Cameras

Moments: Liwliwa, Zambales

Beach breaks are good for your health!

Published

July 22, 2020

MJ Jucutan

Whenever life throws me a curveball, I make it a point to book a weekend by the beach. As far as my personal experience goes, the answer to most problems is a quick beach fix. Even in films, we’ve seen how basking under sunlight and hearing the sound of the ocean can improve our well-being.

Luckily, the Philippines is a country where beaches and islands are just a few hours away be it via bus, car, ferry, or plane. So one sunny weekend before the country went on lockdown, I went to a beach break where surfers and beach rabbits can de-stress from the hustle and bustle of urban life.

If you’re considering going on beach vacations at some point in your lives, here are some reasons why:

Elevate your mood

ICYDK, being exposed to sunlight can help boost our mood since it increases the release of Serotonin — a feel-good hormone in our brain which helps us feel calm and happier. But before you soak some sunshine, make sure you apply sunscreen to protect your skin from harmful UV rays!

Relax your brains

City life is bustling and crowded; there’s so much going on. When near any body of water, particularly the ocean, our minds start to relax and ease from its soothing sounds. It’s easy for our brain to process, which allows us to go into a meditative state allowing your mind to breathe, just like it would during a yoga session or mindfulness exercise.

De-stress by doing nothing

We’re all busy with jam-packed schedules, why not let yourself recuperate by doing nothing? Not all beach trips have to be filled with tight itineraries; that’s a fun way to ruin a weekend break. Sometimes, all you need is to nap and leave your phone behind while under a big, beach umbrella, listening to the ocean’s lull. In my friend’s case, it’s read a book while lying on a hammock.

Anything blue won’t make you feel blue

Unlike the common blues, the blue sky we see when we’re at the beach doesn’t make us feel down. Unbeknownst to many, colors have a big impact on our mood. This is true especially for blue, which has a calming and relaxing effect. It’s a restorative color that rejuvenates your heart, mind, body, and soul just by looking at it.

Sand helps with fitness

Working out is one of our favorite activities on the beach, whether it’s mastering yoga positions, running through dunes early in the morning, or playing volleyball during sunset. Our bodies work harder just by stepping on sand because the soft surface requires greater force. However, the sand also absorbs the energy exerted, which guarantees low-impact on any strenuous activity we do.

Taking beach breaks on a beach break

If you’re new to the jargon, beach breaks are surfable waves breaking onto a beach. It’s different from Point Breaks, which produces long, perfect waves you can ride.

Both beach breaks and point breaks are mostly found near surf towns. In the Philippines, there are three accessible surfing spots when you come from Manila: San Felipe in Zambales, San Juan in La Union, and Baler in Aurora.

Taking a beach break on a surfing spot with lots of beach breaks can do wonders for your well-being. It has everything you need: the sun, the sand, the blue sky, and the sound of crashing waves.

Wherever your next ride would be, always arm yourself with a compact camera to document your adventures, and have your friends tag along. Moments are best enjoyed when you have companions.

Taking a beach break can improve your well-being. Make it a habit to bask under sunlight and get some sand on your feet every once in a while (maybe when the pandemic is over). Make memories by documenting your little moments on the beach 🏖☀️🌊

🎥: Sony RX100 VII pic.twitter.com/SY6Zmev1UP

— GadgetMatch (@gadgetmatch) July 22, 2020

Video was taken using Sony RX100 VII at Kapitan’s Liwa Surf Resort, San Felipe, Zambales

Moments is a travel video series that aims to show that anyone, using any device — whether a DSLR or an inexpensive smartphone — can capture life’s moments and make something beautiful out of it.

Cameras

The Polaroid Go is the smallest analog instant camera in the world

With this camera, the sky’s the limit and not the size

Published

April 22, 2021

MJ Jucutan

Polaroid has a new, cute camera and we want it. There, I said it.

Polaroid Go is the newest, tiniest member of the Polaroid family. Dubbed as the smallest analog instant camera in the world, it only measures 4.1-inches long, 3.3-inches wide, and 2.4-inches tall. What an exciting change to Polaroid’s decade-old form factor, right?

Designed as a creative companion, the Polaroid Go sports a portable, wearable look and feel. The newest camera is available in a classic white colorway, following Polaroid’s iconic design retained in a new format apt for the new generation.

The Polaroid Go, despite its tiny size, packs mighty features. This includes a newly-developed selfie mirror, self-timer, longer-lasting battery, dynamic flash, double exposure, and travel-friendly accessories.

There’s also a Go film that reimagines Polaroid’s classic square format, to suit the newest and smallest analog instant camera.

Price and availability

Polaroid Go retails for US$ 100 while the Polaroid Go Film Double Pack costs US$ 20. The Polaroid Go will be available for purchase on April 27 at polaroid.com/go.

Cameras

Fujifilm’s retro-style Instax Mini 40 comes with Selfie Mode

And a new instant film sheet!

Published

April 8, 2021

MJ Jucutan

Fujifilm decks out its newest, classic-looking instant camera, the instax mini 40. Amplifying its retro style, the instant camera comes with a high-quality texture cover adorned with premium silver accents.

Additionally, its small figure lets you fit it into a pouch, a fanny pack, or a small bag. On another note, it has an uncanny resemblance to the instax Mini 90 Neo Classic, albeit packed with modern features.

The instax Mini 40 hosts a plethora of features that instant-camera lovers will adore. There’s an automatic exposure function that casually adjusts the camera’s shutter speed and flashes, depending on the surrounding brightness.

There’s also a selfie mode, making it easier to take solo and group photos. All you have to do is press the power button to extend the lens, then pull out the lens to switch to Selfie Mode, with a “Selfie On” mark to signify that the camera is ready to take your selfie. Lastly, don’t forget to check your framing using the mirror.

The Fujifilm instax Mini 40 has a suggested retail price of US$ 100.

Contact sheet

Furthermore, Fujifilm introduces Contact Sheet — a mini-format instax film featuring orange text printed over a black frame. This design simulates the contact sheet — through bromide sheets — of the past used in films that let you check individual images.

The Instax Mini Contact Sheet instant film will retail for US$ 15. It will be globally released on April 21, 2021, alongside the Fujifilm instax Mini 40.

Cameras

Razer’s new webcam: the Kiyo Pro

For work and play

Published

February 25, 2021

Leez

With Razer showing off their dedication to workers and gamers staying safe and indoors, they’ve announced the new Razer Kiyo Pro.

The Kiyo Pro is a USB camera with a high-performance Adaptive Light Sensor to deliver sharp video quality even in low-light conditions. Combined with an ultra-sensitive Type 1/2.8 CMOS sensor with STARVIS technology, the Kiyo Pro boasts professional-level image quality to video conferencing and streaming.

In this day and age, it’s no surprise that Razer is bringing new webcams especially with work-from-home and new digital communications. Working from home has really become an integral part of professional life today.

However, sometimes built-in laptop cameras lack the resolution and framerates for professional-looking conference calls or streams. They often struggle to cope with low-light and deliver blurry images and that’s where the Kiyo Pro comes in.

The Kiyo Pro is capable of uncompressed full HD 1080p 60FPS. Razer says this will not only ramp up dynamic range but also, correct under- or overexposed areas on the fly, eliminating silhouetting if the subject is lit from behind.

Making sure it’s ideal for video conferencing or streaming, the wide-angle lens on the Kiyo Pro gives you a choice of three fields of view: 103°, 90° or 80°. The 103° view lets everyone fit in a group video call or allow streamers viewers to show off their set up. But, if you’re just looking for a perfect headshot view for meetings or streams, the 80° view will suffice.

Other features

The Kiyo Pro has a range of extra features with flexible mounting options to perfectly set it up. And, its omnidirectional stereo microphone array ensures your voice is properly picked up wherever you’ve mounted it. A separate cover is included to protect the lens and assure your privacy when not in use.

Razer Kiyo Pro Specs:

Camera Specifications

Connection type: USB3.0
Image resolution: 2.1 Megapixels
Video Resolution: 1080p @ 60/30/24FPS / 720p @ 60FPS / 480p @ 30FPS / 360p @ 30FPS
Video encoding: H.264 codec
Still Image Resolution: 1920×1080
Image Quality Settings Customization: Yes
Diagonal Field of View (FOV): 103°, 90°, 80°
Focus Type: Auto
Mounting Options: L-shape joint and Tripod (Not included)
Cable Length: 1.5 meters braided cable

Microphone Specifications