New ThinkTank Product Coming Our Way.

Photo by Dave Seah

All kinds of fun stuff head this way. ThinkTank Photo, a sponsor of this blog has some neat new gear.

First there is the Airport AirStream. This is a scaled down version of the other Airport bags ThinkTank makes. I use the Airport International and love it! So, a much smaller roller bag with all the domestic and international regulations met. Nice.


The not long ago ThinkTank released the Urban Disguise 35. Like the other Urban Disguise bags it is made not to look much like a camera bag. Again, this bag is a smaller version of the one I use the Urban Disguise 60, which by the way I love as well! So if you plan to do some travel or street photography and want to look less like a photographer with thousands of dollars worth of gear over your shoulder, you might give this bag a try. It holds up to a 13.3” laptop with a standard-size SLR or up to a 10” laptop with a Pro-size SLR with lens attached. It features a large opening for easy access to equipment and can be attached to a roller. It can be used as a backpack with the Shoulder Harness (sold separately).

And finally ThinkTank will be giving us a new bag scheduled to be released in December. Having not seen this bag nor even heard much about it till yesterday I can't say a lot outside of what my buddy Brian at ThinkTank has passed my way. So I will just quote you directly from the press release:

Shape Shifter™, the first backpack designed to expand and contract to fit DSLR equipment. By contracting down to 3 inches, the backpack keeps photographers from having to carry around a large foam box on their backs once their equipment is removed.

The Shape Shifter was designed for:
Photographers that want a lightweight solution with significantly less foam and padding than traditional photo backpacks;

Photographers that travel a great deal by airplane and public transportation that want to carry the maximum amount of equipment in the smallest package possible;

Photographers that want to reduce the size of the backpack after their gear is removed. (Note: some gear can remain in the front, like two strobes, and it can still be compressed to the smaller size with the zipper);

Photographers that use modular belt systems. After they remove most of their gear and put it on their belt, they then can then collapse the backpack;

Photographers on the run that must travel with up to 17” laptops and have the necessary accessories with them to transmit images.

Product Features

The Shape Shifter can be compressed to 3 inches in width once equipment is removed.

Once the majority of photo gear is removed, the bag can be collapsed and the photographer can still carry up to a 17” laptop and accessories, but in a much smaller package.

Rear compartment for up to 17” laptops has medium padding for protection and comfort.

Photographers can to wear their belt system, with components attached, and still support the weight of the backpack with the belt.

The inside compartment has neoprene pouches for:
2 Pro DSLR bodies
1 70-200 2.8 with hood reversed
1 24-70 2.8 or similar with hood reversed
1 16-35 2.8 or similar with hood reversed
Stretch pockets on the inside can also hold two strobes and other accessories

Includes a strap system to mount either a monopod or tripod on the front the backpack.

Padding on the back has an airflow system for breathability and comfort.


Technical Specifications

Outer Dimensions when COLLAPSED: 20 x 12.5 x 3” ( 51 x 32 x 8 cm)
Outer Dimensions when EXPANDED: 20 x 12.5 x 7” ( 51 x 32 x 18 cm)
Inner Dimensions of the LAPTOP CASE compartment: 19 x 12 x 1.5” (48 x 30.5 x 4 cm)
Inner Dimensions of the DSLR Camera compartment (Note that because there are neoprene pockets to hold the photo gear, the normal internal dimensions stated have less meaning): 19.5 x 12 x 4” (49.5 x 30.5 x 10 cm)
Estimated Base Weight (without any straps or accessories attached: 3 lbs, 13 oz (1729 grams)

This bag looks really exciting and quite frankly screams for a review by Fish over at Flying With Fish. He loves traveling with a backpack to carry his gear. Fish, this might just well replace your North Face Surge. I know I sure want to get my hands on it. A Oh, gear lust!

PhotoFlex A Super LiteDisc!

(Click image to make larger)
Photoflex 5'n1 MultiDiscs at work in the field.

An image from the shoot above.

We were fortunate to have a new sponsor of Lumen Dei at the last minute. The fine folks at Photoflex were kind enough to give us a whole suitcase full of 5'n1 MultiDiscs and a couple of Black LiteDiscs. (thanks Rosane for hauling these from the US to India!) Photoflex wanted to see how they would work in the field.

What is a 5'n1 you might ask? The MultiDisc 5'n1 offers five reflector surfaces; translucent, white, silver, gold, and soft gold; all zipped up into one small package. We were given the 42" MultiDisc . These are really rather large, but collapsed quite small and once distributed they were very easy to carry or pack. In fact some of us used a carabiner and just clipped them onto our Think Tank belts.

Using the translucent disc to defuse the light and give soft shadows.

Everyone got a chance to shoot.

Using them in the street was not easy. We did use them in one village setting without much trouble. But they did draw a lot of attention, so we were quite content to use them on models. Now, let me say here that people do use reflectors in street photography. But with 9 photographers prowling the streets of a small village, it was just too much. Our job was to capture life in our cameras not make the local news.

Here I used the Black Disc as a backdrop to give the feel of shooting in a doorway and the soft gold on the models face.

We managed to arrange a cultural show for our group. We then paid four of the dancers to stick around and model for us. It was great! Already in local clothing these models, being performers really knew of to work a camera. We divided the team into four groups of two and had each of the four performers make a modeling station. We then gave each group 10 minutes to shoot each model. David DuChemin and I floated between stations and helped show the team members how to use the MultiDisc. Sometimes the gold was just too harsh, yet other times it bathed the subject with just the right amount of light. We showed the group how to flag and defuse light as well as use the black reflector as a backdrop.

Even local our guides found a use for the LiteDiscs. Super Photoflex Man!

The team learned that lighting doesn't have to be complicated nor costly. Over all the MultiDisc 5'n1 and the Black LiteDiscs performed as well as the dancers, flawless.

The destructible, indestructible North Face Base Camp Duffle.

North Face Base Camp Duffle

The Base Camp Duffle after two trips.

I have wanted a North Face Base Camp Duffle for a long, long time. Almost since they came out. One reason is they just looked cool. The other and the main reason was they seemed indestructible. The PVC coated nylon looked as if it would be water proof and be, as we say completely "bomber". So finally I shelled out the mulla and picked out a bright yellow XL. I took it to Indonesia and then here to Penang. The first time it was not very full. The second it was packed to the hilt. After arriving into Malaysia I noticed a big whole forming in the lower end near the seam. In fact the seam is coming un-stitched as well. I could not believe it, This was the indestructible North Face Base Camp Duffle how could it have a hole in it! Well, all I have to do is call The North Face and tell them and they will surely say, "Send it on back, we'll replace it!" So I called them, long distance from Malaysia all the way to the USA. I, to their credit got warranty repair service right away. So I told the nice young man on the line the situation and waited for his response. Dead air... Finally the awkward silence was broken by his, "So, what do you want us to do about it?" Huh? I want you to say "So sorry, please send it back to us and we will replace it." But, what I got was "Oh, well we don't warranty against holes." Well, then why do you make the think look like a tank! I thought the whole idea was it is tough, indestructible, bomb proof! Sorry, North Face you dropped a couple of notches in my book today. Fortunately I bought it through REI and they warranty everything, workmanship, holes even your dislike of the color once you get it home. Too bad The North Face doesn't cover their technical gear like it is going to be used in technical environments!

The 50D Is Here!

Take a deep breath and read the stats, they are nice, very nice. This little guy sports a 15.10 megapixel image, faster DIGIC 4 processor, 3.0" VGA LCD monitor with Live View mode offering 3 AF modes, ISO sensitivity expandable to 12800 and an HDMI connection for high Quality Image viewing. And all packed into a Magnesium alloy body, with environmental protection. So what is the price, only $1,400 when it ships in October. This is the same layout of the buttons and grip as the 40D. It is virtually the same as the 5D. So if you are a 5D shooter and can't fork out the dough for the new 7D (aka 5D mkII) then this might just be your next camera. Read all the details HERE and HERE.

OK, so now where is the 7D?

AIPO Dry Box

I am now officially back online. After a lot of blood sweat and even some tears, we have internet in our home (and thus my office). So, I hope to get back up to speed and be a little more regular in blogging again. Please forgive the decreased number of entries. It has been many days of trips to Starbucks just to check email. Our new setup should prove a little more convenient.

A few people have emailed me in the past about how to take care of your photo gear in a wet, damp tropical region. Until now, I had no real answer as it was not a real concern of mine. When you travel and shoot for two weeks in Indonesia it isn't really a big deal. You stay in hotels that are air conditioned and thus dry. But living in Penang, the weather is warm and very humid (around 85% today) and no one lives with the AC on all the time. Not sure why, it must be too costly, so we don't do it either. So what to do now about a lot of costly camera gear in a place that is a mildew nightmare? Enter AIPO Dry Boxes. (no website for these folks. Go figure!)

AIPO Dry Box AP-68EX

This is a Taiwanese company that, until last week, I had never heard of. I dropped into my friendly local camera shop "Click n Snap" and asked them the same question I just asked you. Salesman Matthew Chuah pulls out a Dry Box. It is a really slick looking cabinet, all black enameled and glass. It is basically a thermidor for your camera and electronic equipment. Quite frankly, it is a pretty simple box in one way but rather complicated in another. So rather than sit here and try to write all the theory on how it manages temperature and humidity, I will pass on a nice review I found that does a much better job at explaining how this little black box works. You can access the sales description/review HERE. at Sha Shin Ki I took home the AIPO Dry Box AP-68EX. It is 15"X15" square and 20" tall. I bought mine for around $200 USD. The space is tight and I probably should have gotten a larger one, but they would have had to order it and that could have taken weeks. So to save on cost, I got the largest they had and it all fits in fine. In fact I have room for the new 5D that Canon may never release, sigh. It has two removable and adjustable shelves and thus gives you three areas to stack your equipment. I have my 5D body with the battery grip, most of my lenses including my 70- 200 2.8 on the bottom shelf. The in the middle shelf my H4 Zoom digital recorder, my 50mm 1.8, two Pocket Wizards and two flashes. On the top shelf there is not much room left so I have two WD Passport Drives and my Pocket Rocket full of CF cards just to be safe. I keep the relative humidity set at 43. I wish I could tell you where to purchase this in the States but with AC running in every home, I don't think there is a big need. So I hope this is the answer to the humidity problem. I'll let you know.

Vlog Review

Here is some links to the product reviewed:

Find the Keen Newport H2 on sale at REI for $90.00 HERE.

You can find the Keen La Jolla on sale for only $59.95 HERE.

Find the Freeplay USB travel charger HERE for $12.00.

Joe McNalley & Packing

It is 5:30 am and I can't sleep. So I got up to check my email and I saw a blog post from "The Strobist." Hobby linked a YouTube video of Joe McNally speaking at Google's headquarters a few weeks back. This is really good stuff. McNally is real. Not many pros will show you their bad images and their screw ups. He is a down to earth photographer that connects with most of us. Like Chase Jarvis, you feel Joe wants us to succeed. He does everything he can to help us make it, so if we bomb at this work it is not because we were not told the "secrets."

Buddy, David DuChemin also has a "how to make it as a Pro" blog running today, check it out HERE.

In packing news, things are going well. Some good news, I just found out that because my daughter and wife are both United Premier Executives and I am 1K we each get 3 bags at 70lbs! This is a huge help in moving out to Malaysia. Instead of going out and buying new suit cases we bought some inexpensive footlocker type storage boxes from a local sporting goods store. Made by Contico, these boxes are tough ABS like plastic and should take the abuse of the baggage handlers well. Then later, we can use them as storage for items in Malaysia.

Welcome Think Tank Photo

This is a difficult blog post for me in one way and, yet, in another way I write it with excitement. Lowepro has been my flagship sponsor now for about three years. They have come to my aide on several occasions. Like when I got stuck in the US after the British Airport Authority changed their carry on regulations. Lowepro sent me an Omi Trekker that met the new standards. I have nothing bad to say about this great bag company, they truly set the industry standard for years. However, I find myself using Think Tank Photo products more and more. Obviously, I travel a lot and Think Tank gear seems to meet this niche better than Lowepro does at this point. Think Tank is a smaller company that is growing in reputation and market share. So, it is with mixed emotions that I bid a fond farewell to Lowepro and that I announce my newest sponsor, Think Tank Photo. Please check out their web site and all their great gear HERE.

Review: ThinkTank's Modular Belt System

Photos of Matt by Keith Talley

Click on the photos to enlarge them.

I have gone through many camera bags. I have used and abused several Lowepro bags and a ThinkTank Photo bag or two. I have finally come to the conclusion there is no one perfect bag. You don't know how hard that is to say. It has been my quest to find that all elusive perfect bag. For trekking with a camera, the Lowepro Vertex 200 AW II is really close. But for international travel and shooting in urban environments I have yet to find the perfect bag. I guess it is because of all the different settings I find myself in, from airports and airplanes to hot and humid crowded streets. But I certainly have found a winning combination for now. It is a combination of a carryon and a modular belt system.

I have for the past year or so used the Lowepro Stealth Reporter 200 when I shoot in urban environments. I like the size and ease of access to the gear. But a couple of things I don't like is that it doesn't provide enough pockets and storage space to use as a carryon, and it is a little too big to stick in my suitcase. Plus, as I get older, all the weight of gear hanging off my shoulder all day gets really old. So what I have come up with is a bit of a jury rig for sure, but it seems to work.

I now carry or rather pull, a North Face Doubletrack 21” convertible pack. This bag is carry-on-legal and comes with a zip off backpack for easy-to-access essentials like my noise reduction headphones, journal, pens, passport and reading material. In the main compartment of the Doubletrack I pack my lens, camera body, passport drives, cables and card readers as well as my 17” MacBook Pro. Here is the cool part that I have to pat myself on my back about: I pack all this gear in ThinkTank's Modular Pro modules and the computer goes into the ThinkTank's Artificial Intelligence 17. This has two advantages over standard gear wraps. Where gear wraps may save a few inches of space they do only one thing, protect the gear. But the modules protect the gear and serve as a carry system once I arrive on site. Not only do the modules carry each lens and the body, I also pack the Pro Speed Belt and Pixel Racing Harness. So I arrive ready to shoot even if my checked bags get lost in Dubai.

This last trip to Sumatra, Indonesia was the first time I shot using the modular system. I have to confess, it took a little getting used to, but after an hour or so shooting in 98º heat and the same humidity, I loved it. I am convinced that this system has saved my back and has kept me cooler than any vest could do. I have always liked the feel of vests and found them helpful, but I have yet to find one that was not uncomfortably hot to wear.

On this trip, I used only one body, but took my standard work horse set of lens; 70-200/2.8, 24-70/2.8, 85/1.8 (I love this lens!) and my 17-40/4. I used each of these equally. The first day I shot with just the Pro Speed Belt. But soon found with all the sweating I was doing and the weight of the lens, the belt began to slip down my waste and I found my self always pulling it back up to above my hips where it felt comfortable. But, once I attached the Pixel Racing Harness all was fine. The weight was distributed very comfortably between my hips and my shoulders. I could even loosen up the belt again after having tightened it before. Breathing is enjoyable and the harness allowed me to do it once more.
Here is a little trick I learned on this trip. In high humidity I sweat...a lot. It won't take long before I have sweat burning in my eyes and if I have sunscreen on, it is very painful and can really impede shooting. The Pixel Racing Harness has D rings on the shoulder straps and two little stretchy spandex type pockets. I used one of the small pockets to put my phone/gps in. This assured that the gps got great reception while I was shooting. I wanted this as I was planning to geotag my images from this trip. The D ring came in very handy. I had bought a small MSR microfiber towel for travel in Indonesia. Usually I take a keffiyeh, a middle eastern scarf along and throw it over my neck. It doubles as a rag to wipe the sweat and as a “do-rag” to protect from the sun. But at times it gets in the way. On this trip I took the microfiber towel and clipped it to the D ring on the harness and then stuffed the remainder of the towel in the module designed for a water bottle. It worked perfectly. This is a small thing, but really helpful, as the towel is very absorbent and stuffing it into the water bottle module kept it out of the way while I was shooting and with it being microfiber, at night I would wash it out and it would be dry by morning.

The way I had the belt configured was with four modules. On the left was the water bottle module called R U Thirsty? and the Lens Changer 75 for my 70-200. On the right I had the Lens Changer 50: For my 24-70 with hood attached and the Lens Drop In. One aspect I was not thrilled with, but it was only a minor irritant, was that once I put the harness on, the back of the belt became wasted space. I am not flexible enough to twist around and reach and use any module on the small of my back and with the harness on I could not spin the belt around to the front like I could before. So this left me with only four modules and one of those I was using to store my towel. And when it came time to change lenses, I felt like I needed an extra hand. I would liked to have had one more module as a place to put the lens I was removing in order to free up my hands to grab the other lens as needed. Maybe not an issue for others, but for me it was an irritant for sure. Having just looked at ThinkTanks website, I think they may have resolved this issue with their new Belly Dancer harness. This looks complicated but efficient. It is nothing more than a harness attached backwards (see image) thus giving you more space in the front where the buckle once was. Brilliant! Also they have a new set of modules they call their Skin Set, lighter weight and no padding. It remains to be seen if they will work as a way to pack the lens in my carryon.

Over all I was very happy with the ThinkTank Pro Modular system. It functioned well, saved my back and kept me from overheating. The only downside was that once I attached the harness, I lost some usable space on the belt. But this seems to be resolved in the new system using the Belly Dancer harness

In closing this review, I want to thank Brian and the folks at ThinkTank for their participation in this year's Lumen Dei Workshop in India.


How I pack the The North Face Doubletrack 21" :

1. ThinkTank's Artificial Intelligence 17; 17” MacBook Pro
2. ThinkTank's Lens Changer 75; 70-200/2.8
3. ThinkTank's Lens Changer 50; 24-70/2.8
4. ThinkTank's Speed Changer; 5D Body
5. ThinkTank's Lens Changer 25; 17-40/4
6. ThinkTank's Lens Drop In; 85/1.8
7. LowePro Cable bag
8. ThinkTank's Pixel Racing Harness
9. ThinkTank's Speed Belt
10. Compartment for a change of clothing
11. The North Face Doubletrack Zip off Daypack
12. The North Face Doubletrack 21” Carryon
13. ThinkTank's Pixel Pocket Rocket -Flash Card Storage
14. ThinkTank's Bum Bag; Sony Noise Canceling Headphones

The Lowepro Fastpack 350... Great gear for your gear

By Chase Bowers

I recently had the opportunity to try out the Lowepro Fastpack 350 (the red version) on a trip through Sumatra, Bangka, and Belitung in Indonesia. I was assisting NGO and travel photographer Matt Brandon on the trip. We took daily treks through cities and villages, along river banks and through jungles.

I am not a professional photographer, but I had several pieces of equipment essential for my daily travels that this bag handled well. In the bottom section of the bag I carried a point and shoot, a camcorder, a mini tripod, an audio recorder, some of the wiring associated with each of these, and 2 sd cards that fit securely in velcro pockets made just for them. This portion of the bag has velcro dividers that were very convenient as I was able to set up the bag to meet my specific needs on the journey. Inside the bottom flap I carried my travel documents along with copies of them, and my power adapter for my MacBook.

In the main top section I carried a pda with accessories, pens and headphones, along with international electric converters and a card reader. In the outer top section I carried a small book, snack bars, drink powder packs, batteries, and an aftermarket all weather cover. I never needed the rain cover as the water resistant material on the bag worked fine against the occasional light shower that passed. In the laptop section I carried my 13 inch MacBook.

I found the Fastpack 350 a delight to carry. It was lighter than my previous day pack, though I was carrying more equipment in the Lowepro bag. The weight distribution system involving shoulder adjustments, a sternum strap, and a waist buckle helped me get through the 14 day trip without any back or shoulder pain, which is a rarity for me.
Also, I was able to quickly get to both cameras and the tripod while leaving the bag on my left shoulder (it slides right around the torso for very fast access). This was nice when I needed footage or photos quickly. When the bag was tossed in the back of our SUV, or laid on the ground in a village, dirt wiped away easily. It held a water bottle securely and the mesh pouch also served as a resting place for the camcorder when I needed to set it aside for just a moment.

Also, for travel in the cities, the setup of the bag keeps both computer and cameras secure against snatching when it is with you. When I did not have the computer with me, the notebook compartment held small purchases so my hands remained free. Having traveled with a variety day packs over the last several years, I have finally found one with the look, ease of use, and carry capability I need.

I thought a small drawback to the bag would be the lack of an all weather cover, but the one I bought aftermarket was inexpensive and fit nicely into the bag without hindering my packing room. And I never needed the cover as the water resistance held off the light rain of occasional showers very well. This bag has a cool look, a great feel, and the versatility I need for trips all over the world. -- CB

The Fastpack doubled as a pillow.

February Wallpaper & Geotagging Photos

Hazratbal Shrine, Srinagar, Kashmir, India

Here is February's wallpaper. Please feel free to download it or, if you have a Mac running Leopard, (and if it still works after loading the Leopard OS, LOL!!!) just click on it, then once it loads in the browser, ctrl click (aka right click) and you will have the option to make it your desktop image. I love Macs!

If you recall, I blogged my lust for the Jobo GPS device. I had hoped to use it for this next assignment in Sumatra. This is a small GPS gadget that fits on your camera and records the location of each image shot. But alas, Jobo informs me that there are some snags with production and that it will not be ready for this trip. As we say in India, "What to do?"

I knew Sony's GPS device was also made to be used this way. So, I Googled, and found Terry White's blog and review of it. Very helpful. But what I found even more helpful was some of the comments made by his readers (comments are good). Several insisted that any GPS device would work with as long as it can export a .gpx file. Any device? How about my Asus p353 cell phone? So after poking around on the net, I found some every cool and relatively cheap software called Beeline GPS for Pocket PCs. This will give my GPS the capability to record and export a track file. So it will run thoughout the day while I shoot. Note: the GPS device and the camera need to have their clocks synced as close as possible. At the end of the day shooting I take all my RAW (.crw) files, load them into a application called HoudahGeo. This is a really neat little application that grabs your images then loads the exported .gpx data and embeds this data into the EXIF data of the RAW file. Once you do this, you load the images into Lightroom as usual. But this time, in the EXIF data you will get a new pane that will show you the Latitude and longitude and a cool little link that you can push that takes you directly to Google Maps to see where the image was taken. Very fun and I hope it will be very useful for this next trip.

This is a quick sample image I shot of Scott & White Hospital here in Temple, TX.

This image shows the EXIF data in the Library panel in Lightroom. You can see the GPS coordinates listed under my name.

So, after you click on the coordinates in the panel, Lightroom opens up your browser and loads the Google map showing where you shot the image. Very Cool!

January 2008 Wallpaper

I returned from the Philippines and Thailand Saturday night late. It is 5:30 am on Monday morning and I have been up two hours. This is a typical post trip schedule. Many of you who travel know what I mean.

Click the image above then drag it to your desktop to download.

I have been very lax in posting wall paper. Please except my apologies. Here is a shot for January that was taken in Kashmir a few years back. Simply click on the link, drag the file to your desktop and load it, however you load your desktop images for your system.

Click the image to zoom in for a better look.

I shoot a Canon 5D with the battery grip and a few lenses. It is great for what I do commercially, but for shots of the family on vacation or at play, it can be a pain. So, I bought a new camera which arrived during the weekend. The Canon G9. It is a sweet retro point and shoot with 12.1 mp. The way this camera operates in the manual mode really reminds me of my first camera the Canonet QL Rangefinder. The metering uses the old style needle and gauge to indicate if the image is going to be under or over exposed.

As I play with it, I will post some images and maybe write some thoughts on it. There are so many great reviews out there, that to write an extensive review would be redundant. So I will just give you some brief feedback. I can tell you right now I love this little guy. I like the overall retro look to it. It feels well built, with a mix of metal and plastic. One of the features I am looking forward to using on the road is the time lapse video. What I want to do is set up a tripod in the front seat of an Indonesian cab and shoot a ride in a crowded street. More on this idea later. Stay tuned.

Gangway Storm Case!

I had just received my two Hardigg Storm Cases before I left for a trip home to Kentucky. This trip was not for work and was not an exotic trip to some far-off, unheard of destination. It was a Thanksgiving holiday break spent with family. So I thought I would load up my gear in my new iM2500 carry-on and be off. No problem: the gear all fit, as planned. I got to the airport in Austin, Texas, to find I would be flying a regional jet. I guess this is the airline's way of saving money. I can't fault them for that. But very little overhead storage space is given on a regional aircraft. Meaning, you have to gate check your carry-on if it is bigger than a shoe box. I have had to check my soft side ThinkTank Airport International once or twice before and I did so with fear and trepidation. This time I walked down the gangway and confidently handed the rather large, gorilla-looking man my indestructible iM2500 Storm Case. He tagged it, gave me my receipt and swung off. Once we landed, I eagerly waited for my bag inside the gangway. Finally it was thrown up to me with several other bags. When I saw my nice, pretty yellow iM2500, I was startled. My cool new "Digital Trekker" logo was shredded and the case had large, deep gashes down the side. I knew my gear was fine and I was glad that my $10,000 worth of camera equipment was protected by such a "bomb proof" bag. But I was nonetheless amazed that from the airplane to the gangway so much damage could be done to one bag. Thank you Hardigg.

New Products From Jobo

I have a job brewing with a rather large NGO. They want to send me to Sumatra, Indonesia to photograph the area and people they are doing relief and development among. They need me to be very careful to note where the images are taken. So, I have been looking into GPS modules for my camera. One of the few I have found is made by my own sponsor, Jobo. Jobo is a great company. These folks make the best image viewer around, the GigaVu Pro Evolution. I would put this unit up against any of the Epson units any day of the week. But that is not what I am writing about, is it? They are soon to have in their arsenal of toys a little guy called simply, the Jobo PhotoGPS. Here is a quote from their product page:

"The photoGPS includes a PC and MAC compatible DVD that contains both the software and the database needed to post-process the information captured by the unit. Post-processing is highly automated: Users simply download the captured GPS data via the built-in USB interface and enter the directory name of the folder where the corresponding pictures are stored. The user’s computer can then compare the EXIF time recorded by the camera and the GPS time recorded by the photoGPS. When a match is found the program updates the Longitude and Latitude EXIF fields. In a second step, utilizing advanced break-through technology, the photoGPS retrieves: Country name, Region and District, City, Postal code, Street name and the Point Of Interest."

I have looked at many other options on the net but all require an external GPS unit for around $150 to $500 and additional software and I am not sure how well they work and what data you get when it is all done. I am not sure if the PhotoGPS unit works as smoothly as it is reported to do so by Jobo. I can only wait and see. Even more of a worry for me is there seems to be some delay in its release. So, will it get into production and be released in time for a trip in Feb '08? We shall see.

The PhotoGPS by Jobo retails for around $145, pretty good value if it works. Stay tuned...

Speaking of Jobo. I got my hands of a pre-release of their new digital photo frame. This little guy came with an amazing 1GB of space. My wife has always thought digital frames look tacky, but before we even took this out of the box she wanted to give it to her sister as a gift for Christmas. Yet, once she saw it out of the box and in action, she quickly decided to keep it on our end table forever. It is a hit.

The unit sports a 7" 800 x 480 resolution LCD display, memory expansion slots for CF, SD, MMC, Memory Stick, and XD formats, and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The JOBO PDJ701 the one I have will retail for approximately $179, The PDJ701 is a 128MB version that will sell for for $159. Hmm, which one will sell better?

With 1GB, around 10,000 images, it will take a long time to fill this frame up and to rotate through it. There is one minor thing I wish these frame manufactures would do, and it is very simple. Why don't they give the option for a fade transition. They only seem to like to offer crazy wipes or straight cut. Like I said, a minor issue.


JOBO PDJ701 Specifications:

• - 7in / 17.78 cm diagonal with 262,000 colors
• - Resolution: 800 x 480 Pixel (display range 720 x 480)
• - Contrast ratio: 400:1; brightness: 230 cd/m_
• - Internal memory: 1 GB, up to 10,000 images in optimum screen resolution
• - Integrated Li-Ion battery (1500 mAh)
• - Supported formats: JPG, BMP
• - Interfaces: card-slots for CF, SD, MMC, MS, MS Pro, xD; USB 2.0 High Speed
• - Functions: Picture-Showing-Mode (Picture Browsing, Thumbnail View, Slideshow), Editing (Copy, Delete, Rotate, Picture Effects), calendar, time, alarm, timer
• - Languages: German, English, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese
• - Stand: high-quality metal
• - Dimensions (W x H x D): 8.1 x 6.2 x 1 inches (without stand)
• - Weight: 18.3 ounces (with stand)

JOBO PDJ700 Specifications:

• - 7in / 17.78 cm diagonal with 262,000 colors
• - Resolution: 800 x 480 Pixel (display range 720 x 480)
• - Contrast ratio: 400:1; brightness: 230 cd/m_
• - Internal memory: 128 MB, up to 1,000 images in optimum screen resolution
• - Supported formats: JPG, BMP
• - Interfaces: card-slots for CF, SD, MMC, MS, MS Pro, xD; USB 2.0 High Speed
• - Functions: Picture-Showing-Mode (Picture Browsing, Thumbnail View, Slideshow), Editing (Copy, Delete, Rotate, Picture Effects), calendar, time, alarm, timer
• - Languages: German, English, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese
• - Stand: black plastic
• - Dimensions (W x H x D): 8.1 x 6.2 x 1 inches (without stand)
• - Weight: 14.7 ounces (with stand)