Tokina RMC 17mm f3.5 TL

The Tokina RMC 17mm f/3.5 may be an oldie but it is still a fairly high resolution lens especially when stopped down. At f/3.5 the contrast level is very low and the amount of vignetting is quite pronounced - AHW normally avoids this setting. The lens shows a high degree of barrel distortions but if we put this into context this is a quite normal behavior in this focal length class. The build quality is exceptional but using such an old lens on the four-thirds digital camera is a bit cumbersome.


Tokina RMC 17mm f3.5 TL @ f5.6 1/60sec ISO200

This was the widest angle legacy lens AHW ever had. Bought in the 80's for Olympus OM system. During 35mm film/slide camera era the 17mm lens was the limit of super wide angle rectilinearity, lenses with 16mm focal length and shorter would be 'fisheye'. On four-thirds digital system however, the equivalent focal length for 17mm lens w.r.t 35mm standard is 34mm due to the crop factor of 2.

Tokina RMC 17mm f3.5 TL @ f11 1/250sec ISO100


Tokina RMC 17mm f3.5 TL @ f8 1/10sec ISO200

Discussion on this lens

Moving Monthly Average Spending Trend

The chart shows AHW overhead monthly spending moving average from y2000~y2009 [based on 36, 24 and 12-month].

Moving Average Spending Trend

The moving average spending was consistent and very well controlled between y2000 to the end of Q2 y2007. However from Q3 y2007 the spending began to increase steadily. That was very alarming! Looks like spending budget for financial y2010 onwards must be tuned properly!

Nevertheless not to worry too much as the fundamental is still 'OK' and the long term Net Worth growth is always on positive note. Just a short pleateu in y2009.


Net Worth from 1992~2009

Previous Year Analysis

Spider...

One of AHW favourite lenses is ZD 35mm f3.5 macro. This lens is capable of taking life size picture on the 4-thirds CCD [equivalent focal length of 70mm with 2x life size on full frame 35mm std] w/o using extension tube. However o.25x to o.5x magnification is good enough to photograph spider with 35mm lens at a comfortable distance - i.e not too close to the arachnid. Too close distance will also cast shadow when using built-in flash.

The picture below was shot using point & shoot technique. The lens was pre-focus at 1x magnification. The spider dimension is less than 5mm. Quite difficult to get the best focus - the dof was less than 3mm even at f8!

Zuiko Digital 35mm f3.5 macro @ f8 1/60sec ISO100 using built-in flash

More pictures on spider.

Moon...

Long time no shooting with dSLR because there was some kinda fault with the camera electronics. Been shooting with Panasonic LX-3 since Feb 01st, 2009 - [exactly 1 yr oredi]

After opening up the the body, found out there was just a loose connection at the flexi-PCB for the control panel, probably due to vibration. What a release! Had been thinking to buy another dSLR.

Tried to shoot the moon just after suboh this morning through a manual legacy lens - Tokina 200mm f3.5. After cropping and reducing size, here it is...

Midnight.... not a sound from the pavement. Has the moon lost her memories? She is smiling alone...

Original date/time: 2010:02:01 06:23:52
Exposure time: 1/250
F-stop: 11
ISO speed: 400
Focal length: 200mm
Exposure mode: Manual

Fraser's Hill Again...

Drove up to FH on Sunday, Jan 17th with closest cousin and his family members in four cars carrying 11 adults and five children. Stayed there for 3D2N ...

... to listen to the symphony of the nature. Fraser’s Hill is covered with rich highland forest. Daytime temperature was around 23deg C. Evening till early morning temperature was 16~18deg C.

There are many trails for eco-tourists to choose from that range in distance anywhere from 1-5 km.


Some of the most popular trails are the Hemmant Trail, Maxwell Trail, Mager Trail, Kindersley Trail and Abu Suradi Trails.

... some of the nature's beauty spotted while jungle_trekking.

In the evening we had BBQ.


Pls also visit my naturePHOTOGRAPHY Blog where u may find some colorful pictures shot during earlier trips or read more about Fraser's Hill...

Annular Solar Eclipse

We in Malaysia will have another chance to observe a partial solar eclipse, known as the annular solar eclipse, on Friday, 2010 January 15 between 3pm and 5.45pm. The best location to view in Malaysia is around Northern part of the peninsular - Langkawi and Perlis

The National Space Agency (Angkasa) said in a statement that members of the public could witness up to 40% of the sun being by the moon in the north of the peninsula in the evening.

An annular eclipse of the Sun is visible from within a 300-km-wide track that traverses half of Earth. The path of the Moon's antumbral shadow begins in Africa and passes through Chad, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, and Somalia. After leaving Africa, the path crosses the Indian Ocean where the maximum duration of annularity reaches 11 min 08 s. The central path then continues into Asia through Bangladesh, India, Burma (Myanmar), and China. A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes eastern Europe, most of Africa, Asia.

A Card Worth a Thousand Words...

AHW youngest kid doesn't write well, so does her handwriting but she has a special talent to express things in graphics.

Let her sketch speak for itself....

Happy New Year 2010

Postcards from Dubai...

For the rich
Exclusive gala dinner party @ Burj al-Arab with selected complimentary beverages for Dh7,450 per person and Dh3,725 per child. Celebrations include live music and a fireworks display. (Dhs 100 = RM 93.23)

For the rest of people
Had to find suitable spot before midnight to see the iconic Burj Al Arab in all its glory and enjoyed the spectacular firework display.

Pictures by my son, F. A. Wan

Click for More Fireworks

House Maintenance

From Dec 18th through Dec 30th AHW was busy with house maintenance, cleaning-up and reconfiguration of furniture including:

-getting rid of old unused/damaged items
-converted one of the unused washrooms into kitchenware store
-making good of damaged modular kitchen cabinets
-relocated laundry to upper floor adjacent to multipurpose room
-regrouped the fridges
-maintained and repair electrical wiring/equipment
-'reconfigured' all bedrooms
-created a mini gymnasium adjacent to guest bedroom
-created a mini library
-etc

Going South

It is a public holiday for the state of Selangor today. In fact there are FOUR consecutive public holidays fall on every Friday beginning today till January 1st 2010. That means 4-day working, 3-day off for the whole month of December. Oh! wutta wunderfool wald!!

Today AHW planned to drive to Malacca and stay @ Mahkota Apartments with other 30+ family members for Majlis Akad Nikah [on Saturday @ Lenga ] and Kenduri Kahwin [on Sunday @ Labis] of a son of a very close cousin. Nine units of the apartment had been booked for all of us.

The morning weather was just perfect to start the journey... very2 clear blue sky.

Unfortunately there was traffic congestion between Nilai and Seremban for no obvious reason. Probably almost everybody started the journey south at the same time... After Seremban OK lak.

[to be continued]