Ellen Barone

In the pre-9/11 pre-digital photography days, I could carry my photography equipment in a Lowepro shoulder bag that fit under the seat in front of me. I’d sling it over a carry-on sized roll aboard packed with clothing and I was good to go.

Not any more.

Today, I could find myself forced to check all baggage without warning due to a terrorist threat. No way would I put thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment in a canvas bag through checked baggage. Nor can my kit fit into a shoulder bag any longer, thanks mainly to the power cords, electronic adapters, battery chargers, cables, back-up hard drives and laptop computer, and the various other accessories digital photography requires.

Enter the Pelican 1510, a hard-sided, fully padded, waterproof case that could (and has) survived checked baggage when  security personnel leave me no other choice. In addition, when push comes to shove, I can even fit my laptop (snuggly protected in its Built cargo sleeve) in the Pelican for extra protection. It’s the perfect travel solution for transporting and protecting my equipment when flying commercially.

And, so that the case doesn’t catch the eye of an unscrupulous baggage attendant who might recognize it as something valuable, I shove it into an ordinary looking large Eagle Creek duffle bag I carry for just such an occasion (or overflow shopping) and hope its mistaken for the luggage of any shoestring traveler.

 

Happy trails,

 

Ellen 

With 10.1 megapixel image resolution,  a 12x optical zoom that reaches 420 mm, built-in image stabilization and top class optics, it’s no wonder Leica’s V-Lux 1 caught my eye when I went looking for a high-quality, all-in-one SLR alternative.

No, it’s not pocket-sized, but those compacts don’t boast a sophisticated  35 - 420mm zoom that can handle everything from delicate macro shots, to wide-angle views and super telephoto nature shots. Better yet, you can compose  through a full-sized viewfinder and use the swivelling LCD display for unusual or awkward perspectives.

Throw in the convenience of a pop-up flash, 16 custom functions for special shooting situations including video recording,  a choice of automatic and manual focus, exposure and white balance settings and its easy to understand its popularity. Add to that, the ability to record RAW images, as well as the usual JPEGs, and I couldn’t resist travel-testing one on a recent adventure yacht cruise.

The Good:

True to its name, the Leica delivered everything it promised - superior image quality, optimal sensitivity in low light conditions, the built-in convenience of a sharp  f/2.8 to f/3.7 image-stabilized zoom, accurate exposures, saturated colors, and well-balanced flash lighting.

The Bad:

In continuous-shooting mode, capturing JPEGs in bright light was reasonably quick, but in low light, or when set to RAW, the time between shots was slow enough to frustrate.

The Bottom Line:

This is a great all-round alternative for photographers who want to combine top-class optics, a powerful zoom and high resolution image quality with a convenient intelligent design. But, if you want faster raw performance, you’ll have to step up to an SLR.

 
Thinking of buying one? Don’t just take my word for it, be sure to read the user reviews posted  at www.bhphotovideo.com. Already have one? Use the Post-a-Comment link below to tell me what you think!

 

 

Go Solar: Go Wherever

 

Gadget Girl or not, the vote is still out on whether or not one should bring technology on vacation. Nevertheless, once I retired my film cameras and entered the digital age, traveling with electronics became a professional reality.

Under most circumstances, plugging in to charge up isn’t an issue, but whether I have an electrical source to plug my electronics into or not is. Using solar energy to recharge or revitalize my electronic equipment is a great way to keep my gear running no matter where my travels take me.

For technology that travels, check out these cutting-edge solar chargers and power up your next adventure à la Mother Nature.

PowerMonkey eXplorer

 

 

 

The PowerMonkey eXplorer kit comes with everything you need to charge most of your mobile devices, including cell phones, iPods, and digital cameras. Charge it up in the wall, or use the Solar Slave (included) to charge with solar rays. This is a VERY handy piece of equipment for backpacking, river trips, backcountry skiing, and travelling.

* Compatible with the majority of standard mobile phones.

*USB connectors power up iPods and accessories, MP3 players, PDAs, smart mobile phones, digital cameras, games, consoles, BlackBerry and Bluetooth headsets and many more digital devices. 

* Includes main travel charger for use in 150 countries - 110V to240V

* Water-resistant, rubberized design - a power source for every adventure.

 

 

 

Powerful enough to charge all of your handheld electronic products at home or on the move, anywhere under the sun.     

* Provides an emergency power source when away from power outlets.

* Adapter tips allow you to power multiple gadgets with a single charger ( tips for most products included in pack.) 

* Works with multiple gadgets, including mobile phones, iPhone™, Bluetooth® headsets, smartphones/PDAs, MP3 players, portable gaming devices, digital cameras, GPS and much more. 

* Reusable - use it again and again.

* Compact lightweight design - convenient for travel or emergency use. 

 

 Brunton Foldable Solar Array

 
The next generation in foldable solar technology, Brunton's CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide) is the most efficient thin film solar technology available. Maximizing performance while optimizing portability, a Brunton Solaris panel is one of the most compact high output model available, with a design that instinctively converts incident sunlight into an electrical current, even in low-light conditions.

The unit's multi-section design folds up into a compact footprint that's just a bit larger than a DVD case, while still delivering an impressive 26 watts of power, more than enough to charge a laptop or digital video camera or power a satellite or cell phone.

On vacation, chances are good that your jazzy new digital camera, or camcorder, will run out of memory long before you run out of photo ops. Carrying several high-capacity memory cards, as I do, is one way to solve the problem.

But, when I'm on the road, especially on assignment, I can easily fill three or four CompactFlash cards a day. Plus, just in case of an electronic hiccup, each evening I backup my images to at least two other media - usually my Macintosh G4 Powerbook and a portable storage device. (currently the Epson P-3000 and Smartdisc FlashTrax XT)

Adding a high capacity portable hard drive to your gear, such as the 40 GB Epson P-3000 or 80 GB P-5000, lets you easily download and transfer your 'trip of a lifetime' digital pics where they can be stored, viewed and shared whereever your adventures take you.

Listed below are just a few of the portable storage devices on the market today:

Epson P-Series
Price: 40 GB P-3000 $499.99; 80GB P-5000 $699.99
Size: 3.5" × 5.9" × 1.3" Weight: Approximately 1 pound.
Display 4-inch color LCD
Media: Supports CompactFlash Type I/Type II and IBM® Microdrive® (3.3 V) Secure Digital and MultiMediaCard™ Memory Stick, ® xD Picture Card, ™ and SmartMedia™ supported with optional, third-party CF™ adapter, sold separately

GIGA Vu Pro by Jobo
Price: 40 GB $469.95: Also available in
Size: 5.7 × 4.2 × 1.5" Weight: 14.8 oz.
Display: 3.7-inch color LCD
Media: CompactFlash (CF) cards (Type I & II)Microdrive. Other media supported through optional card adapters


iPod by Apple.
Price 30 GB $249; 80 GB $349
Size: 4.1" × 2.4" × 0.43" (30GB) or 0.55" (80GB) Weight: 4.8 oz (30GB) or 5.5 (80GB)
Display: 2.5-inch color LCD
Stores data via USB cable.

FlashTrax by Smartdisc.
Price: 40GB $199.99
Size: 5.75 × 3.625 × 1.25 in. Weight: 12.5 oz.
Display: 3.6-inch color LCD flip screen
Media Accepted: CompactFlash (supports several other cards with the appropriate media adapter)

As a professional travel photographer, keeping my digital SLR camera sensor clean is a must for blemish-free images. On assignment, I use the Arctic Butterfly 724 sensor brush from Visible Dust. Ideal for airplane travel when I cannot carry a can of Dust-Off with me, the Artic Butterfly's spinning bristles 'charge' the brush's bristles with static electricity that literally attract and safely pick up dust particles off the camera's digital sensor. Using the Artic Butterfly 724 to clean my camera sensor is a nightly ritual when I'm on the road, and this particular item is a permanent fixture in my travel camera bag. I never leave home without it.

*Includes a sturdy hard-sided carry case for added protection and class. Requires two AAA batteries (not included).