Wait! We Almost Forgot About 4th August 2009!

Hey! There's still another press conference tomorrow by Nikon! Fingers cross, I hope Nikon will finally announce the Nikon Coolpix P7000!!

Frankly, my objective analysis confirms the Nikon Coolpix P6000 is still far from her nearest competition and much more has to be done to appease the gods of prosumer compacts. Maybe, tomorrow is the day where we can all bath ourselves in that waterfall of advanced compacts from Nikon.

New Nikkor 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6G VR II??

Was it my eyes, or did Nikon Rumors decides to make things a bit funny, just to break some tension among those paralyzed about the two upcoming Nikon DSLR bodies? Is it time to put four ED and Aspherical lens components instead of three onto the current Nikkor 18-200mm and nano coat every lens elements while pricing it at a cool grand? Or maybe, Nikon has perfected her new VR engine, giving users up to 8 stops of stabilizing power!

Or just maybe, it's Nikon way of a lame joke. Beats me...I sure was hoping for a new DX lens that has a longer yet more economical reach but its all fine with me.

Maybe, the maybes need less rumors and more facts to make it go away for good. My guess is as good as anyone out there. Amidst the snow job of this rumor, if all this is really true after all, I think its one of the most desperate yet pathetic act on the part of Nikon I have seen for a long time. Hey, this whole story would be entirely different if it's a Nikkor 18-200mm F/2.8G VR II, won't it!

Check today's Nikon Rumors link below for more details.

Still No New Nikon D90 Firmware in Sight

Routine check today reveals nothing on the horizon for our Nikon D90 still. Very strange indeed, even though the Nikon D700 firmware has received her revision.

O well, maybe, it doesn't need one?

Nikon D90 Fat Box Launched

Perhaps an attempt to induce a dose of fresh air for the Nikon D90, Nikon Germany introduces a package that includes both a much better looking bag, together with a HDMI Type C cable for video/image playback on your Sony PS 3 or Plasma.

Frankly, I am having a little trouble finding a type c HDMI cable until today. So, this should be a welcome thingy for new owners of the Nikon D90.

Nikon to Make New Product Announcement in April 2009

Stay focus and don't let any new products rock your nerve.

Repeat the following 10 times over lunch:

"You already have one of the most advanced digital SLR in the world. You don't need to upgrade! You already have one of the most advanced digital SLR in the world. You don't need to upgrade!"

Enough said.

Nikon Officially Raises Lens and Accessories Pricing

Talk about timing, talk about shooting your own foot! Frankly, I don't see a worse time to raise your price as an effort to get the gloomy, retrenched-filled economy to cough out more dough to buy.

As some believe, its the mysterious rise of the yen though Japan is at her worst economic state (Just like in United States) in many decades. Anyway, fortunately, I managed to catch the last train while in Hong Kong before the price hike. I now see a minimal 10% increase in Nikon lens and accessories including the legendary Nikon Speedlight flashes.

Phew! That was a close shave!

Proliferation of the HK Cash Card - Octopus

I personally think Hong Kong is one of the few countries in the world that has embrace and rolled out one of the most pervasive wireless payment method in the world, where you practically get to pay parking charges (see above image I took with my Nikon D90), supermarkets, taxi, 7-elevens etc. all with the Octopus RFID card system.

While some other countries are struggling to stem down mishandling of revenue from parking charges for example, HK seems to have done such a great work in integrating many core infrastructure services with the ease of payment from these wonder. Well, its not a ground-breaking technology but the execution for mass adoption is well commended for the city.

I remembered running short of cash one day with my kid in the subway, clamering for a drink out of a sudden. The availability of paying a cake shop via Octopus saved my sanity within a few minutes! Wow! Cool!

Hong Kong's Economic Situations

I have the pleasure to talk to various contacts while in HK on my last trip there and, essentially, all financial models are out of the windows and no longer applicable! Some says its as much as 15 delta deviations, and seriously many shops I frequent is no longer in business. Many feared the availability of their job positions in the next few months, and there are now visibly more people walking the streets even during working hours.

The well-thought investment model is no longer viable as the financial model is now being sent back to the stone age. Being a vicious cycle, the tightening in expenditure and purchase of the remaining cash-rich folks only seek to worsen the whole outlook.

Everyone is looking for a job opening everywhere while the elderly "yum char" and shook their heads in loud chatter during their routine morning breakfasts. The above shot is taken casually on a train ride to the Sigma lenses shop in Wanchai.

Rain, Rain Come Again

With the HK monsoon for the last 2 weeks, I have been getting fairly cool weather with my shoot in parts of Hong Kong but that also brought with it, persistent rain on the island. There were occasions where I braved the light rain and shoot with my Nikon D90 entirely unsheltered and it just keeps shooting. I guess as long as its not asian downpours like those in Malaysia and Singapore, you should be fine.

But, weather wise, HK is now a mess. With capitalist idealism at its peak for China, no one really cares about their lungs and their childrens'. You only get to see a day or two of blue skies right after the monsoon wind. Well, thankfully, I don't stay there...

Online SCAM Sites Proliferating in Adsense

To my horror, the number of Scam online shops selling Nikon gears have shot up recently in Google Adsense, and I just manage to log a feedback to Google on this issue alone.

So watch out and be wise in selecting the advertisement being displayed on the Internet...

Happy shooting!

Warning - Online Scam Sites Offering Fantastic Nikon Deals!

I know its an almost hard-to-resist deal, but I am certainly seeing more and more professional scam websites that seek to give your brain a test when purchasing your Nikon gears online. To add onto that, they engages Google Adsense to locate you, giving surfers a seemingly more credible air when you click on them. In addition, some of this sites even gives their site some low credibility validation links from cheap web hosts around the world.

One such site is [syndeck]. Check it out! They only demand non-insured wire transfers for each purchase. Implying that you won't be seeing your money again once performed. Simple ops pivoted to appeal to greedy buyers.

Be cool, use your judgment and you should be fine.