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What's New And Notable In Photography And Computing

EXTRA-LARGE APPLE DISPLAY Edit your 13x19-inch enlargements at full size on the 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display. Boasting impressive 2560 x 1600-pixel resolution, it’s the largest high-resolution LCD for the personal computer. The 20- and 23-inch displays have been updated as well. All three models have a broad color gamut that stays consistent across the screen, and a wide viewing angle of 170 degrees. Suggested Retail Price: $1,299 (20-inch); $1,999 (23-inch); $3,299 (30-inch). Contact: Apple, (800) MY-APPLE, www.apple.com. INTERNATIONAL ONE-HOUR BATTERY CHARGER Charge your batteries quickly anywhere in the world with Maha’s PowerEx MH-C204W One Hour Worldwide Travel Conditioning Charger. The compact unit brings your NiMH AA batteries to full charge and keeps them topped off without overcharging. Its integrated battery conditioner rescues degraded batteries. List Price: $39.95 (with four batteries and case). Contact: Maha Energy, (800) 376-9992, www.mahaenergy.com.

ULTRA-COMPACT 5 MP CAMERA WITH OPTICAL IMAGE STABILIZER Get sharp, high-quality images even when using slower shutter speeds with the Lumix DMC-FX7 from Panasonic. The tiny 5-megapixel camera’s advanced optical image stabilizer corrects camera shake, letting you shoot at speeds three or four stops slower than usual. A large 2.5-inch LCD monitor lets you compose your pictures easily. Suggested Retail Price: $499.95. Contact: Panasonic, (800) 211-PANA, www.panasonic.com.

DIGITAL FILTER SET Perfect your images with the 55mm 4.0 digital filter set from Digital Film Tools. The 47 included Photoshop-compatible plug-ins simulate glass camera filters, lab processes and film grain. They also provide precise color correction, control contrast, correct or create lens distortion and generate accurate mattes. List Price: $150; $25 (upgrade from version 3.0). Contact: Digital Film Tools, (323) 874-2330, www.digitalfilmtools.com. SOFT LIGHTING FOR DIGITAL Light your portrait and tabletop subjects with SP Studio Systems’ 4 Bulb Fluorescent Light Bank. Its energy-efficient bulbs supply bright light for easier shooting, but don’t get as hot as tungsten bulbs. The light bank provides excellent color with your camera’s daylight white-balance setting. An included diffuser softens the shadows for a professional look. List Price: $399.93. Contact: BKA, (800) 250-8394, www.bkaphoto.com. IMAGE-OPTIMIZATION PLUG-INS Clean up your images’ technical rough edges with Optipix 3 plug-in software from Reindeer Graphics. Already well known for its ability to blend light and dark exposures of the same subject into one seamless image, the new collection of Photoshop-compatible plug-ins adds a Refocus tool, a JPEG Cleaner for removing artifacts and several other features. Suggested Retail Price: $149.95. Contact: Reindeer Graphics, (828) 252-7515, www.reindeergraphics.com.



DIGITAL-OPTIMIZED MACRO LENSES Shoot sharp close-ups with Sigma’s 50mm and 105mm ƒ/2.8 EX DG macro lenses. Covering the full 35mm film format and boasting coatings and optics optimized for digital, both lenses focus from infinity down to 1:1. At closest focus, the field of view covers about 1x1.5 inches on film and an even smaller area on digital. Estimated Street Price: $250 (50mm); $375 (105mm). Contact: Sigma, (800) 896-6858, www.sigmaphoto.com. THREE-CCD DIGITAL CAMCORDER Shoot digital video and 4-megapixel still images with Panasonic’s PV-GS400 camcorder. Its built-in image stabilizer helps the 12x Leica zoom lens deliver sharp and steady images, and the camera’s sophisticated three-CCD system provides pure colors and high resolution. A color viewfinder and 3.5-inch color LCD help you see what you’re shooting. Suggested Retail Price: $1,499.95. Contact: Panasonic, (800) 211-PANA, www.panasonic.com. RETOUCHING PLUG-IN Smoothe skin surfaces and perform other retouching effects quickly and easily using Kodak’s DIGITAL GEM Airbrush Professional Plug-in. By reducing between-tones contrast, the plug-in minimizes imperfections in skin and other surfaces without losing significant details such as hair. Advanced control sliders allow you to customize the effects and their intensity. List Price: $99.95. Contact: Kodak, (800) 235-6325, www.asf.com.



PORTABLE MINI-STUDIO Shoot products and still lifes on your tabletop with the handy Kaiser Studio-out-of-the-Box. The compact, folding unit features an integral 16-inch-wide seamless background perfect for shooting small objects, and a built-in adjustable camera support so you won’t have to struggle with positioning your tripod near enough to your subject. List Price: $220. Contact: HP Marketing Corp., (800) 735-4373, www.hpmarketingcorp.com. COMPACT DIGITAL CAMCORDER Sony’s DCR-PC350 MiniDV Handycam compact digital video camera weighs less than a pound and delivers clean color and sharp images with its Carl Zeiss T* 10x zoom lens. The camera features 3-megapixel still-image capability, a 2.5-inch hybrid touch-screen LCD that doubles as a control pad, and the Super NightShot infrared system for shooting well after dark. Estimated Street Price: $1,300. Contact: Sony, (800) 222-SONY, www.sony.com. SPECIAL-EDITION CAMERA BAG Carry an SLR with one or two lenses and accessories in the Limited Edition Domke White House Bag, richly embroidered with the White House insignia. It can be used as a shoulder bag with the non-slip strap or as a belt bag. Other features include a padded main compartment with divider walls, a tough, water-resistant canvas exterior and seven compartments and pockets. List Price: $85. Contact: Tiffen, (800) 645-2522, www.tiffen.com.

PHOTO MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE Organize and share your digital pictures and video clips with Dream In Pictures software. The program lets you browse and edit your photos, use them in slideshows and share your images easily via e-mail or on the Web. You also can create photo mosaics, a virtual 3-D walk-through gallery and a picture puzzle game. Windows only. List Price: $49.95. Contact: Luminous Parrot Technologies, (425) 748-5155, www.luminousparrot.com.

WHITE-BALANCE TARGET Get accurate exposures and control image contrast with the Digital Calibration Target. Its black, white and gray patches create spiked areas on your camera’s histogram that you can interpret to ensure that your exposure records all tones from light to dark. You also can include the target in a test image with your subject to set precise levels and curves in Photoshop later. Suggested Retail Price: $99. Contact: F.J. Westcott Company, (800) 886-1689, www.fjwestcott.com.

Hard Copy

Digital Photography Expert: Close-Up Photography by Michael Freeman (Lark Books, 2024, ISBN: 1-57990-544-7). Learn how to compose still-life and macro shots, choose the appropriate equipment and get the best close-up photographs with this definitive guide.

Beginner’s Guide to Photographic Lighting by Don Marr (Amherst Media, 2024, ISBN: 1-58428-133-2). Inside, you’ll find instruction on selecting light sources, information about a variety of lighting styles and advice on how to approach different lighting situations.

Digital Photography by Michael Wright (Hylas Publishing, 2024, ISBN: 1-59258-064-5). Subjects covered in this book include removing red-eye, cloning, restoring old photographs, color theory, complex retouching techniques, lighting and much more.

Professional Digital Imaging for Wedding and Portrait Photographers by Patrick Rice (Amherst Media, 2024, ISBN: 1-58428-128-6). Featuring the latest techniques from top wedding and portrait photographers, this book provides information professionals need to select digital equipment, deal with a new workflow, fine-tune images in Photoshop and market images to increase business.