Nikkor 50-300MM lens

After using my new Nikon DSLR for nearly 6 months I encountered a small limitation "ZOOM". Yes without a medium range zoom I was not able to click some long distance images, eg. birds, sunrise, moon etc. I was aware that lens is the soul of any DSLR camera and without a proper lens I will not be able to use my camera to its full potential.

My existing 18-55 mm is for short range and macro images but as a backpacker I needed more than that. Lens could be very expensive and can go up to Rs. 6 Lac, but I am not a professional and photography is not earning me by bread and butter, so I was looking for a basic zoom lens which can satisfy my need and at the same time not very heavy on my pocket.

 















As an intermediate I was not looking for a very long range lens and decided a medium range lens will do the. After dong some research my choice is Nikkor 55-300 mm VR lens.

The reason I choose this product is because of the Nikkon brand name and second is compatibility with my existing DSLR. I feel it is very important to buy a compatible product or else the product will not sink up 100%. There are other lenses available with low price from different brand but they were missing the very important function VR. VR means vibration reduction which helps stabilizing the image in the absence of tripod or in case of moving objects like birds. The lens also has an auto focus capability which will give a peace of mind when you are struggling with other functions like ISO and shutter. The lens comes with a very durable plastic cover for front and back and this will save the lens from dust and moisture. It also has a very good pouch to save the outer body from scratch when the lens is not in use. It’s really very easy to attach the lens to the camera and same with the detachment. The VR technology works very well and I never had any complaint; this is a very important part because the lens is heavy and while focusing on a distant object, it is natural that hands will shake. Without a good VR it is impossible to shoot without a tripod. Now I am able to click very long distance images without any problem.

 

The only small issue which I am facing is the lens is little heavy and I can feel it while holding it for some time, but this is not an huge issue as zoom lenses will have some weight. I will recommend this lense for any intermediate users like me

My Nikkon D3300

Buy Nikon D3300 with 18-55mm Lens from Snapdeal

I am not new to photography but I was using a Sony point and shoot camera with attached little wide lens . The camera is good, but the problem was its limitations and no option to change the lens. I have a habit of doing extensive research before buying any product and price does matter for me. My budget for buying a DSLR was 30000 and there are many options available in the market including combo offers(two lenses 18-55 and 55-200). But as a beginner my first priority was ease of use and the functions should not be complicated for which my choice is Nikon D3300. The camera is not very basic and not very high end. The reason I choose this model because I was aware of some the basic features like ISO, Shutter, and F number etc. The product is very easy to use, the functions are very clear and with the help of hot keys I do not need to go to the function menu all the time to change settings. The three basic functions like shutter speed; ISO and F number is damn easy to change from the main screen on various moods. It also got an easy to use dial for different mood like manual, Auto, Macro etc. The best part in the dial is for effects like you can give special effects to your pictures for example Vivid, black and white, Toy camera effect, selective colour and also Panorama.

On the bottom right side there is a hot key to delete unwanted images and also one to select time in case you want to use a tripod. On the left side of the screen the product has menu button, play button to watch your images instantly, zoom in and zoom out only for the captured images and a button marked with the letter(i) which helps us to change different functions on screen. The camera also got an in build flash which pops us as and when required apart from this there is also an option of extra flash on the top. Personally I don’t like to use flash until and unless it becomes very important because the product has an amazing ISO sensitivity which works very well in low light. The camera also has slots for HDMI in case someone wants to view images on HDTV and also a slot for MIC. In the bottom the product has a universal socket of tripods honestly I have never used my tripod because the VR(Vibration Reduction) technology works flawless. Even at the time I have captured very low light images the VR is a life saver because carrying a tripod means adding extra weight. The product comes with Nikon software to edit your images and it very easy to use. I have purchased it with an offer online so I got a Nikon standard DSLR bag.

Along with the camera the standard products are 8GB memory card, Camera body, 18-55Vr lense, user manual, HDMI wires, strap and charger.

I have not encountered any problems while using the product. It may be after few years which I will use the product to its full potential but I will stick with Nikon.

Car Service-Bad Game

It’s been more than 8 years since I have been driving my car and honestly have not faced any major fault. Apart from small hiccups due to minor accidents, my car has not given me troubles. However, now after 7 years some parts have grown very old and need replacement. As I am moving towards changing my old parts I realize that there is no option but to buy genuine car parts from the service centre. Yes, there are few options outside the system, but they are not 100% genuine. It solves the purpose for a while but again very few want to compromise on quality. 

So what options do consumers have? After doing some research these are  my findings. 

There must be more than 50 dealers of Maruti (an example) in Delhi/NCR and all of them want to make huge profits. Please be aware that profit margins are limited because of huge competitions among dealers and the only option they have is to sell more cars with discounts and festivals offers. This does not mean that they don’t earn profit, but their greed makes them do wrong.

So how will they make profit?The answer is false SERVICE charges. As soon you step in the service station, the goal of the service manager is to charge as much as possible. They do it by two ways- Labor charges and overpriced spare parts.

There are two kinds of charges; one is the normal service charge which the customers have to pay no matter what. This is often in the range of Rs.1500 to Rs.2000 which includes washing and cleaning, spark plug cleaning and engine tuning. 

The second are the charges for wear and tear of different parts and the separate labour charge. Almost 90% of the customers do not understand the bill and the terms in it, giving a golden opportunity for the service manager to increase the bill amount. You will be surprised to see that the labour charges are sky high! My dealer charged me Rs. 95 just to fix a small door handle! The only work was to fix a screw. That’s it!

Our little knowledge about our car proves to be the biggest opportunity for these car dealers. Very often I have seen very huge charges on the final bill without any reason. 

-The best way to avoid is to start asking questions and ask for the old part if they have changed it. Try to sit with them at the time they are making the job card initially and give them strict instructions not to change any part without your consent. 

-Also, always carry your user manual to understand which part needs to be changed and when is the right time.

-In the final inspection ask the service manager to show you the new parts; yes some might not be visible.

The problem is the customer can’t buy parts of his own from the service station and they can charge any amount in the name of labour charge.There is no guarantee that the parts they have changed are genuine because almost all the work been done in the service bay and entry of customer is restricted.

Be alert and save your hard earned money on your car service.

Patient care @ home

Patient care at home- This word often is confused with regular nurses in the hospital and aayas. In hospitals there are two kinds of care available-One are the nurses who are responsible for taking care of patients as per the doctor advice, giving medicines or food on time and checking vital stats. The second are “Aayas” who are responsible for activities like giving sponge bath to patients, helping them with bed pan and other cleaning related jobs. Nurses are well educated while on the other hand an aaya could be little or un- educated. 

Sometimes we need the same kind of care at home.  While hiring a helping hand at home, what should one do? The first thing we have to keep in our mind is the requirement of the patient. For example if the patient needs regular injections or constant monitoring and medicines depend on vital body functions, then one must hire a nurse. Nurses are required for bed ridden patients, those suffering with serious conditions or old patients living alone. Aaya is also required in these kinds of cases because most of the nurses would refuse the cleaning jobs. In case of predefined medicines and food an “aaya” would be perfect. Aayas are good with those patients who are bed ridden and where the only work is to feed and clean them. An example is my mother who fractured her leg after slipping in the bathroom. 

In some cases help is required for half a day but that’s depends on the patient condition. In general an aaya is required only for helping the patient with those daily activities which they are not able to do by themselves.

Now the question arises that from where to hire them. Nurses are mostly available from the hospital directly and it is the most preferred method too. However, they are very expensive and also no one wants to take a chance because they are meant for a critical job. The same way aaya can also be hired from hospital but the problem is hospital charge a huge amount for this unskilled work. It is better to hire an aaya from an independent agency.

With growing needs, there are new agencies mushrooming everywhere and all of them promise you with the best staff they have. In reality, most of them are bogus and have no experience. The reason they are into this business is quick and tax free money. They work on two ways-One is you pay only to the agency and in turn they will pay the employee. In other words it’s an outsourced profile. The second way is you pay some amount initially to the agency and a fixed salary to the maid every month.

The problem is there is no guarantee of the employee. Even these maids are unskilled but they must have prior experience of patient care. Most of the agencies give you wrong information. The best way to be on the safe side is to ask for references and then wait for their answer. Almost 90% will never give you any reference because of two reasons- One they have never worked with patients, and two- they have never worked at all. 

I have come across maids who were involved in house cleaning and the agency people lure them for these kind of jobs because the pay is high. My present maid (aaya) even told me that once her agency owner got a road side lady beggar and took her for a job in patient care after teaching all kind of lies! That’s alarming!

So how to handle grave situations at home in presence of maids/aaya-

1.       Install a CCTV by which you can monitor the daily activity at home. This is also important because the maid always have the fear that someone is watching.

2.       Take a small interview of the maid in front of the agency person. For example where they have all worked previously, for how long they have been working, what was the nature of their last assignment and so on.

3.       Take two or three references from the nurse and the agency owner as well.

4.       Ask for a police verification before you hire them and also check their original documents. Keep a copy of all the documents with some photographs.

5.       Explain the nature of work in detail to avoid last minute surprises. Try to tell them they have to do everything for the patient, even cooking and washing clothes, massage or therapy patient’s body. Also don’t miss telling them the most important thing- In case the patient needs anything at night, then the same has to done.

6.       I will also suggest restricting their access in the house for example eating habits. Please understand, most of them come from a very poor family and never had access to luxury. My intensions are not to be inhuman but at least they must know their limits.

7.       Don’t let the maid knows about the places where you keep cash or jewellery. Try to lock the room in case you are leaving and the patient is all alone at home with the maid. In case you are planning for few days out of station then please let few neighbour know. Their frequent or surprise visit will keep the maid under control.

8.       Try to keep an eye for the initial few days and take a feedback from the patient himself.

9.       Last and most important is the compensation. Be clear on the terms and conditions from the beginning itself.

I am no expert in this field but this is my experience and hope it will help. These agencies charge a lot of amount, so don’t let them fool you.

Lansdown-Ups and Downs

For a very long time I had been hearing about this hill station Lansdowne.  Not very far away from Delhi and as per some a must visit place to relax and escape from the city crowd.

This place is located almost 280KM from Gurgaon and seems an easy way to travel by car. So me and my wife decided to spend our long weekend in Lansdowne, this time I had not done enough research before fixing up for a tourist destination and that was a miss from my end for which we regret later.

Let me brief few things about this place. Lansdown is the home of the great Garwhal regiment and this goes back from the British era. The whole city is controlled by the army and they are doing a fantastic job by keeping the city clean and disciplined as plastic bags is banned and no one can booze openly. The whole city is not more than 3KM from one end to another but don’t keep any wrong expectations because most of the roads are steep vertically up or down. Lansdown is not a commercial hill station like Manali and Shimla, a handful of hotels and restaurants keep this place less crowded. I don’t think that there are more than 7-8 hotels and surprisingly most of the hotels have no kitchen and the guest have to be dependent on outside restaurant which is again in very less quantity. Almost all the times we have seen people waiting outside for their turn.  The city has a small market which has all the hotels and restaurant. The market is located in the heart of the city and known as “Gandhi Chawk”.

We started our journey 5:00 AM early in the day when whole India celebrate the festival of Holi. As I expected the roads were deserted because of the festival and in the early hours there was no traffic at all. We have to cross Gaziabad, Merrut, Modinager, Muradnagar, Khatauli. I have done an intensive research on the route and thankfully the roads were all good.

The road from khatuali is covered with small villages, farmlands and dense tree lines on both sides of the road. In some places the trees on both sides covering the roads like an umbrella which seems very beautiful. Early morning sun rays are just awesome when filtered from dense trees, but the roads also had potholes on some areas so one must be very careful because it was mostly deserted and no one wants to stick there because of some car problem. After Kothdwar the real challenge begins, as I have to drive on hill roads and was tmy first time, yes I have some tips from internet that to drive slow and use the horn on every turn. I have estimated that the total distance was of 30KM upwards. On our way we have encountered some villagers who were blocking the way and charging money and most of them are women and children, I was lucky to dodge them.  There is also a small toll 5km before the city which looks like locals collecting money in the name of toll tax, honestly it seems like that and I cross them without paying. Later I have realized that it was actually a Government toll LOL.

Finally we reached our destination before the expected time and the city is celebrating Holi. Here come the bad part our hotel is in the market and the road is downwards and too narrow, still I manage to take my car and called the owner. He told me that he is not in town and will send someone to take us to the hotel, but nobody came to this I had some heated argument but he had a good excuse for the festival. So we turn our car to Gandhi Chawk and waited there for an hour so that people will go home and we can walk towards our hotel. Under any circumstances I don’t want that the locals should pour colors or water on us. Around 12:30 things are slowing down and we decided to park our car and walk towards our hotel. Please remember that almost all the hotels have no parking facility and parking is available on Gandhi Chawk only that’s the whole reason after a day the whole place looks like a huge parking lot. We have one more surprise waiting in the hotel as the manager is missing from the front desk and we could not spot our name in the list. The staff was friendly and give us a vacant room till the time the manager is free with his own Holi celebrations, the room was small with the length of the bed not even 6Ft with one closet and a TV. Finally, after 1 hour the manager arrives with all sorts of color on his body we had booked a semi deluxe room, but the room was already occupied due to their mismanagement, but they have provided us the same room where we are resting and to my surprise it was a deluxe room, it could imagine that what will be a semi deluxe. The room was offered to us on the same price. We have not eaten much for 6 hours and here comes another setback the hotel has no kitchen and the market is closed so we have to wait for another 2 hours for one restaurant to open and as soon as they open their gates people just pour in. We had ordered for a veg thali. 

We went back to our hotel and decided to cover Bhulla Tall and Tip in Top, well it was a wrong decision as Bhulla Tall was closed due to the festival but Tip-in Top was open. Please be advised that the Tip-in-top is located on a hilltop and the road was vertically steep, but many people do not want to track and take their car. Honestly I believe if young people can’t even walk to tat distance they must stay in their city. We are already dealing with a lot of pollution and I don’t know why most of the Delhi tourist with their fat belly can’t walk. We reach the top after half hour covering the beautiful road breathing fresh oxygen and clicking pictures the sound of birds is like music to the ears. The tie we reached it’s already evening and due to very low light I could not capture the desired images, we spent some time and the best part is my dog lover wife got a chance to meet with a friendly lab. Now it’s time to go down and we lost our way a bit, but an army man shows us the right way. I got to know that tip-in top is the best place to see sunrise so I decided to come back later around 5:30 to capture some good pictures.

We were damn tired, so the only thing we did after reaching the market is filled out stomach and fall into deep sleep as soon as we reached our hotel.

The next day we planned to cover Bhulla Tall and War Museum. We decided to reach bhulla tall early to avoid huge crowds as it was expected due to the long weekend.  The place is not big and the time we reached there is only a handful of tourist so I got plenty of time clicking pictures. The pace got a small man-made lake with lots of ducks and boating is only allowed with life jackets, we skip the boating because the lake is very small instead I spent most of the time clicking. They also have a small area for Rabbits, hamsters and Pigeons. We spent almost 2 hours and it was getting crowded and there was not left to experience. They also have a small restaurant with basic food items alike chaat, idli dosa etc. From that place we again started walking towards Gandhi Chowk to have our lunch. The war museum is 1 K: M from Gandhi Chowk. Photography is probated inside the building but again some Delhi tourist has no respect and did take pictures from their phone. The museum will give us the entire history of Garhwal regiment and their bravery starting from 1st world war and every wall speak for their gallantry. I saw the famous German machine gun MG42 for the first time. The museum also contains the initial maps of Lansdown , pictures of our fallen heroes , generals and their medals. To my surprise, I learned that the regiment plays a vital role in the all wars and conflict. Among the fallen Heroes I spotted a name “Jaswant Singh Rawat” I remember my dad narrating me the story of this Hero who alone killed 300 Chinese  dogs in the indo china war source (http://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/the-heroic-story-of-jaswant-singh-the-man-who-saved-arunachal-pradesh-from-the-chinese-army-247929.html) . 

I think it was an honor to visit there and experienced the brave history of Grahwal Regiment. The war memorial was opposite to the museum, but before taking pictures I took permission from an office and he told me that I can take pictures from a distance but the main gate is closed for visitors and I think it’s a good decision for that sacred place as most of the tourists will be interested in clicking stupid selfies instead of giving respect to our Heroes, I will not be surprised if they also drop empty cups and food packets. I did manage to click some pictures from my 300 MM Nikkor from a distance. 

For the last day we planned that I alone will go to Tip-in top early morning and later will visit tarkeshwar temple. We decide to hire a cab instead of me driving as the distance is almost 40Km and roads are narrower.

Fauna at Bhulla Tall

As planned next day I woke up at 5:00 am and started my walk towards Tip-in top, this  time it was not easy as I have to reach as early as possible and my heart rate was maximum due to tracking upwards. Fortunately, I bought a mineral water from the market and it helps me to keep hydrated. I am glad that I was the first one to reach. As expected the sun was about to rise and I started setting up my Nikon with the best mood with my new Nikkor 300MM lens. I don’t remember when was the last time I saw a sunrise so red and nothing in this world can be so good watching a sunrise from a hill top. The red sun was hiding behind clouds and it seems like she is a new bride not ready to show her beautiful face. As there was no one there I managed to click some good images. After spending almost 1 hour I turned down to the hotel and somehow discovered a very small route down but at the same time it was very steep so have to be very careful. On reaching hotel we decided that I will take some rest and then will move out from breakfast and Tarkeshwar. We again went to the cab owner to confirm our booking he not only confirm our cabs but also told us that there were two more girls who want to hire a cab and we can split the fare. In breakfast we had stuff paratha and paneer paratha and I realize later that it was not a very good decision while someone is planning for a trip in hilly area.

The cab was on time and also our two companions. It was an indica with a very friendly driver as he is pro in his Job, the narrow turns seems like a piece of cake for him. But he was driving fast which scare the shit out of me also after some time I realize the problems in my stomach and feels like vomiting. Somehow I was responsible because I had a very heavy breakfast and I was very uncomfortable. We covered the whole 40Km in an hour’s time. Tarkeshwar temple is situated in middle of the forest and everyone has to walk the final 1 KM. That last 1Km distance was not easy and it is not advisable not to take old people as I have seen many people struggling. The whole 1Km was either upwards or downwards. After a walk of 15 minutes we finally reached to the temple complex which is worth all the travel. The temple is surrounded with a thick forest with a small ground filled with lush green grass. There are three bells on the mail entry gate and I was surprised to see a long column of bells surrounding the left side, than I came to know that as per the tradition many visitors devote bells. We did our prayers and again we encountered some tourists who are taking selfies inside the temple premises. There is also a very old tree inside which symbolize the “Trishul” of lord Shiva legend says that anyone who prays below that tree and if a single leaf or a small branch fell then the person is blessed by the GOD. The open area besides the temple is a huge and good place to relax for some time. We also spot our two Co passengers who have no interest in the temple may be because they are Christens, it was really very awkward as they were just there to visit the place, well anyways it was their decision.  After spending an hour and clicking some images we started our way up.

The parking space for cars is very less so it is another reason to travel by a cab. On our way back the driver asked that whether I have kept the toll receipt but I never had any. He told us that they will again stop you on our way back and the best way to avoid huge toll charges is to tell them you have missed the receipt and came only a day back, they will only charge 50. I came to know from our driver in Lansdown even after paying the toll one has to pay charges for everyday at the time of return. In that way I would have ended up paying almost Rs.250, so the best way to tell them that you have missed the receipt and came only yesterday.  After returning to our hotel I decide to get as much sleep possible because somewhere I knew in the back of my mind that our return drive will not be easy.

It took almost 7 hours to come back, 2 hours more than expected. We were stuck in two places Modinagar and Muradnagar . It was a very tiring drive back home as I was completely exhausted.

My advice to people going to Lansdowne that start at 5:00 AM no matter you are going or coming back. If you want to chill in the weekend then this is the best place near Delhi NCR but 1 and a half day is more than enough.One last important advise that please fill up your car petrol/ diesel tank, there are no petrol pumps in Lansdown.