The Pentax Denim Strap: YEEEEHAW!!!

Looking for a nondescript camera strap is often a difficult thing. Using the stock camera strap that comes with the camera is an exercise in brand promotion with the name of the camera brand prominently stitched in bold for all to see. If like me you want to go about carrying your camera without the camera brand or manufacturer's name calling for attention, it can be a pretty hard to search out for a strap that doesn't scream brand fanatic.



One option is to use one of the old nylon camera straps popular from 35mm film camera days but these straps begin to lose their allure pretty quickly when you find the increased weight from a long lens and a battery grip starts to weigh down on your shoulder or neck and worse, the thin strap doesn't grip very well on the shoulder.



Lucky for me I got another Pentax user friend who was going to Tokyo to pick up one of the "oh, so nice" Pentax Denim Strap from one of the Japanese camera stores. Just the right shade of denim blue, no big Pentax logo emblazoned or embroided on, just a small Pentax on a red tab (shades of Levis perhaps) and there is a nice grippy textured surface on the reverse side so it doesn't slip off the shoulder. It's not boring black and isn't too pricey. I just love it.

Pentax May Outing: Helix Bridge

For our May Pentax outing we went to the new Helix Bridge, a new footbridge spanning the Singapore River. The shape of the twisted metal is supposed to represent the helix structure of DNA. All very nice but unfortunately I just think it is just a vanity project to beautify the skyline and to complement the new integrated resort (read casino).

Being very warm and sunny, it was a perfect day to shoot some IR images. Took this shot of the Singapore River using the DA 21mm Limited. An IR image that was converted to black and white.

For the actual photos of the bridge, I decided to use a pseudo high contrast HDR treatment to the images. Used the DA 10-17mm fisheye and the DFA 100mm Macro WR for the close-up.

A Few From The Botanic Gardens

Took timeout to do a mini outing and shoot some plant macro at the Botanic Gardens.
These were shot using a FA 135mm lens with a Kenko auto extension tube on the K-7.

A Rare Gem: A 35mm f/2

Recently I managed to acquire the hard to find Pentax A 35mm f/2 from my friend Fengwei. I have to say it isn't the prettiest of lenses looking from the front with the prominent front element, but you quickly forget about it when you turn the well damped focusing ring and everything snaps into sharp focus. The 35mm focal length is perfect for those looking for a prime lens with an all in one versatility. The wider angle of view compared to the 50mm and the closer minimum focusing distance of 0.3 meters makes shooting a lot of subjects a snap. The fast lens speed of f/2 makes ideal for available light shooting.

By way of comparison, this lens has a different lens construction compared to the more modern and well regarded FA 35mm f/2. The A version has 7 elements in 7 groups while the FA version has 6 elements in 5 groups. Both lenses are almost identical in size and weight and both have 6 aperture blades. Took this shot of a small stream during one of my trips to the Botanic Gardens with the K-7 on a tripod. Shot converted to B&W in Photoshop CS4.

Lunar New Year 2010

This year is the Year of the Tiger according to the Chinese calendar and the Pentax gang took some time off to capture the color and the sights of Chinatown. Here's a sampling of some of my belated Lunar New Year images.

Early Morning At The Beach

My son was at the beach for his triathlon training at dawn and while he was doing his swim to cycle transitions, I briefly slipped away to grab these quick shots with the DA 50-200mm WR on the K-7. Even as the sun was rising off the horizon, I can well imagine air traffic controllers busy directing planes as they made their final approach towards Changi Airport. I particularly like the colors in this shot.

Here a young mother walks hand in hand with her young kids against the backdrop of glistening golden reflections. The boat in the background adds to the depth in this telephoto shot.

My Friend Terence

I don't shoot portraits too much but those times that I do pull it off reasonably well, it's often because I'm fortunate enough to come across someone who exudes a distinct personality. Among the many Pentax users who attend our monthly photo outings it is always a treat to get to shoot my friend Terence. His unique inner personality always seem to shine through whenever I look through the viewfinder.



The first shot was taken at our January outing at Fort Canning Park. I wanted a high key approach and deliberately exposed for the shadows as he was backlit by the strong morning sun. By deliberately overexposing the camera's suggested meter reading, the idea was to lighten his features which helped to highlight his expressive eyes. Shooting a tricky shot like this, it is essential to shoot in RAW to exploit the maximum dynamic range available from the camera. Used the Pentax FA 135mm telephoto on the K-7 for the shot.



The second shot was taken at our recent February outing in Chinatown. The FA 50mm macro lens that I used allowed a little separation of the subject from the background for this mid body shot. Lighting was pretty even and subdued in the open shade which provide a nice overall tonality. As I typically shoot very quickly, I was fortunate to get the shot by the second frame. Had I deliberated a little longer, the background would have been filled with bystanders exiting from the train station nearby which would have ruined the overall shot. All shots uncropped and post processed in Photoshop CS4.

Expressive eyes

The DA 21mm f/3.2 Limited is a lens that made me ponder for a long time whether to get it or not. The maximum aperture isn't that much faster compared to the DA 18-55mm kit lens plus the kit lens goes quite a bit wider. Yes it is smaller and better built but it costs quite a bit more too. With the new DA 15mm f/4 Limited wide angle, the DA 21mm seems to be less prominent in the Pentax blogosphere and discussion forums.



To me it seems almost unthinkable to let go of this lens, which has become one of my favs among my lenses. It's small and compact dimensions means it's always in the bag. Because of its small size, I managed to get up close to shoot a neighbor's cat and my pet chihuahua Pepe. I wanted to catch a wideangle perspective of their expressive eyes. The images were shot with the K-7 and processed in Silver Efex Pro.