By Frank Walker
Whether you’re a photography major focused on becoming a successful pro, a camera buff checking out the field by taking a few photography courses, or an evolving photo enthusiast heading back to school this fall with camera in hand, here’s a selection of a dozen cool and useful accessories guaranteed to enhance your overall picture-taking experience and even help take your photography to the next level. For your convenience we’ve carefully selected items worthy of your consideration and provided a concise description of each. However we also hope the items covered below inspire you to look into the vast array of similar and related gear you can discover and compare on Adorama’s acclaimedwebsite.
PIXO C4 Universal Charger DPX304: This handy device is a great travel companion for recharging your smart phone, iPad, camera, or batteries. It can charge up to 4 AA or AAA, NiMH or NiCad batteries, 3.4-4.2-volt plus 6.8-8.4-volt Li-Ion battery packs, and has 2 USB ports to charge smart phones including the iPhone as well as the iPod and Ipad via Micro-USB and Mini-USB cables. Two devices can be charged simultaneously via USB ports that have an output of 5 volts and 2000 mA. The German engineered device includes a Battery Activator Function to revive deeply discharged Li-Ion batteries, has silver-plated 3D-Flex contacts to assure correct battery positioning, and one red and 3 green LEDs to display charging status. Adorama price: $49.95.
Tiffen Variable Neutral Density (VND) Filter: This amazingly versatile filter because lets you shoot at wide apertures and/or slow shutter speeds even on bright sunny days and capture gorgeous pictorial effects. In effect this VND filter adds another control to the camera, a continuously variable ring that lets you control and assess the amount of light coming though the lens. By turning the milled front ring on the filter users can reduce the exposure from 2 stops (ND 0.6) to 8 stops (ND 2.4), or anything in between. A dotted reference scale makes it easy to return to any previously used setting. It’s beautifully made, turns very smoothly and precisely, and is manufactured using Tiffen’s proprietary ColorCore technology ensuring absolute uniformity in production. Adorama price: $149.95 (77mm); $119.95 after mail-in rebate; prices for other sizes vary.
Steadicam Solo Stabilizer & Monopod: This amazing 3-Axis gimbaled camera stabilization device will not only allow you to shoot smooth, professional looking HD or 4K videos with DSLR rigs weighing up to a hefty 10 pounds, it can also be pressed into service as an effective monopod for shooting critically sharp videos and stills with any camera. Its 4 sections extend telescopically to shoulder height for near-eyelevel viewing, and it folds to a compact 24 inches for easy stowage and transport. The all-metal Solo has an ergonomic foam gimbal handle and post control grips and can be used in combination with an optional Steadicam arm and vest set. A quick-release mounting plate and set of counterweights are included, allowing out-of-the-box use. Adorama price: $499.00. For those who want to shoot smooth, shake-free movies with an iPhone, other smart phone, or a GoPro HERO, check out the SteadicamSmoothee, based on a similar engineering concept (Adorama price: $149.95).
Gepe Card Safe Extreme: Protecting your precious image files while traveling is a top priority, and here’s a cool gadget that lets you do just that. It’s a watertight case that’s designed to store memory cards including Compact Flash (CF), Smart Media, Memory Stick, MMC, or SD cards in specifically configured slots that hold them tightly and protect them against, humidity, dust, and electrostatic charges. The safe is divided into four separate compartments and uses special insert materials to prevent cards from being erased or damaged. A viewing window lets you see where each card is stored even when the box is closed, and the case can be snapped opened and closed even when wearing gloves. The 3.9 x 0.94 x 3.03-inch case is made of shock resistant polycarbonate with an anti-static interior, and is tested and certified to the European IPX-7 standard (water immersion for 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter). Adorama price: $29.95 in Ice Blue.
Canon PIXMA PRO-100: Anadvanced color inkjet wireless photo printer, it delivers hi-res 4800 x 2400 dpi output with ink droplets as small as 3 picoliters using Canon’s advanced ChromaLife 100+ dye-based 8-cartridge ink system that includes 3 monochrome inks. It produces prints up to 13×19 of excellent technical quality with saturated colors and rich blacks and grays, along with impressive speed and it’s compatible with a wide range of papers including glossy, luster, matte, Museum Etching and a variety of fine art papers. It can also print directly on CDs ands DVDs, enables computer-free printing via PictBridge, and provides WiFi connectivity allowing multiple users to print from remote locations. It can print a full color 8×10 in only 51 sec, and an 11×14 in 1 min, 30 sec. Adorama price: $398.00 ($148.00 after mail-in rebate.)
X-Rite ColorChecker Passport: This pocket-sized device is a actually a sophisticated “capture to edit” multi-patch color standard test target that provides an easy way to calibrate cameras to printers and monitors, and create profiles for post-production software, thus assuring accurate, consistent color reproduction and creative flexibility even under unusual lighting conditions. With the included Calibration Application and Lightroom Plug-In software, shooters can quickly and easily build camera profiles for Adobe Imaging Solutions including Lightroom, Photoshop. Photoshop Elements, Camera Raw (ACR) and Bridge. Supported operating systems include all the latest, and many prior versions of Windows and Mac OSX. Adoramaprice: $99.00.
Davis & Sanford Traverse TR553-P228: This versatile new ultra-portable fulfills its mission effectively by folding to a mere 12 inches by pivoting its legs back 180 degrees, over the easy-glide center post, to fit easily in virtually any camera bag or backpack. Weighing in at only 2.6 pounds complete with Dual-Control ball head with calibrated base and Arca-Swiss-compatible quick release, this aluminum tripod extends to 53 inches, has a robust carrying capacity of 10 pounds, perfect for consumer DSLRs, mirrorless, and Point & Shoot cameras. Its sturdy 23mm-diameter 5-section legs have freeze-proof rubberized twist locks, 3-position independent leg-angle adjustments, foam-cushioned insulators, and rubberized leg tips. Other features: Aluminum alloy construction, durable black anodized finish. Adoramaprice: $109.99 with carrying bag.
Giottos QU 500B Mini Tabletop Tripod: This robust ultra-compact mini tripod folds away to fit into any camera bag, is great for macro shooting. and can be placed on a table or other firm support to provide a stable platform for your camera. Although it has a folded length of 5.3 inches and weighs only 4.9 pounces, it has a load capacity of 11 pounds, sufficient to accommodate a large DSLR with a long lens. It has sturdy single-section legs, a standard ¼ x20 mounting screw, and a minimum and maximum height of 2.2 inches. Adorama price: $24.99.
Adorama Cleaning Kit for Optics, Lenses and Cameras: Don’t leave home without this essential accessory whether your headed back to school or just out on a shoot. This comprehensive, easily stowed kit works for all optical instruments including film and digital cameras. It includes spray cleaning fluid, cotton swabs, a lens cloth, 2 Universal LCD Screen Protector sheets, a Squeegee card, a lipstick style lens brush, a blower brush, and lens tissue, all in a cool new Deluxe Storage Bag. Adorama price: $14.95.
Vivitar SF4000 Shoe Mounted Zoom Slave Flash: This compact, lightweight, economical unit adds extra flash power whenever you need it, delivers bounce flash capability for more natural lighting, and syncs via its built-in digital slave with virtually any camera incorporating a built-in flash, including DSLRs. Features include: a camerahot shoe bracket, a tilting multi-angle (zoom) bounce flash head with separate positions for wide, normal, and telephoto coverage, an integral light diffuser and an auto pre-flash sensor. It’s powered by 2 AA cells and is compatible with Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Sony, and Minolta cameras. Adorama price: $29.95.
Lexar 128GB Professional 1000X UHS-II U3 SDXC Memory Card: No matter when and where you plan to shoot, having high quality, high-speed, high capacity memory cards on hand is essential—especially if you want to capture lots of rapid-action sequences, record 1080p full-HD and 4K video, or shoot 3D images. Delivering transfer speeds of up to 1000Xx (150MB/sec) and UHS-II Speed Class 3 technology, this card can dramatically accelerate your workflow and it comes with the latest version of Image Rescue software to recover most photo and select video files, and a limited lifetime warranty. Note: Lexar offers Professional 1000X cards in other sizes and capacities, and high-performance cards with similar specs are available from other major manufacturers. Adorama price: $64.95.
WD 1TB My Passport Wireless Mobile Storage Device: Here’s a great way to back up and share your precious image and video files wirelessly on the fly with any Wi-Fi enabled device. This portable high capacity unit is compatible with Mac iOS and Android OS (it uses ExFAT for Windows and must be reformatted for Mac), allows up to 8 users to access files simultaneously, and uses ultra-fast USB 3.0 for maximum transfer speed of up to 5GB/sec (480MB/sec with USB 2.0). Other features: 1 TB disk capacity, 1 built-in SD card slot, built in wireless-N with MIMO, USB cable and power adapter, WD My Cloud Mobile app, 256MB buffer, and a 512MB memory. The WD Passport Wireless comes with a 2-year limited warranty. Adorama price: $169.99.
