Digital Photography Equipment
Without the right digital photography equipment, you can't produce the work you want to. Get the inside scoop on the latest photo gear to hit the market and learn a few tips for making the most of your setup.
The X Factor What you need to know about memory-card speed  Let’s separate some fact from fiction when it comes to memory-card speed. High-speed memory cards save big digital images fast: True. The higher the speed rating, the faster your camera will write images to the card: Maybe. Using a memory card with a “write” speed rating faster than what your camera supports doesn’t increase how quickly your images are processed and stored. Not only does the card have a maximum speed rating, but so does your camera. When combined, it’s the slower of the two write speeds that determines your maximum throughput. |
Designed For Digital Lenses Optics are the best that they have ever been, and it’s all thanks to digital  From fixed-focal-length prime lenses to wide-angle to telephoto zooms, modern lenses use a complex combination of high-end glass, unique materials and chemical cocktails capable of producing optics with incredible power. Digital optical design has advanced so much that zooms now can extend up to an incredible 15x range, while wide-angles produce images with almost no distortion. |
2009 Editor's Picks The PCPhoto editors pick some of the best products and technologies for the new year  Looking for a perfect holiday gift for the “To Me, From Me” under the tree? We’ve compiled our annual list of a few of our favorite gear and accessories about which you’ll want to start dropping hints. From updated versions of essential tools to totally new ideas to make your photography more successful and enjoyable, this year’s list includes some of the most exciting technologies we’ve ever covered. |
Toolbox: Digital Photo Frames Share your images with the digital take on a familiar photo frame  Despite the variety of options available for sharing images, nothing has the classical appeal of a photo frame, and digital has made the possibilities even more fun. Images can be presented on bright, vivid LCD screens in beautiful slideshows of single or multiple images. A variety of sizes are available for hanging on walls, placement around the house or on desks in the studio or office, and even as portable key chains. Uploading images often is as simple as plugging in a memory card, and modern digital photo frames can display images from wireless connections—one service even makes it possible to update a frame by telephone for family members who don’t have a computer. |
Buyer's Guide 2025: Specialty Papers & Inks Experiment with third-party and exotic inkjet media for creative results  Conventional wisdom says that for the best-looking prints, you should stick with your printer manufacturer's papers and inks. It's not bad advice because their printer-software drivers are fine-tuned for those inks and papers to ensure excellent results and print longevity. But if you only print with the standard photo stock, you're missing a chance to make an artistic choice. |
Buyer's Guide 2025: Must-Have Accessories Essential gear to make your photography more efficient, fun and creative  Camera bags are especially important as they perform two vital functions, protecting your gear from damage and keeping it all organized. Available in a range of sizes, shapes and styles, there's no perfect bag for everyone, but there's a perfect bag for you, your equipment and the types of photography you do. |
Buyer's Guide 2025: Lenses What to know about the most important part of your camera system  Cameras get all the attention. When a new camera is expected from one of the big players, the rumor mill starts up and bloggers frantically conjecture at what new features and technologies it might have. |
How To Build A Camera System Selecting cameras, lenses and accessories for your favorite subjects  When you buy a D-SLR, you're choosing more than just a camera—you're selecting a system of lenses and accessories, as well. Camera features like sensor size and resolution, metering and autofocus technology, exposure modes and so on are all important considerations; but you'll also want to look beyond the camera at the range of additional options available for the models you're evaluating. |
