2014 Shell Advance Malaysian MotoGP with Olympus mZD 40-150mm f2.8 PRO lens

I had the generous opportunity from Olympus Malaysia in loaning me the latest set up of choice for sports photography in the m43 world, an E-M1 + MC-14 + mZD 40-150mm f2.8 PRO lens. Thanks to Mr. Tang and Olympus Malaysia!

With that combination, off I go to 2014 Shell Advance Malaysian MotoGP at Sepang International Circuit for the free practise session to test them out. Panning was the dreaded archilles heel that have put me off of m43 for the time being but it seems that it is no longer true.

There was one thing though is still plaguing m43 systems, which is the battery life. It seems that Pro lenses, like the 4/3 counterparts, suck battery quite a bit. Even with the grip, I managed to capture about 300 shots with a bit of chimping and photo deletion included. Maybe one of my mistake was not to turn off live view on the LCD from the start. I only did that about 1/3 way through the shoot. Depending on the usage, it should only last about one full race. Spare batteries are highly recommended.

The size of the set up is no longer small but is equivalent to an entry level competitor dSLR with a standard telephoto lens attached. The weight too is not feather light. However, compared to its 4/3 equivalent of an E-5 + EC-14 + 35-100mm f2, the m43 combo is feather light. For a motorsports event, having trained arms would be a real added advantage.

On the performance of this combo, AF speed was excellent and was able to focus on the moving bikes without fail. Even the C-AF Tracking did what it's supposed to do. The sharpness produced from the lens was great and it also produces nice bokeh for protraiture. For MotoGP, the MC-14 was a real advantage as 150mm seems to be not enough reach for closer shot photos.

It took some practise to get the panning right. With my limited skills, I have tried the new Panning Scene mode, with and without IS-AUTO, C-AF with tracking and with multiple shutter speeds. What worked for me was S Mode set to 1/200s with IS OFF, S-AF and ISO 200. Old habits die hard as that is the set up I usually use for panning with my E-3 and ZD 50-200mm F2.8-3.5. 1/200s is considered fast but with limited time on the combo, that would suffice with my old and shaky hands.

Another thing which I have set beforehand was the high frame rate for the EVF. The LCD cannot be relied on heavily for panning as using the EVF would provide the best stability and follow up needed. I have noticed that there is a very slight blackout period in the EVF when the shutter is pressed.

Am I impressed with the new m43 sports photography combo? Hell yeah! With more practise, I'm very confident that panning at slower shutter speeds can be readily achieved. With its light weight and weather proofing capabilities, it is ready for anything. However, the main problem is, where to get the funds?

All photos are captured using Olympus E-M1 body with MC-14 teleconverter and mZD 40-150mm f2.8 Pro lens. The rest of the photos can be viewed here.

The Land of Smiles

The land of smiles, what Thailand is also known as. And the truth is, it is true! It is not the first time I have set foot in Thailand but this is the first trip to Bangkok with my wife and her friends.

All around Bangkok you are able to see care free people. Most of them seem to not have any worries in the world. People from all walks of life will live happily and without worries, no matter how their situation is.

Bangkok is the capital of Thailand and is easily accessible via its international airport, Suvarnabhumi International Airport. Nearly all major airlines will land there. Transportation between the airport and city centre is easily available and relatively affordable. There are options to travel as a VIP in posh limousines or a standard public taxi. The journey from the airport to the city centre is relatively smooth, on the highway.

However, traffic changes as you get nearer to the city centre. The roads seems to get narrower with the build up of traffic. Things get worse with slow and sometimes standstill traffic within the city centre. The traffic condition will be horrendous when bad weather gets involved. Traffic jams can last for hours on end.

Getting around Bangkok by BTS train is highly recommended if you are not up for walking. However, the best way of soaking in the local lifestyle is by walking around every nook and cranny of Bangkok. Do beware of sleazy alleys though.

Weather wise, Bangkok is hot and humid all year round with a few months of wet weather with occasional floods at the surrounding areas of the city. However, be prepared to get wet during the Songkran Festival which happens in the mid of April. It is also known as the water splashing festival. Everyone and anyone will be splashed with water. Buckets and buckets load of water.

The people of Thailand are predominantly Buddhist. Temples are scattered all over the country and also within the capital. You can see many people praying at temples and altars which are set up at companies or even shopping complexes. Prayers are done amidst the hustle and bustle of city life.

 

Besides all these, Bangkok is also famous for its night life. But then, that will be another story for another day...

All images taken using Olympus E-3 with ZD 14-54 f2.8-3.5 Mk II lens.

Olympus mZD 75mm f1.8 Medium Telephoto Lens

Recently, Olympus has launched a new telephoto prime lens for the Micro Four-Thirds (m4/3) System. It is the mZD 75mm f1.8 lens.

Picture courtesy of Olympus Imaging

Ain't it a beauty? Full metal body construction with fast f1.8 aperture. It takes very sharp pictures from wide open till stopped down. Its performance matches the Four-Thirds System's ZD 150mm f2 SHG (Tuna) lens. Those familiar with the Tuna's performance will be in awe from what this new kid on the block can do.

MTF Chart courtesy of Olympus Imaging

Olympus Malaysia has sponsored a walkabout to celebrate the launching of this lens in Malaysia and I was one of the lucky participants. Using an Olympus PEN E-P3, a couple of shots were taken with this amazing lens.

The end-to-end sharpness is amazing and it handles flare very well. It is difficult to get any flare even when I deliberately tried to.The bokeh created is very smooth and creamy. Excellently produced for great portraitures.

This is one of the lenses to be in many, if not all, PEN and OM-D owner's wish or must buy list. I am drooling on it as well. Anyone game to buy one for me as a birthday gift?

2012 F1 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix

It was a great moment when I had the chance to attend my first ever Formula 1 race at Sepang International Circuit after the fact that I had been here before for the Super GT as well as MotoGP. As with all racing sports, it is another great way to test panning photography. This time though, the challenge was much higher with such great vehicles like F1 race cars. They go much faster and more agile than other types of racing vehicles.

Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull Racing

The race, as expected, was a wet one. This is what makes Formula 1 races in Malaysia much more interesting. It was havoc! Armed with a weather-sealed Olympus E-3 camera and ZD 50-200 f2.8-3.5 lens, the weather was of no issue. Let the rain drop and there is no need to hide the equipment.

Lewis Hamilton - Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

The sound of 24 F1 cars accelerating from the grid at the start of the race is pure adrenaline and utterly awesome! Just don't forget the earplugs or it will be a real painful experience.

Michael Schumacher - Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team

Fans from all over the world were cheering for their favourite driver and team, with Ferrari being the dominant fan force in Malaysia. The fans were not to be disappointed as Ferrari's Fernando Alonso won the race.

Fernando Alonso - Scuderia Ferrari

And for my case, I left SIC with a big smile on my face. Finally able to cover all 3 major motor sporting events held there. But as with all motor sport events, I leave you with a little bit of eye candy.

The rest of the images can be viewed here. All panning images taken using Olympus E-3 with ZD 50-200 f2.8-3.5 lens. Models image taken using Olympus E-3 with ZD 35-100 f2 lens. A big thanks to Olympus Malaysia for loaning me the ZD 35-100 f2 lens.

Miki F @ Bukit Jalil Park

Armed with an OM135 f3.5 lens from many many years ago - I believe the lens MIGHT be older than myself - comes the time when we move forward one step and brace the world of everything in manual. Gone is the time when you will hear the "beep beep" of an AF lock. Gone is the time when the lens will move itself to get everything in focus. Gone is the time when A and S values will somehow be in sync to what you want.

It is very important that you are able to see things in focus through that small little viewfinder of the camera. There is also a need to have the brain control the hands in twisting the focus barrel of the lens while your eyes interpret what is being seen. This is where even the most sophisticated electronics will never be able to match the power of how our brain works in tandem with other limbs and senses.

It is a great feeling able to embrace what senior photographers from the film days feel while in a photo shoot.  Even though we have the advantage of being able to manipulate images easily post shutter click, nothing beats getting it right the first time! Setting the perfect exposure and focus based on instinct then clicking the shutter, the feeling is priceless. The adrenaline flows when you see that same picture on the camera LCD for a short review and found out that it is what you have imagined in the first place.

There is no doubt that lens quality from the olden times still perform strongly in the digital age. Pristine glasses from days of old work perfectly till the present day. The built quality of the olden lenses still beat those of the new, in terms of toughness and sturdiness. Those old lenses are made to kill! Imagine throwing one onto someone's head!

Oh yeah, have I mentioned that the bokeh from the old lens is SUPERB! It beats new digital lenses easily. It is so smooth and creamy, not to mention more pleasant to the eyes. The bokeh quality can only be matched by digital lenses which cost 10-15 times more. Oh! Those creamy bokeh just melts my heart each time I see it...

This is the first but definitely not the last photo shoot which full manual is used. The joy of controlling and deciding all aspects of getting things right the first time is just great. Satisfaction guaranteed!

The rest of the pics can be viewed here. All images taken using Olympus E-3 with OM135 f3.5 lens.

Phuket, Thailand

The island of Phuket in Thailand, famous for being a hub of foreign holidaymakers as well as one of the hardest hit areas during the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami. Nonetheless, life has to go on and it was more than 6 years after the tsunami that I made a trip there with my wife and her family. It was my first time being there and in this blog entry I would like to share its beautiful landscape captured through my aperture...

 

The rest of the pics can be viewed here. All images taken using Olympus E-3 with ZD 14-54 f2.8-3.5 Mk II lens.

Spring Is Here...

Spring is the time where flowers bloom and birds chirp. Can't get any bird shots so I went to take the easier one of the two...

Took these at the public garden just opposite the flat in Southsea during Spring time...

The rest of the pics can be viewed here. All images taken using Olympus E-3 with ZD 35 f3.5 Macro lens.

Bishop's Palace Garden, Chichester, UK

Being in an overseas assignment provides the opportunity to explore small treasure troves around that country which you are in. With time at your side, mostly weekends or holidays, you get to do exploration not able when you are with a tour group or even on a short holiday.

I had the opportunity to visit Bishop's Palace Garden in a cathedral city called Chichester in the UK.

It was the start of spring time and some of the flowers are blooming. However, it was not as colourful as I expect it to be. Maybe my timing was not ideal but I tried my best to make the most out of this visit with some pictures that I took below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rest of the pics can be viewed here. All images taken using Olympus E-3 with ZD 35 f3.5 Macro, ZD 14-54 f2.8-3.5 Mk II and Helios 44-2 58 f2 lenses.