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Nikon 35mm f/1.8 G AF-S DX – About not buying camera lens and, also, about my new camera lens

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Nikon 35mm f/1.8 G AF-S DX - About not buying camera lens and, also, about my new camera lens

I told you countless times that I don’t intend to buy camera lens, and I actually gave some reasons for this.

Well, the day before yesterday, in the evening, I went to F64 to talk to some consultants. One guy told me some basic :) stuff, like:

  • „18-55?” (kit lens) – „Do you take photos for just playing? Are you just having fun?”.
  • „You know, as a photographer you need to use your elbow” (referring to the fact that I intended to shoot from a far distance and get a quality photo. It just doesn’t work this way, it seems.) :)
  • „For what you need, zoom + light, you need to invest quite a lot in a flash + zoom lens”.
  • „The cheapest alternative is to buy this thing:

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Interactive logos

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cristian-kit-paul-1-440

Cristian Kit PAUL (Founding Partner, Creative Director – Brandient) talked at Internet & Mobile World 2012 about corporate logo identity. I will soon post the video, but until then, some thoughts on this: Google does it, in my opinion, best. They attract media attention (when they change their logos, Romanian newspapers write articles specifically on this, to get some views). See their whole history of doodles. Google also has a brand philosophy on „fun”. Easter eggs, error messages which are funny, translation of Google search interface in Klingon and so on. They try to be funny. Google also has totally interactive logos (JavaScript games, YouTube videos). MailChimp built their brand on interactive & funny & cute. I like them a lot for this. WordPress also has a take on this, with their mandatory-to-have-but-free-not-to-install Hello, Dolly! plugin. Flickr is OK (they say „hello” in some languages). In Romania, eMAG and Domo do it also. I’m not a huge fan, but they do OK. Looking at the local competation, they do very OK. It’s not enough to have a „cute brand”. MailChimp is also very good at what they do. WordPress rocks. Flickr used to be very good, and, for a paid service (storing photos online for money? In 2012?). eMAG are top sellers. Domo does a pretty decent job (I bought a fridge from them online, they had, at that point, competitive prices).

Two mistakes about the video camera & photo camera

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I own these two: Camera video Sony CX130, Red + Card 8 GB CX130R8GXXDI.EU – eMAG.ro Aparat foto DSLR Nikon D3100, obiectiv 18-55 VR, Black The two mistakes I made while buying them? I paid (around) 1,600 + 2,000 = 3,600 for the two and some extra 3-500 for extra stuff (cards, tripod). I would have been better off with a single device, which could do both movies & photos. I’m not sure how would that device look like, but this would be my bet on. So a photo + videos device would have proved better for me. While in May 2012 (end of it) the price for my photo camera made it a best buy, right now I wouldn’t pick it. There are better alternatives than my camera right now (D3200, D5100, others yet). There are degrees of mistakes, and I estimate I get 80% of what I could have gotten with other extra research. Still, it’s troubling me a bit. Update: I thought about the above and … it doesn’t matter. At that specific time (5 months ago for the photo camera and 10 months ago for the video camera), the decision was top notch. Now it isn’t. Well, it’s rather irrelevant. I doesn’t matter that in 1997 I programmed in Pascal, rather than C++. For that time, it was a good choice. Also, about photo lens – it still puzzles me why I would even bother to read about them. There is no free lunch, a starting good lens is worth, new, more …

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Bloggers should write timeless content on their blogs

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Bloggers should write timeless content on their blogs

Dragoș ROUĂ (LinkedIn) said, at a recent conference (Follow-up: Paul RENAUD and Dragoș ROUA: „Lessons in generating top line revenues and personal branding” (MBA Masterclass by Maastricht School of Management Romania, 2012.10.02): Olivian BREDA) suggested (approximate quote): Bloggers should write timeless content on their blogs. I like the thought a lot. I try to obey the rule, to some extend.

Follow-up: Paul Renaud and Dragoș Roua: „Lessons in generating top line revenues and personal branding” (MBA Masterclass by Maastricht School of Management Romania, 2012.10.02)

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Follow-up: Paul Renaud and Dragoș Roua: "Lessons in generating top line revenues and personal branding" (MBA Masterclass by Maastricht School of Management Romania, 2012.10.02)

On 2012.10.02, at Maastricht School of Management Romania, took place „Lessons in generating top line revenues and personal branding” MBA MasterClass with Paul RENAUD (LinkedIn) and Dragoș ROUĂ (LinkedIn).

Details:

Below photos & videos.

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On tablet / phone / small screen usage

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Tableta GoClever TAB A73

I’ve tested some devices (smartphone / tablet). Some thoughts: The experience is much poorer than on the PC. Much. I find a good pleasure in navigating HotNews on a PC. On a tablet? Not so much. On the other hand, it is better to be entertained on a tablet / phone than on the PC. At the PC I have two options – fun / work. On a tablet / smartphone, since I’m on the road, and I can’t work on them, I have to pick between various types of fun. Thus, the experience is nicer. A physical keyboard means a lot. So does a mouse. Reading stuff on the tablet goes pretty well, as long as there’s nothing else but text (& some photos).

Technical specifications – are they clear enough?

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If I had an online store, I’d look into how the technical specifications are written. There are ways to write specifications, to make them clearer. For example, don’t write: Rez. senzor (Mp):14.2 , but, instead, write: Rezoluția senzorului: 14,2 Megapixeli. (?) Things to do: Avoid abbreviations. Instead of „MP”, write „Megapixels”, or the equivalent word („Megapixeli”). There is a difference between writing one point two in English and in Romanian: 1.2 (En) vs. 1,2 (Ro). Use this difference. I would love to have, at mouseover, an explanation of what a certain word means. I would try to put the most important technical specifications at the top. You do the work of selecting to the user. Avoid translating, and try to explain the specifications to the user.

Keeping a blog – niche or broad?

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Keeping a blog - niche or broad?

Friday I went to Webstock 2012.
Two oppositve views:

  • According to Costin COCIOABĂ, you should find our niche and keep it ruthlessly. Find an idea, plan it, stick to the plan. Răzvan PASCU also focuses on niches.
  • Adrian CIUBOTARU has the opposite approach: he writes on just about any subject. Although more targeted, Cristian CHINA-BIRTA also tends to write on a general note.

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