Tag: Buyers Guide
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Our annual Editors’ Choice Awards is consistently one of the most popular features in PCPhoto, but it’s also one of the toughest for us as editors. We cover hundreds of new products each year, and trying to pick just a handful of these for recognition isn’t easy. So, while we can’t include every product worthy of mention, we try to highlight a variety of products we think represent the best of what’s available for photographers today.
One of the most exciting advantages of digital photography is the
ability to transmit images electronically without any degradation of
picture quality. This feature spawned new business opportunities and
shook up the long-established operating procedures of the
photo-processing industry.
With such a wide range of photo printers on the market today, printing
at home is an even more appealing option for getting your digital
images out of the camera and onto paper than it has been in the past.
The key to making beautiful prints is to choose the best inks and
papers. By experimenting with high-quality papers and inks, you can
turn your images into printed works of art. The print technology of
today has given us the power to make the kind of prints at home that
you used to have to go to a professional lab service to achieve.
While you can do just about anything to an image with Photoshop, some
tasks can be fairly labor-intensive or tricky to accomplish unless you
know exactly what to do. Plug-ins are applications that extend the
capabilities of Photoshop, most often by providing a more automated,
simplified approach to an otherwise complex Photoshop task. They
typically launch from within Photoshop and use a customized window with
specialized tools for the job at hand.
Image-processing software is amazing today. It allows the photographer
to duplicate the old color and black-and-white darkroom without the
mess, space or toxic chemicals. And we can do more, enhancing and
optimizing images in ways that the traditional darkroom worker could
only dream of.
You don’t have to shoot long with today’s multi-megapixel cameras to
see your hard drive space be quickly consumed. And it’s not just
running out of storage space that should motivate you to look for
alternative storage options.
Calibrating your monitor may not sound exciting, but the results can
be. Without a properly calibrated monitor, photo edits won’t be
accurate, and what you see on your screen isn’t what the prints will
look like. So you’ll have to make some tweaks and print again...and
again.
Thinner, brighter and more affordable than ever, LCDs continue to make
major strides, delivering outstanding image quality without
budget-busting price tags. Compared to now antiquated CRTs, LCDs
produce noticeably brighter, sharper-looking images, use half (or less)
as much power and take up far less desk space while delivering larger
screen sizes.
With the Windows Vista and Mac Intel transitions behind us, now is a
pretty safe time to consider replacing an aging computer, no matter
which platform you prefer. Ample RAM for most photographers’ needs is
affordable, and many off-the-shelf systems boast solid digital-imaging
specifications.
Choosing the right accessories is as important as selecting a camera
and lenses. There are so many creative possibilities of which you
simply can’t take advantage without certain pieces of gear—filters,
tripods and unique extras like underwater housings.
With a number of high-definition digital camcorders now on the market,
it’s time to get up to speed on what to look for. Here, you’ll find a
selection of what’s being offered, plus tips on how to get the best out
of your purchase.
One lens, big zoom—that’s the number-one benefit of advanced compact
cameras compared to D-SLRs. You don’t have to own multiple lenses to go
from macro to wide-angle, then zoom out to well over 300mm—which also
means you don’t have to carry multiple lenses around when you travel.
Pop quiz, hotshot: Would you rather have a) an awesome camera and an
okay lens, or b) an okay camera and an awesome lens? The correct answer
is b—no doubt about it.
While there are advantages to truly compact digital cameras, the
compacts are no match for digital SLRs in terms of image quality and
performance. D-SLRs have larger image sensors, better autofocusing and
metering systems and will accept a wide range of interchangeable lenses
and accessories.
It’s a great time to be a digital photographer. The digital SLR
business is booming, with 10 manufacturers offering more than 25 camera
models as of this writing, and more than half of those carrying street
prices under $1,000. Even the lowest-end models can turn out quality
images, and they provide lots of versatility, including full control of
everything when you want it and the ability to accept a wide range of
interchangeable lenses to meet every shooting need. Here’s a look at
what each camera company currently has to offer.
If
you’ve grown weary of faking excitement over the new robe and slippers
you usually get for the holidays, we’re here to help. Our editors have
chosen more than 30 new products that are sure to beat the perennial
one-size-fits-all gifts. No need to be subtle—grab a pen and circle the
good stuff really big, then leave the magazine, opened to this page, in
a “casually” conspicuous place. Better yet, download the PDF of this
article online at www.pcphotomag.com and print copies for everyone on
your list. All you’ll have left to do is practice faking surprise: “Oh,
wow! How did you know?”
Photography
is about painting with light. While available light is often the
palette from which most of our photographs are created, there are times
when we want much greater control than we can ever have over the sun.
Electronic flashes and continuous light sources provide just that.
Many accessories can help make your shooting life easier and your
photos better. From camera bags, photo backpacks and cases to tripods,
batteries and more, here are a few important ones.
Advanced
compact zoom cameras combine extended zoom ranges, large LCDs and key
SLR-like functions into small, highly portable packages. They’re easy
to use, easy to carry and easy on the wallet. As a class, they provide
more performance per pound than any other type of digital camera and,
thanks to innovative features like image stabilization, produce results
that rival any system.
