Gear Guide: Part One Page 2 of 2

Gadgets for Office Workers and Photographers

Photographers

How to Spot Them: At family get-togethers, they’re the first ones to whip out cameras. You go out shopping with them to shop for a new digital model, and they’re the ones enlightening the sales clerk about the finer points of megapixels and optical zooms. They have to fight the urge to answer the phone “Say cheese,” and you half-suspect them of having pictures of their pictures.

Why We Picked These Gifts: If a picture is a worth a thousand words, an accessory to help people take those pictures is probably worth a word of thanks or two.

What You’ll Spend: $17 to $700.

Other Ideas: Assuming the person you’re shopping doesn’t have a camera collection that would make Annie Leibovitz green with envy, you could also peruse Macworld ’s digital-camera reviews for our take on the latest models. But before you buy, be sure to consult our shopping guide as well.

Lighten the Load

With a bagful of camera gear, do you also want to haul a PowerBook or an iBook to your next shoot? The SmartDisk FlashTrax is an alternative to dumping digital images onto a laptop or carrying armloads of media cards. The built-in 3.5-inch screen is too coarse for detailed photo reviews, but that’s not the point of this device. A 20GB, 40GB, or 80GB built-in hard disk stores your pictures and video (taken from digital still cameras), and even holds audio files. Back at your Mac, connect via USB to mount the FlashTrax as an ordinary hard drive on your desktop, or use the video-out port to hook it up to a television.—JEFF CARLSON

20GB, $400; 40GB, $500; 80GB, $700; SmartDisk

Seeing Nemo

Your eyes may be looking at the bluest water you’ve ever swum in, but your camera sees only gray, blurry splotches. When your photo explorations take you into the ocean, invest in a waterproof housing for your digital camera. The Olympus PT-016 features easy-to-press controls (great for zooming) and a flash diffuser, and it’s waterproof down to 130 feet. A viewfinder hood lets you preview your images while you’re still underwater, rather than making you wait until you’re landlocked at home. Note that the PT-016 fits only three Olympus cameras; we’ve compiled a list of other housings and compatible cameras.—JEFF CARLSON

$200; Olympus

Tripod Mini

It used to be that every self-portrait you took showed your stretched-out arm. Now your camera’s self-timer makes more-sophisticated pictures possible, but you’re still balancing your camera on a rock. Try the Hakuba Multipod. This miniature tripod extends to 10 inches, yet it folds down to 7.5 inches and weighs a mere 4.8 ounces. The universal ball-head mount fits small cameras, and the innovative clamp secures cameras without a screw thread—it even works for camera phones.—TERRI STONE

$17; Hakuba