Kachoozie Stock Images

August 11, 2009 marks the official release of the DigiDude, and dude, this is so cool.

Developed in one week by Quirky’s community, DigiDude is a funky, little key-chain which doubles as a portable tripod.  Simply unscrew the dude’s head and pull out his retractable and bendable legs.

This is an awesome, on-the-go camera tripod fit and fits any point and shoot camera, even the Flip-cam.  If the camera fits in your pocket, it will fit on the DigiDude.

Small and compact, DigiDude fits on your key-chain or attaches to your camera bag.  Choose from five funky designs: Pinky Scorsese, Snot Buster, iChomp, G-bling-Money-Son, and BoltBot.

All DigiDudes come fully equipped with retractable and bendable legs for adjustable camera height and grip and is super portable.

Visit the Quirky Community Store to learn more or buy one.

Press Release

DigiDude, Portable Camera Tripod, Hits quirky’s Online Store

collaboratively developed in one week by quirky’s community

New York, NY, August 11, 2009—Today marks the official release of the DigiDude – a community designed, funky, portable camera tripod and keychain with attitude.

Simply screw off your dude’s head and pull out his retractable legs for the perfect on-the-go camera mount. DigiDudes are easily attached to your keychain or camera bag…so say goodbye to shaky hands, blurry pictures, cumbersome tripods, and unnecessary camera gear. The DigiDude will mount most point and shoot cameras, flipcams, and more. If it fits in your pocket it will fit on your DigiDude.

The Quirky Community added some personality to the Dudes. Choose from one of the five: Pinky Scorsese, Snot Buster, iChomp, G-bling-Money-Son, and BoltBot, each with their own style and attitude.

All DigiDudes come fully equipped with retractable and bendable legs for adjustable camera height & grip as well as a key ring for easy portability.

DigiDude is the eighth product designed and developed by the quirky community since quirky’s launch on June 2nd. quirky gives everyone the chance to get product ideas out of their heads and onto shelves. Each week quirky’s community collaborates to select and produce one new product idea. This week ends the development of the DigiDude and it is now available for sale at quirky’s online store for $19.99.

You might remember the Split Stick, a double-sided USB drive, that hit the pre-sale threshold just five days after launch. “We think the DigiDude will do it in four!” adds Ben Kaufman, founder of quirky.

quirky engages participants to collaborate in every aspect of product creation – from ideation, design, naming, manufacturing, marketing, right on through to sales. Anyone can participate on quirky.com either by submitting their own product idea for $99, or by voting, rating, and influencing other people’s product ideas. Cooler still, 30¢ of every dollar generated from the sale of a quirky product goes back to these influencers.

Every week users post ideas on quirky to be rated by the quirky community. The community surveys the submissions during the 7-day evaluation period and selects one product to move forward to product development. quirky’s community then begins weighing in on everything from naming to logo selection to packaging through to prototype.

The final product becomes available for pre-sale at the quirky online store (quirky.com/products). Once the product hits its pre-sale threshold, credit cards are charged, and the product goes into production and delivery. At this point, 30¢ of every dollar made from the sale of these products goes back to the community. “Community” in this case covers both the ideator as well as all people who voted, commented, and rated the project idea along the way.

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Drobo

Data Robotics Drobo 4-Bay USB 2.0/FireWire 800 SATA Storage Array DR04DD10

Data Robotics 4TB Drobo 4-Bay Robotic Storage Array Data Robotics 4TB Drobo 4-Bay Robotic Storage Array, FireWire-800, USB 2.0, Data Protection, 4x 1TB Drives 4TB Drobo 4-Bay External Drives 4TB Drobo 4-Bay Robotic Storage Array

I just purchased a Drobo for my storage needs, and I must tell you it rocks! This little device will work on Mac and PC. Unlike some storage options, it allows for mix and match of hard drive sizes, only thing is they must be eSATA drives. I loaded mine with 4 -1 terabyte drives ( which are dirt cheap now!) This gives 3 Terabytes of storage, since a portion of that is dedicated to redundancy.

What I really like about this unit is it is expandable to 16TB ! If you compare prices to other storage options like a NAS it is priced very low in comparison.

Droboshare, Network Attached Companion for Drobo

Currently I am using it with my Mac and using the Firewire interface, but I also have the option to use USB, or with an extra Droboshare unit, I can add networking via Ethernet.

Drobo Bundle Deal! Drobo 4bay FireWire 800 & USB 2.0 Storage Enclosure & DroboShare NAS

Technical Details

Product Description

The safe, expandable Drobo storage solution protects your data against a hard drive crash, yet can expand dynamically at any time in just seconds. With nothing to configure or manage, Drobo is now the ideal solution for primary storage as well as backup.

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KODAK Solar Charger KS100-C+2

KODAK SOLAR CHARGER KS100-C+2 29 July 2009 – Kodak has released a very affordable and practical – not to mention very green – solar charger. It recharges 2 AA batteries, cameras, cell phone, iPods, and any other USB device. You can charge your iPod while camping or picnicking at the park. This is an awesome device that would make anyone feel greener. The KODAK Solar Charger KS100-C+2 will retail for US $39.95 MSRP beginning in September, 2009. Kodak Press Release Kodak has introduced a family of new portable power-charging solutions that enable fast and convenient charging of multiple devices, including a solar-powered charger that harnesses the sun’s power to charge gadgets while on the go. The Kodak Solar Charger KS100-C+2 produces enough power to deliver 1.5 charges to a cell phone, or run a music player for an additional 33 hours, or capture up to 200 digital camera pictures (actual results will vary by device). When light is scarce, consumers can use the included USB cable to recharge from a computer or other USB power source. The Kodak Solar Charger KS100-C+2 will retail for US $39.95 MSRP beginning in September, 2009. KODAK SOLAR CHARGER KS100-C+2 FEATURES • ENERGY STAR® qualified; • Achieves full charge in 14 hours via USB-in, 28 hours via sunlight; • Solar and device charging indicator;

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Part of the creativity involved in photography happens behind the camera, invisible to the eyes that see the end result but not the process. I often find myself in a situation or place that I want to capture on film, but without a bulky tripod to prevent camera shake. Luckily we photographers are crafty folks, and have come up with ways to capture the perfect shot, despite difficult terrain or situations in which you find yourself without that trusty tripod.

Cam-Pod is a great company that makes lightweight camera bean bags that don’t take up as much space as a tripod, yet provide solid support for your camera with molding cushions that accommodate most kinds of camera. Quality construction and plastic fillings provide sturdy support to relieve anyone in the “I should have brought my tripod” situation.

Another creative alternative to the tripod is the Gorillapod from Joby. The Gorillapod works in virtually any environment, because its soft rings and rubberized feet prevent slipping, and the ball-and-socket structure provides for maximum flexibility. These things are fun to use and are lightweight for easy portability. The original Gorillapods were designed for smaller, point-and-shoot cameras, but Joby has since released Gorillapods for SLRs and SLRs with zoom lenses (those can hold up to 6.6 pounts!). This ingenious product really opens the door to any time, anywhere photography.

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CAMERA BAGS
by
Heather Shimmin

Now that you’ve plunked down the cash for a digital camera, you need to protect that investment by getting a suitable camera bag. Your camera bag needs to be sturdy, comfortable to carry, secure, and large enough to accommodate your camera and its accessories.

Camera bags come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and materials. The type of photography you will be doing will dictate the kind of camera bag that will be the most suitable. For example, if you are going to be doing a lot of traveling in questionable weather conditions, you’re going to need a strong, water-proof material which is easy to carry. If you’re just doing casual snapshots at family gatherings, then you should look for something compact and lightweight.

First and foremost, you need a camera bag which fits your camera type and model. It needs to accommodate your lenses and keep them from crashing into each other causing damage to themselves and your camera. Extra compartments are great because they can hold extra batteries, filters, lens cleaner, memory cards, and anything else you might need. When you’ve found a bag that is the right size, the right shape, and the right material, the deciding factor is comfort. I have been on too many photo shoots with a crappy camera bag which hurts my shoulder or is just plain awkward to carry. One way to avoid buyer’s remorse is to take your camera gear with you when bag hunting. Put it in a bag, try it on, and see how it feels.

Something else to look at when bag shopping is the zipper. Bags with a big tooth zipper are less likely to jam with dirt and debris. Some have a weather guard to keep out the rain.

The actual brand you choose is not as important as choosing a known brand like LowePro, Domke, Crumpler, Sony, Samsonite, to name a few. All are great brands and are known for their quality bags. Since every brands fits differently, it’s good to look at multiple brands before you commit.

The final thing to keep in mind is that it must fit into an airplane’s overhead luggage compartment. You absolutely do not want to check your camera bag, even if it’s in a hard case. You risk equipment damage, not to mention theft. Also, with the rise in fuel costs, airlines are charging obscenely high rates for extra bags, odd-shaped parcels, and overweight items.

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Lenses for Photography (some tips and other information):

By William Lulow

The number one thing to remember when buying lenses is: buy the biggest and fastest piece of glass you can afford! Bargain lenses are usually not worth the investment, whereas a good quality lens will serve you well for a long time. Case in point: I bought a lens with my first digital camera which was a famous-name 28mm to 200mm, f/3.5. I thought that it would be sufficient for the times I needed a long zoom lens (especially for travel), but I just couldn’t get a sharp image with it. I then bought a similar lens, 17mm to 55mm zoom, but this time it was an f/2.8. What a difference. The f/2.8 has always been tack sharp, even for a zoom lens. Same manufacturer, but because it is a faster lens, the quality of the glass is far better. Another thing to remember is that fixed-focus lenses are usually sharper than zooms. There are less moving parts in the lens and it was designed for one job. Photographers often buy zooms because they eliminate the need to carry many lenses, but you need to be careful about which zooms you buy. So, I decided to get a fixed focus 60mm macro for close-ups and portraits. The lens I bought was a Nikon 60mm, f/2.8 macro and it is also tack sharp. It is really the lens I use most for portraits. Since I am basically a Nikon user, I have limited experience with other lenses, but I have talked to several Canon users and the f/1.8s and f/1.4s are really sharp lenses. The Nikon 85mm f/1.4 lens is one of the sharpest on the market. It is a great portrait lens especially for full-frame CCD’s.

When you are shooting portraits, use a lens a little bit longer than normal, say an 80mm lens for a 35mm format or a 150mm for a medium format camera. These longer-than-normal lenses tend to reduce any distortion in a person’s face and they compress distances slightly. This make for a more natural-looking portrait.

When shooting interior spaces with a wide-angle lens on a 35mm camera, use a tripod and make sure that the camera is level to minimize any converging vertical lines in the frame. I used to shoot all my interior shots with a view camera, but today, I cannot justify the cost of the digital backs for view cameras. Since I do quite a few interiors, I always make sure that the camera is lower than normal and that it is as level as I can get it.

Telephoto lenses are great for bringing sports action close, but they are really not much use to the average photographer. I recently purchased a 180mm telephoto, and I have used it from the sidelines for both baseball and hockey with great results. On my digital camera, this lens functions more like a 270mm with the 1.5x factor (given the size of the CCD). It is really sufficient to get close to any action. When using telephoto lenses, it is always necessary to anticipate any action because these lenses are often hard to hand-hold. I tripod or monopod is almost always necessary.

One last word about lenses: you shouldn’t buy a lens just to have it in your bag. Make sure you actually have a use for it. That’s one point that I have always kept in mind. So, with my old film cameras, I had six lenses (24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, 135mm and 200mm). These days, I usually carry four lenses (fixed focus 28mm, 17-55mm zoom, 60mm macro and the 180mm telephoto). These have covered just about all my needs. With the quality of zoom lenses improving everyday, lately they are a good overall choice.

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Delkin has just released the mini version of its suction cup mount camera. This powerful camera mount sticks to any flat surface – surfboards, helmets, cars – and holds any standard camera or camcorder. The adjustable knuckle allows the user to tilt the camera to any angle. The strong suction mount can hold a 4 pound camera and its rugged design lets the user take it anywhere without worrying about damaging it. “The versatility of this camera mount has opened up a whole new world of imaging” said Martin Wood, Delkin’s CEO. “We have received and overwhelming response from photographers and videographers who are inspired to get a new angle on imaging. Our goal at Delkin has always been to create products that are innovative and useful. The Fat Gecko line is a direct response to the versatile imaging demands of the market.” “Salt water, fresh water, snow, dirt, sand, mud you name it, we’ve abused these mounts beyond their capacity and they persist on surviving” claims Marketing Manager Tom Robeson, “Currently we have the Fat Gecko on a rally car racing to Tajikistan, on a surfboard in the Pacific, on a rock crawler in the Imperial Dunes, in a airplane over Death Valley, and who knows what the people posting to YouTube have been doing.” Delkin Press Release: Delkin have added a smaller version of their award winning Fat Gecko to its line of camera mounts, the Fat Gecko Mini. It uses one suction cup to attain a powerful suction that makes video and photography capture possible from almost any smooth surface. With an incredibly strong locking suction and a universal mounting screw the Fat Gecko Mini can be attached almost anywhere and use any standard camera or camcorder. The small footprint of one suction cup allows users to capitalize on the versatility of mounting a camera in tight situations, such as on surfboards, motorcycles, wake boards, ATVs, helmets, windows and any other smooth non-porous surface. The Fat Gecko Mini camera mount is available now and can be purchased at an array of digital camera shops and other camera accessory retailers worldwide for $39.99.

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Lenses for Photography

The first thing to recall when buying lenses is: purchase the biggest and fastest piece of glass you are able to afford! Bargain lenses are generally not deserving the investment, whereas a high caliber lens will serve you well for a years. Case in point: I purchased a lens with my first digital photographic camera which comprised of a famous-name 28mm to 200mm, f/3.5. I believed that it would be adequate for the times I demanded a long telephoto lens (particularly for my travels), but I just could not get a crisp image with it. I then purchased a similar lens, 17mm to 55mm zoom, but this time it was an f/2.8. What a departure. The f/2.8 has forever been tack sharp, even for a telephoto lens. Equivalent maker, but since it’s a faster lens, the caliber of the glass is far superior. Another thing to think of is that fixed-focus lenses are commonly crisper than zooms. There are more nonmoving components in the lens and it was planned for one job. Photographers often purchase zooms because they eradicate the need to carry a lot of lenses, but you need to be deliberate about which zooms you purchase. So, I resolved to get a fixed focal point 60mm macro for close-ups and portraitures. The lens I purchased was a Nikon 60mm, f/2.8 macro and it is also tack sharp. It is actually the lens I use most for portraitures. Since I’m fundamentally a Nikon user, I have limited experience with other lenses, but I have spoken with several Canon users and the f/1.8s and f/1.4s are really sharp lenses. The Nikon 85mm f/1.4 lens is one of the crispest on the market. It’s a great portrait lens particularly for full-frame CCD’s.

Whilst you’re shooting portraits, use a lens a little bit longer than convention, say an 80mm lens for a 35mm format or a 150mm for a medium format photographic camera. These longer-than-normal lenses incline to cut down any aberration in a person’s face and they constrict lengths somewhat. This make for a more natural-looking portrait.

Whilst shooting interior spaces with a fisheye lens on a 35mm photographic camera, employ a tripod and be sure that the photographic camera is level to minimise any converging vertical lines in the frame. I used to shoot all my interior shots with a view photographic camera, but nowadays, I cannot rationalize the cost of the digital backs for view photographic cameras. Since I do quite a few interiors, I always make a point that the photographic camera is lower than convention and that it’s as level as I can get it.

Zoom lenses are bang-up for bringing sports action close, but they’re actually not much use to the intermediate lensman. I recently bought a 180mm telephoto, and I have used it from the sidelines for both baseball games and hockey games with great outcomes. On my digital photographic camera, this lens functions more like a 270mm with the 1.5x factor (given the size of the CCD). It is really adequate to get close to any action. Whilst using zoom lenses, it is always essential to foresee any action because these lenses are often difficult to hand-hold. I tripod or monopod is just about always essential.

One final word about lenses: you should not purchase a lens just to hold it in your bag. Be sure you really have a purpose for it. That is one detail that I’ve always maintained in mind. So, with my old film photographic cameras, I had 6 lenses (24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, 135mm and 200mm). These days, I commonly carry 4 lenses (fixed focus 28mm, 17-55mm zoom, 60mm macro and the 180mm telephoto). These have addressed just about all my needs. With the calibre of telephoto lenses improving day-after-day, recently they’re a beneficial overall pick.

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TRIPODS
by
Heather Shimmin

As you’re on your way out the door you think to yourself, Should I take my tripod? You ask yourself for two reasons: Do I really want to lug my tripod around with me? and Will I need it? If you are not hiking through the mountains with it strapped to your back and are just going to have it in the car just in case, why not? It is good to be prepared. But here are some rules of when you definitely should have your tripod with you.

Rule No. 1

You will need a tripod if you are shooting at shutter speeds 1/60 or longer. Shutter speeds faster than this are forgiving if you happen to move the camera slightly as you take the picture, but anything longer than 1/60 and you will have motion blur. It’s virtually impossible to keep a handheld camera perfectly still at slow shutter speeds. You will certainly need a tripod when shooting at dusk or later and in low-light indoor settings.

Rule No. 2

Take your tripod if you will be making a large print of the image. When enlarging, all the little imperfections and motion blurs are magnified. You may not notice them when looking at a 3×5 snapshot, but you will when you print off a 16×20.

Rule No. 3

You will need a tripod if you are using a large camera, such as a large format camera, or when you are using a large lens. Between the weight of the camera and the weight of the lens, it is impossible to keep that camera motionless. You will have blurry images, even when shooting at 1/60.

Rule No. 4

You must have a tripod if you are shooting time lapse photography. Whether it’s blurring a line of cars at night in a single image, or you are shooting a series of images which you will piece together into a short motion film. Any movement on your part will ruin the effect.

Rule No. 5

It is also a good rule of thumb to schlep your tripod with you when you are shooting portraits. Here also, any sort of movement shows. In portraits especially, people want a crisp image. And they typically enlarge them, as well.

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