• It Takes Two (or Three) by Jon Sienkiewicz It's hard to get by with just one camera nowadays. Even if you shoot with a topnotch digital SLR there will be times when it's not convenient to carry it with you-at a formal dinner party, for example, or at the grocery store. Under those circumstances it may be better to have a high quality compact camera that will slip into a pocket or purse. That way you will not miss that "once in a lifetime" shot of the kids being kids-or the boss wearing a lampshade on her head-simply because you left all cameras at home.

Buyer's Guides

• Complete D-SLR System Guide
  

  With 10 companies offering D-SLRs today, there’s something for everyone

  
  by Mike Stensvold

  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.
  

Cameras

• First Look: Nikon D40
  

  Nikon packs a wealth of features in its latest and smallest D-SLR

  
  by The Editors

  The Nikon D40 is Nikon's most compact and most affordable D-SLR to date. This camera combines a host of high-end features with an easy-to-navigate layout to make the creation of quality photographs easier and fun. Its straightforward layout and design, combined with the D40's compact size, make it an excellent entry-level D-SLR.

Gear

• Cool Gear: Novoflex Photo Survival Kit
  

  This modular tripod kit is versatile and compact and will make an immediate improvement in your photography

  
  by Chuck Rogers

  No one, and I mean no one, likes to carry a tripod, but at the same time, there's no single tool that can improve your images as much as using a tripod regularly. No matter how fast a shutter speed you use, your pictures will be sharper, crisper and clearer if you put the camera on a tripod. Period.

• March/April 2007 by The Editors
• Short Reports: Logitech NuLOOQ Navigator
  

  Make your photo editing more efficient and fun with a unique interface

  
  by Ibarionex R. Perello

  Though enhancing my images can be fun, especially when I'm working with a great photograph, it also can be incredibly time consuming. I like making my photos look better, but increasingly, I much prefer to be outside just making images rather than seeing the hours flash by under the glow of the LCD monitor.
  

• Toolbox: D-SLR Camera Bags
  

  Travel light with one of these distinctive bags designed for mobility

  
  by Ibarionex R. Perello

  We're always searching for the perfect camera bag, but much like the Holy Grail, this can prove to be an elusive, if not impossible quest. The result is often multiple bags in a storage closet. Owning several bags can be a very good thing, however—unless you're asking an annoyed spouse.

How-To

• Dive In
  

  Digital technology makes it possible for anyone to get into underwater photography

  
  by Christopher Robinson

  If you've ever been snorkeling on a tropical reef, you know how incredibly beautiful and full of life the world is beneath the surface of the ocean. Until recently, if you wanted to take pictures in that environment, you either had to buy extremely expensive and temperamental gear or settle for a single-use film camera with a cheap plastic lens that you bought from the hotel gift shop. For casual vacationers, neither option offered much of a chance to get good pictures. The pro-level setup had potential, but required lots of difficult trial-and-error work, and the disposable camera...well, let's just say they were right to call it disposable.

• March/April 2007 HelpLine by Michael Guncheon

  In Search Of ISO
      * ISO Settings And Exposure Compensation
      * RAW Delivered
      * Travel Tip

• True Colors
  

  Calibrate your monitor to achieve accurate color in your digital darkroom

  
  by Ibarionex R. Perello The joy of digital photography can be quickly diffused when the photograph we've printed doesn't resemble what we saw on our monitors. Dramatic differences in brightness, contrast and especially color make using a digital darkroom an exercise in frustration instead of creativity.
• With The End Result In Mind
  

  Use Photoshop elements to achieve your vision

  
  by Rick Sammon

  Thanks to digital, I have total control over my images—and so do you. If I couldn't see the effect of exposure settings on the LCD and make adjustments on the spot, I'd have a lower percentage of keepers. What's more, I couldn't make enhancements—creative decisions would be left to a photo lab, as it was when I first got into photography. And don't forget the power of a RAW file, from which you can recover up to one stop of an overexposed area! Here, I'll share a few enhancements made using Adobe Photoshop Elements.