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Page 4 of 5  TOTAL COVERAGEGo from wide-angle to telephoto range with a single lens. The smc Pentax DA 18-250mm ƒ/3.5-6.3ED AL [IF] lens delivers a 14x zoom ratio, covering a 35mm-equivalent range of 27.5-383mm. Designed for use with Pentax D-SLRs, the versatile lens has two extra-low-dispersion elements and two aspherical elements that compensate for various types of aberrations. The lens has a minimum focusing distance of 1.48 feet across the entire zoom range. Estimated Street Price: $500. Contact: Pentax, (800) 877-0155, www.pentaxslr.com.  ENERGY SAVERStore the Maha PowerEx Imedion batteries for long periods of time without losing much power. Touted as keeping 85 percent of their charge after a year of storage, the rechargeable batteries were developed with advanced electrode materials that reduce the rate of power loss during storage. They can be recharged hundreds of times and are designed to perform well in warm temperatures. Estimated Street Price: $14 (2100mAh AA); $13 (800mAh AAA). Contact: Maha, (800) 376-9992, www.mahaenergy.com.  STEADY SHOTSSupport your D-SLR using one of the Flashpoint Carbon-Fiber tripods from Adorama. The affordable, lightweight tripods come in three models. The 1128 ranges from 18.5 to 55 inches, supports nearly 10 pounds and weighs 2.6 pounds. The 1228 extends from 20 to 60 inches, has a load capacity of 17.6 pounds and weighs 3.3 pounds. The 1328 measures from 21 to 63 inches, supports 24.2 pounds and weighs less than 4 pounds. There’s also a 19-inch monopod that extends to 58 inches. Estimated Street Price: $89 to $299. Contact: Adorama, (800) 223-2500, www.adorama.com.  PAINT SHOP PRO PHOTO REDUXFix your photos fast with Corel’s upgraded Paint Shop Pro Photo X2. The image-editing software has a new Express Lab mode for viewing and editing multiple images, plus you can quickly crop, rotate and adjust color without having to open each image individually. Other features include improved makeover styling tools, a dark graphite interface that makes your photos stand out, Layer Styles for adding drop shadows and reflections, watermarking and more. The HDR Photo Merge function combines two or more photos taken at different exposures, letting you automatically dodge and burn to bring out the contrast. List Price: $99. Contact: Corel, (800) 772-6735, www.corel.com.  ALIEN PLUG-INS FOR MACBring all of your Alien Skin plug-ins up to speed with Adobe Photoshop CS3 by downloading the Macintosh Universal updates of Snap Art, BlowUp, Exposure, Eye Candy 5 and more. The plug-ins feature a significant performance increase on Intel-based Macs. Registered users can get free updates of any Alien Skin plug-in purchased after January 1, 2024. If you’re not registered, updates are $20 each for up to three titles and free thereafter. Contact: Alien Skin, (888) 921-SKIN, www.alienskin.com.   |
