Digital Photography Hardware
In the market for new digital imaging hardware? Before you invest, read our photography hardware reviews to help you choose the best equipment for your budget.
Photo Printers Make stunning prints that will last for generations with the newest photo inkjet technology  It never has been easier to get prints at home that meet or exceed traditional lab prints. If you’re replacing an aging model, inkjet technology has made some big strides forward in the last few years, both in terms of ink formulations and the methods by which ink is placed on the page. |
Photographers’ Laptops From the ultra-mobile netbooks to full-featured desktop replacements, there’s a portable computer just right for your photography  One of the joys of digital photography is the instant feedback you get from looking at your images right after capturing them. Whether you’re photographing a family event or traveling on vacation, having a laptop with you that lets you review, organize, back up, enhance and share your images will definitely add to your enjoyment. Even a few years ago, carrying a notebook computer powerful enough for digital imaging was a heavy proposition. |
Buyer's Guide 2009: Portable Printers Be the life of the party with quick prints anytime, anywhere  Making 4x6-inch, photo-quality prints at home and on the go has never been easier. There are several excellent snapshot printers on the market. Most are reasonably priced and easy to use. Many print directly from your camera or memory card, allowing you to make prints without booting up your computer. Some even run on battery power. And all of those that we've included here produce great-looking prints. How to choose, then? |
Buyer's Guide 2009: Storage Make room for more photos and backups with these external solutions  Every photographer needs a backup strategy. Trust us when we tell you that hard drives fail, and when they do, you'll be really glad you had copies of your photos and other irreplaceable files on multiple drives. External storage solutions like those included here offer an affordable, convenient way to safely archive your photo library. Desktop drives offer the most capacity for the best price and come in a range of models and configurations. Portable drives give you the extra security of taking a copy of your files with you wherever you go. They're also handy for backing up photos when traveling with a laptop. |
Buyer's Guide 2009: Fine-Art Printers Don’t call them desktops—the latest generation of inkjet printers produces gallery prints at impressive sizes  Inkjet printers have been outstanding for years now, but the latest generation really advances the state of the art. As camera resolution has increased to easily support it, the trend is toward making larger, 13x19-inch printers the best printers possible for photographers. The 13x19-inch print is big enough to display beautifully when framed and hung on a wall, yet not so big that a few quickly fill up all of your wall space. |
Buyer's Guide 2009: Monitors Upgrade your digital workspace with a high-res LCD display  Buying a monitor for digital photography is one of the most important decisions to make on the computer side of imaging. While a smaller, basic monitor may be fine for web browsing and e-mail, when it comes to digital photography, a large, high-resolution display makes the process a lot easier and more enjoyable. With the monitors we'll suggest here, you'll have room for big images and all your Photoshop tool palettes. |
Buyer's Guide 2009: Color Management Get perfect output when you calibrate  Without a solid color-management system in place, what you see on screen isn't necessarily what you'll get in the final print. Dry? Technical? Yes, but worth paying attention to if you're looking for vibrant, knockout color every time you print. Whether calibrating your monitor or a whole system of devices that includes your camera, printer and projector, there are options to suit your needs and budget. |
Buyer's Guide 2009: Photo Workstations Upgrading to a faster, more powerful machine can dramatically improve your speed in the digital darkroom  With so many factors to weigh, deciding which computer best fits your photographic needs is a challenge. Consider power and expandability first. Dual-core processors now are the standard in today's high-performance notebooks and desktops. With this technology, each chip serves as two processors in one, so the computer performs faster while consuming less power. |
Toolbox: External Storage Solutions Smart image backup solutions for home and on the go  They say you never can be too thin or too rich. If you're a digital photographer, you can add "have too much disc space" to that list. As camera resolutions grow and shooting in the RAW format becomes more common, hard drives fill quickly with all the digital images you accumulate. |
