|
|
| Click photo to see images of all the Editor's Choice 2007 products. |
The best vacation accessory for your digital SLR is probably not that monster zoom but, rather, a compact digital storage unit that lets you safely offload images from your memory cards while you're still traveling. Then, once you're home, you just copy the unit's contents to your computer. Digital Foci's rechargeable battery-powered Photo Safe is among the most affordable and convenient devices in this category. It incorporates a capacious hard drive (up to 120GB) and two memory card slots in a small (4.6x3x0.8-inch) rugged plastic case. Unlike costlier units (such as Digital Foci's own large-screen Picture Porter Elite multimedia player), the Photo Safe is strictly for backup, not image viewing. Its 1.8-inch monochrome, alphanumeric display indicates remaining disk space, copying progress (from zero to 100 percent), battery status, and other key information. Using two buttons you can backup a memory card, erase it completely, or transfer files from a smaller format (SD, xD, or Memory Stick) to CompactFlash or Microdrive. When connected to your computer via Hi-Speed USB 2.0 (which also charges the unit), the Photo Safe behaves like an ordinary hard drive as well as a memory card reader. About $135 (40GB), $160 (80GB), and $200 (120GB).
Kodak EasyShare 5500
An "all in one," or AiO as the category has been dubbed, isn't a viable alternative to a photo-quality printer. We've found it handy to have one, though, and the output is entirely serviceable whether you're printing from memory cards or scanning prints for copies. Kodak's top AiO does both, using inks (and paper, though that's a matter of contention) that are considerably less costly than name-brand competitors. Kodak says 4x6 color prints from the EasyShare 5500 cost 10 cents apiece, which is as cheap as the cheapest retail photofinisher and way below the typical 25 cents or more of dedicated 4x6 snapshot printers.
The EasyShare 5500 includes a copier, fax, automatic document feeder or duplexer attachment, and a 2.4-inch LCD screen for picture-review. The bottom line is that a pair of 10ml cartridges, one a dedicated black for text printing and one CMY and a photo black (which also includes a clear overcoat) will set you back as little as $21, less expensive than inks for most competing four-color models. (The AiO itself is a little pricier than some comparable models.) So you can let your kids burn through ink and paper on the 5500 and keep the photo-quality printer to yourself. About $300.
American PHOTO Editor's Choice 2007
|
 |
|
|
