Jf Kinetics

Since Panasonic's award-winning compact digital camera was launched mid 2008, snappers up to now are still waiting for its price to go down. And it doesn't seem to show any signs that the price will drop like what you'd normally expect in most electronic gadgets after certain months of existence, even with the rumored LX4 successor. LX3 has gained tremendous praises from various photographers, be it from amateur or pro. The 24mm wide angle lens and the f/2.0 aperture, the first in this category I believe (not to mention its twin brother D-LUX4 from Leica), has allowed users to shoot better quality images in low light conditions without the need for flash (which is good as built-in flash tends to ruin the image than deliver a fine picture, I mean on some occasions).

Nikon’s high-end compact P6000 have tried to measure up with LX3’s capability but failed, and this product earned various criticisms from enthusiasts instead. I guess this is what the manufacturers will get when their Engineers focuses more on design aesthetics. Canon's G-series (G9/G10/G11), on the other hand, have tried to steal the crown by offering feature-rich compacts with longer focal length and larger pixels. But the steep price of this series and the bulkier & heavier body had caused some potential buyers to look for alternatives.

Still, Canon will not just sit and watch Panasonic rule in this digicam category, so they've introduced yet another powerful compact camera under their Powershot line, called the S90.

By just looking at ‘em, which do you think is better?

(images courtesy of neutralday.com, actually I just grabbed them, hehe)

Well, there’s only one way to find out…

The Battle of the Titans.

See for yourself if this new product from Canon will get them to sit on the "Superior PNS throne" =)

Effective Pixels
S90: 10.0 megapixel
LX3: 10.1 megapixel

Sensor Size (Bigger is Better)
S90: 1/1.7" CCD
LX3: 1/1.63" CCD

Aperture
S90: f/2.0 (Wide); f/4.9 (Tele)
LX3: f/2.0 (Wide); f/2.8 - F/8.0 (Tele)

Focal Length
S90: 6.0-22.5mm (35mm equivalent: 28-105mm)
LX3: 5.1-12.8mm (35mm equivalent: 24-60mm)

Zoom Factor
S90: 3.8x
LX3: 2.5x

Digital Zoom: Same @ 4x

Macro Focusing Area
S90: Wide 5-50cm
LX3: Wide 1cm

Built-in Flash
S90: Yes
LX3: Yes

External Flash Compatibility
S90: Nil
LX3: Yes, via standard hotshoe

ISO Sensitivity: Same @ Auto / 80 - 3200

Shutter Speed
S90: 15 - 1/1600 sec. (only for Shutter Priority and Manual Mode)
LX3: 60 - 1/2000 sec. (for Manual Mode, while PSA Modes varies)

Image Recording format
S90: JPG, RAW
LX3: JPG, RAW

Video Recording
S90: Standard
LX3: HD

No doubt Canon S90 offers promising features in a smaller package. And we may not be comparing apple to apple here, but if you're considering getting a compact digital camera with a wider view and fast lens, S90 or LX3 is for you. Of course, it really depends on one's preference. Biased pa rin ba? haha =)

For the detailed specifications, you may visit these links:
Canon Powershot S90
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3

c",)

[+/-]

TECH TIPS (Facebook): On tagging

The most common hits my blogpage normally gets from google searches up 'til now are these entries:
- iTunes tech tips on undoing auto-internet playback
- My Thoughts on Pamahiin (Superstition), and
- Purging add a friend request on Facebook, i.e. if you happen to unintentionally clicked the "add as friend" link. Though, I believe, Facebook have already resolved this issue.

Today, I saw a video about Facebook Safety from a friend and I felt like sharing this as well.. Facebook Tagging. (you can always find these in facebook help page, but I listed 'em down for you for easy reference and added bits of my observations during occasional facebooking, hehe)

A. When somebody tags a photo (or a video) of you from their album or somebody else's album, all your facebook friends will be able to see the entire album particularly if the album was created for everyone to see. This should be fine, but to some it may not be okay esp. if the picture tagged of 'em is something they would rather keep if they have that photo, you know what I mean ;-)

Is there a way to prevent this? Of course there is, you can just remove the tag, haha. Unfortunately, facebook didn't provide the tagging approval functionality. But you can always turn-on your "notifications" so that you'll know when somebody tags you.

Note: When you remove a tag from a certain photo it only means you don't want others (your uncommon friends, hehe) to see the picture, right? You might wanna refrain from posting a comment. Why? Here's a simple equation "Comments = Tags" hehehe.

B. Alternatively, instead of manually removing tags you don't like (KJ! haha, joke, okay okay facebook safety), you may opt to just create your own group list. This way you can be sure that only selected groups or individuals can see your tagged photo(s). How leh?

1) Create a group list (e.g. Family, Friends, Acquaintances, et al)
2) Select CUSTOM from Photos Tagged of You dropdown list
3) Then click Edit Custom Settings link
4) Tick the "Some Friends" radio button then add your preferred group list (you can even exclude individuals, but I guess nobody does this unless you hate someone, haha, kidding. I'm sure you love your friends)
5) Go to your friends list, click Add to List to add each of your facebook friends to the group lists you've created.

That's it! =)

Bear in mind, we are responsible for anything we publish online. So in whichever pages you signup to, first thing you should do is update your profile's privacy settings.

And remember, think before you post. ;-)

Hope you find this useful. G'nyt! c",)