Hyundai Tucson Tail Light Bulb Replacement

After three years and three months of regular use, spanning over 29,000 kilometers of travel, Hyundai Service Center finally replaced my defective LH tail light bulb. It has been constantly giving me the warning light at the dashboard for the so long but now the time has come to actually have it replaced.

Ray-Ban RB6346

Enjoy some macro shots of the Ray-Ban RB6346 Matte Black on Black Frame. These are fitted with Lutina Lenses from Tokai.

Ray Ban RB6346 with Tokai Lutina

Accent at the outside corners of the frame

Bridge

Frame part at the hinge

Embossed Ray-Ban logo

Back side of the frame

The screw that holds the rim around the lens

Hinge

Close up of the Pad Arm and Nose Pad

Front of the Nose Pad with the RB logo

Inscription at the Bridge

Rear view of the Bridge

Detail shot of the rims at the rear of the main frame

Details of the rim when looking at the bottom

Specifications of this Eye Glasses

Ray Ban logo and CE Marking

Apologies for the dirty frame. Only under a 1:1 macro lens you can notice the small spec of dust.

Frame impression:
Very thin metal frame. It flexes a lot if you hold it by the temple. Surprisingly, it holds still on your face.

The frame is embossed in dots that outline it. I'm not a huge fan of the design but it grew on me fast. The dots may serve a structural purpose to keep the thin frame from bending under its own weight. In the real world, the dots are barely noticeable.

All images are shot with Canon EOS M6 with EF-S 60mm f2.8 Macro under natural light

Vixen Regalo 7x50

New Binoculars day!

Today, the Vixen Regalo 7x50 Binoculars arrived through my kind friend, hand carrying it all the way from Canada. This Regalo 7x50 is part of Vixen's cheaper astronomy binoculars given its pricing and not being fully multi coated. You won't see any information about this in the Japanese Vixen's website.

Vixen Regalo Z7x50 box design

As being a late comer to this binocular hobby, I am curious as to the history of this model but as of now there are no information on when it started shipping or if it was an old model line that they still haven't discontinued yet. If it was discontinued, it's not in their list of previous models.

The Vixen Regalo 7x50 came in a box with simple graphics as shown in the photo above. No information about the contents are printed on it except for the brand.

Stickers on the Box

On one of the sides, are two stickers piled in one location. On top indicates the make and model with item number that correspond specifically to this binocular. The bottom sticker is what I can only assume as the Japanese version of top sticker.

Bottom of the box

At the bottom is what I can only assume to be compliances to Japanses standards. I'll research about it someday.

Leatherette soft case the binocular came with

The binocular came wrapped in thin plastic inside this large pouch in leatherette finish. At the flap is a printed Vixen logo in gold color. Straps for this pouch are fixed at the sides and there is no way to adjust the length.

You could fit about 4 paperback books inside the soft case. When the binocular is inside, it feels a little loose that you might think that this case also belongs to various porro models of binoculars by Vixen.

All the contents of the package

Behold the entire package of the Regalo 7x50. Aside from the items previously discussed and the main binocular, it also contains a manual and strap. Given the relatively heavy weight, I was hoping it comes with the Vixen wide neoprene strap. In this case, it came in an unmarked, simple yet thick nylon strap that is about an inch wide. My small and light Nikon Monarch 7 8x30 came with a very wide neoprene strap. I wish this Vixen came with the same.

Lens caps

It comes with four separate lens caps. Two for the objective lenses and another pair for the ocular lenses. Each one can't be attached to the strap for convenience. That's four extra things you need to keep in mind when using the binocular just so you don't lose it. Fortunately, they fit quite snug on the rubber cover when attached.

Weighing in at 824 grams

This pair weighs 824 grams, which is 8 grams heavier than the advertised weight. I don't really mind handling a binocular this heavy but I've personally felt my arms tire after prolonged viewing.

Turning the diopter also turns the entire eye piece.

One of my complaints on this Vixen is the diopter adjuster. When you twist it, the entire eye cup turns as well. It is easy to knock it out of adjustment from normal use. It turns easily when you remove the caps. I find myself having to adjust the diopter everytime I use it.

Eye Cups.

This doesnt look like 18.5mm of eye relief at all. I have to pull the binocular away from my face to get a good image. This means lightly touching the eye cups and not completely resting on it.

Build quality is great and it feels solid right out of the box. It looks perfectly symmetrical and everything is in alignment. There are no loose bits and the rubber cover is solidly attached. The grip design on the focus ring is effective, making it easy to turn this heavy knob with just a finger.

All markings on the rear of this binocular are in gold color, the kind that fades when constantly rubbed. At the front, the imposing GKA and the Tripod logo are white. As my shallow dirt digging led me to believe that this binocular is possibly designed and produced by Kamakura Koki Co., Ltd., in Japan. Kamakura Koki is one of the biggest binocular makers worldwide, alongside Zeiss and Leica.

One frustration I have with this binocular is that when viewing through it, it felt that I am peeking through a peep hole. While it may be that I was spoiled by my Nikon Monarch 7's IMAX of view in comparison to the Vixen Regalo, it still produces fantastic images in daylight. The image produced by this binocular is yellowish, with whites and greys are rendered warmly.

In addition to the above-mentioned issue, I find it hard to set everything up to my eyes in order to get good images. Considering the "forgiving" 7mm exit pupil, I assumed I just have to put it on my face and enjoy. But among my other pairs, this is the most difficult to get ready. After a few days of useage, I did get the hang of it but there is some adjusting to be done.

The lack of water proofing does not matter as you can't see the stars if rain clouds block it. But for use in a climate like what we have in the Philippines, waterproofing should be one of the features in your binocular.

An unaltered photograph of the inside of the objective lens. The interior can be seen like this in natural light. It is quite busy inside with a lot of light bouncing off the interior walls.

The manual contains the typical binocular instructions as would any other pair would have.

It seems that my new binoculars are already void of warranty. This specific model may be intended for sale and use within Japan. There are no Vixen service centers in the Philippines and since this is bought in Canada, I might have to take really good care for this binocular.

The Vixen Regalo 7x50 is a good starter binocular if you want to get started in night sky viewing. For 104 Canadian dollars, it is a bargain.

Masasa Beach Accommodation Contact Numbers

For first timers in this island, looking for accommodation can be difficult as not all locals advertise online. So during my last visit, I took photos of the signs that we came across. This might help future visitors who are looking to stay near Masasa Beach.

Please note that none of these homes have sandy beach fronts.

We stayed at Mama Nady's. She has rooms closest to the beach area. If you opt to stay at her Nipa Huts, you'd have to walk further, just before the Lagoon area. Her Nipa Hut area has a rocky beach front that you can still swim in.

These are the homes by the rice fields. Just a short walk to the beach.

When you walk to the end of Masasa Beach, you'll reach a small cluster of houses that offer rooms, and nipa huts to guests. Mama Nady is part of this group.

 

I hope this helps your planning.