The new models of shoe-mount portable flash units seen at this year's trade show not only offer more powerful light output for more distant subjects, but also frequently include new features that make them easier to use. This report also includes new small camera-mounted LED lights for continuous lighting, intended for camcorders but also useful for still photographers.

As would be anticipated in this ever more dominant digital world, there were very few new offerings from silver-based film and paper firms, and even less for the conventional darkroom. Here are the few items I did locate:

Fuji has the new Fujicolor Crystal Archive Preferred color reversal RA-4 process paper that's said to offer vivid color reproduction, brilliant...

Although the D-SLR category is growing more rapidly, digicams with integral lenses still outsell the larger cameras by roughly 10 to 1. That's primarily because of the lower price and particularly the greater portability. Even the most serious photographer usually wants a pocket-size camera--with built-in lens and flash--that they can carry most anywhere.
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As part of our annual Photo Marketing Association (PMA) coverage we ask our reporters to deliver a "Best of Show" award. While each contributor had their own beat, we also asked them to go beyond their respective area of coverage to find what, for them, signified a breakthrough product, technology, or new trend that they felt would affect all photographers in the...

While camera bags often aim for functionality over style, there were several shoulder bags shown this year that had fashion chic paramount in their design, and a number of them aimed at the female photo enthusiast. Still, the photo backpack seemed to dominate when it came to functionality and innovative design, including two combo packs targeting the hard-core backpacker or...

Tripods are important, but for most people they tend to blur together. The most important news is always that tripods are getting lighter. There are many more companies offering carbon-fiber tripods, increasingly with magnesium-alloy metal work. And while Gitzo's Basalt range gives a more modest savings in weight, it has the same desirable "deadness"...

What is the state of the art for imaging software? At PMA 2005 it seems concentrated at the low end (under $99) with just a few, OK maybe one product aimed at the high end. What's left is a Grand Canyon of opportunity in the middle that might just be filled with free open-source software such as The Gimp (www.gimp.org)...