Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam through GE G100

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam through GE G100

This was my first time to bring my GE G100 for a trip outside the country and what better way to use this camera than  to take some photos of Saigon, now known as Ho Chi Minh City.  Before leaving, I did choose if I would bring GE X500 and GE G100, but since I have to travel lighlty, I decided to leave my X500 and bring the new one along.

Just like the X500, GE G100 was able to give the the shots that wanted in all conditions - indoors, outdoors, day and night. 

Ho Chi Minh is a very nice city!  In fact, I am thinking of going back and extending my next trip to visit Cambodia and Bangkok!  I will write a separate travel blog for Ho Chi Minh, but for the meantime I hope you like to photos I have snapped of Ho Chi Minh City and other rural parts of Vietnam.

GE X500 Camera Review and Sample Shots

It's been almost a year since I purchased my first bridge camera, the GE X5, and my review probably gave helpful information to a lot of potential and aspiring people who wants to have an SLR-like feature in a compact build at a very affordable price. I have brought my GE X5 to a lot of different places, if you have been following my blog, and has never failed to capture the places that I've been to. GE instantly created a runaway success for this model.

What better way to continue on this success by releasing its younger brother, GE X500. Priced at Php9995, the new model boasts the same old size, weight and build but GE has added a few more surprises in its sleeve.

For one, GX500 includes a 16-megapixel sensor, 15X Optical Zoom, and 27mm wide angle lens. We'll talk more about these features as we go along with the review. They have also added new scenes on the SCN option of the camera. They also improved some of the menu icons and displays, such as the battery status, and scene selection.

Just like with my GE X5 which I used during my trip to Boracay last year, I decided to bring both cameras to my trip to Boracay this year! Probably a good venue to do my first photowalk with GE X500 and also to do a quick comparison with my older unit, GE X5.

The photos I have captured on my GE X500 were set to 5mp only. This is to save precious memory during my trip.

First, I took some interesting macro shots, and just like its older brother (GEx5), GE X500 handled it pretty well.

Next stop would be slow-shutter speed photos. These would come in handy for those fantastic night shots. Here, this is pretty tricky - instead of doing the "Manual Mode" and adjust the shutter speed, I let the 'Fireworks' option under the 'SCN' mode do the magic! This means that you no longer have to go on Manual mode and figure out some settings on the shutter speed. The SCN option will program everything automatically. Here are some shots of some firedancers in Boracay. (Please note that for night shots like te ones below, we recommend the use of a tripod.

Another added scene on the 'SCN' mode is "Sketch". This is pretty handy if in case you want to do some creative shots without post production. Here are some samples of Sketch Photos. This would add a little bit of fun into your shots.

One of the most popular features of GE X5 was the Panorama Mode. They also included that feature on the GE X500. Here a sample shot of a Panoramic Photo captured using GE X500. It was still able to capture the same lighting conditions on all three frames, as you can see from the sample below, the transitions from one frame to another is almost seamless.

The user experience of GE X500 is pretty much the same with GE X5. There were only some minor changes on the user interface that improved a lot on the user experience. The battery life is pretty much the same with GE X5. At full charge, I am able to use the camera for about a week or normal use. But if you're into photography and a lot of night mode and flash, it'll last for 3 days.

Here's an example of the HDR feature of GE X500 (and X5), wherein you can make HDR adjustments on the unit itself, avoiding post production on your PCs. On the left - original photo. On the right - HDR processed

Overall, GE X500 is a worthy upgrade to GE X5. The body and design is the same, but they have improved the interface, added some scenes, and effects, increased the megapixel count. GE x500 even manage to have a lower retail price as compared to X5.


If you are new to photography who do not have the budget, or if you already have an SLR but is already tired of bringing a lot of things when you travel, or if you really wanted to be practical - then GE X500 will be the right bridge camera for you.

[added, 10/31] More Macro Samples:

More sample photos:
http://freezy-menthol.blogspot.com/2011/09/boracay-through-ge-x500.html

http://freezy-menthol.blogspot.com/2012/03/singapore-part-2-photo-walk-through-ge.html

http://freezy-menthol.blogspot.com/2012/02/fireworks-taken-by-ge-x500.html

http://freezy-menthol.blogspot.com/2011/12/seoul-south-korea-through-lens-of-ge.html

Incredible India Through GE X5

I have already mapped out the out-of-the-country trips for the entire year, so going to India was an unplanned trip for me. I had to attend a Leadership Meeting, together with the "gods" of our company (VPs, SVPs and Directors). But of course, since we're there primarily for work, there will inevitably be days that we can go out and discover the sights that India (al least the Northern part) has to offer. So by default, we have to go to Taj Mahal!!! From Delhi, it will take around 4-5 hours to reach Agra, so its best that you leave very early. We left around 6:30am and arrived around 1:00pm. The Taj Complex is a huge, government maintained complex. A foreigner will need to pay INR750 entrance fee which already includes a wallet guide, bottled water, plastic feet covers (you'll need this once you enter the main tomb). It is also best to bring your passport should they ask at the security gate. You will first be welcomed by huge Fort. This is your first pit stop before you can even see the Taj Majal.

The picture below will give you a peek once your inside the fort - a majestic view of Taj Mahal.

After passing the complex, you will be welcomed by a lush garden and water fountain (at that time, the fountain was still turned off). From here, you can now take pictures of the grand tomb.

Because of security restrictions, taking pictures INSIDE the tomb is strictly prohibited, so this is the nearest that I can click using my GE x5.

GE X5 Camera Review and Sample Shots

Follow me on twitter @freezymenthol
Note: You can also join the Facebook Page for more GEX5 Information:
http://www.facebook.com/cb.bautista1#!/group.php?gid=115454671840786&ref=mf

There are more sample shots and video clips on other related blogs I have posted (copy and paste the link on your browser):

http://freezy-menthol.blogspot.com/2010/11/taipei-video-shot-through-gex5.html

http://freezy-menthol.blogspot.com/2010/10/weekend-in-taipei-taiwan.html

http://freezy-menthol.blogspot.com/2010/09/bohol-weekend-trip.html

http://freezy-menthol.blogspot.com/2010/08/boracay-through-ge-x5.html

http://freezy-menthol.blogspot.com/2011/02/ge-x5-fireworks-shots-2nd-pyromusical.html

After using Canon 1000d for almost a year, I finally decided that I really do not need an SLR especially when I travel. The reason is that when I travel I end up wasting 1 hand carry luggage just for bringing the SLR gear in a bag. After a couple of contemplations, I decided to switch over to a bridge camera. The next problem is, what bridge camera to decide. There are tons of bridge cameras out there, with besting features such a telephoto zoom lenses etc. But what's striking is also their tag prices. A bridge camera like Fuji HS10 or Lumix LX3 would range mid Php25,000 - and that's already bordering a the entry level SLR.

And then I saw one the shelf of a store a nice looking thing called GE x5 Bridge Camera. Although unfamiliar brand, I do know GE makes durable refs so most probably they also build durable Bridge Cameras. Another striking feature is that the body looks like a small SLR. For those advanced users, it also has that Manual Mode which I do need when I travel. And the best part is its price, and almost half of it competitors and offers much more!

The package that I bought includes a strap, batteriers and a charger, 4Gig memory card and a Motorola Rokr Phone (not sure why they included it there).

Of course I have to test it immediately. Surprisingly its shutter speed (manual) ranges from 30 seconds to 1/2000 second - even better than Powershot G10 with the slowest shutter speed of 15 seconds. What does that mean? Well, you can just take fantastic night shots, which I will try to post later.

Below are sample of night shots taken from MOA

Overall, I would recommend this for hobbyist in photography, that does have a hard time carrying a couple of lenses and then carrying a bag. The GE X5 does well as a bridge camera that does act out basic SLR features.

Here are some down-sized photos highlighting the focusing capability of GE X5.