October 2024

TILT/SHIFT OPTICS
Advance your photography using a lens that can better replicate what the human eye sees. New Perspective Control lenses from Nikon—the PC-E Micro Nikkor 45mm ƒ/2.8D ED and PC-E Micro Nikkor 85mm ƒ/2.8D—are designed to correct linear distortion and straighten lines. So when you’re shooting a tall building, the shift control in these lenses corrects any distortion, while the tilt mechanism allows more creative control over depth of field. The tilt/shift mechanism gives up to +/- 11.5mm shift for perspective control and +/- 8.5-degree tilt control for creative focus. List Price: $1,799 (45mm); $1,739 (85mm). Contact: Nikon, (800) NIKON-UX, www.nikonusa.com.

SMART PRINTER
Achieve a new level of color vibrancy and quality in your prints with an affordable printing solution from HP. The Photosmart D5460 printer uses five individual Vivera inks for enhanced permanence and a single dual-drop volume printhead that delivers a smaller drop size for finer detail and smoother transitions. Convenient features include a 1.5-inch color display, memory-card slots and the ability to print photos and text directly onto CDs and DVDs. List Price: $99. Contact: HP, (800) 752-0900, www.hp.com.   

WORK THE FLOW
Take more control of your editing work with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2, which now lets you make localized adjustments to your images. Use a brush or gradient filter to change exposure, brightness, contrast, saturation and more, where necessary. Lightroom 2 features 64-bit support that allows you to take full advantage of the memory capabilities of your Mac or Windows operating system. Other enhancements include simplified organizational tools in the Library, keyword suggestions and an improved keyword list. Estimated Street Price: $299. Contact: Adobe, (800) 833-6687, www.adobe.com.

SLIM MESSENGER
Pack up your SLR, lenses and laptop in the Tamrac Adventure Messenger 5 (Model 5535). A foam-padded main compartment with dividers keeps your photo gear in order, while the rear pocket provides quick access to most 13-inch laptops. Extra pockets make storing manuals, personal items and accessories easier. A padded shoulder strap and EasyGrip handle give you some carrying options. Estimated Street Price: $69. Contact: Tamrac, (800) 662-0717, www.tamrac.com.

POCKET CAMERA
Capture wide-angle shots with the ultracompact Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX150 featuring a 28mm Leica lens with an ƒ/2.8 aperture. The 14.7-megapixel camera’s iA (Intelligent Auto) mode automatically stabilizes and adjusts brightness for properly exposed images. But you still can use manual controls for more precision and creativity. A multi-exposure function superimposes up to three consecutively shot images together for the best exposure. The FX150 also records in RAW and comes with SILKYPIX Developer Studio 3.0SE software for editing exposure and white balance after shooting. List Price: $399. Contact: Panasonic, (800) 211-PANA, www.panasonic.com.

CONSTANTLY FAST ZOOM
Shoot with the fast, compact Tamron SP AF28-75mm ƒ/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF) Macro lens. Compatible with full-frame SLRs, the lens features a constant maximum aperture of ƒ/2.8 across its entire zoom range and now is equipped with a built-in AF motor for Nikon bodies. Other features include a 0.33m minimum focus distance and a maximum magnification ratio of 1:3.9 at the 75mm telephoto focal length, allowing you to easily shoot close-ups. Estimated Street Price: $399. Contact: Tamron, (631) 858-8400, www.tamron.com.