Nikon at Mumbai Photofair 2010, but its service network is lagging
Nikon India, the 100 per cent subsidiary of Nikon Corporation has claimed that it is all set to delight photography enthusiasts at Photofair 2010 at Bombay Exhibition Centre, NSE Grounds, Goregaon, in Maharashtra’s capital from the 7th to 10th of January. Nikon will showcase its latest innovations, special promotions and activities during the four-day long exhibition, says a press release.
The comments made to the media by Hidehiko Tanaka, Managing Director, Nikon India indicate that Nikon is heavily banking on sales in India. As I have noted elsewhere, the pricing policy adopted by Nikon in India does not give the impression that the company is particularly keen to be competitive. Moreover, its service apparatus in India is weak, built on the rickety foundations of private, informal service centres that started operating before the company made a formal advent in the national market. The scene has changed now for sales, but not for service.
This is quite a contrast with mature photography markets, where clean, professional service environments are as much a priority for Nikon, as sales is.
“The digital camera market has grown at a rate of 50 per cent during the current year and a similar growth pattern is expected for 2010 and we expect India to contribute more to our global revenues. We hope the photography culture in a scenic country like India witnesses more enthusiasts joining the digital imaging bandwagon. I am delighted to launch Nikon School in India, which is set to take photography to a next level,” according to Mr Tanaka.
That is great for revenues, but what about showing some more concern for amateurs, prosumers and professionals who have invested in Nikon equipment over the years, without an iota of support from the company? If I have to clear fungus from a gem of a Nikkor lens, is there a good place that Nikon can recommend, even in the metros? Is there is a specified list of user charges?
At the Mumbai photography event, Nikon will display flagship products such as the Nikon D3S, Nikon COOLPIX S1000pj, D3000 and D5000, the press release says. The topper in compact camera category, the company says, is the COOLPIX S1000pj, world’s first camera with a built-in projector and users can project images and videos as large as 40 inches with just a touch of a button. Great.
The other Nikon limelight products at Photofair are D3000 and D5000. The D3000 is the world’s first D-SLR camera that is equipped with a ‘Guide Mode’ which acts as a friend to the entry level photography enthusiast, guiding him to shoot professional looking images with ease & transforming everyday moments into stunning pictures. The D5000 is world’s first DSLR camera with a 450 degree rotating LCD screen through which the users can view in a normal position fitting securely within the camera back, or swung out to be rotated or tilted.
At the Photofair, Nikon is also showcasing the power of Telephoto Nikkor lenses in photography. Specific areas have been dedicated to these Nikkor lenses where props and models are placed for consumers to get a feel various angles and zooms, the company adds. Nikon’s latest colorful range of COOLPIX compact digital cameras and D-SLR cameras will also be on display in a zone where the visitors can touch, feel, click and experience what is described as “the luxury of a Nikon”.
It is of course nice to note that Nikon has set up a free service camp during the four days of the fair. But life does not end with the photofair, and Nikon should show consumers the courtesy of providing quality service through the year.
Bangalore’s Terrace Gardens Guest House: good, but could be better
It is hard to imagine that there is a quiet corner in Bangalore just off MG Road, where you can get a bed and breakfast under the shade of a giant raintree. That place is Brunton Road Cross, connecting Primrose Road, and the B and B is Terrace Gardens Guest House.
The main unit of the guest house, which they call TG I, is located at the end of a sylvan avenue, with the most frequent sights being people walking their dogs on the footpath. The B and B itself is verdant, and colourful with a splash of assorted floral plants, displays of garden paraphernalia, hanging plants and so on.
I stayed there for two nights during Christmas week of 2009 in a deluxe A/C room, that cost Rs. 3,000 plus taxes for double occupancy (nett Rs. 3350 or about $ 72 US).
Terrace Gardens has apparently built its reputation on the “hanging gardens” that give it its name. This is certainly a charming feature of the guest house. Yet, we could not help noticing some fundamental issues that the management has handle, to become more tourist-friendly.
For one, the tariff is quite stiff in relation to the facilities that the rooms provide. We would have liked to see an electric kettle and some tea/dairy whitener sachets offered with compliments. This is generally the norm in mid-sized hotels in the country now.It is also essential because TG does not have a restaurant that is open except for breakfast and pre-ordered food. Where would guests go for a cup of tea?
The idea of charging heavily for mineral water bottles is not friendly at all. True, the management offers you plain water, but this is not an item on which you make a fat profit. We noted that everything in the food tray, which is an assortment of small eats, chocolates and mint lozenges, is priced, and not very attractively at that. Ditto for soft drink cans and water kept in the mini-bar. It would be good ethical practice to inform guests up front that all items in the room are for sale, rather than let them discover that later. Better still, put up a notice on the desk along with the food tray, that the items are priced.
Note that although the TG advertises availability of wi-fi internet, it is only at a charge. This needs to be free at a hotel in this price range.
Another point that badly needs attention is the quality of towels. Those that we got had been to the cleaners too many times, and had completed their useful lives many weeks ago.
Breakfast is good in quality and the ambience where it is served is nice. Here again, the management needs to widen its offering, though. Not everyone may relish oily pooris, high-carb toast and vadas. The wise thing would be to add oats, muesli and milk, fruit juice and fresh fruit (rather than print in bold in the room service literature that the TG does not serve fruit or fruit juice, indicating an impending health deficit for guests).
We were left wondering whether the TG I has a stand-by generator, based on our experience during a power outage. Perhaps it does. But do check. In summer, this would be a major issue given that Bangalore’s ambient temperature has been rising.
Barring these concerns, this is a nice place to stay in fair weather. Its location is very convenient to visit the main shopping areas of the city, such as Brigade Road and Commercial Street. The Blossoms bookshop on Church Street is also conveniently located nearby.
During our stay, we were greeted in the morning by the refreshing calls of a spotted dove, a green barbet and some Milvus migrans kites. In fact, on the first day, our first sighting was that of a raptor, a hawk, on the raintree. It is also a great place to take portrait pictures, against the floral backdrop, garden furniture and so on.
Nikon India pricing – Shetala vs. J.J.Mehta
I have written about the shock that Nikon pricing gives to legit camera buyers in India. Today, The Hindu carries an advertisement by Shetala Cameras in Chennai, offering Nikon DSLRs at the following prices. Note that the ad does not make clear whether it includes kit lenses or are for body only, particularly in the case of the D300s
- D 3000 – Rs. 30,950
- D 5000 – Rs. 52,950
- D 90 – Rs. 83,950
- D 300s – Rs. 94,950
For comparison, the price in Mumbai from J.J.Mehta is as follows:
- Nikon D3000 with 18-55mm VR lens Rs. 27,500
- Nikon D5000 with 18-55mm VR lens Rs 46,999
- Nikon D300s Body Only Rs 85,990
The pricing indicates that except the D300s, the others include some kind of kit lens. Clearly, Shetala Camera prices are on the higher side.
At a different level, photogaphers continue to deeply resent the direction taken by Nikon, to force those who have excellent manual lenses to abandon them. The newer DSLRs are all capable of working only with DX lenses, and even earlier AF lenses of the pre-DX era are not compatible with some of the newer bodies.
The option of using the old lenses is available only with some bodies, such as the D300 and its later avatar. Shame on Nikon for making all that good glass gather fungus on dark, dank shelves.
Using iPod Touch 3G with a Wi-Fi router
Some of us have had problems choosing the right settings to connect an iPod Touch 3G with a Wi-Fi router. In my case, the router is a Belkin N150. It would detect the router, but refuse to link because the password was “wrong,” although the password was indeed correct.
After some extensive scanning of the available literature, the solution that worked for me is a simple one. You just got to General on the Touch and choose Reset. This will give a range of resetting options. Take care to choose the network settings option and proceed to reset. A red dialog at the bottom shows you what to press. Go ahead and press it. The Apple icon appears briefly, the reset is carried out and the Touch is now ready to link to the router.
I think it may also be necessary to keep your router settings at Wi-Fi b and g standard, rather than n, since iPods support only the former.
There is a helpful video for this particular procedure. This worked for me. I hope it does for you, if your problem is similar.
Belkin N150 router: Wireless not as easy as 1-2-3
As wireless devices proliferate, our pricey broadband connections become that much more useful for browsing anytime, anywhere at home. With a netbook, an iPod 3G touch, and the desktop, it was time to go wireless, I thought, and picked up a Belkin N150 802.11 N router from Croma in Anna Nagar, Chennai (Rs. 2199 nett).
The impressive graphics on the package show that setting it up is as easy as 1-2-3. It does look simple, but for some strange reason, the CD in the package did not install properly. It asks you to select your geographical region — India is missing — and when you choose ‘other’, it just refuses to move ahead.
So I had to use the Windows Vista facility to create a wireless network connection. That apparently did work okay, and the router was in action. My Asus 1005HA connected with it fine, but strangely, it was not connecting to the Internet.
The reason, I found after some fiddling, was that the type of connection to be fixed on the router is “PPoE” while by default the setting is “dynamic,” (suitable for cable modems, the documentation says). Selecting PPoE fixed the issue and things got moving.
The Belkin N150 is a middle-range router that apparently partially uses the 802.11 N wi-fi standard, offering 150 Mbps connectivity. However, this may not be the ideal setting for all devices, since the 3G iPod Touch supports wi-fi b/g standard.
Copenhagen: Will India take the green path?
Regardless of the outcome at the Copenhagen climate conference, India has the historic opportunity to reorient itself towards a green path of economic growth. The key factor that should influence national policy is the iniquitous nature of current emissions. At an estimated 1.2 tonnes equivalent of carbon dioxide, India’s per capita emissions of greenhouse gases may be lower than the global average of 4.2 today, but they arise in large measure from the lifestyle emissions of a minority; the vast majority of people do not contribute to making the country the fourth largest emitter at the global level. It is disingenuous to argue, therefore, that national emissions can continue to grow in coming decades from profligate consumption, with likely serious climate consequences that would affect poor people who have not contributed to the situation. It is important to remember that India is advancing the same argument for the developed world, citing them as legacy polluters who have created the huge emissions stock, and must now make amends to help the developing countries. By pressing the argument for large emission volumes, India has only created unease among small island states, which are vulnerable to climate impacts.
The way forward lies in sharply decarbonising the economy with renewable sources, curbing wasteful energy use, and shifting away from the fossil-fuel pathways that have led to the current climate crisis. A carefully-crafted strategy will enable sustainable growth in key sectors, such as power generation, lighting, transport, agriculture, and buildings. Some of these form part of the National Action Plan on Climate Change as distinct missions. India has taken a step forward by identifying solar power generation for a massive scale-up, but it needs to act on other fundamental areas. Research for green technology development is one. It has been recognised as a central need by the UNFCCC under the Bali Action Plan and must become a national goal in the 12th and 13th Plans. It is eminently feasible to promote research in the university system with the involvement of both private and public sectors. Technologies can be developed through acquisitions, collaborations with external organisations and open-source approaches. In all of this, exemplary governmental leadership holds the key.
India at Copenhagen: What it must do
I believe the following are key issues that the Government of India and the State Governments must address quickly, to make a convincing case about our intentions to reduce carbon emissions:
1. Massively invest in solar energy – this will help meet the target of 20,000 MW of production, as well as take electricity to those who don’t have it. So far, the Government of India as a public stakeholder has paid lip service to the idea, and recently announced the above production target to make a case for Copenhagen.
2. Our transport policy is a major hole in our climate efforts – Most cities in India are running transport models designed for 50 years ago, and that too badly. There should be a cess on petrol in each State and the funds should go to fund buses first, and trains next (because buses can be deployed virtually off the shelf, and each of our cities needs thousands of affordable, comfortable buses). The transport operations should be brought under regulators with state governments not keeping them as restricted monopolies for political reasons. Common ticketing for bus and rail operations should be introduced on a war-footing, and in any case within one year. All roads in cities and towns must have clear, walkable footpaths, failing which they must be denied central assistance of any kind. In all new urban planning, bicycle pathways must be made compulsory. If necessary, overhead cycling tracks can be built on arterial roads, to encourage use of this green form of transport.
3. Buildings, which are increasing power demand, must be engineered by law to include green energy, and use solar energy optimally. This can be achieved through design passively, and actively by including solar photovoltaic generation as well as heating. At present, the building approvals process is handled by semi-literate people at the local bodies, and the urban development authorities are corrupt. This situation cannot continue.
4. The energy efficiency sector must be completely revitalised. A base must be created to manufacture LEDs light-emitting diodes, which are the best available technology to make the optimal use of electricity for lighting. India does not have a good manufacturing base.
5. The CFL lamp schemes promised for long, such as Bachat Lamp Yojana, must be implemented immediately.
6. Stop the loss of wetlands, which are important for water security, which is threatened by global warming.
7. Compel State Governments to manage organic waste without contributing to methane emissions in open landfills.
8. Provide for escalating power costs to consumers, to curb ostentatious use of power on air-conditioning. Essential consumption should be affordable, and the green alternatives such as CFLs, LEDs and energy-efficient gadgets promoted.
I believe that these and similar issues can be handled without the public giving up a good quality of life. What this needs is Government policy, not so much citizen sacrifice (although that will happen anyway because of environmental concern at the individual level). An issue like climate change requires Governments to lead from the front.
Free wi-fi in Chennai, GMR Hyderabad airports? Plain hogwash!
Is there free wi-fi internet at the Chennai and GMR Hyderabad airports? The media reported breathlessly the claims of politicians about free wi-fi internet services at airports in the past, but the reality is that those services have all but stopped. And there are no media reports about that. Perhaps your experience has been different from mine, but that doesn’t help me or anyone else either.
I was recently in both airports, and found that in Chennai, the BSNL wi-fi service is so weak that there is no point trying to use it – there is no data transfer happening. My new Asus netbook, incidentally, is equipped for the 802.11 n standard, which means 300 megabits per second.
In Hyderabad, the GMR notice strategically positioned outside a Tata Indicom kiosk says one can use wi-fi internet free for 45 minutes, with the option to pay Tata for continued access thereafter. When you try to log onto the free service, you are asked to fill up a form on the Tata Indicom page, and you get a username and password. Try using that and the message on your screen simply says “wrong username or password,” repeatedly. According to the facility, you are an idiot that cannot read the username and password on your mobile phone.
You start thinking there is a pattern when you look at the strength of the wi-fi connectivity at Chennai. Very weak to nil connectivity, with one small bar for BSNL. Presto! The Tata service, however, is running on full charge, all five bars. “Very Good” says your laptop. Only, you need to open your pursue and buy credits from Tata or use a Tata phone number.
We know that the neo-liberal icons who run our Government at the Centre and the equally corrupt State governments have thrown consumers to the corporate wolves, who have no qualms about making false claims, generating inflated bills, providing pathetic service, hiding behind anonymous call centre employees, and generally acting with impunity. Very conveniently, there is no complaints forum for such issues in a country that is always talking of GDP growth, billions received in FDI, and how India has bucked the global economic trend.
Do we need a soft-spoken Oxbridge Prime Minister, a complicit Planning Commission and other assorted mandarins to appear to run this country as a rule and law-based society, even notionally? Why not hand it over to the mafia in toto?
Nokia Care Centres in Chennai: But do they really work?
I note from a search result within Nokia’s India site, that there are 13 “Nokia Care” centres in Chennai. Is that the best that this giant can do, when they have sold a couple of million phones in this city?
I think it is a shame the Indian consumer is being treated so shabbily by the mobile phone industry in general, and Nokia in particular. The phone makers don’t care about the performance of their devices, the service providers hardly bother about the quality of service while getting very focused on getting their bills paid.
Here is the link to the Nokia search for service in Chennai.
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