CAMERA ACCESSORIES

Belkin USB Adapter with Kodak Picture Upload Technology		Review
When a few guys in a lab at Kodak came up with an automatic way to transfer image files to a computer, hardly anybody was watching. But we were. And this month, Belkin is offering that automatic file transfer solution (called Kodak Picture Upload Technology) with a USB adapter for $50. Read our report to find out what the product does and why it matters.
Bottle Cap "Tripod"		Review
If I had a dollar for every time I've wished I had a tripod handy, but didn't schlep one along because it would have been too bulky, I'd be retired already (and you wouldn't be reading this). Reader Jake Ludington wrote in with news of a nifty little product that turns an ordinary 2-liter soft drink bottle into a temporary "tripod", that looks like it could be just the ticket to pack along to picnics, concerts, ball games, etc. Better yet, Jake also did a nice little article about how to make a do it yourself version. As I write this (in July, 2004), there's an outfit selling them through a yahoo store (the link for which may or may not remain valid in the future), but Jake's how-to article should be around for a good while to come.
The Great Battery Shootout!		Review
Right after the camera itself, and having a large enough flash card, batteries are probably the most important element of your digicam "kit". In the AA-powered world, there's been a flood of different makes and models of NiMH rechargeables hit the market in the last year, with wildly varying claims of performance. I've been tinkering with battery testing as a background task for the last year, and have finally gathered all the data together into a massive "battery shootout." The results are interesting, to say the least, with some batteries rated at lower mAh capacities performing better than others with higher mAh ratings.
ColorVision Spyder2PRO		Review
ColorVision's Spyder 2 Pro product is the one that we eventually settled on for in-house use here at Imaging Resource. It consistently did a good job calibrating the monitors we tried it with, seemed less prone to getting lost in the weeds with difficult-to-calibrate monitors, and also provides a good capability for matching multiple monitors to a common standard. No product is ever perfect, but we found the Spyder2PRO to be better than most and it offers a flexibility found in few other monitor calibration solutions. Read our review for the all the details.
Digipower's DPS-9000		Review
What makes this unit unusual is its packaging (it screws onto the tripod mount of your camera), and also the wide range of cameras it can power. - Digipower lists nearly 200 models on the compatibility chart, including no fewer than five different adapter cables to fit them all. The DPS-9000 is no slouch when it comes to power capacity either. I don't have a formal test for external power packs, but it managed to power a Nikon Coolpix 5700 in its worst-case power drain mode (capture mode with the rear panel LCD lit) for nearly four hours. (!) All in all, one of the nicest external power packs I've seen, and already available from our affiliate Ritzcamera.com.
GE/Sanyo Eneloop AA Rechargable Batteries		Review
The NiMH rechargeable AA battery is still a favorite for entry-level and long zoom digicams, both. But it's always suffered from a rather poor shelf life. Until recently. We picked up a set of four GE/Sanyo Eneloops on our next trip to the mall and gave them a try. Read our report for the whole story.