2012 Korean Summer Fashion - Fujifilm Instax Mini 25

I did it. For AU$80, I bought the Fujifilm Instax Mini 25. I must say, I am quite excited to be receiving this real soon. From what I have heard and seen in pictures, it's quite small, maybe a big larger than an ordinary-sized mug. In order to prepare for my incoming package, I decided I should prep myself with the features of this little baby.


Overview:
- Adjustable print color brightness
- Two shutter buttons allowing vertical and horizontal shooting as you like
- Fill-in Flash Mode (Intelligent Flash for Brighter Backgrounds) for capturing a person and background clearly
- Close-up lens for shots up to 35 cm from the subject
- Self-snap mirror useful for self-shots

Features:

- It has an adjustable brightness setting for printing. I'm not sure how this exactly works, but I figure it must be a rather useful setting to have.

- Two shutter buttons allowing for vertical or horizontal shooting and printing.

- An intelligent fill-in flash mode that capture the subject and background clearly.

- Close-up lens which allows up to 35cm shooting of the subject.

- Self-shot mirror will be very useful for those cute selcas with lé boyfriend.

This camera is amazingly cute, and as I know it is rather popular in Korea. It will be quite exciting to bring this little baby with me to Korea and start snapping up pictures of me and my amazing trip to Korean. I should take one picture per day to document my trip in Korea, alongside my digital camera.

Check out this Naver blog, which also captures some wonderful pictures of the Fujifilm Instax Mini 25: http://blog.naver.com/PostView.nhn?blogId=ps2_pain&logNo=90071551312.

2012 Korean Summer Fashion - Cameras

Summer always proves a perfect time and opportunity to snap up amazing photographs under beautiful sunlight. How well those beautiful photographs have been taken depends on the photographer and the camera. Most people, these days, opt for the now-affordable DSLR camera. They carry all the advantages of taking the best photograph for even the amateur photographer, ability to edit photographs because of the RAW file image setting. For others, they might just opt of the more portable and amateur-friendly point-and-shoot camera. These days, there are these new small, lens-interchangeable cameras, such as the Nikon 1 range. These new Nikon cameras are an eye-candy but at a pocket-tearing price.

While everyone has got their eyes on these new gadgets, some others still keep to the rather tradition way of photography - using film. My interest in polaroid films have been rekindled, more as a result of my want in finding a different way to capture the good times of my upcoming trip to Korea. Rather than the now-considered traditional way of keeping memories using digital cameras, I want to be able to take instant photos and enjoy them at the very spot of where we took those photos. Many photography aficionados will agree with me in that they enjoy the unpredictable results that film cameras offer and the challenge of choosing your subject and timing well. With polaroid cameras, I've never bought one nor owned one more because they were quite expensive then and even now. However, Fujifilm released their own versions of polaroid cameras a couple of years ago to achieve success in rekindling at least some people's wants of taking instant photos. To date, Fujifilm released three kinds of instant photo cameras. Their range is called the Fujifilm Instax mini cameras. The downset to these cameras is not their cost, but the cost of the film. For a pack of 10 packs of the cartilage ink, it already costs $10. So, it's $1 per shot. You could pretty much start a little business and charge $1.50 per photo. 

Fujifilm Instax Mini 25

Fujifilm Instax Mini 7S

Fujfilm Instax Mini 50S

The differences between the three don't differ that much. The first one to come out was the Instax Mini 7S. So, it seems natural the the Mini 25, which followed suit, contained improvements and new features that the previous model did not have. However, accessories are available with these models. For example, the Mini 25 has a fronting mirror to make those selcas a lot easier, whereas the Mini 7S does not have one. However, a click-on fronting mirror accessory is available for purchase. The most expensive and latest to come out from Fujfilm is the Mini 50S. It's a lot smaller, has a lot more settings, and few more improvements. It is also currently available in piano black, which looks very attractive. Choosing on which model suits you best isn't at all hard. It's all a matter of looking closely at the specs, such as light settings and ISO settings. Whichever caters to you best will bring you the results you desire. These cameras can fetch from around AU$100 to $150 for the camera alone, depending on where the seller is coming from. Amazon ad eBay have various supplies of these beauties.

As for me, I'm opting for the Mini 25 because it's smaller and flatter than the 7S, it's less expensive than the Mini 50S, and the shape is adorable and looks friendly to carry around on a daily basis.

Check out the link to the Fujifil Instax Mini 25 Korean commercial. It's quite adorable!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x31WUh-wKA8

Samsung Galaxy Note

There is a new member to the Samsung Galaxy family! Its name is called the Galaxy Note, and according to the official website, it is the creative multimedia monster of the family. It sports a bigger 5.3" HD Super AMOLED screen, the first in the world, and has a digital pen that is uniquely synced with the Galaxy Note to provide a more enriching touchscreen experience.
This mobile phone/tablet is definitely worth checking out. I'll be really interested in looking at the benchmarks of this phone, particularly how long the battery will last.

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http://www.samsung.com/global/microsite/galaxynote/note/case01.html?type=find

Camera Frenzy

Portability packed with all the accessories that a DSLR has, the trend with camera nowadays is to be as small as possible but with just as much juice as that of its heavier brother, the DSLR's. Indeed, I really enjoy this new concept of cameras. Being a frequent traveller and having all these other things to carry, a heavy DSLR would certainly not be a big help. When I had the chance to upgrade my camera, I opted for my Canon Powershot SX210 IS. At that time (and to an extent, it still is) as powerful as the newer cameras being released today. My camera can take pictures up to 14 megapixels, has a 14 zoom lens (although not interchangeable), and has extremely useful manual controls for when you want to take control of the camera. I really love how this compact camera gives you the ability to manipulate images to your liking via its manual controls. As I gradually became familiar with my camera and was able to travel frequently, I did find some downsides to it. First, some of the functions were slow, such as when flipping from viewing mode to shooting mode. It took several long seconds to switch to each function. It's especially frustrating when you are in those situations where timing is crucial. Another thing is the fact that this camera does not have the option of shooting RAW images. But I think this latter issue is understandable, because the latest superzoom/interchangeable-lens compact cameras have only just started coming out with RAW image-processing capabilities. The good thing with RAW images, as most may know, is the ability to process and edit your images after shooting. And, it captures images in its most highest, clearest, and best format.

There are lot of new cameras coming out, each one an upgrade of its previous models. Some may have much better functions that address the flaws of the previous models. That said, investing in the right one is important as buying a new camera means that you should stick to it for some time. Upgrading cameras frequently can be very costly, despite the aims of camera manufacturers making cameras as powerful and small but also easy on the wallets.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2

Nikon 1 V1

Samsung overtakes Apple as smartphone king

It's been announced that Samsung has become the world's top smartphone manufacturer within the last three months, overtaking it's so-called rival Apple.
In the first article, there is a section which says

"The semiconductor division also played a key role in making Samsung come up with impressive quarterly earnings."

My boyfriend is studying electronics in university, specifically in semiconductors. ^^

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/tech/2011/10/133_97497.html


http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/Samsung-Slices-Apple-From-Top-skynews-888054662.html?x=0

My gadgets

The pressure to keep up with up-to-date gadgets and the latest innovations that come along with them is tedious work! I don't know how other people do it.

Proud of my gadgets despite the temptations to upgrade a couple of them. ^^

Tech Capital of the world ~ Seoul

I thought New York City's subway system was confusing, now I am perplexed on how I am going to be able to navigate myself through this complex subway system. But then, South Korea's renowned and reliable transportation system isn't called that for nothing.

It is daunting to know that you're heading to a city that's one of the most digitally-connected and technologically advanced cities in the world. Since the rise of the Chaebol corporations like Samsung and LG, technology is getting better and better by the month. My boyfriend studies electronic engineering, specialising in semiconductors. Hearing him talk about all those complex terms and equations gets me mind-boggled.

I've heard nothing but amazing things about Seoul. I met an Australian middle-aged man who had just returned from a two-week vacation in Seoul. He could not explain how amazing the city was. From the sheer size of the city, despite it being located in a very small country, to the amount of people who lived there, he was fascinated by everything. He's become so motivated to move there some day and work there, that he's taking Korean classes in the same class as me. So when you hear people and their countless stories of the fascinating and lively city that is Seoul, you get goosebumps and exhilarated at the fact that you will be there in two months. There are many things I have to prepare for this trip though. Obviously, language is the first and most important barrier to get rid of. Second, is getting a right foothold on all the places you want to go. I should make sure that most if not all the places I want to go to have been well-researched on. It's always good to be prepared, but not too much. It's always nice to leave space for spontaneity.

If Seoul, and on the whole South Korea, is as amazing as I expect it to be, I think I will be having a hard time putting myself back on that airplane back home. I leave you with inspiring photos of one of those great cities of Asia. Seoul.

Digital capital, indeed.