33 Accessories test
Photography News | Issue 51 | photographynews.co.uk
Nikon SB-5000 The SB-5000 is Nikon’s first radio-controlled speedlight and has a working distance of 30m so you can create complex lighting arrangements without worrying about obstructions that would block optical triggering. The flash can be used as a trigger to other flashguns
Kenro Speedflash KFL101 At only £95, Kenro’s KFL101 is a great way to get started with flash lighting. This flashgun works with both Canon and Nikon DSLRs, functioning on or off camera, and in the latter state can be used up to a range of 15m outdoors and around 20m indoors. The ’gun is fully TTL-enabled, so you don’t need to worry about exposure if you don’t want to, and it also supports features like flash exposure bracketing, andhigh- speed sync (HSS), allowingyou to shoot faster than the camera’s usual sync speed. It has a guide number of 58 (ISO 100, 180mm) and a top recycle time of 2.3secs at full power. It also comeswith a padded case, stand and softbox attachment. £95 kenro.co.uk
or fired off camera using Nikon’s WR-R10 transmitter, or of course you can use it in your Nikon camera’s hotshoe. The SB-5000 has a guide number of 55 (ISO 100, 200mm), and a zoom range of 24-200mm, expanding to 14mm with its wide panel in place, so it’s perfectly suited to full-frame Nikon DSLRs. There’s also a powerful cooling system that supports over 100 rapid-fire shots and a fastest recycle time of 1.8sec at full power, so it’s perfect for events and quick-firework. £469 nikon.co.uk
Lastolite Urban backgrounds Good studio portraits can be asmuch about the background as the subject, so if you’re lacking on that score, take a look at Lastolite’s range of collapsible backdrops. Our current favourite is the Smoke/Concrete version, which provides a pleasingly vintage hand-painted look anywhere you might need it. The background is double sided, so you can easily switch looks. The concrete side gives you an even grey texture, and the smoke side uses a green/grey mix which complements skin tones and adds a vignette to keep attention on the subject. The backdrop measures 1.5x2.1m giving you plenty of space to work in, weighs 3kg, collapses to around a third of that size, and comes with a bag, so it’s easy to transport and store. £180 manfrotto.co.uk/lastolite
Broncolor Siros 400 L Combining incredibleperformance, superbdurability, easyhandlingandbrilliant features, Broncolor’s Swiss-made Siros heads are built for exacting photographers and professional applications. Siros L headslikethis400Lhaveasturdyaluminiumshellandarebatterypoweredforlocationuse,delivering up to 440 flashes at full power. Recycle times and flash durations are also incredibly impressive: top recharge speed is 0.3sec and flashes last as little as 1/6200sec at t0.1 (or an amazing 1/11300sec at t0.5). Using the newBroncolor RFS 2.2 transmitter (£95) you’ll also be able to shoot in Broncolor’s high speed mode at up to 1/8000sec, taking advantage of mixing flashwithwide apertures in bright light. £1944 bron.com
Rotolight NEO 2 LED Closing the gapbetween flashandcontinuous lighting is Rotolight’s NEO 2 LED. Designed primarily for portrait photographers and videographers on the go, the Neo 2 gives youbothhigh speed sync (HSS) flash functionality and the what-you-see-is-what-you-get benefits of regular on- or off-camera LED lighting. With no recycle timetospeakofyou’llnevermissashotinHSSmode,and the NEO 2 uses a built-in Elinchrom Skyport receiver for triggering at up to 1/8000sec. Used wirelessly it can be triggered at ranges up to 200m, allowing perfect positioning in the scene. Colour is also adjustable from 3150-6300K in both continuous and flashmode and the light runs on sixAAbatteries. £299 rotolight.com
Canon Speedlite 430EX III-RT If you’re a Canon user and looking for your first flashgun, or to build your lighting kit, the mid-range Speedlite 430EX III-RT is well worth your attention, especially as there’s lots of commonality with EOS camera controls. Like higher-end Canon ’guns it now uses a 2.4GHz wireless triggering system, so you can either use it as a master or slave with other compatible flashes, or with Canon’s ST-E3-RT trigger. The 430EXIII-RThas a guidenumber of 43 (ISO100, 105mm), tiltsupward through90°, androtates 150° right and180° left. It canbeusedmanually, or with Canon’s E-TTL metering system on or off camera. Recycle time is 3.5secs on full power, and it runs on four AAbatteries. £239 canon.co.uk
NanGuang CN-8F LED fresnel light Designed for use on or off camera, NanGuang’s CN-8F uses a single, powerful, LED lamp behind a fresnel lens, letting you adjust your continuous lighting fromflood to spot throughanangle of 10-60º. Brightness canbe set steplesslyusinga largedial on the side and the output ismeasured at 560 lumens. Calibrated to a colour temperature of 5600K it gives a daylight-balanced look, but it comes with orange (3200K) and blue (6500K) filters included. Power comes from either six AA batteries held in a supplied magazine, or using a Sony NP-FH or Panasonic CGR-D battery. A set of barn doors is also supplied to control the throwof light, and it all fits neatly into an included bespoke carry case. £202 kenro.co.uk
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