Alwin Kok

TTArtisan 40mm f2.8 – A Macro Lens For Street
I am lucky to have had the opportunity to test quite a fair amount of manual lenses but this is the second macro manual lens I have tested thus far. So testing a manual macro lens is still a new thing for me. Usually, I use a macro lens for 2 genres and that is…
Meike 60mm f2.8 – Compactly Good
Since my DSLR era, I have had a soft spot for macro lenses. Not because I love to shoot insects or flowers, but because I love to use them for product shoots. Till today, I am still using a macro lens for most of the product shoots in this blog. Intro The Meike 60mm f2.8…
The Not So Serious Comparision: XF 18-55mm VS Sigma 18-50mm
As the title suggests, please take this comparison with a pinch of salt. It’s just for fun and nothing too technical to share and discuss. This is something I did not try before but there is always a first time. First thing first, why compare these 2 lenses? My reason is simple. They are approximately…
Meike 35mm f0.95 – Another f0.95 Contender
I can’t deny that 35mm (50mm in full-frame equivalent) is one of the favorite focal lengths among most photographers. And I see why the manufacturers are releasing this focal length at a higher priority and more frequently (with various aperture values) than any other focal length. Having said that, we, photographers, have so many options…
Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 – Fast & Compact
Intro When it comes to third-party zoom lenses, Fujifilm photographers do not have many options. If I remember correctly, Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 DC DN Contemporary is the 3rd zoom lens (among the third-party lenses), and it is the first zoom lens from Sigma for Fuji available in the market. Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 was announced way…
Little India – FFB Midweek Photowalk
Another week another Photowalk. In fact, it is just 4 days apart from the preview Photowalk. This is organized by Ivan Joshua Loh. For the first time ever, this Photowalk falls on a weekday, Wednesday. Thanks to the Fujifanboys, the weekday turnup rate is very high. To make things interesting, there is also a small…
XF56mm f1.2 WR – Almost There. Almost Perfect
TLDR This is one of Fujifilm’s finest and best optical lenses that Fuji fanboys and fangirls should consider owning. Especially if you do not own any portrait lenses and plan to get one, you may consider this gem. I know it’s not a cheap lens, so save up the money and aim for this one.…
Exploring Potong Pasir with Fujifanboys Photowalk
This is the first FFB photowalk in 2023. In this photowalk, we are happy to collab with Mezame from Zhiyun and Momotaru. Also, thank Mr. Iwata and Jasper from Fujifilm Singapore for attending this wonderful photowalk. Once again, we would like to special thanks to Fujifilm Singapore, Zhiyun, Boundary Supply, and Momotaru for sponsoring this…
SmallRig Retro Handheld Cage Kit for Fujifilm X-T5
I thank Ivan Joshua Loh from Fujifanboys for lending me this handheld cage for a short review. Before I begin, allow me to clarify, I am not a videographer so I cannot speak about how good the handling of this product is while filming. What I will share is my first impression of it, my…
Viltrox 75mm f1.2 – The First Pro
When I first saw the teaser post from Fuji rumors, my impression was that this is going to be hot selling one within the Fujifilm community if it is priced right. And the turn out to be quite true. At the price of 549 USD, Viltrox priced it so attractively and it sold out immediately…
Rokinon 35mm f1.2 – Surprisingly . Good .
One fine day, Ivan posted the Rokinon deal on the Fujifanboys Facebook group. It was Rokinon 85mm f1.4 and it was quite a good deal at about 68 SGD (51 USD) or less. I was not tempted somehow. A moment later, Ivan posted yet another Rokinon deal and it was shared by Rayz Lee (a…
TTArtisan 50mm Tilt f1.4 – Tilting My Point Of View
I think TTArtisan loves “50mm” a lot. They have lots of choices for this mid-telephoto focal length. TTArtisan has the brightest 50mm, the most compact 50mm variants, and now they have introduced the 4th “50mm” and it has the most distinctive function among all their lenses; the tilt function. Similar to the compact 50mm, this…
Kodak Ektar H35 – Reliving Nostalgia In Me
My memory of my childhood is somehow considered “Childhood Amnesia”. I do not remember many personal milestones or achievements I had when I was young. As for photography, I remember I used a film camera before during a family outing or two. I also know it was an autofocus point-and-shoot film camera but I no…
My Favorite Photos in 2022
The year 2022 was another fruitful year for me. Of the 28 posts I have posted this year, 21 are reviews of camera gears and lenses. I also had a small achievement by getting 100k views on this blog this year (A big thank you, everyone!). It is challenging to juggle my job, photo shoots,…
XF30mm f2.8 – Fuji’s Smallest Macro Lens
XF30mm f2.8 R LM WR macro, I will call it XF30mm f2.8 here, was first teased in Fujifilm X Summit Omiya 2022 and then finally announced together with X-T5 on the Fujifilm X Summit Tokyo 2022. This lens also marked the “last of 10th anniversary of X mount” released in 2022. Before I share further,…
XF18-120mm – Meet The “Worst” Lens of 2022
If you are aware, DPReview TV has done it again. Yes, this is the second time DPReview commented that the Fujifilm XF lens is not sharp, and unfortunately, XF18-120mm f4 is that lens. The first one was back in 2020 and they commented that the XF50mm f1 was soft. In DPReview TV, they have this…
FunLeader Caplens 18mm f8 Pro – Always Ready To Shoot
We all know the function and purpose of a camera rear body cap. It is to cover and protect the sensor when it is not in use. That’s simple. Some of us might even be aware of some interesting body caps such as Fujifilm XM-FL 24mm, 7artisans 18mm f6.3, or other pinhole body cap lenses.…
TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 – The Second Fastest Lens
TTArtisan has just announced yet another fast, bright lens. The TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 is the second lens after TTArtisan 50mm f0.95. If you are a fan of TTArtisan or somehow followed them closely, you will notice that they are slowly expanding and differentiating their product line-up. While they focus on compactness and portability lenses like…
Fujifilm X-T5 – Photography First Again
My most anticipated camera is finally here. I skipped X-T4 not because it is not a worthy camera to upgrade. An improved battery and In-Body Image Stabilization are most welcome. But something I am unexpected back then is that it came with a fold-out fully articulated screen. Partly because I love how the 3-way tilting…
TTArtisan 25mm f2 – A Tiny Street Lens
TTArtisan focuses very much on portability and compactness and TTArtisan 25mm f2 is another product born from this idea. Before I begin, I thank TTArtisan for their tremendous support towards me. For readers out there, you can rest assured that I am and always give my honest opinions for their products and that’s including this…
TTArtisan AF 27mm f2.8 – The First
TTArtisan had been teasing us about their very first autofocus (AF) lens since September 2021. While there was very little information shared about the 32mm f2.8 lens, the only thing we know is that it will be available for various camera systems. However, the much anticipated AF lens did not arrive in many systems except…
FujiFanBoys Presents: Strobe Photography Workshops!
All thanks to Ivan and all the main sponsors to make this workshop happened! This is a good opportunity for many photographers who want to explore and learn more with strobe photography, Profoto lights, Eizo monitor, the cable from Tether tools and hands-on with the newly launched X-H2. A total of 3 sessions were organized…
X-H2 – The best of what APS-C can be (Part II)
4 months later, here comes the second flagship camera from Fujifilm, the X-H2. Every camera manufacturer usually releases one flagship camera to showcase the state-of-the-art technologies that they offer. But this is not the case for Fujifilm, they have a different approach, instead of releasing one flagship camera, they release two flagship cameras. Come to…
Photo Trip in Melaka
This is my first time travelling oversea with a group of photography enthusiasts. It’s a short 2 days 2 nights photo trip in Melaka (also known as Malacca), Malaysia. To make this happens, Fujifilm Singapore organized together with Fujifilm Malaysia and a photography community called Photojam. This is my first oversea trip since Covid-19 and…
TTArtisan 50mm f2 – A Tiny Portrait lens
I think TTArtisan has a soft spot for “50mm” and they released the 50mm f0.95 not too long ago. And now, TTArtisan had just released its third 50mm lens and it is the most compact 50mm lens TTArtisan ever made but it is the slowest in the lineup yet. But there is something different about…
Laowa 10mm f4 Cookie – The Modestly Priced Compact Ultra-wide lens
Usually, for the same focal length, there are basically 2 paths for making it. The first one is to make with better optic, faster, brighter and premium price tagged lens. The second one is to make a smaller, compact and wisely priced lens. And this Laowa 10mm f4 is the later one. Laowa Lenses (also…
Fujifanboys Photowalk At Railway Corridor
It’s always good to know more good people in photowalk, sharing the good things about photography, gear and experience they had. And not forget the good guy in Cles Distribution for loaning the Tamron 18-300mm and Tamron 17-70mm in this walk. We started with a visit to the newly rejuvenated Bukit Timah Railway Station in…
X-H2S – The best of what APS-C can be
Before all else, I would like to thank Ms Carmen, Marketing Manager of Fujifilm Singapore, for loaning the X-H2S for review. By the time this review is online, the camera unit had returned back to Fujifilm Singapore. Get started After months of waiting and numerous rumours flying over the internet, the X-H2S was finally announced…
Tamron 17-70mm – The Best General Purpose Lens?
To begin with, I would like to special thanks to Cles Distribution of Tamron Singapore for giving me the opportunity to loan the Tamron 17-70mm f2.8 Di III-A VC RXD (Model B070X) for Fuji mount for this review. At the time of releasing this review, I returned the loan unit to Cles Distribution. Intro Tamron…
Fujifilm X-H2S Launch Event – Singapore
Today is the official launch event for Fuji X-H2S in Singapore and I am lucky enough to get invited for attending this event. This event comes with some outdoor activities and then a lunch session to end it. I feel that this is a very unique way to launch a product. To keep things simple,…
XF18-120mm -A Good Zoom Lens for Photographers?
First of all, I would like to thank Ms Carmen, Marketing Manager of Fujifilm Singapore, for loaning the XF18-120mm and X-S10. By the time this review is online, the units had returned back to Fujifilm Singapore. In this hands-on experience, I used this lens for photography only and nothing related to videography. Because I do…
The First Ever FujiFanBoys Photo Walk
I have organized quite a few small groups of photo walk for the past 2 years but this is the first photo walk organized under the name of FujiFanBoys Facebook Group. I am excited because this is my first attempt to organize with Ivan Joshua Loh with such a huge group size together. In case…
Is X-H2S Priced Right?
X-summit Omiya 2022 has come and gone. It was an announcement of something we have expected and something that we are unexpected. Thanks to the hints from the previous X-summit and rumors websites, we are pretty much prepared for gears such as X-H2S, XF18-120mm, and XF150-600mm to be announced in this X-summit and truly, they…
TTArtisan 50mm f0.95 – The Fastest Lens Again
Before anything else, I would like to thank TTArtisan for sending this lens for my review. I appreciate their support to make this post a reality. Intro While I am still waiting for the TTArtisan first-ever autofocus lens available for X-mount, TTArtisan decided to surprise everyone with the first-ever f0.95 extreme fast lens. I wrote…
Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2 – Hello To The Premium Manual Lens
Thanks to my friend Ivan Wong for giving me the opportunity to play with his latest lens, the Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.2, for a week. Unfortunately due to my unforeseen workload, I only get to try this lens for 4 days before I have to return the lens to him. So this is a pretty…
Sigma 56mm f1.4 – The Most Compact Portrait Lens
Before I start with this experience sharing post, I would like to thank and appreciate Mr Lawson from Sigma Marketing (Singapore) for providing me with the loan of Sigma 56mm f1.4 Contemporary DC DN. Intro Fujifilm has never lacked of lens choices for portrait shooters to choose from. And there are even massive options available…
Sigma 16mm f1.4 – A Good Alternative to XF16mm f1.4?
First and foremost, I would like to thank and appreciate Mr Lawson from Sigma Marketing (Singapore) for loaning me the Sigma 16mm f1.4 Contemporary DC DN lens for making this review possible. Intro Similar to Sigma 30mm f1.4 Contemporary DC DN, I refer to Sigma 16mm f1.4 Contemporary DC DN as “Sigma 16mm f1.4” in…
Sigma 30mm f1.4 – Never Too Late
First of all, allow me to thank Mr Lawson from Sigma Marketing (Singapore) for loaning me the Sigma 30mm f1.4 Contemporary DC DN lens for a review. I appreciate his support to make this review a reality. Intro Sigma 30mm f1.4 Contemporary DC DN (I will just call it Sigma 30mm in short for the…
X-E4: Minimalism = Limitation?
Is minimalism equal to limitation? In a way, yes. Minimalism is by keeping things as simple as possible, limited yet still functioning as what it suppose to be. In this case, X-E4 has done it and did it right. It has the most minimalistic design Fujifilm has ever created. The design is a bold move.…
XF23mm f1.4 R – is the Classic still worth buying in 2022?
After three months of delay, the successor of the classic XF23mm f1.4 R has finally arrived on our shore this month. While the price of the newly launched lens is priced at USD 900, the predecessor is easily available between USD 600 to 700~ ish. Is it worth saving the $200 ~ $300 difference? In…
XF23mm f1.4 WR: The King of Street Lens
First and foremost, I appreciate Mr. Keitaro So, Divisional Head of Fujifilm Asia Pacific, for his generosity in providing the loan for the XF23mm f1.4 R LM WR and Fuji X-S10. By the time this review is online, the units had returned back to Fujifilm Asia Pacific. On a side note XF23mm f1.4 WR (I…
My Top 12 Most Favorite Photos in 2021
2021 comes and goes. In this pandemic year, I have gained quite fruitful experiences. In this year, I have a total of 22 posts, 11 of them are reviews of camera gears and lenses. All thanks to the opportunities given by Mr. Keitaro So, Divisional Head of Fujifilm, and Cles Distribution of Tamron Singapore and…
Looking back my Japan trip in monochrome
It was a blink of an eye that 2 years has passed since my last overseas holiday trip. It was in November 2019 and then covid-19 begans. Friends who know me and follow my Instagram are kinda irate about me sharing my belated Japan trip photos since early this year. (It is coming to an…
Staycation with XF23mm f1.4 WR
It’s the time of the year where people spend their holidays overseas. Although there are countries open up with the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL), we decide to have a short staycation in one of the hotels in the heart of the Singapore shopping belt. All thanks to Mr. Keitaro So, Divisional Head of Fujifilm Asia…
TTArtisan 17mm f1.4: The Economical Ultra-wide Angle Lens
Due to my work and other personal commitment, this short lens review takes me quite a while to write and share. Here is the review: I win the TTArtisan 17mm f1.4 over an online photography competition early this year. Coincidentally, this lens completes the uncostly quaternity lenses of my Fujifilm camera setup. Together with the…
TTArtisan 23mm f1.4 – The affordable wide-angle lens
First of all, I would like to thank TTArtisan for inviting me to review this lens and it is my privilege to do so. Nevertheless, you can rest assured that this review will be based on the lens I received and it is purely on my own opinion. Special thanks to Den Poh for lending…
Tamron 18-300mm: The Best All-Rounder Lens?
Special thanks to Cles Distribution of Tamron Singapore for giving me the opportunity to loan the Tamron 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD (Model B061) for Fuji mount for a review. At the time of releasing this review, I have returned the loan unit to Cles Distribution. Disclaimer:1. All the shots taken here are shot by…
XF33mm F1.4: The “epic” lens for the next decade
Before all else, I would like to thank Mr. Keitaro So, Divisional Head of Fujifilm for providing the loan for X-E4 and XF33mm F1.4. The units were loaned from Fujifilm Asia Pacific and had returned back to them. Disclaimer:1. All the shots taken here are shot by me.2. Some of the shots are straight out of the…
GFX 50S II: A Taste of “More Than Full Frame”
Before I begin, I would like to thank Mr. Keitaro So, Divisional Head of Fujifilm for providing the loan for GFX 50S II, GF 45mm, GF 50mm, GF 80mm, and GF 32-64mm. The units were loaned from Fujifilm Asia Pacific and had returned back to them by the time of releasing this review. Disclaimer:1. All the…
Staycation With GFX 50S II
It was a last minute arrangement with Mr. Keitaro So, Divisional Head of Fujifilm for providing the loan unit of GFX 50S II and 4 GF lenses (GF 45mm f2.8, 50mm f3.5, 80mm f1.7 and GF32-64mm f4). We discussed over the night and the gears are on my hands the very next day. I am…
X-PRO 1 – Can I still use it in 2022?
Since we are just a few months away from the year 2022, please allow me to jump into 2022 instead of 2021. First thing first, yes, you can still use it to shoot. A camera is a camera, it is still capable of doing what it is designed to do. What I cannot answer is…
TTArtisan 50mm F1.2 – The fastest lens from TTArtisan
Recently, I have written a short review on the TTArtisan 7.5mm F2 lens and I have had this TTArtisan 50mm F1.2 with me for about 6 months now. So I think it should be nice to share my opinion with this lens as well. I am no stranger to a 50mm (75mm in 35mm equivalent)…
Viewing my world with TTArtisan 7.5mm F2
First and foremost, I would like to thank TTArtisan for inviting me to review this lens and it is my privilege to do so. Nevertheless, you can rest assured that this review will not be biased and it is purely in my own opinion. Disclaimer:1. All the shots taken here are shot by me.2. Some of…
First hospitalization after 2 decades
The History I went to Ng Teng Fong (NTF) General Hospital A&E on 25 July 2021. It was my 4th gastric cramp in 6 weeks. On my first encounter with gastric cramp at night on 13 June 2021, it started at about 8pm and the pain did not go off since then. After 3 hours…
My “40mm” point of view
In 2012, Canon announced the EF 40mm F2.8 STM. It was one of the affordable and compact lenses in the whole EF lenses lineup. As this lens could allow my Canon 6D to be more compact and lightweight, I bought it without hesitation. I cannot say it has the best image quality that this brand…
The Last Photowalk Before The Start of CB Phase 2 (HA) Again
Singapore has entered Circuit Breaker Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) again due to the rise of Delta variant in multiple new clusters. Fortunately, the Fujifans managed to meet up for a morning photowalk. Over here, I will not disclose what Fujifilm camera I am using. You can make a guess and comment down below. All photos…
The First Photowalk Since CB Phase 2 (HA)
Circuit Breaker Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) started on 16 May 2021 and lasted for a month. As we are now moving into Phase 2 of re-opening, we started out with a small group of gangs for a small photowalk in the morning at the Kebun Baru Birdsinging club and the neighbourhood around it. I also…
What will be the future for the legendary 35mm?
As we all know, the XF35mm F1.4 is probably one of the legendary lenses in Fujifilm 10 years of X-series. Most of the Fujifilm photographers who use it, love it and praise it. So am I. The noisy focusing motor can be easily forgiven by the impressive results coming out from the optical magic that…
Street walk with XF70-300mm
Finally, I have the opportunity to use my XF70-300mm for a street shoot. It is a fun photowalk with fellow Fuji fanboys and girl. We spend more time having conversations while walking, and also resting & hydrating ourselves. I think we still manage to take some wonderful shots. Talking about using this lens for street,…
The Art of Balancing Bokeh
Bokeh is derived from a Japanese word “ぼけ” (Boke). In case someone don’t know, it is referring to the out-of-focus blur background/foreground created. It is often used to separate unwanted thing from the subject you wish to present in your photos. Japanese photographers also often use “Tama bokeh” means round/ball bubbly bokeh and “Mae bokeh”…
XF18mm F1.4: Welcome to the F1.4 Family
First of all, I would like to thank Mr. Keitaro So, Divisional Head of Fujifilm for providing the loan for X-S10 and XF18mm F1.4. The units were loaned from Fujifilm Asia Pacific and had returned back to them. All the shots shown here are taken by me and some shots are minor edit inside the…
Oppo Find X3 Pro – Is it really “Awaken Color”?
First of all, I would like to thank Oppo Singapore for providing the loan for Oppo Find X3 Pro. The unit was loaned and had returned back to them. All the shots shown here are taken by me and some shots were edited with minor adjustments in the photo itself. In this review, I am…
A small walk in the Jewel
If it is not seeing my colleague one last time before he heading back to his country, I would not have this opportunity to visit Jewel Changi Airport. It was almost a year since my last visit to the Jewel and everything still looks the same, just added a few more barricades and scanning counters.…
A honest A7C hands-on experience review from a Fuji fanboy
First of all, I would like to thank Sony Singapore for providing the loan for Sony A7C, Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM and Sony FE 85mm F1.8. The units were loaned and had returned back to them. All the shots shown here are taken by me and some shots were edited with minor adjustments with…
A Lazy Street Photography
I was at City Hall and was having a coffee time with a friend. Then I decided to meet my wife at Vivo city for a dinner. As usual, I love to see things while commuting, so I choose to commute by bus than train. While on my way to the destination, I saw some…
Convenience over image quality
Recently, my friend engage me for photographing advise. He bought a DSLR with a 18-300mm lens 8 months ago. I shall not name the brand as I think the discussion over here is not about the brand. How it was started is that he noticed my posts in Instagram on a similar event as he…
It has been awhile…
I have stopped posting for 3 months due to work, hobby and family. Here are my updates. I have been shooting on the street more often from the start of “Circuit Breaker” phase 2. After months of staying at home, carrying my Fuji cameras around Singapore to fulfil my shutter therapy is awesome. You can…
Fuji Fanboys 2nd Annual Best of Show Exhibition
Early this year, the biggest Fuji Fanboy, Ivan Joshua Loh, had organized the “Best of Show” Exhibition in it’s 2nd year. This is an interesting exhibition, there is no theme or genre at all. Be it landscape, cityscape, sports, macro, fashion, foods or portraits. He has only one rule and it has to be “Fujifilm”…
Budget & Camera
Buying camera is never an easy task to being with. Of course, if budget is not an issue, you can purchase what you want off the shelf from the store immediately. But there are still a group of people who are more cautious about money spending, especially for the young one, be it a student…
Which camera suits you?
Every now and then, there will be some friends asking me about what camera to get. A gear that is able to get beautiful shot of their lovely subjects. I am glad they approached me to help them with making their decisions. I hope I can assist them to understand what they need before spending…
My Stay Home Series
“In view of the COVID-19, Singapore Prime Minister first announced the “Circuit Breaker” (CB) measures in 3rd April 2020 that kicked in four days later and last for a month, forcing people to stay at home and work from home at much as possible in effort to limit the virus’ spread. While there are many…
My First X100
X100 was announced back in Photokina 2010. Lots of praise from the media and online reviewers. Fujifilm nailed the design of the retro-style enthusiast rangefinder camera with traditional analogue control dials. It was a great hit and instantly built up a large pool of fans base. I am one of them but… Here’s the “but”……
Travelling Oversea with One Lens
When travelling overseas, regardless on work assignments or personal trips, I will bring at least 4 lenses with me. Three primes lenses and one zoom lens. Of which, one is an ultra wide lens (9mm – When travelling overseas, regardless on work assignments or personal trips, I will bring at least 4 lenses with me.…
X-E3 and Me
Before I shared about my encounter with X-E3, X-E2 was the first that caught my attention in the X-E lineup. From the official images, it was a very sleek, beautifully designed retro style rangefinder camera. I thought it was as big as X-Pro series and without an OVF. Until I saw the online reviews, then…
I. Me. Myself.
Hello to all readers! I am a 37 years old Engineer, a Husband, an fanboy and a Fuji Fanboy from Singapore. In this blog, I will share my opinions and my views across various electronic products. Cut the long story short, I will just share my love journey with Fujifilm. I always tell people…
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