Canon EOS 550D vs. Nikon D3100

Have you ever wondered how others take beautiful, awe-inspiring photos, be it a beautiful landscape or lifelike portraits? Surely, a slr camera is a must-have to express your hidden creativity. As the price of dslr cameras has gone down over the years, more and more people are able to afford these cameras to capture the precious moments of their life, they are no longer just the bread and butter of professional photographers. Investing in a good basic dslr camera will allow me to take better pictures especially when I am travelling, and will probably assist me in my blog venture too!

Canon EOS 550D and Nikon D3100 are entry level cameras for their respective brands. After reading through all the information and comparisons between the two on the internet, till my head started to spin, I went to Canon Concept Store and Harvey Norman in Sunway Pyramid to see, touch and feel the real thing.

Canon is priced at around RM3000, whereas Nikon is much cheaper at RM2000+. That’s about RM1000 of difference! According to web sources, these 2 cameras are neck and neck in terms of performance. The salespersons highlighted that the colour of the photos taken by these cameras are different, you will have to see for yourself to decide which one is to your liking.

So why is Nikon so much cheaper? The answer is Canon is made in Japan, whereas Nikon is made in Thailand. The material used for Canon might be of better quality, so perhaps more durable than Nikon. Another obvious difference is the LCD display for Canon is clearer. Canon is also slightly lighter in weight. After considering the price and quality of each camera, I have found myself a winner.

Ta-da! The Canon EOS 550D.

I chose Canon for its better LCD display and also lighter weight, very important when travelling. In my opinion, if you are looking for something more economical or to test the waters, Nikon will be a better choice, it has a nicer shutter button too. I purchased mine from Canon Concept Store and got a bag, a 4Gb memory card and a tripod for free.

When I got home, I immediately charged the battery for 5 hours and was later playing with the camera like a kid with a new toy, except this is so much more complicated and delicate and expensive.

Canon EOS Academy organizes photography workshop to guide Canon dslr camera owners, check out their website for workshop details.

Canon Concept Store
LG 2.30, Lower Ground 2, Sunway Pyramid,
No. 3, Jalan PJS 11/15,
46150 Bandar Sunway.

Tel: 603-5633 1818
Fax: 603-5633 1313
Business Hours: 10am to 10pm

Harvey Norman Sunway Pyramid
LG2.140 Lower Ground 2, Sunway Pyramid.

Luk Yu Tea House @ Starhill Gallery

OVERALL: 3 /5

Food: **

Price: **

Service: ***

Ambience: ****

Cuisine: Chinese

"爺爺泡的茶 有一種味道叫做家
 陸羽泡的茶 聽說名和利都不拿 ..."

As I passed by Luk Yu Tea House（陆羽茶馆）next to Shook Restuarant, I couldn't help singing Jay Chou's "Grandpa's Tea", " 爺爺泡的茶有一種味道叫做家, ohh...." Yeah, it's addictive. Mesmerized by the beautiful lattice walls of the chinese restaurant, we found ourselves flipping though the dim sum menu minutes later.

Initially we wanted to dine at Shook, but they were having the " Watch of the Year" award ceremony which was attended by popular figures like Tan Sri Dr Francis Yeoh, Datuk Jimmy Choo and Dr Ng Yen Yen, and Australian singer, Delta Goodrem was there to perform.

We could watch the chefs working wonders in the open kitchen, while waiting eagerly for our dim sums.

Appetiser

Appetiser was on the house, not sure what it was, too salty and oily for my taste, nevertheless good in stimulating our appetite.



Carrot Cake



Xiao Long Pau

Overall, I find the food ok but mediocre, hence not quite worth the "starhill price". Personally, I feel that the restaurant is more for customers who enjoy dining at restaurants with  fancy decorations and are not so particular with the food.

Luk Yu Tea House

Starhill Gallery 181,

Jalan Bukit Bintang,

55100 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 603 2782 3850

Fax: 603 2782 3818

Opening hours :
Mon.- Sat: 12:00pm - 1:00am
Sun & Public Holidays : 10:00am - 1:00am



Year Planner 2011/2012

Christmas is coming again, we could all feel the holiday mood and joy in the air. As we celebrate the end of this year, a brand new year is about to begin.

Have you thought about what you want to do next year? Have you ever thought about your goals in life?

Perhaps it's time to do some deep pondering about life, perhaps the time to worry has yet to come, or never for some. But certainly a little planning for the near future can only be beneficial for all of us, even more so for those who like to follow a well organised schedule.

I have created yearly planners for 2011 and 2012 in Excel (with public holidays in Malaysia highlighted in colours), feel free to download them from the links below! 

2011 YEAR PLANNER

2012 YEAR PLANNER

I have also uploaded the original templates (without Malaysia holidays) on Microsoft Office.