The Photo Marketing Association’sPMA 07convention , which envelop up Sunday in Las Vegas , did n’t have the hullabaloo of Macworld Expo , but it does n’t have to : the show is primarily for photo depot possessor , professional photographer , and multitude who make their keep merchandising camera and related service . It ’s largely a computer hardware show , which is why Apple and Adobe were n’t represented on the show trading floor , but Nikon , Canon , HP , Panasonic , JVC and other seller were there in force .
Much like Macworld Expo , once you get past the fully grown booth , there are lots of vendors in smaller stall , many with unusual , but still utile , product . I see lots of painting frames , scrapbook supply , backdrop , firing systems and photo minilabs , many of which had little interest for me , but I also establish a few affair that were deserving a mention :
Lensbaby 3G
Since that first version , Lensbabieshas been refine and improving their product . The $ 150 Lensbaby 2.0 , which came out in 2005 , added multiple apertures — through an ingenious magnetic mechanism that ‘ floats ’ a metal aperture disk above the lens — and a glassful lens . At PMA , the company was picture the Lensbaby 3 G , the “ ultimate ” model , which offer a lockup mechanics , longer focal length ( 100 mm , as oppose to the 50 mm distance on the older versions ) , a fine focalise dial and a great orbit of apertures .
I ’ve been using a 3 G for a few months now , and it ’s quite an impressive piece of equipment . It has a more substantial feel than the Original Lensbaby , less like a toy and more like a professional product . The locking and o.k. - focusing additions make it comfortable to regurgitate the Lensbaby effect , take a leak it an splendid choice for studio lensman . At $ 270 , the Lensbaby 3 G is n’t an impulse steal — the gloomy - end manakin are fine if you ’re just looking to run around — but it really is a bang-up enhancement to a play line of product .
Adventure Vest
Ben Long and I each tried the Adventure Vest on , load up it up with a tv camera and telephoto lens , and were surprised at how comfortable it was . Even when stuffed to capacitance , it felt nowhere near as heavy as a full face pack does on my back . The vest is a compounding of meshing , neoprene and cordura nylon , and the unit we look at were well - constructed and filled with many thoughtful slight detail . The pass - down seat is designed to let you rock back in it for support , and it was fairly easy to get in and out of it once you got the bent of it . The fanny also duplicate as a tripod holder , and you could take out it entirely if you do n’t need the volume .
Wearing a photo singlet is an take taste . I know some folks who swear by them , while others would favor to count “ less dorky ” and schlep their hooey on their back . Having used a couple of vests in the field , I know how dependable they can be , and just a curt walk of life with Adventure Vest made me desire to get one .
Loren latterly found a distributer for the waistcoat , which means that they should become available in tv camera store over the come calendar month ( he has a “ garage full of them ” if you ca n’t wait ) . A khaki version of the singlet is also on the way , for those who do n’t desire to spend a sidereal day in the sun in a black vest .
ExpoDisc and ExpoAperture
If you shoot in Raw mode , you could easily perform white balance fudge factor in your image editor of pick , but the ExpoDisc really saves you meter and can make your workflow much more effective , especially if you ’re shooting C of pictures . For more info , check over out Derrick Story’sprimeron the ExpoDisc ; he offer a immediate tutorial on it , and talks about why it ’s so essential to his employment .
In addition to the lineage of ExpoDiscs ( which are priced from $ 100 to $ 125 ) , ExpoImaging was also showing theExpoAperture Depth of Field Guide , a $ 30 field tool for serve photographers determine the right electron lens aperture for regions of focussing in a view ( Wikipedia definesdepth of fieldas “ the distance in front of and beyond the subject area that seems to be in focus . ” ) . The product is based on a deepness of field guide in the beginning create byGeorge Wallace , the grandfather of one of ExpoImaging ’s founders , and it has an old - existence , “ hurry up and slow down ” feel to it . I showed it to a couple of photographers who thought it was a outstanding update to the guides they used when they were starting up , while others just gave me a quizzical look . If you know someone who ’s have into photography ( digital or film ) , and is looking for a in force instructional guide , it is worth checking ExpoAperture out .
For other PMA link news , check out Kelly Turner ’s news report on HD - related products announced at the show , Delkin ’s SensorScope and the MagicPortrait on-line service .
