Motion Computing J3500 Tablet - Digital sketchbook

And now for something completely different.


My photoblog has been a little dry lately, for that I apologize. My photographic inspiration ebbs and flows and lately it's more ebb than flow. :)  For those faithful few who visit my website, I thank you for checking in regularly. This latest post may not be all glitz and glamor, but it should offer some helpful insight for people looking to invest in a Motion Computing J3500 Tablet PC.

When I was shopping for a digital sketchbook a little over a year ago, the Motion Computing J3500 was just coming onto the market. Reviews were sparse and typically from the perspective of a medical care worker or oil rig technician, and with good reason. The J3500 was designed primarily for mobile operations, military and industrial professions. It is ruggedized to military specification, features capacative multi-touch and desktop-grade CPUs. Now if you've found this post it's because you're looking for a product review. I'm not going to fill my blog with photos of the unit and all the associated accessories, you've probably drooled over them enough already. :)


My review will not question the durability of this product, whether I can pour my beer out on top of it or if it can withstand a class-4 tornado, naturally it can do all these things. This review will focus on the J3500 as a digital sketchbook, how well it performs in apps like Photoshop, ArtRage, Sketchbook Pro and the like. I'll discuss how it feels as a drawing platform and how comfortable it is to use.


Let's get started.

BC Hydro VCCT Project

BC Hydro is building the Vancouver City Central Transmission Project which includes work in my neighbourhood. Naturally, this was a perfect opportunity to get out there and shoot big elaborate machines doing big elaborate things! When I actually do bring my tripod, the results are always so pleasing. Enjoy!

A few lapse with the Canon ts-e 90mm

I recently had another opportunity to shoot with this razor sharp tilt-shift lens. This time around I set up for sequences about 1-4 mins long, shooting at 1 second intervals. The shutter was tweaked to provide various amounts of motion blur depending on the effect I intended to create. The images were then post-processed in LightRoom and finally rendered to video using Sony Vegas.  This is the same lens used in my Shifted Weekend post, so if you want to see some stills check them out here.

This video was built with HD in mind, so enjoy the full resolution version.

Italy - Rome

At long last, the final entry in my 2010 Italy tour, Rome. Here are a couple of my favorites, follow the link below to see the complete set! Some of my italy photos among others, are for sale on the Fine Art America website. Or click here to see only the photos I have for sale.

Italy - Tuscany

Ahhhhh Tuscany! A beautiful land of a rolling patchwork terrain, dappled with trees and twisting roads. The most memorable aspect of this region is not even pictured within this album. The food in Tuscany is incredible! Basic pastas with locally grown ingredients and hand-made dough delight the taste buds and fill us with a deep sense of comfort. After coffee, a stroll through villages and landscapes like these provide a feast for the eyes and a workout for my camera.

Italy - Florence

Florence was one of my favorite Italian destinations! The city is abuzz with activity and has great markets for shooting and shopping. I'm keen on this first photo simply because of the mood involved. This shot is actually a flash mis-fire, but in the end I liked it better than the artificially illuminated shot. The low-key lighting is quite different than my usual works and looks a lot like the environment concept-paintings I deal with in my video-game day job.

Italy - Cinque Terre

The weather did not co-operate during our stay in Cinque Terre and along the way I lost a good piece of gear. I left my trusty Rapid Strap on the hiking trail between Corniglia and Vernazza. This thing has always been extremely comfortable and easy to use, I'll be replacing it immediately.  All this aside, we mounted our polarizing filters to bump up the colours and did the best we could, given the overcast skies.  Enjoy a couple days in Cinque Terre!

Four wheels in Florence!

Finding this Lamborghini parked on the streets of Florence at night was a great stroke of luck! Thankfully my brother and I were prepared. He lit the car from various angles using the remote flash while I snapped away. The awestruck tourists add levity to the whole thing. :)

Italy - Venice

 We're home from a whirlwind tour of Italy with 4000+ photos to process. Loads of video and timelapse footage captured. Insane amounts of pasta and wine consumed. As my jet-lag subsides, I'll add new Italian vistas and photo albums to the blog.

Our journey starts in Venice, where wet socks and tourists are a given. This city is full of texture, colour and movement. Here are a couple of my favorite images out of Venice, find more in the photo album.

 

Canyon Fodder Video

 

We're gearing up for a trip to Italy in the coming weeks. As such, there hasn't been much new content added to this blog in the last few days. For this I apologize. Until my return from the land of gnocci and vino, this video ought to keep you entertained. All footage was gathered during our trip to Utah Canyonlands National Park for Brian's stag.

DSLR VIDEO!

Today is a little different...

Amy was gracious enough to let me practice shooting video using her new DSLR, the Canon Rebel T2i.
Finally, I can take the investment I've made in camera lenses and apply it properly to the video medium. Most of these shots were carefully choreographed, tripod mounted and manual focused.

Shooting video with a DSLR is certainly a challenge, but the end results can be stupendous. While the 24-70 gave me some flexibility, I'm excited to start shooting with my long and ultra-wide lenses for added effect.

Here's a second, more relaxed take on the same footage. Which do you like better?

Some details:

Captured with the Canon Rebel T2i, Canon 24-70f2.8L 720p @ 60fps.

Final output: 720p @ 24fps.

Beach and white

These shots aren't quite recent, but they're good fuel for the blog. Taken at Iona beach in Richmond using a canon 24-105mm F4L.

B&W Shooting seems to have really taken a kick in the nuts since digital came on the scene. Seems no one values it like they used to. Do you like black and white or are you not a fan? Why? Have your say in the comments section or post some examples of B&W shots that have really made an impression on you.

Zombiewalk 2010

As a favor to a friend, I brought my camera to the Vancouver Zombie Walk this year. I got loads of amazing expressions and great close-ups of some extremely ghoulish zombies.  I'll certainly be in attendance next year! I never seem to do enough portraiture, so this session ought to make up for it :)

Gastown Choppers

A motorcycle show in gastown you say?  Count me in.

Motorcycle shows are as much about the people as they are about the bikes. I was bound by the unyeilding reach of a 100-400mm lens during this outing, hence the closely cropped engines and faces.

Abbotsford International Airshow 2010

 We hit up the airshow this weekend under blazing 35 degree heat. 

Heat distortion was clearly visible and complimented these awe-inspiring vehicles.  Most of these photos were taken with a rented Canon 100-400mm zoom, however my new favorite (24-70 f2.8 L) helped me out while climbing in and out of the heavy cargo planes.

After the rain

We finally got some rain in Vancouver! A great opportunity to get out there and shoot droplets and bugs. :)

All these shots were taken with my Canon 24-70 f2.8

Up up and away!

To celebrate our 1 year wedding anniversary, Amy and I took to the skies in a hot air balloon, with special thanks to Natia for such a generous gift! Pro-Tip:  Never forget your camera-strap when traveling by hot air balloon. I had a death-grip on my 50D, paired with a 70-200 f4L for most of these shots. The aircraft is extremely smooth and a great platform for photography. Next time, i'll fly with an 800mm lens. : )

Shifted Weekend

I rented a 90mm TS-E so that I could get all the tilt-shift shots out of my system once and for all. Now that i've had a chance to play with it extensively, I'm truly enamoured by the level of control available. Having no auto-focus makes it an even more entertaining challenge!

Petal power.

After years of being satisfied but never blown away by canon's 24-105, I've traded it in for a 24-70. 

The results are stunning. I'm delighted to have the faster aperture even though it's a beast to carry around.

Marc and Francesca

Marc and Francesca were nice enough to pose for me, while I had some studio gear in house. Thanks guys! Great smiles!