to add value to their customers. I have made a video showing how the OM-D Webcam works, with step by step guide on how you can set it up yourself. The software is already available for download at the time of announcement, so you can use it with your own OM-D camera as a webcam from now onward, whenever you do video conferencing or streaming. 

Olympus is late to the party. Canon was the first to release a webcam enabling software for their cameras, followed by Fuji and Panasonic. The new OM-D Webcam takes advantage of USB tethering capability which is already existing in selected OM-D camera models, using the live view input as a video feed to replace the webcam feed. It was a simple and straightforward solution, and having a separate software to just enable this one particular feature for webcam use was also resource friendly. Being able to use your Olympus Micro Four Thirds camera and amazing lenses can make your video look really professional and clean, and this is compatible with all major video conferencing softwares (Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams, etc). 

Here are some limitations you need to be aware of about the Olympus OM-D Webcam software:

1) BETA VERSION

The software is still in beta, so Olympus is not providing any support for the software at this point. It does have limited compatibility and functions, which we will get to next. 

2) SELECTED OM-D CAMERAS ONLY

Only Olympus OM-D cameras with native USD tethering capability can be used for this OM-D Webcam software. Camera list is not very long: 

E-M1

E-M5 Mark II

E-M1 Mark II

E-M1X

E-M1 Mark III

3) WINDOWS 10 PC ONLY

The software works on Windows 10 PC only. If you are using Mac, no luck for you, or any older Windows version, the OM-D Webcam won't support them at this moment. Do bear in mind the software is still in Beta version, so maybe in the future Olympus will open up more compatibility

4) 720P RESOLUTION

The video quality is at 720P only, and I know this is quite unforgivable especially in 2020, we should at least get 1080P full HD. Nonetheless, after testing the OM-D Webcam, the 720P quality is no slouch, it looks crisp, clear and definitely miles ahead of  any 1080P webcams out there. If you have used Olympus OM-D cameras, you are familiar of the photo and video quality, and you get that exact same output in the OM-D Webcam software! Glorious. 

5) NO MICROPHONE INPUT INTO CAMERA

The microphone input into the camera won't work, you need to have your input inserted separately into the computer for better audio. 

I have made a video (the embedded video at the beginning of this post) to demonstrate how to setup the OM-D Webcam software, and how to connect your camera to your PC and make it a webcam. Here are the simplified steps for those of you who are reluctant to click on the video link for whatever reasons.

SETTING UP OM-D WEBCAM

Setting up is fairly simple - you need your OM-D camera (make sure it is compatible), the original USB cable that comes with the camera box, and your Windows 10 PC. Quite honestly, the setting is so easy you don't even need the guideline below. Most people can figure this out quickly with no issues.

1) DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL SOFTWARE

Please download the Olympus OM-D Webcam Beta software from official Olympus download site into your PC. Install the software, this should be quite straightforward. 

2) CONNECT THE CAMERA TO PC USING USB CABLE

Using the proprietary USB cable that comes with your camera box, connect your camera to the PC. Make sure that you have an SD card inserted into your camera, it won't work with an empty card slot. 

3) TURN ON THE CAMERA & SELECT TETHERING OPTION

Turn the camera on, and you will see a list of options on the camera LCD screen. Select the tethering option

4) SELECT OM-D WEBCAM AS VIDEO INPUT

On your PC, open the video conferencing software (Zoom, Skype, Teams, OBS Studio, etc) and select the input as OM-D Webcam Beta option. 

That's all you have to do and it is fairly easy to setup. 

For the video quality from the OM-D Webcam, please please please watch the video that I did. 

I have made a few video calls using the OM-D Webcam Beta and everything went smoothly with no hiccups. But don't take my words for it, download it yourself and see how it works for you!

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5 Things I Like About Samsung Galaxy Z Flip

I managed to get my hands on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, a smartphone which is also a flip phone, in 2020. As I was looking through the available reviews online I realised that maybe it was not the best decision to do a review for this device, after all I am not a tech reviewer. Many have done a great job reviewing it. However, having used the Z Flip for about 2 weeks now, I do find myself enjoying the phone more than I initially expected and there are certain aspects about this flip smartphone that are truly unique. I thought it is more appropriate to just share what I like about the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip instead!

Here is a video version which I have uploaded to my NEW YouTube Channel. Yes, you heard that right, I have started a new channel, a spin-off to talk about non-photography/camera/Olympus related topics, such as this smartphone. 

IMPORTANT NOTES:

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip smartphone was on loan from Samsung Malaysia. I did not buy, and I did not own this product. I have no affiliation with Samsung in any way, and this was not a sponsored post/video. Samsung Malaysia did not ask me to write this article, it was a no string attached arrangement, the Z Flip was loaned to me and I was free to write my opinion. As I have mentioned earlier, this is NOT a review, I am only sharing my thoughts and user experience. 

When I first got the Z Flip, I had no idea what to expect from this flip smartphone. After all, it did not have the latest and greatest smartphone specifications and features. The screen display, camera modules and processor in the phone were not the best in current Samsung line up of phones, surely S20 series have more powerful features and performance, with lower price tag to boot. The only stand-out feature was the flipping mechanism, something of a unicorn in today's smartphone trend. However, after using this Z Flip for about 2 weeks, I found myself really enjoying this phone as my daily driver. There are just some things that the Z Flip can do that other typical modern non-flip smartphones cannot do at the moment. 

1. TRULY SMALL AND PORTABLE DESIGN

One of the things that was not immediately obvious was the tiny footprint of the Z Flip when it was in flipped closed position. Once it was folded in, the size effectively was reduced to half of what a typical smartphone would be. While the thickness indeed doubled because of the folding, that was not an issue, considering the overall size was effectively cut by 50%, and that makes a huge difference using this phone day in and out. The Z Flip fits into my pants' pockets so effortlessly, definitely works better for smaller pockets (I hear women complaining their cloths having impossibly tiny pockets all the time), or jeans with impossibly tight pockets. Furthermore, being smaller in size, the phone was easier to handle, taking it in and out of the pocket, as your fingers can easily wrap around the phone securely, in comparison to larger sized phones that can be a lot more slippery. 

2. SPECIAL NEW WAY OF HANDLING THE CAMERA

I found the flip mechanism working very well for the camera operation. In the half-folded position, the screen is split into two, with half being used for settings and adjustments, and the other half for viewing and composition. Since the right half of the screen was not used for framing, you can securely grip it with your right palm, utilising all your 5 fingers to fully hold the phone. I find this to be comfortable, confident and honestly practical for more serious shooting environment, utilizing the Z Flip's camera. While on the left side of the phone, the other half of the screen is the viewfinder, and you can use your left hand to touch the screen for focusing point placement and then press the volume key button which acts as a shutter button. 

Typically, the smartphones are extremely thin and slippery by design, holding them with few just 2 fingers from each side is not the best way to firmly grip the phone. Photographers will be quick to point out how important it is for a secure gripping, and overall handling of a camera. This new "camcorder-style" holding the right half of the phone with the palm-grip is quite a quirky yet perfectly practical solution to the problem!

When it comes to the camera of the Z Flip, it is not the best offering from Samsung, considering the superior camera modules from the S20 series, but I did find myself enjoying the cameras too. Simple, straightforward, and nothing too fancy, they just work and deliver beautiful, punchy looking images. I'd say the images come quite close to what the Note 10+ can do, but of course I did not have the chance to compare the phones side by side, I am making this statement based on my experience shooting with the Note 10+ and the Z Flip separately. 

Here are some sample shots taken from the Samsung Z Flip. I did not intend to make a full review of the smartphone's camera this time, because we already have many other better cameras in Samsung's more recent phones which I have reviewed more extensively. Nevertheless, the camera modules in the Z Flip are no slouch either, sporting a main wide angle 12MP camera with 27mm equivalent F1.8 lens and an ultra wide angle 12MP camera with equivalent 12mm equivalent F2.2 lens. The main camera has built in lens optical image stabilization. The colors from the camera came out a little bit oversaturated and contrasty but that is to be expected from typical smartphone processing, which is forgiveable, and honestly most people (non-photograpers) would appreciate the color boost in their images straight out of camera. I did not torture the camera this time, as I mentioned, I was not making a review of this phone.

Below are a set of sample images shot with the Samsung Z Flip's main camera, with very little post-processing applied (slight tweak on contrast and white balance only).

3. SECONDARY SMALL DISPLAY

There is a small tiny screen situated outside the phone, just next to the main camera. At first, there really was nothing to shout about this small screen, it was there perhaps for practical reasons. However, after days of using the Z Flip, I found myself using that tiny screen a lot more than I have originally anticipated, and I was quite glad Samsung made that secondary small display. 

I used that tiny screen mainly to check time. When the Z Flip is in the default closed position, if there was no other display, you have no choice but to physically flip open the phone just to check the time. So having that secondary display to display time and other important information, eg battery life remaining was a good idea. You can also browse recent notifications with the small screen, and more importantly, you can take a selfie using that small screen as a viewfinder. It is extremely small, but it does a good job helping you frame that selfie, and this was something that makes this Z Flip truly special because that means you are using the Z Flip's main camera for selfie, instead of the selfie camera in this mode. We all know how much better the main camera is, in terms of image sensor, lens quality, more resolution, better color and overall rendering. 

4. HALF FLIP POSITION FOR STANDING ON TABLE

Typically, if you don't want to hold your phone for long duration (fingers, wrists and hands strain/cramps) you just lay the normal smartphones flat on the table. By doing so, you need to physically lean yourself to see the screen better and this can be quite awkward as well. There are other solutions such as sticker kickstands, or phone cases that has built in props to stand the screen at a certain angle. However, these solutions are obviously non-elegant and they add bulk or unnecessary ugliness. The flip design of the Z Flip was just so practical for placing the phone on the table and having the half of the screen angled up for easy viewing. At first, it seems gimmicky and would not be something that I need, but seriously, after using it for a while, it just makes sense. It works. Browsing was fun, and scrolling through endless Facebook timeline or Instagram feed was less of a chore than hand-holding the phone. 

5. FLIPPING SATISFACTION

This is the part where a video can really come in handy. But those who are as old as me, or from the yesteryear's generation when we have experienced the flip phones back in the day, you will know how satisfying it is to just flip close the phone. It is addictive and you just want to do it again, and again. That flipping mechanism adds a therapeutic effect every time you use the phone, and it is difficult to justify or explain how amazing it feels. 

I fully acknowledge that the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip comes with a heavy price tag, similar to flagship smartphones, but the specifications do not carry the latest and greatest checklist. It is using last year's flagship processor Snapdragon 855+, there is nothing to write home about the camera modules in comparison to the impressive 108MP camera in S20 Ultra, the screen does not have super high resolution or fast refresh rate, and the only thing cool about this phone, is the flip. The flip itself was quite unique in today's world of flat looking uniform block of smartphones, and I can clearly see how this can be the future. Reducing the footprint and size of a smartphone by flipping it into half was a good solution. Having the screen folded in half opens up a lot of innovative ways to use the phone, including the "camcorder-style" hand-gripping for more secure, comfortable and confident handling of the phone in camera mode and also serving as a "stand" angling up the screen for easier viewing and browsing experience. Honestly, I can see myself buying this phone just for the flipping satisfaction itself, if I somehow land myself a spare RM6000 to burn. 

Do you own the Samsung Z Flip, if you do please share your experience using the phone, I'd love to hear from you! What are your thoughts on flip-style modern smartphones, do you think they have a place in today's smartphone market, or should they be abandoned? Let's discuss!

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A Weekend Returning To Normal

Life in Malaysia is starting to slowly return to normal, and people are already crowding the public places such as the malls. I took this opportunity to catch up with some people, and finally get back to the normal weekend routines - overpriced coffee, hanging out, and hipster food. Sim, Van and myself went to a local cafe Wizards in Bukit Bintang, and it was really great catching up with friends after being isolated for so long. It has been 3 months since I saw anyone and indeed, what a relief to be able to mingle and speak to human beings face to face again. We humans are social creatures after all. 

 Sim's Bao, I think it was chicken in the filling. I remember they only had two variations of Bao previously, Unagi, and something else, and I loved their Unagi Bao. Now they have a lot more!

 Van ordered Budu (something something), man why do the dish names have to be so bombastic. Love the blue rice though!

I ordered this. I swear I was looking for a different menu item. Previously this was known as Sally Bowles but I did not know they changed the name to Salmon Tataki Don (something like that). And I really wanted Salmon. I know you guys have seen this bowl of hipster dish for so many times already over the years, so this repetition this time was not intentional. 

Some funky Horlicks ice-cream, this is a new item in their menu, just released a day prior to our visit. I saw Horlicks, I immediately ordered it. 

Portrait of Van, check his work out at his blog!

Selfie of me and the boys. Van was holding the E-M1 Mark III obviously. The selfie was shot with something which I will be writing about here very soon. 

The past week has been an expectedly draining one. There were just too many incoming messages, through emails, YouTube comments, Facebook, I am starting to feel like I am drowning. I decided to stop replying to the mass comments, especially the ones for YouTube at the time being, for my own mental health's sake. It was depressing so see so many people being so unreasonably negative. 

It was indeed a much needed session to decompress, and just enjoy the company of positive vibes, good food and heavy dosage of caffeine. Thankfully we were allowed to go out and eat in restaurants/cafes again, I cannot imagine the horror of going through this past week being trapped inside the four walls of my room. Just being around amazing people helped a lot, and I was also glad to find my friends doing quite well despite the past months of aggressive lockdown in Malaysia. 

The next coming week will be quite challenging for me, but hopefully not as emotionally damaging as the last one. There are a few things that I look forward to, and you will see this blog here being updated more frequently than usual. I know, I know, this blog has been neglected somehow, after my more serious venture into growing my YouTube Channel over the past one year. I will try to keep this place more posted, with smaller entries like this one, just a quick sharing of a tiny slice of what's happening in my life. This was what my blog used to be like, just me sharing my weekend adventures, which usually involved photography somehow. 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend as well. 

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Update On Current "Covid-19 Lockdown" Situation In Malaysia - How Is It Affecting Me?

If you have been following me, you must have known that Malaysia, like most parts of the world has been under lockdown or some sort of movement restriction to combat the Covid-19 Pandemic. It was quite gruesome in Malaysia for a period of time, we were not allowed to leave the house unless for essential activities, eg getting groceries or important supplies. If we were caught wandering about for no important reasons, the police will fine us on the spot or send us to jail, and sometimes both. Even as the restrictions were slowly eased over the months, filming in public was specifically prohibited and it was stated in the official government site with guidelines on what to do and what not to do during this lockdown period. I fully acknowledge that photography for personal use should be fine but I am also a professional photographer and when caught it would be extremely difficult for me to explain or justify my actions. Those of you who know how Malaysian police works, you will also know there are many things that require improvement. 

It has been a frustrating past 3 months (since March 18) being trapped at home, but I persevered on and making YouTube videos gave me purpose. I continued doing what I can within the limited confined space and I was quite amazed of what I have come up with all this time. I have shot anything that I can from that tiny little balcony of my residential apartment looking out - trees, buildings, tower cranes, rainbows, lightning, night view of the city towers from far, I have done anything I possibly can. I have also done product photography tips, shooting with natural light and also demonstrated on various toys that I have - Robin Lego, miniature Batmobile, Antman and War Machine figurines and also a watch to show how focus stacking works. I have covered a wide variety of topics ranging from OM-D tips to general photography sharing, but I was getting bored using the same balcony again and again, and I am well aware my audio recording from that balcony was not great - it did sound a little echoey and "boomy". I just did not like filming videos at that spot anymore. 

Thankfully on June 10 onward, Malaysia has moved on to "Recovery Phase" of the movement restriction and the lockdown is further eased. We are now allowed to move about, most businesses are allowed to open and finally, the ban on filming in public has been lifted. I can now go out with my camera, do street photography, film videos for my Vlogs/YouTube without having to constantly look over my shoulders for police presence. I don't have to worry about breaking the law if I were to sneak out to film that B-Roll, or get some sample shots to show how certain features in the OM-D camera works, I can just go out and shoot freely, and that is a huge, huge step forward for me. No more being stuck in that tiny balcony anymore! I am free!

After getting a haircut (barbers were allowed to open on 10 June) I immediately filmed a video, discussing on "Anti-Shock 0 Sec" or Electronic First Curtain Shutter, which was a continuation from the previous Electronic/Silent Shutter video, and man, it felt so good to be out and about again. To have a different scenery in my background, to have much cleaner audio and finally, being able to stretch my legs, it made a huge difference not just for my YouTube content, but for my own personal mental health as well. Being trapped in one place for too long does things to your mind. 

I have since then made a few more videos, all lined up to be published in YouTube and that spark to continue shooting and making content has been reignited. I am all fired up and inspired to go out and shoot more now, and trust me, all these pent up enthusiasm will show in my coming videos. 

As for the work side of things, my calendar for shoots remain looking quite pathetic for the rest of the year and I expect the business side of things to recover very slowly. I am not going to ask for a miracle, I have foreseen this since the beginning of the year and I am expecting things to get worse before they get better. However, I am also positive that I can survive this storm and I know my passion for photography will carry me through. I have all of you beautiful people to remind me that what I do here matters and your constant positive feedback, words of encouragement and also genuine show of faith have helped me in some of my most difficult times. The generous contributions from direct PayPal donations and "Buy Me a Coffee" site have been a great help in keeping me afloat in these times and effectively motivating me to continue on. 

I must thank you all for being so supportive, so patient, kind and understanding. I think you must have been bored seeing me at that same balcony for 3 months. Yet you are still here with me, and I could not ask for a better audience. Without you, there is no Robin Wong. 

I have a lot of interesting content lined up, and I cannot wait to draft the ideas out, write the scripts, film and shoot them and finally edit into final videos, or even a blog format to share with you all, either here on this blog or my YouTube Channel. I have been around, blogging, doing shutter therapy and sharing fresh content for more than 10 years, and surely I am not going anywhere. Part of me felt that I have just begun, and there is so much more I want to do. 

I hope wherever you are, things are going well for you, and you are able to do shutter therapy. I shall stop writing now, grab that camera and go out for my own shutter therapy. I shall come home with plenty of photographs to share, so stay tuned!

Shutter therapy must go on. 

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