Kelly Moore Bags make perfect holiday gifts for the fashionable photographer.

The Posey is a portable but versatile bag. It can comfortably hold up to two or three lenses, two lenses and a flash, or a DSLR and a flash and snacks. The outside has a flap that fits your memory cards and your business cards, credit cards, etc. It’s perfect for the photographer on the go who doesn’t need to carry too much gear to the shoot.

The Chapel functions as either a messenger bag or a backpack, with removable straps to fit your specific needs. It can fit a DSLR with a lens attached in its main pocket, while its side pockets can hold two additional lenses, one lens and one flash, etc. Plus, an additional pocket will allow you to lug your camera manual with you (we know some people refuse to leave for a shoot without their manual). Like the Posey, the Chapel has outer pockets which can hold your memory cards and business cards.

The 2 Sues doesn’t even look like a camera bag, but in addition to being able to carry your memory cards and business cards, a body, a lens or two, and a flash or two, the 2 Sues can also fit your laptop in an extra pouch inside the bag.

The B-Hobo, the smallest bag in the bunch, still carries a decent amount of gear. This bag is perfect for the mom who’s taking her kids to the park and wants to get some cute kid photos. It can  carry a body and up to two lenses comfortably, all the while passing for a handbag.

The Libby is by far the most heavy-duty of the Kelly Moore bags we carry. The Libby can carry a 15” laptop, camera and lens, 2 flashes, 3 lenses, and probably even more than that before running out of room. This is a big, handsome bag for the photographer who’s got a lot of work ahead of her but doesn’t want to sacrifice looking good.

Check out our selection of Kelly Moore bags and get that fashionable photographer in your life something they’ll take everywhere.

One of my most anticipated releases this holiday season is the Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM.

(The above picture was not taken with the Sigma 35mm F1.4.)

This full frame lens (but usable with APS-C sensors as well) just blows my mind. It has a Hyper Sonic Motor, meaning it’s very quiet, and its autofocus speed is intensely quick. Plus, it is a very fast lens at F1.4.

But the two things that put this lens in a class of its own is its USB dock and Optimization Pro Software, which allow the photographer to adjust and fine tune focusing parameters, and its incredible sharpness. One of our sales associates, Jake, snapped some photos with the Canon mount that exemplify the lens’ clarity.

Pay specific attention to the clarity of detail on the candy even through green plastic. Unbelievable.

The detail in (another one of our awesome sales associates) Kelsey’s eyelashes in insane.

Basically, this lens is the future, and being several hundred dollars less than other lenses in its class, you cannot go wrong.

We currently have the Canon mount in stock, and are taking pre-orders on the Nikon and Sony mounts.

There was a decent amount of grumbling on the internet when the Nikon 1 J2 came out, complaining that the J2 wasn’t a big enough leap forward from the J1. Sure, the J2 was given a higher resolution LCD and “effects” modes, but many people thought that this wasn’t enough. However, being new to photography myself, I wondered if those complaints weren’t missing the point a little bit. The reason the J2 existed wasn’t to act as an upgrade for the J1, but to get newer photographers who might have missed the initial J1 push interested in an easy-to-use, affordable, interchangeable-lens consumer camera.

Let’s just get this out of the way now: If you’re a professional photographer, you probably won’t be interested in the J2. However, if you are a new photographer who’s not quite ready for a full-fledged mirrorless or DSLR, a hobbyist who is looking for something different and portable, or a gadget fiend who’s just looking for something fun, the Nikon 1 J2 is right up your alley.

The kits that we sell include the camera, the 10-30mm VR f/3.5-5.6, and the 30-110mm VR f/3.8-5.6 telephoto (we also have these kits in red, silver, and pink). First off, especially for newer photographers, the interchangeable-lens aspect of the camera gives the user more control over your image without making lens collection a drastic expense. I found these lenses especially good for outdoors photography—not only was the telephoto (+ the lens hood) a totally solid lens to shoot with outdoors, but the size (if not the orange color) made the camera portable and inconspicuous. The auto-focus is also ridiculously fast, which should definitely appeal to people who are taking pictures of their kids or are out and about, trying to capture the moment.

The range of settings is there—you can shoot in Program (P), Aperture Priority (A), Shutter Priority (S), or full-on Manual (M)—but you have to go to Creative Mode then the menu to access these modes, as well as the effects modes. That being said, for the new photographer, the options for Automatic, Smart Photo, and Creative modes are easily accessible through the main dial. The lower dial changes exposure compensation, the AE-lock/AF-lock, self-timer, and flash, as well as allowing the user to navigate the menu.

Creative Mode (which will prompt you to press the ‘F’ button to select a specific mode) features night modes, “Easy Panorama,” soft focus and “Miniature effect” modes, and selective color. The panorama definitely was easy and I felt it stitched the images together with more consistency than most other cameras in its class.

Overall, I think the Nikon 1 J2 is a perfect gift to get for a new photographer. Say you have a significant other who wants to get into photography but isn’t quite ready for a DSLR yet but wants to get acquainted with the different shooting modes. The J2 is a great place for them to start.

We’ve known how awesome the Sony RX100 was for quite some time. However, when TIME called it one of the 25 Best Inventions of the Year 2012, I decided to take another look at it myself.

It’s hard to know what to call the RX100. Sure, it’s a point-and-shoot, but that name doesn’t suit what the RX100 can do, or the quality of image the camera makes. It has the trademarks of a P&S—the small body size, the zoom lens, the lack of a viewfinder—but it has many of the capabilities of a DSLR, including full manual mode and, oh yeah, the fact that it takes 20-megapixel photos.

The first thing that I noticed when looking at the camera is the “Carl Zeiss” printed on the lens. Immediately I knew I was going to be able to get crisp photos. This Zeiss zoom lens has a f/1.8 aperture, f/4.9 at its full 3.6X zoom. That shallow of a depth of field is unprecedented in the world of “pocket” cameras.

The other star of the RX100 is the 1-in. 20-MP sensor. Compared to other point-and-shoot models in the same price range, whose sensors usually fall in the 12-14-megapixel range, this camera has the highest quality sensor.

The small size of the camera means precious few buttons. Most of the settings are therefore changed through a combination of two or three buttons and the wheel. For instance, pressing on the bottom of the settings dial switches between setting your aperture and shutter speed, and then turning the dial depending on which setting is highlighted. The ISO, WB, and special shooting modes are changed by pressing the Fn button and turning the dial, and so on. It took me a few minutes to get a handle on the settings, but once I did changing the settings became second nature.

I know the biggest question most of our customers have, especially with a price tag of $650, is “Who is this camera for?” The answer is, well, pretty much everybody. For pros who already have a trusty DSLR, this is a great pocketable backup camera. For newer photographers who might feel intimidated by the bulk and buttons of a DSLR but still want to take amazingly pro-quality photos, this is a great first camera. Some might say, “With that price tag, why not just buy a DSLR?” The truth is you probably can’t find a DSLR for $650 that takes photos (and video!) this nice.

There are also some cool shooting modes in the RX100, such as miniature, B&W, soft focus, “toy camera,” and “cartoon.” Plus, you can HDR in camera. It’s not the best HDR, obviously, but it is fun to play with.

Best of all, there’s panorama.

The Sony RX100 is a camera in a class of its own. Call the store at 866-940-3686 to place your order today.

Canon and Tamron each announced two new lenses Tuesday. Pre-order them now!

Canon EF 24-70mm f/4L IS
Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS
Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro VC USD
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD

The Canon EF 24-70mm f/4L IS is ideal for wedding and portrait photographers, its hybrid stabilization system and compact size making it a very mobile lens. The hybrid stabilization also allows for better macro-style photography, as the minimum focal distance for this lens is an impressive 15” with a maximum magnification of 0.7x. Plus, if you’re working outside, be comforted by the fact that the housing around the lens is resistant to water and dust.

The Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS is a fast lens with image stabilization that make it an ideal lens for photo and video, especially with the upcoming Canon EOS 6D. Its Ultrasonic Motor make its auto focusing quiet and accurate.

The Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro VC USD brings macro lenses to the next level with its state of the art Vibration Compensation. For macro shooters, you can’t get any better than the 1:1 maximum magnification ratio, and its Internal Focusing system and its Ultrasonic Silent Drive makes making that picture much more comfortable and quieter for macro shooters.

The Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD is a new telephoto lens that combines Vibration Compensation and Extra Low Dispersion glass to create images that are clear, crisp, and colorful. The rounded diaphragm gives spectacular blur effects on lower apertures, and its fine focus adjustments using manual focus can be made during autofocus shooting without the need to change focus mode. Plus, it has a quiet Ultrasonic Silent Drive motor and moisture-resistant construction, making it ideal in a wedding and/or sports photographer’s arsenal.

Pre-order these awesome lenses today!