Camera Maintenance Workshop 2026 Text by Melody Tan, Photos by Serene Ong
27th April 2026, Singapore – We held our annual Camera Maintenance Workshop last weekend! We hosted our card members & members of public to a solid 4.5 hours hands-on workshop covering key maintenance steps for Cameras, Lenses and Accessories. There were lots of sharing from Trainer – @Editor AL – who had conducted this workshop for over 10 years.
The comprehensive sharing was insightful and educational. Some say the Practical hands-on was a great learning experience, while some shared that the refreshments was delicious. 🙂
Importantly, especially those who are First-timers, gained valuable skills and know-hows to maintain their equipment properly.
If you had missed this workshop, stay connected with us, more workshops is on the way!
========================= Contributing Editor – Melody Tan Loves quiet walks along beaches, has a mind of her own and decides everything in life in either black or white with nothing in between. Her priority these days revolves around her 2 lovely kids & teaching them music or photography. A lover of yoga and an avid traveler, Melody aims to visit at least 30 countries before she reach 40 years old – from what we know, she had completed 35 as of 2025. ======================== About Ourshutterjourney.com Visit Our Online Store Join Our Membership. =========================
Malacca 2026 – Peranakan Photography Trip Text by Editor AL Lee
27th April 2026, Singapore-Malaysia – Recently we took a short trip to Malacca between 10th April and 13th April 2026. It was organized as our 620th event. Our last visit to Malacca as a group was in May 2023. This round, we repeated some of the places from the previous trip like walking along the Malacca River shooting murals, visiting various museums, took the MTS ride & river cruise, visited the White Dragon Palace Temple & Encore!@Melaka but the highlight of this trip is none other than the Peranakan cosplay – if that is the correct way to call it.
Instead of engaging a “professional photographer”, we decided that since all of us are photographers, we will document the whole event ourselves as models + photographers. Following our research, we picked Colour Nyonya House 彩娘惹 for our costumes & make-up and we did the shoot at The Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum – one of the best to visit in Malacca.
Color Nonya House provides an excellent inventory of Kebaya for the ladies including an extensive range of accessories like costume jewelleries, fans, umbrellas etc while the Baju for the men are decent too. Make-up & hairdo service are available (prior booking required) on request and our team love it.
The process was fast and professional while the make-up artistes who serviced us that day was professional and very engaging, it was a great experience.
After we “transformed” into Baba & Nonya, we took a short stroll to The Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum for our photoshoot. We picked this museum over the others for a few reasons.
The Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum is located in the heart of Jonker Street precinct. The house itself is a combination of three terrace lots that were acquired by the Chan family in 1861. Four generations lived in the house before it was opened as a museum in March 1985. The name of the museum is derived from the term Baba, an honorific manner of addressing a Straits-born gentleman and Nyonya which addresses a Straits-born lady.
Within the house, there are countless authentic furniture & displays dating back to early 19th century. If you are intending to visit this museum, please note that flash is not allowed and further to the entrance fees, if you are dressed in Peranakan style clothing and intend to do a photoshoot there, there is a separate charge for entering the museum – a reasonable fee considering that there is no time limit on how long you can stay inside.
All of us took this opportunity to shoot, learn and try out shooting portraitures even though all of us are not exactly Portrait Photographers. The experience was fun and very enjoyable. There were lots of laughter and a very conducive learning experience.
Amidst the colors, the smiles, everyone got into the “roles” and made every minute count!
Some people said we were mad to be traveling to Malacca in April as it is also rumored to be the hottest month of the year, well they were not wrong, it was pushing 38 degrees most of the time we were there and the passing showers were not helping – we walked through historical places (Malacca is a UNESCO site), ate lots of good food, enjoyed everyone’s company and most importantly, the memorable experience and everyone got to know everyone better from this trip.
Till next time, Malacca! Stay Colorful, Stay Vibrant!
Colour Nyonya House 彩娘惹 (Costume Rental) is located at No.5, Jalan Tukang Besi, Malacca City, Malaysia, 75200
========================= About Chief Editor AL Lee
Chief Editor & Founder of Ourshutterjourney.com Worldwide and Principal Trainer at Ourshutterjourney Photography Academy. AL is a commercial photographer as well as an educator who believes in the art of digital memories. An ambassador of several photography brands, AL is well versed in many camera systems. Someone once told us AL’s man cave looks more like a camera store than a bedroom.
Nikon Nikkor AF-S 200-500mm F/5.6E ED VR Skin Mod Text by Editor AL Lee
06th April 2026, Singapore – And so, after getting the Nikon AF-S 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR for a while, I was contemplating to wrap it up like the Nikon AF-S 70-200mm F2.8 ED VRII last year. You may read about it here. I went ahead to order the “skins” from the same seller again for the 200-5oomm.
When I received the pack, I was a little overwhelmed as the stickers was a little more complicated than the 70-200mm. There were many thin strips which was challenging to even handle it.
The sticker pack came with a Tweezer, instructions and 3 sheets of stickers. (Skin) & a wet wipe and dry wipe. Took me a while to study the instructions before attempting to paste the first skin. For those who wish to do this, I highly recommend to remove the tripod collar and start pasting the Hood first, then from the front elements towards the back.
I do not recommend using the provided wipes but instead, I used a slight wet cleaning cloth, squeezed dry and wipe down the whole lens and allowing it to dry before starting to paste.
The lens hood was the easiest to start with. Just make sure you aligned the curves and cut-off areas carefully.
Easy breezy.
Then I started from the Front of lens pasting my way down to the back.
For the Tripod Collar, please paste it while it is off the lens.
After an hour, finally the 200-500mm is all dressed up! Totally matched the 70-200mm side by side. If you are looking to do the same, just be really careful. Try to do this in a non-windy place, and after pasting, do remember to use a hairdryer to blow the stickers and pressing down/out for any air bubbles. After that, let the lens cool down before keeping the lens back into the dry cabinet. Personalization is fun! Will you be doing the same?
========================= About Chief Editor AL Lee
Chief Editor & Founder of Ourshutterjourney.com Worldwide and Principal Trainer at Ourshutterjourney Photography Academy. AL is a commercial photographer as well as an educator who believes in the art of digital memories. An ambassador of several photography brands, AL is well versed in many camera systems. Someone once told us AL’s man cave looks more like a camera store than a bedroom.
Review: Godox iT32 Flash (Video) Reviewed by Editor AL Lee 09th January 2026 – Singapore – We got the NEW Godox iT32 Flash on our hands and this is what we discover! Watch the Video!
Video Review: Godox iT32 Flash by Editor AL Lee
========================= Reviewer: Chief Editor AL Lee
Chief Editor & Founder of Ourshutterjourney.com Worldwide and Principal Trainer at Ourshutterjourney Photography Academy. AL is a commercial photographer as well as an educator who believes in the art of digital memories. An ambassador of several photography brands, AL is well versed in many camera systems. Someone once told us AL’s man cave looks more like a camera store than a bedroom.
Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm F/2.8 ED VR II Skin Mod Text by Editor AL Lee
Image: The Skin.
09th June 2025, Singapore – Recently I managed to buy a Nikon Nikkor AF-s 70-200mm F/2.8 ED VR II from our Authorised Service Centre. As most of you may already realised that Nikon AF-S lenses price are dropping and people are snapping up the used lenses like hot cakes. Especially the gem lenses from the Nikon lineup. Like everyone, I was in the market buying up Nikon lenses.
The Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm F/2.8 ED VR II was one of the lenses that I wanted so badly and I am in luck! However, as a previous owner of Canon EF 70-200mm F2.8 IS USM II and Sony 70-200mm F2.8 G – both lenses are white in color while the Nikon only come in Black except the special edition Mark 1 which had a limited run in white. (see image below from Jeffrey’s site.)
Sadly Nikon did not released any more white lenses for 70-200mm after the Mark I. I like the VR II over the Mark 1 for its improvements so I decided to get creative.
I was searching on Online shops and I chance upon an online shop that sells pre-cut skins for various lenses. The shop on Shopee “bestechkd.sg” offers lots of pre-cut skins for various lenses and I decided to take a leap of faith and ordered a set for my Nikon 70-200mm.
The skin pack came with 2 printed skins, 1 tweezer, 1 wet wipe and 1 dry wipe along with a printed instructions that was easy to understand. (See cover photo)
So my project starts. I started with the easiest – the hood. Check out the images below.
Before:
And After:
Ok while the hood was a breeze to paste, there are parts that needed a hairdryer to heat up especially the corners to allow the skin to be properly pasted and sealed. Not much of an effort really.
And one by one, I completed the whole lens in under 1 hour.
Before I show you the result, let’s take another look at the before.
and the end result!
I may have done a fairly well job but the lens is completely facelifted!
I dunno about you but I like the end result. It feeds my vanity of having another white 70-200mm while bringing back memories of my old Canon & Sony 70-200mm.
There are several parts that need hairdryer to properly sit the skin but it is really easy and no sweat at all. If you are looking to refresh your Nikon 70-200mm, the skin is the way to go. It is also removable and will not mess up your lenses of you decide to go back to the original look some day.
Looking at the result, I decided to order another set of skins for my Nikon AF-S 200-500mm. Will be back with the update once I get the 200-500mm pasted!
========================= Reviewer: Chief Editor AL Lee
Chief Editor & Founder of Ourshutterjourney.com Worldwide and Principal Trainer at Ourshutterjourney Photography Academy. AL is a commercial photographer as well as an educator who believes in the art of digital memories. An ambassador of several photography brands, AL is well versed in many camera systems. Someone once told us AL’s man cave looks more like a camera store than a bedroom.
Meike FC-100 Macro Ring Flash Text by Editor AL Lee
Image: Editor AL mounted the Meike FC-100 Macro Ring Flash to a Sigma 105mm Macro & Nikon D750.
30th May 2025, Singapore – One of the biggest challenges in Macro photography is definitely the light. Shooting at smaller apertures beyond F16, illumination is key to good macro images. As a user of several macro lighting configurations – twin flash, flash gun with custom diffuser, twin lights etc – I am constantly looking for new ways to get light to the front where my lens focuses. Then I found this Meike FC-100 on Aliexpress selling for a really cheap price. So I decided to order 1 for my Nikon F system.
The retail box arrived and apart from the flash unit, it came with instructions and 08 adaptors of various sizes so I can use this on different macro lenses! Just to add, the rings are made from hard plastics.
The front has 32 large LED lights with a slightly frosted cover which double up as a mild diffuser to reduce the harshness producing a softer light.
The flash unit features a quick snap-on design for the adaptor rings. It operates via the 2 buttons on the outer side of the flash unit.
The control unit is easy to use. You can select using constant light (very good for night macro), flash, flash on left, flash on right, and you can select the power output manually. It is very fool-proof and anyone will be able to use it the minute they start using.
It runs on 04 AA batteries and the control unit is sleek and compact.
The light are very well distributed so I took this Meike FC-100 out for a review shoot!
Before we start, let’s take a look how it is when mounted to a camera.
Very sleek and compact, and it is really light. Let’s check out the images!
I personally like how the light affects the images and subject. At close range I was expecting the light to be harsh but it turned out to be mildly soft and very useable.
As the skies darkens, I switched on the constant Light mode. It doubles as torch light while shooting with the consistent light helps a lot when focusing in the dark.
After looking at the images what do you think?
Summary – for a Macro ring flash this cheap, the Meike FC-100 is very capable and it can be used for a variety of shoots. Small, light and compact, it is easy to use and portable to bring this around. It is well built despite the very low asking price and it consumes really little battery. The lights are not harsh and it can be used for macro, stills or headshots.
Verdict:I highly recommend buying this!
Buying this Flash – This Meike FC-100 is available at online shops like Shoppee, Aliexpress, Lazada & Amazon. Price may varies depending on your location – I got mine for SGD $32.00 (including shipping) from Aliexpress.
========================= Reviewer: Chief Editor AL Lee
Chief Editor & Founder of Ourshutterjourney.com Worldwide and Principal Trainer at Ourshutterjourney Photography Academy. AL is a commercial photographer as well as an educator who believes in the art of digital memories. An ambassador of several photography brands, AL is well versed in many camera systems. Someone once told us AL’s man cave looks more like a camera store than a bedroom.
We Are Officially Partnering BAGUS Together! Text by Li Shi Qing
26th March 2025, Singapore – We are happy to share that we are partnering BAGUS Together as part of our community service. BAGUS (Building All Groundups for Success) Together is a tripartite collaboration between the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC), Temasek Foundation and Tote Board.
The initiative aims to rally the ecosystem to work collaboratively to support and help potential changemakers and groundups start and sustain their initiatives through fostering collaboration, ease of access to resources, networks and other forms of support. Through BAGUS Together, the intent is to establish a go-to platform and create a space where groundups, volunteers, corporate or government partners, and other good people, meet to supercharge one another’s efforts for our communities and deepen their impact.
The initiative aims to rally the ecosystem to work collaboratively to support and help potential changemakers and groundups start and sustain their initiatives through fostering collaboration, ease of access to resources, networks and other forms of support.
Through BAGUS Together, the intent is to establish a first-stop platform and create a safe space for changemakers to come together and create magic. It will be a space where groundups, volunteers, corporate or government partners, and other good people, meet to supercharge one another’s efforts for our communities and deepen their impact.
Since 2010, Ourshutterjourney has been actively involved in various Pay-it-Forward projects as part of our ongoing community contributions. We are proud to support BAGUS Together by providing photography services to groundup initiatives. To further this effort, we have formed a dedicated Photography Team to support events and activities by groundups through BAGUS Together. We currently have seven (7) passionate volunteer photographers, and we are inviting more photographers to join us in this meaningful cause! To apply, send an email to ourshutterjourney@live.com.sg with:
Your Name
Contact Number
A short note on why you would like to be part of the team
Learn more about BAGUS Together here. Our listing on BAGUS Together here.
========================= Contributing Editor – Lee Shi Qing
A firm believer of Self-Sufficient living and gives no f**k to anyone getting in her way to reaching her goals in life. Kind in nature & Dangerous when provoked. Loves Mcdonald’s Fries and hates all the burgers there. While she helps out in gear reviews, Qing is currently serving as an Online Administrator for Ourshutterjourney.com Facebook Groups and Online Shop.
25th February 205, Singapore – We have MOVED. At the end of 2024, we decided to quietly move to a new location for our Office & Editorial HQ. It is sad that we are leaving Fortune Centre & missing all the great food & kind folks!
Our new address will be at 1 Liang Seah Street, #02-02, Singapore 189022 and we are looking forward to be part of the Bugis “kampong” from today!
Please note that if you wish to visit us, it is strictly by appointment only. We are not accepting Walk-Ins at the moment (while we unpack). Thank you.
Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART) Reviewed by Editor AL
Image: Yick Cheong Building aka Monster Building at Quarry Bay, Hong Kong.
06th October 2024, Singapore-Hong Kong – When the editorial team received the notice from Sigma Singapore about the new Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (Art), I got really excited. This is the world’s first F1.4 Diagonal Fisheye for a full frame format (35mm). A quick check on the internet, this lens is a little monster on its own – having embodied almost all of Sigma’s top-line features, it stands as a wonder lens on its own. Let’s check out the lens first.
Image: The Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART) mounted on a Sony A7.
First impression when I received the lens was – this lens is huge – then I reminded myself that this is a large aperture F1.4 lens to much laughter. Measuring at φ104.0mm x 157.9mm, this is a sizable lens and it is weighty at 1,360gm. Due to its weight, this is why probably the lens came with a tripod collar (I didn’t get to mount it).
Image: The Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART).
Now look beyond the physical aspects, the optics are arranged as 21 elements in 15 groups – including 04 x FLD elements, 03 x SLD elements & 02 x aspherical elements – now tell me which other Fisheye in the market comes close to this Sigma Fisheye? This optics set up was specially designed to remove all the optical mambo jumbo that usually comes with fisheye lenses. The intended distortions are smoothly curved and the sharpness are incredible at the center to the mid-outer circumference and it gradually blurs out at the edges. While the blur are not visible unless you magnify the image up to 250%, so this is very much negligible.
Image: The Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART).
Focusing was incredibly accurate. The Sigma HLA – High Response Linear Actuator – manages the internal focusing well and works silently. Throughout my review in Hong Kong, I barely heard or feel the focusing during my shooting.
Image: The Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART).
Due to the lens’ optics design, the minimum focusing distance is set at 38.5cm which bothers me a little. I am used to the super close focusing distance of fisheye lenses (I have a few) usually around a few centimeters, so at 38.5cm, I was not able to do a few crazy things that I used to do with other fisheyes.
At least the magnification ratio of this 15mm Fisheye is 1:16 which is great!
Image: The Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART).
The Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART) comes with 11 aperture blades and it focuses from F1.4 to F16. The 2 sweet spots that I discovered while reviewing the lens are at F1.4 – wide open at night and F10 when I was shooting during the day on the streets.
Image: The Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART).
As I mentioned earlier, this Sigma 15mm Fisheye is a little monster with all of Sigma’s top line features – the lens barrel made from TSC (Thermal Stable Composite) which is tough & durable at different (or extreme) operating conditions, the buttons are well layout ergonomically as expected from an Art series lens. Another new feature (already in 2 other Sigma lenses) that has also found its way into this Fisheye lens is the Lens Heat Retainer – preventing internal condensation when temperatures dipped suddenly.
In additional, there are 12 weather sealings across the whole lens barrel making this Fisheye lenses the real all-weather monster.
Image: The Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART).
The huge lens cap holds another interesting feature. Take a look at the back of the lens cap and you will notice there are 2 secret compartments. (See image below)
The 02 compartments can be independently open/close and it is for you to store Gel Filters! Almost all Fisheye lenses has a gel filter holder at the lens mount area and Sigma went another step further by incorporating 2 Gel Filter storage right behind the lens cap! Genius!
Image: The Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART).
As “massive” as the lens goes, the Sigma 15mm Fisheye when mounted to my Sony, it is not as “huge” as you might imagined. In fact, I was hand-carrying this lens mounted on my Sony throughout my review and my walks through different part of Hong Kong during the review.
Let’s check some of the photos that I had took in Hong Kong using the Sigma 15m F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART) below!
Image: At Tung Choi Street aka Ladies Street – Shot using Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART).
Image: Everywhere flags are flying as 1st Oct is the National Day – Shot using Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART).
I handheld the Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (A) throughout the review. As this Fisheye is a diagonal fisheye, I gained the advantage of ultra wide perspective as well as making the diagonal distortion to creative use. As an owner of several fisheyes including Circular Fisheyes and Diagonal Fisheyes, the use is very different from from circular Fisheye. For diagonal Fisheyes, you basically have the best of both worlds and your framing possibilities doubled.
Image: Street vendor selling localized toys – Shot using Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART).
Image: Owner of Fuk Wa Cameras, he was kind to allow me to shoot him and his store – Shot using Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART).
Image: A Typical weekday on the street of Hong Kong – Shot using Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART).
Simply love the fast and quiet focusing of the Sigma 15mm Fisheye. Capturing the right moment on the streets can be challenging, having an ultra wide fisheye ups the ante and my chances of capturing what I wanted to was a breeze.
Like any country that I had been to, people are usually sensitive when a photographer held up a camera, but the folks are Hong Kong seems “immune” to cameras, no one really care even when I am pointing my camera at them.
Image: At Avenue of Stars Waterfront – Shot using Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART).
Image: Waiting for National Day Fireworks – Shot using Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART).
Image: Waiting for National Day Fireworks – Shot using Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART).
Moving into the nights, the Sigma 15mm F1.4 again takes the advantage of the wide aperture and behaves confidently after the sun goes down. It’s National Day week at at Hong Kong and I was thrilled to meet up other Sigma Users from Hong Kong to shoot the celebration fireworks.
While the crowd was crazy, I noticed photographers here are very considerate to other visitors, they do not set up tripods to “reserve” spots, but quietly sat at various viewpoints for hours and they do not set up their tripods until 10 mins before the fireworks.
Image: National Day Fireworks – Shot using Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART).
Image: National Day Fireworks – Shot using Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART).
Image: National Day Fireworks – Shot using Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART).
I did not shoot a lot as I rather enjoy the fireworks than to crazily click away and ended up with hundreds of photos and deleting hundreds after that. The fireworks lasted 30 mins and again, I noticed the HK photographers took their shots within the first 10 mins and then kept their tripods and gear, making space for others.
I was shooting at wide open at F1.4 and at an constant speed of 1/60 backed by ISO1600. The Sony’s in built stabilizer helped, and the Sigma 15mm Fisheye is definitely working very well with Sony’s system. (This lens is available in Sony mount and Leica mount by the way).
Image: Yick Cheong Building – Shot using Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART).
And so there is this place that are frequented by influencers and a hot spot for Instagrammers. Built in the 1960s, Yick Cheong building (also known as the Monster building) is joined by 5 blocks with a mix of residential and small businesses. Yick Cheong is one of the last few heritage buildings that reminds people of the old Hong Kong.
Given the tight spaces here, the Sigma 15mm Fisheye is probably the best lens here. While thousands had shot Yick Cheong Building with Ultra Wide angle lenses, or had done stitching, a quick check on Google shows not many had shot this building with a Fisheye lens. And I am definitely the first photographer here with the Sigma 15mm Fisheye.
Image: Yick Cheong Building – Shot using Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART).
I felt that I had “won” when I took the above shot.
Image: Yick Cheong Building – Shot using Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART).
Image: Yick Cheong Building – Shot using Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART).
Image: Traditonal Businesses thrives at Yick Cheong Building – Shot using Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART).
Image: Yick Cheong Building – Shot using Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART).
Image: Yick Cheong Building from King’s Road – Shot using Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART).
If I had a regular 14mm lens, this shot will not be possible due to the slope, or even if I had a 24mm wide angle, the distance from across the road is still too tight to capture this massive building. I am so lucky to have the Sigma 15mm Fisheye with me. The diagonal characteristics simply made this shot possible and easy to capture.
Image: Street view around Yick Cheong Building – Shot using Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART).
Image: Street view around Yick Cheong Building – Shot using Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART).
To summarize, the Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye (ART) is a crazy-good lens. Sigma should have added the word “Diagonal” to the lens name. It’s a big lens but compact, weighty but very manageable. While many may react strongly to the retail price, it is a Made-in-Japan-Top-line-lens made by Sigma. You are getting a lot of value for the money. From the superb construction and design to the optics and usability, no other fisheye lens comes this close to this Fisheye. Try it for yourself and you will understand why I love this Fisheye!
Buying this Lens OK people, Buy your Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN (ART) from our Accredited Merchants to experience this great lens for yourself!
Renting this Lens For those of you who wish to try out the lens before purchase, we are pleased to share that this camera (may) be available for rental (do call them to check) at our appointed rental merchant:
Camera Rental Centre is Conveniently Located at: 50 South Bridge Road, CMO Building, (very near to Clarke Quay MRT) #02-18. Singapore 058682 Website: http://sg.camerarental.biz/
========================= Reviewer: Chief Editor AL Lee
Chief Editor & Founder of Ourshutterjourney.com Worldwide and Principal Trainer at Ourshutterjourney Photography Academy. AL is a commercial photographer as well as an educator who believes in the art of digital memories. An ambassador of several photography brands, AL is well versed in many camera systems. Someone once told us AL’s man cave looks more like a camera store than a bedroom.
Capture the Past, Create the Future – Sony Alpha Fest ‘24
Come on Down to Alpha Fest ‘24 at Jewel Changi Airport and Discover the Best in Digital Imaging with Expert Talks, Contests, and Immersive Photography Experiences
23rd September 2024, Singapore – Following the resounding success of Alpha Fest ‘23, Sony is thrilled to announce the return of Alpha Fest ‘24, taking place from 18 – 20 October 2024 at Cloud9 Piazza @ Jewel Changi Airport. This year’s event invites photography enthusiasts, content creators, and families to experience the joy of capturing memories, empower their creativity, and connect with a vibrant network of like-minded individuals. Alpha Fest ‘24 promises an exciting lineup of hands-on experiences, expert-led talks, and contests, ensuring that attendees can immerse themselves in both the art and technology of photography.
Ignite the Passion for Photography
Whether beginner or professional, Alpha Fest ‘24 offers an opportunity for everyone to pick up a camera and experience the magic of storytelling through photography. Attendees can look forward to the interactive shooting experiences along nostalgic backdrops, such as the Mama Shop – Style Meets Convenience, where visitors can capture fun photos by creating distinct styles straight out of the cameras. Applying modern technology in a nostalgic setting allows users of any skill level to create captivating images without post processing.
For portrait lovers, the Coffee Shop – Coffee Meets Bokeh experience offers the chance to shoot with Sony’s GM prime lenses, capturing intimate and detailed portraits with beautiful creamy bokeh in a stylishly crafted setting. Photography enthusiasts can play around with creamy bokeh effects and explore the versatility of Sony’s newest lens, SEL85F14GM2.
Alpha Fest ‘24 also seeks to empower creators to push the boundaries of their craft by merging creativity and technology. In the Telephoto Dragon Playground, attendees can participate in a fun and interactive Telephoto Hunt, where they can test out Sony’s telephoto lenses, including the SEL300F28GM by searching and snapping a hidden object around the event space. This hands-on approach will showcase the capabilities of Sony’s digital imaging technology while engaging participants in a creative challenge.
Learn from Alpha Professionals and Creators
Beyond the hands-on activities, Alpha Fest ‘24 will feature expert talks from Alpha Professionals and Creators across genres like portrait, wildlife, travel, sports, and more. Attendees will have the chance to learn from leading creators from Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. These sessions will inspire photographers to experiment with new techniques and spark ideas that can shape the future of content creation.
Connect. Collaborate. Create.
Building on last year’s focus on community engagement, Alpha Fest ‘24 continues to foster connections within the digital imaging community. This event serves as a platform for photographers, videographers and creators to come together, share knowledge, and collaborate. Attendees can participate in the Photo and Short-Form Video Contests, where they can showcase their creativity. The Photo Contest invites participants to submit images under the theme of Nostalgia, judged by international guest speakers and Commercial Directors Shimmon Joel Mathews and Matt Low, while the Short-Form Video Contest encourages creators to capture the essence of Alpha Fest ‘24, with prizes awarded for the top-three submissions.
Alpha Fest ‘24 will also offer an array of opportunities for attendees to win exclusive prizes. Participants can enter the Daily Lucky Draw for a chance to take home Sony products, including a PlayStation®5 Digital Edition, WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones and a grand prize of ZV-E10 II with E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II Power Zoom Lens. For those who engage with the event’s activities, completing an activity card will earn them a chance in the Daily Lucky Draw and an exclusive collectible with a unique design each day. There will also be exclusive, limited-time promotions as part of the festivities. In addition, Sony is offering complimentary sensor cleaning throughout the event for Alpha users (pre-registration of slots is required), ensuring that participants’ cameras are in peak condition.
Event Details
Date:
Friday, 18 October 2024 (2 – 8PM) Saturday, 19 October – Sunday, 20 October 2024 (10AM – 8PM)
Find out more information on the upcoming Alpha Fest and register for the expert talks here.
About Sony Corporation
Sony Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation and is responsible for the Entertainment, Technology & Services (ET&S) business. With the mission to “create the future of entertainment through the power of technology together with creators,” we aim to continue to deliver Kando* to people around the world. For more information, visit: http://www.sony.net/
*Kando is a Japanese word that roughly translates to the sense of awe and emotion you feel when experiencing something beautiful and amazing for the first time.
ToyArt by ACS Students Text by Li Shi Qing
Image: K-On Stage Figurines
10th May 2024, Singapore – Recently our Principal (Chief Editior) AL Lee from our academy did a session of ToyArt (Still Life Portraiture) during his class at ACS International. ToyArt has always been a fascinating topic by many, since Shutter Journey popularize this photography genre in 2006, there’s been huge increased interests for toy photography across Singapore.
This is NOT the first time AL Lee brings this photography art form into the classrooms. From Primary Schools to Secondary Schools, from Clubs to Seminar or Training, ToyArt is a great door opener to photographers from all levels. & all ages.
“It’s a combination of Creativity, Portraitures & Macro, looks easy but difficult to execute especially managing the ratio.” – AL Lee
About 2 weeks ago, during AL’s class at ACS, he set up a Limited Edition K-On Stage Set and asked the students to try to shoot the K-On figurines using their creativity and imagination. The result was shockingly good as many of the students submitted very professional looking images of the figurines! After he shared with the editorial team some of the student-submitted photos, we decided to feature some of the students’ work here as a special feature!
Let’s check out the featured works from the ACS Students!
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Student Name: Mohit
Editorial Note: Mohit did an interesting shot focusing on the drummer from a distance and including the amplifiers as part of the composition. This perspective had made the scene almost life-like with this angle and composition! Well Done!
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Student Name: Shayne
Editorial Note: Shayne focuses a lot on the action and using close-ups as the choice for composition. The end results was stunning and very “poster-like”, akin to those typical live concert photos that were shot at the scene on stage. Shayne’s perspective allows viewer to be “upclose” to the subject and the ability to recreate the “energy” of the figurines to an image. Good Job!
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Student Name: Evie
Editorial Note: Evie applied the clever use of background and a 1st person perspective for her images. The figurines were brought to life in her images (above) – providing a documentational style which makes the images interesting to view. It is as if the shots were shot by a photographer on a real stage, Excellent Job Evie!
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Student Name: Chloe
Editorial Note: Chloe shocked us all, yes the whole editorial team was amazed by Chloe’s submission. The composition & perspectives are what we (the editorial team) will use and shoot. Noting that Chloe is still a student, she displayed an eye for stage photography and using various perspectives that are usually used by professional photographers. Chloe’s images are interesting to view and each has a story to tell, the whole team love it! Keep up the great work Chloe!
============= Footnote:
– All the above images are submitted by the students during the class session. =============
Note from Principal Trainer AL Lee
“The students at ACS International are an interesting & creative group of individuals. Coming from diverse backgrounds & cultures, their creativity spans beyond what was expected from them. I hope my lessons will help shape their photography directions. The submissions for this ToyArt class was beyond my expectations and I must admit this class has great potentials. Good Job Class!
– AL Lee
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Contributing Editor – Lee Shi Qing A firm believer of Self-Sufficient living and gives no f**k to anyone getting in her way to reaching her goals in life. Kind in nature & Dangerous when provoked. Loves Mcdonald’s Fries and hates all the burgers there. While she helps out in gear reviews, Qing is currently serving as an Online Administrator for Ourshutterjourney.com Facebook Groups and Online Shop.
Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN OS | Sports Reviewed by Editor AL
Image: Editor AL overlooking Mount Fuji at Kawaguchi Lake, Japan
06th April 2024, Singapore-Japan – When I wanted to bring the Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN Sports lens to Japan, many of my students & peers was wondering if I had gone mad. The Stereotypes will typically pack a “convenience” lens that will zoom from a moderate wide angle to a mid telephoto range however as a seasoned traveler with over 40 countries in my record, I beg to differ. Do not get me wrong (I am not mad either), I had went the same way as many photographers in the past by either packing an arsenal of lenses or a simple zoom lens that covers a wide focal range. But what seems to be lacking is the ability to zoom really far discretely, to have a very useful focal length that most people will not likely to have when they travel, to be able to become street-stealthy – that was why I decided to visit Japan for the 4th time with just the Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN Sports mated to a Sony a7R2 & my trusty iPhone for everything else.
Image: Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN OS (S) mounted to a Sony a7RII
Let me take you through what you (really) need to know about the Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN (S) lens! First question that many had asked me is it very heavy? Well, at 1,335gm & measuring at 90.6mm × 207.0mm, it is neither heavy nor light (or bulky), but as a matter of fact, it is very manageable. In fact I handheld the lens almost throughout my 10 days in Japan. It seems to grow on me once I got past the fact that I was holding a Super-Telephoto lens and I never got sore arms honestly!
As one of the flagship lens, Sigma Sports series lenses are designed for Professional Photographers who demanded possibly everything that they can get from a photography equipment, Sigma knew just that, every Sports series lenses is a marvel by itself and the same goes to this Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN (S) lens. Using the proven TSC (Thermal Stable Compound) for the construction of the lens barrel & structure as expected, this lens is built with the diverse shooting environment in mind as it is dust & splash resistant while the front lens element comes with water & oil repellent coating (about 19 weather sealing rings & gaskets were used). (And the lens front takes 77mm screw-on filters.)
Apart from TSC, other materials that were used in the construction were Magnesium & Carbon Fiber- you will usually find these materials in high performance sports cars where light weight and durability are mandatory.
During my visit, this lens was put through strong cold winds of up to 45kmh and snow apart from the extreme temperature & humidity changes and it did not fail at any point.
The buttons layout seems scary on first sight but when I got into shooting mode, all the buttons makes sense as there were many times I did not even have to take my eyes off the viewfinder as I am already familiar with Sigma lenses (we had review Sigma lenses for 15 years hello.) but if a new user is to hold up this lens and start using, it is very easy and since it was designed based on a user-centric objective, which after getting familiar with the buttons layout, it’s a breeze to use. By the way, this is FIRST Sports series lens to have an Aperture Ring – and you can control it via a dedicated aperture ring click switch & an aperture ring lock switch – this is brilliant as it will bridge users from “different worlds” – together.
Let’s get inside the lens! The Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN (S) has a massive 20 elements in 15 groups – including 6 FLD elements, 2 SLD elements & 3 aspherical elements – uses a newly designed 11 rounded diaphragm blades for the aperture and it focuses from F2.8 to F22. Minimum focusing distance starts from 65cm at 70mm & about 1 meter at 200mm. This inner-zoom & inner-focusing lens is supported by 2 x HLA (Sigma’s proprietary linear motor.) which drives the focus lens directly without going through gears or other mechanical parts, resulting in super quiet & high-precision autofocusing. The Optical Stabilizer (OS) also supports up to 7.5 stops for all handheld shooting too!
This is super useful for Birding, Sports & Street Photography!
The retail package comes with a dedicated cushioned case, the lens, the lens hood (LH860-01), newly developed tripod socket (TS-151), front & rear lens caps. True to Sigma’s legacy, everything is MADE IN JAPAN. (including the screws & retail box too).
From Nippori to Hakone, from Shinjuku to Ueno, the Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN (S) is indeed a performer. Let’s check out my images that I took using the Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN (S) lens!
This artist was drawing at the Nippori Marques Weekend Market – the Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN (S) allows me to shoot him from a good distance without disturbing him.
The focusing was super fast and accurate. It works extremely well with the Sony a7RII, totally seamless!
While 70mm is a great walkabout focal range, it also allows very interesting perspective as compared to a zoom lens.
This lens & camera combo produces very contrasty and rich-color images which is plus when it comes to street photography.
Making use of the magnification ratio (1:5.2 at 2oomm), I can blow up images to see the details at will. In addition, while I was shooting the Sakura at Nippori, I noticed there were many other photographers shooting with telephoto lenses too. So I made the right choice to be roaming with the Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN (S).
I shot the above couple from a far distance at 200mm. Was amazed at the result.
The below 2 images were shot at 70mm, this lens is very street-photography worthy!
I did a F2.8 on the image below. See how the background had been isolated via bokeh and how the focused area ended up tack sharp!
While most tourists usually shoots Mount Fuji with an ultra wide angle lens (and ended up with a tiny Fuji), I am certain they regretted not bringing a telephoto lens with them.
The above was shot at 200mm while the below shot was done at 700mm.
The dual HLA motor are blazing fast and quiet, it’s a birding photographer’s dream.
To summarize, the Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN (S) is definitely one of the most versatile telephoto lens from Sigma that you get all the bangs for every buck. High quality build, purposeful design and created with the photographer in mind, the professional-spec functionality really takes the cake and setting a new benchmark for other lens makers.
After using this lens for 10 days, I decided to save up to buy this lens – you should get this lens too!
Some behind-the-scene images below!
Thank You Sigma Singapore for making this review possible!
Buying this Lens OK people, Buy your Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN (S) from our Accredited Merchants to experience this great lens for yourself!
Renting this Lens
For those of you who wish to try out the lens before purchase, we are pleased to share that this camera (may) be available for rental (do call them to check) at our appointed rental merchant:
Camera Rental Centre is Conveniently Located at:
50 South Bridge Road, CMO Building, (very near to Clarke Quay MRT)
#02-18. Singapore 058682
Website: http://sg.camerarental.biz/
========================= Reviewer: Chief Editor AL Lee Chief Editor & Founder of Ourshutterjourney.com Worldwide and Principal Trainer at Ourshutterjourney Photography Academy. AL is a commercial photographer as well as an educator who believes in the art of digital memories. An ambassador of several photography brands, AL is well versed in many camera systems. Someone once told us AL’s man cave looks more like a camera store than a bedroom.
01st March 2024, Singapore/Malaysia – With a sense of solemn reflection and weariness in our souls, we have reached yet another significant milestone – today marks the celebration of our 15th anniversary. Establishing a social group centered around learning was an inspired concept back in 2009, yet the journey hasn’t been without its challenges. Over the past decade, we’ve witnessed a constant flux of individuals, some benefiting from our photography sessions, others advancing professionally, while some have drifted away from the art altogether.
Throughout this journey, we’ve forged numerous meaningful friendships, and witnessing the progress of our community has served as a source of encouragement, motivating us to persist in our endeavors. Despite maintaining a relatively low profile over the past three years amidst the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, our impact remains evident across various spheres.
Let’s take a brief glance back at the past 15 years:
Hosting 555 photography events to date
Organizing 7 photography exhibitions
Facilitating 41 photography competitions
Leading 22 photography tours and trips
Conducting 51 photography workshops
Nurturing 119 photography students through our academy
Engaging with over 1000 students from MOE schools
Participating in 10 charity events
Collaborating on 175 commercial projects
Boasting over 5000 registered card members
Establishing a network of 22 photography merchants
Appointing our own authorized service center, (P&G Photographic Centre)
Creating & Managing 5 photography groups
Maintaining 11 photography channels/platforms
Garnering over 700,000 international subscribers on our site
Featured in 4 television appearances
Receiving coverage in over 30 feature articles by other media outlets
While we’ve observed a shift towards a smaller yet more active core group within our community, we take pride in the steadfastness of our dedicated members, who continue to uphold our values and mission. Our commitment to fostering a community-driven environment for learning and sharing in the collective passion for digital imaging remains unwavering.
Thanks to our Past Members, Current Members, Merchants, Brands, Competitors & our Clients, thank you for keeping us on our toes and kept us going!
– Allan Lee & Serene Ong – Managing Partners of
Ourshutterjourney LLP
Ourshutterjourney Photography Academy
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Contributing Editor – Lee Shi Qing
========================= Contributing Editor – Melody Tan
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About Ourshutterjourney.com
Visit Our Online Store Join Our Membership.
=========================
K-13 Leaves Adelphi for Peninsula Shopping Centre Text by Li Shiqing
Image: K-13 New Shop Front.
03rd January 2023, Singapore – One of our Accredited Merchant – K-13 Marketing – who had been operating at The Adelphi for many years, had moved to Peninsula Shopping Centre #01-19 (full address at the end of article).
Special Opening Deals for SJS Card Members – more info below.
K-13 Marketing specialize in photography accessories and binoculars and has always been a favorite retailer among photography & birding enthusiasts in Singapore. They carry a wide range of photography bags, tripods, filters, cleaning kits and everything, anything that you can think of related to photography! They are well-stocked and offers many range of accessories for every budget!
Peninsula Shopping Centre is an interesting place for Singapore photographers (and tourists too) to visit. With the move, K-13 will make the “city photography village” more interesting alongside other well-established photography retailers like P&G Photographic Centre, The Camera Workshop, Mando Photo, Riceball Photography, Ruby YE Photo, Ben Photo Trading, SLR Revolution within Peninsula Shopping Centre while Cathay Photo & Alex Photo are just across the street at Peninsula Plaza, not forgetting Alan Photo & TK Foto are around the block at Funan.
Do Pop by K-13 soon!
=========================== SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT for SJS Card Members!
OPENING SPECIAL DEAL! LIMITED TIME ONLY! Enjoy 15% OFF all Photography Bags & Tripods! (No minimum spend required) Flash Your SJS Membership Card to Enjoy! Valid Till 28th Feb 2024 ===========================
Visit K-13 Marketing’s NEW Store at 3 Coleman St, #01-19, Peninsula Shopping Centre, Singapore 179804
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Contributing Editor – Lee Shi Qing A firm believer of Self-Sufficient living and gives no f**k to anyone getting in her way to reaching her goals in life. Kind in nature & Dangerous when provoked. Loves Mcdonald’s Fries and hates all the burgers there. While she helps out in gear reviews, Qing is currently serving as an Online Administrator for Ourshutterjourney.com Facebook Groups and Online Shop.
SJS Lighting Painting Challenge Winning Team Announced Text by Li Shiqing
Image: SJS Light Painting Teams
26th September 2023, Singapore – For our monthly outing in September 2023, there were 2 events planned. One of the event was the Light Painting Challenge where the attendees were grouped into teams using a Randomizer App and which added an element of surprise and excitement to the event. Light painting involves using long-exposure photography to capture the movement of light sources, creating unique and visually stunning images.
So each team (05 per team) are to submit ONE image per person to the Team Lead and the Team Lead will share the 5 submitted images as a Team Entry.
Judging Criterion
– 25% Clarity
– 25% Composition
– 25% Creativity
– 25% Final Image
Total 100% per image
The highest scoring team wins.
We are honored to have Mr. Hilarion Goh to be the judge for this challenge.
For those who are new to Mr. Hilarion Goh, he is a Professional Fashion Photographer who had done International Projects – from shooting for Fashion Magazines to covering Government events – and he had also been part of Ourshutterjourney’s Judging Panel for various competitions and curator for many of our exhibitions.
Image: Mr. Hilarion Goh
Let’s check out the Entries from Team A
Score:
20 Clarity / 20 Composition / 21 Creativity / 20 Final Image = Total 81 Points
Let’s check out the Entries from Team B
Score:
16 Clarity / 18 Composition / 19 Creativity / 19 Final Image = Total 72 Points
Let’s check out the Entries from Team C
Score:
17 Clarity / 16 Composition / 16 Creativity / 18 Final Image = Total 67 Points
Total Scores:
Team A = 81
Team B = 72
Team C = 67
With the above – CONGRATULATIONS to TEAM A!!!!!!!
All 05 Members of Team A will receive 01 x Free Sensor Cleaning (worth $40) from our Authorised Service Center P&G Photographic Centre!
Winning Team will be notified by Whatapps for their Prize Redemption
Thank you Everyone for participating!
Special Thanks to Mr. Hilarion Goh for Judging & P&G Photographic Centre for Sponsoring the Sensor-Cleaning Service.
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Contributing Editor – Lee Shi Qing A firm believer of Self-Sufficient living and gives no f**k to anyone getting in her way to reaching her goals in life. Kind in nature & Dangerous when provoked. Loves Mcdonald’s Fries and hates all the burgers there. While she helps out in gear reviews, Qing is currently serving as an Online Administrator for Ourshutterjourney.com Facebook Groups and Online Shop.
Sony Presents Alpha Fest: Where Innovation and Creativity Converge! Text by Li Shiqing
14th September 2023, Singapore – Alpha Fest happening at Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, Digital Light Canvas (Basement 2) on 29 September 2023 – 1 October 2023. Sony, a trailblazer in the world of digital imaging, is thrilled to invite shutterbugs of all levels and the public to Alpha Fest. Event attendees will be able to participate in professional sharing sessions featuring international photographer Mark Galer, interactive showcases, educational talks and more, that will redefine the photographer’s experience.
Event Details
Date:
Friday, 29 September 2023 (2 – 8PM)
Saturday, 30 September – Sunday, 1 October 2023 (10AM – 8PM)
Location:
Digital Light Canvas (Basement 2), Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, 8 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018955
Visit Alpha Fest for a weekend that promises to be a journey into the world of photography. Whether you are an amateur or a seasoned pro, we welcome you experience the magic of Sony Alpha and to #beAlpha.
Featured International Speaker
Mark Galer
MARK GALER is a photographer, educator and published author (30 books for Focal Press). He has a commercial background in editorial photography (over 200 magazine articles) and has been a Sony Imaging Ambassador since 2012 (Mark still owns the original A100 Alpha DSLR as well as a range of the latest Alpha cameras). Mark was a Program Director and Senior Lecturer in Photography at RMIT University in Melbourne. He lives in Melbourne with his family and has circumnavigated the globe on a motorcycle.
Mark is using his wealth of experience as both a photographer and educator to support the Sony Alpha Community. His Patreon Platform allows him to engage with the Alpha community to offer support and guidance. He has a range of camera-specific eBooks that Patrons can download + CAMSET files (camera setup files) for late model Full-Frame cameras + over 20-hours of member-only video seminars to help Alpha owners master the craft of photography.
A New Era Dawns
29.09, 6pm | 30.09, 2pm | 01.10, 2pm
Day 1 – Speakers
Bryan van der Beek
Alpha Professional | Street
Day 2 – Speakers
Nathaniel Neo
Alpha Creator | Food
Kelvin Koh
Alpha Professional | Portraiture
Aloysius Lim
Alpha Professional | Concerts
Day 3 – Speakers
Bryan Foong
Alpha Professional | Portraiture
Darren Soh
Alpha Professional | Architecture
See you at there!
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Contributing Editor – Lee Shi Qing A firm believer of Self-Sufficient living and gives no f**k to anyone getting in her way to reaching her goals in life. Kind in nature & Dangerous when provoked. Loves Mcdonald’s Fries and hates all the burgers there. While she helps out in gear reviews, Qing is currently serving as an Online Administrator for Ourshutterjourney.com Facebook Groups and Online Shop.
Aidha’s Unspoken Life Photo Exhibition Text by Li Shiqing
22nd August 2023, Singapore – Organized by Aidha, Unspoken Life seeks to delve beneath the labels and unfurl the many selves of migrant domestic workers often unseen by Singapore society. This competition and exhibition will applaud and showcase the strength, diversity and creativity of migrant domestic workers who are here seeking a brighter future for themselves and their families.
The Unspoken Life Photography Exhibition is a unique platform that showcases the artistic talents and perspectives of migrant domestic workers through their photography. The exhibition captures their journeys, challenges, and triumphs in an expressive and impactful manner. Aidha believes that the creative and storytelling aspects of this event could greatly resonate with photographers in Singapore.
Event Details:
Event Name: Unspoken Life Photography Exhibition 2023
Ourshutterjourney encourage our members who are residing in Singapore or visiting Singapore at the moment to visit and appreciate the exhibited works. It will be an insightful and meaningful visit to understand the different perspectives of others among our society.
See you there!
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Contributing Editor – Lee Shi Qing A firm believer of Self-Sufficient living and gives no f**k to anyone getting in her way to reaching her goals in life. Kind in nature & Dangerous when provoked. Loves Mcdonald’s Fries and hates all the burgers there. While she helps out in gear reviews, Qing is currently serving as an Online Administrator for Ourshutterjourney.com Facebook Groups and Online Shop.
Sigma 23mm F1.4 DC DN (C) Review by Editor AL Lee, Text by Li Shiqing
Image: Editor AL with the Sigma 23mm F1.4 DC DN (C) mounted to a Sony a7R at Malacca Encore.
19th May 2023, Singapore, Malaysia – Recently, the new Sigma 23mm F1.4 DC DN (C) had been making waves in photography circles about its capability & usability. So we decided to find out for ourselves what the hype is all about. A quick call to Sigma Singapore’s office and within the next hour, we have the new Sigma 23mm F1.4 DC DN (C) with us! And we decided to bring this lens with us to Malacca for a review!
Image: Sigma 23mm F1.4 DC DN (C) mounted to a Sony a7R.
We are not new to Sigma lenses as we have been reviewing Sigma lenses for more than 15 years as of today. We had also witnessed the evolution of Sigma’s quiet but aggressive move to meet the demands of mirrorless systems users. Launch in April 2023, this 23mm F1.4 had been anticipated for a quite a while by the photography community and finally it had reach our shores just a couple of weeks ago!
Image: Sigma 23mm F1.4 DC DN (C) mounted to a Sony a7R.
One of the key aspect that I love Sigma’s DC DN series lenses is the compactness of the lens as well its capability to produce high quality images. This 23mm F1.4 is no difference, as expected it is small and measures only 65.8 x 76.9mm and weights a mere 340gm (with Hood). The lens barrel is made from the company’s highly successful TSC compound which is hardy and feels expensive to touch. The design cue is pretty much similar to the rest of the range with the same layout which is a plus as most Sigma users are already familiar to the ergonomics of Sigma lenses. For new Sigma users, you will find that the layout will be very similar to your proprietory brand lenses which is very easy to use and navigate around the lenses.
Image: Sigma 23mm F1.4 DC DN (C) mounted to a Sony a7R.
Since it’s all good on the outside, let’s take a look inside the lens. The 23mm F1.4 has 13 elements in 10 groups for the optics and this is impressive as the lens produces near-zero optical faults! This APS-C lens focuses from F1.4 to F16 with 09 aperture blades which is pretty standard.
On the front, the Sigma 23mm takes 52mm filters and it focuses as near as 25cm with a magnification ratio of 0.14x – very useful when you use just 1 lens for travel or street photography. 23mm on APS-C translate into 34.5mm (wide) equivalent on a full frame camera and this is a superb focal length for many applications and shooting environments.
Image: Sigma 23mm F1.4 DC DN (C) mounted to a Sony a7R.
Let’s check out the images produced by the Sigma 23mm F1.4 DC DN (C) – I mounted it on an ageing Sony a7R and brought it to Malacca, Malaysia for a weekend, check out what I shot.
First & foremost, I really like how light the lens is – I carried the camera with the Sigma 23mm F1.4 mounted whole day on my hands and there was never a moment that I wanted to put the camera down. It did not tire me out simply because it is really light! And the bokeh produced at F2, F2.8 and F4 is creamy smooth, really feels like I am using a high end Art-series lens although this 23mm is designated as a Contemporary line lens.
I love the amount of details captured and how crispy-sharp the images turned out. Especially those that I had shot the Encore Building (above) as we know, architecture photographers seldom use this focal length to shoot building – but I did it and the result is awesome!
Now let’s check out the bokehs! I brought along my little Gundam RX-78-2 to Malacca and thought I might as well use it to test the 23mm’s bokeh.
And the magnification, check out the next few images.
The Sigma 23mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary lens is a wide-angle prime lens designed for mirrorless cameras. It is specifically designed for APS-C sensor cameras, offering a focal length equivalent to approximately 35mm in full-frame terms. The lens is part of Sigma’s Contemporary series, which aims to provide high-quality optics in a compact and lightweight package. And to add, it is priced very very friendly too!
With its wide maximum aperture of F1.4, the Sigma 23mm lens is capable of producing images with shallow depth of field and excellent low-light performance. This makes it suitable for various photography genres, including landscapes, street photography, and environmental portraits.
The lens features a durable construction and incorporates advanced optical elements to deliver high image quality. It likely utilizes aspherical and/or low-dispersion glass elements to minimize aberrations, distortions, and chromatic aberrations, resulting in sharp and detailed images.
As a DC DN lens, it is compatible with mirrorless camera systems such as Sony E-mount and Leica at the moment but I am sure Sigma will be creating the mounts for other mirrorless systems (maybe even Micro Four Thirds). This lens is designed to take advantage of the shorter flange distance of mirrorless cameras, allowing for more compact lens designs.
Buying this Camera OK people, Buy your Sigma 23mm F1.4 DC DN (C) from our Accredited Merchants to experience this great camera for yourself!
Renting this Camera
For those of you who wish to try out the lens before purchase, we are pleased to share that this camera (may) be available for rental (do call them to check) at our appointed rental merchant:
Camera Rental Centre is Conveniently Located at:
50 South Bridge Road, CMO Building, (very near to Clarke Quay MRT)
#02-18. Singapore 058682
Website: http://sg.camerarental.biz/
========================= Reviewer: Chief Editor AL Lee Chief Editor & Founder of Ourshutterjourney.com Worldwide and Principal Trainer at Ourshutterjourney Photography Academy. AL is a commercial photographer as well as an educator who believes in the art of digital memories. An ambassador of several photography brands, AL is well versed in many camera systems. Someone once told us AL’s man cave looks more like a camera store than a bedroom.
=========================
Contributing Editor – Lee Shi Qing A firm believer of Self-Sufficient living and gives no f**k to anyone getting in her way to reaching her goals in life. Kind in nature & Dangerous when provoked. Loves Mcdonald’s Fries and hates all the burgers there. While she helps out in gear reviews, Qing is currently serving as an Online Administrator for Ourshutterjourney.com Facebook Groups and Online Shop.
Ourshutterjourney Turns 14!!!! Text by Melody Tan
Image: The persons behind Ourshutterjourney. Photo Credit: KK Lim
01st March 2023, Singapore, Malaysia, France, Germany – Today (01st March 2023) marks the 14th Anniversary of Shutter Journey Singapore ( Shutter Journey (Singapore) Photography Group ) & the 13th Anniversary of our portal ourshutterjourney.com
Image: 2016, the first Admin & Moderating Committee.
We would like to thank everyone who had been part of this journey & those who are still with us through these years. Many had came & left, while some came and da bao members to their groups, there are some looking to learn, there are some looking for company & while many are here for the friendships. No matter who you are, we welcome you, we are after all, a community.
Image: 2017 Snapshots of A Little Red Dot Exhibition Opening.
We had selected a few Group Shots from our Archives specially for this article, do check them out!
Thank You All for being part of Ourshutterjourney Worldwide & we hope for many more years to come!
Allan Lee – Founder SJS/OSJ, Managing Partner Ourshutterjourney LLP
Serene Ong – – Partner, Ourshutterjourney LLP
Thank You Everyone for Your Support!
– Team Editorial OSJ
========================= Contributing Editor – Melody Tan Loves quiet walks along beaches, has a mind of her own and decides everything in life in either black or white with nothing in between. Her priority these days revolves around her 2 lovely kids & teaching them music or photography. A lover of yoga and an avid traveler, Melody aims to visit at least 30 countries before she reach 40 years old – from what we know, she had completed 27 as of 2018. ========================
About Ourshutterjourney.com
Visit Our Online Store Join Our Membership.
=========================
SHUTTER JOURNEY SINGAPORE 