Lower Cost Stock

Camera and Lens makers

Hasselblad USA • Probably a bit of a stretch for most amateurs or entry level professionals, but a top producer of large format cameras. If you don't want one yet, you will.

Kodak • Best known as a venerable producer of camera film, Kodak also produces many cameras and other imaging equipment. Its line of point and shoot digital cameras is broad and well regarded.

Nikon USA • The US site for Japanese manufacturer Nikon, one of the top tier of camera and lens makers (along with a wide range of accessories). Among cameras, Nikon produces a wide range of digital point and shoot, Digital SLRs, and some of the top film cameras. Its lenses are among the highest regarded as well.

Panasonc Lumix • Panasonic is a venerable and highly diversified producer of consumer electronics. Its Lumix line of point and shoot and interchangeable lens cameras competes for the lower to mid range of the market. This division is also responsible for digital photo projectors.

Pentax Imaging • Mid range line of digital cameras and digital SLRs and also special sports optics products.

Lenses and Filters

Hoya Filters • Hoya specializes in camera lens filters, including simple protective filters, light correction: haze and polarizers; color filters and special effects filters.

Sigma • One of the best known third party lens makers. Produces a wide range of lenses from wide angle to very long telephoto lenses for Canon, Nikon, and other SLR and DSLR bodies. Sigma also produces some third party flash units and has begun to manufacture a large image size point and shoot digital camera, the DP1.

Lighting

Alien Bees • Ring type flash units which mount around the lens of the camera, manufactured by Paul C Buff.

Alzo Digital • Specialized lighting systems for photographing jewelry and small items, bounce flash units for wedding and event photography, and studio portrait lighting and accessories. Also produces a flash trigger for flash syncrhonization.

Dyna-Lite • Portable and studio flash units, battery packs.

elinchrom • Compact and larger studio lighting and flash units, battery powered flash and flash synchronization systems.

Expo Imaging • Produces compact Ray Flash Ring Light - a flash unit in a ring shape which surrounds the lens as well as custom white balance adjustment equipment.

Honl Photo • Accessories for shoe maount strobe flash units, especially Nikon and Canon speed light types.

MicroSync Digital • Radio transmittor for controlling and synchronizing strobe flash units. Can also fire the camera as well.

Norman Lighting • Monolights and power packs, lens shade systems, and portrait photo management systems.

PocketWizard • Radio transmittor for remote firing of camera and flash units.

Quantum • Flash units, batteries, synchronizing units.

White Lightning • Zeus and other high intensity flash products for the professional, by Paul C Buff.

Light Metering

Sekonic • Stand alone digital light meters and software to calibrate and coordinate ttl metering built into cameras using system oriented digital light meters.

Digital Media

Lexar • Manufactures specialized digital storage media used in most digital cameras: SD, XD, compact flash and similar media.

Tripods

Really Right Stuff • Tripods, clamps, off camera flash mounts and other brackets.

Supplies

Midwest Photographic Supplies • Albums, texturing machines and other supplies especially for event photographers.

Cases and Bags

Kata • Manufactures widely varied line of camera and video cam bags, including backpack, waist pack, over the shoulder and sling bags incorporating padding and protection from the elements. Also makes straps and other special fabric products for photographers.

Lowepro • Manufactures and distributes wide lines of camera, computer and video camera bags, in backpack, waist pack, over the shoulder and sling form factors. The bags incorporate padding and protection from the elements.

Pelican • Manufactures special carrying cases for cameras and video equipment. Built with protecting the contents in mind.

Shootsac • Stylish camera bags in shapes similar to large purses or fabric shopping bags, but still incorporating padded pockets and other features important to photographers.

Tamrac • One of the best known manufacturers of camera bags, its backpack lines vary between medium, heavy and extra heavy duty. It has several lines devoted to the adventure/travel photogrpaher.

Think Tank • Makes travel cases and bags for cameras, especially tending toward hard shell cases and rolling luggage type bags but also including soft cases.

Weather Protection

Aquatech • Weather protective gear for both equipment and photographers, including camera and lens protective covers, camera encasements, jackets, and bags.

Computer Hardware

Wacom Pen and Tablet • Pen and tablet type mouse controls for use with photo editing and other graphic programs.

Computer Software

Alien Skin Software • Widely used and acclaimed plugins for Photoshop, Fireworks, Paint Shop Pro.

Graphic Authority • Photoshop add-ons: photo edges, frames, brushes, backgrounds, and templates.

Microsoft Expression Media • Software suite to catalog photos across computers and external media, to facilitate finding photos, particularly storage intense raw files.

Portrait Professional • Photo editing and airbrusing software. Specialized, focused on photo retouching of portraits and photos of people and faces.

Pantone Color Control • Monitor color calibration and color correction software.

X Rite Photo • X-Rite makes ColorMunki and other color calibration and correction software packages as well as some high scale scanning equipment and viewing booths.