What's New And Notable In
Photography And Computing
Precision Ballhead Position your camera smoothly and precisely with the
Novoflex ClassicBall 5. This high-quality ballhead
features three vertical 90-degree openings for the ballneck
and advanced friction control for high versatility. Weighing
only 1.9 pounds, but supporting weights of up to 26.5 pounds,
the head also swings smoothly through 180 degrees vertically
and pans 360 degrees. The ball support is permanently grease-free
and comes in a matte titanium finish. List Price: $685. Contact:
HP Marketing Corp., (800) 735-4373, www.hpmarketingcorp.com.
Mini-Digital
Camera
Be ready to take pictures anywhere with a camera that you
pull out of your shirt pocket. The Minolta DiMAGE
G400 is a compact 4.2-megapixel camera that weighs only five
ounces. It features a 34-101mm zoom lens (35mm equivalent),
as well as aperture-priority and programmed automatic exposure
modes. Manual control and six Scene modes enhance the camera’s
flexibility. List Price: $349. Contact: Konica Minolta, (201)
825-4000, www.konicaminolta.us.
8-Megapixel Camera Sony’s new Cyber-shot DSC-F828 features a new
four-color CCD sensor (red, green, blue and emerald), which
promises to deliver a wider color gamut. The camera
offers a 28-200mm Carl Zeiss zoom lens (35mm equivalent),
a five-point AF system, three-frame autobracketing and a swivel
design that offers 100 degrees of movement. List Price: $999.95.
Contact: Sony, (800) 222-SONY, www.sony.com.
Light Carbon-Fiber Tripod Lighten your load with Slik’s new PRO 713 CF
carbon-fiber tripod. With a folded length under 23
inches, the tripod extends to a maximum height of 66 inches.
Independently angled legs keep the tripod level on uneven
terrain and provide a minimum operating height of just 12
inches. List Price: $399. Contact: THK Photo Products, (800)
421-1141, www.thkphoto.com.
Fast-Shooting Compact Capture fast action sequences with Kyocera’s
new 5-megapixel Finecam S5R. The tiny camera fires
images continuously at three frames per second until you release
the shutter release button or your memory card is full. A
35-105mm zoom lens (35mm equivalent), aperture-priority and
programmed auto exposure, and six Scene modes round out the
camera’s features. List Price: $549. Contact: Kyocera,
(732) 560-0060, www.kyoceraimaging.com.
Color-Accurate
Digital SLR Achieve precision color and high performance using
the Sigma SD10 digital SLR. Designed around the latest
version of the Foveon X3 chip, the camera promises a wider
dynamic range and improved color response. Using three layers
of picture sensors, the unique image sensor has 3.4 megapixels
per color layer for 10.2 megapixels of color data. It features
noise reduction and is powered by two three-volt lithium batteries
or four AA NiMH batteries. List Price: $1,999 (body with double
zoom kit). Contact: Sigma, (631) 585-1144, www.sigma-photo.com.
Fast
Image Organizer Organize your growing inventory of images with ACDSee
6.0. Catalog images by date, personal rating or metadata.
Search multiple folders for images simultaneously using the
software’s Selective Browsing tool. Boasting the fastest
browser speed available, it also features a fully customizable
interface and CD creation tools. Windows. List Price: $49.99.
Contact: ACD Systems, (866)244-2237, www.acdsystems.com.
32-Bit PCMCIA Adapter Reduce the time needed to download your images to
your laptop using the Delkin eFilm Pro CardBus 32-bit PCMCIA
adapter. Accepting CompactFlash cards, the adapter
downloads data four to six times faster than standard 16-bit
PCMCIA adapters. Unlike a card reader, there’s no cabling
necessary. List Price: $59.99. Contact: Delkin, (800) 637-8087,
www.delkin.com.
Image Browser/Organizer Keep track of as many as 128,000 images or other multimedia
files in a single catalog with iView MediaPro 2. It
offers fast one-key sorting, slideshow creation, HTML export
and PDF maker for cataloging files. The new software also
offers lossless JPEG image rotation, as well as ColorSync
management on the Mac platform. Windows or Mac. List Price:
$160. Contact: iView Multimedia, www.iview-multimedia.com.
Page-Turning Slideshows
Create a book-like slideshow that you can display on your
television or computer. FlipAlbum 5 Professional produces
a digital slideshow, complete with themes, borders and music.
Your images can be enhanced, cropped or encrypted using this
easy-to-use Windows software, and the albums can be shared
via CD, DVD, e-mail or on the Web. List Price: $99.95. Contact:
E-Book Systems, (408) 625-8000, www.flipalbum.com.
Hard Copy
Digital Nature Photography
by Jon Cox (Amphoto Books, 2003, ISBN: 0-8174-3791-6).
This book focuses on shooting digital images, rather
than manipulating them afterward, and discusses the
essentials of equipment and technique for field work.
Digital Video Essentials by
Erica Sadun (SYBEX, 2003, ISBN: 0-7821-4198-6). This
comprehensive guide to digital videography covers everything
from in-camera composition to video editing and the
creation of DVD discs and streaming video.
The Non-Designer’s Design Book, Second
Edition by Robin Williams (Peachpit Press,
2004, ISBN: 0-321-19385-7). Learn principles of design
and typography to improve the look of your printed materials.
The Photoshop Show by Russell
Brown (Adobe Press, 2004, ISBN: 0-321-20042-X). Spark
your creativity and explore Photoshop’s potential
with this full-color illustrated guide by Adobe’s
senior creative director.
Upgrading Your PC, Second Edition
by Mark Edward Soper (TechTV Press, 2004, ISBN: 0-7357-1360-X).
Boost your computer’s speed and efficiency with
expert advice from a 20-year veteran of the computer
industry.
Image-Retrieval
Software MediaRECOVER rescues deleted or corrupted files from hard
drives, memory cards, CD-Rs and other storage devices.
Its simple-to-use interface retrieves and restores irreplaceable
digital files, especially photographs. Windows or Mac. List Price:
$39.95. Contact: MediaRECOVER, (866) 616-3342, www.mediarecover.com.
Pocketable Backup
Safeguard your image files in a hard drive that fits in a shirt
pocket. The LaCie Data Bank weighs less than five ounces,
but can store up to 40 GB of data. The ultra-compact drive
connects to your computer via a USB 2.0 or FireWire port, and includes
an internal silicone-rubber shock-absorber for protection from vibration
and impact. List Price: $299 (20 GB); $349 (40 GB). Contact: LaCie,
(503) 844-4500, www.lacie.com.
Image
Compressor Compress your image files more efficiently using AMC’s
JPEG2000 software utility. Unlike standard JPEG compression,
you now have the option to achieve lossy or lossless data compression.
A 9 MB file can be compressed to an 80 KB file and still maintain
the image quality of its original TIFF file. List Price: $14.95.
Contact: AMC Networks, (408) 730-8200, www.amux.com.
Variable Output Studio Light Create an affordable studio using the Norman Allure C1000.
This tungsten light source uses a unique dual-quartz lamp configuration
that provides 350-, 650- or 1,000-watt output while maintaining
a constant color temperature. Ideal for digital photography, the
light is available in a kit, which includes a light stand, umbrella
and carrying case. List Price: $149 (Basic Allure C1000). Contact:
Photo Control Corp., (800) 787-8078, www.photo-control.com.
Digital Slave Flash
Create a multiple lighting setup wirelessly with your digital camera.
The Phoenix Digital 4 Stop Slave Flash is a versatile flash
unit that works with virtually all digital cameras. With
a guide number of 91, the flash synchronizes with your camera’s
built-in flash, even in its fill-flash or red-eye reduction modes.
The flash offers zoom, bounce and swivel control and works as a
slave with four automatic ƒ-stops. List Price: $99.95. Contact:
Phoenix Corp., (800) 729-7846, www.phoenixcorp.com.
Power-Packing
Batteries Get the most use out of your digital camera by powering
them up with Quest Platinum2 batteries. These AA-sized
cells deliver 2100 mAh of energy to power-hungry electronics,
including digital cameras, flash units and more. With its
compatible charger, these NiMH batteries can be completely
recharged in one to three hours. List Price: $14.99 (four-pack
AA cells). Contact: Harding Energy, (800) 798-7740, www.questbatteries.com.
Put Your Images In An iPod
Filled up your memory cards already? Transfer your
digital images to an Apple iPod via FireWire with Belkin’s
new Media Reader for iPod. The reader works with
CompactFlash, SmartMedia, SecureDigital, Memory Stick and
MultiMediaCards. Data can be later transferred to your camera
using the iPod’s USB connection. List Price: $109.99.
Contact: Belkin, (800) 2-BELKIN, www.belkin.com.
Label Your CDs With Style Design and print labels for all your CDs and their
jewel box inserts with the Neato 2000 CD Labeler Kit.
With the kit’s design software and pre-made background
images, it’s simple to create labels using your inkjet
or laser printer. Its label applicator makes it easy to apply
a label perfectly on the disc. Windows or Mac. List Price:
$19.95. Contact: Neato, (800) 984-9800, www.neato.com.
Screw-In
Filters From Cokin Cokin expands its well-known line of drop-in filters
with a new series of screw-in filters. They include
UV filters to protect your digital camera’s lens and
polarizing filters to reduce glare. With filter diameters
available from 27mm to 86mm, there’s a filter to fit
every lens. List Price: $9.99 to $29.99. Contact: ProQuest,
(201) 227-0322, www.cokin.com.
Tiny USB 2.0 Drives
Store and transport your digital files at the end of your
key chain. The Verbatim new Store ‘n’
Go drive is the size of a AA battery and is available in capacities
from 32 MB to 1 GB. Compatible with both Windows
and Mac, the device connects to your computer through a fast
USB 2.0 connection. List Price: $29 to $349 (32 MB to 1 GB).
Contact: Verbatim, (704) 547-6500, www.verbatim.com.
Easy Image Organizer
Open several multimedia file catalogs in just one window to
simplify your search for an image or video file. Canto’s
new Cumulus 6 offers this capability, plus an enhanced toolbar
and a simplified menu structure. Now compatible for
Mac as well as Windows, this browser also features batch processing
and image editing controls. List Price: $99.95 (boxed); $69.95
(download). Contact: Canto, (415) 703-9800, www.canto.com.
Fast
Image Organizer
Image
Compressor
Screw-In
Filters From Cokin