Accessories

Do I Use a Protective UV Filter on my Lenses? No! But Also a Little Bit Yes…

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No Whether or not you should use a protective UV filter on your lenses is always a hot topic, so I get this question on my inbox from time to time. I personally believe you should not use a UV filter on your lenses for general protective purposes, and by this I mean leaving a filter on the lens all the time. Good lenses are precisely calibrated, and even if you invest in the absolute best UV filters on the market (most people don’t), they can still have a negative effect on image quality. Why would you want to spend …

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Gear Check: PackTowl Luxe

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So I had a rummage around in my camera bag for today’s Gear Check post and I pulled out this handy little travel towel called the PackTowl Luxe. PackTowl have been making ultralight towels for backpackers for many years, and I’ve owned several for travel and backpacking purposes. More recently, they came out with the Luxe line of towels, and when I saw one in my local outdoor store I knew I had to have one for my camera bag. I primarily keep it in my bag to dry my camera and lenses off after I’ve been shooting in the …

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Gear Check: Really Right Stuff Micro Clamp (B2-FABN-Micro)

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This week I stuck my hand in my little support accessory case and pulled out the Really Right Stuff B2-FABN-Micro clamp to show you guys. This tiny little Arca Swiss compatible clamp is another item I carry around for all sort of different uses. As you can see, it has two 1/4″ 20 threaded sockets on the bottom so you can screw it onto things like light stands, pocket tripods and ball heads. It also has two strap lugs on it for attaching a camera strap, and a QD socket in the middle. The QD socket is a kind of …

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A Note For 7D Mark II Users and Why I Returned My SmallHD 701 LCD Monitor

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My Canon 7D Mark II is still my favourite second camera to carry around alongside my 5D Mark IV, the pair of them just compliment each other so well. For video recording duties (mostly for Youtube stuff) I use the 7D Mark II, and I recently picked up a SmallHD 701 Lite 7″ LCD monitor in one of B&H’s crazy Deal Zone one day sales. After receiving it though, I stumbled upon an unexpected issue that I thought I should point out, because for me it forced me to return the monitor. When Canon first started enabling video recording in …

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13 Best Accessories for the Fuji X100F

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Continuing my coverage of the Fujifilm X100F, I wanted to detail the accessories that I deemed best to go with this awesome little camera. Vello LH-X100 Lens Hood (+Filter Adapter) The X100F doesn’t come with a lens hood and you have the option of buying the official Fuji one, or the Vello one for one third of the price. I decided to check out the Vello one, and I’m really pleased that I did! It’s essentially identical to the Fuji one, apart from the Vello name stamped on it. I do wish they hadn’t branded it with such large lettering, …

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Gear Check: FA-HSA Hot Shoe Adapter From Really Right Stuff

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Last month I came across this awesome little accessory that I think many people might find different uses for. It’s called the FA-HSA Hot Shoe Adapter and it’s made by Really Right Stuff, makers of the best camera support gear on the planet in my opinion (just check my gear list!). Note that at the moment, the FA-HSA is not listed amongst all the other RRS gear on the B&H Photo website for some reason. I suspect this is because it’s a relatively new addition to their lineup. You can buy it direct from RRS though, and I’ll make sure …

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Think Tank Vs. Aquatech Eyepieces

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I recently began using the new Aquatech Sport Shield Rain Covers for some of my camera setups and I’ve been incredibly impressed by them. Just like the Think Tank rain covers, the Aquatech ones require the use of a camera-specific eye piece. When I first wrote this blog post Think Tank were selling their eyepieces for $35 and the Aquatech ones were only $20. Much of the purpose of the post was to inform people that the Aquatech one work with the Think Tank covers, and therefore you can save yourself a bit of money. Well, fast-forward a little bit …

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Gear Check: LensCoat LensSack

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Anyone that dabbles in wildlife photography should have a photography bean bag in their kit. There are many opportunities to photograph wildlife from a vehicle, whether it’s your own car or a jeep on safari. When you do that, you’ll need a place to rest your camera! In fact, bean bags are much more useful than that. You can also use the on the ground to get beautiful low angle images of shorebirds on a beach, or any number of other small creatures. The first bean bag I got was the Gura Gear Sabi Sack, now sold by Tamrac under …

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Gear Check: Peak Design Cuff

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This week I thought I’d introduce you guys to a handy little wrist strap called the Cuff, from Peak Design. I have quite a few of these attached to smaller pieces of gear like my Sony RX100 MkIV and my Sony RX10 MkII, but they are also great to keep in your camera bag for larger DSLRs when you need something lightweight and a bit more discreet. They use the usual quick release system from all of Peak Design’s straps, so it’s easy to swap things around and use a bigger strap when necessary. At only $20, it also makes …

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Gear Check: DeLorme inReach SE

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In 2015 I started travelling with a DeLorme inReach SE in my bag on every photography trip. This is a satellite communication device that’s perfect for the adventurous photographers… click through to find out why.