March 18th, 2006
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Toys with which to grow disappointed in oneself
It’s another Saturday, and another day to the office. Yesterday I was so exhausted that I could barely make it through the last episode of Jubei-chan and the Lovely Eye Patch without falling asleep. As much as I tried to get up at seven-thirty, it didn’t happen and I dozed until my default “Oh shit I’m late for work” time of 9:29. Of course on weekends you pretty much set your own schedule, so I took a little time chatting with Amy and one of my neighbors on the way out to drop off the trash. I probably would have gotten moving a lot sooner, but I was waiting for Sagawa to bring me my latest indulgence, the Konica-Minolta DiMage 5400 II. This film scanner was consistently rated both domestically and abroad as being the finest consumer-level product available.
Being logical or too much like my father I’m not sure, but I’ve grown into the habit of seriously working over the ramifications of anything over a fifty dollar purchase. I compare ratings, prices, and seek advice on Usenet before ultimately making a choice. Unfortunately this usually takes several months thanks to my schedule as it is, and much pined for products may disappear from existence by the time I resolve to actually make the purchase (like the ill-fated Panasonic GS400). Now that I think about it, most dated consumer goods seem to fade away around February or March, which probably by no small coincidence is the end of the Japanese fiscal year. Out with old stock, and in with new plans.
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In any case, I learned from my experience before and knew I’d have to act on any slim remaining chance to get the scanner after it ended production and the outlets on Kakaku started drying up. So when I found three left in Rakuten’s home shopping store, I pounced on the chance, despite it being a hundred dollars more than the average price from two weeks prior. What this amounts to is a much needed shot in the arm for my photography. Film and lab exposure are relatively cheap, and now I have the advanced edge I need to push my source quality higher (theoretically) with smoother tones and deeper contrast. Then again, a high profile tool can be just the thing to show you how much you really suck on your own. Five thousand and four hundred dots per inch to confirm my inability to correctly focus and set the aperature.
[No, the above images were not scanned in.]
