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.
DJI has announced the global availability of the Osmo Pocket 4P Pearl White, a new color option for its dual-lens gimbal camera. The new edition retains the camera’s 1-inch CMOS sensor, 17 stops of dynamic range, 10-bit HDR video recording, and dual-lens system.
The Pearl White finish uses mica-infused pearlescent pigments and a multilayer spray coating that creates subtle changes in appearance under different lighting conditions. DJI designed the new colorway for creators who want a camera that complements lifestyle photography, travel vlogging, and everyday video production.
DJI Osmo Pocket 4P Pearl White features
The Osmo Pocket 4P Pearl White features two lenses with different focal lengths. Its primary 20mm wide-angle lens has a 1-inch CMOS sensor and an f/2.0 aperture. It supports video recording at up to 4K at 240 frames per second, with LOFIC technology helping preserve highlight and shadow details in challenging lighting conditions.
The camera also supports up to 17 stops of dynamic range and a 10-bit D-Log 2 color profile. These features give creators greater flexibility when adjusting colors, exposure, and contrast during post-production.
For portraits and tighter compositions, the 60mm medium-telephoto lens has an f/1.8 aperture and supports 3x optical zoom and up to 12x zoom. The camera combines both lenses with gimbal stabilization in a compact body weighing approximately 230 grams.
Other creative features include:
- Slow-motion video: Record up to 4K at 240fps for slow-motion footage.
- High-resolution photos: Capture still images at up to 37 megapixels.
- 4K Live Photos: Record 1.5-second clips alongside photos.
- ActiveTrack 8.0: Track subjects such as people, vehicles, and pets.
- Fast file transfers: USB 3.1 support enables transfer speeds of up to 800MB/s.
- Extended battery life: Record for up to 210 minutes on a single charge.
- Fast charging: Reach 80% battery capacity in as little as 18 minutes.
- Automatic iOS transfers: Transfer newly captured footage to compatible iOS devices after powering off the camera.
Automatic media transfer works best with an iPhone 16 series device or later running iOS 26.4.1 or above, provided the camera battery is above 15%.
The camera also supports HDR 10-bit video recording for footage with a wider range of colors and greater flexibility during editing.
Compatible with DJI Osmo accessories
The Osmo Pocket 4P Pearl White works with DJI’s existing Osmo accessory ecosystem. Compatible accessories include the Osmo Pocket 4 Fill Light, ND and polarizing filters, wide-angle lens adapters, battery handle, and OsmoAudio microphones.
These accessories are sold separately, allowing creators to customize their setup for different shooting scenarios.
DJI Care Refresh coverage
DJI Care Refresh is available for the Osmo Pocket 4P Pearl White. The protection plan covers accidental damage, including collisions and water damage, through a replacement service for an additional fee.
The one-year plan includes up to two replacements, while the two-year plan includes up to four replacements. Other benefits include official warranty coverage, international warranty service, and free shipping, subject to DJI’s terms and conditions.
Pricing and availability
The DJI Osmo Pocket 4P Pearl White is now available globally. The Standard Combo is priced at £529 in the UK and €599 in Europe.
For more information, visit the official DJI Osmo Pocket 4P website.
Accessories
Fujifilm’s new instax Pal 2 and Link WIDE 2 make room for more creative memories
A new pocket camera and a collage-making printer join the instax family.
Seeing a memory take shape beyond your screen changes how it feels. A favorite photo becomes a print you can tuck into a journal or pin beside your desk, and the everyday moments you capture get a little more room to live.
That was the spirit of Fujifilm’s instax Playhou2e launch in Makati, where visual artist Jill Arteche brought her signature illustrations into the event space.
Her artwork surrounded the latest additions to the instax family, the instax Pal 2 and instax Link WIDE 2. Both devices treat photography as a form of personal expression, from the snapshots you take throughout the day to the printed memories you want to keep close.
A pocket-sized camera that goes wherever you do
The original instax Pal made the case for carrying a camera without a full-sized setup. Its successor, the instax Pal 2, builds on that with a refreshed design and improved image quality.
The palm-sized camera is built for everyday adventures and can capture angles that are awkward to get with a smartphone. Its compact body also makes it easy to bring along if you like documenting your day as it happens.
Fujifilm gave the Pal 2 a semi-matte finish. A new monitor on top lets you review shots right after you take them, and the added viewfinder, control dial, and lever give it a more tactile feel to shoot with.
The specs have moved up, too. The Pal 2 captures 10-megapixel images, double the original’s five megapixels, and its internal storage holds up to 100 images compared with 50 before. A separately sold microSD card adds more room.
The creative options are where the Pal 2 gets playful. It offers 30 effects, so you can give images different moods without editing each one from scratch. Its instax Animation mode strings up to 10 consecutive shots into a flipbook-style animated video.
Transferring your photos is straightforward. The Pal 2 supports wireless Bluetooth transfers, and a USB Type-C connection offers faster transfers to compatible smartphones. From there, you can edit the images and post them to social media or keep them in your camera roll.
Because the Pal 2 is part of the instax ecosystem, its digital photos can also be printed on instant film through compatible instax printers. That means you can shoot first and decide later which moments deserve a physical copy.
Turning your camera roll into something worth keeping
Taking photos is only half the fun. The other half is deciding what to do with the hundreds of images that pile up on our phones.
The instax Link WIDE 2 is Fujifilm’s answer for anyone who collects travel photos or documents celebrations. As the brand’s WIDE-format smartphone printer, it prints at twice the image area of the instax mini format, which leaves more space for group photos and landscapes.
Its biggest new feature is Photo Mixer, which builds scrapbook-style collages from multiple images you pick in the dedicated app. Instead of printing a single photo, you can combine highlights from a trip or a gathering into one larger keepsake.
The app suggests layouts based on your chosen photos and adjusts image sizes, angles, text placement, and fonts to keep the design cohesive. You can then add your own text and stamps. A cutout function identifies people and objects in your photos so you can layer them into the collage.
With Photo Mixer, printing becomes part of the creative process, and your camera roll turns into material for building a visual record of an experience in a single print.
The Link WIDE 2 also gets a design refresh, with two-tone finishes in Duo Beige and Duo Blue. The light and dark surfaces give it a polished look on a shelf or desk, and an illuminated instax logo glows while it prints.
Connectivity has expanded, too. Beyond smartphones and tablets, the printer works with PCs, Fujifilm X Series cameras, and the instax Pal 2, so digital artwork and other compatible images can become physical prints.
A more personal way to keep your memories
The instax Pal 2 and Link WIDE 2 share the idea that photography is a way to express yourself. The Pal 2 makes it easy to capture moments as they happen, and the Link WIDE 2 gives those images a place in the physical world.
Jill Arteche’s artwork at the launch backed that idea up. Her illustrations filled the space with personality and showed how photos and art can make an environment feel more personal. The event also made a case for revisiting and reinterpreting the images we collect.
Taking a photo takes seconds, and printing one can make the memory feel more special. The instax Pal 2 and Link WIDE 2 bring that into everyday life and give your snapshots room for creativity, from the moment you press the shutter to the moment you find a place for the print.
In the Philippines, the Fujifilm instax Pal 2 retails for PhP 10,599, while the Fujifilm instax Link WIDE 2 is priced at PhP 10,999. Both devices are now available on Fujifilm’s authorized stores and retailers nationwide.
Cameras
Sony introduces its 1st Fisheye Zoom G Lens
Broad range for landscapes, architecture, sports, and video production
Sony has just launched its first fisheye zoom G Lens for full-frame Alpha E-mount cameras: the Sony FE 8-14mm F3.5 Fisheye G. It will be available from late September for an SRP of US$ 1,599.99 / SG$ 2,049.
The 8 mm to 14 mm zoom focal range covers a broad set of fisheye perspectives in one compact lens.
At 8 mm, the lens shoots circular fisheye with a 180-degree angle of view projected as a circular image on a full-frame sensor.
Meanwhile, at 14 mm, it shoots diagonal fisheye across the full frame with a 180-degree diagonal angle of view.
Users can match the angle of view and composition to the subject and creative intent, across various scenarios like landscapes, architecture, sports, and more.
An optical design with ED (extra-low dispersion) glass and aspherical elements suppresses chromatic and other aberrations across the image area.
This enables high resolution throughout the zoom range with fast and precise autofocus and Linear Response MF. All these while suppressing focus breathing and operating quietly for movie production.
Controls include a focus mode switch, zoom lock switch, and an aperture ring with switchable click stops.
A minimum focusing distance of 0.15 meters and maximum magnification of 0.22x at the telephoto end also allow close-up fisheye perspectives both for stills and movies.
The Sony FE 8-14mm F3.5 Fisheye G measures about 63.1 mm in maximum diameter and 82.8 mm in length.
It weights about 314 grams, giving it mobility for handheld, gimbal, and rig-based shooting. It is also dust and moisture-resistant with a fluorine coating on the front.
In addition, users can opt for a dual-lens configuration with the VENCE Extension System Mini.
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