The Holidays

It's getting very close to Christmas now and I just wanted to say Merry Christmas to my family and I hope for good things in the New Year for everyone.

Hopefully that includes employment.  Got an interview later today!  :-)

PlayStation 3

I want one.  Not only does it play PS3 games, but it also plays Blu-Ray movies!  I want the PS3 120GB console, an extra controller, Rock Band 2, Grand Theft Auto IV and...whenever they get around to releasing it...Gran Turismo 5.  GT5: Prologue will suffice in the meantime, though.

Do you hear me, Santa?  :-)

Diecasts.

I hate when I forget that I have something pre-ordered from a diecast replica dealer.  I was charged money for two diecasts that I want, but forgot that they would be released this month.

Oh well.  Merry Christmas to myself.  :-)  They should be here Monday, and both are 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302 models.

One is black & gold and is a Smokey Yunick tribute car.  The other is a stock Acapulco Blue Boss 302.

December 2009 already?

Well, this year certainly came and went quickly. 

So my dad's 62nd birthday is coming up in a week or so, then the Christmas holiday a week after that and New Year's a week after that...busy, busy, busy!

Now I gotta go bake some M&M cookies.  ;-)

Rock Band for iPhone

I have decided that the iPhone's screen is just way too small to properly play this game.  My fat fingers are always pressing the wrong buttons because they're too close together.  It's annoying.

I suspect that I'd enjoy Rock Band a LOT more if I had a PS3 and was playing it with real controllers on a big screen television...rather than on a tiny 3.5" screen with touch-sensitive icons that are entirely too small.

And that's why I've asked for a PS3 + Rock Band 2 for Christmas. Well, I also want Grand Theft Auto 4, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, Need for Speed: Shift, etc.  :-)

More diecasts

Forgot to add these awhile back, so I'll add them now:

1950 Oldsmobile 88
(ERTL Authentics 1:18)

Ferrari F355
(Hot Wheels 1:18)

Stargate Universe

I was slightly disappointed when SyFy cancelled Stargate SG-1...though I was more disappointed when Richard Dean Anderson quit the series and was replaced by Ben Browder.  Anyway, I was still disappointed with the cancellation of the show.  On the other hand, it had ten seasons...that ain't bad by any standard.

I was even more disappointed when SyFy cancelled Stargate Atlantis.  I thought it was a nice evolution of the series and one that added more Ancient technology and mythology (and, thankfully, didn't have any of that Origin storyline).  The premise was sound...though it was hampered a bit by plots that echoed SG-1 a bit too much (with some notable exceptions...like the episode that featured the all-female unit and the CSI-like episode, both in the fourth and final season).  That said...I enjoyed it anyway.  Adding Robert Picardo to the cast was a smart move, as I never cared for Elizabeth Weir (the original actress that portrayed Weir in SG-1, forgot her name, would have been a better choice and might have made the character more appealing).

Now here comes Stargate Universe...the third series in the Stargate franchise.  Take one part Battlestar Galactica (camera snap-zooming, intelligent dialogue, big & old ship, searching for Earth) and mix it with one part Star Trek: Voyager (lost billions of light years from Earth on a ship with limited resources), you get the basic outline of Stargate Universe.  The end result is better than what you might think.  The episodes are unusually cinematic in appearance and the story lines are surprisingly well done.  I like that, so far, the crew has not encountered any English-speaking "aliens" that look just like humans.  In fact, they only aliens they have encountered so far are, basically, bug-like creatures.  That's cool, because I think the possibility of finding humans that far out is remote. 

I am liking Stargate Universe.  I am liking it a lot, in fact.  I am not saying it is superior to SG-1 or Atlantis just yet, but if it can keep up this pace and quality...it should be around for awhile.  And that's a good thing, in my opinion.

By the way, my favorite character...so far...is Dr. Nicholas Rush.  I'm curious to see what his motives are.  :-)

Recent Diecast Purchases

Here are a few new ones I've acquired lately...

1969 Oldsmobile 442 W-30
1:18 scale by Auto World

Audi A3 Sportback 3.2 Quattro
1:18 scale by Kyosho

2007 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Cobra
1:18 scale by Shelby Collectibles

1995 Volvo 850R Sedan
1:18 scale by AUTOart

Halloween 2009

I'll be adding some pictures, if I got any keepers, from this year's Halloween in the next few days.  :-)

Volkswagen CC

The CC is a four-door sedan with frameless side windows, it seats four people and carries a premium price tag over the Passat it's based on.  The VW marketing folks would like us to call it a "coupe" (which it clearly is not), apparently just because the roofline is sportier-looking than "regular" sedans.  It's the second sedan--that I'm aware of--to be labled a "coupe", the first being the Mercedes-Benz CLS.

Everywhere I look (on the 'Net), reviewers of the Volkswagen CC trip over themselves in order to pile on the superlatives, going on and on about how absolutely gorgeous the car is.  Maybe I just don't get it, but I don't see where the CC is a ravishing beauty.  Stylish?  Sure, but not to the point where I would call it "art" as some sites have done.  Frankly, the Mercedes-Benz CLS is better-looking and it's an older design.

Stargate Universe

SG1 was canceled.  I found solace in Atlantis, until they canceled that as well.  Argh!

Well, now I have Stargate Universe to watch.  I have watched the premiere, "Air", shown in three parts.  I hope the entire series looks that good.  It's very cinematic.

Some might find it too "Battlestar Galactica" in plot and in the visuals, but I actually like that look and feel applied to the Stargate series.  It's an interesting reboot of the Stargate franchise.

Canon PowerShot G11

I've been on and off with this camera.  I like the retro rangefinder design of the body.  I like the 28-140mm lens.  I like the fact that Canon reigned in the resolution, bringing it to 10MP instead of 14.7MP (in the G10).  I like the rotating LCD.  I like everything about it, really.

Image quality, after seeing some direct studio comparison shots, is very similar to my A640.  In fact, the G11 appears to resolve finer detail.  That's impressive, considering the A640 was already producing very detailed images.  At higher sensitivities, the G11 is more useful than the A640 because the images are cleaner, less "grainy" (the A640's "grain" is very noticeable, in comparison). 

After thinking about it, comparing it to other cameras and checking out the picture quality...I think I do want a G11 after all.  It's a fantastic camera.  The only hurdle is the $499 price tag.

A few new ones

1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454
ERTL 1:18 scale
K-Mart Route 66 Exclusive

2002 Ferrari 550 Barchetta
Hot Wheels (Mattel) 1:18 scale

2009 Dodge Challenger R/T Classic
Highway 61 (Diecast Promotions) 1:18 scale

Porsche 911 GT3

Essentially a track-ready version of Porsche's iconic 911 sports car.  This one is 1/18 scale by AUTOart.

Very nice!  :-)

More on the Canon G11/S90...Fuji F70EXR

Saw multiple sample pictures online shot at various ISO settings from the Canon PowerShot G11, the Canon PowerShot S90 and the Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR.

The Canons are remarkably good, but they're not good enough that I'm going to run out and buy one of them.  The Fuji is disappointing, even for a pocket-sized camera (which are well known to have image compromises to reach their compact body dimensions), and perhaps more so because Fuji pushes the "EXR" technology as being so superb...and charges a premium for it.  Well...it isn't premium image quality, so I am not impressed.

Bottom line?  Ain't nothing there, among all three, that is going to make me rush out and buy one.

GRAN COUPE

1971 Plymouth Barracuda Gran Coupe

Yep, it has a 383 V8 under the hood, roof console and even a (real metal) luggage rack.  Very nice!

Enchanted Forest

On Sunday, my family went to Enchanted Forest.  It's a small theme park located in Turner, OR...which isn't very far from Salem.  It's just off I-5, if I remember correctly.

Anyway, it was a GREAT day!  Check out my links section and click on "Skullcrafts Blogspot" for pictures.  :-)

Experimenting with Light

These were experiments with light.  I like how they turned out.  It's been awhile since I shot these pics, so I may revisit this style of lighting in the near future.

1:18 Maisto '67 Mustang GTA 390

Maisto 1:18 Ford Mustang GTA (1967)








Very well done for a low-end diecast (under $25!) though some of the details are a little cheap.

Yep...it's got the 390 V8 under the hood (or at least a plastic replica of it).  :-)

BMW SUV x 2

The BMW X5 xDrive48i by Kyosho in 1/18 scale.

Very nicely done model in Alpine White.

The BMW X6 xDrive50i by Kyosho in 1/18 scale.

Another nicely done model also in Alpine White.

1:18 Maisto Porsche

This is the Porsche 911 Carrera 4S (2002) by Maisto in 1/18 scale.  It isn't the highest-quality replica out there, but Maisto got the basic shape down very well and the overall look is nice rather than cheap.

This is the only 911 Carrera 4S model in my collection, by the way.

As with all images on my blog, this one is copyrighted to me and may not be used on another site without my express approval.  Thanks!

1:18 Kyosho Ferrari Testarossa

This is Kyosho's 1/18 scale replica of the "second stage" Ferrari Testarossa of the 1980's. Paint it white and it could have been the one Sonny Crockett drove on the 1984-1989 "Miami Vice" television series (after the original Daytona Spyder replica was destroyed).

It's a good model, overall, but panel fit is not up to Kyosho's usual standards. The most notable flaw being a misaligned front hood (not shown in this photo).

Camera Used: Canon PowerShot A640

Update on Canon G11

I went to Canon's official website and looked at their sample images from the G11. The sample images were shot at the lowest sensitivity, so I can't be sure how well the camera will perform in low light and/or at higher sensitivity settings.

That said, the G11's images look sharp and vibrant to my eyes. The images don't have that "soft" look that the G10's images have, even at its lowest sensitivity (due to the G10's heavy in-camera processing, no doubt). My initial reaction? The G11 may actually be a genuine improvement over the G10.

I still want to see a professional review before making a final judgment on this camera.

Multnomah Falls

Took a trip to Multnomah Falls with my brother, my sister-in-law, my sister and my nephew. The waterfall is "only" 620 feet high, but the trail (all uphill) is about a mile in length as it kind-of meanders its way up to the top. Not a fun hike if you're out of shape like me. :-)

The day was nice, though, as I don't think it got over 74 degrees and the water mist coming off the falls was a nice way of keeping cool.

Camera Used: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi

Kyosho MINI Cooper

A 1/18 scale replica of the MINI Cooper Convertible. I think it's supposed to be a 2005 model, but Kyosho doesn't actually put a model year on the car. Though it doesn't really show up in the photo that well, the car is a striking purple-blue color.

Purple Chevelle

I know someone who would like the color of this one. :-)

New Fall Season on TV (2009)

I'm currently watching Eureka and Warehouse 13 on the SyFy Channel. A new show that has me hooked is Defying Gravity, which I believe is on ABC. That's pretty much all I'm watching, really.

But the new season of Supernatural is coming, so I'll be returning to that series shortly. I believe that show is on the CW Network.

I lost interest in Lost. I lost interest in Grey's Anatomy. Both have turned into soap operas and if I wanted to watch that type of show, I'd tune in and watch General Hospital.

I haven't seen any previews of upcoming Fall 2009 new shows, so I'm not aware of anything else that might appeal to me at the moment.

AUTOart 1968 Ford Mustang

Beautiful replica of the '68 Mustang GT 390. I have a "thing" for just about any year of the Ford Mustang, so this was a very nice addition to my collection. I think this came from diecastmusclecars.com, a site that specializes in classic American muscle car replicas.

GMP 1970 Plymouth Road Runner

These retail for $140 each, but I got it on sale for $70 and change. The doors don't quite fit right, but otherwise...the model is very nicely done. GMP packs a lot of detail into this replica. I don't think I'd pay $140 for it...but it is very nice at $70. :-)

Canon S90

Remember the compact performance models from Canon? The last one was the S80, which was released way back in 2005. Well, four years later, Canon has done a follow-up to that model.

Think of the S90 as a G11 in a much more compact body...but with pretty much the same feature set...and a lower price. S90 even has the same 10MP sensor as the G11.

Since my pocket camera, a Canon SD790 IS, recently decided that it would quit working, I'm looking for something (in the future) to replace it. This S90 might just be the ticket. In fact, I'm thinking I might be more interested in the S90 than the G11. :-)

Canon G11

Canon has just announced the latest G-Series digital camera. It's the G11 and the big differences between it and the previous G10 are: Flip/rotating LCD and resolution that is actually 4.7MP lower than the G10. Other than those two items, the rest of the changes are minor.

The rotating LCD has been missed (at least by me) on the G-Series since the excellent G6 was discontinued. This camera appears to correct the mistake Canon made in removing that articulated LCD. Even better, it's a good 2.7" size and has 461K pixel resolution (about twice that of most digital cameras).

The reduced resolution is probably in response to complaints that the G10's 14.7MP images were too noisy, and thus over-processed, creating soft images with less detail than its resolution would suggest. The G11's sensor is the same size as the G10's, but with fewer pixels crammed in...the pixels are larger and should produce lower sensor noise, which leads to less processing needed. End result? The G11's images, at least in theory, should be higher-quality than the G10 images. We shall see.

I'm eagerly awaiting a review on this camera from either DPReview.com, DCResource.com or Steve's Digicams (among others).

AutoWorld Ford Torino

This is a 1971 Ford Torino Cobra by AutoWorld, in 1/18 scale. The paint color is "Grabber Green" metallic. The mold this diecast is made from is actually an ERTL mold. AutoWorld leases the molds and releases the new replicas under their name (though the box artwork still shows ERTL graphics).

Kyosho BMW Z4

Bought this a few weeks ago. It's made by Kyosho and is 1/18 scale. The paint color is called "Space Gray" metallic. This replica even has a workable folding hardtop!

Hello!

My little spot on the web. Here I'll be discussing my hobbies, which are digital cameras/photography and diecast scale vehicle replicas. I may also discuss other items I find interesting. I'll go with the flow.

I'm not looking to make a regular schedule for updates, so this will probably be a randomly updated blog. Thanks for taking the time to stop by!