Stylish camera accoutrements

There were a couple items on my Christmas list I'd been hoping to receive. Score! After using these for a couple months, I have to post a report.

The red Tokyo Dreamer camera strap is fab. The strap that came with my Canon Rebel XSi is wide, black, emblazoned with Canon all over the place, and let's face it: not cute. My new strap is narrower (3 cm) with a soft, suede lining and a bright leather exterior. Er, not quite; it's actually made from "vegan leather" which is perhaps a code word for vinyl. But whatever it is, it looks just like leather. The strap is sturdy and flexible with a funny Japanese-ish phrase printed at one end. If I were a serious photographer, I suppose I would scoff at someone who cared about the color of their camera strap. Good thing I'm not a serious photographer.

And please check out my new Crumpler 5 Million Dollar Home camera bag. My old bag would hold only the camera but no extra lenses. So when I went to shoot photos for a client last time, I wrapped up my extra lens in a fluffy hand towel and stuffed it in my purse. Never again! This bag has removable dividers and amazing amounts of storage, but it's not bulky. Lots of room for future purchases, and the quality is top notch. Did I mention the inside is lime green? Fun.