Canon 7D Mark 2

The Canon 7D Mark2 is THE camera if you’re into Wildlife or Fast action photography BUT it’s a great camera for Portraits and low light photography too!

I have upgraded from a Canon 600D and was sure that I needed a camera that had a fast shutter speed and pro level features NOT because it was cool BUT because it was what my style of photography demanded. Fortunately Canon drops this little beast and Lo and Behold! This camera had everything that a Canon 1DX or a Canon 5D Mark 3 had; save for the full frame sensor.

Winning Features:-

Shutter speed – 10 fps is the party animal of this offering. Its way fast to ensure that you don’t miss the action as its happening!

ISO – With a Native ISO of 16000 you can be sure that even low light photography can be tackled with ease. I must add that even for a crop sensor; this one handles the low light shots pretty well. You can get usable shots even at ISO as high as 6400!

Dual Card slots – The camera has a slot of an SD and a CF card. For me this makes sense since both have their pluses and you get to go with both at the same time!

All metal Body – The camera has a full metal body making for a very durable and sturdy build quality but at the same time makes the camera little heavy

GPS – You can embed the GPS and also the Comp[ass direction data in your images to know where you were located and what direction you faced to take a picture. This might not be the most used feature but come to think of it when you need this information; you can be sure it’s there!

Dual Digic 6 Processors – The camera comes equipped with 2 processors just to ensure that speed is never a factor in your creative endeavours

View Finder information – This might be something that maybe too much to look in the view finder for some people. The way I see it; I can see everything I need to know without having to look away.

Weather sealing – I haven’t yet tried my camera out in bad weather but if I do get a chance (along with a weather sealed lens of course!) I won’t have problems shooting since this has far-far better sealing that the 1DX!

New FA System and AF points – I saved the best for the last! The camera’s AF system is way too good and responsive with several modes to choose from making sure you won’t miss the shot for sure. Adding to this is the fact that there are 65 cross type AF points that covers pretty much the entire frame. Try shooting something moving fast and erratic with this baby and you’re sure to catch it!

So what’s bad about this? Thus far I have the ONLY thing I have found bad in this camera is that the battery back-up is really bad. It can go really low if used with flash or live view after 300 to 500 shots requiring you to either buy a grip or another battery.

So all said and done; who is this camera for really? I’d dare say that this is a truly Pro level camera for all reasons and purposes notwithstanding the sensor size. This has all the features and speed of the 5D Mark3 and the 1DX cameras right from the AF system to noise performance. In fact the AF points on the camera are more than the flagships and with very good performance. So in a nut shell; this camera is great for anyone who considers him/herself as a serious enthusiast or even a professional. The APS-C sensor gives an extra reach most ideal for portraits and wildlife photographers and even sports photographers. This is further supported by the great AF system and fast shutter speed.

HTC One - 4 Month Usage Review

I wanted a phone I can hang on to for a year at-least. I went for HTC One rather than Samsung Galaxy S4 as its build quality and sound system really impressed me!

I compared it with S4, Xperia Z and had the following points to consider:-

1.Strong and sturdy build quality.

2.Loud speakers.

3.Full HD screen.

4.Latest andriod OS.

5.Infra red.

This is one phone that settled perfectly within my criteria as I was sick of the Samsung's lousy body builds, cheap plastic since I had owned 3 different galaxy phones already! The novelty factor soon wears off after a few weeks and the plastic body kinda begins to look and feel really flimsy. The aluminum body on the HTC. One really holds its classy look and feel even now and am sure even for many more months! The screen clarity is way too awesome, very vibrant colors and pleasing to the eyes!

The double speaker on the front of the phone are a real joy even without headphones on! Very good clarity of tone and a deeper bass plus the Dr. Dre beats earphone along with the beat audio sound system in the phone breathes new life into your favorite songs, I enjoy my playlist more than ever now!

If your looking for a phone to lasts all others, go for this. Its an investment if you consider how often the other plastic phones can get damaged by merely dropping them:P

HTC ONE ROCKS!

Canon 600D 1 Year User Review

Go for Canon 600D if any of the below applies to you:

1. You are interested in Photography and seeking a good camera to begin the journey
   
   2.You are already into photography and are looking for a back-up or a secondary camera



2. Looking for a camera that doesn't cost a bomb and yet delivers top quality with great features

Detailed Points:-

Image Quality==:- This camera has an 18 Mega Pixel sensor which means if you took a print of a photo at this resolution; that would be a Poster Size print! Amazing colours and contrast is what I can say about the sensor. Its also the highest resolution that you can get for this price point!

Feel and Grip :- The camera is light and feels quite sturdy but at the same time its all plastic so the solidness is not so much to rave about. Nevertheless for people who are starting out, its great since it does not feel heavy at all with a 18.55mm or even a 50mm lens. Very comfortable to use for long duration of time

Life on a full charge :- This purely depends upon how you shoot. I have shot for 5 hours on a fully charged battery with about 20 shots with flash and maybe 5-6 shots using Live View. No video was done. With lots of flash and video and Live View usage the batter will drain out in 2-3 hours or so since these features are very resource hungry.

Video :- Thinking of cinematic videos at your home?? This camera has got that covered with full HD recording even at 50 Fps; this camera can satisfy even the budding director in you! Amazing sound recording capability and manual controls of the sound and video makes it an amazing video camera too!

Over All :- I feel I have done a great investment since this makes me feel confident of taking pictures that i always saw on magazines, and i have done some photos like those too :)

Best for beginners and budget purchasers, this one has got the right bang for your buck!!!

Sony Xperia Z2 - 4 month Xperience

Future Proof! That's how I'd describe this flagship from Sony!

Technical Features :

5 inch IPS LCD screen.

Android v4.4.2(KitKat) OS.

20.7 MP Primary Camera, 2.2 MP Secondary.

Quad core 2300 MHz processor.

16 GB Internal Memory, Expandable up to 128 GB.

3G, WiFi, DLNA.

3 GB RAM.

3200 mAh, Li-Ion battery.

Body -

Glass and Plastic rim

My Favorite feature -

Water and Dust resistance are my favorite features of this phone. I've got caught many times in the rain; pouring rain so bad I could barely see properly but this phone withstood all that and I even made/answered many calls in such conditions without any issues.

Camera -

Amazing clarity and features with the 20.7 MP camera

this one can do 4K Videos and has an amazing clarity even in low light conditions, photo and video!

I bought this device with a view to hold on to it for a year or more and hence went for the best that I could afford and I mist say, its been 4 months of pure pleasure!

Its got the best hardware so it can easily support the next generation of Android with ease! Its battery is amazing! I can manage two days with my typical usage(Calls/Msg/3G/Wifi) and still have maybe 10% left out until I charge it.

For me this defines what a future proof phone is ought to be and so far I've had a great time with it:)

RE Electra Nov 2013 UCE 350 Twin Spark 5000 Km Run

This is a follow up of the below review I did much earlier at 150 Km Run.http://www.mouthshut.com/review/Bullet-Electra-review-rumqopqrtr 

So there you have it! Lots of hassle free rides; a mild case of lower back pain and three services/6 months later.am still loving my Bullet Electra. If you paid attention then you'd be wondering why love something that's given me back ache!? i'll come to that in a bit. For now; the Review: 

Running In - From purchase to third service 

Every morning:- 

Before riding the bike; I always, ALWAYS ran the engine on idle with the choke on for 1 min then idled it for 3-4 mins with the choke off. this ensured that the bike was nicely warmed up and ready to go. 

You can rev it a little if you hear a loud CLICK sound or if you feel the engine will stop. But go easy on revving - Just pull the accelerator back a little but not suddenly. 

Once you hear the engine idle sounding a little consistent; you're good to go! 

The petrol: 

I have poured into this beast has always been the best one that Shell has to offer. The engine has always been smooth and responsive and always feels at easy weather am gunning it through traffic or climbing an inclined road. It keeps the engine clean and the pickup and mileage is superb! 

First Service: 

I rode the bike strictly as per the servicing mechanic's instructions. 

Do Not rev the bike suddenly 

Do not go over 55kmph EVER! 

Do not expect even a decent mileage for the first couple of services 

Ride Safe and slowly 

I drove occasionally for 150km stretches on weekends to ensure that the engine was well worn. 

Mileage - 30-35kmpl 

Second service: 

I noticed that the gear ratios had changed a bit and now I could drive upto 55kmph on the 4th gear but then again I was asked to strictly maintain below 60kmph speeds along with the above instrcutions. That I did for a month. 

I went on occasional long rides as usual and for a second or two; I ginned the bike to 70-80kmph then slowly came back to 50-60kmph speeds. The month just before the third service; I began to gun the bike to 90-100kmph for a few soncds then came back. then again gunned to 80kmph for some minutes then came back to 60-70kmph and stayed there for the long rides. 

I did this pattern to ensure that the engine would wear out properly and get used to such speeds early on rather than later. I you feel you want to try the same; upto your choice and wisdom. 

Mileage - 35-41kmpl 

Third service: 

The Mods: 

About a week since I got it serviced. I got the silencer changed to an upswept short bottle one. its given the bike a more 'Bullet' kind of sound and even the thump had improved at lower revs. I wanted this silencer as it looked really cool and different compared to all other straight ones out there. Plus it was not overly loud and noisy. 

I also got the handlebar changed to an Yamaha RD 350 replica as the stock handle bar was little to far for me to reach making me bend a little thus leading to lower back ache. but its much better and I feel very comfortable riding the bike. 

Mileage - yet to check. 

So there you have it folks! My experience so far. Am in love with this bike and its a dream come true for me to finally ride the bull that I so admired since childhood! 

Feel free to ask me questions, I'd love to answer them. 

Cheers!

RE Electra 2013 UCE 350 Twin Spark 10000 Km Review

This is a follow up on my previous two reviews below:

500 Km Run:-

http://www.mouthshut.com/review/Bullet-Electra-review-rumqopqrtr

5000 Km Run:-

http://www.mouthshut.com/review/Royal-Enfield-Bullet-Electra-Twinspark-review-msounptqls

And now. here is my 10000 Km run experience!

One word - WOW!

Yup, thats right folks'Wow' is the word I use to summarize my experience thus far with this bike.

Mileage - i've got out of thus far is around the vicinity of 36 KmpL

Maximum speed - I've done till now was 120 KmpH and it did this with ease and after decelerating, it showed no fatigue whatsoever. It sped just as easily as it did earlier.

Post the Warranty period service - I went to different service shop(read not the bullet authorized centers) this time who is known for his handiness with Bullets and got my bull looked after him. I'm very satisfied with how the bike has been behaving post that its smoother than ever!

Engine Oil used - I went for the mineral oil, instead of the synthetic oil. Shell engine Oil was the go this time since I fill my fuel from there itself. Its been very smooth till now and is a joy to ride more than ever!

General Maintenance regimen -

First/Cold Start - I've made it a practice to start and use the choke if the bike has been parked for more than 6-8 hours at a stretch. Post the choke, I idle it for a quick minute then ride on.

Cleaning - I give the bike for a wash with 3M polishing and waxing every 4-5 months. I use chain cleaner and lubricator every 400 or so Kms and more often during the rainy seasons.

Apart from the above points; there have been no issues with the bike whatsoever. To put in points my mantra would be the following:

1. When the bike is new; Riding fast will the engine screw!



2. Choke the engine for a cold start; Not doing so will strain the engine's heart!



3. Clean and lubricate all the necessary parts; Weather, water and dust wont let your bike last!



4. Its an elephant with power immense; Riding it fast does not make sense!

Hope my insights help those of you considering this amazing piece of engineering.

Best wishes and happy riding!

RE Electra Nov 2013 UCE 350 Twin Spark 150Km Run

Hey all! First Up this review is meant to grow as and when i get time and the Kilometers keep on goin up North!

Got the bike from Teknik Motors, Indranagar, Bangalore on November 2013. I booked it in May 2013 so had a bit of time to do my research on this class of Machine, unique to the Indian Road.

I will begin from a comparison first.

Classic 350 v/s Electra 350 Comparison:- Drive Feel : Drove a classic (6000km) for about 70Km in the city, then drove the Electra the next day for 2 km. Verdict - Electra had a more pronounced sound and thump compared to the Classic, the bike is also got a better feel since its higher than Classic so the seating makes you feel like you're driving a lorry o two wheels! Seating is more comfy on the Electra as the rider seat has a small depression that kinda helps while the Classic's seat felt too big for me and hence ride comfort was less

Ownership Review:-

The Positives

Road Presence - This bike is like nothing you may have driven all due to its 19" wheels! It really makes one feel like a king on the road. I got the Silver coloured one and with that colour, the Chrome just looks very fluid. If polished well, trust me people are going to look at it at every signal because of the gleaming shine of the bike.

Handling When stationary, the bike feels heavy if you just tilt it even slightly. Begin to ride it and all that weight (187Kg) feels as if its lost to thin air! Very easy to handle when riding it at any speed but you need to be careful while cornering even at a moderate speed due to the weight of the bike. Moving the bike on your own is quite a task though!

Power This bike has got RAW Power and truck loads of it; you might be doing 80 Kmph without even knowing it! It vibrates at low speeds but beyond 50 to 80 it purrs effortlessly! For those migrating from the 150/180cc or more sporty bikes; DO NOT even expect the Bullet to come even close to that kind of responsiveness! if that's what you are looking for then maybe you ought to not take this bike.

The Not-So Positives

Comfort I'm 174cm high and i felt the handle was a little too far off so i had to get that lowered down but i still feel the seat is not very comfortable as my back ache seemed to have increased a bit since i began riding the bike, maybe i need to get used to it, am not sure but hoping that is the case :) more on this when i update next time The seat is very comfy compared to a Pulsar 180 though

Extra Care Think of a bullet like an elephant, a new RE Bike is like an infant elephant that needs extra care till the first three services at the very least! Ripping this bike at any speed during this time is a complete No! No!! I have been driving this under 50Kmph since i got it and have been advised to gradually increase the speed gradually during the run-in period. You also need to start it each morning and run it with the Choke On for a Min. I do this and then go on a 2 Km drive in the morning each day. Electra has bucket loads of Chrome so wax shining it is a must along with keeping it covered when not in use.

All in All, i wanted a Bullet and i have my reasons for it very well laid out! My advice to any one contemplating this purchase would be the following:

You do not buy a Bullet; you Invest in it

  Do not even think of comparing it to any other bike on the road and hence do not even expect it to be as such

  Do your research before going in for any RE Bike, be sure what model you want, test ride for a day if you can

  Maintenance Free is not a term that was made for the Bullet, you have to take care of it!

Hope this helps, i know its lengthy but trust me its reviews that detail everything that really helps as it did for me! If you have read this entire review, i get the feeling that you maybe serious about investing in Royal Infield Bullet! 

The simplest Rule in the book of Photography

The Rule of Thirds

Introduction –

Photography is an art form. That being said; it's all about learning the rules to the point that you know how to bend or break them and thus, create art!

The Rule of Thirds is no different. It’s the simplest rule you can apply and the beauty of it is that its not something that needs to be a special feature of your camera or smartphone. So long as you have an image capturing device; you can apply this rule and it will always work wonders.

Before I go ahead and explain what the rule is all about; I’d like to mention another important thing which is true to all things artistic - Just like there are rules and ways to bend them; there are a couple of important things that you must always keep in mind - Your individual style and a vision for your art.

A word on Composition –

Composition is essentially the ‘Look’ of the scene in your photograph. Like many nifty phone camera shooters, we see photos that look very generic at best. There is nothing that will make you look at a photo for more than a few seconds. This can be for many reasons - Too many things in the photo; bad light; underexposed image; photo looks as if there is nothing much to look in it etc.

The Rule of Thirds is a rule for composing an image.

Simply put – All of us can sing a song like as if we’re strangling cat; but few know how to actually sing and those are the ones we listen to!

 The Rule –

The grid on the left is what constitutes the rule.

Its essentially dividing the scene or; let's say your camera's screen, into a third of its length and height.

Now comes the interesting part –

As per the rule; your subject or interesting elements of the photo must be placed either on the intersecting points or close to it OR they can also be placed within some sections of the grid as well.

You could use the grid to create a sense of symmetry or space.

Essentially this grid helps you to draw a viewer’s attention to your subject.

That’s it! That’s all there is to it.

Practical Application –

                                     

A walk in the park

A walk in the park can be a good opportunity to take some nice photos. Typically this is what most of us will end up taking a photo of because how often will you find a stone head on a rock, right?

But this is what makes an average photo Average; the subject is on your face; and you look at it for a few seconds without so much of a second thought and that’s it. Forgotten and tossed away somewhere in your storage. This doesn’t show what made it interesting and its too plain looking – There is no story in it!

  

So how do we tell a story? By Composing the photo using the Rule of Thirds!

                                     

                                     

Here the image has been composed Rule of Thirds Grid over-lay using the Rule of Thirds

In the above examples; you will note the following:

I have gone back a little to allow a little more of the scene around the head

The subject here is on the top left intersecting point with space on the right allowing for some of the background to be visible that gives some context to the overall photograph

 Close up

                               

         Close up composed using Rule of Thirds over-lay The Rule of Thirds

Here I have photographed the headlamp assembly of my motorcycle and applied the Rule of Thirds in the following manner:

When doing a close-up shot; the key is to focus on and keep the area of interest around or on the intersecting point/s.

In this case; it’s the tiger light bulb at the top left intersecting point. This draws the eyes of the observer to the light first and then the rest of the parts of the assembly

Creating symmetry

   Close up composed using Rule of Thirds over-lay The Rule of Thirds

Here I have shot some earthen pots left for drying. This shot was composed using the Rule of Thirds such that the diagonal of the trey on which the pots were placed cuts across diagonally thus creating a symmetrical composition balancing out the clutter of the pots and the plainness of the earth below them.

Spacing out to emphasize the subject

Emphasizing the logo using Rule of Thirds over-lay The Rule of Thirds

Here is my bike again and this time I wanted to emphasize the logo. As I see it, the logo is something that exemplifies the bike and the brand’s character of being simple and classic yet an edgy piece of machinery!

Now how do you tell a story like that? Just the logo wouldn’t show all that now would it? Well, I’d had to get some of the bike into the frame too but not so much that people notice the bike And the logo. I only wanted a hint of the body of the bike while clearly focused on the logo.

Here is where I used the two sections of the grid between the left intersecting points and blurred out the rest of the bike. This way; I have enough space for the observer to infer that he/she is looking at a bike but before that it’s the logo that meets the eye in all its glory!

I hope this blog made sense to you and gave you an insight as to how a simple rule can make a big difference between an average photo and photo worth a thousand words!

With best wishes!

#shishirrattanart

Bangalore, India


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Childfree Couples' Manifesto

Our stand -
We have decided to live a 'Childfree' life. It means that we are able to procreate BUT have decided to NOT go down that path. A simple reason is that; to have or not have a child is a CHOICE just like any other important; life changing choices such as 'What subject to major in collage OR What career path must I choose OR should get married or not', for example.

Childless or Childfree?  -
We believe that Childfree is more about exercising once's free will in choosing to Not procreate while Childless is more about wanting to have children but not being able to procreate due to medical reasons or other reasons whatsoever.

Reasons -
- Procreation is a choice made by the couple with regards to their life. It's not a mandate made by the society or the institution of marriage
- Not having kids either due to medical reasons or by exercising your free will is no measure of your worth as a human being. You're still the same man or woman; complete in all respects
- The world we live in still has violence that has colored our history, we are more populated than ever and now capable to wipe ourselves clean off the planet
- The Internet and television has brought us closer and made information easily accessible. This also means that young minds can view anything with greater ease even if they are too young to think maturely thus making them ever more distracted
- Patenting today is far more challenging than its ever been. While the humanoid apes worried about their young being eaten; today we worry about pedophiles and speeding cars, so to speak!
- The economic environment and the general state of life across the world including the natural wealth of the world itself is at odds with humans. This is not the future I hoped for then what future can I expect for a child born from my generation???
- You can monitor your kids like a helicopter but to what extent and at what price? You can't control the kids interactions with his /her friends or neighbors. Ask yourself; what kind of upbringing can you provide in today's time and age?
- Kids' young minds are like soft putty, anything can leave a lasting impression. The TV shows, news, songs, movies, Internet etc are just too easy to reach even by little hands thanks to tablets, smart phones; you name it!
- Old age homes are a bitter reality and they aren't new to our time and for whatever reason there are elders in there who are counting down their time. What is the assurance that we wont end up with the same fate because our kids left us to ourselves??

All said an done, it still stands as a Choice that YOU make as a couple.

Live and Let Live; before choosing a path; be sure and respect others for you may not know what battles they might be facing for life is tough and a little kindness only makes the world more wonderful!