New gadgets make digital cameras easier to use

By JUDI DASH

© St. Petersburg Times, published December 3, 2000

Every season brings new products to keep amateur and professional travel photographers reloading. The following items may be available in area stores. Prices do not include shipping.

DIGITAL COOL: The age of digital cameras has arrived, but quality varies dramatically and, as usual, you get what you pay for.

Nikon's easy-to-operate Coolpix 990 is arguably the best of the mid-range bunch -- though not cheap at a list price of $999. The compact, one-pound camera offers 3.34 megapixels of high-resolution digital images. It can be operated via a traditional viewfinder or the monitor on the back.

Photos can be instantly reviewed, enhanced or deleted using the easy to understand menu; you can even create a slide show, with the images playing one after another on the monitor. The built-in flash swivels along with the lens for flexible shooting. The lens zooms to the equivalent of 38-115 mm on a 35 mm camera.

The Coolpix comes with a 16 MB reusable CompactFlash digital film card, USB cable, video cable and neck strap. The camera operates on four AA alkaline batteries (included, but replace them with rechargeable NiMH batteries, since the monitor is heavy on battery drain).

Nikon Coolpix 990 lists for $999, but is widely available for less. Fisheye, telephoto and wide-angle lenses also are available. For information, contact Nikon; (800) 645-6687; http://www.nikonusa.com.

BE A TV STAR: Viewing and editing digital photos on a computer may require complex connections and system requirements that older PC's don't have. The Iomega Corp.'s FotoShow is a gadget that turns your TV into a viewing screen.

The unit accepts either CompactFlash or SmartMedia storage cards -- the most-common form of digital film. It connects to the TV via an included cable and can work through your VCR. It also can be connected to a computer with a USB port.

The PhotoShow can store the images on standard 100-MB or 250-MB Zip disks, so your digital film can be reused for new shots. A remote control unit (included) allows you to view, edit and crop your images on the TV screen from the comfort of your sofa.

Iomega FotoShow is $299. For information, call (800) 697-8833; http://www.iomega.com.

SECURITY NET: My valuable camera gear usually travels incognito inside a wheeled bag. I always lock the bag, but for extra security in transit and in my hotel room, I have found the ingenious Pacsafe security system. This stainless steel wire net surrounds the bag and can be locked, via its included cable, to a stationary object.

The net wraps around 22-inch to 25-inch size cases, does not impede the wheels and folds to a compact 51/2 by 31/2 by 2 inches. It stores in its own carry pouch. The Pacsafe comes with a padlock and three keys, which I recommend replacing with a handier combination-style lock.

Pacsafe Luggage Safe (9976) is $69 from TravelSmith; (800) 950-1600; http://www.travelsmith.com.

LEARN FROM A PRO: Bob Krist, an acclaimed travel photographer, writer and teacher, combines all three skills in his excellent how-to book, Spirit of Place: The Art of the Traveling Photographer (also available in a video version, which complements the printed material.)

A photography columnist for National Geographic Traveler and contributor to numerous other magazines, he writes and photographs with equal parts skill and humor. Both amateurs and pros are likely to benefit from Krist's insights into choosing equipment, composition and light, making subjects feel at ease, special techniques, bad weather and other problems encountered on the road.

Spirit of Place: The Art of the Traveling Photographer (Amphoto Books) is $24.95; video is $29.95 from the author's Web site, http://www.bobkrist.com., or Watson-Guptill/BPI Publications; (800) 278-8477.

VESTED INTEREST: A good photo vest loaded with spacious pockets provides quick access to gear and takes a load off your neck, since you can reduce the contents of your camera bag.

Domke, well known for its canvas photo bags, makes a cotton photo vest that meets the needs of even the most pocket-crazy shooter. The recently updated and improved zippered vest has 14 pockets, including five concealed inside pockets good for stashing a wallet or passport. An oversized cargo pocket in the back can be used for stowing a windbreaker or rain poncho. The vest has mesh panels in the front and back for ventilation.

Photojournalist's Vest (3028) in khaki or moss is $109 from TravelSmith; (800) 950-1600; http://www.travelsmith.com.

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