‘Techs’ and the City

So there you are, a well equipped gadget geek (which of course you are, since you read my column every month) heading out on a grand trip to New York or some other vacation hot spot. What to take, and how do you protect your precious gear? Well, me being the world traveler and consummate gear-head that I am, I have a bit of advice for those of you taking your gear on the road.

What gadgets should you take with you on your trip? Well, of course you are going to want to record all your exploits and adventures so you will want that digital camera. A couple of new cameras that are available now are a great choice for their versatility and relatively compact size. The first is the Panasonic DMC FZ-28, which is the follow up to one of the best reviewed ‘super-zoom’ cameras, the FZ-18. The new 10 megapixel FZ-28 not only has a tremendous 18x zoom range but has added some new low dispersion lenses that help control chromatic aberration (color fringing) that can ruin photos at the extreme end of the zoom range. This combined with the new Venus IV processor and the rather impressive ‘Intelligent Auto’ mode, will provide you with great pictures from close up and REALLY far away. Another brand new super-zoom is from Canon and is a huge upgrade to the S5 IS model. The new Canon SX10 IS not only bumps up the megapixels from 6 to 10 but also the longtime 12x zoom to a phenomenal 20x making it the current super-zoom king as of this writing. One of my favorite things about the SX10 is the 2.5 inch swivel screen that allows you to flip the screen towards the camera to help protect it when not in use.

If you insist, as I do, on taking your big photo gear like your digital SLR with you, how do you keep it safe but easily accessible? A favorite of mine are Lowepro bags. Their Slingshot and new Fastpack series of backpacks are a great way to take your SLR and quite a bit of support gear (lenses, flash units, and extra batteries/memory). With a single strap that crosses your chest, it’s simple to swing the bag around to the front and access your camera and gear. If you want something even more compact, you can get one of the Digital Holster series from Think Tank. The Digital Holster 20 is just the right size for a semi-pro camera (such as the Canon 50D or the Nikon D90), and the Digital Holster 40 is great for a pro sized camera (such as the Canon 1Ds Mk III or the Nikon D3) or a semi-pro camera with a battery grip attached. They cradle the camera very nicely and even have an expandable bottom to accommodate longer lenses. There is also a really nice flap inside that protects the back of your camera and the screen from the folded up strap and a side pocket to hold an extra battery and memory card. I used the Digital Holster 20 for a whole week traipsing up and down Manhattan and it is now my favorite bag of all time for my camera. My only complaint is that there is not a loop on the side that would allow me to throw a lens case on as well for a second lens, though I did pretty well with my 18-200mm ‘walk-about’ lens.

Speaking of ‘walk-about’ lenses, if you happen to have a non-full frame Canon or Nikon Digital SLR, Tamron has just developed the first zoom lens with a 15x zoom range. The Tamron 18-270mm Lens has their proprietary Vibration Compensation mechanism that works to minimize lens shake. The huge range and very good image stabilization system make it an ideal single lens solution for any trip. It is not currently out as of the time of this writing but should be available by the time you read this.

If you have been waiting for the perfect time to pick up an iPod Touch, or better yet, an iPhone, just before your trip is a great time to pick one up. With the new update to the Version 2 software for the both the Touch and iPhone, you now have access to a whole slew of new applications that can make your travel a lot easier. The original software and equipment were already great for a trip to browse the internet and check email but with the addition of some really great travel oriented applications, some of them free, your Touch or iPhone can turn into a tour guide right in your pocket.

Why bother trying to carry around a big folded up map and trying to figure out where you are when you can just call up a city guide on the screen? Better yet, the iPhone can use its GPS functionality to point out exactly where you are on that map and how to get to hundreds if not thousands of points of interest. Another advantage of the Touch/iPhone is that while you are waiting in line for whatever tourist attraction or bored out of your skull looking at yet another piece of artwork in some museum, you can watch a movie or TV show. Or you can do what I do and throw on a really rockin’ album and make your own little soundtrack for the museum (Metallica and Monet or maybe some Def Leppard and Degas).

These are just a couple of bits of advice for the tech-savvy traveler. Next month, will be my holiday gear guide where I will have some more in-depth reviews of some of the items mentioned in this column, as well as a bunch of others to make your inner geek squeal like a little girl at a Jonas Brothers concert.

As always, if you have a questions or have any requests for gear you would like to see reviewed, please write to me at jeff@healthandleisureonline.com. Have a great Thanksgiving!