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hughden

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Posts posted by hughden

    Opening A Thai Bank Account

    in Jobs, Economy, Banking, Business, Investments

    Posted

    This topic seems to have zero to do with visas and 100% banking so is being moved to that forum. Not sure why you would be mailed PIN unless it is something new - we always selected PIN at opening of account and inputted via keypad so no bank employee ever know what it was.

    I think he is referring to the "PIN" required for internet banking, which is sent through the post.

    Pattaya Propery Way Overpriced

    in Real Estate, Housing, House and Land Ownership

    Posted

    I agree with the OP, prices are too high right now. And I also make that comparison in my circle of friends, it's an interesting comparison since many consider both cities to be "sin city" in some sort of way.

    I own homes in both locations, and I consider the Vegas purchase I made recently a great value for the price. I think if Pattaya came down just a bit on their prices, houses would really start to move again. I don't see many Americans or Europeans making purchases in my project now. I do see Russians though, which is an interesting fact.

    And in Vegas, when I made the purchase there 5 months ago, I saw Russians and Europeans buying mostly not Americans.

    Who are buying the 51% local portion?

    The Thais are buying the local portion! Go to many of the new condo projects and you will find the majority of the buyers are Thais from Bangkok, buying a fallback for when the floods come again.

    Help Me Choose My First Dslr

    in Photography and the Arts

    Posted

    I would too, but it's not a rangefinder. Just looks like one.

    It absolutely *is* a rangefinder - what makes you say otherwise?

    I'm a Leica shooter, so I think I know a rangefinder when I see one.

    ;>

    Perhaps more pertinent to this thread is not whether or not it is a rangefinder, but whether it is a sensible camera to suggest to the OP whose budget seems to lie at the entry level of the market, not at the $1,700, body only, pricing of the Fuji.

    Help Me Choose My First Dslr

    in Photography and the Arts

    Posted

    The mirrorless camera genre has grown much faster than any other camera segment, so there are a lot of choices many here don't seem to be aware of.

    For instance, as far as IQ goes, the small mirrorless Sony NEX-7 scored an 81 on DxO marks.. which is the best measure of the sensor/image quality we have short of actual side by side tests under same circumstances. The full frame Nikon D3 scored 81, the D700 80, the Nikon D3100 you asked about only a 69, the excellent Fuji x100 73, the Canon 5d Mark II 79, and the excellent but dated Canon 5d Mark I only 71. You can check yourself at this link.

    So now that you see a mirrorless can indeed equal or exceed the image quality of a DSLR do you still need/want a DSLR? Image quality at this level is pretty much a given, almost all DSLR's and the better mirrorless cameras will all have acceptable image quality to the vast majority of amatuers. Pros might have reason to be more selective.

    As far as brands, it's not as simple as it once was. I shoot Canon professionally because Canon builds and supports a "system" of cameras, lenses, and related accessories which is important to my work as a professional. So does Nikon. Sony who in the last few years took over Minolta and who's mount accepts all Minolta legacy lenses, is arguably the technical leader in the industry. They've come out with some of the best sensors and related technology. Yet, as they're still "building" you need to be careful when you consider a "system" because they still have a few holes.

    For my personal/family needs I shoot a vareity of small cameras. The Canon S95/S100 is excellent for a pocket camera. I love my Fuji x100, my wife likes my Sony NEX-5.. they're all so good that when used correctly it comes down to personal preferences and choice of subject.

    None of this answers your questions. You haven't given enough information. What is your priority with a camera, priority of subjects, settings, light.. For instance, if you want to shoot your kids basketball games then you're much better served by a DSLR with it's much faster autofocus and many choices in lenses with longer focal lengths. Or maybe you like street shooting and the camera must fit in a coat pocket, then the Fuji x100 starts to look appealing.

    So.. tell us as much as you can about your style, preferred subjects, the time of day you prefer, if this will be a one off purchase or if you'll be building a system, tell us as much as you can and I'm sure you'll find good answers.

    Great post!

    Olympus Om-D

    in Photography and the Arts

    Posted · Edited by hughden

    A new micro four thirds camera from Olympus this morning, the EM-5, the first model in a new range called OM-D, styled after the original OM cameras. Weather-sealed, five axis stabilisation, claimed to have the fastest auto-focus of any camera, a new focus tracking mechanism and an Olympus tweaked 16MP sensor. $999.

    Uses micro four thirds lenses so there is the large range available from Olympus as shown in the photo, plus a huge selection from Panasonic, plus some other offerings such as the 35mm equivalent F0.95 Voigtlander announced a couple of days ago.

    Lovely, but I just bought a Panasonic GX1 so will have to pass.

    http://www.dpreview....ews/olympusem5/

    post-3752-0-67770900-1328670172_thumb.jppost-3752-0-43229200-1328670158_thumb.jppost-3752-0-86124600-1328670189_thumb.jp

    Megapixels

    in Photography and the Arts

    Posted

    More megapixels is not necessarily a good thing, it is often driven by marketing rather than a search for image quality. Stuffing huge numbers of pixels onto a tiny sensor produces more noise at higher ISOs and can degrade the image such that you lose the benefit of more pixels.

    I have produced lovely A2 size prints from a 10 megapixel camera with a large sensor; I couldn't do that from a 14 megapixel point and shoot camera with a tiny sensor.

    • Like 1

    How It Works

    in Photography and the Arts

    Posted

    Speaking as a complete noob the mirrorless cameras seem to be a lot smaller than DSLRs. How will they cope with the large lens that seem obligatory for sports photos?

    As I mentioned, mirrorless cameras are not the best for sports photography, but that is due the focus mechanism rather than the lens. DSLR lenses are bigger in general because the distance from the flange where the lens attaches to the camera to the sensor, has to be big enough to accomodate the mirror. Mirrorless cameras have the flange much closer to the sensor which allows for smaller lenses; they also have smaller sensors which allows lenses to be smaller.

    The longest lens I have for my mirrorless camera is 300mm. It is light, small enough to slip in my pocket and doesn't make the camera feel unbalanced. Takes great shots; but the camera focus struggles with fast moving objects.

    Nice Thai Policemen - Your Stories

    in General Topics

    Posted

    Rolled my car on the way to Pattaya and was unconscious until I woke up in hospital with a broken back. Policeman at the scene had taken my phone and wallet and kept them safe until he could deliver them to my wife. Off-topic, but extra kudos to the taxi driver who drove me into Pattaya and hospital, even though my head was bleeding all over his seat.

    Once I had recovered, policeman got a nice bottle of whisky, the taxi driver got some cash.

    • Like 1

    How It Works

    in Photography and the Arts

    Posted

    Such an antiquated system! Give it five years and mirrors in cameras will be dying.

    Why? Facts please

    Reading Trey's article provides many of the reasons.

    The mirror adds weight, cost, volume and mechanical complexity without providing any benefits in the photo taking process that are not already being addressed and improved upon by mirrorless cameras.

    The only current real benefit of using a camera with a mirror right now is for sports photography where the focusing mechanism in a mirrored camera is superior for tracking moving objects. But that is already being worked on (Nikon 1 series is a start) and it won't be long before mirrorless catches up, and then the 10-15 frames a second limitation of the slapping mirror will seem pedestrian. Meantime, for everyday shooting, a mirrorless camera system provides great images with a much more enjoyable shooting experience.

    All the real innovation in camera tech is happening in the mirrorless segment, as is the increase in sales volumes. It's just a matter of time.

    • Like 1

    Revamping HSBC Sells Thai Banking Assets

    in Jobs, Economy, Banking, Business, Investments

    Posted

    There has been zero communication from HSBC Thailand to their customers about this potential sale.

    HSBC Thailand has had an announcement of the planned sale posted on the home page of their Thailand website ever since the day the sale was publicly announced... So they have communicated...

    But yes, apparently not as yet to their Thailand customers individually, as you might hope/expect they'd do at some point.

    Also, re some comments above, HSBC actually has had at least two branches in Thailand/BKK lately. They not too long ago opened a new branch in the Thong Lor area, which their announcement says is being closed even earlier than the main Silom HQ branch... Obviously, their local Thai management didn't see this one coming beforehand.

    Then, I would wager, what probably interests most farangs here about HSBC is their Premier account status ($100,000+ deposits U.S. required) and its ability to do online banking and transfers internationally... though I've never been entirely clear whether those services they offer are economical compared to other available options.

    Nonetheless, while it might be nice to have some well-dressed BofA staff person attend to your needs as a Privilege customer, BofA doesn't have any special international transfer capability that I'm aware of, other than traditional wire transfers...

    But I'm not clear on what perks come with their Privilege status... and no one posting here has given any specifics of that. It will be interesting to see how close, if at all, their Privilege package comes to replacing what HSBC offered via Premier. I suspect it won't be anything remotely similar.

    Sticking something on a website is not, in my opinion, sufficient "communication". Personally I never look at their website. I think it is telling that the press release that I saw provided contact numbers for media and investors, but offered nothing for customers. At a minimum there should have been a communication to each customer on the day the sale was announced, with perhaps a link to a website where further information could be provided over time.

    I opened a Premier account here and in the UK when I retired. The advantages to me were that I could transfer funds from the UK to Thailand with no charge, and I could have a credit card here without needing to have funds in Thailand. Doubt BofA will offer the credit card without secure funds (I don't have a work permit), and of course the free international banking transfers will not be possible.

    Photo Hosting Solutions

    in Photography and the Arts

    Posted

    I use Flickr. Their "Pro" subscription is reasonable and allows unlimited uploads. Easy to generate URLs for different sizes for posting to my website, and Flickr has hundreds of very active groups covering all manner of interests. I also have a Smugmug account but that is just used for displaying and (hopefully) selling some sports photography that I do.

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