Do you want to capture priceless snaps of a shy friend who hates having her photo taken? Do you want to take candid shots of your colleagues misbehaving at your company's Christmas party? The Super Secret Spy Lens could be the answer. This camera attachment, basically a periscope, lets you take sneaky yet stealthy shots without the subjects knowing that they are being photographed.

The Super Secret Spy Lens uses a precision mirror plus a secret cut-out in the side, allowing you to point away from your subject. This disables the defenses of those who have a natural ability to sense that they are being photographed and improves your odds of getting a terrific picture. You can shoot in any direction (right, left, up, or down), as the lens swivels 360 degrees.

The Super Secret Spy Lens works with almost all SLR lens: Nikon, Canon, Sony, Olympus, Pentax, etc. It also perfectly fits most thread sizes: 37mm, 49mm, 52mm, 55mm, 58mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm, and 77mm. This espionage lens works with zoom lenses of at least 50mm, but does not work with wide-angle or fish-eye lenses. The price ranges $50-$55. Read more »

Many people want to try their hands at photoraphy but they are discouraged since taking graet pictures requires intensive practice, which can be very overwhelming for many beginners. With the Tabletop Photo Studio, beginners can improve their talents in making great shots - within the comfort of their homes. The studio is ideal for those planning to sell something (jewelry, gadgets, or collectibles) over the Internet. The controlled environment it offers allows users, both amateurs and professionals, to capture a very clear image of the object.

The Tabletop Photo Studio provides optimal lighting and clean backgrounds, enabling you to make studio-quality photos with the use of even the simplest camera. It comes with two backdrops providing different levels of contrast for light and dark objects. The studio is composed of a compact light box, a tripod, an integrated diffuser screen, and two high-output lights that have adjustable and retractable legs. Measuring16-in H x 16-in W x 16-in D, the set only weighs 4 ½ lbs.

Basically, online consumers are attracted to high-resolution photos of objects being sold. This means higher chances of selling the products for a high price. In addition, having a high-quality picture photo could definitely facilitate the insurance process (usually, insurance documents require proof of some products). The set gets a plus point for ease of use and portability. You can easily store the set as you can fold the backdrops. The set also includes a built-in carrying case and a handle. Read more »

The Nikon 18-200mm Zoom Lens can be quite a handy addition to any budding photographer's kit. It is a very handy lens that can be used for a wide variety of shots. It offers a broad 18 to 200 mm focal range that can be used for a number of situations. With an 11x zoom coverage, this lens is a one all solution for every photographer because it is also compact and lightweight.

The Nikon AF-S DX VR Zoom-NIKKOR 18-200mm Zoom Lens makes use of the VR II system that is able to offer excellent vibration reduction performance that is equivalent to using a shutter speed at four stops faster. The lens also incorporates a Silent Wave Motor (SWM) to allow fast and quiet focusing. With the use of Nikon's Super Integrated Coating, the lens allow for excellent color reproduction while minimizing flare and ghosting.

The lens makes use of two ED glass and three aspherical lens elements that help minimize chromatic aberration and other forms of distortion while providing high resolution and contrast. This especially helps deliver a high level of optical performance when using the Nikon DX Format Digital cameras. Read more »

The Olympus FL-50 electronic Flash is specifically developed as an attachment for digital SLR cameras. The flash coverage can be automatically adjusted to the lens when zooming or it can also be set manually. The Olympus FL-50 Electronic Flash also comes with a variety of other features.

The FL-50 can be attached to the camera via a hot shoe, cable or using the FL-BK01 Flash Bracket. The FL-50 operates in five modes. At TTL Auto mode, it flashes after being able to measure the appropriate illumination needed for a subject with the use of a pre-flash. In auto mode, the illumination is controlled to match the lens aperture with the use of the FL-50's light receptor window.

The manual mode for the FL-50 allows the user to flash using a guide number setting. In FP-TTL Auto mode, the flash illumination can be synchronized with shutter speeds of up to 1/4000 sec. In FP-Manual mode, the FP flashes at a manually set illumination.

Other features of the FL-50 Electronic Flash include Redeye Reduction that helps reduce the redeye effect usually caused by flash illumination in developed photos. The FL-50 also has a Slow Synchro feature that allows it to be used when taking photos at slow shutter speeds. A Second-curtain Synchro feature allows it to flash just before exposure ends while using a slow shutter. Read more »

So many people rely on Nikon for their pictures because it has been a professional photographer's personal choice. It's either that or the other big-name brand.

However, Nikon has been a constant player in the photography field, racking in a big share of the market. Because of this, Nikon it can be said that Nikon is more than just par with the rest of the lot when it comes to the quality of glass that is used in their lenses.

Nikon manufactures so many lenses because of the different needs and budgets of different photographers. Since there are a lot of different lenses, only a few limited recommendations are in order.

One of these is that if you are a film user, you may not want to immediately have a 35mm Nikon. If you would like to shoot with today's technology and standards, you might want to go digital or shoot in a much larger format other than 35mm. If you are one of the people who shoot for newspapers, then you should go this route.

You must simply try getting a medium zoom lens which you can use all the time instead of switching from one particular lens to another. Or if you have a lot of money to spare, you would most probably want a setup which allows you to have two camera bodies with an wide-angle lens attached to one body and another telephoto-zoom lens attached to the other.

This is, by far, the best conceivable setup that you would need since you will most probably not need the medium zoom for the gaps in between the focal length range. You will either shoot something with the wide lens or the tele. This allows your shots to become much more varied than the normal point-and-shoot photographer who does not know anything at all about photography. Read more »

SanDisk has joined the huge memory storage allocation race by coming up with their own version of the 4GB memory card. Their newest format is the microSD High Capacity or "microSDHC". It is a flash card which includes the brand new "MicroMate SD/SDHC compatible, high-speed USB 2.0 card reader.

This new card reader ensures that you have a smooth transition from microSD format to the revolutionary microSDHC format. The kit that SanDisk includes with this particular memory card also includes a full-sized SD adapter so that it can fit into devices with an SD slot.

You get the optimal speed and performance for those devices which accept microSDHC. You also get a large storage capacity of 4GB which is by far, the industry standard for devices such as these. One of the great things about this particular memory card is that your microSDHC is backed by a 5 year limited warranty.

This is a must if you've always wanted to keep your microSD cards while wanting to try out future technology. Once you try this format, you'll understand what all the buzz is about. Read more »

People who are using the Secure Digital memory cards have a lot to rave about nowadays because Transcend has come up with a 4GB card which can easily store videos, music files and pictures while being able to write at a blazing speed of 150x. This is by far, the fastest write speed of any Secure Digital card out in the market.

This 150x SD card combines the spacious memory of 4GB with the fantastic write speeds that people are now clamoring for. Since SD is now the most popular type of digital camera memory, this is only an excellent announcement for the digital camera population.

This is the ideal solution for Mobile phones, digital cameras, navigation systems, laptops, PDAs and MP3 players since all of these devices use the SD media format. Almost every universal card reader has a slot for these Secure Digital memory cards so you have the advantage of having your memory card compatible with most of the readers out there. Read more »

If you're familiar with Hitachi Microdrives, you'll be glad to know that they just got a lot bigger. This new microdrive can store up to a whopping 6-GB of data which holds 50 percent more data than its previous microdrives. That means more music, more photos and more data.

The new 6GB Microdrive is also designed for extensive use. That means you can use it over and over again without wondering when it will every conk out on you. You'll appreciate the amount of data storage that this small drive can handle simply because it's so little yet it can duke it out with the best of the CFs and SDs out there.

So if you're looking for reliability and capacity, look no further because the Hitachi 6GB Microdrives are all you'll ever need. It's compact yet it performs just as well as the other compact flash drives which are out in the market. As the world's smallest hard drive, it is able to give you the flexibility, speed and storage that you expect from the storage media leader. Read more »

The Fujifilm 1GB xD Picture Memory Card is a memory card that was specifically designed for digital cameras. Compared to other digital media that are available out there, it is one of the most reliable and most durable cards that is available. This digital storage medium was primarily designed for use with Olympus and Fujifilm digital devices.

This is an ultra-compact memory card which has been known to have fast data transfer rates of 5Mb of data per second. Which is very helpful for the casual or the serious shooter. This media has been produced to become compatible to accommodate up to 8GB in the future.

All in all, the Fujifilm 1GB xD (xD for ‘eXtreme Digital') is a memory card that is sure to impress its users with the storage, sleek design and the fast data-transfer rate that it boasts of. If you're looking for a performer that has it all, you best take a look at the Fujifilm 1GB xD Picture Card. Read more »

For those who are looking to get a bag which is in between that of the professional gear price range, you're going to be relieved to know that a new innovative bag has come out.

The RoadWired Pod Bag is a newly-released bag for the hobbyist photographer who needs to have a sturdy and good-looking bag.

This bag is especially geared towards men because the design is quite simple and comes not just in the typical black shade which normal camera bags come in.

The most stunning color is the red-black model which will most definitely match any Swiss Army luggage.

It's made of denier ballistic nylon, is well-padded and is made out of quality materials as a third of the main compartment contains soft, loopy Velcro for added padding.

This is definitely a must for any photographer who wants to veer away from the traditional camera bags. Read more »

In the digital world, speed is of the essence, and in the digital photography world, this means everything.

The new Lexar 80X 4GB Compact flash card has the patented 80X speed which enables digital shooters to record 12MB per second. This is, by far, the fastest write speed in Compact Flash cards today.

The Type II Compact Flash card is especially constructed for the professional shooter who needs immediate confirmation that they have been able to capture a particular shot where they can quickly identify precise levels, bracketing ranges and other elements.

This is practical for fast-paced application such as sports events or photojournalism where one needs to capture "the moment". If you have this in your camera, you won't need to worry about missing anything.

This high-speed professional digital compact flash card will bring out the best in your professional equipment as well as complement the fast-paced photographer in you. Read more »

Lensbabies are selective focus SLR camera lenses that enable you to create unique focusing and depth of field effects. They are actually simple lenses mounted in a flexible plastic tube, which can be bent to make such interesting optical results.

The latest third generation (3G) Lensbaby provides more control by means of lockable thread adjustments and fine tuning adjustments on the front dial.

It has the same features as the Lensbaby 2.0, except that there are three focusing rails emerging form the camera mount and passing through the focusing collar. There is also a trigger button which releases these three pins and conveniently locks the Lensbaby 3G in a bent position.

The lock feature of the Lensbaby 3G has in itself many useful functions. Once the Lensbaby is locked into place, you can make additional fine focus by way of traditional barrel focusing.

You can also adjust the sweet spot of sharp focus by simply turning any combination of the three focusing rails. This produces more creative images and allows you to work with long exposures and experiment with light.

The Lensbaby 3G is really for pro photographers who want precise focusing and complete control in their shots. Read more »

Have you ever wondered if there is an alternative to the Adobe Lightroom or maybe even Adobe Photoshop? For those of you who have ever wanted an application which will cater to your photographic editing and workflow needs, you now have something that you can try. If you are quite tired of Adobe products, you might want to check out ACDSee Pro 2.

In this application, you'll be able to easily view and browse your collection of photos. You can cull, sort and view them in a fully customizable interface with the ease and precision that is demanded by professional photographers. You can instantly switch to full screen mode for all of your pictures or quickly browse through them using the thumbnail option.

ACDSee Pro 2 also allows you to see over 100 different file formats in its viewer including JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, TGA, NEF, RAW, CRW and PSD. This is absolutely one of the best features of the program as it allows you to quickly locate your particular file.

This is especially important if you have a lot of photoshop documents that are saved in the PSD format. Since Windows does not offer thumbnail views of PSD files, this is a great feature to have. Just imagine being able to view your RAW files as quickly as your JPEGS. It's unbelievable.

You'll be able to sift through thousands of shots and look for the pictures that you want to keep by using the Visual Tagging feature. You can take your best shots and compare them to view up to four images all at once in even greater detail. No more importing of pictures in Photoshop just to put two pictures side by side. Now all you'll need is ACDSee Pro 2. Read more »

The need for photographers to give their camera added mobility, flexibility and camera security is very important. It is important for photographers to get a very good camera strap for their comfort.

It is quite inadvisable for photographers to handle their camera without a strap that will effectively safeguard their camera from either being misplaced or being mishandled. Just imagine if you accidentally dropped your brand new SLR. A sturdy and good quality camera strap would be just the solution for that thousand-dollar ache.

Lowepro is a leader in providing camera pouches, protective cases, backpacks and straps for imaging products. It has recently come up with new camera straps which are designed for the rugged outdoor photographer. The durability that Lowepro products all have is paramount and they will always have the quality build that is expected of a worldwide leader in their industry.

When photojournalists are on the run while trying to keep up with the action that they are taking, it is very important that they will get the lightweight design that is expected of their straps. Lowepro has come out with the Speedster camera strap which has an adjustable and lightweight design which any active, on-the-go photographer will be able to use. Read more »

A traditional photographer's vest isn't that fashionable to the average person. But it is actually a photographer's best friend during an active shoot where constant movement is necessary. Just imagine hiking up a mountain and having to take off your backpack every now and then because you're either switching compact flash drives or trying to slap on a specific filter on your camera lens for the right type of shot.

A photographer's vest can conveniently carry those materials which are better stored near your body than inside your camera backpack. This is where the beauty of a vest is appreciated.

The Metro Vest by Tenba Gear is a vest which has about 24 separate pockets and compartments which are available for the photographer to use. These spaces can be used for organizing accessories in order to keep your gear at-hand and immediately accessible. This is also designed with the photographer in mind as it is very comfortable and affords the person mobility even when all of the pockets are fully loaded.

The vest is composed of 100% cotton and has a garment-washed finish which will essentially allow the photographer to be able to carry a lot without sacrificing comfort. The different mesh panels at the back also provide cooling ventilation for the intense photographer.

The vest's lower portion at the front has two large cargo pockets that are lined with smooth, water-resistant nylon. The different cargo pockets are spacious enough to hold several important photography gear such as a flash, another lens or a compact camera.

These main pockets alone are worth the trouble of wearing one as a photographer in motion will not have to worry about missing out on a precious moment just because they had to open their bag just to get a spare battery because their battery ran out on them in the middle of a shoot. Read more »

Last November of 2006, avid users of DSLRs saw another addition to the L lens family of Canon. Enter the new Canon 50mm f/1.2L lens. The lens consists of 8 camera optic elements with 6 groups which include on glass molded aspherical element.

When used with a camera which has a 1.3x magnification, it provides an angle of view that is similar to what a 61mm lens would give on a 35mm film camera. When used with a camera which has a 1.6x magnification, it will provide a similar angle of view to what an 81mm lens would give on a 35mm film camera.

As part of the Canon L-series lineup, this lens is sure to deliver as one of the fastest prime lenses available. It shares the widest aperture of any particular Canon lens in the range. This blazing fast EF 50mm f/1.2L USM is the absolute low-light performer which is very ideal for managing your photograph's depth of field.

It is also very ideal for shooting indoors without using a flash because it will always give you picture perfect brightness because of the range of its wide aperture. The lens features a large f-stop aperture opening at f/1.2 and a fast and ultra-quiet Ultrasonic Motor (USM) auto focus system.

It is an L-series lens which means that the construction and the optics on this particular lens is top of the line. The L-series is Canon's range of professional lens ranges. This series combines superior image performance as well as excellent operability with dust as well as moisture-sealed construction.

The lens also has Super Spectra coatings which means that there will be no more ghost images that will be the result of light reflecting off the different lens elements. This type of coating supresses ghosting and lens flare. This particular phenomenon is also more likely to happen to digital cameras because light might hit the sensor, thus creating the type of flare that you see in messed-up, washed out photographs.

The light refraction as well as the flare will not be an issue to this lens because of the patented Super Spectra coating of Canon which mainly absorbs light as opposed to reflecting it.

The aperture in this lens is also circular in order to provide excellent bokeh or background blur. The lens also supplies distance information for the E-TTL II flash system which is compatible with other Canon cameras to provide accurate flash meter readings. This lens also contains a soft case as well as a hood.

One of the other things that a person will be able to notice when using this lens is that it is a very fast-focusing lens which focuses as fast as one's eyes. This is much faster than then 85mm f/1.8 II lens.

This lens is a great addition to any photographer's set of L lenses and it will definitely not disappoint the most discriminating of all photographers. Read more »

For the Nikon user, the Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AF is one of the cheapest lens that is available out in the market. This is under the AF Nikkor line-up and costs under $200. This is because of the various cost-saving features that Nikon took in order to make such a lens very affordable. Even though Nikon was able to lower the cost, the optical quality was not compromised.

Overall, this lens has a very good build given its inexpensive price. Although one of the concerns that some people might have about this particular lens is that its construction is mostly plastic. This does not however compromise the sturdiness and the mechanical construction of the lens. A good thing however is that the Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 sports is composed of a metal mount. This lens was able to retain the traditional stainless steel Nikkor F-mount that was used in its traditional film cameras.

There are other complaints that people will find in the Nikkor 50mm f/1.8. One of these is that the bokeh of the lens is quite average and is not as good. The brilliant highlights that will come out when it is stopped down beyond f/5.6 is because of the hexagonal shape of the aperture. Another particular gripe is that the auto-focusing, albeit fast, is quite noisy. Read more »