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Tuesday, October 13, 2009

November 2009

New Tools Of The Trade

This Article Features Photo Zoom

Lowepro’s Magnum AW series bags come in three sizes with the largest capable of holding up to two pro D-SLRs with attached zooms, plus eight to 10 additional lenses and accessories. The largest model, the Magnum 650 AW, also has room for a laptop. To make shouldering your load a little easier, the bags come with the Vertebral Tech Shoulder Strap, which spreads the weight more evenly. Adjustable handcart straps and a back-panel handcart sleeve allow you to attach the bags quickly and securely to a rolling bag. Estimated Street Price: $199 to $329. Contact: Lowepro, (800) 800-LOWE, www.lowepro.com.

Get through airport security faster while keeping your laptop protected in the Skooba Briefcase Checkthrough from Tenba. When the bag goes through the airport X-ray machine, screeners can see the laptop the same way they would if it were removed and placed in a bin because the bag unfolds, exposing the computer through a clear window. The bag features a rugged exterior made of durable fabric and a smooth nylon interior. With about 20 pockets and compartments, you have plenty of storage options. The padded laptop compartment holds any computer up to 16x11x1.5 inches. There’s also a convenient padded handle for a comfortable grip and pop-out hideaway ID holder. Estimated Street Price: $139. Contact: Tenba, (914) 347-3300,www.tenba.com.

G-Series
Even a pro needs a pocket point-and-shoot with powerful and advanced features like Canon’s PowerShot G11. With a variety of shooting modes and compatibility with EOS accessories, the G-series is ideal for moments when you need SLR-like functionality in a pocket-sized camera. The G11 comes with a 10-megapixel sensor, 28mm wide-angle zoom equivalent to 28-140mm in 35mm format and a 2.8-inch vari-angle PureColor System LCD that’s new to the G-series and allows easier image viewing from nearly every angle. Shooting modes include RAW+JPEG for complete editing control. Estimated Street Price: $499. Contact: Canon, (800) OK-CANON, www.usa.canon.com.

Steady Shot
If you shoot with one of the latest HD video-capable D-SLRs, you need more than just the support of a traditional tripod. With the VariZoom FlowPod, you can pan the camera smoothly because this unique stabilization device can be used like a monopod, but allows you to move the camera and still shoot steady images. There are three modes—Monopod, Stabilizer and Low. You can record smooth video sequences in Stabilizer mode and quickly switch to Monopod mode for capturing stills. Low mode lets you adjust the camera to any desired height just off the ground. Estimated Street Price: $499 (FlowPod with balancing plate). Contact: VariZoom, (512) 219-7722, www.varizoom.com.

Big Screen
Whether capturing video with a camcorder or HD-capable D-SLR, Marshall Electronics portable field monitors offer you a bigger view than what the LCD can provide. They’re thin, portable and deliver accurate colors with a wide range of contrast and brightness. The 6.5-inch V-LCD651ST-HDMI is designed with an anti-reflective screen for optimal image viewing under bright light without a hood. It features 1024x768 resolution and weighs just 1.3 pounds. Estimated Street Price: $1,999 (with small battery adapter); $2,099 (V-mount and Anton/Bauer battery adapter). Contact: Marshall Electronics, (310) 333-0606, www.lcdracks.com.

Lighting Gear
Create just the kind of light you need when out on assignment using the Flashpoint Q Series Attachments Kit. The bundle includes a variety of light-modifying accessories such as a beauty dish mini reflector, a snoot, a diffuser dome, white and gold deflectors, honeycombs, three colored filters and an extra diffuser. They attach easily and securely to any standard shoe-mounted flash using a band and Velcro® strap. Estimated Street Price: $169. Contact: Adorama, (800) 223-2500, www.adorama.com.