 |
IN FOCUS |
 |
November 2006
 
WATER SHOTS
Go swimming with the Pentax Optio W20 digital camera. The slim 7-megapixel camera can go to depths of about five feet and works continuously for up to 30 minutes. The compact built-in zoom lens has a 38-114mm equivalent focal range. Features include a new Blur Reduction High ISO mode that selects ISO settings up to 1600 and a 2.5-inch LCD screen with low-reflection technology and a backlighting system. The camera measures about 4x2x1 inches and weighs 4.8 ounces. List Price: $299. Contact: Pentax, (800) 877-0155, www.pentaximaging.com.
DELUXE PRINTS
The Epson Stylus Photo R380 uses the company’s new line of Claria dye-based inks to deliver lasting prints with smudge-, scratch-, water- and fade-resistance. The R380 features a large 3.5-inch color LCD, built-in memory card slots for all popular formats and works with a range of paper types. Other user-friendly features include automatic photo correction, which adjusts improperly lit photos and corrects skin tones, along with viewing and printing images by date. A 4x6-inch photo prints in as fast as 30 seconds. List Price: $199. Contact: Epson, (800) GO-EPSON, www.epson.com.
SHIP IT
Take extra security measures when traveling by shipping your photo gear. Tenba has upgraded its line of lightweight, shippable equipment cases with a new identification system for faster and more reliable shipping, tracking and tracing. Called Datapanel, the new feature is used for the Air Case collection. It consists of a durable, rubberized assembly secured to the case with military-grade, seatbelt-like webbing and heavily reinforced nylon stitching. A large, clear vinyl shipping window securely holds, protects and presents a standard FedEx or UPS shipping bill. List Price: Varies depending on case style. Contact: Tenba, (914) 347-3300, www.tenbagear.com.
Books 'N Such
 Naturalist’s Guide to Observing Nature by Kurt Rinehart (Stackpole Books, 2006; ISBN: 978-0-8117-3268-0). Outdoor enthusiasts will learn how to make the most of their time in the wilderness with this guidebook. Advice is given on where to look, what to notice and how to identify what you’re seeing and hearing.
 How to Grow as a Photographer: Reinventing Your Career by Tony Luna (Allworth Press, 2006; ISBN: 1-58115-446-1). Aimed at photographers who have hit a crossroads in their craft, the book explores how to get through those challenges with interviews and anecdotes by well-known photographers and artists.
 Stephen Johnson On Digital Photography by Stephen Johnson (O’Reilly Media, 2006; ISBN: 0-596-52370-X). This landscape photographer covers a range of topics, from learning basic camera techniques to exploring ethical issues in digital imaging. He shows readers how to understand and create great photography while also covering Photoshop techniques and tips.
 Rainforest by Thomas Marent (DK, 2006; ISBN: 0-7566-1940-8). Marent has devoted his photography to covering the world’s rainforests. This book gives readers an insider’s view of the forest’s diverse habitats and its inhabitants through a collection of more than 500 images showing leafcutter ants, poisonous frogs, multihued butterflies and more.
 Brilliant Waters: Portraits of Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, and the High Sierra by Elizabeth Carmel (Hawks Peak Publishing, 2006; ISBN:0-9776877-0-8). Beautiful landscape photos are accompanied by poignant poetry selections in this collection of images showing both the intimate details and grand panoramas of these areas. The foreword is written by Robert Redford.
 The Creative Nature Photography Workshop by Douglas Schwartz (Schwartz Nature Photography, 2006; www.schwartznaturephotography.com). This book features 26 lessons that explore the creative process behind nature photography. Each lesson concludes with an assignment for the reader to execute. The book is based on Schwartz’s more than 20 years as a nature photographer and the field workshops he has led. |
 BLOW-UP
Enlarge your digital snapshots to large-format and gallery-sized prints with Alien Skin’s Blow Up, a new Photoshop plug-in. The tool scales images up to 10,000 percent—10 times each dimension—while preserving the sharp lines and vivid color of the original image. Along with maintaining quality, Blow Up supports CMYK, RGB, Lab, Grayscale and Duotone image modes. It resizes multilayered documents and works with 8-, 16- and 32-bit compositions. Estimated Street Price: $199. Contact: Alien Skin, (888) 921-SKIN, www.alienskin.com.
 A PAIR FROM CANON
Ask any professional photographer and he or she will likely have a story of how a fast 50mm prime lens saved the day at some point. The improved Canon 50mm ƒ/1.2 builds on the high-quality optics of its predecessors, but with some new technology as well. The large maximum aperture of ƒ/1.2 allows this lens to produce shallow depth of field that softens the background and makes subjects pop. You can take advantage of higher shutter speeds, particularly in lower light conditions. In addition to a large aperture, the new lens’ Ultrasonic Motor gives you fast autofocus while keeping noise down. Estimated Street Price: $1,500.
The Canon EF 70-200mm ƒ/4L IS USM is built to the high demands of outdoor use. Sealed from dust and moisture, the lens has the latest generation of Canon Image Stabilizer technology, allowing you to get as much as three or even four shutter speeds slower than normal when handholding. You can also select from two IS modes—one for stationary subjects and another for intentional panning. The lens is the same size as the current EF 70-200mm ƒ/4L USM. It also features advanced coatings to help prevent ghosting and flare, and one fluorite element and two ultra low dispersion elements to keep chromatic aberrations in check. The Ultrasonic Motor is fast and silent when autofocusing. Estimated Street Price: $1,249. Contact: Canon, (800) OK-CANON, www.usa.canon.com.
FAST TRANSFER
Kingston is upgrading its line of Ultimate CompactFlash memory cards by adding an 8 GB capacity card with a 133X write speed and preloading the cards with Ontrack EasyRecovery software. The program allows you to recover data for photos that have been corrupted or accidentally deleted. The card has a read speed of up to 23 MBps and a write speed of up to 20 MBps. Kingston’s 2 GB and 4 GB cards are also getting bumped up to 133X. List Price: $137 (2 GB); $249 (4 GB); $449 (8 GB). Contact: Kingston, (800) 337-8410, www.kingston.com.
SLIDESHOW
With Photodex ProShow Gold 3.0, you can add an unlimited number of photo and video layers to your slideshows, packing more creative effects into each slide. Along with panning, zooming, rotating and cropping images, the software lets you animate captions and enhance transitions. An improved user interface includes features like waveform in the soundtrack bar, a new slide options dialog, a “favorites” pane and more. List Price: $79 (boxed); $69 (download). Contact: Photodex, (800) 37-PHOTO, www.photodex.com.
COVER UP
When you’re out on a challenging wildlife shoot, the last thing you want to do is spook your subjects. To blend in with the scenery, check out L.L. Bean’s Buzz Off Total Illusion 3D Camo. The “leaves” help hide movements and break up your outline so you blend into the brush and branches around you. The suit is cut full for comfort and easy layering, while the Buzz Off Insect Shield prevents bug bites. The camo is made of strong, silent, 100-percent polyester mesh. List Price: $109. Contact: L.L. Bean, (800) 221-4221, www.llbean.com.
2006 Outdoor Photographer Editor's Picks»
|
IN FOCUS |
|
|
|
