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2007 Editors' Choice Awards

Our editors pick three dozen of their favorite products and technologies (just in time for last-minute holiday shopping)

Adorama Flashpoint Digipopper
Adorama's Flashpoint Digipopper earns points because its compact size and affordable price tag make it ideal for small studios. The self-contained strobe is 8x4x3.5 inches and weighs less than two pounds. Full-, half- and quarter-power settings allow you to control the output. The light can be fired with the sync cord or a built-in slave. List Price: $129 (200-watt); $169 (300-watt). Contact: Adorama, (800) 223-2500, www.adorama.com. —KC

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1
The camera that got me started in digital photography was a cigarette pack-sized point-and-shoot model that accompanied me on hikes because it wasn't a hassle (I wore it on a bolo-tie strap around my neck). While it showed me that digital imaging could work for me, its 3x zoom and overall performance proved limiting. Panasonic's Lumix DMC-TZ1 (available in black K and silver S versions) incorporates a 10X optical Leica zoom lens, MEGA Optical Image Stabilization (useful when handholding a long lens while huffing and puffing after a long climb), 5-megapixel resolution, ISOs from 80-1600, quick autofocusing and startup for a compact digital camera, a big 2.5-inch LCD monitor, easy-to-use controls and more-all in a compact package. List Price: $299. Contact: Panasonic, (800) 211-PANA, www.panasonic.com. —MS

The Pod
While it's good to mount the camera on a tripod whenever possible for the sharpest images, you can't always do it. Sometimes you don't want to cart a tripod along, sometimes use of tripods isn't allowed, and sometimes a tripod can't put your camera right where you want it. A great solution in all of these cases is THE pod, a custom "beanbag" with a camera-mounting screw. Attach the camera, position the camera/pod wherever you want it, and you've got a steady support. THE pod comes in three versions (Red/standard, Blue/offset mount and Yellow/compact). It's easy to carry (you can even remove the filling, then refill on location), it won't scratch surfaces and it's just pretty cool. Estimated Street Price: $14-$19. Contact: Bogen Imaging, (201) 818-9500, www.bogenimaging.us. —MS

Lensbaby 3G
I've always liked the Lensbaby flexible lenses for their cool creative focus effects, but they can be challenging to use. The Lensbaby 3G answers this by allowing you to bend and twist the lens to change your focus plane, then lock that adjustment in place. A focusing front element to the lens has also been added, so you can refine your exact focus point. The Lensbaby 3G includes the same low-dispersion, high-refractive index, multicoated optical glass doublet as used in the Lensbaby 2.0. Estimated Street Price: $270. Contact: Lensbaby, (877) 536-7222, www.lensbaby.com. —RS

 

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