Categories
Various

11 Months Later

It’s already been 11 months since the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis (which still hasn’t ended) in the Tohoku region. The following pictures show the advances achieved in the reconstruction efforts.

This first picture was at the moment one of the most dramatic and it quickly spread all around the world. Photographer Yukio Sugimoto came back to the same place and this time he could take a photo of the same woman smiling with her five year old son.

Tohoku
You can appreciate that it is exactly the same place. Notice the traffic lights and the trees in the background.

Tohoku

Tohoku

Tohoku

Tohoku

Tohoku

Tohoku

Source: NationalPost, via @aasiain.

Categories
Signs

Kites in Enoshima

I have been a few times to Enoshima, a wonderful place which makes a perfect one day trip from Tokyo. The first time I went there I was surprised, and at the same time a little bit scared, by the amount of kites that were flying very close to our heads.

Kites in Enoshima

Enoshima kites

It seems like these birds of prey are very common in Enoshima and they cause some problems. This is one of the signs that warns about them.

Kites in Enoshima

The sign explains that kites have a sharp eyesight, they can see the food that you are holding in your hand and they can attack you from behind. The sign advises you to wear a cap or a hat and to use an umbrella if you are lying down at the beach.

Categories
Photography

Nikon D800

Finally, after a long wait, the Nikon D800 release has been announced. I had long planned that it should be my next camera and had been expecting it for a long time. I even sold my Nikon D90 a while ago.The Nikon D800 will be my first Full Frame camera. The specs are more than enough for me: 36Mpx sensor, 1080p HD-Video, ISO 100-6400, an improved autofocus system of 51 points…

What I like the most about it is that the price is going to be quite competitive (when the Nikon D700 was released it was quite more expensive). The Nikon D800 will be released in Japan at the end of this month for a little bit less than 270,000 yen (2,600 euro / 3,500 dollars):

  • ニコン D800 ボディ 《3月22日発売予定》販売価格¥268,200 (Nikon D800)
  • ニコン D800E ボディ 《3月22日発売予定》販売価格¥356,400 (Nikon D800E)
  • ニコン D800 28-300 VR レンズキット 《3月22日発売予定》販売価格¥313,200 (Nikon D800 lens kit 28-300 VR)

Another thing to celebrate is that the body weights “only” 900 grams (almost 100 grams less than the D700). Moreover, for those of us used to Nikon cameras the controls and interface are very similar to the D700.

Nikon D800
Image by Btobey.

Nikon D800
Image by Btobey.

Two different models will be released: the Nikon D800 and the D800E. The only difference between the two models is that the D800 includes a low-pass filter to eliminate moire patterns. Including a low-pass filter is a simpler and cheaper solution, while the D800E eliminates moire patterns without using it, which results in a higher quality. This is an example of the moire pattern:

Moire pattern in Nikon D800

Most likely the differences between the two models will be minimum and will only be appreciated by zooming into photos, by geeky reviews that we will soon enjoy, or in this comparison by Nikon.

Sources: English, Japanese.