Christ’s Blog (beta-max)

Disney and its Underground World

No comment ; watch yourself ^_^

(and yes, it is Disneyland … Paris :blush: )

You know what is bad with “video uploader online” such “youtube”, “dailymotion”, “googlevideo”, ….. ?

You can spend hours and hours on those video research engines !!

Yesterday, i found out a tv show called : “j’irai bien dormir chez vous”.
It is french and it is about a backpack traveller going around the world meeting people and trying to invite himself in one’s house. That guy only speaks french and basic english.

Imagine ; you have never been to … Tokyo (for instance :p ), you do not speak japanese at all, you look weird with all your camera system ^_^ , … but you have to bump into other to start conversations. Or imagine a stranger telling you : “Where are you going ? Can i come with you ?” / “Me and you, we will have dinner together tonight at your place” / “Can i sleep at your place ?”, …… ^_^

Honestly, that guy “has a lot of nerves” (

Get a sit, it is a bit long (55 minutes) …… and it is half in french and english/japanese.

Thanks to those videos :
- i first saw how (part of) hostels are in Japan !! They look like a mortuary box !!
- i finally saw how those japanese “high tech” toilet works :p
We do not have those out here ^_^

Him visiting China was great too !

Have you ever tried to play Dance Dance Revolution (aka DDR) ?? You know that game that you have to move yourself and got rythm !
I had tried but ………..

How good are you at juggle ?
Probably as “good” as i am ? :p

So look at the following video and …… bow ^_^

(screen captured here)

TV Asashi will air somehow in spring 2007 a live of Maison Ikkoku !!
It seems like Itoh is in !

Actually it does exist a live version from the 90′ and that was my first “j-drama”. Honestly, the elder version sucked ! :p

I had never took pictures by night before - at least pictures i wanted to show. I knew it was a pain and it has been confirmed ^_^

I had ideas but there were wrong.

If you start with digital SLR camera, keep in mind that the main difference between a digital and a film SLR camera is not pixel vs grain BUT on a digital camera you can switch ISO at any time while it was impossible to switch a 100iso film for a 400iso one on a film SLR camera.

Therefore i thought that setup the camera at 800iso or 1600iso + a maximum aperture (at least F/2 or F/2.8) were enough. Of course it won’t do the job of a tripod but at least ………….

I was completely wrong.
Switch to a high iso value is “useless” by night (my experience ; some might not be agreed).
On a Nikon D70s, iso sets at 1600 is quite unusable. Pictures are too “noisy”.
A f/2 lens opens to its maximum aperure = not enough fast ; your hand had time time to shake = all the scene captured is out of focus.
And the combo “high iso + shaking hand” = unexpected “artistic” pictures

what is the right thing to do ?

A 1.000usd f/2 lens is not needed as much as your 20 bucks tripod !
Save your money and get a tripod and a “simple” f/3.5-4.5 will be enough for your pictures by night (the D70s definetely doesn’t diserve a 1.100 usd lens :p )
Once your camera is fixed on the tripod, iso sets at 200/400 doesn’t matter anymore.
No need to be opened at the maximum aperture. 5.6/8/11 will be fine.
Same for the speed. Since the camera doesn’t move (at least it is supposed to), a 30seconds exposure time is not a problem.

At least, that is the theory
I need to practice myself !

Here is a bad sample shooted at 1600iso - F/2 - 1/15 sec - NO tripod
(the hit combo to not do )

PS : My advice while shooting in the dark with the camera fixed on a tripod :
Use as much as you can the timer ! Because of pressing the shutter button, the camera moves ! Even if it is not much, it moves = you might got an out of focus picture.

Long time no drama was in here :p

The first serie here more than a year ago. Here is the second season.
Currently i have only seen 1 of 10 and as expected, Gokusen 2 is a remake of Gokusen the first.

Yankumi might be the fourth generation of a famous yakuza family. Unfortunately (?) she didn’t decided so and became a teacher.
She is not those regulars teachers who do not care about their students. She personnaly involves herself to guide and lead her “punk” almunies !

And of course, none of her students or colleagues know and have to know where she is from except the principal ; the same as in the first serie : the “monkey face man with a banana as a hair cut” ^_^
Actually Yankumi was enrolled by mistake ; the principal expected a tough guy capable to control the 3-D class. What a surprise for him when Yankumi poped in front of him :p

Once more, with her angel and naive face, she is gonna face the worse bad guys ever : her students. Most are “loosers” and “trashes”.

Again, Yankumi is here to “protect” her “punk” students and make sure that all the 3-D will be graduated.

Good luck to her.

Read the rest of this entry »

Just wondering how tasty it is :p

(found here ; at the bottom of the page)

Browse the link above or click here for more ……. disgusting bugs
It is a vietnamese forum. Don’t ask me what it is said on it i have no idea but my eyes saw those bugs ICK ICK ICK !!
Pictures are from China i guess (see gas tank) ; vietnamese do not eat bugs ; at least not those one
But vietnamese eat Mickey Mouse, i’m sure they do ; i had tasted it not later than this summer and have to admit that it is really good :p

The difference between Leica and Canon / Nikon ?

One is selling Photography while one is selling pixels.

Check out Leica M’s brochure here. (It is a .pdf file ; Adobe Acrobat Reader needed)

I have used my Nikon D70s for months now with :

• a Nikkor AF 28-200 f/3.5/5.6 D
• a Nikkor AF 35mm f/2 D.

Both are made for SLR film camera. Therefore, the first lens becomes a 42/300mm while the second becomes a 52.5mm on a DSLR (due to the sensor size)

The first is fine outdoor and really hard to use indoor because of its minimum focus distance : 0.8m (!!).
I didn’t paid enough attention on it when i got it years ago :p

About the second one, not much to say. It is really great. Since i only used a 50mm with my old SLR camera, this 35mm is ……… almost perfect !
I assume it could make most of the job. But because of being a 52.5mm on DSLR and not a 50mm, it makes me uncomfortable ….. indoor !
With my old SLR camera and its 50mm, i never felt to have any problem with distance ; in general (90%) i did the picture i wanted.
With this 35mm (52.5mm on the D70s), for no reason i never have had enough space to grab the missing ears, shoulder, hair or any subjects on the frame border ! And it always kills me !
(need to get one of my grade 12th physic book to see if those 2.5mm really makes a difference :p )

Therefore, i was looking lately for a super wide zoom destinated to an indoor use mainly.

I never felt any need below 42mm (my 28/200) ; I could have done most of my pictures with this lens if the minimum focus distance was not that high ! Therefore anything under 42 is “bonus”.
My research was to find a lens with at least a 42/52 range.

2 of them got my intention ; in fact only one :p

The first :

Nikon AF-S 17-35mm f/2.8D ED-IF (25.5/52.5mm on a DSLR)

The second :

Nikon AF 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5D ED-IF (27/52.5mm on a DSLR)

Both range is perfect for my use. With a such lens, byebye the missing hand, the missing ear, …….

Indoor :
one of those 2 above.

Outdoor :
one of my current lens.

What is the main difference between both ? The price :p The first cost less than 1400 usd (us VAT included) or 2000 euros (french VAT included)
and the second cost less than 450 usd (us VAT included) or 640 euros (french VAT included)

Don’t you see any problem with the currency exchange ? O_o
I still do not get it !

Currently (sat, oct 7th at 5am20 GMT) yahoo currency converter said :

• 1 euro = 1.2603 usd

therefore 1400 usd might be 1110 euros !!
and 450 usd might be 357 euros !!

OR

2000 euros might be 2520 usd !
640 euros might be 806 usd !

But how could it be 1400 usd and 2000 euros
and 450 usd and 640 euros ?

Need an aspirin ? ^_^

By the way my final choice will be the second above ; my 900euros D70s doesn’t deserve a 1100euros lens :p

It is been a long time that i wanted to write about the incoming tramway in Paris !!

Honestly, WHAT IS IT FOR ?!?!?

Paris has one of the most dense subway and bus network !
Everyday, subways + buses are used by millions and millions travellers while the incoming tramway will be used by …. 100.000 (only !! ) …. parisians !

The city did a survey years ago and the result was 69% of parisians (one lives right in Paris not in the sub. of Paris) were PRO. Less cars, less pollution, ….. what did they really expected from a such survey ? It is well known that people living in Paris do not own a car since they already daily use the RATP network (subway and bus).

Why am I mad at the Tram ?

LOOSING HOURS AND HOURS BEING STUCK IN THE TRAFFIC !!!!!!

Years ago, bus and cars used the same lines. During rush hours, buses were stuck in the traffic. Then the city did some “bus lines” (like “car pool” in CA). That was “clever”. But those lines “grew up like mushrooms” (a french idiom which means “nothing a day, plenty the day after”). It was “understandable”. Just had to avoid rush hours and it was fine.
Now with the Tram, what a PAIN !!!! Currently it is only in the south of Paris. Therefore, if you live in the southern sub, the Tram is like a Gate ! Hours to get in Paris and hours to get out ! Being stuck everyday at any time !! Rush hour alllllllll day long !!
Less pollution ? Let me doubt ! Need hour to cover a few kilometers.
Less cars ? Let me doubt ! People who has to use their cars will always use their car !

I assume i won’t have any problem with the Tram if parking price was at a fair rate ! Unfortunately, it is not !
1 metro ticket = 1.40€ (you need at least 2 for a round trip)
1 hour in a parking lot = 2.50€ (at least you have to pay 5€ because you are always away for at least 1 hour and 2 minutes ! (yep ; all hour begun is due !!!!! The government has to do something ; ONLY pay for what you used ! )

And instead of using millions and millions (billions ?) to built a brand new Tram line, the city better had to modernize and make safer its underground network !
Example ? Want to kill yourself (or how to annoy thousands and thousands users ^_^ ) ? Welcome to PARAD …….. oops RATP !

Ready ? JUMP !

The latest line available at the end of 90′ ; aka Meteor ; harder to commit a suicide :p
(both picture stolen here)