Coming back to Taipei felt like a reunion with a close, old friend. With memories of friends, coworkers, and a past romantic interest, this city has always held a particular place in my heart.
Despite my intention to only cover COMPUTEX, the largest tech event in Asia, I couldn’t help but remain longer. I wanted to return to my favorite places. In the midst of all, I found an excuse to check off a bucket list item: visiting the Houtong Cat Village.
As a fur parent, it became a recent dream of mine to hop on a place teeming with chonky cats. On the way to Houtong Cat Village, I made up my mind to rely solely on the Fujifilm X-S20 as my travel camera and forgo using my iPhone this time around.
@hemjaye Cats, rain, coffee, and good view? Sign me up 🙋♂️ #HoutongCatVillage Shot on Fujifilm X-S20 🎥 #ShotOnFujifilm #Cats #fyp #fypシ #fypシ゚viral #fypage #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #foryou #foryoupage ♬ original sound – mj
Racing against the clock
The day began in a whirl of racing feet and frantic glances at my watch as I sprinted through Taipei Main Station, urgently hoping to catch the 9:20 a.m. train going to Houtong. Missing it was not an option.
My Dr. Martens clunked against the station floor as my navy trench coat billowed behind me, shielding me from the drizzle.
I looked out the window, and the gloomy clouds outside echoed my mood and brought back memories. It reminded me of the cloudy days when I used to roam these identical streets, looking for love and moments that had gone through my fingers.
On a rainy Thursday morning, seats were nearly empty, with only a few people commuting to Houtong. I could hear the soft murmur of conversations in Mandarin, drifting through.
Nevertheless, traveling on an antiquated train gave me the impression that I wasn’t a traveler, but a resident returning home to mā and bà.
I pulled out a copy of Brianna Wiest’s book “The Mountain Is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage Into Self-Mastery”.
It was my traveling companion for an hour on the train, hopefully providing enough entertainment for me during the lengthy, dwindling trip.
Welcome to Houtong!
A light drizzle and an opaque veil of fog shrouded the scene when I got off the train, creating a surreal yet ethereal ambiance. The village appears to be fairly rural, with a tranquil atmosphere permeating the area.
The noise of Taipei had already subsided, replaced by the patter of rain and the meowing of the village cats. Today’s Houtong Cat Village is replete with remnants of its past as a coal mining village.
A gentle haze blanketed everything in the village, giving me the impression of entering a whole other world—one that was very different from the busy Taipei I had left behind.
Thanks to the Fujifilm X-S20’s excellent image quality and compact design, I was able to capture pictures and films of the village, even when I was shielding myself from the rain and mist with an umbrella.
Purring through the mist
Houtong Cat Village felt like a peaceful oasis. The gentle meows of the cats blended in with the steady patter of falling rain as they roamed aimlessly. Despite an overcast morning, the neighborhood felt alive.
Inside the cat cafes, I found comfort. These cafes were set on top of a hill, with views of the Keelung River and mining park.
I lingered inside Walk & Taste Café for a while, sipping on their toffee latte and feasting on their brunch.
At that time, Vincenz—a friend of mine—was on Empress Gallery, sipping coffee and eating a personalized cat dessert.
Naturally, I couldn’t resist. After all, it was the perfect excuse to see more chonky cats.
Finding calm in the rain
I headed back to the train station after spending the morning in Houtong. There, I reveled in the pictures and films I had taken during my brief visit.
I felt warm and satisfied as the sound of my footsteps leaving the village was accompanied by splattering raindrops.
The trip to Houtong Cat Village was a delightful diversion from Taipei’s daily hustle and bustle. It gave me the opportunity to calm down and appreciate the small things in life.
I was able to save my recollections of my new favorite place, thanks to the Fujifilm X-S20. I stepped off the train bound for Ruifang, eager to see what awaits me at my next stop: Old Jiufen Street.
Photos were taken using the Fujifilm X-S20 unless otherwise stated.
Cameras
Sony launches FE 100-400mm F5.6-8 OSS telephoto zoom lens
Super telephoto zoom lens for hobbyists
Sony has launched the FE 100-400mm F5.6-8 OSS super telephoto zoom lens tailored for hobbyists and for a competitive price.
The compact and lightweight lens (approx. 654 grams) is meant for 35mm full-frame Alpha E-mount cameras, making it easy to carry to capture subjects that are difficult to appraoch.
This includes birds, sports scenes, and more. Landscape photography unique to super-telephoto lenses can also be enjoyed by making use of the compression effect. This makes the distance between nearby subjects and distant background elements appear closer together.
When used with a teleconverter, users can double the distance they can capture, with the lens supporting focal lengths of up to 800mm or up to 1,200m in APS-C mode.
With the latest optical design incorporating two ED glass elements and two aspherical elements, excellent image quality is achieved across the entire zoom range. These elements reduce chromatic and other aberrations for clear rendering.
Subject shooting can stand out as well in a natural and soft bokeh, with the lens’ 9-blade circular aperture. This makes the lens also ideal for close-up photography of flowers, insects, and other nearby objects.
In addition, the lens features a linear motor drive for fast, precise, and quiet AF performance to help capture moving objects. The lens also supports high-speed continuous shooting with AF/AE tracking at up to approximately 120 frames per second when used with the Alpha 9 III.
Built-in optical image stabilization also supports handheld shooting in the super-telephoto range, suppressing camera shake. Users can also utilize the camera body’s Active Mode image stabilization and coordinate image stabilization control.
In Singapore, the Sony FE 100-400mm F5.6-8 OSS will be available by the end of August for SG$ 1,099.
Accessories
OBSBOT’s Meet Flip is your next best pocketable 4K webcam
Fold the Flip for further protection
Several months ago, you might remember that OBSBOT revealed the Tiny 3 series of web cameras.
Six months after, they also unveil the all-new Meet Flip. From the name itself, it’s the company’s latest foldable 4K webcam that puts hardware privacy front and center.
Foldable and pocketable
Despite weighing just 37.7 grams, the Meet Flip aims to deliver premium webcam features for all types of users. Be it remote workers, professionals, or content creators.
Undoubtedly, the biggest highlight has got to be the webcam’s folding design. Not only it’s portable, it protects your privacy too.
Closing the device physically blocks the lens, giving users a visual confirmation that the camera is no longer active. When it’s time for a meeting, simply unfold it and it’s ready to go.
That lightweight body also features a built-in mounting clip that works with laptops, monitors, and tripods. Users can mount it in landscape, portrait, or even upside-down orientations depending on their setup.
Despite that absurd amount of lightweightness, the OBSBOT Meet Flip is still able to house a 1/2-inch Exmor RS stacked CMOS sensor with Quad Bayer technology. That’s something more commonly found among bigger and higher-end web cameras.
Other camera features include:
- 4K video recording / 30fps
- 1080p recording / up to 60fps
- HDR support for challenging lighting
- Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF)
- 4x digital zoom
- f/1.8 aperture with ISO 100-6400 support for low-light environments
Beyond just video calls
The OBSBOT Meet Flip isn’t just packed with serious camera hardware, it’s seriously intelligent as well.
The Meet Flip supports AI Auto Framing. This automatically keeps users centered during meetings — regardless if they are presenting alone or with a group. Gesture controls also let users activate framing or adjust zoom without touching the keyboard or mouse.
Another standout feature is AI Magic Notes which provides real-time meeting transcription and automatically generates summaries, action items, and key discussion points.
The feature works with Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams through OBSBOT Center. Every webcam includes complimentary transcription of 120 minutes.
With that being mentioned, OBSBOT Center also makes users gain access to software features such as background blur, virtual backgrounds, beauty mode, and picture-in-picture overlays for presentations.
Those who want more advanced controls can enable Smart Eye Tracking, teleprompter support, and manual image adjustments.
Audio also gets an upgrade through an intelligent dual-microphone system that offers four recording modes:
- Directional Mode / solo calls
- Dual-Directional Mode / interviews
- Smart Omni Mode / group meetings
- Pure Audio Mode / unprocessed stereo recording
AI Noise Reduction and Automatic Gain Control are also available across most modes to help improve voice clarity.
OBSBOT’s Meet Flip is also compatible with mobile devices through the OBSBOT Live app and supports integrations with accessories including Elgato Stream Deck, Nintendo Switch 2, and UVC-to-NDI/HDMI adapters.
Pricing and Availability
The OBSBOT Meet Flip is available starting today for US$119 through OBSBOT’s online store, Amazon US, and select retailers worldwide. Regional pricing may vary.
Cameras
Sony announces new FX5 full-frame camera
Newly-developed sensor, Open Gate recording, more enhanced capabilities
Sony has launched the new FX5 full-frame camera in its Cinema Line series with enhanced capabilities.
The camera is equipped with a newly-developed fully stacked Exmor RS CMOS sensor and the latest high-speed BIONZ XR2 image processing engine, which includes a dedicated AI processing unit.
When shooting in S-Log3, the camera achieves 15+ stops of dynamic range. The broad latitude and low-noise performance enable seamless roll-off from highlights to shadows and natural texture reproduction, even in high-contrast scenes.
Three Base ISOs of ISO 800, ISO 4000, and ISO 12800 enable low-noise image expression under a wide range of conditions.
Moreover, Dual Gain Shooting function, supported for the first time in the FX series, maximizes the performance of the image sensor to enable smooth gradation reproduction with even wider latitude, while effectively reducing noise without compromising shadow detail.
For the first time in the Cinema Line FX series, the FX5 supports Open Gate shooting, as well as in-camera recording in X-OCN, Sony’s proprietary RAW format.
This includes a variety of scan modes like 17:9, 16:9, and super 35mm. This allows for flexible angle-of-view selection for the user’s creative intent.
The camera is capable of shooting in 5K at up to 60 frames per second, in 4K up to 120 frames per second and in FHD up to 240 frames per second.
These features bring together the Cinema Line look and operability designed to meet the needs of production environments in a compact, highly portable body.
The Sony FX5 will also include two new optional accessories: a detachable OLED viewfinder and an XLR Handle that enables recording in-camera at up to 96 kHz, 32-bit float.
The camera system incorporates expertise that Sony has cultivated through the development of Cinema Line cameras, which have earned high praise from cinematographers and video creators around the world.
Price, availability
The ILME-FX5 with XLR Handle Unit (SG$ 7,199) and ILME-FX5B Body Only (SG$ 6,399) will be available for pre-order until August 9.
The DVF-EL1 OLED Detachable Viewfinder (SG$ 899) and VMC-BNCU1 Timecode Adapter Cable (SG$ 129) will be available after Mid-August.
Meanwhile, the XLR-H2 XLR Handle (SG$ 1,099) will be available by special order.
On July 28, the FX5 will also be on display atThe Arts House At The Old Parliament from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M., giving creators the chance to experience it for the first time.
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