cams and simlim^2

Jurong Point: My original idea of cam was obv. Canon IXUS 50 ultra-compact. Cool looking, 3x Optical Zoom, and 5x Digital Zoom. I initially checkedout Harvey Norman -> "just enter and find everything double priced" shop. You can get this cam at $699 with 2 256MB SDCards; and tripod. Anyway, not my choice of shop.

Funan IT Mall: I had heard abt this shop in Funan, John which is on 2nd level I believe. A very small shop with long cameras, very long tripod stands, and a amazingly cheerful guy Sam("they call me John"). Prices were quite nice. The same cam he was giving for $650 along with other stuff like a leather case, 256 MB SDCard, tripod stand. well! here I get an advantage. I came out quite cheerful; deciding to buy asap. But, then! there is this place in singapore you can never leave. Hence, my way to Bugis.

Simlim Square: Enter simlim; make a student "dun have any money" look; dig them up with ur info abt the products; and talk low, at the end where no other customer is -> Simlim prices will stun you! The second shop I went into, I met this elder shopkeeper; and he introduced me to the outside of ultra-compact world with a new name -> Ricoh.
Ricoh : Model -> Ricoh Caplio R1V 4.8x Optical Zoom, 5x digital zoom, wide lens, amazing startup speed; and seemingly got singapore's best award. Made in Japan.
Anyway, that time I was not interested in any crap he tells me; I wanted a deal on old friend ultra-compact Canon IXUS 50. So, here's the deal -> will give you a leather case, a 256MB SDCard, a tripod, and software that's all for $450. emm... did I hear you right???

Ya! shop #01-35. Meet this guy and you can finalize a cool looking IXUS 50 for yourself. Kick those Harvey Norman f*ers.

Went a bit more here and there. Till now, 4.8x optical zoom had started ringing in my head. Next shop, compare both of them. 4 out of 5 shops I asked; Ricoh is Obv. the best to them. "And it got award also!" The old guy was saying it right! The 5th shop didn't have Ricoh; and obv. it was the most weird thing they had ever seen.
Went arnd; and checked for more Ricoh's. By now, I knew how to impress them by my knowledge on Ricoh. I started entering into deals.
Ricoh Caplio R1V
#01-43B : $550
#02-91: $485.
#01-25(Simlim Entrance): $500.

Got to pursue them for some time; and stand there staring; till they suddently type something on their calculators and the figure stuns you. One piece of advice: Never go off the shop too soon. Hang arnd!

Did I buy Ricoh? No! I came back to check out what net has to say abt it. Got quite some links.
Ricoh Caplio R1V review
another one

I liked the black body of R1V though I didn't see it in Simlim.

Well, I am after quality. I didn't really like the body of Ricoh, but, its image quality and its speed was very nice. Its got the world's fastest shutter speed; with amazing startup time. You have got to see it urself to believe it. I am carrying a bag pack; and can put the stuff inside it anyway! So, can compromize on ultra-compacts. The single most imp. thing I want is nightview of buildings. There is nothing better than that in a cool place like singapore. And, I am for ricoh, till I find a better one.

Btw, my research told me that the newer version of R1V is out, its called R2. Got the same features; but, has got 2.2" LCD display in comparison to 1.8" LCD in R1V. Also, has got a better look in terms of buttons; got more buttons, more shortcuts. Easier interface and all. Probably, can check that out, looks better than R1V. Here's it...

computers and an NTU[IIT]ian...

Technical things always excite me. I dunno when it all started; but, probably, my love for computers is since the time I came to know there was a machine I cud control. For me it was like a slave I cud give commands to; and I say that coz, till now I feel like a master typing commands and seeing it execute them with perfection. Adding spice to it, sometimes I even feel angry if it doesn't obey me... Well, that's how my relationship with computer has been. I never really thot that I wd pursue it as a career, even as late as I was in +2. That time Aerospace and NASA was my only fantasy. I never wanted to be an astraunaut; esp. when my physique eludes me; but, being a NASA scientist and doing loads of complex things was my dream. Well, my IIT rank didn't allow that to happen, otherwise, today instead of being over here, I wd have been in Bombay or something, reading up all abt rockets and missiles. 1 year works wonders; and the year that I dropped to pursue my only dream that time (which was only IIT) changed my prospective towards my future also. Dreaming of being a very rich software engineer getting more than US $50,000 after studying from MIT or Stanford, I went random ways. Obv, it was the effect of staying with a rich family for the time when I was studying in Vidyamandir classes, Delhi. My studies were completely bonkers, didn't even study for 2 hrs a day; but, ya! all the embassies and overseas studies organizations I have visited. After being invited to University of Melbourne, Australia, ironically due to my still cool rank in IIT(first time, 2807); I was just too eager to go abroad. But, anyway, I had come to know abt NTU thro one of my (IIT Counselling) friends. Well, probably, that was my way to go if my IIT doesn't go well, I told myself. Second IIT Exam went crap! No hopes; probably not even the rank I got first time. But, anyway, I got selected by NTU and was just too happy to go to singapore and criticize IIT... hehe... But, IIT has its own position and it proves itself again and again in random ways. 2nd time I got 572. When I saw my rank, I got a shock. No more happiness, it was more like Why now? It was just too late for me to accept it anymore. I had spent 3 years for that; and now my prospectives had changed. After everyone told me to go to IIT, I came here. Its 2 years here, and I am still struggling to get good grades. Have done anything and everything; no use. The way of education over here goes exactly like in BITS pilani; something which I had never liked coz of its emphasis on core memory based learning. Probably, this place is even one step ahead than BITS Pilani.
Am I lamenting? No way... But, have surely learnt the most imp. lesson of my life.

Photography... hobby?

	I like to click on photos esp. of those high rise buildings and the view from them. Last time, in Jan. I actually went to iDA building at Suntec Tower level 14 something. And, my mobile E398 is quite clear when clicking photos. There was this amazing view from their window; which I captured. Here it is...
I like this pond while going over to Suntec City from MRT. Just took a pic; but, not that nice actually. Am planning to buy a digital camera to have better views. Probably, will buy it before I go off to M'sia. Get a view from Petronas will be probably my priority (over work?) hehehe....
	This ultra-compact Canon SD400 looks really cool; the pic quality and all is really nice. Deepak sent me this link which actually compares 4 popular ultra-compacts. Sony ultra-compact looks really cool with black body and all; but, not having a space for docking on a tripod stand; think is not that nice. I had clicked some photos of Esplanade from a cool 5 MegPix camera but, they didn't come out clear; always shaky. Tripod is the only way out for clicking these lighted buildings. Anyway, just waiting for a first hand experience now :).

DayOne of bloggin

Its early morning at Genvea and I am supposed to work ;). Deepak was all too excited abt this blogging stuff and he dropped me into it as well. And it seems nice also.
These days there is a lot of time for me to read novels coz of long travelling in MRTs and buses. So, I finally started after 'Prey'. I heard abt it in my first sem and wanted to read it; just cudn't anyhow do that till now. Probably, something similar is going to happen to 'Da Vinci Code' and 'Angels and Demons'. Anyway, so, I was just reading this book while going back to NTU in 179; and got so involved that didn't have any account of time. Suddenly at the end of chapter I realized that the bus reached my stop and I had to rush towards the gate before they closed... hmmphh... Really cool book man! Grasping.