Editor's Choice 2007: Imaging Essentials

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It wasn't long ago that each extra megapixel in a digital compact cost you a hundred bucks more. The 12.1-megapixel EasyShare Z1275 lowers that premium to around $20 a megapixel. Its compact body accommodates a 35-175mm f/2.8-5.1 (35mm equivalent) Schneider Variogon zoom and a 115,000-pixel, 2.5-inch LCD monitor. (There's no optical image stabilization, only digital.) As with all EasyShare cameras, the Z1275 is compatible with Kodak's docks and portable printers.

Offering both manual and program exposure modes, including nine "scene" settings, the Z1275 can shoot at a wide range of shutter speeds, and its equivalent sensitivity goes up to ISO 3200, for flash-free low-light shooting. Other notable features include spot and center-weighted metering, five color modes, voice annotation, and a 1.7fps continuous-shooting mode that captures three frames in one burst. There's also automatic exposure bracketing, a live histogram, and light-sensitivity settings as high as ISO 3200. About $250.

BEST BUY: X-Rite i1 DisplayLT

X-Rite's most affordable monitor calibration system borrows assets from the company's respected high-end offerings, providing high color accuracy at a price that won't bankrupt modestly endowed photographers. The colorimeter itself has a detachable head that takes ambient light into account, and offers one-button results for many common monitors. It works with both CRT and LCD monitors, of course, and can be used on multiple computers without any additional licensing fee. That makes it a good choice for home use. About $150.

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