Rasa macam nak beli Kamera baru!!

My 14 year old son Haziq has been showing keen interest in photography, and has also demonstrated a creative flair for it! A picture taken by him has life, great perspective, and a story to tell (Itu ayat compliment dari Rusdi!). These days, my canon eos400D spends more time with him than me. Two of his most recent snaps can be seen here and here.

I repeat the line "My canon is as good as Haziq's" a few times in earshot distance of LiL. You see, when my wife discovered that I spent more than AED10k on paintings from e-bay, she went into auto-mode of "why....kan saya"!! For a good one hour I was at the receiving end of "why must you waste so much money on paintings......", "Why so many paintings.....until we ran out of wall space!", "I know it is ur money, but why waste it...." etc etc.

I was sure if I buy a high end camera, she would go into an overdrive turbo mode again!!

I was wrong.....

hehehehe.

Nope! She didn't say, "Go ahead, I think it is a wonderful idea!" but she didn't say anything. That my friends is a good sign!

So, here I am considering which camera to buy. I tell you, buying things like this always gives me a high. My good friend and partner in crime, Halim sent me review of Canon 50d, and also comparison of 50D versus D300 ( Nikon ).

Yes my wife can blame Halim also for being such an influence! hahaha

Verdict! For me, I will stay with Canon so that Haziq ( ESO400D) and I ( Darling, I am dreaming of 50D hehehe ) can share lenses and other accessories.

Canon EOS 50D Review,
Lars Rehm and Richard Butler, October 2008

Review based on a production Canon EOS 50D with firmware version 1.02

Almost exactly a year after the arrival of the EOS 40D, Canon has announced the 50D, which we're assured will be a sister-model, rather than a replacement. Recent history has seen Canon release new models every 18 months-or-so but it's been a busy year with newcomers such as the Nikon D300 getting a lot of attention in the 40D's keen-amateur/professional segment. The 50D is essentially a 40D body wrapped around a newly-developed 15 megapixel sensor that finally rectifies the situation in which Canon's XXD range trailed the company's entry-level line, in pixel terms. Canon is claiming that the new sensor's design (new manufacturing processes, redesigned photo diodes and micro lenses) mean that despite the higher resolution image noise has improved, something we'll be putting to the test later.

The other big change is the inclusion of a new, high-resolution LCD screen. 920,000 dots mean that it can convey 640 x 480 RGB pixels, making it effectively a VGA standard monitor. Three anti-reflection layers built into the screen do their best to keep it useable in bright conditions, too.

There are various other changes and added features, with many of them stemming from the first appearance of the Canon's Digic 4 processor. The key differences between the 50D and 40D are detailed below.

Model line history

Model	Announced	Effective pixels	Auto focus	Continuous (JPEG)	LCD monitor
EOS D30	Apr 2000	3.1 mp	3 point	3.0 fps, 3 frames	1.8"
EOS D60	Feb 2002	6.3 mp	3 point	3.3 fps, 8 frames	1.8"
EOS 10D	Feb 2003	6.3 mp	7 point	3.3 fps, 9 frames	1.8"
EOS 20D	Aug 2004	8.2 mp	9 point	5.0 fps, 23 frames	1.8"
EOS 30D	Feb 2006	8.2 mp	9 point	5.0 / 3.0 fps, 30 frames	2.5"
EOS 40D	Aug 2007	10.1 mp	9 point	6.5 / 3.0 fps, 75 frames	3.0" Live view
EOS 50D	Aug 2008	15.1 mp	9 point	6.3 / 3.0 fps, 60/90 frames	3.0" HR Live view

Canon EOS 50D vs. EOS 40D feature and specification differences

	Canon EOS 50D	Canon EOS 40D
Sensor	• 15.0 million effective pixels	• 10.1 million effective pixels
Image sizes	• 4752 x 3168 • 3456 x 2304 • 2353 x 1568	• 3888 x 2592 • 2816 x 1880 • 1936 x 1288
RAW files	• CR2 format, 14-bit • RAW full resolution • sRAW1 (7.1 MP) • sRAW2 (3.8 MP)	• CR2 format, 14-bit • RAW full resolution • sRAW (2.5 MP)
Image processor	DIGIC 4	DIGIC III
Sensitivity	ISO 100 to 3200, extendable to H1 (6400) and H2 (12800).	ISO 100 to 1600, extendable to 3200.
Auto ISO	ISO 100 to 1600	ISO 100 to 800
Noise reduction	Four levels	On/Off
Auto lighting optimizer	Four levels	On/Off
AF adjustment	• All lenses or up to 20 individual lenses • +/- 20 steps	No
Viewfinder info	Now includes Auto Lighting Optimizer icon
LCD monitor	• 3.0 " TFT LCD • 920,000 dots	• 3.0 " TFT LCD • 230,000 dots
Live view AF	• Quick mode (Phase detect) • Live view mode (Contrast detect) • Face detect (Contrast detect)	Phase detect
Peripheral illumination correction	• Profiles of 26 lenses includes • space provided for 14 extra profiles
User modes	• Auto • Creative Auto • Program AE (P) • Shutter priority AE (Tv) • Aperture priority AE (Av) • Manual (M) • Auto depth-of-field • Portrait • Landscape • Close-up • Sports • Night portrait • Flash off • Camera user settings 1 • Camera user settings 2	• Auto • Program AE (P) • Shutter priority AE (Tv) • Aperture priority AE (Av) • Manual (M) • Auto depth-of-field • Portrait • Landscape • Close-up • Sports • Night portrait • Flash off • Camera user settings 1 • Camera user settings 2 • Camera user settings 3
High-speed continuous	• 6.3 fps • Up to 60 JPEG Large/Fine images • Up to 90 JPEG Large/Fine images (UDMA)	• 6.5 fps • Up to 75 JPEG Large/Fine images
Menu UI	Digic 4 interface	Same as EOS-1D series
Connectors	• USB 2.0 Hi-Speed • Video out • Mini HDMI connector • N3 type wired remote control • PC Sync flash terminal • Communication terminal on base for WFT-E3/E3A	• USB 2.0 Hi-Speed • Video out • N3 type wired remote control • PC Sync flash terminal • Communication terminal on base for WFT-E3/E3A
Menu languages	25	18
Custom functions	25	24
Weight	• No battery: 730 g (1.6 lb) • With battery: 822 g (1.8 lb) (measured)	• No battery: 740 g (1.6 lb) • With battery: 836 g (1.8 lb) (measured)

Canon EOS 50D vs. Nikon D300D

Camera settings:

• Canon EOS 50D: Canon EF 50 mm F1.4 lens, Aperture Priority, ISO 100
  JPEG Large/Fine, Manual WB, Default Parameters (Standard), Self-Timer (with MLU), ALO disabled
  
• Nikon D300: Nikkon 50 mm F1.4 lens, Aperture Priority, ISO 200
  JPEG Large/Fine, Manual WB, Default Parameters (Normal), Self-Timer

Canon EOS 50D	Nikon D300
4.4 MB JPEG (4752 x 3168)	4.4 MB JPEG (4288 x 2848)

The EOS 50D has a three megapixel advantage over the D300 but again this does not translate into a larger amount of detail. In fact the D300 actually manages eke out a little more detail in some areas of the image. To be fair this is helped by a little bit of extra sharpening and, while it doesn't reveal any discernible extra detail, the 50D responds well to a mild un-sharp mask as well. Overall however there's not a huge amount between these two cameras and certainly in print it would be very difficult to pick a clear winner.

Abusing human..

Single in the City: When you’re the object of abuse, you know how hurtful it is

Rym Ghazal

Finally, it is out there in the open: a raw and honest look at how certain people are treated in our society. In a television advert, a veiled woman shouts in a distinctively Gulf accent: “What are you, stupid?” at an Asian maid in front of a table packed with friends and guests.

The camera follows the maid, who looks absolutely miserable as she retreats to the kitchen, where she sits in the middle of the floor.

Shockingly honest, these ads, entitled Rahma (mercy) have been making headlines for their blunt look at how migrant workers can be treated in Gulf countries. The Jeddah-based Full Stop Advertising has created them as part of a charitable campaign urging people to show compassion to others, if they in turn are expecting Allah to show mercy to them.

The abuse of maids, drivers, labourers and migrant workers in all kinds of fields has long been one of the core criticisms made by Human Rights Watch and other similar bodies for as long as I can remember. So I was glad to see that the issue is finally being tackled so openly and so professionally on popular Arab satellite TV channels. It has certainly ruffled a few feathers – and no doubt made more than a few people feel ashamed of the way they have treated their servants.

I will never forget how one of my friends, who comes from a wealthy Saudi family, would make her maid wait for her with her bags in the heat of the playground after school finished each day. Sometimes the poor maid would be standing out there for at least an hour as my friend sat and chatted with us inside.

“It’s OK, she can wait,” she would say of the maid, who had been her nanny since she was born. It used to make me so angry that I often got into fights with her.

That was many years ago when we were both 12, and my friend was far from alone in her attitude: so many other people treated their servants with similar lack of compassion that she simply thought it was OK, that it was the norm.

But it’s not just migrant workers who have to endure this kind of treatment, there are other more subtle abuses endured by those stereotyped into specific social roles. Being a single Arab woman of mixed lineage, I have experienced some of them myself.

Earlier this week, for example, I was struggling to find accommodation, and was shocked at the amount of sexism I met. “Just move in with a family or with your family,” was the most common response I got from real estate agents or other figures of authority that I had to deal with.

“You’re an Arab woman, you should not be on your own,” said one of them. Then an hour later, someone from a legal department refused to let me move into a “family complex” cause I am, in his view, a “bachelor”.

As a single Arab woman in the Gulf, in public places when there is a division, I am forced to go to the “family” section as the “singles” section is reserved for men. Apparently, if I were a Western woman, then the rules would be different and I wouldn’t have heard comments like: “Why are you alone? Why aren’t you married? Where is your family?”

Such comments are not exactly abuse – and nothing compared to what some migrant workers endure – but nonetheless, they left me feeling uncomfortable and bothered. It is a working world now and – trust me – I didn’t choose to be away from my family. Most of us are forced to work for a living and sometimes that takes you away from the family – even to a different country.

I wouldn’t dream of being a burden on my family; yes, strictly speaking I know I don’t have to work, as I am female and my father is obligated by Islam to take care of me. But I want to do something with my life.

It was these constant sniping remarks about me and my life by people who didn’t know me but thought they had the right to comment that I found so offensive and tiring. We single Arab women are trying to leave our mark in this fleeting world. That is our business. I don’t hear single Arab men being quizzed about why they are single.

Yet there are times when we should all speak up about the behaviour of others. For instance, the other day in one of the malls I saw a little boy screaming at his maid and hitting her as she was trying to wipe his runny nose. There was no sign of the mother and so the child did as it pleased, treating the maid with the greatest disrespect.

I spoke to him in Arabic and am glad to say he became quiet and began to behave himself. He even looked ashamed – and all it took was a gentle reminder that the maid is human and someone to be treated with respect and compassion.

rghazal@thenational.ae