WD200711ZA-sm.pdf

Epson PictureMate Dash
$100 • epson.com
Able to print vivid 4 x 6 photos with almost no setup,
the PictureMate Dash is a welcome guest at any family
gathering. Just shove in a photo-filled flash card (all
major formats) or connect a PictBridge camera: It prints
bright, bold, glossy photos in 45 seconds for about 25
cents each. Optional battery ($50) makes it portable.
Fromm Works Quik Pod Pro+
$30 • quikpod.com
Who will snap your photo at the summit of that solo
K2 climb? You could ask a Yeti ... or bring along a Pro+,
which attaches to a camera’s tripod socket and telescopes
18 inches. Then your timer-mode photos will
show both shoulders, instead of that lean-awayfrom-the-camera
pose. Includes a mini tripod stand.
Kata GDC Elements
Cover E-690
$45 • kata-bags.com
When the skies open up and day-shooters go home,
a rain cape turns an ordinary photographer into a
superhero. The weatherproof E-690 wraps around
small DSLRs to protect them from hazards ranging
from light mist to pitter-pattering drops.
Lexar Professional UDMA
300x CompactFlash Card
$130 • lexar.com
Flash memory speed matters almost as much as
capacity. This 4-GB card saves time when uploading
photos to a computer and even accelerates in-camera
processing; our tests clocked it at 23 percent faster than
budget cards, making it great for UDMA cameras.
NRD FireFly Digital
Sensor Cleaner
$200 • nrdfirefly.com
Static cling often holds dust to a DSLR sensor, adding
permanent specks to each photo. Regular air bulbs will
puff some grime away, but the FireFly, a bulb retrofitted
with “advanced ionizing technology,” charges air to
break that dust bond. Perfect for in-field fixes.
Ogio Atiba Mini
$98 • ogio.com
To hoodwink thieves, tote your high-end equipment in
a low-profile bag. From the outside, the plain Atiba Mini
is an ordinary backpack. Inside, 11 lightly padded Velcro
dividers partition the space, with room for DSLR lenses,
flashes, and even a 12-inch laptop.
Pantone Huey Pro
$129 • pantone.com
A camera, monitor, and printer may reproduce the same
image with very different hues unless all are properly
calibrated. This dead-simple USB color tuner attaches to
CRTs and LCDs to gauge and change colors. Peeled off a
display, the squidlike arm even measures ambient room
light and updates the screen automatically.
Digicams
Accessories
Photography is not for cheapskates.
A digicam is just the
starting point—you’ll need the
rest of this gear to boost your
pics from good to great. —Z.S.
SR Digi-Slave Deluxe 3000
$130 • srelectronics.com
This accessory strobe waits for the exact moment a camera flash
fires to add its own, superior light. Think of it as your wingman,
swooping in on the cross to nail a shot in the far-off corner. It
works with the majority of point-and-shoots, eliminating red-eye
problems, and even syncs with most DSLR hot shoes for mounted
shots. Manual flash and camera settings take practice but are
worth learning to punch up pictures.
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