Recently I was invited to attend a round table discussion with Canon UK, which was organised by Canoncamerabuzz. It was an opportunity for me and a few other professional photographers to see the whole lineup of Canon’s DSLRs (including the brand new 1D MrkIV, which started shipping this week) in the same room, and hear about some of the processes behind developing new bodies and lenses.

I didn’t really have any expectations for the evening, apart from getting to fiddle with the 1Ds MrkIII (which was very satisfying indeed – I still definitely cavort over it more than the new 1D MrkIV). What I came away with was a clearer understanding behind Canon’s decisions for their line-up and who the average end user actually is (i.e. not me). As professionals, we tend to have a bit of a skewed perspective on what the next camera models should do and what kind of features they should, or shouldn’t, possess. Add to that the fact that for someone like me, coming from a film background, it’s hard to get my head around the fact that the majority of dSLR consumers these days have never even used film, which was kind of clarified to me when I was questioning why the 1D MrkIV isn’t full frame. As it goes, the market for full frame isn’t as big as I would have though. For me, it’s the only sensible thing to do but, as product specialist Mark Burnhill from Canon UK explained, the majority of dSLR users are of an age that have always shot with a crop sensor, and that’s what they find ‘normal’. To me, that seems completely perplexing! When I started my move to digital, via an EOS 350D and 20D, I felt restricted, not only in what I saw through the viewfinder, but in the fact that I couldn’t use my lenses to their full effect. So when I finally got my hands on the 5D, and subsequently the 5D MkII which I now use, it literally felt like I could breathe normally again. Until I now heard Mark rationalise the issue for me, I couldn’t for the life of me understand why someone wouldn’t want a full frame camera.

The other interesting fact was how infinitely bigger the market is for the lower end models, the pro end of the line is practically a drop in the ocean when it comes to Canon’s dSLR sales. Obviously that is going to have an affect on what the development efforts will be concentrated on. Interesting no? Perhaps this has always been obvious to everyone else, but I’ve never really even considered all of this when scratching my head about why there are so many crop sensor models, and a dizzying amount of different lower-end models with only marginal differences, about. A shocked shiver went through the room when Mark asked us what we thought of the possibility of coloured dSLR bodies, apparently that’s the latest demand from the Japanese market. Uh huh. Give me a pink Ixus to slip into my pocket any time, but please leave that sort of gimmicks out of the ‘proper’ cameras I say!

After all these ‘revelations’, my position hasn’t really changed. Ever since I started using SLR’s in the early 90′s Canon has, and always will be, the manufacturer for me, and in my opinion their lenses are head and shoulders above the rest. And the fact that even after looking at the realities of ‘where the real money is’, they keep on developing new and exciting pro gear for us to play with is a testament to Canon’s dedication to quality picture-making.

How was that for sounding like a real Canon fan girl (which of course I am)? :D

I know, I know, I need to blog about what’s been happening on the house-hunting front, about Cornwall and all the other stuff that I haven’t had time to blog aboout. Soon, I promise. Well, perhaps not a firm promise, but at least a promise to attempt!

Last night I attended another quizzy quiz organised by 3 as part of the 3mobilebuzz team.

The Alphabet Bar was decked out in a very festive manner. One of the bonus rounds involved creating a gingerbread man. Here’s my scary effort.

@michchapman & @phaslehurst

@liamgh representing.

First mince pies of the year (for those who actually like them… ie not me :P).

@liamgh, @michchapman, @pebaline and moi.

Stuff Magazine won the coveted trophy. For some mysterious reason we came last. Even though we only got like 3 questions wrong! Obviously a fix I say…

Some people get excited on night buses…

Oh and by the way, this was the first night of really testing my new G11 in some challenging conditions. Considering it was really dark, and I’m pretty pleased with how it performs. But obviously it never will beat a proper SLR with a good lens, as is clear from the previous 3popquiz pictures…

Too right! Found this via Kai.

The thing is, I am interested in a lot of things. I am what could be called an enthusiast in a lot of different fields, and often those areas don’t necessarily relate to each other. So what do you do if you don’t want to alienate anyone? Is it possible to relate to everyone? While this really wasn’t such an issue before, it was something I had to get my head around when setting up my wedding photography business. It was quite clear that the business needed to be a separate entity from everything else – it makes no sense for a bride to be reading about gadgets or trips to the hairdressers. But then again, I had quite a widely spread online identity as mnoo (from dA to pretty much every other service there is), and mnoo.com was pretty established at that point in terms of showcasing my personal photography, so it would have been a waste not to use that presence to drive traffic, and more importantly, to allow for a more in-depth picture of me. And why is that important? Well, because in any business, which is built around you and your skill, and where you deal with the end customer directly, you are effectively selling yourself. You want to attract clients who can relate to you and your personality, and your clients need to feel like they ‘know you’, and thus, can trust you.

There are people out there who are very suspicious of laying it all out online. I think, in this day and age, there is really no place to hide. If you want to make the most of your opportunities, you just have to be out there. As transparently as possible. And wouldn’t you want to be the one in charge of how your identity is perceived in any case?

Right, did I have a point in my head somewhere when I started. I guess what I was thinking about today, was how my wedding customers reading my Twitter might get confused about what I get up to. And how those people coming to this blog for pretty pictures of flowers might get bored by the gadgetry things, and the gadgetry people by the wardrobe silliness. But the thing is, this blog, and especially Twitter, is just purely all the things I am about. And it’s not thought-out or aimed at any specific reader, it’s just about me putting it out there – regardless of whether it’s ‘of value’ to anyone. I am interested in a variety of things and get excited over different non-related events. And I couldn’t for the life of me edit myself down to just one clearly branded – soberly positioned – identity, with one specific interest. It’s all me, and if that’s confusing to some, then so be it.

This is me: photographer, wife, magazine designer, Finn, internet addict, cinema lover, gig goer, technology enthusiast, fashion fun (for everyone) advocate, gadget twiddler, social networking fiend, traveller, lover of words…. who loves colours, pretty things, reading books in one go, weddings, open mindedness, meeting new people and chocolate.

We started off from the 3 stand, above. Pictured are our hosts Seb and Matt, with a fellow blogger, Rocktographer. Our first challenge set the pace for the day really.

We plunged head first into the, sometimes bizarre, world of all things gadgetry.

All the boys really loved the Nvidia 3D gaming and Roland V-Drums demos. The Minoru 3D webcam though, not so much. I tried it with the glasses and couldn’t really understand what the point of it was. There was also a puzzling amount of all sort of ass-jiggling equipment on show, which made for some amusing viewing at times.

Above are the most useless, and the most bizarre gadgets, that I chose for my challenge. I really couldn’t understand why anyone would want to wear an ugly thing like the Swap ‘smart watch’, which is a watch+phone+camera+mp3 player etc, etc, all in one, when you could just, you know, use your phone. LG had a similar product on their stand, called the 3G Touch Watch Phone (LG-GD910), which looked a tiny bit more attractive, but still, I would classify these as completely useless. Perhaps in the future, when all that technology can be packed into small enough space to look at least remotely appealing on your wrist, I might start warming up to the idea. What I found to be the most bizarre aspect of the show was the multiple stands for different companies selling electric cigarettes, such as the E-Lites. Just say no.

Here are some of the gadgets that managed to raise my pulse somewhat. I really liked the look of the Emtec Movie Cube S800, attractive and useful, what more could you ask for in a gadget. I gave the ‘most innovative’ title to the Wattson energy monitor (no picture of that sorry!) from DIY Kyoto, which was an absurdly sleek looking for such a ‘green’ and sensible device. Oh and also, the Sony OLED TV’s were pretty damn impressive. But what I found most sexy and desirable (as per the challenge) though, was the Vita audio system, possibly mostly for it’s absolutely beautiful design. And the dude demonstrating it for me wasn’t half bad either! :P

My second challenge was to find something that could take my photography to the next level. I must say, the camera gear on show didn’t do an awful lot for me, but then it wasn’t a camera show and not aimed at professionals. The top model there was the 5DmkII, which I already use. I did drool over the Canon PIXMA 9500 at the Warehouse Express stand though (never mind that they didn’t have the Canon PIXMA Pro9500 Mark II on show), it would be kind of great to be able to make A3 prints, but I could never find the space for such a monster! I did manage to make two purchases though, in the shape of a Gorillapod and a mini umbrella/flash bracket kit for my 580EX II.

The most dense gathering of geeks was around these pretty cool RoboSteel sculptures, which are hand-made from scrap metal auto-parts. They were pretty slick I must say, but then again, I was part of the gathering! :P

The girl in me really warmed to the different sleeves for gadgets on show. While DigiSkins had the widest selection of skins on their stand – some of them really cool designs – I for some reason preferred the smaller stand for Wrappz. Their skins seemed somehow more durable, and also they were the only ones offering software for completely customisable skins, which I think is pretty rad. I got a few samples from Wrappz and thought I’d give them out as I don’t own either of the devices they’re for. If you want to win a skin for either a Sony PSP 3000 or an iPhone 3G, comment on this entry with your preference and I’ll draw a winner sometime next weekend (unless no-one’s interested that is!).

We wrapped up the day in the Sony Super Theatre, where we got to enjoy a live show hosted by the presenters of The Gadget Show: Jason Bradbury, Suzi Perry and Jon Bentley. For the first time in my life I was a VIP, which meant I got to sit on a blue seat instead of a green one. :D Awesome. The show was good fun, with a lot of interactive games with the audience. It was a nice way to end the day.

It was a long old day (and I know I whined enough about getting up at such early hour!), and train delays meant I wasn’t home until after 9pm. But it was all good fun – I got to see a lot of toys, and got to know new interesting people. So I’d say it was well worth it!

Last night I attended a pub quiz organised by 3, titled Spring Flings and Social Butterflies. T3 walked away with the trophy (they had a huge team, mind!). Our INQ1 Timelines team of bloggers came 7th out of 9 teams, which was a bit rubbish. I did own the celebrity babydaddy round though, possibly something not to be proud of. Anyways, it was good fun, and turned into a longer night than I expected. This week has me so beaten that I can barely string a sentence together at the moment, so I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

@michChapman

@kaichanvong

@rem0te

We were allowed to use our phones to ‘cheat’.

Clever people were filming the video round. Not sure why that bloke from CSI was there though.

@Matt_Paradise

Despite me trying everything in my power to synch the INQ with my computer, I just could not get it to work. Not sure if it was the truly craptastic sofware, my Windows Vista 64-bit, or both, but after hours of tearing my hair out I just gave up. It’s a shame really as I really wanted to love all sides of the INQ, but in order to use it as a real phone I just need to have all my contacts and calendar synched. Same goes for getting pictures and music in and out of it. No matter how many times I was told I could connect it as a portable hard drive, I could not copy anything to or from the phone. Meh.

Given all the synching problems, I’m actually quite surprised how I much I do use it though. The fact that you can be connected to people without having your whole traditional phone book on your phone, goes to show how the idea of the INQ is very much on the right track. Social media is such a powerful tool for keeping in touch these days that you almost don’t miss the traditional ways of communicating.

One thing where the people behind the INQ have seriously missed a trick though, is with the design of the phone. It’s been given this generic metallic hi-end mobile device look, not far off from my Nokia 6500s for example. However, when you pick the phones up, the difference becomes obvious. The INQ just feels so much… cheaper. Despite the metallic look, it has a plastic-y, light feel to it, instead of the feeling of a quality product. With a product that you hold in your hand it’s not enough to just ‘look’ a certain way, and with the INQ the look and the feel just don’t correlate. I’ve been using it for less than two months and already the metallic coating on the navigation button is showing signs of wear – not good.

Taking into consideration the ethos of the phone – young, forward-thinking, affordable – I have no idea why they have gone for this mock hi-end design. I think the designers should have gone completely the different direction. If the INQ came in pretty colours (and maybe also in white), reminiscent of the original mini ipods, but with a Japanese-gadgets-inspired hard plastic with rounded corners as material, I think it would be an instant hit with the younger demographic who are most likely to be interested in the INQ in the first place. Also, since they went to all the trouble of commissioning artists to create original artwork, which was used on the ‘manual’ cards (how many times will anyone look at those? Once, I bet – the first time they open the box.), why not take that idea one step further and have the artwork actually on the phone? I think all of the images would work great on the handset, either as hard plastic covers or even as changeable picture under a clear plastic cover. Now there’s a unique product that would interest just the people the INQ is aimed at…

The ultimate most annoying thing about the INQ however is something a lot more practical, or not, as the case may be – battery life. Taking into consideration the fact that I’m not even making phone calls, it’s incomprehensible to me that the battery hardly lasts a day. I charge the handset every night, and even so on some days it dies on me before the day is through. That just seems completely unacceptable to me. Also, let’s not even go into the decision to have just a usb connection for the charger and the headphones… what silliness.

Kind of annoyed that I can’t offer any more in depth reviews on the camera and music side of the phone. But for what’s it worth, even in it’s half-baked state, the INQ has proven to be a useful little part of my gadget family.

And I guess it’s gotten a few other people hooked as well since it just won GSMA’s award for Best Mobile Handset at the Global Mobile Awards 2009.

(Just remembered I’ve done a similar one before a couple of years’ ago.)

1. Put your iTunes/Napster/Zune Player/WinAmp/etc on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4. Tag 10 or more friends who might enjoy doing this as well as the person you got it from.

IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY?
I can’t believe it’s not love!

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Reacharound

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Grey gardens

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?
Bloodbeat

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Silent all these years

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Better do better

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Losing my mind

WHAT IS 2+2?
Free until they cut me down

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Children in bloom

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Get home

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
The rain must fall

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Passing by

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Open your eyes

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Talking to strangers

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Unsung psalm

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Hypnotize

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Sweet religion

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Martha’s foolish ginger

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Close up

WHAT’S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
False alarm

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Help me Mary

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Confessions of a teenage girl

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Dark side

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Primitive

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
No cheap thrill

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
The letter

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Special needs

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Chasing cars

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Calling love

WHAT WILL YOU RE-POST THIS AS?
Pleading my time

–

I’ll pass this on to anyone who feels like doing it!

As a side note, if I was ever to be unfaithful to my baby, it would be with this gorgeous Vivienne Tam Special Edition HP Mini 1000. Just look at it, how gorgeous can this tiny beauty be!