Strike a pose, then copy it
Innovations in photo and video products continue to impress and amaze. Just take a look at the following neat new items, all of which have been tested by the author.
-- Judi Dash
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Snapshots in a snap
If you’re looking for a place to stash typical 4-by-6 prints, I vote for the neat Photo Storage Tray from KangaRooM Storage. Made of classy-looking leather-like vinyl with cutout tray “handles,” the stackable tray is divided into six compartments with tabbed lids. Each lid has a built-in 4-by-6-inch frame to display a prize photo that also can identify what’s in that compartment. Each section holds up to 70 prints. The trays are available in black with lime trim or brown with blue trim.
Photo Storage Tray $35; (415) 543-3615, www.kangaroomstorage.com.
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Stow and grow
M-Rock makes camera bags that are willing to be flexible. The 15 bags, from small pouches to a large backpack, are designed to work together to meet different needs at different times, using assorted belts, straps, cords, loops and Velcro strips. Most of the larger models can be carried as a shoulder bag, waist pack, backpack or front chest pack. Any of the six smaller bags, which can hold lenses as well as smaller cameras, can hook up with the nine larger bags using Velcro strips or the optional modular belt. All the bags are made of a tough water-resistant nylon and are padded with dense closed cell foam. The main compartment on most of the bags closes with both a heavy duty two-way zipper and a front buckle attached to a rain flap. Internal padded partitions are adjustable and removable with Velcro strips. Extra pockets help organize accessories, and an included coated nylon “weather jacket” provides additional dust- and water protection. The company website helps match bags to specific cameras.
M-Rock camera bags $16-$140; (800) 773-7067, www.m-rock.com.
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Super duper
Money may not buy happiness. But it can certainly help eliminate the tedium of burning multiple CDs or DVDs of your favorite photos or family videos. The 16X Kanguru DVD Duplicator tower is a stand-alone dual format DVD burner that, depending on the model, can copy up to three, seven or 11 disks at one time. Just insert a master disk, slip the blank disks into their slots, press “copy,” and voila. The unit comes with a 250 GB removable hard drive that can store the equivalent of 40 full DVDs to burn at any time. A built-in LCD display facilitates copy, test, compare, load and erase functions.
DVD Duplicator with hard drive, $900 for three-DVD model, $1,200 for seven-DVD version, $1,800 for 11-DVD version; (888) 526-4878, www.kanguru.com.
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