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Tuesday, June 5, 2012

July/August 2012

New Tools Of The Trade

This Article Features Photo Zoom

Touch-up
Put the finishing touches on your portraiture using Portrait Professional Studio. ClearSkin skin-enhancement technology allows you to preserve the natural look of skin after removing or reducing blemishes, wrinkles or age spots. If a portrait calls for more in-depth work, you can make subtle lighting adjustments, enhance the shape of the eyes and mouth, and recolor or thicken the subject's hair. The program can be used as a standalone or plug-in for Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and Elements, as well as Apple Aperture. Other features include support for embedded color profiles along with JPEG, TIFF, Camera Raw and Adobe DNG processing. Estimated Street Price: $59. Contact: Portrait Professional, www.portraitprofessionalstudio.com.

Bag Security
With the Tamrac Zuma 9 Secure Traveler strapped to your back, you can be sure that no one but you can get inside the bag. This is because the interior is only accessible through a rear-opening door that's up against your back when you're wearing the pack. The bag is a good option for assignments that call for a minimal amount of gear. When you need to grab the camera fast, simply tighten the belt around your waist, slip out of the shoulder straps and bring the pack around to your front. Then you can just unzip the door and grab your camera without having to remove the bag and set it down. There's room for a DSLR with up to a six-inch lens attached, an extra lens, a flash, an iPad and extras. Estimated Street Price: $99. Contact: Tamrac, (800) 662-0717, www.tamrac.com.

HDSLR Support
The Sachtler Ace Tripod system is made from a unique composite material that keeps it compact and lightweight. The fluid head is designed specifically for video DSLRs and small HDV camcorders. It can support up to 8.8 pounds, has a 5-step counterbalance for quick camera balancing and positioning, and a drag system with three horizontal and three vertical steps. This allows for precise panning and tilting, as well as choosing a drag setting suitable for any situation. Estimated Street Price: $535. Contact: Sachtler, (845) 268-0100, www.sachtler.com.

System Pack
The Kata Pro-Light Pro-V backpacks have room for everything from DSLRs with telephoto lenses attached to large HD video DSLR rig configurations to HDV camcorder setups. The streamlined exterior offers full front access to the main compartment so the four padded storage pouches, which conform to your gear's size and shape for protection, are accessible from outside or inside the bag. Both models can fit a DSLR with telephoto lenses attached, six to eight lenses, an extra body and accessories. A rear, padded pocket holds up to a 15.4-inch or 17-inch laptop, depending on the model. Estimated Street Price: $299 (Pro-V 410); $349 (Pro-V 610). Contact: Kata, (201) 818-9500, www.kata-bags.us.

Check It
Made from a flexible polymer with anti-reflection coating on both sides, the Novoflex Zebra card is a useful addition to your camera bag. The card's gray side serves as a reference area for exposure metering, while the white side ensures accurate white balance. After taking a light reading off the card to perform an exposure measurement or white balance, the camera is set to deliver the most accurate exposure and color under the existing lighting conditions. Two sizes are available. Estimated Street Price: $27 to $34. Contact: HP Marketing Corp., (800) 735-4373, www.hpmarketingcorp.com.

Portrait Lens
The Pro-Optic 85mm ƒ/1.4 ASPH lens is fast, compact and affordable. It delivers a clean bokeh for producing smooth, out-of-focus backgrounds while keeping your subject sharp. The manual-focus prime has a nine-element optical formula that incorporates a fresh aspheric design and produces less chromatic aberrations. Smaller and lighter than its predecessor, the lens is available in Canon and Nikon mounts. Estimated Street Price: $279. Contact: Pro-Optic (Adorama), (800) 223-2500, www.adorama.com.