The new G-SHOCK MTG-B3000D-1A9 is unbelievably gorgeous!

As an MTG-B1000-1A owner I was stunned when I saw the latest MTG-B3000D-1A9 that CASIO launched just a little while ago. The watch is simply gorgeous! I would love to exchange mine for this new kid on the block, but spending 1050 USD is not really something I'm thinking to do right now. Here some more pictures!

The Nikon Z6 with the battery pack looks retro

I just saw a Nikon F2 camera on Flickr, and I was mesmerized by the beauty of its design. Then I saw the battery pack, and it totally reminded me of new Nikon Z6 / Z7 battery pack that was just recently launched. Both cameras look very boxy, and I see some similarity in that classic Nikon design in both of them. Naturally the Z6 is a digital camera with better ergonomics, but I think those old Nikon film cameras were built to last and will look great in decades from now. For the Z6 and Z7, I'm not so sure.

iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro: First impressions in Taipei's Apple Store

Apple just launched new iPhones a few weeks ago (the iPhone 11 family of phones), and as a tradition, I went to check them out at the Apple store in Taipei. This time I went to the newly opened flagship store outside of Taipei 101 at Xinyi A13, and not to the older one inside Taipei 101. It clear why Apple chose to build a separate store outside the landmark on one of the most expensive pieces of land in Taipei, as it enables them huge visibility in the largest pedestrian area in the city. It's a big advertising platform for whatever the latest and greatest product they have launched, and so far whenever I visited the store was full, at least on the upper level (there's a basement level as well).

GITZO Century Camera Messenger impressions

During last week's 2018 Taipei International Photography & Media Equipment Exhibition I've spotted GITZO's newest messenger bags, and checked them out. These bags are simply beautiful, and look very premium, however the price is premium as well. I'm definitely interested to get one of these two, the only issue is that they're more suitable for mirrorless cameras, not DSLRs of the size of my D810. When I get my Nikon Z6, I will probably get one of the bags along with it. I think such bag really compliments a mirrorless camera well, but I do have some concerns about whether the Nikon actually fits in. That I will need to test out.

My Nikon Z7 hands-on experience

In this post I will share my opinion on the Nikon Z7 full frame mirrorless camera, and share my hands-on experience at the end of this post. I went to the Taipei Photography Exhibition last weekend, and really enjoyed it. The expo was very crowded, and Nikon's booth was the most visited, especially because of the new Z7 (there were long lines).

iPhone Xs Max: First impressions in Taipei's Apple Store

Since the new iPhone Xs variants were launched two weeks ago I am contemplating whether I should get one. Currently an iPhone 8 Plus user, I don't really have the need for a new phone. It serves me well for a year now, and there's no issue what so ever with it. The performance is still speedy, and the battery life is still excellent. This was not the case with older phones (like iPhone 6s for example), but the modern iPhones seem to be really durable, and usable for 2-3 years at least. With that said, there's a want in play here. And with that, there is a "struggle" as well, because the phones are really expensive (see the prices in Taiwan here). It's not that I don't have the money, even if I'm doing very well, I still have that guilt in my head, because I used to grow up poor, and the iPhone X🅂 Max with 1250 USD price tag (for my preferred 256 GB) is a pure luxury item. I'm not sure whether I will buy it, but the way I know myself, there's a 70% chance that I will.

My new MacBook Pro impressions in Taipei

A few days ago I was finally able to see the new 2016 MacBook Pro in Taipei's Syntrend IT mall, and had a brief hands on experience. Given all the negativity in the tech press when the new laptops were announced and shipped, I was pretty positively surprised, when I saw them in real. The design is amazingly beautiful! Right next to them were the old Retina MacBook Pro's and boy did they look "old" and outdated. These new MacBook Pros are a work of art, that's for sure. Images don't do them justice, you need to see them in real to admire the design. Another concern was the new keyboard, but after typing with it for some time, I was also pleasantly surprised, it's actually quite nice, much better than the MacBook keyboard, which I can't stand. The screen is amazing, so is the Trackpad. The only negative would be the lack of SD card port. As a hobby photographer, I would really miss it, but then again I'm already used to a dongle that I use together with my iPad Pro and my iPhone. I would probably get used to it.