Article Summary
The halls were decked with batteries, and we spent the long weekend installing more AC outlets in the house and reinforcing the circuit breakers, and then came up with the list of the best gear from the past 12 months.
Here it is, in no particular order: (List edited to highlight just the photography-related products. Link to article to read full story).
Casio EXS-500 digital camera ($325-$399). Among the slim breed of point-and-shoot digitals, the Casio has the most personality, a thorough array of useful features and an orange case. Perfect.
Adobe Photoshop CS2, about $600/Adobe Photo Elements v.4, $99. Photoshop is the touchstone for photographers of all ilk who believe manipulation is the soul of creativity. One major reason to upgrade to this latest version - in Mac or Windows formulas - is its support for Camera Raw 3.0. This feature offers the ability to edit and process multiple raw images simultaneously. Elements version 4, not quite as complex or intricate as CS2, is a terrific alternative for less-practiced shooters who want to learn about the digital darkroom.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5 digital still camera (about $350). Digital cameras came - incredibly quickly, it seemed - and went in 2005, but the only one that stayed with me, side by side, is the Lumix FZ5. Light of weight, sturdy of build, and with bullet-proof, blur-free image quality, thanks to an overachieving stabilization circuit, the FXZ5 is most prized for its superb 12-times optical zoom Leica lens. Built with a five-megapixel sensor, the Lumix is proof more pixels aren't necessarily better to make great pictures.....Read Complete Article
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