I wish I was helping David Becker cover PMA 2007; though not a photographer of any talent or experience, there's something about the mechanical crunch of a camera shutter that I've always loved. It's the music of technology, like clockwork and steam engines.
Here's a roundup of his reports on the innovations offered on the show floor in Vegas:
Optical viewfinders might be all but extinct in the point-and-click market, but using an LCD in broad daylight's not easy. Hoodman has the solution: a shaded loupe for your DSLR.
10 megapixels not enough? Try 416, with a top shutter speed of three minutes, courtesy of the Super10K-HS, which comes with an equally super $23k pricetag.
Pictured top-right is the terrifying mutant, the 120 Trilens Stereo Camerafrom China's 3D World, which uses a third eye to produce a more satisfying and human-usable stereoscopic image.
There are times when an optical viewfinder just won't cut it: for those times when one needs to wave a camera overhead or hide it in a box, Argraph has a viewfinder extender that lets the shooter get creative with angles.
Dust management is a theme this year. Past the racks of glorified Qtips, FireFly's Sensorkleen air blower and ionizer claims to prevent static electicity and dust buildup from damaging your camera.
TheTrekpod is a hiking staff, the Trekpod is a stealth tripod. If it concealed a switchblade katana at one end and an assault rifle at the other, it would be just perfect.
Becker also gives his thoughts on the show as a whole, and specifically why you won't see him covering the newest $150 ClearShot 30x from Nicoh or Panasony: because it's commoditized trivia with all the innovative appeal of flour.
