Our New Digital Camera with "Intelligent Face Detector"

We decided to buy a new camera last November. After our initial research, we shortlisted two cameras - Canon Powershot SX 20 IS and Panasonic Lumix FZ-35/38. The two models are top-selling non-SLR digital megazoom cameras of the day. As we soon learnt, the choice between the two is a difficult one. There are many forums on internet where people have vented their frustration at not being able to decide which one of these two cameras should they buy. Each camera has its pluses and minuses.

Canon is the leading brand in digital cameras. Powershot SX 20 IS has 20X zoom. It supports 12 megapixel resolution, and has quick autofocus. To top it all it has fully articulate LCD display, which many consider an extremely handy feature. Panasonic FZ-35, on the other hand, has a close 18X zoom, and 12 megapixel resolution. Its major drawback is it's fixed LCD display. To its advantage, it has a better image stabilization. It is considerably lighter (~420 gms, in comparison to ~680 gms for Canon SX 20). And it has excellent performance in conditions of low light - an area where it beats Canon hands-down.

All in all, it was a difficult choice to make. We agonized over it for several months. Finally, one day I said enough was enough. We had to buy one of the two cameras that day. After another agonizing hour or two at Fry's, we bought Panasonic Lumix!

I have posted several photos taken from our new camera on this blog (see below - Chicago and Hawaii). The camera has lived up to our expectations. Although we were satisfied with Panasonic's performance, the thoughts of how life would have been with Canon continued to bother us.

The ghost of the torment of the decision to buy Panasonic continued to haunt us. It returned again and again to vex us. However, when we saw this advertisement for Panasonic Lumix with "Intelligent Face Detector", it was finally buried once and for all. The moment we saw the ad, all our doubts vanished. We had made the right choice. No other camera would have suited us better this day than Panasonic Lumix!!

"Panasonic Lumix - with Intelligent Face Detector"

My razor journey

I was never a big fan of hi-tech shaving razors. Until I finished my B-school, I generally used double-sided razor blades (remember Supermax?!) and a basic plastic case to hold the blade. I had tried Gillette Presto a few times in my college days (do you recall the famous "saTaa-saT vaah!" ad showing a young boy and his dad trying out the newly introduced twin-blade shaving razor). When I started working after completing my B-school, I felt I should move up to a good quality razor and purchased Gillette Sensor Excel. Although I felt that the cartridges were too costly (at about Rs. 40 each?), I loved using it. Until last year, when I lost the razor handle, and I was left with a box of cartridges without the handle. I scoured several stores in search of Sensor Excel handles, but couldn't find one. In the meantime, I purchased a bunch of use-and-throw razors and used those for a few months.

Last week, finally I gave up my search for Sensor Excel, and decided to buy a new razor. After considering options at Fred Meyer, I finally decided to go with Gillette's latest introduction - Fusion ProGlide. I bought it a bit grudgingly - like Sensor Excel, I felt Fusion ProGlide was a bit too pricey. However, the moment I used it, I was pleasantly surprised; I would say, I was almost stunned! The shave was too smooth! More importantly, I didn't feel that I had shaved. There was absolutely no scratching of the skin. I could almost throw away the after-shave, because with Fusion ProGlide, after-shave is redundant! When I bought the razor, I thought that the 5+1 blades of Fusion were just a marketing gimmick. "They are just adding more and more blades to the razor 'system' hoping to impress consumers. But the trick won't work on me", I thought. But after using it, I am willing to admit that it seems that it (I mean, the razor, not the trick) does work, and it (again, razor) works better.

Now that I am thoroughly impressed by Fusion ProGlide, and will be happy to shell out unjustifiably exorbitant price for the cartridges, I am still pondering over the oft-asked question, "should it cost a world for Gillette to develop a new razor"? Reportedly, Gillette spent $750 million in developing Mach3. R&D costs for Fusion would be on similar scale. No matter how good it is, is such expenditure to modify a petty shaving razor justifiable? I have no answer.

myaanaatun usaLe

No matter how far we are from our country, we are never far away from the memories of our great nation. No matter how long we stay away from our motherland, the memories of those great men, who have inspired generations, are always with us. The songs that narrate the heroic feats of our fathers, visit our hearts ever so frequently, and remind us that we are inheritors of a great courageous legacy. Here's the lyrics and audio of one such favourite song of all of us:

म्यानातून उसळे तलवारीची पात (listen here)

म्यानातून उसळे तलवारीची पात 

वेडात मराठे वीर दौडले सात 

ते फिरता बाजूस डोळे, किंचित ओले 

सरदार सहा सरसावुनि उठले शेले 

रिकबीत टाकले पाय, झेलले भाले 

उसळले धुळीचे मेघ सात निमिषात  

आश्चर्यमुग्ध टाकून मागुती सेना 

अपमान बुजविण्या सात अर्पुनी माना 

छावणीत शिरले थेट भेट गनिमांना 

कोसळल्या उल्का जळत सात दर्यात  

खालून आग, वर आग, आग बाजूंनी 

समशेर उसळली सहस्त्र क्रुर इमानी 

गदीर्त लोपले सात जीव ते मानी 

खग सात जळाले अभिमानी वणव्यात  

दगडावर दिसतील अजूनि तेथल्या टाचा 

ओढयात तरंगे अजूनि रंग रक्ताचा 

क्षितिजावर उठतो अजूनि मेघ मातीचा 

अद्याप विराणी कुणी वार्‍यावर गात

Lyrics taken from: गीता मंजुषा