September 2008
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SELECT PAPER
Make high-quality prints with the Hahnemühle Digital Fine Art Collection of papers. Photo Rag Ultra Smooth has a smooth surface texture with a high white point and ink limit for good color saturation. Daguerre Canvas 400gsm is a specially coated artist canvas made of poly-cotton with a tactile surface texture. Its bright white color is especially nice for black-and-whites. Monet Canvas 410gsm is a genuine artist canvas made of 100-percent cotton with a special coating. Photo Rag Baryta 315gsm is a natural white 100-percent rag with a barium sulfate finish. The coating gives the rag base a high-gloss finish. Estimated Street Price: Varies by size and type. Contact: Hahnemühle, (815) 502-5880, www.hahnemuhle.com.
PHOTO TRAVELER
Get into the Tenba Messenger bag through a top zipper designed to make access to your photo gear faster and more convenient. The rugged, lightweight bag comes in two sizes, with the smaller fitting a 15-inch laptop and the larger holding a 17-inch laptop. Inside the fully lined main compartment, there's room for a D-SLR, three lenses, a flash unit and extras. A removable photo insert allows you to use it as a general-purpose bag. Estimated Street Price: $108 (small); $114 (large). Contact: Tenba, (914) 347-3300, www.tenba.com.
STRONG STRAP
Give your neck a break with the Industry Disgrace, a camera neck strap designed by those clever folks over at Crumpler who have a penchant for wacky names. The thicker middle section, with grip print, is designed to mold to the neck and displace the weight of the equipment evenly. Features include a breathable air mesh base strap, ergonomic neoprene neck pad, a double-length adjustment feature on the neck strap and an extra-strength attachment strap. List Price: $25. Contact: Crumpler Bags, (718) 384-3020, www.crumplerbags.com.
COLOR MATCH
Set your camera's custom white balance accurately using the ClearWhite white-balance filter. It delivers clean, neutral colors, unlike camera white-balance presets, which aren't always reliable. Made from durable, impact-resistant, satin-surface acrylic in 4x4-inch squares, the filters are individually dyed and calibrated for use in any type of light, indoors and out. Simply hold the filter in front of the lens and point at the main light source as you set the camera's custom white balance. List Price: $49. Contact: Digital Photography Kits, www.digitalphotographykits.com.
SMOOTH EDGE SELECTIONS
Separate objects with tricky edges from the background using Fluid Mask 3, a powerful blending and masking software program. The app works by analyzing an image and creating outlines at the edges of areas with distinct color and texture, breaking the image into regions that you can either keep as part of the mask or delete. It also blends image edges to avoid unnatural-looking cutouts with hard edges. Among the upgrades in this latest version, processing times are up to 40-percent faster, and a Save Settings option allows you to recall edge detection, blending and resolution options from previous sessions easily. List Price: $239. Contact: Vertus Tech, (877) 55-VERTUS, www.vertustech.com.
A FIRM HOLD
Support your camera using a sturdy, affordable Induro Adventure Series tripod. Each of the three models, ranging in load capacity from 10.3 to 18.7 pounds, and with maximum heights from 56.9 to 66.5 inches, is sold as a complete kit, including a matched ballhead with a quick-release plate. The tripods are made from a magnesium and aluminum alloy, which keeps them light, but still strong enough to support your SLR. Other features include a reversible center column, adjustable angle leg locks, built-in bubble level and flip-type leg locks for fast adjustments. List Price: $136 to $181. Contact: Induro, (914) 347-3300, www.indurogear.com.
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