What's New And Notable In
Photography And Computers
Pro Features: Breakthrough
Nikon Nikon’s new D200
represents the manufacturer’s breakthrough product
to provide pros and serious amateurs with big resolution
at an affordable price. But world-class photography
isn’t just about megapixels. Nikon appears to have
endowed this new camera with a number of outstanding
features destined to make the camera hugely competitive
in the D-SLR category. Immediately on looking through
it, you see one of the largest and brightest viewfinder
views in the industry. The camera’s CCD sensor
incorporates an optical low-pass filter that helps reduce
any incidence of moiré, color fringing and shifting.
Its magnesium-alloy body has sealed joints to keep out
moisture and dust, and a large, 2.5-inch LCD with bigger
menus allows you to navigate, view and edit your images
easily. The D200 has a 3D Color Matrix Metering II system
with a built-in flash that’s compatible with the
SB-800 and SB-600 wireless flashes. A fast startup time
of 0.15 seconds and the ability to shoot continuously
at up to 5 fps ensure you won’t miss that all-important
picture. Estimated Street Price: $1,699. Contact:
Nikon, (800) NIKON-US, www.nikonusa.com.
Go Fish
Get extremely wide angles of view up to 180 degrees
in a unique 22mm circle format with the Sigma
8mm ƒ/4 EX DG Circular Fisheye lens. A new,
improved multi-layer coating reduces flare and ghosting
while promising accurate color and high image quality,
whether you’re shooting with a film or digital
camera. At 2.8x2.4 inches and 11.2 ounces, the lens
is a compact, lightweight companion. List Price: $900.
Contact: Sigma, (800)
896-6858, www.sigma-photo.com.
Go-to Bag
Carry your 35mm SLR, multiple lenses and handy tools
in the Delsey GoPix 77 bag.
The GoPix 77 features several zippered compartments
for all your gear—exterior side pockets, an internal
mesh pouch and a back pocket. The zippers are designed
with a reverse closure system that creates a water-resistant
cover. The bag also has a padded hand grip and a shoulder
strap for extra comfort. List Price: $40. Contact:
Bogen Imaging, (201) 818-9500, www.bogenimaging.us.
Fix Your Pix DxO Optics Pro v3.5
helps to bring out the best possible image from your
digital images by correcting distortion, lens softness,
noise and color aberrations of specific compact and
digital SLR models and lenses. This updated version
includes an enhanced DxO Optics Engine that increases
processing speed. It also conveniently allows you unrestricted
access to more than 240 DxO lens modules. List Price:
$49 (Standard Edition); $299 (Elite Edition); free upgrade
to registered users of v3.0. Contact:
DxO, [email protected],
www.dxo.com.
Instead
Of A Bag…
The Tenba Metro Vest
features almost two dozen pockets, digital media compartments,
organizing spaces and accessory attachment points to keep
all of your necessary items close at hand. Made of 100%
cotton, the vest is designed for comfort and even includes
“silent mode” pockets to allow you to access
gear quietly. It’s available in small, medium, large
and extra-large sizes. List Price: $98. Contact:
Tenba, (914) 347-3300, www.tenba.com.
Hard Copy
Adobe Camera
Raw For Digital Photographers Only by Rob Sheppard
(Wiley Publishing, 2005; ISBN: 0-7645-9683-7). Learn to produce
the best photographs possible in the right format. PCPhoto
editor Rob Sheppard explains the capabilities of the RAW format
and techniques to enhance RAW images. Pro tips and cross-references
are interspersed with the text to help you better grasp the
content and principles.
Going Digital: The Practice and Vision
of Digital Artists by Joseph Nalven and J.D. Jarvis (Thomson
Course Technology PTR, 2005; ISBN: 1-59200-918-2). Examine
the process of digital art creations. This full-color book
contains journals and examples documenting artists’ techniques.
Photoshop Retouching Cookbook
for Digital Photographers by Barry Huggins (O’Reilly
Media, Inc., 2005; ISBN: 0-596-10030-2). This book offers
easy-to-follow tutorials with full-color examples and screenshots
to help you improve your photos and create special effects.
Digital Fashion Photography
by Chris Tarantino and Ken Tan (Thomson Course Technology
PTR, 2005; ISBN: 1-59200-525-X). Get practical tips and step-by-step
guidance on how to shoot, edit and retouch fashion photos.
An EVOLT Of Lightning
The Olympus EVOLT E-500 D-SLR
is extremely compact and lightweight, plus it can be
purchased in a one- or two-lens package at a low price
of less than $900. The camera features an 8-megapixel
CCD sensor and the TruePic Turbo engine for fast image
processing that limits artifacts and fringing. To reduce
retouching time in your digital darkroom, the Dust Reduction
System utilizes the Supersonic Wave Filter that shakes
35,000 vibrations a second to remove dust from the sensor
every time you turn on the camera. The camera’s
large 2.5-inch LCD displays larger text and icons so
you can navigate through the menu options and view your
images with ease. List Price: $699 (body only); $799
(with 14-45mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom lens);
$899 (with 14-45mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 and 40-150mm ƒ/3.5-4.5
Zuiko Digital Zoom lenses). Contact:
Olympus, (888) 553-4448, www.olympusamerica.com.
Frame Before You Frame
Take the guesswork out of framing your photographs with
Digital Light & Color’s
Frame Explorer. The software displays the image
you want to frame and lets you choose from a variety
of matte and frame colors, textures and sizes so you
can see the final outcome before you commit to a design.
The program also lets you view the framed image against
the actual background color of the wall you’ll
be hanging it on. You even can input display lighting
conditions. When you’re finished, print out the
design for reference, and the software will prepare
a chart listing all the materials you’ve chosen
and their dimensions. List Price: $39. Contact:
Digital Light & Color, (800) 243-1515, www.dl-c.com.
Wide-Format Wacom
The new Wacom Intuos3 6x11
pen tablet makes optimizing your images easier
and more efficient. With programmable ExpressKeys and
finger-sensitive Touch Strips with scrolling and zooming
capabilities, the tablet puts those controls within
close reach so you can skip a lot of the extra mouse
and hand movement steps that a regular workstation requires.
The 6x11-inch design is a good match for multiple monitors
or wide-screen displays, and the tablet includes a cordless,
battery-free Grip Pen that offers 1,024 levels of pressure
sensitivity. List Price: $389. Contact:
Wacom, (800) 922-9348, www.wacom.com.
Large Capacity, Large LCD
The Epson P-4000 portable
handheld storage device has a large capacity of 80 GB,
weighs 14.4 ounces and has dimensions of 3.3x5.8x1.2
inches, making it a convenient and light addition to
your digital gear. A spacious 3.8-inch LCD displays
a big, bright and colorful image, and an intuitive menu
makes it simple to create albums to categorize and group
files so they can be quickly accessed and viewed. CF
and SD card slots are directly supported. List Price:
$699. Contact: Epson,
(800) GO-EPSON, www.epson.com.
View
And Store On The Go
Download, view and store your photos with the Digital
Foci Picture Porter. The device comes with a 20
GB or 40 GB drive and has a two-inch color LCD screen
that allows you to rotate, zoom, pan and play slideshows
of your images. Measuring 5.2x2.8x1.2 inches and weighing
only 8.6 ounces, the Picture Porter is the perfect travel
partner. All media card formats are supported. List Price:
$399. Contact: Digital
Foci, (310) 763-9100, www.digitalfoci.com.
The Low-Down on High-Def
View big, bright images with the Gateway
FPD2185W 21-inch, high-definition, flat-panel, wide-screen
LCD. The display features a contrast ratio of
1000:1, so pictures are crisp and clear. A four-port
USB 2.0 hub connects your extra drives, keyboard and
mouse. The LCD can be rotated 90 degrees so you can
view your work in portrait mode, and the included EZTune
software automatically rotates the screen image when
you alter the monitor. List Price: $599. Contact:
Gateway, (888) 888-2075, www.gateway.com.
So Close, Yet So Far
Capture images up close as well as at great distances
with the Tamron AF55-200mm
ƒ/4.5-5.6 Di II LD Macro lens. This telephoto
zoom lens has a minimum focusing distance of three feet
and is designed specifically for digital SLRs with small
sensors (the 35mm equivalency is 85-310mm). The lens
is extremely lightweight and compact at only 3.3x2.8
inches and 10.4 ounces, especially with the amount of
focal length it offers. An LD (low-dispersion) glass
element helps to limit aberrations, while multi-coated
optics reduce ghosting and flare. List Price: $281.
Contact: Tamron, (631)
858-8400, www.tamron.com.
All-In-One
Print, scan and copy your photos, plus create customized
CDs and DVDs without a computer using the Epson
Stylus Photo RX700 printer. Built-in card slots
enable you to print directly from all memory card formats,
and a 2.5-inch LCD allows you to see and edit your images.
The RX700 has 48-bit, 3200 x 6400 dpi scanning capabilities,
with Epson Easy Photo Fix Color Restoration technology
that removes dust and restores old or discolored images.
List Price: $399. Contact:
Epson, (800) GO-EPSON, www.epson.com.
Make It Personal
Personalize pillows and tote bags using PersonalizedProducts.com.
The company will take any digital file, print it on
fabric and accompany it with text. Use one of your prized
photos or drawings to create a unique gift for your
friends or family members. The 100% cotton pillows measure
11x14 inches, and the tote is available in two different
materials and sizes—18x15x5 inches (canvas) or
12x14x6.5 inches (polyester). List Price: $29 (all bags
and pillows). Contact:
PersonalizedProducts.com, (214) 358-6050, www.personalizedproducts.com.
It’s Magix
Create a multimedia slideshow from your digital images
with Magix PhotoStory 4.
The software intuitively guides you through a three-step
process of creating a slideshow and allows you to edit
with 3D animated graphics, fades, effects and sounds.
Burn a CD or DVD and watch your creation on a computer
screen or TV, or upload the show to the Magix online
photo album for your long-distance friends and family.
List Price: $39. Contact:
Magix, (888) 326-2449, www.magix.com.
Two Pods In One
With the 30-ounce TrekPod,
you get both a height-adjustable hiking staff and a
tripod base in one easy-to-use piece of equipment. In
tripod mode, it can extend from 43 to 58 inches, while
in hiking staff mode its height range is 46.5 to 62
inches. Incorporated into the design is the MagMount,
a quick-release magnet mounting system that comes standard
with the TrekPod. List Price: $139. Contact:
Trek-Tech, (503) 459-0030, www.trek-tech.com.
Super-Steady
Shoot sharp images in low light with the Sony
Cyber-shot DSC-T9 6-megapixel compact camera.
The DSC-T9 offers image stabilization and a high light
sensitivity (up to ISO 640) that helps to limit blur
in your images due to camera shake, a common problem
when shooting in dimly lit situations. With a slim body
of less than one inch thick, the camera fits in your
pocket, and a large 2.5-inch LCD lets you easily view
your images. List Price: $450. Contact:
SONY, (800) 222- SONY, www.sonystyle.com.
Think About It Think Tank’s Speed Demon
is a camera bag with a comfortable, large waist belt
that frees up your arms so you can concentrate on shooting.
The bag has mesh and stretchable side pockets for your
extra tools, removable foam inserts for organizing your
gear, and a seam-sealed, removable rain cover to protect
your equipment from the elements. The Speed Demon can
be customized by attaching or removing optional components.
List Price: $95. Two modular component systems also
are available: the 6-piece Modulus Speed System ($149.50)
and 12-piece Pro Modulus Speed System ($295). Contact:
Think Tank Photo, (866) 55-THINK, www.thinktankphoto.com.
Lock It Up
Protect your data with the Lexar
Media LockTight CompactFlash system. Once the
Lexar CF card has been registered to users and specific
cameras, it will only work in those cameras and can
only be accessed on a computer by those users with the
correct login information. This double-security measure
ensures your images and documents will be extra-safe
in sensitive shooting situations. The card comes in
two capacities—512 MB and 2 GB. List Price: $149
(512 MB); $399 (2 GB). Contact:
Lexar Media, (800) 789-9418, www.lexar.com.
Create A Masterpiece With
Elements
Edit and process your 16-bit RAW images affordably with
Adobe Photoshop Elements
4.0. Simple-to-use features allow you to fix
colors, remove red-eye and blemishes, and create special
effects. A Magic Extractor tool easily extracts elements
in your image so you can combine them on a separate
canvas to create artistic scenes or scrapbooks. You
can make a slideshow of your work with professional-looking
transitions, pan-and-zoom effects, captions, music and
narration. You also can upload your images to the Kodak
EasyShare Gallery with a click of a button. List Price:
$99. Contact: Adobe,
(800) 833-6687, www.adobe.com.
