FontAgent Pro Enterprise Server is one of the fastest font servers I’ve used. This latest version uses the J2EE (Java 2 Enterprise Edition) architecture and is multithreaded to take advantage of multicore Macs. The actual server setup involves setting up users, groups, and permissions. The user permissions are very straightforward. For a large number of users, the server can import users and groups from LDAP. As indicated, the users can be broken down into groups, and font libraries can be limited to certain groups. User lists can also be loaded in from a CSV spreadsheet file, making setup a snap.

There’s some additional setup in the System Preference Pane installed, including the server license info and synchronization schedule. Additional licenses or seats can be added at any time. Every user needing to access the server is required to have FontAgent Pro (FAP) installed. Assuming the users have the proper permission, they can upload any custom font libraries and sets directly to the server after they connect to it. Other user benefits include built-in font inspection, smart sets, and smart classification of fonts. Of course, FAP auto-activates in most of the critical Adobe software, so the correct font is always available.

FontAgent Pro Server is a synchronization-type server, so if the server is out, users still have full access to their libraries. Therefore, the only major network activity is when the individual users are synchronizing with the server—and that’s very fast, even over a wireless network.

The cost is $1,695 for the server software, with client software costing an additional $1,175 for ten users. Additional discounts are available for 20, 50, and more users.

Company: Insider Software, Inc.
Price: $1,695, plus client software
Web: www.insidersoftware.com
Rating: 5
Hot: Fast; easy to use
Not:

The Nikon COOLPIX P300 is a compact point-and-shoot that fits nicely in any pocket—but it’s not so small that it’s hard to use. It has a nice solid feel, and all the dials are intuitive and easy to operate. The P300’s 3″ LCD is bright and clear (you’ll need to squint in the brightest sunlight), and it captures images at 12.2 megapixels with a 4.2x optical zoom. One of the best features is that you can open the aperture all the way up to f/1.8 when zoomed out (4.3mm [24mm equivalent]). This is the fastest lens in the COOLPIX line, and it works well in low-light situations.

The mode dial allows you to quickly select auto, program (P), shutter-priority (S), aperture-priority (A), manual (M), two scene modes, and an additional 17 scene modes using the Menu button. The camera can also capture 1080p video at the touch of a button.

To change the ISO settings, you have to use the menus. In auto, ISO ranges from 160–1,600, but there are two auto settings where you can set the cap at either 400 or 800. You can also set it to 3,200 ISO. Noise starts appearing at 400 ISO but it’s not distracting, and even at 1,600, images are still presentable.

There’s an Easy Panorama setting for taking panoramas in one easy motion, and a Panorama Assist function that gives you a ghosted image on the LCD for lining up the next shot. Both functions work well, but the Easy setting results in a much smaller panorama. There’s also an HDR function, but I don’t recommend using it. In the end, colors were very good with nice saturation, and the images were sharp and often revealed amazing detail and textures in the scenes.

Company: Nikon Inc.
Price: $329.95
Web: www.nikonusa.com
Rating: 4
Hot: Fast lens; color; sharpness; battery life
Not: Noise at ISO 400

Canon’s imagePROGRAF series not only raises the bar for quality and performance, it also places new hurdles in the track of its competitors. The primary concern is always output quality, and the 24″ iPF6300 produces stunningly beautiful color representations that are both accurate and impressive. Sharpness in the highest-quality output settings is edge-to-edge with substantial improvements over the last two models in this class. Truly amazing are gradients that show up without extra grain or staggered lines as the colors merge. It was so impressive, in fact, that finding a challenge for this goliath printer was a task.

At nearly 150 lbs with its included stand, the footprint of this printer is substantial once you add the slightly awkward paper catch basket. The iPF6300 is also quieter and faster than previous models, and as always, calibration is essential. It can print directly from Adobe Photoshop via a plug-in, saving time and steps. Canon includes other software but after three attempts (and a lot of wasted paper and ink), a Spyder3Studio calibration tool brightened up some of the output that had more visible density than preferred.

Canon reports reduced ink consumption from the 12 color tanks, while still producing a broader color range and a 4-picoliter drop size at up to 2400×1200 resolution. The iPF6300 tracks output and costs per page and also supports all major RIP formats. The specs are great, including top, front, and roll-feeding paper transports, but your eyes will tell you who won this race. If more speed is key, you can always run with the iPF6350, which adds an onboard hard disk to reduce buffering lag, but the 384 MB RAM in this model doesn’t drag its feet by any means.

Company: Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Price: $3,695
Web: www.usa.canon.com
Rating: 4
Hot: Gradients; color accuracy/density; grayscale; quieter
Not: Proper density requires calibration

How is it possible to take a compact digital camera that for most people is already perfect and improve upon its stellar features? It seemed as if this line had reached its pinnacle with the CX4, but in true Ricoh style, they weren’t about to let “good enough” suffice.

The new CX5 is quite remarkable and there really are some new features, but it all comes down to one word: speed. The CX5 is, by far, their fastest and most impressive incarnation of this body type to date. The new hybrid autofocus is impressive in nearly any situation. From macro to magnified, the mechanism is smooth and extremely quick, allowing the capture of your subject as your eye sees it—when it sees it—and it’s rated at just over 0.2 seconds for either wide-angle or telephoto shooting. Ricoh’s new Super-resolution technology subtly enhances the edges with an increase in the micro-contrast; images have fewer visual artifacts with improved details but the overall image quality is slightly reduced at maximum magnification (which is now equivalent to a 600mm telephoto).

In the fun department, CX5 adds new shooting modes. The Cooking mode is fantastic and allows the user to make tonal corrections for the image. Another great, and fast for this category, addition is the new Golf Swing Continuous mode that shoots approximately 12 frames per second for two seconds to, well, check your golf swing.

There is more, but the bottom line is that each update to the CX family trumps its ever-so-slightly older siblings. In my reviews of each CX model, Ricoh’s brilliant zoom capabilities surprised even me, and clearly, this continues to make the brand stand out in an already very crowded retail space for this category. Recommending any model in this line is easy since they all stand up well by offering great digital images.

Company: Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Price: $329

Web: www.ricoh.com/r_dc

Rating: 5

Hot: Super-fast; HDMI output; Eye-Fi compatible

Not:

The Epson Stylus Photo R3000 printer is for professional photog­raphers and fine artists in a low-volume production setting who demand exhibition-quality color and black-and-white prints.

The R3000 is essentially a smaller tabloid-size version of Epson’s highly regarded Stylus Pro 3880. Some of the benefits handed down are nine-cartridge UltraChrome K3 inks; an eight channel, ink-repellent print head to prevent nozzle clogging (it does); and screening technology.

For the first time in an Epson A3 printer, both photo and matte black ink cartridges are housed together. No more time-consuming, ink-wasting cartridge swapping. The switch is done at the new color control panel that guides you through this and other processes. Epson also added high-capacity 25.9 ml ink cartridges, as well as wireless and Ethernet connectivity. The R3000 prints sheets up to 13×19″ or 13×44″ on roll.

The solid-feeling, 35-lb R3000 has a relatively small footprint. Prints are full of detail due to the screening technology and precise placement of variable-size ink droplets down to 2 picoliters. The R3000 printed my reference target with precision, producing smooth color gradients, a wide rich color gamut, deep blacks with plenty of shadow and highlight detail, and accurate flesh tones. Installation includes excellent ICC paper profiles; however, you must calibrate and profile your monitor to benefit. An A3 print takes approximately 2 minutes 40 seconds and ink swapping from 1 minute 40 seconds to 3 minutes depending on which black ink you’re switching to.

In addition to the top-loading paper input tray, there’s a new front-loading paper path for single sheets of thick paper. It’s much more reliable than the past rear feeder but still lacks simplicity. It necessitates opening and closing the feeding tray, and over time, I wonder if it will hold up. A single path for all paper would be great. That said, this is a great printer.

Company: Epson America, Inc.

Price: $849.99

Web: www.epson.com

Rating: 4

Hot: Color gamut; print quality; control panel

Not: Hidden front USB port

The Epson Stylus Pro 4900 represents a major redesign of Epson’s 4000 series that can handle roll or cut-sheet paper up to 17″ wide. It uses proven technology from their high-end 7900 and 9900 printers, including UltraChrome HDR inks; precision screening technology; a 10-channel print head with an ink repellent coating, preventing nozzle clogging; and a built-in rotary paper cutter. The 4900 produces remarkable rich color and black-and-white prints.

The solidly built 4900 weighs 115 lbs and stretches the definition of desktop printing. It houses 11 ink cartridges, including both photo and matte black ink. It eliminates swapping black ink cartridges by automatically switching to the correct one based on your paper selection.

There are four paper feeds: roll, cassette, rear, and front. All work well with the following caveat. The front paper feed is for single sheets of thick stock. It requires your full attention passing paper through a path that’s poorly described and illustrated in the user manual. It’s challenging to consistently line up 8×10″ sheets of paper squarely on the paper path because the printer’s design lets A4 and letter-size paper hover above—not on—the indication marker on the paper cassette cover. This leads to occasional misfeeds. The rear paper feeder’s back paper support inadequately extends only a few inches, and thin paper stock that’s 13×19″ or greater flops down instead of being held upright.

I made prints including a standard reference target using Epson’s excellent ICC paper profiles. Ink droplets as small as 3.5 picoliters with a maximum resolution of 2880×1440 produced dynamic prints with rich accurate colors, smooth seamless gradients, and lots of shadow and highlight detail. The use of green and orange ink cartridges extends the color gamut accurately, delivering hard-to-reproduce yellows.

If your end product is prints, the 4900 will put your best foot forward.

Company: Epson America, Inc.

Price: $2,495

Web: www.epson.com

Rating: 4

Hot: Print quality; 2.5″ color LCD

Not: Minor problems with front and rear paper feed

HP introduces their newest workstation line with the Z210, available in Convertible Minitower (CMT) or Small Form Factor (SFF) models. The Z210 is designed to be an entry-level workstation for budget-minded folks working in photo or video editing, education, and similar fields. New Intel HD integrated graphics are standard, but there are also 2D and 3D professional graphics options available, including AMD FirePro 2770 or NVIDIA Quadro 4000 video cards.

For the most part, if you can dream it, HP can configure it. The processor choice ranges from Core i3/i5/i7 to enterprise-class Xenon E3. Hard drive capacity tops out at 2 TB with the solid state option. Up to 16 GB of ECC RAM is supported (lower-cost, non-ECC is also supported).

This unit offers a choice of three optical drives: DVD-ROM, DVD+/-RW DL Super Multi, or HP Blu-ray writer; expanded PCIe, FireWire, and USB 2 or optional USB 3 interfaces; and 22-in-1 media card reader. With this many choices, you should have no trouble connecting practically any device.

The SFF has a 65% smaller footprint than the CMT—which is great for the space-conscious user—but for obvious reasons will have fewer spec options for RAM, storage capacity, and graphics cards. The SFF performed amazingly well when working with 3D rendering in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe After Effects.

HP takes pride in providing high performance while being environmentally friendly at the same time. High-efficiency power supplies and power-management software help to keep things green.

This PC is definitely worth checking out if you want to maximize production on a tight budget. Look at it this way: If you could buy a Porsche for the price of an economy car, wouldn’t you at least be tempted?

Company: Hewlett-Packard
Price: Starting at $659 ($3,491 as tested)
Web: www.hp.com
Rating: 4
Hot: High performance at an affordable price
Not: USB 3 not integrated, only an option

Are you a secret agent on a clandestine assignment? Or perhaps, just want to plan a secret getaway for your significant other. Whatever the case may be, here’s an inexpensive way to aid in your covert operation.

Encrypt Stick installs quickly and easily on a USB flash drive turning it into a “Digital Privacy Manager.” This allows users to create encrypted and hidden vaults on a wide variety of devices—local or network drives, external hard drives, other flash drives, etc. The software runs directly from the flash drive, so it leaves no evidence on the host computer (PC and Mac versions available). Licensing is one per flash drive, so be sure to install it on a decent drive as there is no transferring to another drive.

The Password Manager enables users to securely manage passwords for online accounts such as banking, shopping, or social networks. Setup is relatively easy and the use of a virtual keyboard protects against keylogging software. Password Manager works in conjunction with the Private Browser, which has features such as bookmarks, tabbed browsing, and full support for JavaScript and Flash. And yes, www.kelbytraining.com worked perfectly—in case you want to sneak a session in at work.

Encryption for the vaults, Password Manager, and Private Browser is based on a patented 512-bit polymorphic algorithm, which ENC claims has never been hacked! Encrypt Stick has a free version which restricts flash drive and vault storage capacities, and only allows use of the Private Browser for 30 days. The full version provides unlimited use of these features. And now, I’m off to a meeting with WikiLeaks.

Company: ENC Security Systems Inc.
Price: Free (limited version); $39.99 (full version)
Web: http://encryptstick.com
Rating: 4
Hot: Easy to use; portable
Not: Currently, no Linux support

Nikon’s legendary 85mm f/1.4 lens has undergone a complete update. Designed as the ultimate portrait lens, the 85mm f/1.4G is that and more. It’s a tack-sharp telephoto lens that works splendidly in low light and has great bokeh when used wide open. New to the AF-S 85mm f/1.4G is a totally new optical design, with Nano Crystal Coat and Nikon’s Silent Wave Motor (SWM), making it not only sharper than its predecessor but also quicker and quieter.

The lens is designed to work on FX bodies but works very well on DX bodies, with the crop factor giving even tighter compositions. The SWM allows you to reach up and take control of the focus quickly and smoothly without fumbling for the manual switch, which can be the difference of refining focus in time to capture a spontaneous moment. The rounded 9-blade diaphragm provides a smooth, out-of-focus background while making your subject pop. Nikon’s Nano Crystal Coat helps to reduce ghosting and flare in tough lighting conditions. The 77mm filter size is consistent with many other pro Nikon lenses, which allows me to carry one set of filters in the field.

Its magnesium construction and weather sealing allows you to shoot in even the most adverse conditions with confidence. Incorporating Internal Focus (IF) in its design is a benefit to users as there are no external moving parts, which means you don’t have to worry about pulling moisture into the lens in wet conditions, and you can use a polarizing filter without having to constantly readjust it as the lens focuses. Overall, this is one beautiful lens that is a must have for the discerning portrait photographer or anyone in need of a fast medium telephoto.

Company: Nikon Inc.
Price: $1,699.95
Web: www.nikonusa.com
Rating: 5
Hot: Tack sharp with excellent bokeh
Not: The price puts a dent in your pocketbook