Think, think, think.

I'm in a pickle, peeps.

My old Kodak V1003 takes great pictures when there's a lot of natural light around, but when the sun goes down, it's like dead weight to me. The pictures are so dark and very much unlike the view I get from the LCD screen that I might as well carry a brick around with me.

Therefore, I'm shopping around for a much better model. I've shortlisted the candidates down to 3 cameras:

1. Canon IXUS 960IS



According to CNET ---

Good

Sleek design with titanium casing
Great image quality
Optical image stabilisation
Face detection

Optical viewfinder

Bad

No manual exposure controls
Slightly sluggish performance

Bottomline
Canon's Digital IXUS 960 IS looks great and can take very nice images, but the digital camera's whopping 12 megapixels will leave you waiting between shots.


2. Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5




According to dpreview.com --

Good
Very versatile 28-280mm equiv. zoom range
Excellent lens, good edge-to-edge sharpness and little distortion
High quality build, full metal body
Little (if any) color fringing
Good flash performance
White balance fine tune option
Feels fast and responsive in most situations
Quick and reliable focus
Excellent, bright, high-resolution 3.0-inch screen
Superb High Definition movie mode with 1280 x 720 pixel 30fps wide screen option
Optical zoom usable in movie mode
Effective image stabilization system
Ergonomic layout of external controls and buttons
Excellent on-screen menus and control system
Good resolution, generally clean output
Easy - and fun - to use

Bad
Heavy noise reduction at all ISO settings (although less than predecessor)
Smearing of fine detail (caused by NR) even at base ISO
Macro mode less effective than competitors'
Unreliable Auto WB performance under artificial light
Inconvenient location of the flash right next to hand grip
Occasional highlight clipping in high contrast scenes
Continuous shooting slower than predecessor
Focus slow down and occasional hunting in low light
Battery life not brilliant
Sound quality in movie mode not great

Bottomline
In conclusion the TZ5 is a versatile, user friendly photographic tool that can produce good results outdoors in decent light but struggles when it comes to taking pictures indoors and in low light (the flash performs quite well though). If you are looking for a travel or walkaround camera that is quick enough for the occasional spontaneous street shot and can also produce great quality HD video you should definitely have a closer look at the TZ5. If low light photography or indoor social snapping is more your thing or if you're into 'pixel-peeping' you might want to look out for alternatives.



3. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T70




According to CNET:

Good
Classy styling; giant touchscreen interface; non-existent shutter lag; decent battery life

Bad
Pointless 'smile shutter' feature; clunky zoom control
You might also need a cloth to clean off fingerprints



Bottomline
If touchscreen compacts are for you, then the classy Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T70 is for you. One of the comeliest compacts we've seen for a while, and respectably-featured with it. Pictures are decent, the shutter is fast enough to take your hand off and did we mention how pretty it is?

~oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo~

I'm personally leaning towards the Sony one as it's sooooo pretty.

*drool*

Besides, somebody has told me it's good for night shots (and I use my camera quite a lot during nights out so this is important to me).

HOWEVER, I am open to suggestions. So would y'all kindly help me out here?

Someone had stolen it's thunder -- or maybe it didn't have it in the first place.

Tropic Thunder


Synopsis
Through a series of freak occurrences, a group of actors shooting a big-budget war movie are forced to become the soldiers they are portraying.


My verdict
When you know that Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr are starring in a comedy film, you expect to roll around the mucky cinema floor laughing.

This one? Bleh. Ftoooey!

Don't waste your time. If you're really curious, just wait for the DVD.

Panda Soup, anyone?

Cute, huh? Wonder where I can get one of these...

Free handbag, anyone?

Handbag Planet is giving away 1 bag for 24 hours (that makes 24 handbags, woot woot) to celebrate the launch of their website on 15th October.

It's totally FREE! No credit card required and no shipping & handling fees -- all you need to do is register your first name and email address.

I'm hoping to get this one:

Not bad, eh?

Just check it out. Who knows, you could get lucky.

Pelicula /Pelikula Reviews

Fuera de Carta
(Chef's Special)


Synopsis

Maxi thinks his life is perfect. Then, unexpectedly, the children from his sham marriage turn up on his doorstep and a handsome ex-football player from Argentina moves in next door, making him re-evaluate his own morals and values.


My Verdict

Faboloso! Muy bueno! Fantastico! (I could go on, but I've run out of words which I think are "excellent" in Spanish -- but I doubt if they are indeen Spanish in the first place.)

I have nothing much to say, really. You guys just HAVE to watch it. The script is witty (which is on top on my film watching priorities), the acting is extremely good, the cinematography is flawless, and the film wants to make you go to a fancy restaurant after watching it. To be perfectly honest, I don't have the words to describe how good it is -- just take my word for it.

The last screening will be on 11th October, 7pm. But I believes there's a big chance that it will get voted for Audience' Choice, which will be screened on 12th October, 9pm.
















El Orfanato
(The Orphanage)


Synopsis

Laura returns to the orphanage where she spent the best years of her childhood to discover that it has acquired a haunted, unhappy air. She then sets out to learn what happened at the orphanage after she left, plunging headlong into a netherworld where the dead reach out to the living.


My Verdict

I'm not a big fan of horror films, so I was a reluctant watcher to begin with. However, I must say that this is one of the good ones. The costumes were creepy and the acting is alright. Some scenes will draw a whimper out of you, but not give you a heart attack like most ones do. Unfortunately, there are slow points that will make you wonder if they were worth prolonging in the first place.