Shooting Tennis with OM System 50-200mm F2.8 IS PRO

Special thanks to OM System Malaysia, I got the loaner OM System 50-200mm F2.8 IS PRO lens to play with over the weekend. Coincidentally, there was a local tennis tournament happening, so I brought the OM System 50-200mm PRO mounted on my OM-1 to shoot some sports action at the Kuala Lumpur Open 2025. With versatile zoom range, long focal length that reaches 200mm, constant F2.8 aperture and powerful stabilization, I find this to be an awesome lens for sports photography! I have also made a video about this session; you can check it out here (click). 

Don't Underestimate The Kit Lens!

 People often overlook and underestimate what a kit lens can do, but I believe they are versatile and fully capable in delivering awesome results. Here is the harsh truth - even if you upgrade to the sharper, more expensive, higher PRO grade lens, it won't improve your photography a bit. The kit lens is often more than sufficient in most shooting scenarios, and I am proving that it can shoot beautiful images with my recent shutter therapy outings, using the Olympus M.Zuiko 12-50mm F3.5-6.3 on my Olympus OM-D E-M1 Original. I have also made a video to share my thoughts here (click). 

Shooting Lo-Fi Black and White Portraits With KODAK CHARMERA

 The adventures with the fun toy camera, Kodak Charmera continues! This time, I brought it out to shoot some nice portraits of my friend, Lily and I thought it would be fun to try out the black and white feature this time. While the images do appear very low in resolution due to the 1.6MP sensor used in the Kodak Charmera, image quality isn't the priority of the session. I intentionally added coarse grain in post-processing to take off some of the artificial digital smearing of details, rendering less plasticky looking results. The unexpected outcome was that these images look like they were cut out from newspaper! Another day, another fun outing with the Kodak Charmera!

This Old Macro Arm Light Accessory Was A Great Idea, But... (Olympus MAL-1)

Olympus used to make some really unusual and useful attachments for their hotshoe accessory port back in the earlier days of Micro Four Thirds (as far back as E-P2). One of such products was the Macro Arm Light MAL-1, which has two flexible arms with adjustable LED light for small subject illumination. I recently found one and I just could not resist testing it for my usual macro shooting session. I found that the idea of the macro arm light was practical and helpful for macro shooting - flexible arms for precise lighting placement, two separate directional lighting sources with selectable brightness, no need for battery or charging as the power is drawn from the camera via hotshoe mount, and the overall package being so small and light, easy to carry and setup for use. However, it has one big flaw - the light is just not powerful enough for meaningful macro work that requires large magnification and deeper DOF, eg insect macro. Nevertheless, I did have fun shooting with it, and I am sharing some sample shots taken with the Olympus E-M1 OG, 60mm F2.8 Macro together with the Macro Arm Light MAL-1. I have also made a video on this topic here (click). 

Kodak Charmera - Retro-Styled Tiny Plastic Camera That Shoots Lo-Fi

I really cannot imagine myself buying and using a new Kodak camera in 2025, but here I am, with their latest release, the Kodak Charmera. This is a retro-styled plastic tiny toy camera that shoots a mere 1.6MP resolution images, in other words, Lo-Fi photography! Since the price was fairly cheap and I thought I could use the detox from all the gear technical obsession, I bpought the Kodak Charmera and thought it would be fun to bring it out on the streets for some shutter therapy. It was nice to just leave behind all the obsession on camera settings and getting the best results, and just snap away some Lo-Fi images that would make any pixel-peeper's eyes bleed. The images came out quite interesting, and I am sharing them in this blog entry. I made a video too, with POV view on the streets I was shooting, you can view it here (click).

GR IV - A Massive Hit For Ricoh

It pays off to listen to customer feedback and continuously refine to improve your product, one iteration after another. And it isn't good enough to just make some cosmetic changes and small updates to call a new camera, Ricoh did not cheap out the GR IV, as it features different and new image sensor, redesigned lens with better optics, much improved AF performance, dramatically more powerful image stabilization, added internal built in storage with generous 53GB capacity and still packing all that in a familiar, slim and truly pocketable form factor. You get a more responsive camera with better performance, delivering visibly better image output from the predecessor, that is not you make a new camera. Other manufacturers should take note! Ricoh GR IV proves that Ricoh/Pentax has the capability of making small, capable mirrorless cameras, now the only question is - will they do it? It is still an open game. 

More Adventures With Ricoh GR IV

During the one week plus of time I had the loaner Ricoh GR IV, I went to various locations in Kuala Lumpur to get my sample images. I went to Masjid Jamek area, Petaling Street, Pudu, Kampung Baru and Chow Kit. I still wish I had more time to explore other locations like Brickfields or Bukit Bintang, but I did what I can with the limited time that I have with the camera. There is always the feeling of now having enough shots, or not doing enough, or not getting the best image that I can with my capabilities. It does not help with the fact that wide angle is not my greatest strength when it comes to street shooting, as I am generally a 50mm shooter. Nevertheless, putting in the extra time and effort was all that I can do, and I must say I am quite pleased with the outcome. Not my best work, but I have some keepers, and that is all I can ask for, really. 

Ricoh GR IV - Pocket Magic For Street Photography

Special thanks to Futuromic Malaysia (official distributor of Ricoh/Pentax in Malaysia), I got a loaner Ricoh GR IV to play with for about more than a week. I have been all around the city trying to grab enough sample shots for the past one week, and the poor weather conditions did not help with my productivity level. I managed to get just enough shots to support my video which I made on YouTube, sharing the things that I like and dislike about the Ricoh GR IV. Spoilers alert - there are way more things that I like about the GR IV, you can watch the video here (click). It truly is a marvel how Ricoh can make such a capable camera in a tiny package, and the improvements over the predecessors are also worth mentioning!

OM Digital Solutions Should Bring The E-M10 Back!

It has been many years since the last E-M10 series camera was released by Olympus, and it seems like OM Digital Solutions may not have plans to continue with this product line. I think that would be a grave mistake, as E-M10 series has proven to be highly popular and successful in the market, as proven in Japan's local BCN ranking of top camera sales as well as any available data from all around the world. E-M10 is not only budget friendly, but also well built, small and compact in form factor and is packed with useful and advanced features. I think E-M10 is a great entry point for many who may not want to spend above USD2000 for a new camera, a trend which Micro Four Thirds is currently driving, and obviously, not working well considering the poor market share situation. A refresh of the E-M10 can change that - a high volume of sales for an attractive camera can bring in healthy profit and encourage more lens sales - who is going to buy your lens if not enough people buy your cameras? I share all these thoughts and more in my latest video here (click). I took the E-M10 original out for some shutter therapy, and here are the images from that session!

Olympus PEN E-PM2 + M.Zuiko 25mm F1.8 = Such a Fun Street Shooting Combo

I gotta say Olympus really knew how to make truly small and compact cameras that can not only perform well, but also was so fun to use. I took out the Olympus PEN E-PM2 and M.Zuiko 25mm F1.8 out for some street shooting sessions in downtown Kuala Lumpur, and I was reminded of how amazing this little combo truly was. It handles so well for such a small camera, it has super fast AF, really good image quality with pleasing, beautiful colors, it has built in image stabilization and it was just so easy to use. I enjoyed the session tremendously, and that was what Micro Four Thirds was about - tiny camera, big pictures, the PEN Mini embodies that 100%. We need a new, updated version now in 2025, hopefully OM Digital Solutions brings this back! Latest POV video here (click). 

Why Do You Shoot So Much On The Same Streets?

The most common question that I get is why do I shoot so much on the same streets, again and again, don't I ever get bored of repeating the same routine over and over again? Well, the beauty of doing the same routines, walking the same paths is the familiarity of the location, and you know every turn and corner, you know the details inside out, so you can be prepared for the unexpected. That is also the exciting part of shooting on the streets, you will find something unusual, something you will not know will happen beforehand, and the surprise is worth the redundant process of walking the same streets all over again. When everything is new and shiny, traveling to new locations, it takes some time to settle down and be comfortable with the new environment. If you already spent enough time getting to know the surroundings deep enough, that is when magic starts to happen. So, I will keep going back to the same locations, but with an open heart and mind, and I will get my shutter clicks happen, capturing something interesting. It isn't about finding something completely new or extra-ordinary to shoot but finding beauty in the most ordinary settings and make it worth clicking your shutter button for. 

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More Adventures with Olympus M.Zuiko 60mm F2.8 Macro

Emilie Talpin (OM Anbassador, US) recently sent me an AK Diffuser made for insect macro, and I thought it would be great ot test it out. I shot these images at least half a year ago, and while I was testing the diffuser, some thoughts came to mind about the amazing Olympus 60mm F2.8 Macro lens. I personally think that is one of the best macro lens ever made, but it was released in 2012 and it is about time the lens gets some update. OM Digital Solutions should consider making a Version II of the 60mm F2.8 Macro, with improved AF speed and reliability, as well as better control of focus breathing that can make a huge difference for macro shooters who do focus stacking work. Oh, and why not introduce Insect Ai Subject Detection AF, that would be awesome too! I share these thoughts and more in my latest video here (click). 

Aventures With The Original Olympus E-1 Again!

Here is a little-known fact - Olympus claimed that the image sensor used in their first Four Thirds interchangeable lens DSLR camera, E-1 was a full frame sensor! It was mentioned in the official press release, official product descriptions and specifications pages on their website as well as a technical diagram showing the inner workings of the supposedly "full frame" sensor. Technically, it was a full frame sensor as there was nothing to crop from, the Four Thirds system was 100% newly designed digital system, unlike the traditional 35mm format that made a somewhat lazy transition to digital from film. I explained this and more, with plenty of evidence on how Olympus Four Thirds was a full frame, and how the original technology and innovations introduced in the E-1 have shaped the future of imaging, and were adopted by both Canon and Nikon in their respective RF and Z mounts when they went mirrorless full frame - using the same tech that Olympus introduced in the E-1 15 years prior! You can check out the video here (click). In this video, I am sharing my latest images from a shutter therapy session which I did with the Olympus E-1. 

Fujifilm Almost Nailed It With Their X-E5, Almost...

I had a chance to have a quick hands-on with the latest Fujifilm X-E5 camera, special thanks to the newly opened N4 Camera Store in MyTown Shopping Mall at downtown Kuala Lumpur. I personally think the camera checks all the right boxes - it is compact in size, beautifully stylish in design, has built in EVF, tilt LCD screen, built in 5-Axis image stabilization and it features flagship level internals like 40MP image sensor and latest processor from X-T5. I thought the camera was almost perfect, until I saw the selling pirce, retailing at USD1700/RM7000 body only, that was perhaps the only big complain that I have. A smaller complain would be the AF performance no being on par with my older Olympus PEN E-PL7, you can see the comparison I have done in my latest video where I share more about my thoughts on the X-E5 here (click). 

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First Time Hosting Guests On YouTube Live Stream!

Last Friday, for the first time in my life, after doing YouTube for so many years, I was hosting guests remotely and have them on my Live Stream. It was a nerve-racking experience. I knew I was a bad multi-tasker, doing solo Live Streams was already stressful enough, and this time I had to bring in not one, but two important guests, all being broadcasted Live on YouTube. So many things could have gone wrong, me dealing with new software, and having to keep the conversations going was not an easy feat, at least not for me. All things considered, minus the small hiccups there and here, I think the Live Stream went as well as can be, and I was grateful as things could have been a lot worse. I call this achievement unlocked!

This Hidden Feature - Handheld Starlight Ensures Clean High ISO Images

In some Olympus cameras, there is a hidden feature called HandHeld Starlight, which technically is a multishot noise reducton composite technique that can effectively get rid of high ISO noise, producing clean low light images. I tested the Handheld Starlight mode of my Olympus PEN E-PL7, shooting images ranging from ISO1600-12800, and the results are very impressive - though JPEG only, the images retain very good amount of details, yet suppressing high ISO noise. I went out to test this around the streets of Kuala Lumpur, and made a video (you can watch it here) to explain the mechanics behind the Handheld Starlight mode. I am sharing the images in this blog entry. I wish OM System includes this feature in their higher level flagship camera, like the OM-1 series. 

Second Speech In One Week - Best Man's Speech For Jason & Gan's Wedding Dinner

I was asked by Jason a few weeks ago to deliver a best man's speech during his wedding dinner, and I said yes. It was indeed a privilege as Jason is an incredible friend I have known for over 20 years. I have nothing but amazing things to say about him. However, my mum passed away and I initially pulled out from attending the wedding dinner, as Chinese traditions and customs would normally prevent guests with recently deceased family members from attending. Jason insisted that I attend and after getting necessary checks and approvals from all relevant parties, I finally made it to the wedding. The Best Man's speech was delivered, it was the second speech I had to do in the same week, after my mum's eulogy at the Memorial Service, just a few days before. To Jason, thanks for having me at the wedding dinner, thanks for having me as a friend, and thanks for always believing in me, when I did not even see anything in myself. Thanks for bringing out the best version of myself, and I owe you so much, for being such an incredible friend that I honestly feel I don't deserve. To Jason & Gan, congratulations to both of you, may your lives be filled with everlasting blessings and happiness! All images taken by Justin Hee (IG @jh.pixels), used with permission. 

Thanks Jason for always being there.

Memorial Service For Mum

Mum's Memorial Service was held at St Thomas Cathedral in Kuching, Borneo, which is our home church, on 16 July 2025. Mum's family came, along with many relatives, my aunties and uncles, as well as my cousins, some really amazing friends (you know who you are) and an unexpectedly large crowd of church members who new mum from bible study groups and the Kuching Anglican Senior Fellowship. It was a beautiful memorial service, with the priest in charge a family friend, Reverend John Sim. I am extremely thankful to have all the kind support, help and generous contributions from so many people at such challenging times, and the memorial service went as well as can be expected. I gave a eulogy for mum, with snippets of it can be heard at the end of my video on YouTube here (click). Special thanks to Jason Lioh for flying in all the way from Kuala Lumpur and helped with capturing some of these precious moments. All images taken by Jason Lioh, used with permission. 

I Love You Mum, Goodbye

My beloved mum, Annie Chan has passed away peacefully by my side on 9 July 2025, just one day before her birthday. It was a shock to me, everything happened so suddenly, and I am still processing everything. We managed to cremate her and brought back the remains to Kuching, Borneo, our hometown. We have held a beautiful Memorial Service for her on 16 July 2025 at St Thomas Cathedral, Kuching, our chuch, and everything went as well as possibly can. I am deeply saddened by the passing of my mum, it will be a long and painful grieving process for me. I made a video to share what happened in China (how mum passed away) and how I am dealing with things, with some complications I am currently facing, you can watch the video here (click). I will do a separate blog to share some images taken during the Memorial Service later. Mum, I love you so much. Goodbye for now, I am sure, we will meet again. 

Special thanks to many who have sent their heartfelt messages and condolences, your words of comfort meant a whole world to me. Also, super thanks to many who have contributed to the bereavement fund, man I had no idea how expensive deaths can cost, it is insane! Your contribution helped a great deal during these difficult times. I appreciate each and every one of you, thanks for being here, and thanks for the support. 

ANNIE CHAN (1954 - 2025)

Malacca Adventures With TTArtisan 27mm F2.8 on Sony NEX-6 Part 2

This is a continuation from the previous post I shared about the amazing pancake lens, TTArtisan 27mm F2.8 AF, and how we should have more of similar lenses made by camera manufacturers. While the lens is not the best at any single feat, it is a well-rounded lens, being so compact in form factor made it a super minimalist setup. Just pair it with a small camera body like NEX-6, and you have an excellent street shooting combo. I thought the image quality came out really good, considering the fact that I paid well below USD100 for a used unit of the lens. Sometimes, it isn't about using the best available equipment, or the sharpest lens, it is about finding the right lens that can be so enjoyable every time you use it on your camera. This TTArtsan represents the spirit of that - super fun to shoot with!

SURPRISE! I Am Conducting A Photography Workshop In 2026!

I have a surprise news! Together with Matti Sulanto and Peter Forsgard, I will be conducting a photography workshop here in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia next year, from 30 March to 3 April 2026! I am so honored to be conducting this workshop alongside extremely talented photographers, amazing content creators on YouTube and awesome people I have come to call as good friends, both Matti and Peter. This 5-days intensive workshop will cover plenty of sharing sessions from all of us and also guided photowalks around the beautiful streets of Kuala Lumpur, I will bring you guys out to my favorite hunting grounds to help you get some awesome shots! There is more - if you sign up before 31 July 2025, you will get a special early bird promo discount! I am really excited about this workshop, I hope to see some of you awesome people here in KL next year, we can hang out together, and of course have some shutter therapy sessions together. For more information, and to sign up, go to the official website here: Urban Street Narratives – The Best Photo Workshops. I have also made a short video to talk about this upcoming photography workshop, you can watch my video here (click). 

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We Need More Pancake Lenses Like This! TTArtisan 27mm F2.8 AF

TTArtisan 27mm F2.8 AF may not be sharpest lens, or the fastest autofocusing performing lens, but it is sure one fun lens to use. I believe camera manufacturers should pay attention to this and make similar pancakes for varying focal lengths prime lenses. I acknowledge the TTArtisan 27mm F2.8 is not a new lens, it has been around for several years now, but it pairs so well with smaller camera bodies like the Sony NEX-6 that I have. For the asking price of about USD100 new (I actually got it much cheaper used), there is a lot to love about the lens - not only being so compact and slim, it has metal build, very decent image quality and admirable lens flaw controls. Seriously, for so little money, I don't think it is possible to make anything better! I brought the TTArtisan 27mm F2.8 fitted on my Sony NEX-6 to the beautiful city of Malacca, and had some shutter therapy sessions there!

Benjamin Chappell Is Battling Stage 4 Cancer, He Needs Your Support!

I woke up to a heartbreaking news yesterday morning, on my YouTube notification I saw Ben's latest video on his The Narrowband Channel, titled "I May Have Only 3 Month Left to Live, Astrophotographer Fights On!". He has been battling stage 4 cancer for years now, and it has been really inspiring to see how Ben has stayed positive, doing his best to even churn out useful content on his YouTube for the community. The latest news was not so great, I shall leave it at that, if you want more information, you can always check out Ben's video yourself, he explained everything in great length there. The wife has started a GoFundMe page, so if you are able, please do consider contributing to Ben in support of his fight against cancer. Ben, if you are reading this, I am rooting for you mate! Stay strong, and I know you got this. 

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OM System OM-5 Mark II - Shooting Macro Part 2

This is a continuation from previous Part 1 (click), more images taken with the Olympus M.Zuiko 60mm F2.8 Macro lens on OM System OM-5 Mark II camera, while I was doing my test run at Fraser's Hill, Pahang recently. The two popular spiders found there are Trapdoor Spider and Malayan Tarantula, both I did not encounter any during my brief time hunting for the tiny bugs. These spiders are known to hide and burrow in holes, so spotting them may require a bit more effort and time, both I did not have while I needed to shoot as many sample images as I can with the OM-5 Mark II. While I did not have these Trapdoor Spider and Malayan Tarantula this time, I did not leave disappointed, I found a wide variety of spiders and insects that I normally would not encounter in more common urban parks. 

A Camera With Only A Shutter Button

I am so sick of seeing camera manufacturers stripping away important features in newer cameras with the excuse of calling them "fun and more film like". The bitter truth is them trying to minimize production cost and maximizing profit, by removing hardware and crippling the camera, while still selling them at exorbitant prices. If we are seriously considering taking away features and make the camera "more fun", let's go to the far extreme - I am experimenting with the Olympus Air as a standalone shooting camera, with only a singular shutter button. Without the aid of viewfinder or LCD screen to compose a shot, without the ability to adjust camera settings, all I could do was just press the shutter button after aiming the camera blindly at my subject, this proved to be quite an interesting session. I got some really cool shots too! I did a video to show you how I captured those shots (no cheating) here. 

Birding With OM System OM-5 Mark II

During my recent Fraser's Hill adventures I managed to do some birding with the loaned OM System OM-5 Mark II camera. I also managed to borrow the Olympus 100-400mm F5-6.3 Mark 1, and the 400mm longest end telephoto reach proved to be useful as the birds were not that near. Fraser's Hill is a popular spot for bird watching and bird photography, it was reported that 250 different species of birds can be found in this one singular location. Of course, I only had limited time divided between birding, shooting insect macro and filming my video for YouTube, so I did the best I can. I tagged along the Malaysian OM System Ambassador, Richard Chong as he guided me to locations where the birds were known to be spotted. I'd be completely useless myself hunting the birds on my own! So shout out to OM System Malaysia team and Richard for all the amazing work! Hey, it is not an everyday thing Robin Wong does birding!

Silver Eared Mesia

OM System OM-5 Mark II Shooting Macro

Since I was up at Fraser's Hill, I just have to do some insect macro photography while testing the new OM System OM-5 Mark II camera. Fraser's Hill is known for diverse insects, bugs and spiders, but I only had so little time to do my macro photography. I went into the easiest trail, Hemmant Trail which was about 1km long and shot most of my images there. I used my own Olympus M.Zuiko 60mm F2.8 Macro lens and the old Olympus FL-50R flash, mounted on the camera. Since the OM-5 Mark II isn't compatible with the FL-LM3 flash, I could not use my usual one hand camera, one hand wireless flash technique, so I had to improvise. I used the Macro Softbox sent to me by Emilie Talpin (US OM System Ambassador) for this around instead. I thought I found quite a variety of bugs this time!

OM System OM-5 Mark II - My Hands On Experience

Over the weekend, I had a 3 days 2 nights trip out of the city to Fraser's Hill in Pahang for the international Bird Race 2025 event happening up there. I tagged along the YL Camera team, thanks for having me along and the great hospitality, and of course, the OM System team was also there, and they loaned me the new OM-5 Mark II to play around with during my duration of stay in Fraser's Hill. I took this opportunity to do some nature photography, a little bit of insect macro as well as bird shooting. I will be sharing image samples from the OM-5 Mark II in my coming entries. Here, I just want to divert your attention to my latest video (click here), a hands on preview of the OM-5 Mark II camera, after I have shot with it for a few days. 

Authenticity Matters - Just Be Yourself!

One of the many reasons I have stopped consuming content on Instagram is the similarities of all the images being showcased - it was as if everyone was trying to outdo everyone by copying what everyone else was doing. That is the unhealthy side of social media, it shows you certain expectations, and if you want to play the game you have no choice but to participate and do the same thing - shoot the same kind of images, with the same style and composition and finishing off with exact same post-editing approaches. The typical "film-like" look, or cinematic colors with orange vs teal tinge within a frame, or the expired film look, you get the idea. It is getting increasingly difficult to find original ideas to get inspiration from. Instead of trying to be authentic, many people just chose the easy way out - if you can't beat them, join them!

Image taken by Amir Shariff (IG @amirscamera)
Used with permission. 

Latest Adventures with 6MP DSLR - Nikon D50

I brought the old dinosaur, Nikon D50 with merely 6MP CCD image sensor out for some shutter therapy. I did it to prove an important point - more megapixels won't make you a better photographer. The chase for the latest and greatest and the megapixel war have gone a little ridiculous, with "everyday carry" casual camera made to have medium format 102MP, I thought was counter-productive in many ways. If you can't shoot good images with an old, 6MP camera, you won't be able to shoot good images with a 102MP camera either. More megapixels don't make better photographs - composition, lighting, story-telling, decisive moment, the emotion and idea in your images will make or break the quality of your photographs, not the megapixel count. I shared my thoughts in my latest video here (click). 

Crazy Hot Weather in Kuala Lumpur

For the past 2 weeks or so, there has been no rain (almost) in Kuala Lumpur, and the weather has been unbearably hot. Staying indoors is fine, though I do not have air conditioning in my room, with the ceiling fan going full blast, it is somewhat tolerable. However, doing anything outdoors in the harsh, burning sun while being drenched in sweat is not the most fun thing to do. I love street photography, but I also love my skin, and I really don't want it to be roasted to crisp. I really hope the heat spell will be over soon, and we get some intermittent rain to cool things down. I want to do some shutter therapy, but the thought of being barbequed alive out there stopped anything from happening. 

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Viltrox 28mm F4.5 Chip Lens - Smallest Lens With AF For Mirrorless Cameras?

Viltrox sent me their latest 28mm F4.5 chip lens for Nikon Z mirrorless full frame cameras, and I had such a blast testing it on my Nikon Z5 shooting on the streets of Kuala Lumpur. I did not intend to do a full blown review of this lens, because the first version (for Sony FE) was already launch one year ago, so there are already many reviews and content about the lens available everywhere. I did however, enjoy the lens so much, there is something fun about using such a tiny lens that can deliver beautiful results. It is also really cheap - at USD99, the lens is sharp, manages most flaws really well, and has fast and reliable AF! I mean, it isn't perfect, there are small issues there and here (heavy vignetting, fixed F4.5 aperture) but come on, for such a low price tag, I'd easily forgive the issues. I am sharing my first set of images here in this blog entry. For my detailed breakdown of what I liked and disliked about the lens, you can go to my latest video here (click). 

Recreating Fuji X Half Shooting Experience on Olympus PEN - Almost!

Fujifilm launched their latest camera, the X Half that mimicked the film half frame shooting experience. If you know you know that it was Olympus who popularized the film half frame format back in the 1960s. Therefore, it was not surprising to find out that Olympus had some tricks up the sleeves on their newer cameras, particularly the Olympus PEN E-PL7 from more than 10 years ago. I am recreating the magic of shooting with X Half in the E-PL7, but applying a few tweaks and settings. For simulating vertical sensor, I applied 3:4 aspect ratio, to match the film simulations, I used Art Filters (Vintage I. II III and Grainy Film II), to replicate similar field of view, I chose the Olympus 17mm F1.8 lens. I shot in JPEG only, and all images were in portrait orientation, and you can find these and more tips in my latest video here (click). I am just sharing my images from this session in this blog entry, which I thought came out interestingly well!

Comparison Is The Thief Of Joy? Or Insecurity?

I see too many friends and photographer peers obsessing about what other people are doing - worrying they are not doing enough or being good enough. They constantly stalk Instagram posts and stories, spy on each other's activities online, measuring how many more likes and engagements one has against another. I find this quite daunting, and honestly pointless. I have been off Instagram for more than a year, and I could not have been happier. Sure, my main IG account is still live, but I seldom post, and I follow no one, not even a single person. I think photography is about your own process of finding your stories and visual expression, it should not be about how people around you influence or dictate your actions and directions in your creative pursuit. Unfortunately, this is of course, easier said than done, and I have seen so many people being sucked into the never-ending void of depressing "why does he get more likes than me" disease. 

Event Photography Is So Fun! Especially When Shooting For Friends

My friends Azul and Grace had their latest exhibition "Under The Shadows of Merdeka" at GMBB, Bukit Bintang, and I was there at the official launch event. I did not plan to do much, since I was a guest and I wanted to show my support just by being there. I brought along the Olympus PEN E-PL7, keeping things as small and minimalist as I can. I only had a few lenses, the humble kit lens Panasonic 12-32mm, Olympus 45mm F1.8 and 75mm F1.8. What started as casually snapping away had mutated into something more official - though I was never the appointed photographer, but my images were requested to be submitted to different parties at the event for social media use. I did what I can, with what I was working with, and here are the images!

Under The Shadows Of Merdeka - A Photography Exhibition at GMBB, KL by Azul Adnan and Grace Ho

I have been following the progress of Azul and Grace's photography project (Under The Shadows of Merdeka) for a while now, it took them a year to shoot the images for their book and exhibition, and the finale exhibition is finally happening now! If you are in Kuala Lumpur, you can check out the photography exhibition happening at Level 3A in GMBB building, Bukit Bintang from 9th to 18th May 2025, 11am to 8pm. Either Azul or Grace (sometimes both) will be there so if you drop by, do say hi and tell them that Robin sent you! I went to the official launch event last Saturday, I did take some images which I shall share soon in another separate coming blog entry, but for this one, I shall post images from the exhibition floor. All images shot with Olympus PEN E-PL7, Panasonic 12-32mm kit lens, Olympus 25mm and 45mm F1.8 lenses. All images are mine, unless otherwise mentioned. 

Shutter Therapy in Kuching, Borneo with Panasonic GX7

Earlier this year, I found a used Panasonic GX7 in great condition and I could not resist the temptation. Many people have suggested me trying the GX7, many have spoken very highly of the camera. I brought the camera to Kuching, Borneo for Chinese New Year holidays (3 months ago) and did some shutter therapy sessions there. I got to say, I love the look and design of the GX7, it has flat-top rangefinser styled, silver retro appeal which is quite inspiring. I also like the tilt LCD screen which was convenient for shooting street, and the built in image stabilization was a plus. To my surprise, I do like the color rendering of this camera - unlike other Panasonic cameras I have complained about. However, there are just too many dislikes with the GX7 too - the camera has poor handling and ergonomics, it has the worst EVF I have ever used in my life and I particularly hated the loud shutter sound. I can see how the GX7 has gained a cult following, why some people love it so much, but I must admit this is one camera that I don't regret not owning sooner. I shared my full shooting experience in my latest video here (click). 

Merdeka 118 - Where Thunderbolts (Marvel) Opening Scene Took Place

Merdeka 118 is the second tallest building in the world at the moment, and it is right in the middle of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was quite surreal seeing Yelena jumping off from the top of that building in the opening sequence of the latest Marvel superhero movie, Thunderbolts. Though the scenes in Malaysia were brief, there was another one involving the explosion of the old HSBC building at Masjid Jamek area, I was giggling silly in the cinema recognizing all the filming locations, and I got to say I have been doing my own street shooting at those same spots many, many times. It is sad that the Merdeka 118 building is not yet open to the public at the time of the movie screening, else it would have been more epic! I thought it would be fun to dig through some of my own pool of images and put together a short series of the Merdeka 118 images I have taken!

Does The Video Have To Be 2 Hours Long?

I love doing Live Streams. It was one of my latest projects that I got obsessed with, and I have been live streaming for more than a year consistently now. One of the feedback that I have received about my Live Streams - from people who watched it after the stream has ended - they are too long. They questioned if a topic of discussion needed 2 hours or more, and they even said these can be done in 5 minutes. I find it strange how in the world where free speech is encouraged, and everyone has an opinion, people can say all kinds of strange things.

OM System 100-400mm F5-6.3 Mark II - How Effective Is The 5-Axis Sync IS?

Special thanks to OM System Malaysia, I managed to get a loan of the new OM System 100-400mm F5-6.3 Mark II for testing. I brought it along with my OM System OM-1 camera to the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park and did some bird shooting. I was particularly interested in the effectiveness of the 5-Axis Sync IS, which was the new update, or upgrade to the Mark II version of 100-400mm lens over the original Mark I version. Spoilers alert - the 5-Axis Sync IS was incredible! I can hand-hold down to 1/25 second shutter speed at 400mm full telephoto end of the lens with no issues, getting away with sharp images! I recorded my stabilization test as well as some bird shooting action in my latest video here (click). Not sure why in the video I made a mistake of confusing between yaw and pitch movements! Note to self: have enough coffee before making any talking head video in the morning. 

The 100-400mm Mark II has same lens cosmetics and optical design as the original Mark I version. 

Because of Kirk Tuck, I Shoot Mannequins

Kirk Tuck has an on-going inside joke on his blog about him shooting mannequins and how his readers gave some interesting reactions. I personally think mannequins are awesome and always make for interesting street shooting subjects. I don't usually seek them out but if they appear right in front of me normally, I will point my lens at the mannequin's direction and grab a few clicks. I may not have showcased that many images because they do become redundant after a few iterations (much like my cat shots) but I still shoot them, nonetheless. There is this stretch along Jalan Masjid India downtown KL where you can find all kinds of exotic mannequins in various state of brokenness and undress that just beg the camera to be used! I probably can do a mini project or series on mannequins and publish a zine or something out of this! 

I Am Loving This 12 Years Old Ancient Camera - Olympus OM-D E-M1 Original

I have been shooting more and more on the streets recently, and the camera of choice has been the Olympus OM-D E-M1 original. I have mentioned several times before here in this blog as well as on my YouTube channel why I love the E-M1 original, and I think it is still a fantastic camera even for today, after 12 years since its launch in 2013. The E-M1 was a legendary camera that paved the way to mirrorless camera revolution, and I have to say, it was a great camera back then, it still is a camera that I will confidently pick up and nail my critical shots on the streets any time. It has been a while but recently I made a POV street shooting video, showing you what was around me and in front of me moments before I clicked my shutter button, so please do check it out here (click). I am sharing plenty of fresh images from the streets of KL in this entry!

SIGMA BF Launch Event in Malaysia

Two days ago, I attended the Sigma BF launch event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as a guest. I wanted to see the much hyped new camera in person, Sigma being bold and daring in creating something radically different from what the other big boys in the market were doing. The event was held inside a restaurant, housing about 40 guests. Since I was just a guest I did not go overzealous with my shutter clicking, and only captured a few moments during the event. I had with me the Panasonic GM1, which was perfect since it was tiny and did not draw much attention. The Sigma BF definitely was quite a refreshing new product in the current camera industry overcrowded with everyone trying to fight the paper specifications war. Being minimalist and stripping away the features bloat, I thought the BF can appeal to those who don't necessarily need to shoot 120fps, or have the highest pixel count, or the most advanced computational features. As the saying goes, less is more. Maybe, if Sigma Malaysia loaned me a review unit (I'd probably have a higher chance of winning a lottery at this point), I may say more about the BF. For now, let's just dump the images I have taken at the event here. 

Sigma BF - it is bigger than what I imagined/expected from the images published online

Life Is Full Of Colors

I appreciate both color photography as well as black and white. I do admit I do more color photography - it is not fair to compare really, as the bulk of my photography work I shoot for clients, and my jobs demand everything in color. Or at least I have not found a client that specifically requests anything in black and white delivery. As for personal projects, yes color photography is dominant, I am not going to lie, I do celebrate the bold, loud, bombastic colors that I can easily find on the streets of Kuala Lumpur, so it is no secret that maybe 90% of my personal photography is done in full glorious colors. I love colors, but this year, for street photography so far, the ratio has been shifting to maybe 70% color and 30% black and white, and I do want to do more black and white, which will be a topic for another day. I cannot resist good color minimalist framing! 

Image by Amir Shariff, used with permission

My Favorite Micro Four Thirds Street Photography Lenses

I have been asked many times what my favorite lenses for street photography are, and I have given several answers over the past years. My answers have always been consistent, the lens I use the most is Olympus 25mm F1.8, but I also use the 45mm F1.8 a lot for my street portraits. Recently, I am warming up to wider angle shooting for my street photography and the Panasonic 15mm F1.7 fills in that gap. I talked about all these lenses and how I use them for my street shooting in my latest video here (click). 

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100MP Medium Format Compact Camera? Fuji GFX100RF

Fujifilm Malaysia had an event last weekend at Starhill. Bukit Bintang where they showcased the latest GFX100RF. The camera sample units were available for anyone to walk in and have a quick hands on experience. As a curious photographer of course, I went in and have a brief look. The cameras were chained and fixed in position, so we could not bring it around to do any testing on our own. Also, considering there were so many people around that space, it was not a great idea to do a video either. With limited time with the camera, I thought it wouldn't be wise to say anything and make a video - what can I know about a camera in 5-10 minutes time, really? Besides the AF being so slower than the now 12 years old E-M1 I had with me (which I used to take the images for this blog), and overall operation of the camera seem sluggish and unpolished. Oh, I better stop, before people accuse me of bashing Fuji. I don't know, for such a high asking price (close to USD5000) I'd expect a little more!

More Images From OM System OM-3 + 25mm F1.8 II

Of course, I went out more than once with the OM System OM-3 and 25mm F1.8 II for even more shutter therapy actions. This time I was at Chow Kit, and together with some friends we attacked the streets there. I must say I am glad that OM Digital Solutions is making a camera that isn't entirely biased toward nature/wildlife genre. The OM-3 feels like a modernized, retro-classic design camera that is aimed for street photographers. It is the kind of camera that urban photographers would be attracted to - beautiful looking camera that inspires you to pick it up, go out and shoot more. It isn't perfect of course, I have discussed some minor flaws and shortcomings of the OM-3, none are dealbreakers in my opinion, but hey, for street photography, don't think too much, just go out with the camera in hand and start making magic happen!

OM System OM-3 + 25mmm F1.8 II Street Photography

The local distributor of OM Digital Solutions contacted me and asked if I was interested in checking out the latest OM-3. I immediately said yes. Special thanks to the people in OM Systems Malaysia, I had the OM-3 and 25mm F1.8 II for about 2 weeks with no strings attached. They did not expect anything in return, and I was free to do anything, and say anything in my blog and YouTube channel. At this rate, a review is already too late, the Internet is already flooded with all kinds of reviews everywhere in the world, and I did not intend to add to that digital noise. Therefore, I thought of only one thing I really wanted to do with the camera - just bring it out and have fun with it! I brought the OM-3 and 25mm F1.8 II and did some shutter therapy in downtown, Kuala Lumpur. I talked about why the OM System OM-3 is an awesome camera for street photography (if you don't mind the glaring retail price at USD2000) in my latest video (click here). I am just dumping the images I have taken from that session!

Snapshots From Perth - Part 2

This blog entry is a continuation from recent post about my short trip to Perth, Western Australia. Every time I made a visit back to Perth (5 visits now, since I left in 2008), I cannot help but feel a tinge of regret. What if I have done things a little differently back then, what if I took more chances, what if I was more courageous and braved my way through all the challenges. Perth will always have a special place in my heart, and as much as I would love to cling onto the awesomeness of the place and people, I have decided long ago to move on. We argue that everything that happened would not have happened otherwise, and the events in our lives led us to exactly where we are now, and I am not complaining about my life, but hey, we are also creatures of habit - we always look back and reflect and think of the million alternate possibilities which have come and gone. All that remains, are memories. At least, I can revisit that. 

Perth CBD, view from across Swan River at Mill Point Road

Sunday Is Brunch Day

It has been a while since I last caught up with my friends Jackie and Jaslyn and we made a last minute deicision to have a Sunday Brunch. We went to the new (well, new to me, it was my first time here after the relocation from Publika Shopping Mall) Red Bean Bag, which was renowned for their good coffee and Aussie-styled brunch menu. The new location looked much bigger and the menu has mutated since the last time I ate there. All in all, we had good food, really good coffee and even better conversations. I brought along the Nikon Z5 for casual snapshots, I thought why not? Images captured with the Nikon Z 40mm F2 lens. We went to another location after that since Red Bean Bag imposed a 2 hours dining limit, and after so long 2 hours was not sufficient to gush out all the life happenings. We went to Hetam for second round of coffee. Sundays are for brunches and coffee with friends!

Chicken Katsu Pasta