Scott Kelby’s 2007 Gonzo Holiday Gear Guide

Delkin eFilm ExpressCard 34 CompactFlash Adapter

Express Card I’ve been dragging around a FireWire CompactFlash card reader, with a FireWire cable dangling from it, for the past three years. I was perfectly happy with until a friend loaned me Delkin’s ExpressCard 34 CompactFlash Adapter, which slides right into your laptop’s ExpressCard slot (found on most newer laptops), requires no cable whatsoever, and transfers your images faster than a greased pig (I’m not sure what that means, but I’ve heard it used numerous times to describe things that move really, really fast). It’s very thin, very light (you can almost fit it in your wallet), and it goes with me everywhere. $59.95.
www.delkin.com

Flash Modifiers

David Honl Flash Modifiers

International photojournalist David Honl has come up with a very clever set of “flash modifiers” for your dedicated hot-shoe flashes (like the Nikon SB-800 or Canon 580EX II), and these lightweight ballistic covers let you shape, tame, and create dramatic pro-quality lighting that otherwise would be hard to pull off. That Honl guy’s a pretty smart cookie, and his stuff is priced right. You can buy all four of his Shoe-Mount Flash Tools for only $56.80 directly from www.honlphoto.com.
www.honlphoto.com

X-Rite Eye-One Display 2 Calibrator

X-Rite This is the perfect gift for anyone who complains that their prints don’t match what they see onscreen (which is, by the way, just about everybody). Earlier this year I switched to the X-Rite Eye-One Display 2 hardware calibrator, and I’m in love. Not only are the results fantastic, it was so incredibly easy, a laboratory test rat could do it (well, that’s because it does all the work for you). It’s sells for $229.95, and if you’re wondering if it makes that big a difference—it makes that big a difference.
www.xrite.com

Canon EOS 40D -or- Nikon D300

Cameras
I can’t tell you how many working pros use Canon’s 20D and 30D digital SLRs, and the new 40D (released in August) comes out and kicks their butts, with a huge 3″ LCD, and features you’d expect to find on much more expensive bodies. The Nikon D300, shipping in November 2007, takes Nikon’s hot-selling D200 and adds loads of impressive new features that make D200 owners severely jealous. You can’t go wrong with either of these two amazing cameras. The Canon goes for $1,299.95 for the body only, or $1499.95 for a kit with a 28–135mm zoom lens. The Nikon D300 is $1,799.95 for the body only, or $2,099.95 with an 18–135mm zoom lens. Don’t wait until the last minute to order one of these, because you’ll be sorry.
www.usa.canon.com
www.nikonusa.com

Bounce

Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce

If you shoot weddings or do event photography, you can only get away with bounce flash for so long (all it takes is one tall or weird-colored ceiling and you’re back to harsh, straight-on flash). Or, you can get a Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce and have hotshot flash lighting that looks like it’s bounced. It’s surprisingly affordable ($16.95) and that’s probably why so many working pros use one. Seriously, it’s $16.95—how can you beat it?
www.stofen.com

Lastolite TriGrip 33″ One-Stop Diffuser Panel

Diffuser Panel This baby (which quickly folds into a small, circular pouch for travel) does triple duty: (1) You can use it to create soft light by holding it between the sun and your subject outdoors; (2) you can fire a hot-shoe flash through it (about 1–2′ away from it) to greatly spread and soften your flash much like a softbox would; and (3) you can use it as a soft-light reflector for flash. It’s easy to hold (thanks to the built-in handle), and best of all, it’s a bargain. At only $67.50 every photographer should have one.
www.lastolite.com

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