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!