Photography News Issue 50

Photography News | Issue 50 | photographynews.co.uk

54 Accessories test

Buyers’ guide

The festive season is the time for giving – and what better things to give that this month’s range of must-have photo gear? Check out the next four pages for great gift ideas and stuff you didn’t even know you needed...

Hahnel Modus 600RT If you want a full-featured and affordable flashgun, Hahnel’s Modus 600RT kit is well worth your attention. Thanks to its Li-Ion battery, the 600RT has a guide number of 60 (ISO 100, 200mm), a recycle time of just 1.5sec at full power, and will give up to 550 shots at its maximumoutput. The flash has a built-in wireless receiver and a Viper TTL trigger is included, so you can fire it from up to 100m away. It can alsobe firedmanuallyor using TTL metering on camera, and it’s available in Canon, Nikon and Sony fits. £269.99 Hahnel.ie

ElinchromD-Lite RXOne/ One Softbox To Go Kit An ideal entry-level kit, the D-Lite RX One/One Softbox To Go has all you need to get started in studio lighting. For under £500, you get two RX One heads, two stands, two softboxes (one 66cm square and one 56cm octagonal), a translucent deflector, a Skyport Plus Transmitter, leads and bags. The RX One heads at the heart of the kit are small, light andpowerfulwitharange from 100Ws to 6Ws adjustable in 1/1, 1/2, 4/10, 1/3, 2/10 or 1/10 steps for complete control. £499 elinchrom.co.uk

Lowepro Flipside 400AW II Treat yourself to a new backpack this Christmas. The Lowepro Flipside 400 AW II will take a DSLR with up to a 300mm lens mounted, four to six additional lenses and a flash, plus a 15in laptop in Lowepro’s excellent CradeFit pockets. Phew! The flipside design means gear is accessed from the body side of the bag, for increased security, and that also prevents you needing to set it down to swap bodies or lenses. An all-weather cover is included, as well as a tripod mount, SlipLock straps for additional storage, stretch-mesh side pockets and a paddedwaistbelt and sternumstrap. £155 lowepro.co.uk

MacWet Long Climatec Sports Gloves Invest in some decent gloves and your winter shootingwill be amuchmore comfortable experience. Try MacWet’s Climatec Long Cuff gloves for instance; they’re windproof, water resistant and fleece lined on the back, with a secure Velcro fastening and a thick elasticated cuff that extends beyond thewrist for added protection. Aquatec fabric is used on the palm and fingers, giving a sure grip but keeping the gloves sensitive enough to operate the camera without taking them off. There are sizes from6 to 12 (XXL), and four neutral colours; black, brown, green and navy. £29.99 macwet.com

Lakeland Photographic Holidays What better Christmas gift than a shooting holiday in one of the UK’s most photogenic landscapes? Lakeland Photographic Holidays, based near Keswick, offers a blend of residential photo courses including full board, licensedaccommodation.Workshops run from the end of January through to the beginning of December, and if you book between 28 January and 25 March, prices are fromas little as £550. New for 2018 are a series of creative workshops on using intentional camera movement, slow shutter speeds and multiple exposure techniques. Book any 2018 workshop and pay a deposit by 26 January 2018 for a discount. From£550 lakelandphotohols.com

Epson Stylus Photo 1500W Get back into printing your images this Christmas, and the year beyond, with a superb dedicatedphotoprinterlikeEpson’sStylusPhoto1500W.Thisaffordable,fullyfeatured model prints up toA3+ in size, making it perfect for photographerswanting to see their work printed large and impressively displayed. The printer has built-in Wi-Fi, so you can easily print wirelessly from laptops, desktops, or smartphones anywhere in your home. Print quality and speed is great, too; thanks to Epson’s Variable-Sized Droplet Technology, which gives vibrant colours and smooth gradations, and a 6x4in print will be ready in 45 seconds. £329 epson.co.uk