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 Lastolite Trigrip Reflector
Lastolite's triangular Trigrip reflectors have built-in handles so that even solo photographers can use them during a shoot, without the need for a stand or an assistant. They come in several sizes, from very small models that can be carried in a camera bag for photographing things like flowers and other close-up subjects, to large reflectors that will bounce a soft light onto a full body. All of the Trigrips collapse to a third of their open size when not in use. They're available with a range of color combinations for the two sides -- including white, silver, gold, and black velvet for absorbing light -- and can also be purchased with 1- and 2-stop diffusion fabric.
About $60 to $90, depending on size
www.lastolite.com
 Delkin eFilm Expresscard Adapter
Photographers who use a laptop with an Expresscard slot will love the boost in downloading speed that this card reader will give them over a standard memory card slot. Make sure you get the right size adapter for the slot -- it comes in 34mm and 54mm models for CompactFlash and a 34mm model that transfers files from six other card types, including SD, Memory Stick, and xD-Picture Card.
About $50
www.delkin.com
S ima Hitch
This little 8-ounce device does just what its name indicates -- it hitches other devices up together so that you can transfer files between them. To use it, you just plug the source device (e.g., a camera) into one side and the destination device (e.g., an MP3 player or a USB flash drive) into the other, select the files you want to transfer, and hit Send. The Hitch can also charge USB devices off of its battery in a pinch.
About $70
www.gethitch.com
 Interfit/Paterson Light Pod
Product, still life, and macro photographers can use this light tent to photograph objects against seamless backgrounds, with the even, diffused illumination that is created by placing lights outside of the tent. The Light Pod has an advantage over many other collapsible light tents: it provides more than one opening so that you can shoot whatever is placed inside from different angles instead of trying to prop up and reposition the object to get the shot.
About $60 to $80, depending on size
www.interfitphotographic.com
 PictureFlow Whibal G6 Pocket Kit
This gray card kit is made specifically for achieving natural white-balance and color-correction results with digital photography, unlike older white and gray cards. Its gray is spectrally neutral under all light sources so that it has no color cast. It also includes focus and sharpness targets, a centimeter scale, and black and white reference patches to help with color adjustments in the digital darkroom. The pocket-size card is made to be used in the field, with a waterproof, scratchproof surface, and it comes with a lanyard, table stand, and case.
$30
Splurge: Whibal kits that include larger cards for studio use cost about $37 and $50.
www.rawworkflow.com
 Wacom Bamboo Fun
Graphics tablets tend to be pricey, but you can pick up the small version of this Wacom model for a hundred bucks. It offers a 5.8x3.7-inch drawing surface and comes with a pen that's sensitive to 512 levels of pressure (more expensive models will give you 1024) and has an eraser tip. The Bamboo Fun package also includes a mouse and Adobe Photoshop Elements, Corel Painter Essentials, and Nik Color Efex Pro GE software. The tablet is available in black, white, silver, and blue.
About $100
Splurge: For double the cost, you can buy a medium-size Bamboo Fun tablet with an 8.5x5.3-inch writing surface.
www.wacom.com
 Epson PictureMate Dash
Portable printers like this one are useful both for taking along to events and for making small prints quickly at home. Epson's Dash outputs 4x6 dye-based inkjet prints and provides a good selection of automatic retouching tools and color modes. It has a big 3.6-inch LCD for navigating menus and viewing images, and can receive images via its built-in card slots, a USB connection, or a Bluetooth adapter.
About $95
Splurge: For double the price, you can buy a PictureMate Zoom and get a built-in disc burner.
www.epson.com
 Subscriptions to Popular Photography and American Photo
Shower yourself and your loved ones with months and months of indispensable photography advice, reviews, and profiles from both magazines. Click here to subscribe to Popular Photography & Imaging and here to subscribe to American Photo!
Starting at $10 (digital edition) or $12 (print edition) for an annual subscription
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