You just climbed up on a pole and mounted your Gorillamobile to take some iPhone video, when you realize that it’s already too dark outside. What can you do to illuminate the object of your video desire?
If you brought along your GorillaTorch
, you can simply mount it next to your Gorillamobile, aim the light and adjust the light intensity anywhere between 0 and 65 lumens to get the best illumination of the scene.
The Joby Gorillatorch also features the same flexible, wrappable legs that all Gorillapods and the Gorillamobile do. It comes with magnetic feet, an integrated dimmer and a water-resistant casing. It weighs 1.6-ounces, so it is easy to carry with you into the field.
The Joby Gorillatorch is backed by a limited 1-year warranty.
Needless to say, but you can also use the Gorillatorch for iPhone photography.
Price: $34.95, Amazon: $29.95.
Need to wirelessly sync your DSLR and your strobes? Or just remote-trigger your camera?
One very small and practical solution for doing this is the MicroSync Digital. Whether you are shooting in the studio or on location, firing your strobes with a sync cord can be impractical or sometimes even impossible. Just use wireless instead! MicroSync Digital transmitters and receivers are very small, extremely lightweight, and very easy to use. Just place the transmitter in the hotshoe of your camera, plug the receiver into your strobe’s powerpack, make sure that both are on the same channel (there are four to choose from) and fire away!
The MicroSync Digital has a unique automatic on/off power management system. There are no on/off switches on the transmitter or the receiver. When you press the shutter the transmitter turns itself on, sends the signal to the receiver, then turns itself off, all in milliseconds. Because of this advanced power management system, the battery life of the coin cell in the transmitter is anticipated to be 3 years.
Price:
Transmitter/Receiver Kit: $149.95, Amazon: 139.95
Additional Receivers: $134.00, Amazon: $89.95
While its name sounds funny, ExpoImaging’s HonlPhoto Pro flash accessory system is anything but.
First, wrap the Speed Strap
velcro strap (pictured at the top right) tightly around the head of your flash unit. Since the bottom of the strip is rubberized, it will stick without any glue or rubber bands. Next attach any of the accessories to the velcro and start shooting!
Accessories include barndoors
(two-sided, one black, one white – pictured in the middle) to prevent stray light from entering your lens, a Speed Snoot
(pictured on the bottom right) to concentrate and direct the light from your flash exactly to where you want it (also works for targeted long-distance fill-flash in wildlife photography), honeycomb speed grids
in multiple sizes to narrow the beam of light from your flash as well as gel filter kits
Similarly, removal is easy. Just take off the accessories, then the SpeedStrap and put everything back into your bag or pack. Both setup and removal takes less than a minute.
Price: SpeedStrap starting at $9.95, Amazon: $9.95
Not just another reflector, but one that allows you to operate it with just one hand. The Lastolite Tri-Grip replaces the traditional round reflector with a triangular design with a built-in handle, thus allowing for easy manipulation of the reflecting panel, with no stand or support needed. The Tri-Grip Reflector measures approximately 33″ on each side. Two recently released new reflective surfaces include SoftSilver and Sunlite. SoftSilver is combination of one strip of silver and one strip of white helps tone down (soften) the harshness normally associated with a pure silver reflector. And Sunlite contains two strips of silver for every strip of Gold, thus minimizing the risk of blown highlights in an image.
Colors: Gold/White, Sunfire/Silver, Silver/White, and Translucent/Diffuse
Price: $75.00, Amazon: $59.95
LumiQuest released its brand new Quik Bounce, a flash diffusion accessory designed for use with or without a ceiling to soften the light. The unique design has doors that can open to allow for 80% ceiling bounce while allowing 20% of the light to bounce off the remaining surface area to provide fill light and more even illumination. This allows photographers to make use of existing ceiling space, if available, without having to switch to a different diffuser, if there is no ceiling to bounce light from.
Price: not announced yet
