digital capture
Transcription
digital capture
Better than ever Professional Photographer catalogs the hottest gear from an ever-expanding list of categories. We say it every year: This year’s Hot1 Awards are bigger and better than ever. Fact is, it’s true. Every go ’round, the Hot1 Awards bring in more entries from more companies than the year before, all vying for a spot in Professional Photographer’s pantheon of hotshot products and services. Another echo from years past: Competition is a good thing for the pros who use those products and services. This year, the contest itself got bigger. With digital technology now in almost every photographer’s workflow, we’ve added several new categories to reflect the current landscape of our profession. Clearly, it’s not a question of whether or not you’ll use digital technology in your business, but of how to take full advantage of these tools to maximize the quality of your products, the efficiency of your studio, and the profitability of your business. We invite you to peruse our judges’ top picks for products introduced in the year 2005, then judge for yourself which ones are right for you. —Jeff Kent, Hot1 Editor, [email protected] ‘‘ In the D2X, Nikon has created a versatile camera that suits every professional specialty. It has excellent image quality and the best ergonomics ever in a digital camera. —STAN SHOLIK 52 • www.ppmag.com DIGITAL CAPTURE 35MM-STYLE DIGITAL SLR UNDER $3,000 Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT One of two wins this year for a Canon EOS Rebel, the XT translates the ease of use and affordability of the film-based Rebels for the digital world. The EOS Rebel XT features an 8-megapixel CMOS sensor, Canon DIGIC II Image Processor and compatibility with over 50 EF lenses. MSRP: $999 with lens; $899 without. www.usa.canon.com 35MM-STYLE DIGITAL SLR $3,000 TO $7,000 Nikon D2X Photographers love this camera. The Nikon D2X digital SLR offers both high resolution for commercial shooters and high speed for wedding, sports and event photographers. The camera couples a 12.4-megapixel DX format CMOS image sensor with a new image-processing engine that works seamlessly with the optimized systems throughout the camera. With shutter lag a scant 37 milliseconds, the D2X can capture fullresolution images at 5 fps, or 6.8megapixel High Speed Cropped Images at up to 8 fps for 35 consecutive JPEGs, 26 NEFs. MSRP: $4,999.95. www.nikonusa.com 35MM-STYLE DIGITAL SLR OVER $7,000 MEDIUM-FORMAT DIGITAL BACK FILM CAPTURE 35MM CAMERA Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II An update of the hugely popular EOS-1Ds, this version has a fullframe, 16.7megapixel CMOS image sensor working with a Canon DIGIC II Image Processor to capture up to 32 consecutive shots at 4 fps. Startup and card writing speeds are improved, and auto focus takes just an instant, thanks to the Canon 45-point AF system. MSRP: $7,999. www.usa.canon.com LARGE-FORMAT DIGITAL VIEW CAMERA Cambo Wide DS The new Cambo Wide DS portable camera matches medium-format digital backs with true wide-angle optics. The DS system accepts backs from Leaf, Phase One and Imacon, and provides the image-control movements of large-format cameras. The Cambo DS system includes the latest digitalspecific Schneider Digitar lenses, available in 24mm, 35mm and 47mm focal lengths, to provide much wider focal lengths in traditional formats. MSRP: $4,599$6,299, depending on lenses and configuration. www.calumetphoto.com Leaf Aptus The Leaf Aptus digital back line includes the 22-megapixel Aptus 22 and the 17-megapixel Aptus 17. Both have a 6x7-centimeter builtin LCD for better on-camera image evaluation, focus confirmation and editing. One rechargeable lithium-ion battery powers the backs for over 1,000 frames and more than four hours of continuous operation. Working at a capture rate of 1.2 seconds per frame, the backs store shots directly to a 20GB Leaf Digital Magazine that holds up to 1,175 files. Captures can also be routed directly to a portable external FireWire drive with dramatically greater storage capacity. The Leaf Aptus is the first camera back with a touch screen and a graphic user interface (GUI), making it easy to enter settings for custom jobs. The Aptus backs employ a new compressed raw HDR (CHDR) file format for lossless file compression at half the size of raw HDR files. MSRP: About $24,995 for the Aptus 22; $17,995 for the Aptus 17. www.leafamerica.com Canon EOS Rebel T2 Just when it seemed the big guys had lost interest in film capture, Canon surprised us with an advanced new 35mm SLR, featuring many of the innovations of the digital era. The state-of-the-art E-TTL II auto-flash metering system calculates correct exposure by comparing the ambient light with a preflash reflected off the subject, factoring in areas in the frame with small differences and ignoring reflective objects in the background or foreground. MSRP: $299. www.usa.canon.com MEDIUM-FORMAT CAMERA MEDIUM-FORMAT DIGITAL CAMERA Hasselblad H2 The sequel to the 2003 Hasselblad H1, the H2 boasts versatility and up-to-date features for today’s Hasselblad H2D Camera The Hasselblad H2D features Instant Approval Architecture, an image approval and selection tool that makes it easy to select and classify images during a shoot. The H2D has a 37x49mm, 22-megapixel CCD sensor. The ultra-bright, extra-large, “H-size” viewfinder provides a generous viewing platform for image composition. The H2D can be used computer-tethered; with a flexible FireWire drive to hold the image files; wireless with images saved on a removable CompactFlash card. MSRP: $26,995. www.hasselbladusa.com high-tech photographer. Designed to integrate with the Hasselblad Ixpress CF and Ixpress CFH digital backs, the H2 allows seamless switching (Film Capture, continued on p. 54) January 2006 • Professional Photographer • 53 7 TH ANNUAL HOT 1 AWARDS DIGITAL STORAGE MEDIA MEDIA CARD SanDisk Ultra II 8GB CompactFlash The new 8GB SanDisk Ultra II CompactFlash card has a minimum sustained write speed of 9MB per second and read speed of 10MB per second. High-density flash memory combines with optimized controller FILM CAPTURE, CONTINUED between digital and film capture. The H2’s advanced new Instant Approval Architecture speeds image selection and classification. The camera and digital back use the same operating system, and both are powered by a single battery. MSRP: $2,829. www.hasselbladusa.com COLOR NEGATIVE FILM Fujicolor Pro 160S and Pro 160C Our judges heralded these two new Fuji films for their smooth rendition of skin tones, neutral gray balance, fine grain and wide exposure latitude. With its gentle tonal curve, Pro 160S is excellent for wedding, portrait and fashion photography. With its high contrast and saturated color, Pro 160C is highly suitable for architectural and commercial 54 • www.ppmag.com technology for fast storage of large image files. The card holds up to 646 8-megapixel files, 1,272 4-megapixel images. MSRP: $838.95. www.sandisk.com PORTABLE HARD DRIVE Seagate Technology 5.0 GB USB 2.0 Pocket Hard Drive Our judges got a kick out of this palm-sized drive. It’s small enough to carry in a pocket, but has a roomy 5GB storage capacity. Features include a retractable USB cable, low power consumption and above-average reliability. Windows users can password-protect files on these USB 2.0 bus-powered drives. MSRP: $99. www.seagate.com photography. Both films produce RMS granularity of 3, notably finer than their predecessors. MSRP: $9.40, 36 exposures. www.fujifilm.com COLOR REVERSAL FILM Fujichrome Velvia 100 Professional Formulated with the same color palette that made Fujichrome Velvia 50 so successful, the new Fujichrome Velvia 100 delivers finer grain and twice the speed of that landscape photographer’s favorite. The film’s new color couplers improve color stability, eliminating fading and color shifts. Based on the ultrafine grain emulsion technology of Fujichrome Provia 100F, the new film’s improved grain structure does not diminish its high color saturation. MSRP: $13.42, 36 exposures. www.fujifilm.com PORTABLE HARD DRIVE AND DISPLAY Epson P-2000 Multimedia Storage Viewer With a 3.8-inch LCD screen and Epson Photo Fine technology, the P-2000 is a high-resolution device for viewing and storing images on location. The unit has a 40GB hard drive to hold image, video and audio files, and comes with Epson’s Hi-Speed USB 2.0 interface for zippy transfer of photos, videos and audio files. It supports JPEG, RAW, MPEG4, Motion JPEG, MP3, AAC and other file formats, has built-in slots for CF and SD memory cards, and with the optional third-party adapter, can support most other digital camera storage media. MSRP: $499. www.epson.com LIGHTING EQUIPMENT CAMERA FLASH Canon Speedlite 580EX The meticulously revised, top-of-the-line Canon Speedlite is smaller and lighter than previous versions, yet yields more power and notably faster recycling. The 580EX’s new digital SLR-specific features include the ability to transmit flash color temperature information, and to vary the zoom setting to match the camera’s imaging sensor. MSRP: $479. www.usa.canon.com LIGHT MODIFIER Profoto StripLights Available in three sizes—27, 51 and 75 inches long—Profoto’s hard-sided StripLights can generate a range of lighting effects, from sharp outlines to soft-edged shadows. These stackable lights can be combined to create more light. Depending on size, they come with one, two or three flash tubes, each with its own connection to the flash generator. StripLights have an integrated stand adapter, and come with a standard frosted Plexiglas cover. Price: $2,492-$5,959. www.profoto-usa.com LIGHTING ACCESSORY Manfrotto Articulated Arms Manfrotto’s new articulated arms are compact and lightweight, yet offer high loadcapacity LIGHT METER Gossen Digipro F The Gossen Digipro F meters both flash and ambient light via a convenient swivel head. Slim yet sturdy, the pocket-size meter can be operated with one hand. The Digipro F comes with incident and reflected light modes and has an LCD screen for viewing digital readouts in 1/10step increments. Features include multiple flash calculation, onboard memory for storing presets, preprogramming of exposure corrections, shutter speed and aperture priority modes, and a comprehensive range of frame speeds for CINE. MSRP: $251.95. www.bogenimaging.us and optimum arm length. The new arms provide more positioning flexibility and better safety than previous models. The single- and double-arm versions come in either two or three sections, with or without a camera bracket. MSRP: $35-$136. www.bogenimaging.us PORTABLE LIGHT UNIT Calumet Travelite System Building on its popular Travelite monolight system, Calumet made this setup truly portable with the addition of the Travel-Pak rechargeable battery. Travelites fire off up to 300 fullpower flashes with no need to plug in. These self-contained flash units are available in two models, 750 watt-seconds (WS) and 375 WS. ‘‘ The Calumet Travelite System is the ideal solution for location and portrait photographers. It's compact, available in kits with a travel case, and can be powered by Calumet's compact battery pack. ’’ —STAN SHOLIK When connected to the Travel-Pak, the 375 WS unit will recycle in 3 seconds. Both units feature short flash durations, internal stabilization control and a built-in photocell. The system includes a multivoltage charger, battery connecting cable and a weather-proof carrying case. MSRP: Travelites $469-$569. TravelPak $549. www.calumetphoto.com January 2006 • Professional Photographer • 55 7 TH ANNUAL HOT 1 AWARDS LENSES LARGE-FORMAT LENS LIGHTING EQUIPMENT, CONTINUED POWER PACK Profoto D4 4800 The Profoto D4 4800 power pack distributes juice from four fully asymmetric lamp outlets, to deliver color spectrum stability from flash to receivers through adapters that relay commands via a FreeXWire FW9T transmitter. The receivers, the new FW7Q and FW8R, can be connected directly to Qflash T5d light units. The system works with all popular TTL systems; upgrades are available for existing Quantum products to make them compatible with this new system. MSRP: FW89 Set: $462; FW9T Transmitter: $231; FW8R Receiver: $231; FW7Q Receiver: $184. www.qtm.com STUDIO LIGHTING SYSTEM Westcott Spiderlite TD5 The TD5 (tungsten/daylight, five lamps) is the second version of F.J. Westcott’s well- flash. This stability owes to a new hybrid flash technology that regulates output through a combination of capacitor groups, voltage regulators and advanced microprocessors; power variation is less than 1/100 f/stop. The versatile D4 4800 includes a built-in PocketWizard receiver with 32-channel/4-quad triggering capability and Profoto Studio Software for remote control via computer. Price: $8,430. www.profoto-usa.com SLAVE/TRIGGER SYSTEM Quantum Wireless TTL System The new Quantum QTTL system wirelessly links Qflash 5d series flashes to digital and film cameras from Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Hasselblad, Mamiya and Contax. The system transmits wireless TTL to remote FreeXWire 56 • www.ppmag.com Cooke Series XVa Triple Convertible Lens An update to the acclaimed Cooke Series XV Triple Convertible Lens, the XVa is made specifically for 8x10 cameras. With design input from leading largeformat photographers, the lens has extraordinary clarity in three cell combinations, three fully legible f/stop scales on the shutter, color correction for contemporary film stock, and the Cooke multi-coating system, which virtually eliminates flares and ghosting. The XVa keeps images true over different focal length combinations and offers focal lengths of 645mm (front cell only), 476mm (back cell only) and 311mm (front and back). Combine two lenses for two additional focal lengths. MSRP: $2,400. www.cookeoptics.com LENS FILTER regarded Spiderlite system. True to its moniker, the TD5 unit accepts up to five lamps, either 150-watt halogens or 27-watt fluorescents. This adaptability lets photographers quickly alter color temperature to their liking. The Spiderlite TD5 puts out 500 watts of power using a 15-foot 120-volt switch cord. Built-in points allow direct attachment of a soft box, and a handle provides easy rotation. Available in kits in a couple of configurations, bulbs sold separately. MSRP: $539. www.fjwestcott.com ExpoDisc White Balance Filter The ExpoDisc Digital White Balance Filter essentially works like a gray card in a filter, but is easier to use and more consistent. The snap-on disc is a neutral diffusion filter that collects the ambient light in a virtual 180-degree arc, then transmits 18 percent of that light to the camera’s light meter. The resulting “gray frame” represents the colorcast of the light present in the scene. With digital cameras, this gray frame can be used to set custom white balance. Price: $79.95-$129.95. Frog not included. www.expoimaging.net MACRO LENS Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Optimized for select Canon EOS digital SLRs, the EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM lens’s angle of view is equivalent to a 96mm lens on a 35mm camera. Its floating optical system focuses down to 1:1 magnification. With its ring-type USM for inner focusing, the overall lens length never changes during focus. Compatible with the EOS 20D, EOS Digital Rebel and EOS Digital Rebel XT. MSRP: $449. www.usa.canon.com MEDIUM-FORMAT LENS Hasselblad HC 120mm f/4 Macro With focus from infinity to 1:1, the Hasselblad HC 120mm f/4 Macro lens is a versatile new piece of glass for Hasselblad H cameras. Its focal range is suitable for everything from landscapes to close-ups to table-top photography. You can optimize the lens’s auto-focus performance by using the camera menu on H1 and H2 cameras to set the focus range to near, far or full range. MSRP: $3,500. www.hasselbladusa.com groups, including both ED and Super ED glass lens elements. It has an interior focus with a floating mechanism. The maximum aperture of f/2 provides good sharpness and color, even in low light. It’s solidly built with highquality materials yet weighs less than 3.5 pounds. MSRP: $2,499.95. www.olympusamerica.com WIDE ZOOM LENS MANUAL-FOCUS LENS Lensbaby 2.0 The Lensbaby 2.0 is the second generation of the selective focus SLR lens that captured our judges’ fancy in 2004. The Lensbaby brings one area of the frame in sharp focus while distorting the rest in a graduated blur. It has three key improvements over the original: there’s an f/2 aperture setting in addition to f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6 and f/8; in place of the single uncoated glass element of the original, there’s coated lowdispersion optical glass doublet with a highrefractive index that creates a sweet spot of sharp focus at all apertures; and for quicker aperture changes, the levitating magnetic aperture system replaces the rubber gasket. MSRP: $150. www.lensbabies.com STANDARD ZOOM LENS Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Equivalent to a 28-135mm lens in 35mm format, the focal range of Canon’s new 17-85mm EF-S lens spans wide-angle to telephoto. Optically optimized for the EOS 20D and Digital Rebel cameras, the lens has Canon’s integrated Image Stabilization, which enables hand-held shooting up to three shutter speeds slower than with unstabilized lenses. MSRP: $599. www.usa.canon.com TELEPHOTO LENS Olympus Zuiko 150mm f/2.0 Digital Specific Lens This highly portable, digitally optimized telephoto lens has 11 lens elements in nine Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Digitally optimized for the EOS 20D and Digital Rebel digital SLR cameras, the EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 can focus as close as 9.5 inches. Equivalent to a 16-35mm zoom in 35mm format, it combines high performance and solid optics. Three aspherical lens elements combine with a Super-UD element for top-grade image quality. A ringtype USM provides fast and silent auto-focusing, as well as full-time manual focus. MSRP: $799. www.usa.canon.com WIDE-ANGLE LENS Sinar Bron Sinaron HR 4.5/28 Lens For an extreme wide-angle, ultra highresolution digital lens, the judges gave the nod to the new Sinaron HR 4.5/28. The HR (high-resolution) 4.5/28 offers excellent sharpness, strong contrast rendition, and resolution of 60 line pairs per millimeter. It’s available with automatic aperture control in CAB models, and with an incorporated magnetic shutter and a manual aperture setting in the CMV version. MSRP: $16,050. www.sinarbron.com January 2006 • Professional Photographer • 57 7 TH ANNUAL HOT 1 AWARDS DIGITAL PRINTER MORE THAN $5,000 “With the Epson Stylus Pro 4800 there's no more bronzing, and the detail in the shadow areas has improved. Inkjet printers have come unbelievably far in a short period of time.” —BOB COATES OUTPUT DIGITAL PRINTER LESS THAN $500 Epson Stylus Photo RX620 Priced less than $300, the Epson Stylus Photo RX620 digital printer with built-in scanner is like an in-house photo lab. The device includes Epson technology for restoring color to faded slides, negatives and prints. Variable-size ink droplets as small as three picoliters yield resolution up to 5,760x1,440 optimized dpi. The unit has a 2.5-inch color LCD for viewing and selecting images, a USB port, a PictBridge camera connection, and slots for all mainstream card formats. MSRP: $299. www.epson.com DIGITAL PRINTER BETWEEN $500 & $1,000 Epson Stylus Photo R2400 Outfitted with Epson UltraChrome K3 ink technology, the Stylus Photo R2400 produces widegamut color via highdensity pigments, top-notch black-and-white, and archival permanence. Using Microcrystal Encapsulation technology, this device delivers solid highgloss, scratch-resistant prints. The print driver interface includes quick-toning presets, separate controls for shadow and highlight tonality control, a maximum optical density control, a reduced gloss differential setting and a custom tone control. Fantastic results converting color images to black-and-white prints. The Stylus Photo R2400 prints on a variety of media up to 13 inches wide. MSRP: $849. www.epson.com DIGITAL PRINTER BETWEEN $1,000 & $5,000 Epson Stylus Pro 4800 Also incorporating UltraChrome K3 inks, the high-end Stylus Pro 4800 impressed our judges with its speed and high resolution. One of the fastest-ever Epson inkjet printers, it can pump out a 16x20-inch print at 1,440x720 dpi in 0:06:41 minutes. The unit’s inchwide print head carries 180 nozzles per channel to deliver resolution up to 2,880x1,440 dpi in variablesized ink droplets as small as 3.5 picoliters. The Stylus Pro 4800 accepts a wide variety of media, in rolls up to 17 inches wide, cut sheets 8x10 to 17x22 inches. MSRP: $1,995. www.epson.com Canon imagePROGRAF W8400 Canon takes the big-daddy printer category with the imagePROGRAF W8400 pigment ink large-format printer. This highspeed device accepts media up to 44 inches wide. Canon’s proprietary print head technology pushes through 2,400x1,200-dpi prints with fourpicoliter ink droplets. Print speed approaches 307 square feet per hour at 1,200x1,200 dpi; highest-res mode produces 2,400x1,200 dpi prints at 26 square feet per hour. MSRP: $5,995. www.usa.canon.com COLOR PAPER Fujicolor Crystal Archive Paper Super Type C and Super Type PD Super Type C yields vibrant color reproduction, clean whites, strong highlight detail and sharp text. Super Type PD offers excellent natural skin tone gradation, along with clean whites and good highlight detail. Both papers feature Fujifilm’s unique coupler and thin-layer coating technologies. Priced for labs and stockhouses. www.fujifilm.com PHOTO-QUALITY PRINTER PAPER Legion Paper Digital Rag Inkjet Paper New from Bogen Imaging, Legion Paper Digital Rag Inkjet Paper is a pure white, instant-drying, anti-curl, neutral-pHbalanced, archival paper. Made for use in all inkjet printers, this acidand lignin-free, all-cotton heavy-weight paper has a non-smudge surface. MSRP: $27-$225. www.bogenimaging.us 7TH ANNUAL HOT1 AWARDS SOFTWARE & INTERNET SERVICES ALBUM DESIGN SCANNING FILM SCANNER Epson Perfection 4490 Photo The Epson Perfection 4490 Photo features hardware resolution of 4,800x9,600 dpi, 3.4 D-max, Epson Easy Photo Fix one-touch color restoration and dust and scratch removal via Digital ICE technology. The 4490 includes a holder for batch scanning 35mm slides, negatives and other film types. MSRP: $249. www.epson.com ExpressDigital Darkroom Professional Edition Created as a one-stop design, workflow and output solution, the ExpressDigital Darkroom Professional Edition caters to portrait, wedding, sports and event photographers. The software package includes an album builder with 150 templates. You can print the laid-out pages in-studio or outsource the printing to a professional lab. ExpressDigital Darkroom has built-in connectivity for electronic file transfer to Labtricity-enabled labs. MSRP: $1,395. www.expressdigital.com has replaced v2.6 with an upgrade, Version 3. The new version carries the same capabilities, plus a few new features, all for the same price. MSRP: $199. www.iview-multimedia.com CAMERA Phase One Capture One PRO The Capture One PRO professional RAW workflow solution helps photographers fly through digital editing. It not only speeds workflow, but also applies fundamental improvements in image quality to RAW digital SLR files as they run through it. The software supports 36 RAW DSLR file formats, including those from Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Olympus, Pentax, Konica-Minolta and Epson. MSRP: $499, LE $99. www.phaseone.com ASSET MANAGEMENT MULTI-FORMAT SCANNER Canon CanoScan LiDE 500F The sleek CanoScan LiDE 500F Color Image Scanner scans fast for a model in this class, and displays previews in a matter of seconds. The entire scanning process can be automated via four buttons: Copy, Scan, PDF and EMail. Simply position the original, select the setting for the intended use of the image, and let the scanner take care of the rest. MSRP: $129.99. www.usa.canon.com IMAGE EDITING iView MediaPro 2.6 iView MediaPro 2.6iView MediaPro is a do-itall asset management system for professional photographers. It facilitates image presentation, editing, publishing and cataloging. The catalogs are accessible to both Windows and Mac platforms, and can be distributed via the Internet, from server to server, among volumes, or on portable media. Version 2.6 improved the application’s information and file management, custom publishing, distribution and archiving output, color profile management, and image editing tools. As of our publication date, iView Adobe Photoshop CS2 Adobe Photoshop maintains its king-of-thejungle status with its latest generation, CS2. New features include Vanishing Point, Image Warp, an Enhanced Spot Healing Brush, and Smart Objects. CS2 also takes a stab at augmenting Photoshop’s workflow features. Adobe Bridge replaces the File Browser to provide multi-view file browsing and integration across all Adobe Creative Suite 2 software. RAW workflow is improved, allowing simultaneous modifications for multiple RAW files, and RAW file batch processing can now be conducted in the background without launching Photoshop. MSRP: $649. www.adobe.com 7 TH ANNUAL HOT 1 AWARDS SOFTWARE & INTERNET, CONTINUED PRESENTATION/SLIDESHOW IMAGE EDITING PLUG-IN Photodex ProShow Producer Another winner from the makers of the popular ProShow Gold. New from Photodex, ProShow Producer professional presentation software is easy to use. Designed to streamline the studio workflow, ProShow Producer helps photographers create pro-grade slide shows. Features include multiple layers per slide, RAW file support, custom show templates, professional DVD menu authoring, color profile awareness, watermarking, captioning, and manual show control. MSRP: $499.95. www.photodex.com Eye Candy 5: Impact New from Alien Skin, Eye Candy 5: Impact is a set of 10 plug-in filters for Adobe Photoshop and other compatible host programs. The filter effects include chrome, bevels, glass buttons, perspective shadows and a variety of others. Impact has seven rewritten Eye Candy classic effects, plus three brand-new filters: Backlight for dramatic spotlight effects; Brushed Metal for texturing metal surfaces; and Extrude for giving a 3-D look to 2-D objects. MSRP: $99. www.alienskin.com PAINTING Corel Painter IX Corel Painter impresses anew with version IX. New features include Quick Clone, a tool that simplifies initiation to the painting process. Some brushes work 10 times faster than in previous versions. The new Artists’ Oils painting system works like real oil paint, and Art Pen brushes are designed to take advantage of Wacom 6D Art Pen technology. Painter IX also has improved support for Adobe Photoshop for smoother interchanges between the two programs. MSRP: $429, upgrade $229. www.corel.com/painterix 62 • www.ppmag.com STUDIO MANAGEMENT Kodak Proshots Studio Software Suite 6.3 Kodak Proshots approaches studio management a little differently than some past winners in this category. In place of a customer tracking and accounting system, this software tackles image organization, presentation, distribution, sales and tracking. This system facilitates interaction between studio and lab and provides sales-boosting online image presentation options. Proshots streamlines the workflow by automating common studio tasks. This version also connects users to partner suppliers in the Kodak Proshots system, such as album producers, labs and studio management services. MSRP: Free download for current Proshots users; $249 for the software package. www.kodak.com/proshots ONLINE PHOTOGRAPHY SERVICES – IT’S A TIE! Marathon Press Client Connections Featuring an innovative online ordering system, Marathon Press Client Connections lets studios create personalized, illustrated correspondence with their clients in just minutes. The final product is a personalized fold-over note card sealed with a gold foil sticker and mailed first class to your clients directly from Marathon Press. MSRP: Variable. www.marathonpress.com Collages.net Fully Integrated Workflow Solution Collages.net is in the business of making things easy for photographers. Its Integrated Workflow Solution enables order fulfillment through more than 25 professional color labs. Here’s how it works: The photographer uploads digital files, organizes the images and launches a unique password-protected Web site, where the customer can view the images and order prints. The photographer is notified of the order via e-mail and can print the order himself, send the order to a non-participating lab of his choice, or automatically submit the order to a participating Collages.net lab. MSRP: Free to photographers; $2,500 for participating labs. www.collages.net STUDIO & LOCATION EQUIPMENT BACKGROUND – IT’S A TIE! Denny Manufacturing OM2347 ZAFRAN An ideal backdrop for portraits of dancers, this hand-painted canvas has a versatile color set. Subtle yet diversified, the OM2347 ZAFRAN complements the subject without drawing attention to itself. Some photographers even favor this background for bridal portraiture. MSRP: $592. www.dennymfg.com Denny Manufacturing Scenic Design Tree House Set Denny managed to tie itself this year. Our judges also loved the Scenic Design Tree House Set for child portraiture. You can make this background look even more realistic by adding a touch of greenery. The set includes an 8x8foot FlexTex tree house, an 85-inch high tree and a two-piece tree house deck measuring 93x36x4 inches. MSRP: $2,347. www.dennymfg.com CAMERA BAG Lowepro Rolling CompuTrekker Plus AW Backpack Lowepro built the Rolling CompuTrekker Plus AW backpack for digital equipment. It provides safe transport of cameras, lenses and accessories, as well as a laptop computer (up to 15.4 inches wide). The backpack’s sealed bearing wheels smooth the ride and provide shock absorption. A protective sleeve for a laptop can be slipped inside the padded front of the pack or carried separately. The Rolling CompuTrekker Plus AW includes an allweather cover and adjustable backpack harness with padded, contoured shoulder straps. MSRP: $259. www.lowepro.com CAMERA CASE – IT’S A TIE! Pelican 1510 Carry On Case The rugged Pelican 1510 Carry On Case complies with airline rules for overhead bin storage. This camera case features rubberized front and side grips, polyurethane wheels, extension handle and metal-reinforced padlock protectors. Like all Pelican cases, the 1510 has an open cell-core solid wall construction, making it impact resistant, watertight and lightweight. A neoprene o-ring seal on the lid protects contents from dust and water, and a Gore-Tex purge valve thwarts moisture. Interior dimensions: 20.24x11.38x7.58 inches. MSRP: $211.25. www.pelican.com Tenba Air Case Roadshow Collection The new Tenba Roadshow Collection is designed for secure transport of computer and digital equipment. The Roadshow line includes three cases for Apple Cinema Displays, two for Apple iMac computers, two for Macintosh G5 towers, one for projector/multimedia applications, and one for laptop computers. The interior of each model is customfitted for its specific contents. Roadshow cases feature Tenba’s patented Air Case construction, a combination of a reinforced ballistic nylon outer shell and an interior built around a multi-layered skeleton of air-channeled plastic panels, highdensity foam and specially molded framing components. MSRP: $400-$950. www.tenbagear.com COLOR MANAGEMENT SYSTEM X-Rite Pulse Color Elite System Our judges liked this high-end color management system for its “X-Rite has done a stellar job of designing an easy to use product for profiling output devices with the Pulse Color Elite System. The new Spectrophotometer is fast, accurate, and makes the process of measuring color targets a snap.” —ANDREW RODNEY January 2006 • Professional Photographer • 63 7 TH ANNUAL HOT 1 AWARDS STUDIO & LOCATION, CONTINUED new color measurement technology and cuttingedge software. At its core, Pulse is powered by advanced profiling software. The interface walks users through the profiling process for monitors, printers, scanners and digital cameras. The software’s editing options include curve adjustments and a unique gamut view for color analysis. The Pulse comes with a handheld spectrophotometer with built-in memory to store up to 3,000 patches, and enough battery life for 10 profiles. Price: $1,095-$1,795. www.xritephoto.com DIGITAL PROJECTOR Epson PowerLite 765c Weighing less than 4 pounds and measuring 7.6x10.9x2.7 inches, the EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES BOOKS “The Photoshop CS2 Book for Digital Photographers,” by Scott Kelby There are few experts better suited to instruct you in Adobe Photoshop than Scott Kelby, president of 64 • www.ppmag.com ‘‘ wireless Epson PowerLite 765c multimedia projector is a portable yet feature-laden unit for multimedia presentations. Super-quiet, it delivers 32-bit color output. The PowerLite 765c provides native-XGA resolution (1,024x768) and up to 2,500-ANSI lumens of brightness. It’s driven by Epson’s 3LCD technology, a three-chip design that projects continuous color and brightness. MSRP: $2,299. www.epson.com TRIPOD OR CAMERA STAND Gitzo G1298 Basalt Tripod Tougher yet lighter than aluminum and with better vibration absorption, basalt is the ultimate material for tripod and camera stand construction. Gitzo’s G1298 Basalt tripod features anti-rotational, keyed legs that open and close without having protruding knobs, locks or levers. Photographers can loosen or tighten any section of the tripod without having to fiddle with the adjacent lock. Gitzo’s Basalt Tripods come in six sizes. MSRP: $268.95-$347.95. www.bogenimaging.com Lightweight yet sturdy, the Gitzo Basalt Tripod is a fine travelling companion. ’’ —JOAN SHERWOOD the National Association of Photoshop Professionals, editor of Mac- and Adobeoriented magazines, and best-selling author of Photoshop books. In this volume, Kelby delves into the latest and most relevant Adobe Photoshop CS2 techniques for digital photographers. He presents step-by-step work-throughs of the methods used by today’s hottest digital shooters. He doesn’t leave out the nuts and bolts, either. MSRP: $39.99. www.peachpit.com ONLINE RESOURCE OlympusDigitalSchool.com With lessons ranging from novice to advanced expert, the online Olympus Digital School provides tutoring in a variety of current technologies and techniques. The guides provide step-by-step illustrations and discussions on cutting-edge techniques. The school is open 24/7, and best of all, it’s free! MSRP: Free. www.olympusdigitalschool.com ALBUMS & FRAMING DIRECT-PRINT PHOTO ALBUM Asuka Book Asuka Book captures this year’s Direct-print Photo Album award for its coffee-table style photo books. Completely customizable, the books range in size from 5x5 to 10x10 inches. They come in hard- and soft-cover formats (glossy or satin) and perfect bound or stitched. Using templates provided by Asuka, photographers build the layout in Photoshop, insert the image files and submit the digital pages to Asuka for printing. Asuka Books work well as albums for weddings, portraits, specialty baby photograph collections, events and more. MSRP: $22-244. www.asukabook.com FRAME seven-inch screen. The audio-enabled unit also plays MP3 files, CDs and regular DVDs. It can be plugged in or powered with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery for takeanywhere portability. MSRP: $349. www.mediastreet.com/emotion TRADITIONAL PHOTO ALBUM Zookbinders Zook Book Zook Book is an all-panorama-style, flush album with no visible hinges. With the book NOVELTY OR ADD-ON SALES ITEM – IT’S A TIE! Draper Imaging Group Legacy Image Portrait Jewelry Combining fine art jewelry design with technology, the Draper Imaging Group pairs precious metals and gemstones with porcelain portrait pendants or cabochons. The Legacy Image Portrait Jewelry collection ranges from cutting-edge fashion pieces to classic designs featuring pearls, quartz, turquoise and Swarovski crystal and more. MSRP: $60-$1,200 or more. www.draperimaging.com Treasureknit TKColorWeave Full Color Photo Blanket. Treasureknit weaves digital images into full-color blankets (also available as throws). It’s not a printing or silk-screening open and laid flat, the two-page images appear to be virtually seamless. The book’s construction allows you to design spreads in place of separate left and right pages of images, providing versatility and decreasing design time. The Zook Book comes in 12 sizes and can be designed with six to 35 pages. These leather-bound books are hand-gilded, and the pages are made of high-quality, thick stock. MSRP: $450-$775. www.zookbinders.com OTHER DISPLAY ITEM Neil Enterprises Photo Memory Album This year, multi-functional is the name of the game in display items. The Photo Media Street eMotion Multimedia Photo Frame & Portable DVD Player It’s a digital world and Media Street understands the cartography. This year the company released a multimedia frame for the 21st century. The eMotion Multimedia Photo Frame & Portable DVD Player displays digital photographs and movies on a high-resolution, process—the image is woven into the fabric of the blanket. This process makes the colors highly fade resistant, wash after wash. MSRP: $149.95. www.treasureknit.com Memory Album is a frame, a CD holder and a photo album, all in one. Measuring 6x8 inches with a brushed aluminum surface, the Photo Memory Album’s velveteen back opens to reveal a storage compartment for one CD and 16 4x6-inch prints. Pro photographers can have these frames custom imprinted. MSRP: $6 each. www.neilenterprises.com n January 2006 • Professional Photographer • 65