Gear

Buyer's Guide 2009: Storage

Every photographer needs a backup strategy.

By Brannack McLain
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... Read more

Buyer's Guide 2009: Specialty Papers & Inks

Conventional wisdom says that for the best-looking prints, you should stick with your printer manufacturer’s papers and inks.

By Kim Castleberry
Conventional wisdom says that for the best-looking prints, you should stick with your printer manufacturer’s papers and inks. It’s not bad advice because their printer-software drivers are fine-tuned for those inks and papers to ensure excellent results and print longevity. But if you only print with the standard photo stock, you’re... Read more

Buyer's Guide 2009: Portable Printers

Making 4×6-inch, photo-quality prints at home and on the go has never been easier.

By Jon Sienkiewicz
Making 4×6-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... Read more
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Buyer's Guide 2009: Fine-Art Printers

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, 13×19-inch printers the best printers possible for photographers.

By Rob Sheppard
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, 13×19-inch printers the best printers possible for photographers. The 13×19-inch print is big enough to display beautifully when framed... Read more

How To Build A Camera System

When you buy a D-SLR, you’re choosing more than just a camera—you’re selecting a system of lenses and accessories, as well.

By The Editors
When you buy a D-SLR, you’re choosing more than just a camera-you’re selecting a system of lenses and accessories, as well. Camera features like sensor size and resolution, metering and autofocus technology, exposure modes and so on are all important considerations; but you’ll also want to look beyond the camera at the range of additional... Read more

Lighten Up

Whether you’re shooting portraits, still lifes or even eBay product shots, the subtlest changes in lighting can have a profound impact on the final image, and studio lighting kits offer more than subtle changes—they offer complete control.

By Dave Willis
Whether you’re shooting portraits, still lifes or even eBay product shots, the subtlest changes in lighting can have a profound impact on the final image, and studio lighting kits offer more than subtle changes—they offer complete control. A typical studio lighting setup often has a key (or main) light and a fill light. While this setup... Read more

Geared For Travel

Whether you’re jetting off on a family vacation, backpacking solo in the wild or going away on business, mobility is key when traveling with your photo gear.

By Kim Castleberry
Whether you’re jetting off on a family vacation, backpacking solo in the wild or going away on business, mobility is key when traveling with your photo gear. It’s true that today’s D-SLR bodies and lenses continue to set new standards for what’s considered lightweight (the new Olympus E-420 weighs just 13.4 ounces). But throw... Read more

Hot New Tech

Just in case you didn’t receive your perfect holiday gift, tech and electronic companies kick off the new year with two festivals full of stuff you didn’t even know you couldn’t live without: CES and Macworld.

By The Editors
Just in case you didn’t receive your perfect holiday gift, tech and electronic companies kick off the new year with two festivals full of stuff you didn’t even know you couldn’t live without: CES and Macworld. CES is one of those mega-trade shows that’s legend, where all manner of must-have tech toys are debuted. And in recent... Read more

Lenses: Designed For Digital

Far from simple marketing hype, the term “designed for digital” encompasses the entirety of lens technologies unique to the demands of image sensors and their various sizes.

By Harlon Mitchell
Far from simple marketing hype, the term “designed for digital” encompasses the entirety of lens technologies unique to the demands of image sensors and their various sizes. Unlike film, image sensors have a shiny, flat surface. That surface is prone to causing internal reflections of light that bounce back and forth between the image sensor... Read more

2008 Editors' Choice Awards

Our annual Editors’ Choice Awards is consistently one of the most popular features in PCPhoto, but it’s also one of the toughest for us as editors.

By The Editors
Our annual Editors’ Choice Awards is consistently one of the most popular features in PCPhoto, but it’s also one of the toughest for us as editors. We cover hundreds of new products each year, and trying to pick just a handful of these for recognition isn’t easy. So, while we can’t include every product worthy of mention, we... Read more