Sensor Dust > Wiped Out

Well, I did go to J-One to send in my dad’s Canon AE-1 Program. Asked Jason to give my sensor a pump of air to remove those stubborn gremlins. My small blower didn’t succeed in it. Jason used this blue colour rubber blower with a metal tip. Just a few pumps and my sensor was clean. My dad ended up getting the blower for me.

It’s from (and made in) Switzerland, made from rubber and lasts a darn long time. The brand’s A*F and the model is No. 18666. If you haven’t heard of it, that’s because it’s not as popular as the Giottos Rocket Air Blower which I did want at one time. This one is used by Swiss watch crafters. Well, it’s also used in photographic equipment. The best part about it is the fact that it lasts so long. Jason’s one has been used for (he claimed) 15 years. His looks really grubby, but the best part is it’s stronger than the new ones there! Meh, I’ll pump mine everyday to make it stronger.

Here’s a test after blowing the sensor:

There are probably some tiny particles sticking to the sensor but with regular blowing, they will disappear.

It’s more expensive than the aforementioned Giottos Rocket Air, but I’d say it’s well worth it. It doesn’t have a long nozzle like the Rocket Air, but that’s because it’s already strong enough and doesn’t need one. The control of the air stream from vigorous to gentle is very nice. Highly recommended!

Next cleaning product? LensPen (ProPack I) and maybe Peca Premium Grade Optical Tissue (it’s lintfree!) along with Peca Formula MC cleaning fluid. Just maybe.

While 2007 turns into 2008

2007 was a great year, let’s hope 2008 will be better.

We’ll be welcoming 2008 in almost no time. While some are already waiting at the currently jam-packed Bukit Bintang for the countdown, I’m stuck at home. Gah. I wanted to shoot fireworks.

Nevermind, here’s a recap of eventful stuff in 2007.

Got an EOS 400D kit and some photography gear came following )

Learned a lot more about photography, thanks to the guys at ShutterAsia, PhotoMalaysia and Jason at J-One.

Went to Vietnam for the first time ever while on a cruise. Not such a bad country after all.

Went on 2 SuperStar Virgo cruises within a span of 7 months. The first in June was better than the previous one.

Didn’t do well in exams (It’ll change! It’ll change!)

And what I wish for in 2008:

This I need: 7As in the crucial PMR to seal more photo gear!

For my first-ever Canon L-Series Lens (Please?) Maybe the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM or the EF 14mm f/2.8 L USM

For the Canon EF 10-22mm f/4.5-5.6 USM

Manfrotto 190XPROB tripod legs and some 3-way head (not a ball-head)

All to go well in 2008!

That’s about it!

Time flies.

Whatever it is, life still goes on. The sun will set daily and end another day. Right?

For all you know, 2009 will be here faster than ever.

I would like to wish all of you a really happy new year!!! See you in 2008!

Stay tuned to jyi1693.wordpress.com!

Sensor Dust!!!

Using a dSLR has many consequences, the main one being the price of the body. And of course the price of lenses, packs, flashes, accessories, etc. The other problem dSLR users face, as I have only just learned, is sensor dust.

Sensor dust is obviously, dust particles that stick onto your sensor, thus the name. This occurs during the changing of lenses, and also if the rear of your lens isn’t clean, and when the sensor is started up, it has an electrostatic charge, which will get the dust to stick onto it. Until it gets wiped out (or blown, in this case), that is. I’ve got a whole lot of them…

How do you detect sensor dust? Get a white piece of paper, set your camera to maybe aperture priority, set exposure compensation up bu 0.7 or 1, then fire the shutter, shaking the camera at the same time. Shaking the camera will not blur out the dust, as it is directly on the light sensor. Instead, it’ll be clearer.

Here’s a look at my results.

I thought “what the fish!” at this point already.

Some aren’t very visible due to resizing, but I tell you, it’s there.

Could be going to Amcorp Mall tomorrow to send in my dad’s old Canon AE-1 Program 35mm Mechanical SLR tomorrow to J-One, it’s in need of refurbishing and cleaning up. However, if it has a power source, it still starts up perfectly So, ok, if I do go, I’ll ask uncle Jason from J-One to maybe blow (my blower isn’t powerful enough) or (if he has the sensor brush), give my sensor a swipe or two. And maybe I’ll buy my own blower.

Dammit, I hate dust.

Scenes From The Cruise

Here are some scenes before I go about writing the full story. Wallpaper suitable.

Click on thumbnail to enlarge. Maximum resolution provided is 1024 X 768. If you need it without the watermark or if you need it for a widescreen or if you need a larger resolution, please email me at jyi1693@gmail.com

Virgo at Penang.

Virgo at Phuket.

Sunset after departing Phuket. Gala Night.

Virgo’s atrium.

Singapore Skyline showing Keppel building, Sentosa cable cars, the port and Harbour Front shopping mall.

Cargo terminal at Singapore.

Night shot showing nightlife in the southern area of Singapore.

Images shot with Canon EOS 400D Digital Single Lens Reflex camera with kit lens, some with a polarizing filter. I didn’t use my EF 50mm f/1.8 II for these photos. Cropping, resizing and watermarking done in Adobe Photoshop CS2 Windows. No image adjustments done.

There you go. A wallpaper post from me. I know I’m a little late, but Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I’ll get started on the cruise posts.

Back from SSV.

I’m back from SSV. Writing up everything and uploading/editing the photos should take some time so be patient ya?

Till then.

SuperStar Virgo in 13 days…

I’m going to a cruise onboard the magnificent SuperStar Virgo in 13 days departing Singapore. The ship will be placed in Hong Kong for service beginning March 28. Might return to Singapore. Meanwhile, SuperStar Aquarius will be placed in Singapore. It’ll be the third time I’m cruising on Virgo and the 5th time I’m cruising with Star Cruises.

Virgo is a majestic 76800 tonne, 268 metre long floating, moving resort. There’s a video here, which promotes the ship, showing onboard facilities. I’m freaking lazy to process photos taken with my Lumix, cause I didn’t have a dSLR at that time. I’m rather tired. I got tuition tomorrow… Btw, expect good pics from this trip, I’m going to bring my photography gear, and I got the permission to bring along my tripod to do good night pics. BULB MODE FTW!

On the contrary, Aeon Bukit Tinggi is now opened. If I sound modest, that’s because I am. It wasn’t as big as I would have ever expected. I’d take 1 Utama anyday, anytime, anywhere to it… This new shopping mall has only one camera shop… Read that: ONE. Well, at least they even have the Canon EOS 5D there. It poisoned me well… Stuff are fairly expensive to what I can get tho. 1 Utama boasts about 2132901 more camera stores than it. Serious. Lets see… 2 Shong Lees, Photo Shangri-La, Best Denki, and the list goes on and on. Okay, pics. I quite like the design of Aeon Bukit Tinggi tho

5-storey atrium. 1 Utama boasts more in their Oval section.

Layer cake? Yeah, I agree.

Man, you can’t blame me for being any biased. Klang just isn’t the ground for a shopping district. Bukit Bintang is. Now, I don’t see any Juscos there. Land must be way to costly. You get Pavilion KL, Starhill Gallery, BB Plaza, Lowyat, Lot 10 and Sungai Wang. Walk further down to Imbi and you get Times Square KL. Speaking of which, BB Plaza, Lowyat and Sungai Wang have great camera shops in them. Pavilion KL has a Canon store with an astounding Canon EF 600mm f/5.6 Telephoto lens. The going price? RM 47000+ Oh yeah, I got a Hoya Circular Polarizer for my kit lens (58mm). Really useful filter. Again, from J-One.

Okay, that’s all. I’ll come up with an update soon. The blogging bug has come back after an absence of updates. Take care.