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 Original Lensbaby
Lensbabies has come out with fancier, more expensive versions of its selective-focus lens since the original was first unveiled in 2000, but this simple optic still offers an inexpensive way to give creative photographers a little fun and variety. The single-element lens has a flexible barrel that the photographer manipulates in order to shift the area of sharp focus in an image; the rest of the shot has a soft, atmospheric look. The Original Lensbaby is available with numerous lens mounts and is compatible with Lensbaby wide, telephoto, and close-up converters.
About $100
Splurge: The Lensbaby 2.0 offers higher-quality optics and adjustable apertures for about $150; the Lensbaby 3G locks focus positions and offers fine-focus controls for about $270.
www.lensbabies.com
 Lumiquest Bounce Kit
Lumiquest is selling this discounted kit during the holidays. It includes a Pocket Bouncer, a gold insert, and a silver insert. The Pocket Bouncer fits onto an external flash unit and provides a white surface for it to bounce off of when there's no ceiling or wall in range. Using the Pocket Bouncer softens the illumination of the flash, and adding the silver or gold insert creates a cooler or warmer tone. Event photographers and anyone else who uses an SLR with an external flash should be happy to have one of these in their bag.
About $30
www.lumiquest.com
 Aquapac Camera Case
Serious underwater photographers spend hundreds of dollars on housings that can protect their gear at great depths, but for casual shooting while snorkeling, onboard a boat, or in the pool, a really super plastic bag will do just fine. That's essentially what Aquapac provides, and for an affordable price. Aquapac camera cases are made of a material that the company calls "Lenzflex" for its optical clarity and can be used down to 15 feet below the surface. They'll float to the surface if dropped in as well.
About $30 and $45 for small and large compact camera cases.
Splurge: Get an SLR case for about $120.
www.aquapac.net
 Vivitar 285HV
Recently reissued with a few adaptations to make it suitable for use with digital cameras, the classic Vivitar 285HV offers a great way for SLR photographers to step up from an on-camera flash for an affordable price. It's compatible with any camera with a hotshoe.
About $90
Read a full review of the Vivitar 285HV.
www.vivitar.com/
 Lenspen Panamatic
Avid landscape photographers spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on gear for taking series of images to stitch into a panorama. But for the occasional panorama shooter, this cheap gadget might do the trick. It sits in between a tripod head and camera, and helps you capture perfectly aligned and overlapping images with a built-in level and 360-degree indexer.
About $25
Splurge: Spend $5 more for the Panamatic Plus, which comes with Arcsoft panorama stitching software.
www.lenspen.com
 Rosco Matte Black Cinefoil
This heavy matte black aluminum foil can be used for multiple purposes -- to block light or create shadow areas in a studio setup, to eliminate reflections, or to shape into a light modifier such as barndoors or a snoot. It's light and compact enough that you can carry a length of it in your camera bag too.
About $30 for a 24"x25' roll
www.rosco.com
 Diana+ Camera Starter Kit
This all-plastic manual medium-format camera, like its popular relative the Holga, is known for the highly saturated, atmospheric images it captures. It has a 75mm lens that can be removed for pin-hole shooting, three available aperture settings, multiple and long exposure settings, and a panorama mode. It can be set to capture either 4.2x4.2- or 5.2x5.2-centimeter images on 120 film. The kit includes a 200-page book of Diana photographs and history.
$40
Splurge: For $65 you can buy the kit with 20 rolls of Agfa film.
www.lomography.com
 Kodak Professional T-Max 400
This film offers something that's become a rarity in black-and-white film photography: new technology. Kodak recently altered the film emulsion to offer finer grain and greater image sharpness, and claims that Professional T-Max 400 is now the world's sharpest black-and-white film. The company also added a UV barrier layer to the back of the film in medium-format and 35mm rolls to prevent accidental exposure to static inside cameras. Look for the "World's Sharpest!" text on the packaging to distinguish the new T-Max from the old.
About $4 for a roll of 24 35mm frames
www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/products/films/bw/tMax400.jhtml
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