0 1 2 3 [2013] +4 5s

Gadgets!!! That's the gist of this post. Starting the year with new toys just like when I was little. I know it feels kinda shallow but I'm due some upgrades anyway and I had to jump in to the opportunity. I won't say YOLO because it's not that, I had this calculated.

For starters, I got myself some awesome running shoes last December. A pair of Nike Lunarglide+ 4. It's my first purchase of rubber shoes ever! I haven't bought any rubber shoes when I was little because I always had someone buy me a pair, and I'm not really that sporty to follow the trends on shoe design, so I never really have any idea what to look for.

I must say, it really made a difference to my morning runs since the shoes are designed for it. I was able to use it for 3 weeks before I had to set it aside for now because they are not meant for Insanity. Good thing with this pair is that the color and design can also be worn with casual clothes. Though I don't really wear rubber shoes on casual days, at least now I have the option. The sole design is also on Lunargrands, just heard of these shoes the other week, though I really don't find it appealing. But hey, that kind of design is a one up for perfect casual shoes that can double as a quick running shoe. One more thing, it's already Nike+ ready so for any i-Product owners there, especially the iPod nanos, these shoes are good to monitor distance, speed, etc.

Meet my playlist maker, the iPod Touch! After a year, I finally got hold of another dedicated music player. I was actually having a hard time deciding on what iPod to get, between the iPod Nano or another iPod Touch. I was considering the Nano since it's cheaper and smaller. But the storage size isn't ideal for me, 16GB is too little for my songs. So I got myself the iPod Touch instead (32GB). First load of songs, I already ate half of it, and we're just midway to January. But it really helped making my playlists, I'm no longer limited to listening only on my computer. Camera is that of the iPhone 4S so it's good and the whole device feels really really light. The case I bought for it made it more holdable and it's a clear case so that I can enjoy the looks of this new iPod.

Cool bonus too are the Coloud earphones I got from Vincent. It sounds OK and has a button and mic making my music listening experience easier since I don't need to unlock the iPod or press anything on it. I just double click the button to play the next track, triple click to move back to previous track and single click to pause/play. I set the playlist I want to play in the morning, and viola, I can browse through the songs without hassle. I just unlock the iPod if I want to rate the current song playing, as a way for me to tag which songs goes to my playlist. White? Because I haven't owned a white iOS device.

After nearly half a decade, I'm retiring my (still functioning) Nokia phone and got myself an iPhone 5, my first smart phone. Well, technically not my first smart phone, but I didn't use my old phone that way anyway. I'm enjoying the new experience with having an iPhone even though I'm familiar with the iOS environment, having the call and messaging features plus the mobile Internet on one device is just awesome. Battery life sucks though. 8 hours or less while on 3G (LTE still not implemented here) with normal browsing and SMS. I really wish the next technology to progress is battery technology.

Well, what can I say about the phone? It's light, sexy, very responsive interface and a breeze to use. Though I wish there are some more customizable options but were talking about Apple here so you get the idea.  Syncs with iCloud so yeah, less hassle updating contacts and calendar schedules. I wanted it to be naked but decided to have a back cover. I'm now updating my contacts and will send a lot of PMs, DMs, and IMs this weekend. Care to share some apps that you like? Productivity, photography, games, etc? because I only have a few. Not that I play on my phone that much anyway.

Another change that happened on the start of the year is us moving to another building. Looks like a warehouse right? I like it BUT it doesn't have any windows! The building is nice, lots of food stalls on the first floor, but the way to get there is another story. Our office is good to look at as the outside is as bad to walk through. Traffic, jeeps, crowd, fly over, pollution, noise. It's crazy irritating. Plus EDSA-Shaw is a big CR! It's seriously disgusting! I wish WCC is the building in Ortigas. Longer walks but it's a more pleasant experience than what I have to pass through now every morning. (Makati I miss you so much!)

On the health front, I'm on day 11 of Insanity and all I can say is it's a really hard workout. I'm sweating A LOT! Good thing I really prepared for it but I'm in no shape to actually follow the time frame for the exercises and the breaks in between. I actually have to take a break every exercise when I'm suppose to be continuing since it's interval training. Also, the middle part on the bottom of my feet can't take the jumping and it's one of my limitations, then of course my body not able to handle the craziness of the routines. I think I'm doing OK and I'll know if I did come Monday when I need to do the Fit Test again. DIG DEPPER! PUSH HARDER! (That's what she said!)

So yeah, 2013, yey!

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Camera Options ... Sony RX100

gearpatrol.com

I don't want to make two consecutive Camera Options posts but I just have to add this to that list because this is exactly what I'm looking for! Have you heard of Sony RX100? Well, it's the camera that is pictured above and it's one fantastic P&S camera because it's the answer to my dilema between Canon's S100 and Fuji's X10. I'm having trouble deciding between Canon S100 "pocketability" and Fuji X10's sensor capability and lens. But now I have a solution and that is this camera, the Sony RX100!

gearpatrol.com

So imagine combining those two cameras I mentioned before and you get this lovely Leica-ish RX100 and more! It's widest aperture is f/1.8 on it's wide end 28mm (only in 28mm though) and has a 1" sensor size! Yes! Double that of Fuji X10! Why I'm making a fuzz with the sensor size is because having a larger sensor means more depth of field on your photos and better low light capability. All in one sleek package that can slip inside your jeans pocket or any pocket for that matter. I've read reviews about it and it looks like the RX100 is a dynamite of a P&S camera. Sony has set the bar high for these kind of cameras for sure. I decided that I'll be getting the Fuji X10 tomorrow but then I read about this fantastic camera a moment ago and saw the photos and I know that this trumps my other choices.

theverge.com

Of course there are drawbacks, no hotshoe for external flash. The aperture of the lens drops to f/4.9 on tele compared to Fuji's f/2-f/2.8 lens. No optical viewfinder (although I really don't mind) and others are saying, no tilt-screen but I'm not bothered about it either. Oh, it's also pricey at $650. (Ouch!). Fuji X10 is priced at $599 and the S100 is definitely cheaper. The part with the lens is my only concern, but high ISO results from reviews are really good for this p&s camera.

theverge.com

This is definitely an option for me! I was ready to get an X10 then I saw this and I changed my mind. But as I'm writing this, I had another change of heart to go back to the X10 because of the lens and physical controls. I really like the lens of the X10 because of it's wide aperture on it's lens, it's not constant but it's definitely faster than the f/4.9 or the f/5.6 of other P&S cameras. Now I don't know which to get... and I don't have a camera for Tuesday...

click on the images above to read the reviews from The Verge and Gear Patrol. Also, you might want to read Steve Huff's review of RX100.

Update. I just noticed in some comparison photos, the RX100 is bulkier than the S95 or the S100. So if you put this in your pocket, people would think you're happy to see them. :)

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Camera Options... Canon EOS M

theverge.com

I'm sure you've heard that Canon has recently unveiled their newest camera, the Canon EOS M. I've already posted my first impressions (based on specs and articles on the web) about the EOS M on Slide and Tap. Also, this is an extension of my previous blog post Camera Options For Me (And You) where I share what cameras I'm looking forward to.

There is already a lot of information about the EOS M posted on the web from tech and photography websites. No need for me to summarize it. What I'll talk about in this post is the significance of this camera especially for Canon users and why I'm adding this to my options for a camera.

tunakko.net

Size and Portability. One of the biggest points to owning an EOS M. This is in comparison to a DSLR that I can't even bring everyday with me. It's not really safe to bring a DSLR with me everyday and even if I want to, I can't bring it with me to the office. No cameras allowed. A camera that is relatively small as the EOS M can change this. Sure it's not entirely pocketable especially when a zoom lens is attached but it's no DSLR to the eyes of the public and security guards.

cinema5d.com

Image Quality. Unlike the typical P&S cameras, the EOS M uses an APS-C size sensor, the same as those on entry to mid level Canon DSLRS, and Canon's latest DIGIC 5 processor. That's why it's not totally that small. The models that were mostly reviewed were pre-production models but if the current DSLRs that uses the same sensor and image processor can be used as basis, then I can safely assume that the pictures coming out of this camera will be fantastic.

Side note, I don't know why some people don't understand why we're glad that Canon used an APS-C sensor on this camera stating that the Sony NEX came first. We're not really saying that it came first, we're just glad that Canon didn't use a smaller sensor because we all know that sensor size does affect image quality (although now, smaller sensors are catching up a little to DSLR sensors).

www.dpreview.com

Those are the main reasons I'm adding the EOS M to my camera options. The compatibility to EF and EF-S lenses of Canon's DSLR lineup is a big plus. This is like the Olympus OM-D E-PM5 interchangeable lens system but with a more discreet look because of the almost-S100 form factor. I don't mind the lack of an optical viewfinder, I can live with that. What I'm worried about is the battery life. But we'll see come October or Q4 of this year when the final EOS M camera will be released to the public. As early as now, I can recommend this camera because I know that I might get this one in the future.




PS: I might get the Fuji X10 this week *wink* 

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Why I Like the Microsoft Surface

Repost from Slide and Tap.

www.microsoft.com

In my previous post, I said that tablets are the bridge between mobile phones and laptops. It’s the perfect mix between mobile phone’s mobility and a laptop’s processing power. The latest tablet from Microsoft, the Surface, just made my point even clearer; You can see it from the photo above. And I have to say that I like this new Mircosoft Surface! If you want to go in to the tech specs of Surface, you can read it all here.

There are two models of Surface, one will be running Windows RT on an ARM chipset and the other will be a Windows 8 pro and Ivy bridge combo and both are Wi-Fi only if I’m not mistaken. What I’m eyeing for is the latter because what I want to experience is a full desktop work place. You see, I’ve been working in a Windows environment even before I started my professional career. There is no escaping Microsoft Windows because it has been widely adapted by corporations worldwide. Even though I own a Macbook Pro and loving the Mac OS environment, I still can’t shake the feeling that I will still need a Windows platform (maybe a gaming rig, well, for gaming purposes). It’s not really the gadget per se that is attractive to me, but it’s also the OS. The upcoming Windows 8 OS has dual interface, one in touch-screen form (like the one you see above) and the other in a normal desktop mode (with the toolbars and stuff). At first I wondered how the heck would that work but then it Microsoft demoed how it will. It’s something that is very familiar to me and something I know works (well, when I say works I meant relatively to my experience on working on a desktop environment, not the BSD or the system locks.)

What I don’t like with tablets is their apps, I doesn’t appeal to me how an app can make me productive. If you want good software that can deliver, you get desktop applications, but as of this writing I’m sure there are tons of apps out there that would slap me in the face for saying it and I’ve seen videos about such apps. Do note that I’m just a novice in the tablet environment, yapping my mouth from outside the gate. My co-bloggers here has more knowledge on apps for tablet use. Also, you can’t blame me for pointing that out because most apps I see on my friends’ tablets are games, Twitter and a browser. Maybe we’re just slow to adapt the use of a tablet to our daily lives. That is why when I saw the demo that the Surface can give me the familiar desktop environment and is able to run Adobe’s Lightroom, my eyes sparkled because I saw something I’m looking for. And to top it off, it still works as a tablet with a true tablet touch interface that is of Windows 8′s flexibility. Isn’t that a great deal?

And then there’s the keyboard. Yes, that simple addition of a keyboard makes sense. Because it’s just easier to type on a keyboard than on a screen. You have got to admit that I’m right here. Having a separate keyboard from your screen gives you more screen space because since it’s already a 7″ screen, it will get smaller when the keyboard is on. And if you type on the screen, you tend to look down to look at the screen as you type horizontally on your lap, or on a table. Try typing with the screen up and your head straight and it’s your wrist that will suffer with this setup. See my point? But even though I made a good argument with this, I will still call this based on preference because I’m sure there are lots of people who are perfectly fine with typing on a tablet (and are now hurting their necks). And besides, we have add-ons to tablets with bluetooth keyboards and stands that does make them bulky. Thing is, Microsoft included those “options” in the stock package because I think they know people need those (or maybe they just want o make their tablet worth while instead of becoming just another tablet in the market).

But it’s not all good news for me. Microsoft hasn’t announced the price yet of this device (I was waiting for the “shipping now” phrase from the keynote but no one said it) and it is rumored that the Surface with Windows 8 pro would cost the same as Apple’s Macbook Air, most likely the 11-inch models. Now what we have there is a true laptop and even though it’s bigger in width, it’s still has a thin profile and very much a portable computer with a whole lot of RAM and screen space. So… I’m back to Apple then. From Apple’s iPad to Microsoft’s Surface and now Apple’s Macbook Air. huh? But let’s see how those two will do in a comparison test, when Microsoft decides to release their Surface on the 4th quarter this year. Another thing to worry about are the availability of apps in the environment under Microsoft. Today, the best mobile environment in my opinion is that of Apple’s iOS and closely followed by Google’s Android (basically, they are the only two environments competing anyway). Microsoft has to catch up with those two giants of the mobile OS if it wants to make the Surface a hit to the consumers.

Apart from those possible drawbacks and possible options against the Surface, I still like to get my hands on one. It can do what a desktop computer can and it is smaller and more compact than those “net books”. That’s how I see Mircosoft’s Surface.

_

If you haven’t seen the ad for the Microsoft Surface, then click below. And below that, is Microsoft’s Surface keynote.

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EOS 650D and its New Feature

This was my first post in Mikoy's blog Slide and Tap.

Camera technology is keeping pace with the fast advancement in technology and is also following trends of the latest gadgets. It is evident in the latest entry level DSLR from Canon, the EOS 650D/T4i DSLR. Among it's features is an 18 Megapixel Hybrid CMOS sensor witha the power of Canon’s latest DIGIC 5 processor, a burst rate of 5 frames per second (on a xxxD body) plus a swivel screen that we’ve seen from it’s bigger and older brother, the 60D. Also, as a new standard to DSLRs, this camera can also shoot video. But other than those, EOS 650D sports a technology that is bound to be applied to this level of  cameras sooner or later and that is a touch screen interface.

Touch interface is now widely adapted to a lot of gadgets, most are on mobile phones, and it’s no surprise that they would try to incorporate it to DSLRs as well. Arguably, having this in a DSLR is either a good thing or probably just a gimmick to entice new customers. For me it’s a good thing since the small body of the xxxD line of Canon cameras have limited space in the back for buttons and this just makes use of that 3-inch screen well. Of course there are still buttons for those of us who still prefer a tactile response on their cameras. Changing settings or browsing through pictures with a simple touch of finger to the screen doesn’t seem much though since we’re all used to it by now so most people wouldn’t care if they have this in their camera. Even point and shoot cameras have adapted this for quite some time now.

www.nextwavedv.com

But there is one feature with this model that surprised me, even though I expected it to happen soon anyway, and that is Touch Shutter. What it does is it allows you point at any part of the image you see on your LCD screen in Live View and the camera focuses on that part and automatically takes a picture based from your settings. It’s the the next step from the Live View feature that was introduced to DSLRs 4-5 years ago. It’s a good feature and I actually like it because it is as close to a WYSWIG type of capturing a images we can get with this camera since the 650D has 95% viewfinder frame coverage, meaning there is this 5% that you can’t see in your viewfinder that might be a difference between having a foot or not in your frame. This feature also makes it easy for you to take overhead (hail mary) shots because with the swivel screen, you can just raise your camera, tilt the screen, and see where your camera is pointing then with touch shutter, pick the subject and the camera takes a picture or taking worm's-eyeview photos without the need to drop to your belly on the ground. It also means that you don’t need to press the shutter button when taking a shot. Composing with this feature is definitely a  lot easier and I can imagine this to be very helpful to macro photography. Open Live View, turn on the touch shutter and select the focus then BOOM, you have a picture.

Since it’s a new feature, there is bound to be some things with it that needs ironing out. Kai from Digitalrev pointed (no pun intended) this out in their review of the 650D and Touch Shutter has shutter lag, something that shouldn’t exist on DSLRs. It means that it takes sometime for the camera to focus on the point you selected on the screen before it actually takes the picture, something you'll be familiar with if you've used old point and shoot cameras. Having said that, this feature won’t be useful to street photography unless you’re shooting still-stills, as seen on the video.

Canon 650D/T4i Hands-on Review by DigitalRev


But there is something more about the touch shutter that doesn’t really sit well with me even though I think that it’s a really convenient feature. Touch shutter takes away the feeling of looking at the viewfinder and pressing the shutter button while you’re face is planted on the back of your camera. I don’t know how other photographers feel about this simple gesture but it’s something I like when I use a DSLR, this is coming from a person that values the sound of a shutter in a camera. Call me old school, relative to this feature, but I like framing my images in the viewfinder and pressing the shutter button. It has a mechanical feeling to it when I take a picture from that perspective and it also feels that the camera is an extension of my body. Kai also pointed out in his video that it looks like Canon thinks of this feature as something that pro-photographers don’t really need that’s why Canon haven’t applied this to their high-end cameras. Or maybe Canon is making sure that Touch Shutter works perfectly before they add this features to the future 1Ds, 5Ds and 7Ds. Maybe it will become a standard feature and I'll get the hang of using Touch Shutter since I mentioned that it’s actually a convenient way to shoot sans the shutter lag, but there is still something inside me that prefer my face to pressed at the back of a black box with my eye on a prism in the viewfinder framing the world on small box and having to half press a button to focus then pressing it completely to capture the moment.

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Quantifying the New iPad

This blog entry is also posted on Slide And Tap.

TheVerge.com

Do you remember the days when mobile computing came in 2 forms? They are mobile phones and laptops. Mobile phones became a necessity now a days since it's the main form of easy communication from long distances while on the move. The laptop didn't really catch up to mobile phones in the same way because of two reasons primarily, portability and price. On the other hand, mobile phones now are catching up to features and processing power that was once held by laptops hence our smart phones now. But now, there is a third player to mobile computing and that is tablets. It bridges the gap between mobile phones' portability and laptops' performance all in a sleek big screen (relatively to mobile phones). And when we talk about tablets, one can't help but mention the current consumer favorite, Apple's iPad.

If you haven't heard the news, for some reason I couldn't think of, Apple has updated their iPad line with the New iPad (Yes, it's not iPad 3) last March. If you want to be reminded of the features of the latest iPad, you can read Mikoy's previous entry summarizing just that. In paper, it sounds really good and it does look good when you actually hold the device, I know because it made me want one. The new iPad was just recently released in the Philippines this month, 4 months after its release in the US and the day after it's official release, I immediately went to the nearest Apple store to see what the fuzz was all about.

The new iPad was dubbed Resolutionary and true enough the display was marvelous for something so thin and beautiful and the fact that I can hold in my hands makes it even more enticing. That alone snapped me to wanting one! I want to read stuff from it, look at pictures, browse the web and even play games to see what this glowing screen I'm holding can do. I owned an iPod touch before so I know what it feels like to have the web in your hands, but this new iPad is really something. When I saw it, it was sitting next to a couple of iPad 2s. Too bad though that the iPad 2s don't have the same photos loaded to them like those in the new iPad because I really want to compare the difference between the two screens although looking at the icons alone shows the difference. I tried a couple of games and browsed through Flipboard as a way for me to test it but that is all I did before deciding to put back the new iPad on display because I'm really starting to see myself getting one right that moment.

I know I definitely want one right then and there but I managed to calm myself down before I start asking the sales personnel standing in front of me to give me one immediately. So I thought, why would I need this anyway? I have seen the original iPad and the Ipad 2 from my friends but I still feel reluctant to jump in the other side of the fence together with the tablet users. I won't be getting the LTE version and just opt for the wi-fi one meaning that I can't really connect to the Internet all the time. (I'm planning to get the iPhone 5 when it comes out and just share the internet connection with the iPad). Plus I don't play that many games on this platform anyway so why would I get one? Maybe the iPad will change my mind when I start playing games on it but still, not a good reason to get one. I really don't have any use for it. On the last photography workshop I attended, the speaker used an iPad to present some slides and I thought it was really convenient and it reminded me on how I felt on the day I saw the new iPad but it still didn't convinced me.

Just recently, it was pointed out that color management is absent on iOS devices. Yet another reason why I wouldn't want an iPad. As a photographer, I want to see photos with the correct colors. Yes, most of the images on the web are set to be viewed normally by the browser but some photos are set with embedded color profiles that tells the browser how to display the colors. Not having that on the iPad is such a downer since I was thinking of using it to showcase my photos as well as hold my favorites from 500px. True, I can just set my photos to default to overcome this little problem but still.

So in the end, I left the store that day praising the device but didn't really got any convincing reasons for me to buy one. It's a product that is good to have but that's it. You can say "Just get one, if you don't like it, sell it" but that doesn't work for me and only a handful of people can convince me. I may have no compelling reason to get the new iPad but I think I might still get a tablet in the future and that is in the form of Microsoft's Surface.

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Mac Setup, Paper and Summer

MacRumors forum

Since I don't have anything else to talk about, might as well just blabber about my Mac setup. I currently have the magic mouse and wireless keyboard (I'm using them now) and my uncle bought me a Rain mStand from the US. Now all that's left is a 27" screen, a good set of speakers and that elusive table. For the screen, I'm still deciding between an Apple 27" Thunderbolt display or a Dell Ultrasharp U2711. Sure the Apple TBD looks good but it's so glossy I feel like I'm in front of the mirror all the time while the Dell U2711 doesn't really match with a Macbook Pro as much as the TB, it has a mate screen and it is recommended for photo editing, which I'm not doing that much lately (Poor neglected camera). For speakers, I still have no idea though I want the Audio-Technica ATH-M50 headphones. Now for that damn table, I still want that trestle desk from before but an alternative is Ikea's Micke desk. I have to ask how much it is to ship from Singapore because I can't seem to find a table like it here. I guess you can say I'm almost done... with all the expensive "add-ons" still left to be procured. I can hear Jaidy say, "Priorities! Priorities!". (I just had a quick look at Jaidy's blog and looks liked I missed a couple of posts. Note to self, go over there and read after this).

And since I'm talking about Apple products, I was this close to getting an iPhone last week. Really really close as in I'll-pay-right-now close! I'm not sure if I'll be glad or not that my cable bill came back after paying it without the header part where the address is listed which is one of the requirements to get a line that meant I can't get one anytime soon. I asked my friends who use iPhones and they said that I should just wait for the iPhone 5 coming later this year. Technically it's just the middle of the product cycle and it's still safe to say that one's sanity will still be intact after the announcement of the iPhone 5 compared to those who just bought a month before it will be announced so I guess I'm still safe. I just want to update my iCal on the go because I want to use it as my main planner.

Not to sound like a fanboy (although I think I already do) but I feel like I want to get an iPad too. Not because I need it but because of simple app called Paper. iPad literally becomes a glowing piece of paper. I'll just have the video below show you what it can do but I guess the name just gives it away. (warning, you might get dizzy afterwards).


Paper by FiftyThree from FiftyThree on Vimeo.

But above all those TV shows that I'm watching and gadgets that I want to buy, even above my grown-up problem... is me missing the beach and just having a swim in clear tropic waters much like the photo below.

sugarock99.deviantart.com/

I don't know how may summers I've missed because I decided to just work in the office and just wait for my friends and cousins to cook something up and when they do, I would already have my head buried deep in work stuff that I couldn't get out off. I guess the summer winds were not that strong enough to pull me of my office chair. I do hope a good trip comes out this summer. Going to the beach by myself to have fun in the sand is such a bad idea, even I think it's stupid. Laughing with friends is always one of the best experience one can have anytime.

And to end this post, I have a track that's good for summer road trips. Summer playlists are my favorite!


@SOLEIL from Monet Mélodie on Vimeo.

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Camera Options for Me (And You)

bleed-the-sky.deviantart.com

There are a bunch of new and beautiful cameras out there right now and it's like a surge of options in the market for all those who are in the market for a new camera. Thing is, even though Canon has released the much awaited update for the 5D Mark II in the form of EOS 5D Mark III, it's not on the top of my list right now. Sure it's a powerhouse of a full frame camera with a finally "working" autofocus but the trend now, in PiPho at least, is that hobbyists are thinking of switching to the micro four-thirds (m4/3, mirrorless) system. Other than the m4/3s cameras, there are also a bunch of point & shoot cameras out there that will give you the image quality you're looking for less the weight (and sometimes the price) of those big black boxes of a DSLR.

Fuji X100

theonlinephotographer.typepad.com

It all started with the Fuji X100. Remember that I wanted to have this camera last year? Until I found out that the price was a bit too much for me. It's still one of the good options out there and I'm sure you guys have already heard about this amazing camera. Even Zack Arias has high praises for this little beast. It's not really put-in-your-pocket compact but it's not a heavy weight either and since it's a fixed lens and fixed zoom camera, you don't need to worry about getting other lenses (not unless that's a con for you). This little baby retails locally at around Php 50,000 on grey and around 5,000 more to get it from autorize resellers. Retro looks is a BIG PLUS!

Fuji X10

theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/

If you think that the X100 is still a big camera, then worry no more because it has a little brother in the form of the Fuji X10. With half the price of the X100, this is the compact version. Smaller size means smaller sensor but this time with a zoom lens equipped with image stabilization. The optical viewfinder doesn't have the gizmos of the X100 though but it zooms with the lens. It has the same color filter effects that replicates the renowned Fuji films such as Provia and Astia found in the X100 which I really like. This can fit in your pocket for sure! Image quality is really really good for it's class which is point and shoot. This baby is priced at Php 30,000 in The Digital Walker. Not bad eh?

Another image of the X10 with additional bottom grip. (Because I like it very much)

garynylander.blogspot.com/

Canon Powershot S100

www.theverge.com

Not to be outdone, Canon too has a couple of new cameras on the compact level. First, the S100. In true point and shoot compact form, this is the update of the famous S95. Priced at Php 21,000 on grey, it gives decent images although others said that it's not that much different to the S95 (click on the image to read TheVerge review). I haven't dived in to the details of this camera but if it's predecessor was praised then I guess the S100 will give you the same or even better images. If you can't pocket this, you don't have a pocket!

Canon Powershot G1X

technogra.ph

Then we have the more rugged looking Canon G1X. To be honest, I don't really look at the Powershot G series of Canon because I find them too bulky for my taste. It's like in the middle option and I would have opted for a DSLR but with this latest model, the G1X now sports a CMOS sensor. A definite bump in image quality, that's for sure! A bit pricey though at Php 36,000 on grey (I bought my old EOS 450D with the same price 3 years ago). But hey, it's not a big camera and security guards won't hassle you when they see you shooting with this. You can't put it in your pocket unless you want to rip your pocket open though but this will give you the shots you are looking for.

Olympus OM-D E-M5

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Now for my final camera option, I present to you the new Olympus OM-D E-M5. I know this looks very DSLR like compared to the other cameras I mentioned before but this is smaller and thinner than a DSLR because it doesn't have a mirror and this camera was actually designed to look like the old OM cameras of the film days. It has been out for quite sometime now but I really didn't pay attention to it because, as you can see, it looks a lot like a DSLR and what I'm actually looking for is a different look. But I've been reading around a PiPho thread talking about this camera and I might have been swayed by the BIs posted there. Here is a review by Robin Wong and I must say, those pictures says a lot about the camera. This is a interchangeable camera system meaning you need to buy into the whole Olympus line of lenses and since it's new, price is really steep  at Php 53,000 for a kit on grey with SRP at around Php 67,000. PRICEY and it obviously won't fit in your pocket not unless you want someone to say "... or are you just happy to see me?". But this an option indeed.

So those are the cameras that I'm looking at right now. There are a lot more in the market right now but I've thinned them out to these 5. (The first image not included.) If you feel like getting a new camera right now, you might want to give these babies a try.

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