Back in April we reported on an intriguing new product that had been revealed at the 2026 NAB show. Called PixelMob, the device was a feature-packed box of tricks from UnifyDrive, a company with a proven history in the portable hard drive and NAS sectors.

PixelMob has been designed to go large on versatility. At its heart is an NVMe SSD that enables image and video backup in the field, with the makers claiming it can automatically back up media from UHS-II SD or microSD cards, with no need for a laptop. In addition to its storage and card-reading capabilities, PixelMob also features a built-in screen, allowing it to double as a portable touchscreen HDMI on-camera monitor; plus, footage can be recorded to the internal storage at up to 4K/30fps.

It even works as a Wi-Fi hotspot, allowing single or batch image sharing without the need for a dedicated app - recipients simply scan a QR code on the PixelMob's screen to download straight from the drive - no internet connection required. And if that wasn't enough, PixelMob packs on-device AI, making it possible to cull photos and choose the best images on location, with minimal user intervention. AI can also enable voice-controlled color grading for photos, all on the device itself, which then exports XMP files supported by software like Lightroom and Capture One.

Two versions of the PixelMob have been revealed: the base PixelMob, with a 5.5-inch screen, and a high-end PixelMob Pro with a brighter 7-inch display, a longer 10-hour battery life, plus the addition of a CFexpress Type B card slot and faster USB4 connectivity.

At the time of the initial NAB reveal, little was known about the PixelMob's pricing and availability. That's now changed, and we can reveal a standard PixelMob will be priced at $699, though it's currently available for $499 with a Kickstarter Super Early Bird discount. PixelMob Pro will retail for $1299, though right now it could be had for $899 with an Early Bird offer. You'll need to add your own choice of NVMe SSD to the device to enable back-ups and internal video recording, but bundle deals are available which include an SSD.

Mass production is expected to commence in late October, with shipments starting in November 2026.

As with any crowdfunded product, a financial backing doesn't necessarily guarantee you'll receive the product itself, but with over $1 million pledged (the original funding goal was $50,000), things look positive for this compelling product.

SanDisk has introduced a new range of microSD cards designed for high endurance applications, such as security cameras and dash cams. The new Guardian Series cards are built to sustain 24/7 recording to ensure the best possible reliability in critical applications.

SanDisk Dash Cam card

Designed to pair seamlessly with a variety of dash cams, this microSD card has been tested to endure up top 40,000 hours of recording, while also being able to perform reliably in extreme cold, heat and humidity - the kind of environments likely to affect a vehicle's interior. With many of the best dash cams now offering 4K front+rear video recording, a microSD card intended for dash cams needs to be capable of fast performance. The SanDisk Dash Cam card is rated for up to 100MB/s read and 40MB/s write speeds; that's some way off the pace of the quickest microSD cards, but it should still be fast enough for even the most demanding 4K dash cams. Capacity options range from 32GB ($22.99/£20.99) up to 512GB ($149.99/£150.99), with all capacities being available to buy now.

SanDisk Security Cam card

A memory card for security cameras needs to be even more durable than one designed for a dash cam, as it's likely to be operating continuously, 24/7. Consequently, the SanDisk Security Cam card is rated to handle up to 4 years of continuous recording. That's great for cameras that only store footage locally, but it can also be invaluable as a back-up for cloud cameras, should your internet connection ever drop out. Like the Dash Cam card, this version is capable of up to 100MB/s read and 40MB/s write rates, making it suitable for high resolution recording up to 4K, and it's built to survive harsh outdoor environments, including extreme heat, cold and humidity. You also get the same 32GB-512GB capacity options, with identical pricing to the Dash Cam cards. SanDisk Security Cam microSD cards are available now and are backed by a 2-year limited warranty.

The Amaran T2c is a two-foot-long light tube that can be set to produce light matching specific color temperatures (such as daylight of 5600K), or provide gel-like colors that change the mood of a portrait in more creative ways.

Amaran is part of Aputure, a company that has been producing lighting equipment for professional filmmakers and photographers since 2005. Aputure launched its Amaran brand around 2020, creating a more affordable range of lighting products aimed at photographers, independent filmmakers, and content creators – so its lights should appeal to readers of Digital Camera World (you can read our review of an Aputure-branded MT Pro tube light for comparison).

Often, you’ll find that Amaran products have the Aputure branding added at the front of the title on retailer listings anyway, and indeed, the box the T2c shipped in states "Amaran by Aputure."

The Amaran range includes compact LED panels, full-color COB lights, flexible light mats, and portable battery-powered models. In addition to the two-foot-long T2c featured in this review, Amaran produces the four-foot-long T4c. The company also makes PT-series pixel tubes, which feature individually controllable lighting zones for more elaborate color and animation effects. For more recommendations for tube/wand/stick LED lights, check out our light wands buying guide.

More recently, Amaran has broadened its ambitions beyond lighting. Its current range includes the Amaran Mic, a wireless desktop microphone aimed at creators who want straightforward, studio-quality audio without a complicated setup. That expansion makes Amaran increasingly relevant to photographers who also shoot video, produce content for social media, or work from a home studio.

Amaran also provides modifiers, softboxes, and other accessories designed to turn its lights into more versatile creative tools. I’ve enjoyed testing Amaran lights before for DCW, such as the home studio flat panel Amaran Verge Max.

Amaran T2c: Specifications

Amaran T2c: Price

The Amaran T2c light tube can be picked up for around $199 / £206 / AU$379. This isn’t the cheapest light tube wand on the market, but as they say, you get what you pay for. It feels like a solidly built unit, with a black metal battery station/handle that blends beautifully with the matching metal section running along the length of the tube’s rear. Cheaper light wands tend to be constructed almost entirely from plastic, so the T2c feels more like a professional lighting accessory, deserving of its more professional-level price.

At 20W, the T2c isn’t the brightest light source, so if you’re prepared to pay more, you can upgrade to the similar but brighter T4c kit for in the region of $330 / £340 / AU$575. This gives you two tube lights, each with a 40W output. Despite being twice the length and twice the power, the T4c kit doesn’t cost twice as much as a T2c – and you get two lights in the kit. That makes it a tempting step up if you need more illumination output or want to create a more effective key-and-fill light setup.

Amaran T2c: Design & Handling

The Amaran T2c light tube has a reassuringly solid black metal spine running along its length, which should give the unit plenty of protection while being handled on a shoot. The tube is also capped with metal at either end for extra protection. On the opposite side of the metal spine is a white plastic diffuser that softens the output from the LEDs hidden inside the unit, producing a more flattering light with less harsh shadows – perfect for portraits!

On its own, the T2c weighs 2 lbs (0.91 kg), and you can power it by connecting the supplied power cable to the mains. I prefer to shoot models on location, so fortunately the T2c also ships with a sturdy 0.66 lb (0.3 kg) metal battery grip that you can charge at home. When docked to the light tube with a satisfying 'push and twist' motion, the battery grip makes the T2c a little heavier to wield – especially when doing the inevitable lightsaber impression – but my model, Maryna, had no trouble maneuvering the T2c and attached battery handle while we tested the light on location.

On the rear of the tube, along the black metal side, you’ll find a small OLED display with an adjacent plastic control dial that doubles as a button. This dial, in conjunction with a couple of additional Mode and Menu buttons, enables you to adjust a wide range of LED properties. The monochrome OLED screen is very small, though, and it takes a fair bit of pressing and twiddling to cycle through the various menus and sub-menus. I therefore preferred using the Sidus Link smartphone app to adjust the light’s color and effects while on location – as you’ll see in the Performance section (and in the accompanying video of my T2c test).

It’s important to note that the Amaran T2c isn’t simply an RGB LED light. In addition to red, green, and blue LEDs that can be mixed to produce a huge range of colors, the T2c uses an RGBWW chipset, with dedicated warm-white and cool-white LEDs. These enable you to select specific color temperatures and produce more natural-looking white light than you’d typically get by mixing RGB LEDs alone. This design feature also contributes to the T2c’s high CRI and TLCI scores, which indicate how accurately it can reproduce colors and skin tones. You can also tweak the greens and magentas individually, which enables you to remove unwanted tints.

Amaran T2c: Performance

To test the Amaran T2c light tube, I booked a model (any excuse!) and headed into London. Instead of my usual gloomy Barbican Centre interior, I decided to shoot Maryna in the busy Soho district, which is packed with colorful locations, such as Chinatown and the theatre district.

The day before, I’d tested the larger, more powerful Harlowe Max Spectra at the Barbican. The Spectra required a full-size lighting stand – which would be a tripping hazard in Soho. So for the slimmer, tube-shaped Amaran T2c I wanted something much more portable and with a much narrower footprint. I therefore brought along a Manfrotto Pixi mini tripod, planning to screw it directly into one of the mounting points at the top or bottom of the light tube.

However – while on location – as soon as I tried to screw the Pixi’s 1/4-inch mounting screw into the fitting at the end of the T2c, I realized that the light’s thread was too large. I’m used to many of the smaller tube lights I test having a standard 1/4-inch socket, so I had automatically assumed the same would apply here.

The thread that I was looking at was actually a larger 3/8-inch mounting point. The T2c does have 1/4-inch mounting options elsewhere on its body, alongside 3/8-inch threads with ARRI-style locating pins and a NATO rail. That wider selection reflects the T2c’s more professional video-production heritage, where 3/8-inch fittings and grip accessories are commonplace. It gives you plenty of ways to rig the light securely, although it does mean you need to pay a little more attention to which mounting point you’re using before heading out on a shoot.

I could have attached my Manfrotto Pixi to one of the 1/4-inch threads running along the rear of the T2c, but that would have positioned the tube horizontally, a few inches above the ground. For my portrait shoot, I wanted the light standing vertically, so the larger 3/8-inch fittings at either end were the more relevant mounting points, but useless to my needs on the day of the test.

Lacking a tripod that could hold the T2c vertically, I had to adapt – and this led to some unexpected but enjoyable results during my portrait test shoot. I was able to lean the light upright against a window and illuminate Maryna from the side, using HSI mode to dial in some creatively colored lighting. It was then a simple matter to paint the light itself out of the finished image in Photoshop using its highly effective Generative Fill tools.

I also laid the tube-shaped T2c horizontally on a table in a gloomy pub and added a strong daylight-balanced key light to the side of Maryna’s face, making it look as though she was being illuminated by light from an off-screen window. When there was no convenient surface available, I simply asked Maryna to hold the light just out of shot. As a result, I ended up shooting far more tight and intimate portraits than I usually would, just to keep the handheld light out of the frame.

And because the T2c looks a bit like a lightsaber, Maryna also had fun posing with the LED in shot. In fact, this inspired the header image for my review. I popped my iPhone 17 onto the Manfrotto Pixi and photographed Maryna wielding the T2c 'lightsaber' while it was set to a colorful RGB mode. I then shot a second version with the T2c set to CCT mode, with Maryna appearing to defend herself from her colorful alter ego. This demonstrated the versatility of the tube light’s LEDs and also gave me the ingredients for a fun Photoshop composite, using masks to blend the two shots together using an old-school split-screen technique.

As I mentioned in the Design section, I found the monochrome OLED screen and physical controls/buttons a little slow to navigate, so I preferred using the free Sidus Link smartphone app to control the T2c. From the app, I could tap and swipe to adjust the color of the light, dial in specific industry-standard gels, and trigger any of its 15 animated lighting effects.

The app was especially useful on location, where I could change color, brightness, and effects remotely without having to keep walking back to the light. To save myself the hassle of having to switch back and forth between Sidus Link and the Camera app, I ran the Sidus Link app on a separate iPhone, as you’ll see in the video below.

I also took the Amaran T2c along to an airshow to film my brother displaying his restored Willys Jeep. However, I found that the 20W output was just too weak when faced with the competing unshaded daylight of the outdoor location. However, as you’ll see from my test shots with Maryna, the T2c added plenty of atmospheric color and effective key light in shadier city locations.

Amaran T2c: Verdict

The Amaran T2c is a well-built LED tube light that seems to be aimed more at serious photographers and videomakers than casual content creators. Its RGB LEDs give you plenty of creative color options, while the dedicated warm-white and cool-white LEDs make it equally useful as a more conventional key or fill light.

I particularly enjoyed using the T2c in a busy city location, where its battery grip and relatively compact size made it easy to deploy without needing a full-size lighting stand. The mounting options are extensive, although the larger 3/8-inch threads at either end caught me out when I initially expected a 1/4-inch socket at the end of the tube for my mini tripod. But that’s my fault for not checking my kit before the shoot, as I could then have taken an adapter with me – as I did in my second airshow shoot.

The T2c’s small OLED screen and physical controls also felt a little fiddly, but the Sidus Link smartphone app made adjusting color, brightness, and lighting effects much more intuitive. And more importantly, the T2c encouraged me to experiment with the tube light both as a light source and as a prop, which made it genuinely fun to use while producing some creative and colorful results.

Alternatives

Harlowe (part of AEC Lighting Solutions Co. Ltd., a lighting company with more than 20 years’ experience) designs lights for photographers, filmmakers, and content creators. Formerly called Hobolite, the brand changed its name to Harlowe in October 2024. According to the company website, the name Harlowe "reflects a tribute to the Golden Age of Cinema" – perhaps evoking classic Hollywood actress Jean Harlow? This nod to classic cinema is appropriate, as most Harlowe lights are designed to have a vintage look, with brown vegan-leather panels blending stylishly with silver metal bodies.

Harlowe lights vary in cost, style, and size, from the portable Harlowe Sol 5 Spectra to the powerful and much more expensive Avant Max. The Harlowe Sol 30 Spectra Creator Kit has more in common with the Sol 5 Spectra than the Avant Max, in that it is a portable flat-panel LED. As its name suggests, the Sol 30 is a 30W LED, so it kicks out a brighter light than the older, smaller Sol 5. Both the Sol 5 and Sol 30 LEDs come with rather stylish carry cases, but with the Sol 30, Harlowe has gone one step further by collaborating with designer Adele Chan to create a distinctive retro-looking LED with a carry case that complements its vintage look.

Harlowe x Adele Chan Sol 30 Spectra Creator Kit: Specifications

Harlowe x Adele Chan Sol 30 Spectra Creator Kit: Price

The Harlowe x Adele Chan Sol 30 Spectra Creator Kit retails at $399.99 (other territories TBC). That might sound like a lot for a 30W LED, but with Harlowe products, you’re paying a premium for a beautifully designed light – and therefore paying designer prices.

There is also a 'Standard' Sol 30 kit that doesn't have the Adele Chan branding at $250, though this is merely a bi-color white light with a color temperature range of 2700–6500K, a plainer silver-gray and brown finish, and it comes in a far more basic carry pouch. Compare this with the 36,000 RGBCW colors and wider 1700–10,000K range of the Adele Chan edition, in its plush round carry bag.

If you compare the new Sol 30 with the older Sol 5, though, it actually looks like relatively good value for money. The smaller, less powerful Sol 5 sells for around $180, for a fairly measly 3W LED that can be boosted to 5W. The Sol 30’s 6.3-inch surface is also much wider than the Sol 5’s 2.7 inches, so you’re getting a much brighter, wider light source.

But even so, by including Adele Chan’s name in the title of the light, Harlowe is clearly pushing the 'designer' nature of the Sol 30 Spectra and charging a premium for it. So the questions you personally need to ask yourself, as with all 'designer' products, are: "Do I like the design?" and "Am I happy to pay a premium for it?"

Harlowe x Adele Chan Sol 30 Spectra Creator Kit: Design & Handling

On unboxing the Sol 30 Spectra kit, my first reaction was that this is a photography product with strong appeal to female buyers. My wife puts up with me playing with lots of photography gadgets in the living room and tends to ignore them, but on seeing the Sol 30’s dark green leather-look circular bag, with its brown faux-leather edging and chunky gold zips, her eyes lit up. She found the bag genuinely attractive. Chunky gold buckles attach, handbag-like, to a brown strap that can be worn across the body or slung over a shoulder. My model, Maddy, also expressed admiration for the Sol 30’s carry bag as soon as she saw it.

The feminine styling of the bag can be attributed to its designer, Adele Chan. Adele is Editor-in-Chief of NYLON Singapore, a digital magazine focusing on fashion, beauty, technology, travel, food, entertainment, art, and design, with a young, style-conscious audience. The collaboration with Adele is celebrated by her signature, engraved onto a gold panel on the front of the carry case alongside the Harlowe logo.

Adele’s fashion, photography, and visual-design credentials are a perfect match for the stylish retro design of Harlowe products and, as you’ll see from the supporting video in the Performance section, the carry case looks great slung over the shoulder of a glamorous model during a 'Bond girl'–style shoot.

But I’m using up most of this section’s word count talking about a carry case! Let’s move on to the light itself. My first impression on seeing the Sol 30 Spectra nestling in the soft, velvety interior of the carry case was that it complemented the design of the stylish bag while also looking unmistakably like a Harlowe product. The pine-green faux-leather panels matched the green of the case, while the raised gold body on the rear of the light, plus its two gold control buttons, echoed the gold detailing on the case’s zips.

The kit’s press release refers to the finish as "copper-toned metal", but to my eyes, it looked more like gold. That’s not a complaint! Lifting the light out of the case, its 1.27 lb (575 g) weight gave it a reassuringly substantial feel. However, the large raised section on the rear felt rather warm and plasticky, while the tactile ridged control knobs, thread-tightening knob, and cold-shoe mount felt cooler and more convincingly metallic.

The diffuser covering the LEDs on the front is plastic too, as you’d expect, but overall there seemed to be more plastic than metal in the Sol 30’s construction than I anticipated. Given the premium price, that was a little surprising – and slightly disappointing.

On the rear of the light, there is a circular gold mesh, with an "H" for Harlowe at the center. This reminded me of the grilles adorning old Tannoy speakers that you might have seen mounted on office or school walls in the 1970s, adding another nostalgic touch to a product range that excels at evoking a retro vibe. The rear of the light also features a color LCD screen that uses the same distinctive font found on other Harlowe products. I’ll go into more detail about controlling the light during a shoot in the next section.

Harlowe x Adele Chan Sol 30 Spectra Creator Kit: Performance

In previous Digital Camera World reviews, I’ve associated the retro design of Harlowe LEDs with classic Sean Connery Bond movies, so I was inspired to ask my model to dress up as a Bond girl for our location test shoot. The Sol 30 Spectra’s stylish retro case looked appropriate when slung over Maddy’s shoulder as she strode along the corridors of London’s 1960s Brutalist Barbican Centre. Indeed, the name Spectra even evoked Bond’s nemesis, SPECTRE. This inspired me to nickname her "Maddy the baddy" for the rest of the shoot.

As you’ll see from this section’s supporting video, the Sol 30 Spectra Creator Kit was the perfect accessory for our Bond girl. After unzipping the case and removing the light, Maddy had to press a button on the rear of the Sol 30. This activated a message on the color LCD screen instructing her to rotate a larger control knob to turn the LED panel on. This belt-and-suspenders approach prevents the light from accidentally switching on inside its case and draining the battery before a shoot. It’s a welcome design touch that appears across Harlowe’s LED range.

Dressed as a Bond girl, Maddy wore a leather garter containing a couple of knives for dispatching enemy agents. For the video review, I wanted her to remove a Manfrotto Pixi mini tripod from her garter and attach it to the 1/4-inch thread at the base of the Sol 30’s hinged lighting mount. The Pixi was a little too chunky to fit, so we cheated the garter gag in the edit! The Sol 30 also has a cold-shoe mount, so it can easily be attached to a conventional camera.

Maddy was then able to use the LED’s hingeable bracket (and the Pixi’s ball head) to point the light at her face and use her phone as a 'mirror' while applying some lipstick before continuing her mission. The Spectra’s 6.3-inch panel and 30W output provided ample illumination for her to work with in the gloomy corridors of the Barbican.

After filming the video section of my shoot, I used the Sol 30 Spectra to help illuminate the portrait stills that accompany this review. I’d brought along an Avant Max Spectra as my key light, which I set to a warm color temperature that complemented the location’s artificial light sources.

I placed the Sol 30 on top of a wall to the left of Maddy and set it to a contrasting cool-blue color temperature. This added a little modeling fill light that helped sculpt a more three-dimensional portrait of Maddy, rather than using a camera-mounted light source that would have produced a bland, flat-looking face.

Having these lights in the dark corridors of the Barbican was essential. As well as 'sculpting' the model with key and fill lights, the Harlowe LEDs also enabled me to use a faster shutter speed, which meant that few of my portraits suffered from motion blur as the model changed from one pose to another.

The Sol 30 Spectra is easy to control. You can use its two main knobs, which also function as buttons, to dial in a color temperature between 1700K and 10,000K. Alternatively, switching to RGB mode gives you a rainbow-spectrum display on the color LCD. Simply rotate a knob to dial in a wide range of more creative colors. Some hues, such as vibrant reds, can cause detail to disappear in a portrait, but you can easily switch to Saturation mode to dial down the intensity of any color.

You can also connect your smartphone to the Harlowe app and control the Sol 30 Spectra’s settings from your smartphone’s larger screen.

Harlowe x Adele Chan Sol 30 Spectra Creator Kit: Verdict

The Harlowe x Adele Chan Sol 30 Spectra Creator Kit is certainly one of the more stylish LED lights I’ve tested. Its retro green-and-gold design and beautifully made carry case give it a distinctive identity that helps justify its premium price, especially if you value how your kit looks as much as how it performs.

Fortunately, the Sol 30 isn’t simply a triumph of style over substance. Its 30W output and relatively large 6.3-inch panel make it a useful portable light for both photography and video, while the broad color-temperature range and RGB controls provide plenty of creative flexibility. I found it particularly effective as a colored fill light alongside a more powerful key light, and its straightforward physical controls make it quick to adjust on location.

You are undoubtedly paying extra for the Harlowe design aesthetic and the Adele Chan collaboration, and photographers who simply want the most light output for their money will find cheaper alternatives. But if you want a compact LED that performs well, is enjoyable to use, and looks rather fabulous while doing so, the Sol 30 Spectra has plenty of appeal.

As I’d like to identify more with Connery’s Bond, I’d prefer the 'big gun' of the more powerful Harlowe Max Spectra RGB LED. But if you’re more of a Moneypenny who likes to travel light – and in style – then you’ll probably be eyeing up the Harlowe x Adele Chan Sol 30 Spectra.

Alternatives

Nikon Direct has launched another tantalizing range of lifestyle products, including a rather fetching t-shirt and jacket, that Western Nikon fans can’t get their hands on. But in my continued quest to prove to Nikon that we overseas want merch, too, I thought I’d share the latest releases to hit the Japanese domestic market by way of Digital Camera Watch and the brand’s official online store.

Nikon clothing

First up, the aforementioned Nikon T-Shirt and Nylon Jacket. These classy clothing items both feature a tasteful, minimalist black design with an offset white Nikon logo on the chest and the classic Nikon red stripe on one arm.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I think adding Giorgetto Giugiaro’s timeless design cue is genius. Subtle enough, but if you know, you know. Both items of clothing are available in three sizes (M, L, XL). The t-shirt is priced at JP¥4,000 and the jacket JP¥9,600 (approx $25/£19/AU$36 and $61/£46/AU$87 respectively).

Nikon lifestyle accessories

You can also now pick up the Nikon Folding Umbrella and Nikon Folding Chair to go with your Nikon wardrobe. The folding umbrella is small and boasts a classic black design with a tiny Nikon label on the canopy. Underneath, it has a rather fetching white reverse, displaying a variety of Nikon cameras and lenses such as the Nikon Zf, Nikon Z8, and Nikon ZR.

It can be used to repel rain or as a parasol with light-blocking and UV-cutting ratings of 95% or more. It folds down into a small package that’s not much longer than a standard bottle of water. It’s priced at JP¥5,600 (approx $35/£27/AU$51).

The folding chair features a similar black design with a white Nikon logo and red stripe. It’s rated up to 100kg and packs down into a tiny 290x90mm bag and weighs just 520g. Ideal for long hikes or patiently waiting for that bird or mammal to appear. It’s priced at JP¥5,900 (approx $37/£28/AU$54).

All of this comes shortly after Nikon Direct launched a pair of Noct-themed accessories in the form of a neck warmer and pack of paper cups. Whatever will the folks at the ‘Big N’ think of next?

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There aren't a lot of devices I refuse to leave home without. There's my phone and camera, obviously, and a PocketTalk translator if I'm working somewhere that English isn't the first language. But there's one more device that I always slip into my camera bag or pocket, no matter where I am: the Lexar Professional Go Portable SSD.

I'm shooting more and more video these days, both as a dad with a six-month-old and as someone who covers press events and shoot a lot of social media content. I still shoot all my photos on a mirrorless camera, but for video my phone is infinitely quicker and more convenient – and when I take my iPhone, I can record in ludicrously good ProRes RAW if I want to.

But the one area where a camera would beat my phone is storage. Yes, shooting 4K 60p in ProRes RAW looks great, but it gobbles up the space on my phone faster than Pac-Man on a power pill binge. Lasy year I actually had to buy a duplicate phone, because I'd run out of space even after playing my usual hokey-kokey with apps and files.

This is where the Go has become an invaluable part of my workflow, both personally and professionally. This teeny tiny portable SSD is about half the length of a stick of gum, but it gives me two terabytes of lightning-fast storage that I can record directly to – even when I'm churning through PreRes footage flubbing my lines and repeating take after take.

It's hard to be precise, because I'm usually juggling a lot of files when I'm using this in the field, but I've comfortably shot about a couple of hours of ProRes on this thing before I figured I'd better transfer everything to my computer – which I could never dream of doing with just my phone!

With read and write speeds of 1,050MB/s and 1,000MB/s, I don't have to worry about frame drops or any kind of impact on my footage at all – it's like capturing natively to my phone, which gives me peace of mind while I'm focused on filming.

I'd assume you can do exactly the same thing if you've got a fancier phone that shoots 8K, but mine doesn't so I didn't get to test that – and you'd also have to be mindful about overheating, which wasn't a problem for me, but obviously you're going to generate more heat the more resolution you're pumping through.

I recently discovered just how tough it is, too, as an errant cup of coffee in a café gave it a bath I hadn't intended. While I was less than thrilled to have wasted almost ten bucks on my undrunk mocha, the Go survived completely unscathed thanks to its IP65 rating for dust and water (and apparently coffee) resistance.

This clever little cookie is more than just small and caffeine-proof, however; it comes with a brilliant hub that enables me to expand to a full shooting setup when I need to. It has four USB-C ports, including a 30W PD charging port, meaning I can slap in a light and microphone receiver without having extra cables trailing all over the place.

I try to avoid doing that whenever possible, otherwise I may as well use my camera to film video, but when needs must this really does change the game – for starters, I'll never have to use the huge horrible rig I used to be stuck with ever again.

And once I'm done shooting, I can connect it straight to my laptop and transfer all my files for editing – or to my wife's phone if we're overseas and I want to use her 5G coverage which is somehow better than mine even though we're on the same network.

The Lexar Professional Go Portable SSD has been a real revelation. I've been testing it ever since CP+ in Japan earlier this year, where it was such a life saver when working in cramped press rooms and on the show floor. If you're someone who creates content on your phone – or who just wants a tiny SSD that's the same size as the eraser in your kid's pencil case – this one comes highly recommended.

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Tenba has launched a new line-up of camera shoulder bags: DNA v2. Sporting a design reminiscent of vintage shoulder bags from the film photography era, DNA v2 bags are intended to pair perfectly with cameras like Fujifilm X-series bodies, the Nikon Zf and Z fc, as well as Leica M cameras.

But although DNA v2 bags may look retro, they're very much constructed from 2026 materials. Each bag is made from a brushed polyester twill with a durable water-repellent finish on the face and a double PU coating on the reverse, while every exterior opening is protected by water-repellent zips. These are styled to look like metal, in-keeping with the retro look, but are actually polymer, so won't scratch your gear. Additional weather protection is provided by an included silver/black reversible rain cover, with the silver side intended to reflect sunlight on hot days.

The DNA v2 shoulder bag is available in four size options: the smallest DNA v2 Shoulder Bag 10 fits a mirrorless, rangefinder or compact DSLR camera with 3–4 lenses, plus a tablet up to 11 inches. Step up to the Shoulder Bag 14 and there's space for a mirrorless or DSLR camera with 3–5 lenses (up to an unattached 70-200mm f/2.8), plus a 14-inch laptop. The Shoulder Bag 16 has a similar capacity for camera gear, but can hold a 16-inch laptop, while the largest DNA v2 Shoulder Bag 16 Pro has been designed to store a pro-size mirrorless or DSLR camera with a grip, 4–6 lenses up to an attached 70-200mm f/2.8, plus a 16-inch laptop. All four variants come in either black or blue colorways.

Whichever size you choose, you get 3-Stage dual-zip top access that allows immediate, unobstructed access to your gear (the top flap folds back and attaches to the interior sidewall, so it is completely out of the way). The laptop/tablet pocket is accessed separately to the camera compartment, making it easy to remove a laptop when passing through airport security.

Additional pockets on the front provide space for batteries, cables, memory cards and other accessories, while an elastic side pocket secures a water bottle. An extra zipped side pocket offers quick storage for a lens or other larger items. There's even a hidden Bluetooth tracker pocket compatible with AirTag and Tile. Everything is suspended on shoulder strap pad made from memory foam, which Tenba says should give body-contouring all-day comfort.

Tenba DNA v2 bags are available now, and are priced very keenly. Expect to pay from an $169.95/£140 for the smallest DNA v2 Shoulder Bag 10, up to $219.95/£180 for the range-topping DNA v2 Shoulder Bag 16 Pro.

Xtra has used its official social feed to share a release with an apology for the delay in the promised Muse 2 and Muse 2 Pro, cameras which were trailed on August 13 but have yet to appear on sale.

The US-based camera and drone company seems to be trying to fill the gap in the market that is being left as the American government clamps down on free trade in general and Chinese company DJI specifically, which has meant the recent DJI Osmo Pocket 4 and Pocket 4P have been released everywhere except America.

The Muse 2 Pro pocket gimbal camera seems to offer very similar specifications to the Pocket 4P (as, some have observed, the original Muse did the Pocket 3). Indeed Xtra has taken the opportunity not just to make its apology, but to point out that the original Muse is still available and an appealing prospect at its current price.

If you're planning on waiting, it's worth remembering that while Xtra's last re-iteration of the launch was in August, it actually showed the Muse 2 Pro in July at a launch event, which is a long time to not release a product.

Even before that, DJI is being clamped down on by the US government, so any connection between the companies (and the technological similarities are undeniable). At first what was just a ban on drones now seems to cover all new DJI products in 2026, while the FCC – which imposed that ban – expanded its investigation to include Xtra. This was based on a claim that the XTRA devices were exact hardware copies.

Xtra has also issued refunds to pre-orders made after that announcement, around the same time the FCC proposed a $25,000 penalty to Xtra, partly because it didn't respond to the Commission's investigations.

Many saw the Muse series as the way round the DJI ban, but clearly that was a temporary phenomenon at best.

That said, those looking for the best action cameras and the best pocket gimbal cameras may now be more interested by the Insta360 Luna Ultra as a credible alternative to the chimaera of a Muse 2 Pro – it is already on sale (and I was thoroughly impressed in my review).

You can’t beat an L-bracket for convenience if you want to shoot in landscape and portrait orientation when using a tripod, while maintaining precisely the same shooting position. An L-bracket also ensures an optimum center of gravity in portrait orientation shooting, rather than your camera hanging off to one side of your tripod head. However, I have a problem. I’m a bit of a camera addict and have quite a few in my current collection. 3 Legged Thing makes dedicated L-brackets for a vast range of specific bodies, but buying an L-bracket for each and every camera would be a costly business.

The original 3 Legged Thing Lexie solved the problem with its universal design. Thanks to easy adjustability, you could tailor it to fit just about any camera in just a couple of minutes. One size really does fit all. I’ve been using one for years and didn’t really think it could be improved upon. I was wrong. The new Lexie QD adds a Quick Detach socket and is an even better fit for the 3 Legged Thing XPAND system, which I’ll come to a bit later. The new Lexie definitely has her eyes on the prize for being one of the best L-brackets on the market, as well as one of the most adaptable and versatile.

3 Legged Thing Lexie QD: Specifications

3 Legged Thing Lexie QD: Price

Everything’s going up in price nowadays, even more so when a ‘new and improved’ replacement comes along. Bucking the trend in a surprisingly budget-friendly move, the new Lexie QD costs $60 / £50 / AU$129. That’s pretty remarkable, considering that the original version of the Lexie universal L-bracket still lists for a more expensive $65 / £60 / AU$138 (although you might be able to pick up one of the last few remaining on special offer if you’re quick). Either way, I reckon the new Lexie QD is excellent value for money, if the features, build quality and performance all hold up. Let’s find out…

3 Legged Thing Lexie QD: Design & Handling

Some people like bright colors; others prefer to go to the dark side. The Lexie QD caters to different tastes, being made in alternative orange and black options. Both are engineered from aerospace-grade magnesium alloy, with stainless steel QD sockets and screws, and anodized in their respective colors. Naturally, the different colorways match up with 3 Legged Thing’s tripods, monopods, heads, and other accessories in its extensive catalog.

The base plate is where all of the new design work and re-engineering is focused. Instead of having a strap loop at one end, the new plate features an XPAND Triple Axis Slot instead, plus a new QD socket in its main body. More on those later.

As far as I can tell, the upright plate is identical to that of the original Lexie, which is no bad thing. It has a similar connection system to the one featured at the outer end of the base plate, but placed at both the top and the bottom of the upright. There’s also a cutout on one side for cable management. Continuing the ‘universal’ theme of the L-bracket, you can position the cutout in any of four different placements, tailoring it for the best fit.

To adjust the length of the base plate to suit your camera and to connect the base plate and upright together, there are two different sizes of hex-head screws. A third size is used for the camera mounting screw. My only slight niggle is that while 3 Legged Thing supplies a neat dual-size hex key in the kit, there’s also a separate, more basic hex key in the pack for adjusting the length of the base plate. Naturally, this means carrying an extra hex key around with you if you need to alter the base plate length for a different camera. I’d have preferred to see the smart 3 Legged Thing Toolz2 included in the kit, which features all three sizes of 4mm, 3mm, and 2.5mm hex keys, plus a coin key, bottle opener, and both carabiner and keyring attachments. It’s a great little gadget, well worth the extra $8 / £8 / AU$11 to buy it separately.

Crucially, the base plate and upright join together with a really firm and secure fit, so there’s no hint of wobbling or unsteadiness. In the shortest configuration of the base plate, the upright fits flush to one side, as shown in the image below.

To ensure universal appeal, the extendable inner part of the base plate has no fewer than seven alternative screw holes. You can rest assured that it won’t pull out too far and drop off when making adjustments, thanks to two additional safety screws that you can see in the following image.

Whereas the base plate of the original Lexie had two slots for securing a camera, the QD edition has just one. That certainly shouldn’t be a problem and, again, it comes with a stainless steel ‘Stagsden’ camera mounting screw (Stagsden being the historic home village of 3 legged Thing in the UK). The screw can be fastened with either a coin key or a hex key, but there’s no D-ring for just using a finger and thumb.

Shown just next to my thumb in the image below is the new stainless steel QD (Quick Detach) socket. If the system is new to you, it’s a type of quick and easy yet extremely secure fixing that’s used by an increasing number of companies (including NASA, for securing cargo on space rockets). A simple press of a button is all you need to release whatever’s plugged into the socket.

A good choice for the socket in the base plate is one of the 3 Legged Thing Axis camera straps, which include neck, crossbody, harness, wrist, and backpack options. This enables you to quickly and easily swap between shooting handheld with a neck strap or wrist strap, or removing the strap so that it doesn’t dangle down when mounting the L-bracket on a tripod or other support.

With the base plate and upright joined together, there are XPAND Triple Axis Slots at both free ends of the L-bracket, as shown in the image below. These are fully compatible with the 3 Legged Thing XPAND system. If you need an introduction, it’s a system that features cheese plates, risers, and other magnesium alloy components, so that you can build your own fully customized cage or rig. It’s a bit like Meccano for camera supports. The base plate and upright also feature additional 1/4-inch threaded sockets for attaching the likes of magic arms, LED lamps, mics, and other accessories.

By way of example, when I used the Lexie QD with my Sony A7 III camera, I extended the sliding inner part of the base plate so that the third threaded socket was used for locking the upright in place. You’ll notice this in the image below, which also shows the two 1/4-inch threaded sockets for attaching accessories.

A problem when using any L-bracket is that the various connectivity ports of your camera can become inaccessible because they’re obscured by the upright’s metalwork. With so many different makes and models of cameras on the market, this can be more of a problem with a ‘universal’ L-bracket that isn’t designed for a specific body. However, I found that all of the ports of my Sony camera were accessible, and that I could open and close the weather flaps with the camera fixed to the L-bracket.

The final item in the kit of parts is a drawstring pouch. It’s nicely made, bears the 3 Legged Thing logo, and is useful for stashing the L-bracket and its incumbent tools when they’re not in use.

3 Legged Thing Lexie QD: Performance

I’ve always been impressed by 3 Legged Thing’s dedicated L-brackets. Designed for use on specific camera bodies, they’re made from a single piece of magnesium alloy. As such, there are no separate parts with joints between them that are potential weak points. These dedicated L-brackets are wonderfully rigid and inflexible.

My worry with the Lexie QD is that it’s basically two separate plates joined together. Actually, make that three plates if you include the sliding inner part of the base plate, which enables the ‘universal’ fit. My concerns turned out to be unfounded, as I found that the Lexie QD remained incredibly robust and resistant to any unwanted flexing or twisting when assembled and in use.

Any weakness or wobble in the joints becomes more apparent when shooting in portrait orientation rather than landscape orientation. In this configuration, the upright is mounted on the tripod, and the camera is still mounted to the base plate, putting more stress on the joint that connects everything. Throughout my extensive testing with different camera models and different sizes and weights of attached lenses, I found that the Lexie QD remained absolutely stable and rigid.

Finally, the Arca-Swiss profile of both the base plate and upright enables quick and easy swapping between portrait- and landscape-orientation shooting, as well as maintaining an ideal balance. And that’s really the main point of an L-bracket, after all.

3 Legged Thing Lexie QD: Verdict

In the land of L-brackets, I think that Lexie QD is the reigning queen of versatility. It’s not just that the new 3 Legged Thing bracket is universal and able to quickly and easily adapt to fit almost any camera. And it’s not just that the Lexie QD combines effortless adaptability with rock-solid support and robust, rigid performance that never falters or flexes. The upgrades that elevate the QD edition above the original version are that versatility is taken to new dimensions.

First up, the addition of a QD (Quick Detach) socket makes it effortless to swap between tripod-mounted shooting in either landscape or portrait orientation, and handheld shooting with the security of a 3 Legged Thing Axis camera strap that simply plugs into the QD socket. You can also add other compatible accessories to the QD socket, and it’s equally quick and easy to detach them again, as its name implies.

Secondly, there’s also enhanced compatibility with the 3 Legged Thing XPAND system, going a fair way beyond what was possible with the original version of the L-bracket. That’s thanks to XPAND Triple Axis Slots being featured on the spare end of the base plate, instead of just on both ends of the upright. To seal the deal, the Lexie QD costs even less to buy than the original, making it great value for money.

Alternatives

Tether Tools has released two new storage products designed for a rather unusual location: the space between the legs of a tripod. These 'tripod hammocks' turn what would otherwise be dead space into somewhere to place frequently used gear, keeping it safe, off the ground, and easily accessible during a shoot.

Two hammock versions are available: the Tripod Hammock Sport, and the Tripod Hammock Multi-Pro.

Tripod Hammock Multi-Pro

Priced at $99.99, this is the premium offering. It serves not just as a temporary open storage hammock, but can also be zipped up and transported as an enclosed triangular kit bag. Inside are three segments, separated by removable padded dividers. Within each section are three removable pouches, each large enough to fit a small lens, or other accessories like batteries, filters, or cables. Around the edge of the main hammock unit you'll also find multiple exterior quick-access pockets ideal for memory cards.

The Tripod Hammock Multi-Pro is suspended from a tripod's legs using a magnetic quick-connect system that holds securely but is still easy to attach and remove. This enables rapid setup and teardown, after which the hammock can be zipped closed and moved using the integrated carry handle, or attached to a backpack. A durable, weather-resistant rip-stop construction keeps the hammock usable in inclement conditions.

Tripod Hammock Sport

If you like the idea of having a convenient place to put gear during a shoot, but don't need the enclosed storage design of the Tripod Hammock Multi-Pro, then the Tripod Hammock Sport is for you. It's priced at $49.99, and does away with the closable top of the Multi-Pro, as well as its interior dividers and three separate storage pouches. Instead you get a single open area to temporarily place frequently used gear, though there are small, quick-access pockets on the side where you can keep smaller items. Thanks to its more minimalist design, the Sport is able to fold small for compact transportation, but still features a protective PU coating and a tear-resistant design for enhanced durability and weather resistance.

Both the Tripod Hammock Sport, and the Tripod Hammock Multi-Pro are available to buy now from B&H.

What’s better than one camera? Two, of course! Enter the Vanguard Pro 2N1 Strap – an Arca-Swiss-compatible dual-camera harness that enables two camera bodies with different lenses to be hung off your shoulders, bringing them within easy reach.

There are a variety of situations where a dual-camera harness comes in useful, such as professional wedding or sports photographers who need to shoot with multiple cameras, allowing them to quickly swap to another camera with a different lens attached and ready to go.

Dual camera harnesses are nothing new, and I’ve previously reviewed the BlackRapid Blackline II, BlackRapid Double Breathe, and the Coiro Dual straps for Digital Camera World. However, the Vanguard Pro 2N1 Strap has a couple of unique features, including the ability to be split in half and be used as a single shoulder sling, in addition to its Arca-Swiss plate design – so without further ado, let’s put it to the test and find out if this is the one you should go for.

Vanguard Pro 2N1 Strap: Specifications

Vanguard Pro 2N1 Strap: Price

The Vanguard Pro 2N1 Strap costs $170 / £100 / AU$220, so how much of a bargain it is depends on whereabouts you're based. In the UK, it's considerably cheaper than Black Rapid’s most popular harness, the Double Breathe, which costs $180 / £150 / AU$270, whereas in the US there's a lot less in it.

The UK price of the Vanguard Pro 2N1 Strap is more in line with the Coiro Classic Dual, which costs $98 / £98 / AU$155. That said, the Coiro harness is made from leather straps riveted together and can't be used as a single strap, whereas the Pro 2N1 Strap can, so it's more versatile on that front. I personally think the Coiro strap looks a little more stylish and characterful, which is important for me when shooting weddings. However, being made of leather, it won't be suitable for those who avoid animal products.

If you like the practical functionality of having a dual harness that can be used as single shoulder straps and also has a versatile Arca-Swiss plate design, you won’t be disappointed with the Vanguard Pro 2N1 Strap.

There's also a Vanguard Pro Strap designed for a single camera only, which cost $120 / £75 / AU$150.

Vanguard Pro 2N1 Strap: Design & Handling

The Vanguard Pro 2N1 Strap has a maximum length of 178cm and a strap width of 2.5cm. Impressively, Vanguard claims it can withstand a maximum weight of up to 150 kg – though let’s face it, realistically we’ll be carrying much less than this, even with the heaviest of pro cameras and monster telephoto lenses loaded up.

Tipping the scales at 430g, the Pro 2N1 Strap is almost 100g heavier than the popular BlackRapid Double X Extra Comfort, undoubtedly because there’s a lot of metal hardware on the Vanguard harness, especially around the quick-release mechanisms. On the other hand, it's significantly lighter than the Coiro Classic Dual leather harness, which weighs a hefty 625g.

Padding on the shoulder areas of the Vanguard is fairly thin at 5mm. It also has a rubberized texture on the inside, so it’s less breathable than the BlackRapid. I’ll come on to how comfortable I found it to be in real-world scenarios in the Performance section.

The Pro 2N1 Strap is currently only available in black or a greeny-gray option, which makes it quite utilitarian – as a working wedding photographer myself, I often sacrifice the comfort and features of padded black straps in favor of a leather harness such as those from Coiro, which come in different color options and help to make me ‘look the part’, so I can inject a bit of character into my wedding outfit.

That said, if black is your thing, or you need the dual harness to shoot something like motorsports, this rugged, utilitarian design is almost definitely a better choice for you. It’s also no bad thing that black helps you keep a low profile, which could be desirable for some photographers or videographers.

One of the Pro 2N1 Strap’s party tricks is that it uses Arca-Swiss mounting plates. These require a tool, such as the included hex wrench or a flathead screwdriver or coin to affix to your camera initially, so in practice they take a little longer to remove or attach to your camera than the lugs that come with the Black Rapid and Coiro straps, which can be screwed in tight by hand without any tools. However, once the Vanguard plates are installed, you really have no reason to remove them again due to their versatile Arca-Swiss design, which is universally compatible with many common tripods and monopods.

There are clear real-world benefits for this, including wedding photographers shooting low-light scenes on a tripod and motorsports enthusiasts switching a single monopod between two camera bodies, each loaded with different lenses.

Cameras can be detached from the harness fast using the quick-release buttons, and while this is fast, this actually doesn’t allow the Arca-Swiss connection to be accessed; instead, you need to use the slower thumbscrew to detach your camera from the Arca-Swiss plate, and this felt like a bit of a strange design choice.

There are also two safety tethers included in the box, which loop through points on the harness and connect to the lugs on your camera to add another point of security should your camera accidentally take a tumble.

As you might have guessed by its name, the Pro 2N1 Strap can be split in half and used as two single straps, either going over your left or right shoulder, depending on your preference.

Vanguard Pro 2N1 Strap: Performance

One of the most unique aspects of the Vanguard Pro 2N1 is its implementation of Arca-Swiss-compatible camera plates that connect to the harness. While these do feature a quick-release button, this disconnects a larger mechanism, so getting hold of the camera with just the Arca-Swiss plate attached takes longer and requires turning the thumbscrew to detach it from the harness.

However, this is still very speedy to do. As a wedding photographer, I don’t find myself having to faff around with changing tripod plates that often, unless I’m doing something particularly fancy such as a group shot at night where I’ll use a long exposure so that guests can write words with sparklers – here a tripod is essential, though I would say 99% of my wedding shots are taken handheld with them firmly glued to the harness.

But perhaps I’m being unfair – it could well be that the reason I have been reluctant to take them off the harness and use a tripod is that I know how much of a pain it will be to switch over to a tripod plate, slowing me down and potentially resulting in me missing a key moment.

Although I like to ‘run and gun’ most of my weddings using a dual harness, there are certain situations, such as the big family group shots, where using a tripod would be beneficial and ensure consistent framing as family members are swapped in and out, not to mention this would also remove any chance of camera shake creeping in from shooting handheld.

I reckon Vanguard’s Pro 2N1 Strap will be more desirable in the realms of sports and motorsports, where photographers are either shooting handheld or on a tripod, or more likely, a monopod. I can see the ability to switch cameras sharing a single monopod being very handy indeed.

The shoulder pads of the Pro 2N1 Strap have a solid rubberized texture on the inside, which makes them grippy but not breathable, unlike the Black Rapid Sports Breathe, which has holes for ventilation. The grippy texture on the shoulder pads do a good job of keeping the harness in place when you’re on the move, there are also two plastic bumpers on each of the straps that can be adjusted to restrict the range of movement to stop your cameras swinging about too much. This is particularly handy when you need to lean forward or crouch down as it stops the cameras from lurching forward unexpectedly.

Secondary safety tethers are essential on a camera harness to prevent your expensive camera and lenses from crashing to the floor should is slip from your grip once removed from your harness, or in the unlikely scenario that the main connection fails. While the Vanguard Pro 2N1 Strap does come with these additional straps, their toggles appeared to pop out of their connectors with a very light touch and I would have been more reassured if it took a bit more force to separate them. That said, they never failed me during testing.

The Vanguard Pro 2N1 Strap is pretty much half the price of Black Rapid’s Double Breathe, which is the company’s most popular dual camera harness. Doing a side-by-side comparison, the Vanguard sadly does feel of inferior quality, though it’s a much more budget-friendly option, so that shouldn’t really come as a surprise. The shoulder padding feels thin, basic, and is unventilated, while bringing the cameras up to eye level would often get snagged or caught and weren’t as smooth to glide up to eye-level as on the Black Rapid Double Breathe.

That said, it has nice features like an elasticated sternum strap and there’s no shortage of buckles you can adjust to make sure it fits your build perfectly.

All of the metal components on the Pro 2N1 Strap feel solid and of good quality, so there are no issues here; they feel hefty and built like a tank. However, I have a qualm with the design choice of the quick-release system, which, yes, it disconnects the camera from the harness so you can shoot untethered and handheld – but this doesn’t give you fast access to the Arca-Swiss plate, which requires a separate piece of metal to be unscrewed by a thumbscrew – it just seems like an odd design choice for me. The USP of this product is that Arca-Swiss connection – so why slow down being able to get to it and use it?

Vanguard Pro 2N1 Strap: Verdict

You’ll struggle to find a decent double camera harness on the market for less than £100, which makes the Pro 2N1 Strap a really good budget option in the UK, offering great bang for your buck and, if you are limited by strict budgets, you’ll still be treated to some very handy features.

However, the US price of $170 is not quite so competitive, potentially due to higher tarrifs, and this makes it similarly priced to its competition from Black Rapid, which is built better, though doesn't have the flexibility of its Arca-Swiss mounting system.

I’ll make no bones about it – the Pro 2N1 Strap isn’t the most comfortable or best kitted out harness on the market, but it does offer a great set of features at a decent price. In the UK it costs similar money to the Coiro Classic Dual, so if leather products aren’t your thing, the Vanguard Pro 2N1 Strap offers a fantastic alternative.

Alternatives

Vanguard and I go back a long way. I’ve been testing and reviewing its kit for the last 20 years or so, and have generally been very impressed along the way. If you’re not so familiar, allow me to make the introductions… Vanguard is a global company with headquarters in Myanmar and branches in many countries around the world. It’s been making high-quality tripods and other photographic accessories, as well as the likes of binoculars, spotting scopes, backpacks, and gadget bags, building up an extensive catalog over the last 40 years or so.

Although Vanguard has a very diverse range of products, it’s always tripods that first spring to mind when I think of the company. The Veo 5 264CO is a case in point, but unlike most of the range, it’s designed for spotting scopes rather than for photography or videography. As such, it’s geared towards high-magnification scopes that you might use for birdwatching, wildlife and nature, target sports and hunting, surveillance and tactical use, and even for astronomy. With its upmarket carbon fiber build and 2-way pan head, the Veo 5 264CO kit aims to be one of the best spotting scope tripods on the market.

Vanguard Veo 5 264CO: Specifications

Vanguard Veo 5 264CO: Price

The Vanguard Veo 5 264CO sells for around $399 / £280 / AU$399. As a premium carbon fiber full kit, that’s pretty reasonable compared with another of the favorite luxury kits, featured in our best spotting scope tripods buying guide. That’s the 3 Legged Thing Winston 2.0 Kit, which costs around $499 / £339 / AU$629. For my money, the Winston is more of a photographic tripod anyway, and its ball head is less ideal for spotting scopes.

If the Vanguard carbon fiber kit is beyond your budget, there’s a more ‘affordable’ Vanguard Veo 5 264AO aluminum version that costs rather less to buy, at around $349 / £220 / AU$299.

Vanguard Veo 5 264CO: Design & Handling

Even the very best spotting scopes don’t tend to be particularly weighty, unlike a camera fitted with a monster telephoto lens. Nearly all of the scopes I can think of weigh less than 2kg / 4.4lb, most are 1kg / 2.2lb or less, and some only weigh about 0.5kg or about a pound. Suffice it to say that you don’t need a tripod with a mighty maximum payload rating. Some photographic tripods, like the Winston 2.0 that I mentioned earlier, have a 40kg / 88lb payload rating, which is frankly overkill for a spotting scope.

You might think that the 8kg / 17lb payload rating of the Veo 5 that I’m reviewing here is much more than you need. However, I wouldn’t go too flimsy. Due to the high-power magnification of spotting scopes, you still need a tripod that’s going to be rigid and resistant to vibrations, which can be hugely magnified when you look through the eyepiece. The extra payload rating also gives you scope, so to speak, to add ballast, which can steady the tripod in windy conditions.

Sturdiness is enhanced by Vanguard’s decision to use a fairly chunky outer leg section with a diameter of 26mm. I think that’s a good compromise between sturdiness and not making the tripod too heavy to carry out in the wild. A little bonus is that one of the upper sections also features a rubber comfort pad, often omitted in carbon fiber rather than aluminum tripods. It not only makes the tripod more comfortable to carry, but also makes it feel less slippery in wet weather.

Extending the legs a little, I measured off the four sections at 26, 23, 20, and 17mm, working my way down to the bottom. Again, I think the choice of four sections per leg is ideal. It enables a fairly compact carrying size as well as a fairly generous maximum operating height. Most spotting scopes have a 45-degree angled eyepiece, so you don’t generally need a tripod to be overly tall. The Veo 5’s maximum of 167cm / 66in should more than suffice.

It’s tempting for manufacturers to include five sections in each leg, which are often featured in some of the best travel tripods, where a small folded size can be a prime consideration. I’m glad that Vanguard resisted the urge when designing this spotting scope tripod, for two reasons. Firstly, the total of 12 section clamps in 5-section tripods adds to the time and effort required for setup and takedown. Secondly, the bottom leg sections often end up being thin and spindly, lacking rigidity and robustness.

For speed and ease of use, I favor twist locks rather than flip locks, especially if they operate with minimal rotation for loosening and clamping. The twist locks featured here are designed to do just that, while being silent in operation, which can be important in the context of birding and wildlife. Moreover, the twist locks are designed to be easy to clean, so you can venture out into the mucky outdoors without being too precious about your tripod.

There are three different locking leg angles on offer: 23, 50, and 80 degrees. I really like the simple pushbutton mechanism for selecting different angles, and that you don’t need to swing them all the way up and then come down again in increments to complete the process. It’s another factor that makes the Veo 5 quick to adjust without any unwanted, audible clicks.

I’ve started to notice some manufacturers making triangular-profile center columns. This tends to enable a space-saving design, with the legs fitting more snugly around the column. In this case, Vanguard has opted for a hexagonal center column. Again, it can save a little space, but it also ensures that you can remove the center column and slot it directly into a traditional clamp, if one is available in a birding/wildlife hide. For adding stability when the center column is back in the tripod, there’s a weight hook at the bottom for adding ballast.

The ability to invert the center column is of little benefit when using a spotting scope. Of much greater value, you can split the column into two separate sections. This leaves a relatively short, stubby section at the top, so you can splay the legs and achieve an ultra-low viewing position with your spotting scope the right way up.

To ensure a firm footing on any type of surface, the tripod feet are made from rubber pads with retractable metal spikes. I’d use the rubber pads on most surfaces, but the metal spikes can give greater stability on very soft or loose ground.

On two sides of the canopy that connects the three legs together up top, there are sockets with standard 3/8in threads. You can use these to add accessories with or without magic arms for greater control over positioning. If you need a 1/4in thread instead, you can simply use a 3/8in to 1/4in adapter. Another bonus is that the sockets include bayonet slots on either side, which work with compatible accessories to avoid any unwanted twisting when fitted.

Also on the canopy is a bubble level that aids in easy leveling of the legs. If you switch from your spotting scope to using a camera for shooting stills or video, this helps to ensure that your horizon stays level in the shot if you start panning.

Moving up to the head, the kit comes with Vanguard’s VEO PH-28 2-Way Pan Head. It’s specially made for spotting scopes, with smooth panning and tilting being core design criteria. As such, it can rotate through a full 360 degrees, while also offering a tilt range of 91 degrees forward and 30 degrees backwards. Also available to buy separately, the head typically costs around $100 / £120 / AU$179 on its own.

I like that the panning handle has a retractable design and that a simple twist is all that’s needed to lock or release both the tilt and panning movements. As such, it offers a completely one-handed operation of the head, leaving your other hand free to adjust magnification and focusing controls on the spotting scope.

The head’s scope platform has an Arca-Swiss profile and comes complete with a spring-loaded safety locking pin and bubble level. The locking pin stops the quick-release plate from accidentally sliding out if the clamp becomes loose. It’s handy that if your spotting scope has an Arca-Swiss mounting plate, you can slot it straight into the platform without the need to use the supplied quick-release plate, thus taking an extra component out of the equation.

The quick-release plate is pretty standard Arca-Swiss fare and has a 1/4in treaded screw for attachment to your spotting scope or camera. You can tighten and loosen the screw with the supplied Allen key, a flat blade or coin, or by using the incorporated swiveling D-ring. Not relying on the tightness of its fit alone, the QR plate also features a spring-loaded pin that pushes up into a socket on compatible spotting scope mounting plates, ensuring that there’s no unwanted twisting when the scope is attached.

An Allen key is supplied with the kit and, unusually, it has a smaller profile at its end. This enables engagement with smaller and larger Allen screw heads with a single key. The smaller fitment is ideal for loosening or tightening the locking screws for splitting and rejoining the two-part center column. A screw-in blanking plug is also supplied for use with the upper part of the center column, once it’s been split into two.

Unlike some tripod manufacturers, Vanguard generally supplies a carrying bag with its kits, and this one’s no exception. The high-quality, stylishly designed padded carrying case features a main internal compartment for the tripod, plus an additional lengthy internal zippered compartment for accessories.

One minor niggle is that the tripod doesn’t fully fit into the bag with its panning handle attached, so you’ll need to remove this first, stash it in the bag, and reattach it to the tripod every time you pack it away and get it out again. However, thanks to the bag’s 2-way wraparound zipper, there’s the alternative of stowing the tripod with the handle sticking out through a small gap. The bag also features both a padded Velcro-closing pair of handles and an adjustable padded shoulder strap.

Vanguard Veo 5 264CO: Performance

An important performance factor for any tripod is that it’s sufficiently compact, lightweight, and easy to live with, so that you’ll actually take it along for the journey rather than leaving it at home. The Vanguard completely succeeds in this respect, while also being robust and sturdy, and achieving a generous maximum operating height.

A fairly short tripod setup can often be problematic, as the feet end up covering a relatively small area on the ground, making the tripod prone to toppling over if accidentally nudged, or in windy conditions. The Vanguard’s multi-angle legs are a big help in this respect, as you can splay them a little to massively enhance stability, as well as work around obstacles or on tricky terrain, which you might often encounter when using a spotting scope in the great outdoors.

As I’ve mentioned, the maximum operating height with the center column extended is 167cm / 66in. I’m a fairly tall 6ft 5in, but found the maximum height more than sufficient for using my spotting scope. Like most of its breed, my spotting scope has a 45-degree angled eyepiece, which effectively reduces the operating height. And even if your scope has a straight-mounted eyepiece, you shouldn’t have any problems with the tripod’s maximum operating height. I’m also impressed that the tripod remains rigid and very resistant to flexing, right up to and including its loftiest setting.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, or at least of the height range, the tripod can go really low. This can be useful if you’re trying to keep out of sight, or if there’s an elevated rocky ledge or something similar on which you’re placing the tripod. It only takes a moment to split the center column in two, after which you can just use the stubby top section to enable ultra-low-level operation, as shown below.

The tripod won me over with the intuitive elegance of its controls and its ease of use. The twist-locks for the legs work with minimal rotation, enabling smooth adjustments and solid clamping in equal measure. Importantly for wildlife scenarios, you can also make adjustments in virtual silence. The same goes for the 2-way pan head, which delivers a smooth, fluid feel for panning and tilting. The extending/retracting nature of the handle is a further bonus, enabling variable torque and tactile feedback. And finally, the dual rubber pad/metal spiked feet help to give an assured footing on virtually any surface.

Vanguard Veo 5 264CO: Verdict

The Vanguard Veo 5 264CO is everything I need and want from a spotting scope tripod, and more. When I’m taking my scope off the beaten track and into the wilds, often negotiating tricky terrain along the way, I don’t want a tripod that’s heavy, cumbersome, and awkward. The Veo 5 shrinks down pretty small when folded and is refreshingly lightweight to carry, so that’s the first box on the wish list ticked off.

On the other hand, I don’t want a lightweight tripod that’s flimsy and wobbles around in the breeze. Any movement is massively magnified when looking through a high-powered spotting scope, so rigidity is essential. The Veo 5 succeeds here as well, with a robust carbon fiber build and excellent resistance to flexing and vibration, right up to its maximum operating height with the center column fully extended. Speaking of which, you can also split the center column for ultra-low-level operation, while the multi-angle legs adapt to pretty much any situation.

Last but not least, the 2-way pan head works with smooth simplicity, enabling a fluid range of tilt and panning movements, while also locking off firmly. And it does this with a single do-it-all, retractable panning handle, leaving my other hand free for adjusting the magnification and focus setting of my scope. The Vanguard kit certainly isn’t cheap, but I think it’s perfect for the job.

Alternatives

Based in China and operating in more than 40 countries around the world, Leofoto was founded in 2014. It’s come a long way since then, and its name has become synonymous with luxurious, pro-grade photographic supports and military-grade tactical gear, all at very reasonable prices. I was certainly very impressed last year when I extensively tested and reviewed a whole bunch of Leofoto kit, including the Leofoto Ranger LS-365C tripod legs, Leofoto LH-36LR Ball Head, Leofoto VH-30R Two-Way Head, Leofoto G2 Geared Pan Head and Leofoto PG-1 Gimbal Head.

The Leofoto Armour LN-284CT + NB-40 tripod kit is a relatively new addition to the line-up. It’s tall and robust enough to qualify as a full-sized tripod, yet folds down small with swing-up legs, more typical of modern travel tripods. It has an impressive carbon fiber construction and comes complete with a ball head that costs almost as much as the full kit if you buy it on its own. All in all, the kit is a contender as one of the best tripods for photographers, one of the best carbon fiber tripods, and maybe even one of the best travel tripods.

Leofoto Armour LN-284CT + NB-40: Specifications

Leofoto Armour LN-284CT + NB-40: Price

I’ve previously seen recommended retail prices for the Leofoto Armour LN-284CT + NB-40 tripod kit quoted as $325 / £250 / AU$567. At the time of writing this review, however, they’ve dropped to just $225 / £175 / AU$425, the British price being confirmed by Leofoto’s official UK distributor. That’s pretty remarkable considering that the NB-40 Professional Ball Head on its own sells for around $179 / £170 / AU$269, just £5 less in the UK.

The closest equivalent I can think of in terms of design, being a robust, full-sized carbon fiber tripod kit with travel-friendly swing-up legs and a ball head, is the 3 Legged Thing Winston 2.0 Kit, which costs around $499 / £339 / AU$629. That’s about twice the price in the USA and UK, and around 50 per cent more in Australia. That said, the Winston is taller and has a much beefier 40kg / 88lb payload rating. Anyway, let’s see what you actually get for your money.

Leofoto Armour LN-284CT + NB-40: Design & Handling

The design of this tripod kit has me in a bit of a quandary. I can’t quite decide whether it’s a full-sized tripod for photographers, a travel tripod courtesy of its reverse-folding legs, or a tripod for hybrid shooters thanks to the dual-panning mechanism in its head. Ultimately, I think it’s designed to fit the bill for all of these scenarios, as well as enrolling for a bit of monopod duty on the side.

Bridging the gap between big tripods that often seem too large to take along for the journey and lightweight travel tripods that seem too flimsy, I think the Leofoto is an ideal compromise. It has 4-section legs, which enables a smaller stowage height (especially as they’re reversible), whereas 3-section legs tend to remain quite tall when folded, and 5-section legs often have very thin and spindly bottom sections. The net result is that the Leofoto uses chunky 28mm diameter outer sections that enable a strong 15kg / 33lb payload rating, along with an easily manageable carrying weight of 2.2kg / 4.9lb for the complete kit.

I usually prefer twist-action leg section locks to flip locks, but only if they require minimal rotation to loosen the sections and lock them again firmly in place. Most manufacturers have become very good at this, but the twist locks featured in the Leofoto are among the easiest to use that I’ve ever encountered.

One thing I always look for in a tripod is multi-angle legs. Typically, you get three lockable leg angles, and it can be a massive help when you’re working on tricky, uneven terrain or trying to cope with obstacles that you can’t move out of the way. Splaying the legs a little also gives a more stable support when you’re shooting from a fairly short height. The Leofoto obliges, with 3-angle legs and again, the mechanism for adjusting the angles is particularly quick, easy, and intuitive to use.

The center column works with similar simplicity to the other features I’ve mentioned so far. That’s just as well, as you need to extend it fully each time you fold the tripod if you want to take advantage of the reverse-folding leg action for compact stowage. To lock or loosen the center column, there’s a large rubber twist-lock just above the tripod platform, which looks similar to the twist-locks for the leg sections and works just as efficiently.

At the bottom of the center column, there’s a large weight hook. You can use this for adding ballast, which can help steady the tripod in windy outdoor weather conditions. Unlike some tripods, the Leofoto lacks a splittable center column, so you can’t turn it into a short stubby column for ultra-low-level shooting. Instead, you’ll need to unscrew the weight hook, remove the center column, invert it, and refit it. That’s all well and good if you don’t mind shooting with your camera upside down, which is less than ideal for stills and a bit of a non-starter for shooting video.

As well as inverting the center column, there’s another good reason for removing it. One of the legs (the one with the silica comfort padding, shown in the image above) unscrews from the canopy. You can then attach the top of the leg to the bottom of the removed center column, and you’ll be rewarded with a full-featured monopod. Another option is that you can remove the leg and turn the tripod into a bipod for use as a tactical support. And to keep a firm footing on any terrain, you can also unscrew the rubber pads that act as feet and replace them with stainless steel metal spikes, supplied as part of the kit.

Up on top, the kit features the Leofoto NB-40 Professional Ball Head. It’s such a seriously good head that I’d consider buying it on its own and, as I’ve mentioned, it doesn’t come cheap. It has a 51mm diameter base and 95mm height, and ensures smooth action with a large-diameter, precision-engineered 40mm ball. In fact, it has a really heavy-duty payload rating of 25kg / 55lb, far exceeding that of the tripod legs.

The head backs up its hefty payload rating with an adjustable friction damper, built into the main lock/release knob. It’s a useful addition that enables you to tailor the action of the ball head to anything from a lightweight compact camera to a pro-sized camera body with a monster telephoto lens attached. As usual, the ball joint features a cutout so that you can shoot in portrait as well as landscape orientation without needing to use an L-bracket, as well as shooting vertically upwards or downwards.

One of the smartest things about the head is that it has two panning mechanisms, which is great news for videographers, or if you want to shoot a sequence of panned stills to stitch into a panorama. The regular bottom panning mechanism works just fine if your legs are perfectly level, but that can be a chore if you’re working on uneven ground. However, if they’re not absolutely level and you’ve compensated by tilting the head, your horizon will go on the skew as soon as you start panning. This is where the secondary, upper panning mechanism comes into play, as it only requires that you level the ball head and not the legs as well.

A further leveling aid is that a bubble level is built into the Arca-Swiss compatible camera platform. It’s nice to have, but unfortunately it’s obscured when you fit the quick-release plate into the platform. The upshot is that you need to remove your camera from the tripod every time you want to use the bubble level. To be honest, though, I tend to use the virtual horizon that is featured in most cameras nowadays, which is more accurate and easier to work with.

The quick-release plate itself is another trick bit of kit. It has the usual Arca-Swiss profile but goes further by adding a strap loop and an adjustable bracket. The latter is particularly useful, as it can help to lock your camera in place on the QR plate and ensure there’s no accidental twisting.

Further reinforcing the tripod’s suitability as a travel buddy, it comes complete with a smart padded bag, similar to the one shown below. And you can also pack the metal spikes and crafty little multi-tool into the bag. The multi-tool itself is very similar to one that I use from 3 Legged Thing, and includes a flat blade, various sizes of Allen keys, a carabiner hook, and a bottle opener.

Leofoto Armour LN-284CT + NB-40: Performance

No matter how big or small, heavy or lightweight a tripod happens to be, rigidity is always a key factor. The Leofoto impressed me from the get-go, delivering rock-solid support that’s very resistant to unwanted flexing and vibrations. Moreover, its section locks, leg angle locks, and ball head are all brilliantly designed and excellently engineered, making them a joy to use.

I don’t usually like reverse-folding legs that are featured in most travel tripods these days, as they require more time and effort in setting up the tripod and folding it down again afterwards. However, the Leofoto proves that the configuration can be quick, easy, and highly effective.

The 4-section legs and full-height center column enable the tripod to stretch from its folded height of a very travel-friendly 50.5cm / 19.9in to a lofty maximum operating height of 169cm / 66.5in. Sure, the Leofoto isn’t the tallest tripod in the world, but I’m 6ft 5in and I found it perfectly tall enough for me to use without stooping, when putting my eye to the camera’s viewfinder. More importantly, the tripod’s rigidity and resistance to flexing and vibration remain excellent even with all of the leg sections and the center column fully extended.

While the tripod is perfectly tall enough as far as I’m concerned, the minimum operating height is rather too tall for my liking. Leofoto quotes it as being just 21.5cm / 8.5 in, but it's more like 49.5cm / 19.5in by my reckoning (and measuring). Sure, you can invert the center column and go right down to ground level, but do you really want to shoot out from between two of the legs with your camera upside down? I’d have liked to see a splitable center column, or a short stubby low-level adapter supplied in the kit, to enable ultra-low-level shooting with my camera the right way up.

Back on the plus side, it’s quick and easy to unscrew one of the legs and attach it to the removed center column for monopod duty. It’s easy to remember which leg it is that unscrews, because it’s the one with the silica comfort padding on it. And in terms of performance, the Leofoto works every bit as well as a monopod or bipod, as it does as a tripod.

To cap everything off, the Leofoto NB-40 Professional Ball Head that’s supplied as part of the kit is an absolute peach. The ball mechanism works a treat with its adjustable friction damper, while the dual panning mechanisms pay dividends for stills, even more so for shooting video. And as with the tripod legs, all of the adjustments are quick, easy, and intuitive.

Leofoto Armour LN-284CT + NB-40: Verdict

The Leofoto Armour LN-284CT + NB-40 tripod kit has really won me over. It’s a luxurious, high-quality 10-layer carbon fiber tripod that’s easily tall enough for me (and I’m pretty tall) yet folds down to very travel-friendly dimensions. The chunky leg sections enable superb performance with excellent resistance to flexing and vibrations, and yet the tripod feels lightweight to carry around in its smart padded bag.

The only thing I can’t decide on is whether I prefer the ‘professional’ ball head with its dual additional panning mechanisms, or the tripod legs themselves, which also convert into a useful monopod or bipod. One thing’s for sure though… the head and legs combine to make a pretty epic kit. My only slight niggles are that there’s no ultra-low-level adapter for the legs and the head’s bubble level is obscured by the QR plate.

The bottom line, in the UK at least, is that the entire kit of legs, head and accessories, all wrapped up in a padded bag, costs barely any more than the head on its own. It feels a bit like a ‘buy one get one free’ deal in the UK, and it’s also standout value for money around the world.

Alternatives

What’s in a name? Poseidon is well known as the Ancient Greek god of the sea, although it’s perhaps not such common knowledge that earthquakes, storms, and horses also fell under his remit. The Leofoto Poseidon tripod is well named, being a waterproof and corrosion-resistant tripod, taking saltwater, stormy rainfall, and muddy puddles in its stride. I’m not so sure about earthquakes and equines.

I’m no stranger to Leofoto, having reviewed a bunch of the company’s products last year, including the Leofoto Ranger LS-365C tripod legs, Leofoto LH-36LR Ball Head, Leofoto VH-30R Two-Way Head, Leofoto G2 Geared Pan Head and Leofoto PG-1 Gimbal Head. A common theme is that the Chinese company makes high-end and fully pro-grade tripods, heads, and photographic accessories, as well as military-grade tactical equipment.

The Poseidon tripod kit that I’m reviewing here is a very sturdy carbon fiber model, while also packing down pretty small. It’s refreshingly lightweight to carry as well. All in all, it aims to be one of the best tripods for photographers, one of the best carbon fiber tripods, one of the best travel tripods, and definitely one of the few waterproof tripods on the market.

Leofoto Poseidon Ocean LP-284C + LH-30: Specifications

Leofoto Poseidon Ocean LP-284C + LH-30: Price

There’s a fair bit of work and some exotic materials that go into making a truly waterproof tripod, and that’s reflected in the list price of $499 / £369 / AU$825. On the plus side, the Poseidon kit is often discounted in various markets around the world, making it a little more affordable for many of us.

Even so, the Poseidon unsurprisingly costs a fair bit more than another Leofoto carbon fiber tripod kit with a professional ball head that I’ve just reviewed. The Leofoto Armour LN-284CT + NB-40 tripod kit isn’t waterproof but does convert into a classy monopod, and is particularly good value at just $225 / £175 / AU$425.

Leofoto Poseidon Ocean LP-284C + LH-30: Design & Handling

The Leofoto Poseidon Ocean LP-284C that I’m reviewing here is the smaller of two sets of legs in the range, the alternative LP-324C being taller, heavier, and having thicker leg sections. That one’s also available with three different heads in a variety of kits, whereas the LP-284C is only sold with the LH-30 ball head – and there’s nothing wrong with that, as I’ll come to later. Apart from differences in size and weight, both sets of legs are essentially the same, made from high-quality 10-layer carbon fiber.

The decision to make the tripod with 4-section legs is a good one as far as I’m concerned. It enables a more compact stowage size than 3-section legs, whereas ‘travel tripods’ with 5-section legs often have thin and spindly bottom sections, which can impair rigidity and robustness. The payload rating of the tripod is 10kg / 22lb, whereas it’s 15kg / 33lb for the larger model.

The twist locks are designed to be ‘maintenance-free’ so that you don’t need to take them apart and clean them. They feature additional seals to keep out water, sand, and dust, being a critical component of the ‘waterproof’ design. Even so, Leofoto says that it can’t absolutely guarantee that no water at all will get into the tubing. The twist locks work really well in practice, requiring minimal rotation to loosen the leg sections so that they extend and contract smoothly, and the same goes for tightening the locks again afterwards.

At the top of each leg is a latch for selecting any of three alternative leg angles. Again, they work with simple efficiency. You simply pull the latch out, rotate the leg to the desired angle, then push the latch back in again. Many tripods feature spring-loaded latches for this, but the ones featured here work equally well.

Moving up top to the canopy, it has a noticeably slim design. That’s because the tripod has no center column, which I think is both good and bad. It’s good in that the folded diameter of the tripod is very slim and compact, while also enabling easy ultra-low-level shooting without a center column getting in the way. Conversely, it’s bad that you can’t further extend the maximum operating height, which is limited to a rather modest 129cm / 50.8in. There’s also no option to unscrew any of the legs and use it with or without a center column as a monopod.

The underside of the canopy again reveals the hollowed-out design, and instead of a center column, you get a socket with a standard 1/4-inch thread. A typical use for this is to screw in the weight hook that’s supplied with the tripod. Adding ballast can steady the tripod if you’re using it outdoors in windy conditions. I’m thinking it would have the opposite effect completely if the tripod were submerged in wavy conditions!

As well as the underlying weight hook, the canopy features a 3/8-inch threaded socket on the side. This can be useful for adding a magic arm and/or accessories like an LED lamp, microphone, monitor screen or smartphone. If you need a 1/4-inch socket instead, you can simply use a 3/8 to 1/4 inch adapter.

The feet supplied with the tripod look like regular rubber pads, but they’re more specialized in that the metal parts of the assembly are made from titanium rather than stainless steel or aluminum. This makes them more resistant to corrosion from saltwater, and they also feature rubber waterproofing O-rings.

If spikes are a better option than rubber pads (when standing the tripod on loose sand on a beach, for example), the kit comes complete with screw-in metal spikes, which you can substitute for the rubber pads. Again, they’re made from anti-corrosion titanium rather than aluminum or stainless steel.

The LH-30 ball head is simple but effective and very nicely made. It has a 47mm diameter base and is classed by Leofoto as one of their ‘low-profile’ ball heads, having a height of 74mm. It’s based on a 30mm precision-engineered ball that enables smooth and precise adjustments.

The main ball joint lock/release lever has a nice, tactile feel to it. It’s spring-loaded and mounted on splines so that you can pull out the lever on its shaft and rotate it to a more convenient angle, if necessary.

As well as the main ball and socket arrangement, there’s a separate panning release/lock. This can come in useful if you want to pan your camera to shoot either stills or video while the main ball joint remains locked in place.

The camera platform is Arca-Swiss compatible and comes complete with a like-minded quick-release plate. The platform also features a bubble level, and unlike those that I’ve seen in some Leofoto heads, it’s clearly visible at all times instead of being buried under the quick-release plate when you mount your camera on the tripod.

Extras included in the kit comprise a set of three titanium foot spikes, three Allen keys, a screw-in carabiner weight hook, and a multi-tool. The multi-tool itself includes a flat blade, Allen keys of three different sizes, a keyring attachment and carabiner, and even a bottle opener. The seaworthy tripod and all of its crew are wrapped up for the voyage in a high-quality padded carrying bag.

Leofoto Poseidon Ocean LP-284C + LH-30: Performance

The tripod folds down nice and small and feels very lightweight for carrying around, which I’d call a performance benefit of sorts. After all, big, heavy tripods are often left at home, where they’re of no use at all. Unlike most modern travel tripods (not that it claims to be one), the Poseidon doesn’t have swing-up or ‘reverse-folding’ legs that surround the center column. That’s no surprise as it doesn’t actually have a center column anyway. Again, there’s a performance plus point here, in that the tripod is extremely quick and easy to set up.

Speed and ease of adjustment as well as setup are further boosted by the action of the twist locks for the leg sections. They require minimal rotation for unlocking and locking the sections, and you can easily grasp all three locks for each leg and operate them with one hand, in one gesture, when the leg sections are contracted.

When shooting at a fairly short height, the multi-angle legs enable a wider circumference for the placement of the feet. This makes the tripod more secure and less likely to topple over if accidentally knocked or in windy weather. It also adds resilience against being toppled by waves or underwater currents, given the Poseidon’s watery nature. With that in mind, I used the tripod extensively with it submerged in water, and it didn’t suffer any seepage into the twist locks or into any of the tubular leg sections.

The maximum operating height of 129cm / 50.8in can frankly feel a little disappointing. However, you could argue that the tripod is geared more to towards contending with watery depths than rising high above the land. Either way, the tripod remains sturdy and is impressively resistant to unwanted flexing and vibrations, right up to and including its maximum height.

You can split the center columns in some tripods that actually have a center column, or substitute them with a low-angle adaptor. There’s no need in this case, as the Poseidon’s multi-angle legs enable ultra-low-level shooting with no center column to get in the way. Naturally, you might be advised against doing this when you’re using the tripod in water, unless you happen to have a waterproof camera to pair with your waterproof tripod.

As with the leg section locks and leg angle locks, the ball head enables a full and free range of movement with very firm locking, and minimum fuss and bother. It doesn’t feature an adjustable friction damper but I found that the main lock/release lever worked well enough with a range of different sizes and weights of camera kits. Its payload rating of 15kg / 33lb is actually 50 per cent more than for the legs on which it stands. The panning action works nicely and smoothly as well, which is another performance bonus.

Leofoto Poseidon Ocean LP-284C + LH-30: Verdict

Water, and especially saltwater, can cramp your style as a photographer. By way of example, you might want to capture a long exposure with a 10-stop ND filter to blur the waves in a seascape shot, but worry about dipping your regular tripod in the sea. The Leofoto Poseidon Ocean LP-284C + LH-30 tripod kit can give you a new kind of creative freedom, thanks to its waterproof construction.

I like that the tripod is made from high-quality 10-layer carbon fiber, but I love that the leg-section clamps are fully waterproofed and that the metalwork in the rubber-padded feet and alternative spikes are made from corrosion-resistant titanium rather than aluminum or stainless steel. The same goes for the metal bases of the leg tubes.

The tripod is sufficiently compact and lightweight to take just about anywhere and everywhere, yet offers sturdy and solid support that’s very resistant to unwanted flexing and vibrations. The only real problem is that while the lack of a center-column pays dividends for quick-and-easy ultra-low-level shooting, the maximum operating height is rather underwhelming.

Alternatives

Insta360 has already claimed a place at the top of the gimbal camera market with the premium Luna Ultra which includes a telephoto lens. This week the company also extended the camera's range in two ways – one is a firmware update that every customer can have for free, another is an optional piece of hardware as quirky and powerful as the original camera itself.

The update increases the maximum zoom of the Luna Ultra from 12x to 15x, although, of course, it doesn't change the optical hardware.

The other new piece of hardware, which I've been lucky enough to get my hands on early, is the 1.5x magnifying Ultra Telephoto Adapter (as I write, it is listed as temporarily out of stock on the Insta360 Store).

It clips over the Ultra's dual camera system and – slightly curiously, I admit – blocks the wide-angle lens completely.

Because this means that as you zoom out wide, the shot just goes black, this left me a little irked at first, but I imagine that I'd have been more annoyed by the alternative – a wide view always partly obscured by the rim of the telephoto lens!

The lens is priced at $49.99 / £46.99, and as I said, can already be found on the Insta360 site.

The firmware will include improvements to the telephoto stability and low-light modes, with an emphasis on concert capability.

There is one more significant software update for customers, potentially envious of the 1-lens Luna Pro's 4K vertical shooting feature.

Up until now DJI and even the Luna Ultra have offered a lower resolution (2.7K or 3K) for when the cameras were used to shoot vertically despite having monitoring screens that could rotate to a vertical position. Why? Because the imaging camera did not rotate.

The Luna Pro, however, managed to push that to 4K and, since it used the same sensor as the Luna Ultra's 1-inch wide sensor, this update was expected but still welcome.

All these changes have kept things very interesting in the best pocket gimbal camera guide.

It's a story that has become well publicized during 2026: the rising price of solid state storage and memory cards. Everything from portable SSDs to CFexpress cards has seen huge price rises since the start of the year, and the global shortage of NAND flash memory has also been felt in the wider electronics sector, with the cost of games consoles and phones also increasing.

It's left many people asking when the memory crisis will end. However, the general consensus is - sadly - that prices probably won't be coming down significantly any time soon. This analysis was echoed by Roman Rabitsch, founder of Angelbird, in a recent interview with Cine D. Rabitsch points out that during COVID NAND flash and DRAM production was high but demand relatively low, which in turn kept prices down. He says that at one point memory was even being sold at a loss in order to clear stock.

Yet in a fairly short timeframe since then we've seen the rise of AI and its insatiable appetite for HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) in AI data centers. Consequently, memory manufacturers have been diverting their resources to produce this highly lucrative commodity, leaving reduced supply of the NAND flash used in camera memory cards and SSDs. And as we know, when supply is tight, prices rise, which is why we've seen such a relentless increase in the cost of memory cards throughout 2026.

This now means the output of memory fabrication plants is already allocated for years to come, with capacity sold out until 2029-2030. So with this in mind, should you bite the bullet and buy storage and memory cards now, in case prices rise still further in the coming months/years?

Rabitsch suggests there probably isn’t a need to panic buy flash memory products right now. He says the availability and pricing of memory looks like it may remain fairly stable for the next 2-3 years, with a potential for a price drop in late 2027, though this may only be in the region of 2-5%. While this outlook suggests prices might not continue to rocket, it does unfortunately confirm what other industry analysts have reported: that prices won’t be dropping significantly for several years.

Based in Hong Kong, the Freewell company started out in 2012, aiming to entice creators and filmmakers with a range of products from camera gear, filters and lens hoods to accessories for smartphones, drones and action cameras. It launched its first tripod, ‘The Real Travel Tripod’ back in 2024 and has now followed on with The Real Multi Tripod 5-in-1.

Immensely versatile, the 5-in-1 is sufficiently compact and lightweight (and definitely slim enough) to qualify as one of the best travel tripods, while being tall and sturdy enough to be a contender as one of the best tripods for photographers. Even so, it’s not massively tall nor overly short when folded. Back on the plus side, it’s classy enough to eye up a place as one of the best carbon fiber tripods. True to its Multi Tripod name and design, it fits into multiple categories. Let’s take a closer look.

The Real Multi Tripod 5-in-1: Specifications

The Real Multi Tripod 5-in-1: Price

For a complete carbon fiber tripod kit (and then some) that comes a sophisticated ball head and intriguing extras, Freewell’s The Real Multi Tripod 5-in-1 looks incredibly good value at $299 / £268 / AU$429. Another Chinese carbon fiber tripod I reviewed recently that’s actually two tripods in one, but lacks a monopod conversion, is the Heipi 3-in-1 Travel Tripod W28S, which is considerably more expensive at $399 / £349 / AU$649.

The Freewell’s space-saving center column design reminds of the Peak Design Travel Tripod carbon fiber, which is pricier again at $599 / £599 / AU$1,169, while the newer and thoroughly excellent Peak Design Pro Tripod costs a properly expensive $900 / £800 / AU$1,500. All in all, the Freewell gives you an awful lot of support for the money.

The Real Multi Tripod 5-in-1: Design & Handling

Catering to all sorts of needs and shooting scenarios, The Real Multi Tripod’s 5-in-1 remit covers use as a regular photographic tripod, a tabletop tripod, a monopod, a hands-free monopod with triple-foot base, and a walking pole. If you’re feeling generous, you could also add smartphone tripod and selfie stick to the list, thanks to the cunning Arca-Swiss quick-release plate that doubles as a phone mount. You could also use it as a tactical bipod, bringing the total up to eight and making it an 8-in-1 support. How does it do all of that? Let’s dive deeper.

Despite having a slim, travel-friendly profile, which I’ll come back to later, the 5-in-1 doesn’t claim to be a travel tripod as such. Like Freewell’s actual ‘The Real Travel Tripod’, it doesn’t have the kind of swing-up, space-saving legs that are now typical of travel tripods. I don’t mind that at all, because the business of fully extending the center column and swinging the legs up around it adds to the pack-away time, as well as the setup time next time around. And thanks to its 4-section legs, the 5-in-1 still has a reasonably small stowage height of 55cm / 21.7in.

Delivering a strong payload rating of 20kg / 44lb, the legs have chunky top-section diameters of 28mm. And because there are four rather than five sections in each leg, the bottom sections retain a fairly wide diameter of 19mm. I’m dubious about the strength of some 5-section tripods, which have relatively thin and spindly bottom sections. Releasing and locking each section is based on quick-action twist locks, and they really are quick, requiring very little rotation to release or securely lock them.

It’s similarly quick and easy to select any of the three available leg angles, which equate to 22, 55 and 85 degrees from the vertical. The lock/release mechanism is a simple pushbutton arrangement at the top of each leg. And they’re easy to see, thanks to having the same bright red coloring as the controls in the ball head. The multiple angles enable you to work around obstacles or on tricky terrain, and splaying them to wider angles aids stability in low-height setups.

It’s quite common nowadays for tripods to feature a removable leg. The idea is generally that you can remove the leg, attach it to the (also removed) center column, and transform the tripod into a monopod. It’s a neat idea, as it adds versatility without requiring you to pack and carry an extra bit of kit. The Freewell goes one, or perhaps two better, in that you can remove any and all of the legs. Remove one leg and you can use the tripod as a bipod. You can also attach the head directly to the top of the detached leg for monopod duty. The absence of the center column in the monopod setup limits the maximum height, but you can actually join two or even all three legs together if you need extra height.

Getting back to the uncommonly slim folded size, the tripod uses the same trick that I’ve seen in Peak Design tripods. As such, the center column has a triangular cutout profile that avoids any wasted space, because the legs fold around it more tightly. Unlike in Peak Design tripods, the legs themselves still have a circular profile rather than being arc-shaped to fit even more snuggly around the center column, but the folded diameter is still remarkably slim at just 7cm / 2.8in.

Unscrew the weight hook from the bottom of the center column and it reveals a built-in allen key. With the weight hook unscrewed, you can completely remove the center column and invert it for ground-level shooting, albeit with the camera upside down.

A better option for ultra-low-level shooting is that you can use the allen key to loosen a screw in the center column and split it in two, enabling you to splay the legs and go really low without the center column digging into the ground. This way, you can still shoot with the camera the right way up.

The tripod feet are fairly large rubber pads which offer good grip and support on most surfaces. As with most parts of the tripod, they have more than one function and you can unscrew one of the pads and attach it up on top, for grip and comfort, if you’re using a detached leg or two as a trekking pole.

If you’d rather have metal spikes for digging into soft ground, all you have to do is unscrew the rubber pads to reveal them. You can also use the allen key to unscrew the spikes as well, if you want to fit alternative footwear or join two or more legs together for a longer monopod.

The chassis that connects the three legs together at the top of the tripod is made from aluminum and is suitably sturdy. Again, it goes the extra mile in terms of versatility, and includes two accessory sockets. These have a standard 1/4-inch thread, enabling you to attach magic arms, LED lights, a monitor screen or other accessories.

No tripod kit is complete without a head and the Freewell comes with a durable ball head that, yet again, is impressively versatile. However, it’s arguably not an ideal match for the legs, as it has a relatively modest 10kg / 22lb payload rating, which is only half that of the legs, the latter being rated at 20kg / 44lb.

The largest control knob in the head is the main ball joint lock/release. There’s no separate friction adjuster but it works well on its own and the socket that the ball fits into has the usual cutout on one side. This enables swapping from landscape to portrait orientation shooting in the absence of an L-bracket, as well as for shooting directly upwards or downwards.

Making the tripod suitable for panoramic sequences of stills and even videography, the head has dual panning mechanisms, one at the bottom and the other at the top. The bonus here is that if your legs are perfectly leveled, you can use the main bottom panning mechanism. You’ll soon see if they’re not perfectly leveled and you’ve compensated by just leveling the head, because your horizon will start to slant when you begin panning. As there’s no leveling base featured in the tripod and leveling the legs can be a time-consuming chore, you can simply use the head’s upper panning mechanism instead, which will keep your horizon straight and true.

As a leveling aid, there’s a bubble level built into the head’s camera platform. It’s a useful addition but it’s frustrating that you can’t actually see it when the quick-release plate is attached to the platform. You therefore need to remove your camera every time you want to use the bubble level. In fairness, I tend to use the electronic ‘virtual horizon’ instead, which is available in the vast majority of modern cameras and tends to be more accurate and precise than using a tripod’s bubble level.

Even the Arca-Swiss compatible quick-release plate is based on a crafty bit of design. It works as expected with a camera or anything else with a standard 1/4-inch treaded socket. However, it also features hinged panels at each end and spring-loaded sliding rails. The upshot is that you can also use the QR plate as a phone mount, thus attaching your phone to the tripod or monopod, or using the latter as a selfie stick.

Tools supplied with the tripod comprise an additional, carabiner-style weight hook and three allen keys. The allen keys are in addition to the one that’s built into the center-column’s fitted weight hook.

Everything’s wrapped up in a stylish, high-quality padded carrying bag. The bag comes complete with handles that lock together with a Velcro pad, plus a removable shoulder strap. The inside of the bag features a long, secondary zippered compartment for holding the various tripod accessories.

But before we grab the bag and go outside, there’s yet another tricked up design flourish. I’ve seen tabletop conversion in full-sized tripods before, mostly from 3 Legged Thing, like my trusty 3 Legged Thing Winston 2.0, for which you can buy optional Vanz footwear to make the change. The table tripod conversion legs for the Freewell are supplied ‘free’ as part of the package, and they also have a relatively high-end design, complete with dual-section extension and handy twist-action leg locks. They’re more like a miniaturized set of regular tripod legs than a cheap and basic add-on.

The Real Multi Tripod 5-in-1: Performance

Performance is mostly very good but not entirely great. Setup speed is certainly very quick, thanks to Freewell avoiding the temptation of travel-style, swing-up legs. The twist-action leg clamps also work with minimum fuss and bother, and while there are three of them in each leg, it’s easy to grasp all of them in one go when the leg sections are all retracted. The ball head also works with smooth efficiency and its dual panning mechanisms give a performance boost when shooting panoramic sequences of stills or for videography. The multiple leg angles offer greater stability for shooting at fairly short heights.

My main criticism in terms of performance is that even with four sections in each leg rather than three, the maximum height feels a little limited. Naturally, it’s a trade-off because if the maximum operating height was taller, the folded height would be less compact and the tripod would be less travel-friendly. Either way, I often found that I needed to raise the center column to achieve the shooting height that I wanted. The legs on their own are fairly but not massively resistant to vibrations. However, the center column feels relatively wobbly and lacking in rigidity when extended.

While rigidity could be better at maximum extension, the tripod delivers solid performance for ultra-low-level shooting. Splitting the center column and splaying the legs to their widest angles enables you to get right down to virtually ground level.

I’ll admit to being quite tall at 6ft 5in. As I mentioned earlier, you can’t join one of the legs to the center column for monopod duty and as a result, I found that adding the head directly to one leg didn’t give me enough height. The problem is solved by joining two or even three legs together, which enables a huge maximum height, but it’s a bit more fiddly as you have to remove both parts of the rubber pad and metal spike feet from the upper joining tripod legs.

One of the five modes on offer is described by Freewell as a ‘hands-free monopod’ monopod. I don’t feel brave enough to take my hands away for more than a second or two but the ability to connect the short tabletop legs to the chassis and use it as a base for the monopod does add a firm footing. In this respect, you get the added stability of using a three-footed pole like with the Benro A48FD Monopod.

For landscape photography in the wilds, negotiating tricky terrain can be more problematic than carefully composing the shot when you finally reach your destination. Again, the Freewell comes to your aid, serving as a trekking pole as well as a tripod or monopod. The trekking pole configuration is essentially the same as the monopod setup, except that you can attach one of the rubber feet to the top for comfort, instead of fitting the head. Down below, you can use either a rubber pad or a spike at the bottom, depending on the type of ground that you’re covering.

The Freewell can serve as a tripod, monopod or selfie stick for your smartphone. You won’t need an additional phone mount, as the supplied Arca-Swiss compatible quick-release plate converts into a self-contained phone mount. It’s spring-loaded with hinged sides, and gives a safe and secure grip.

Last but not least, this full-sized tripod works particularly well as a mini-tripod or tabletop tripod. Unlike many of its kind, it features adjustable carbon fiber legs based on dual sections with a twist-action clamp. Couple that with the three leg angles enabled by the tripod chassis and you get a generous range of adjustment.

The Real Multi Tripod 5-in-1: Verdict

There’s a lot to love about the Freewell The Real Multi Tripod 5-in-1. It definitely lives up to its claims with amazingly versatile, multiple modes. Better still, it’s highly effective in all of them, as a regular tripod, tabletop/mini tripod, monopod, monopod with feet, trekking pole and smartphone support.

The build quality looks and feels very good, based on luxury 10-layer carbon fiber and an aluminum alloy chassis. Everything works with smooth simplicity, enabling quick and intuitive setup and similarly straightforward takedown. The ball head follows suit, and I like that it has dual panning mechanisms. As an incredibly comprehensive, multi-mode tripod with a premium build, the Freewell is outstanding value for money.

I’d give it top marks, but for a few little niggles. The maximum height is fairly modest and the folded length isn’t particularly compact. I can live with that, but I found that the center column was quite wobbly at anything more than slight extension. And while the legs have a payload rating of 20kg / 44lb, it’s only 10kg / 22lb for the head. That should still prove sufficient however, as you’re unlikely to have a camera outfit that weighs more than 10kg /22lb, and the extra payload rating of the legs enables the fitment of accessories via the additional mounting ports, and hanging ballast off one or other of the weight hooks. All in all, the Freewell is a pretty remarkable tripod.

Alternatives

Hollyland has launched Pyro 7 Ultra, a new model in its range of on-camera video monitors. Designed for cinematographers, directors, camera operators, digital imaging technicians, and focus pullers, Pyro 7 Ultra is said to deliver broadcast-grade color accuracy while also being capable of long-range and low-latency wireless video transmission.

The screen itself is a 7-inch, 1920 x 1200 Quantum Dot LCD panel that features a specialized nanostructure which Hollyland says delivers exceptional color purity with cinematic depth. To ensure the best possible color accuracy, every Pyro 7 Ultra is pre-calibrated to an accuracy of Delta-E <1.5, and the display is capable of displaying 99% Rec.709 and 95% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage, up to 1500 nits of brightness and a 1000:1 contrast ratio.

HDMI and SDI interfaces support loop-through and cross-output, while camera control is available on select Sony, Canon, Nikon, and ARRI camera models, with functions including shutter speed, aperture, ISO, white balance, and more. The control interface is powered by HollyOS: Hollyland's next-generation operating system that's been designed for fast-paced production environments. It sports an intuitive interface offering direct display controls, customizable monitoring layouts, and an extensive range of professional image analysis tools.

Wireless video transmission is enhanced by Hollyland's proprietary Twin-Wi-Fi technology, which simultaneously utilizes two wireless bands to create a resilient dual-path connection. Combined with automatic frequency hopping that minimizes interference in congested radio frequency environments, the Pyro 7 Ultra is able to maintain a stable wireless transmission up to a range of 1km (3,300 feet), with latency as low as 20ms in Focus Mode. The wireless connection can broadcast 4K60 video from one transmitter to an unlimited number of receivers - just the ticket if your production requires multiple monitoring locations. The Pyro 7 Ultra has been designed to be teamed with compatible Pyro transmitters, receivers, and monitors, contributing to a reliable, flexible, and scalable system that can adapt easily to productions of any size.

The Hollyland Pyro 7 Ultra is available now, priced at $1,399/£1,483

Good news for CFexpress Type A users: Angelbird has launched a new super-fast, high-capacity Type A card. Called AV PRO MK3, it uses the latest CFexpress 4.0 standard to achieve a maximum read speed of 1870MB/s, and a peak write rate of 1850MB/s. These speed figures are extremely rapid, being around twice as fast as the Type A format was capable of at launch, but it's sustained write speed that matters more for high-res video capture. Here AV PRO MK3 is even more impressive, being rated for 1700MB/s sustained read and 1600MB/s sustained write rates, giving the cards the ability to record 8K Raw footage with ease. These performance stats apply to the 400GB, 800GB, and range-topping 1600GB AV PRO MK3 capacities. An entry-level 200GB version is also available, but while it boasts the same read speed as the larger capacities, write speed is cut to 570MB/s peak and 500MB/s sustained.

Excluding the 200GB card, all other AV PRO MK3 capacities are both VPG400 and VPG800 certified. This Video Performance Guarantee means they're guaranteed to maintain a minimum 400GB/800GB write speed during video recording. You may wonder why Angelbird uses both VPG400 and VPG800 ratings, as surely the faster version should simply override the slower? The reason the cards sport both labels is because VPG800 doesn't actually replace the older VPG400 rating; it instead supplements it. This is due to VPG800 being part of the latest Video Performance Guarantee Profile 5.0, released by the CompactFlash Association in February 2025. VPG-5 is not backward compatible with VPG Profile 4.0 (which covers the existing VPG200 and VPG400 ratings). As such, a VPG800 card may not work with a camera recording mode that requires VPG200 or VPG400, hence the need to retain VPG400 as a distinct rating for backward compatibility.

To ensure maximum reliability, AV PRO MK3 cards feature advanced thermal management to avoid overheating, plus they also benefit from Angelbird's Stable Stream technology that promises consistent read and write performance. The cards are also said to be protected against shock, vibration, and temperatures ranging from 10 to 162°F. Should the worst still happen and you encounter data loss, Angelbird offers the option of in-house data recovery.

Angelbird AV PRO MK3 CFexpress Type A cards are available to pre-order now at B&H. Expect to pay $199.99 for the 200GB capacity, with the 400GB, 800GB and 1600GB cards priced at $399.99, $599.99 and $899.99, respectively.

L-brackets are an increasingly crucial piece of kit that allows for quick horizontal jto vertical tripod swaps – but most are built for a specific camera. Tripod maker 3 Legged Thing, however, has a new option that’s meant to adapt to a variety of different cameras without blocking port access – and expands to accommodate accessories.

The 3 Legged Thing Lexie QD is an L-bracket with an expandable design that makes it possible for the accessory to fit a variety of different camera bodies. But the adjustable base plate isn’t the only way the new Lexie aims to adapt to different shooting styles.

The bracket is built with a sliding screw. This allows photographers to position the bracket more forward or backwards on the camera in order to help prevent that side piece from blocking access to crucial ports. The cutout in that same vertical piece is designed to double as a guide to manage cables coming from those ports.

3 Legged Thing has launched universal brackets before, along with custom-fitted options built for specific camera models. But the Lexie QD is the first in the lineup to include a QD socket that’s built for the brand’s quick-swap straps. That QD system allows photographers to switch from tripod to strap quickly, without removing the L-bracket.

The new L-bracket is also designed to work with the company’s modular XPAND system launched earlier this year. The base includes connection slots that allow creators to add a cheese plate, risers, and connectors to build out a custom rig designed to house different accessories.

Without adding extra cheese plates, the Lexie QD still has two 1/4”-20 accessory threads on the vertical to install accessories like lights, mics, monitors, and accessory arms.

Announced on September 16, the Lexie QD is already shipping directly from the manufacturer as well as retail stores. The new L-bracket comes in at a price of about $60 / £50.

The company will also be selling a new XP 85 Base Plate that allows photographers who own the earlier Lexie bracket to add the QD and Xpand compatibility from the new version for $30 / £30.

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Take a look at the best L-brackets or the best tripods for photographers.

Lexar has revealed what it says is the world's thinnest portable SSD: Muse. Measuring just 3.8mm at its thickest point, tapering down to an incredible 1mm at the edges; its card-like profile means this SSD should slip effortlessly into a tight jeans pocket.

Alternatively, Lexar supplies a MagSafe-compatible magnetic sleeve so the SSD can be attached to the back of a phone, without significantly increasing the device's overall thickness. This set-up is ideal if you use your phone for shooting video, as it enables footage to be recorded directly to the SSD, with none of the bulk and inconvenience associated with more conventional external storage.

Lexar has achieved such a slim profile through the use of a custom ultra-thin PCB, along with high-density NAND stacking and an integrated component layout that makes efficient use of the space inside. A precision-machined unibody metal enclosure complements Mac products and gives a premium feel, while also ensuring strength and adequate heat dissipation.

An unusual feature of Muse is its cable connection. Rather than using a conventional USB-C socket, Lexar has instead designed a new SnapLink Magnetic Cable that connects to a recessed pad of Pogo Pins on the rear of the SSD. N52-grade neodymium magnets guide alignment and help hold the cable securely in place.

Despite its super-svelte profile, Muse is capable of read speeds up to 1050MB/s, and a maximum 1000MB/s write speed. This performance enables compatible iPhones to record Apple ProRes 4K video at up to 120fps directly to the drive.

The Lexar Muse will be available in 512GB and 1TB capacities. Pricing has yet to be announced, and availability is scheduled for Q4 2026.

At first, you think the camera is the most important thing in your photography world. Then, you realize it’s the lenses. But if you’re a landscape or macro photographer, you’ll quickly learn that the tripod is just as important (if not more). And you either learn that the easy way or the hard way.

Buying the best tripod for photography is a rite of passage for the beginner photographer. You’ve got the camera and the kit lens, so you go out and buy a camera bag and a tripod. But more often than not, the tripod is a cheap, plasticky implement that’s – for lack of a better word – completely useless…

A beginner might not understand the foibles of a cheap tripod until it’s too late. In fact, they might merrily capture soft shot after soft shot without realizing that they deserve better. I myself made this mistake; I didn’t know what camera shake was when I started, and I certainly didn’t realize it could happen on a tripod. In fact, I blamed my camera or myself when it was my tripod all along.

Cheap tripod, cheap performance

Anything can be bought cheap if you’re in the right place at the right time, of course. When I say cheap, I mean cheaply made. You know, the kind of unbranded tripod you can pick up from Amazon or a department store or comes bundled with your camera. These kinds of tripods might look inviting enough, but they are usually an absolute nightmare to use.

I’m talking about being hard to adjust and refine: knobs that never seem tight enough, axes that stutter as you try to tilt or pan to refine your composition. Weak legs that wobble or don’t even splay wide enough for secure outdoor use. Legs that catch when you try to extend or collapse them. And light payloads that are entirely inadequate for longer zoom lenses or bigger cameras when it comes time to upgrade.

Tripod red flags

Let’s talk about how you identify a cheap tripod.

• Plastic components: The main thing I’d advise you to look out for is an abundance of plastic components, particularly plastic threads. In my experience, plastic threads simply cannot be tightened enough to prevent slippage, and on top of that, they can easily wear or even break over time.
• Leg braces/struts: Another giveaway is plastic struts between the legs. A quality tripod doesn’t need any extra stability; it will stand firm with the legs splayed out. If a cheap tripod has plastic struts, assume that the legs aren’t particularly sturdy to begin with. Don’t get me wrong, some expensive heavy-duty video tripods do feature struts, but they’re designed to be as stable and heavy as possible.
• A poor quality head: Do not ignore the tripod head. A tripod is only as good as its head. You can have a sturdy trio of legs, but if the head is plasticky and cheap and suffers from many of the problems I listed earlier, you’re in for a frustrating ride, and your photography will suffer.

A quality tripod, on the other hand, will just feel effortlessly sturdy. Threads boast good friction to prevent overtightening, joints move smoothly and intentionally, legs can be splayed to varying degrees and are stable, setting up and collapsing the device feels effortless, and it features a quality head.

Is cost the compromise?

You’re probably thinking, great Mike, but what about the cost? I’m not suggesting that you pay hundreds of bucks for a tripod, but I am suggesting that you reframe the way you think about budgeting for kit. A lot of photographers will pay around $100 / £100 for a lens and consider it a bargain. You can pick up a quality tripod for a similar price.

The Manfrotto Element MII Aluminium Tripod is selling for $132.95 at B&H Photo and £99 at Wex Photo Video. This is a tripod I used for years. As long as you don’t exceed the 8-kg payload and are using lenses up to 200mm, it will serve beginner photographers very well indeed. And trust me, the difference between a tripod like the Element MII from a reputable brand and a cheap tripod is huge.

The only reason to spend more is if you’ve reached a point where you have identified specialist needs. For example, general tripod usage tends to favor portability over stability, but a serious macro photographer may wish to invest in a larger, sturdier tripod since the effects of camera shake are more prevalent at higher magnifications. A travel photographer or landscape photographer who hikes may be happy to pay more for a lighter carbon fiber tripod. And so on.

You may also wish to turn to the used market. Most tripods don’t tend to hold their value in the same way that cameras and lenses do, so you could end up with a real bargain on used marketplaces. So, there you have it. Tripods aren’t the most exciting bits of photography kit in the world, but a good tripod is worth its payload in gold.

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Check out the best tripods for photography and the best ball heads for tripods. On the subject of tripod heads: Are you using the right tripod head for landscape photography?

Alongside the Canon EOS R8 Mark II that was launched today, Canon is also releasing an update of its EL-5 flashgun. The new Canon Speedlite EL-5 (Ver. 2) only differs from the original in one way – and that is to get a significant boost in its wireless radio control range.

The new Mark II hotshoe flash can now be controlled from up to 50 meters away (164 feet) - a 66% boost in range, compared to the 30m (98ft) that the original version was capable of.

Announced in 2022, the Speedlite EL-5 was the first Canon strobe to be specifically designed to work with the 21-pin multifunction connection shoe found on the most recent Canon EOS R mirrorless cameras (see full list of compatible models below).

Other than the radio range, the other features remain the same on the Ver.2 version of the EL-5. It has a zoom head with coverage from 24-200mm – with a corresponding maximum flash output of 28.7-60 (m/ISO100). A built-in wide panel can be used to extend the coverage enough to use a 14mm lens (with a corresponding Guide Number drop to 14.8 (m/ISO100).

Offering both E-TTL II and E-TTL dedicated exposure, this flashgun also offers a wide range of manual power settings - from full right down to 1/1024sec, in one-third of a stop steps. A strobe feature allows you to set a flash burst frequency between 1-500Hz.

The built-in radio transmitter can control up to 15 Speedlites wirelessly, and model the lighting using the adjustable built-in white LED lamp.

The flash is powered by a rechargeable LP-EL Li-ion pack that can deliver up to 350 flashes at full power on a single charge, with an approximate recycle time of 1.2 seconds.

The Speedlite EL-5 v.2 flashgun is due to go on sale from late October for $379 / £399.95 / AU$639.

Compatible models

These are the Canon mirrorless models that have a 21-pin multifunction hotshoe connector that will be compatible with the new Speedlite EL-5 Mark II…

• Canon EOS R1
• Canon EOS R3
• Canon EOS R5 Mark II
• Canon EOS R6 Mark II
• Canon EOS R6 Mark III
• Canon EOS R6 V
• Canon EOS R7
• Canon EOS R8
• Canon EOS R8 Mark II
• Canon EOS R10
• Canon EOS R50
• Canon EOS R50 V

See our full guide to the best Canon flashguns

Atomos has arrived at IBC 2026 with two new monitors, although they sit at rather different ends of the production spectrum. The new Shinobi 7 II is aimed squarely at photographers, filmmakers and content creators who want a bigger screen on their camera, while the enormous Shogun AV-19M is designed more for broadcast studios, production galleries and video villages.

For most of us, the Shinobi 7 II is the more interesting of the pair. Atomos has squeezed a 7-inch HDR touchscreen into what it describes as a lightweight, on-camera design, while boosting brightness to a pretty substantial 2,800 nits. That should make checking focus and exposure considerably easier outdoors.

The Shinobi 7 II also connects to compatible cameras over USB-C, allowing you to adjust aperture, shutter speed or angle, ISO, and white balance directly from the touchscreen. Some cameras will also support touch-to-focus and shutter release, which could make the Shinobi particularly handy for working with cameras positioned in awkward places.

Atomos has included its usual collection of monitoring tools, including EL Zone, false color, waveform, vectorscope, focus peaking, zebras and anamorphic de-squeeze, alongside 3D LUT support and on-device display calibration. HDMI tops out at 4K 30p, while power can come from USB-C PD or the familiar Sony NP-F battery system. The Shinobi 7 II arrives in September for $499 / £510 / €499.

Then there is the Shogun AV-19M. The 19-inch rackmount touchscreen combines 4K HDR DCI-P3 monitoring with NDI HX3, 12G-SDI and HDMI connectivity. It can show one NDI feed full-screen or display four network video sources simultaneously in a quad-view layout.

It also gets Atomos' professional exposure and focus tools, customizable function buttons, and an optional ruggedized flypack for taking the display on location. The Shogun AV-19M will arrive in October priced at $1,899 / €1,899.

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Check out more of the best on-camera monitors in our guide.

Tripods tend to be purpose-built for different shoots, which means some photographers will own more than one – one for travel, one for maximum stability, one for tabletop shooting, and maybe even a separate monopod. But 3 Legged Things' latest invention is a build-your-own modular tripod system that replaces several purpose-built supports in one.

The new 3 Legged Thing James and Jason is a tripod system with swappable parts. While most tripods can swap out for different heads or feet, the two new modular systems can swap out legs, canopies, flat plates, rings – along with heads and feet.

The idea is that by building a modular system, creators don’t need to own several tripods for different purposes. The James and Jason are full-sized tripods, but they can convert to travel tripods or studio tripods, and the swappable legs can also double as monopods and boom poles.

The heart of the system is the canopy. Both options can handle up to 30 kgs / 66 lbs, but one is built for portability, and the other is built for strength and features.

James uses a smaller, slimmer profile that creates a tripod that can still fit in the water bottle pocket of a camera bag. Jason, on the other hand, is a bit larger, but has a ballast hook and is built for strength. Both canopies have an extra accessory mount for attaching arms for adding lighting or a mic.

With those two canopies come three different swappable leg types, all built with carbon fiber. The five-section legs are the most compact, folding down to 42.5 cm / 16.7 inches and reaching a maximum height of 123 cm / 48.4 inches. The three-section legs are built for maximum height and stability, reaching 154 cm / 60.6 inches – but probably won’t fit in carry-on luggage. The four-section legs are the happy medium between the two.

Those legs can be adjusted to different angles for a wider stance and lower shots using a new trigger-pull design that the company says is easy to use even when wearing gloves.

Along with the swappable legs, the tripods launch with three options for feet to accommodate different terrain – and the tripods can also be used with the canopy and feet (no legs) to replace a mini tabletop tripod. The legs can also be used without the canopy as a monopod or light boom.

The modular tripod series also launches with a newly designed head that 3 Legged Thing has dubbed the Airhed Orbit. The ball-style head uses one main control to level, adjust, and lock the camera in position.

Beyond the versatility, the modular design also means that creators can break apart the tripods for upkeep and cleaning.

With multiple different setups possible, 3 Legged Thing has built several different bundles for the tactical tripods, including some basic setups with the canopy and feet to bundles with multiple pieces.

3 Legged Thing is bringing James and Jason to creators using Kickstarter, where the campaign has already surpassed its original funding goal. Pledges take as much as 20 to 25 percent off the expected retail price, starting at £269 (about $365 / AU$506) for a canopy and legs, £669 (about $907 / AU$1,257) for a kit with all three leg variations, with the new Airhed Orbit head a £152 ($207 / AU$286) add-on.

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For more inspiration, check out the best travel tripods or the best tripod for photography.

Insta360 jumped headfirst into the pocket gimbal camera market all guns blazing with the spectacular – but premium – Luna Ultra camera. The company is now teasing features for a less costly single-lens edition called the Luna Pro, and the latest news is that it will boast true vertical 4K video.

Insta360 first teased the camera three days ago, based on a joke that the number of product launches from the company could be a bit much for the marketing team!

The gimbal camera pictured in the teaser looks like the company's recently launched Luna Ultra camera, except that the camera at the top seems to only have a single lens.

The implication is that we're about to see, on September 10, the Luna Pro, which has already been released in China.

The camera still boasts a 1-inch sensor, 8K video and the detachable remote control screen, enough for Insta360 to describe it as a "flagship" even though it clearly plays second fiddle to the Ultra.

Insta360's real competitors, though, are the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 (with one camera) and Pocket 4P (with two).

As well as distinguishing itself with the detachable remote, Insta360 has given the camera the ability to shoot in 4K vertically as well as horizontally (at up to 4K60). Both of DJI's offerings switch to a 3K mode in vertical operation.

Although there is only one physical lens, the Insta360 Pro's digital zoom will be boosted to 4x, which the company says represents "80mm portraits."

While the Luna Pro has been seen at IFA Berlin, so it isn't just confined to China, the show is still running as I post this. It does at least confirm the name as well as the spec, but we don't expect to hear final pricing until September 10, a little behind Bejing's August 20.

Unlike DJI, which has been forced by US import law to stick to the Pocket 3, the Luna Ultra is and, presumably, the Luna Pro will be available to American customers. Soon we'll see the result on our guide to the best pocket gimbal cameras.

Outdoor photography is not always the relaxed, leisurely pursuit it might appear. Camera bodies might be getting lighter, but once you add a couple of lenses, a tripod, filters, batteries, food, water, and perhaps a drone, you’re dragging around half a studio on your back. But Hypershell might have a solution: what if you could make the photographer stronger?

Unveiled at IFA 2026, the new Hypershell Halo is a full-leg consumer exoskeleton designed to assist movement across difficult terrain. For photographers who regularly hike with heavy gear, this could seriously help mobility.

Rather than simply providing power at the hips like previous models, the Halo uses four powered joints covering both the hips and knees, coordinating them as a single system to provide propulsion, weight-bearing support, descent control, and cushioning when landing or moving over uneven ground.

The Halo's HyperDrive Pro system produces up to 1,490W of peak output and can assist users at speeds of up to 17km/h. Hypershell also claims the system can reduce knee-muscle fatigue by as much as 40% during squats, while helping lift the wearer during climbs and absorbing some of the impact on descents. A swappable 370g battery promises up to 20km of range.

Despite strapping four motors to your legs, Halo itself weighs 2.6kg. Its carbon-fiber and titanium construction folds down to less than eight liters. It is also IP54 rated against dust and splashing water, which should make it better suited to the sort of environments landscape and wildlife photographers tend to find themselves in.

It's 2026, so of course there is plenty of AI involved too. More than 30 sensors monitor movement while Hypershell's HyperIntuition 2.0 system attempts to predict what the wearer intends to do around 200 milliseconds in advance, adjusting assistance up to 2,500 times per second. Over time, it can also adapt to an individual's gait and movement habits.

Whether photographers are really ready to strap on an exoskeleton to go out shooting is another question. The Hypershell Halo costs $2,299, which is an investment, but is less than the cost of a lot of the other gear in a kit bag.

But if the choice is between leaving gear at home or getting robotic assistance up the mountain, I can certainly see the appeal.

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For more camera support in the great outdoors check out our guides to the best carbon fibre tripods for lightweight options.

Godox has just launched an ingenious contraption for extreme close-up photography that offers a precision macro lighting set-up that insect and plant photographers will love. The Godox MA2 Flexible Macro Twin Light is a hotshoe-mounted device that has two LEDs on a pair of stalk-link arms. The power and the color temperature of each of these lights can be independently controlled from the panel that sits on top of the camera.

For further lighting control, each LED lamp has a hotshoe above and below, allowing you to place one or two mini strobes on each side to enable shorter effective exposures to freeze movement and to use small apertures to maximize depth of field.

The maximum weight of the flash units used needs to be under 90g. But thankfully highly-affordable units, such as the Godox iM20 (around $28/£25 a piece) have become popular of late, since camera manufacturers have stopped providing a built-in pop-up flash.

Although the flash units cost extra, the basic unit is supplied with a large diffuser panel to ensure even lighting from the lighting rig. A bigger diffuser box is available as an optional accessory.

The LED panels are powered by an integral 3300mAh lithium-ion battery, which is said to give over three hours of running time at 100% brightness. This is recharged via a USB-C connector, which takes 2 hours and 20 minutes to recharge. The panels offer a color range from 2800-6500K.

The Godox MA2 Flexible Macro Twin Light will for $79 / £69 and is expected to be in stock by the middle of September.

Above: YouTube video showing the Godox MA2 in operation

See our full guide the best ring flash for macro photography

From phones to glasses to keychains, it seems like there’s nothing the consumer tech industry won’t stick on the end of a camera. And now, Dyson, the English tech company famed for its household appliances, has launched a toothbrush with a built-in camera. The Dyson CameraJet uses what it calls Gap Optical Targeting to shoot jets of liquid between hard-to-reach gaps in teeth.

It does this by using a 100,000-pixel camera with a tiny macro lens to capture and analyze 28 images per second. Combining this with AI algorithms that are said to detect, track and predict gaps, as well as a 257Hz stroboscopic light to illuminate the mouth, allows it to precisely target jets of liquid and ‘floss’ the user’s teeth.

According to Dyson, the camera’s ability to target gaps is what sets the CameraJet apart from the competition. It took six years of research and development to come to fruition and is priced at an eye-watering $499.99 / £419.99 / AU$799.

Founder James Dyson said of the CameraJet: “By combining a camera, machine learning, precision fluid dynamics, advanced brushing technologies, connectivity and WiFi, Dyson CameraJet introduces an entirely new way to keep your mouth healthy.”

It’s not the first time a company has attempted to merge toothbrushes with cameras. Onvi announced the Prophix Video Toothbrush back in 2016, which was intended to stream footage from inside the mouth to the user’s phone so they could make sure they were reaching the right spots, but it never actually hit shelves.

It’ll be interesting to see how Dyson’s camera-infused toothbrush fares on the market. Premium toothbrushes are nothing new and Oral-B’s range-topping iO brushes aren’t priced too dissimilarly to the CameraJet. So there you have it, what’s next? A camera with a built-in toothbrush?

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Want more weird and wonderful camera tech? New compact camera is a colorful analog shooter for experimental fisheye photography. Camera accessories should be practical – not just look pretty – and this new LED hot shoe cover is the perfect example of something I'd never buy. Neck warmers for Nikon lenses? These FTZ adapter covers give DSLR lenses a glow-up when used on modern mirrorless cameras.

If I’m going to lighten my wallet and weigh down my camera further with an accessory, then that accessory needs to either improve my images or my workflow in some way. If it doesn’t, then for me, personally, it’s a waste of materials and money.

A waterproof cover, a clip for mounting your camera to your backpack shoulder strap, and lens filters – I’ll buy these all day long. But a custom silicone lens sleeve, a decorative shutter button, or a creative hot shoe cover – not a chance.

That brings me to Godox’s LT1 LED Creative Pixel Light, which is essentially a hotshoe cover with a screen that you can program to display graphics using the accompanying mobile app.

And this new camera accessory, which is technically a cold shoe attachment as it doesn’t have any electrical contacts, is the perfect example of what I’m talking about.

I can understand that there is some level of aesthetic appeal here, especially to collectors who like quirky photography items, but what will this thing actually do for your images?

The LED screen might display something cute, like an animal or a name, but that doesn’t help you shoot better images in harsh light. The built-in Godox light control button could be handy, but to use it, you need to already own compatible Godox lights.

I did notice in the comments section of the LT1 promotional video on YouTube that someone said the device will be great for photographers working with children.

And maybe it will help these photographers to better engage their subjects, but just maybe. After all, it’s not like the hotshoe cover will help children to look directly at the lens…

The good thing is that, priced at $33.90 (approximately £25 / AU$47) on B&H Photo – currently for preorder – the LT1 won’t lighten your wallet too much, although I'll be saving my money.

However, I encourage you to watch the promotional video and also check out the product specs before forming your opinion. While I'm never a fan of these sorts of accessories that do nothing for my images, Perhaps for you, personally, this funky, albeit seemingly impractical device would come in handy.

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Here's our pick of the best camera accessories – these essential photography gadgets and add-ons are workflow bolstering!

Samsung has launched two new super-fast portable SSDs promising incredible transfer speeds. The Samsung Portable SSD P Series consists of P9 and P7 models, both being built around a super-fast USB4 interface.

Portable SSD P9

The top-tier P9 boasts incredible read speeds of up to 4,000 MB/s and sequential write speeds of up to 3,800MB/s. This makes the P9 around twice as fast as existing USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 SSDs which max out at 2000MB/s, and it means the P9 supports 12K direct recording for professional production workflows.

The P9 is available in 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB capacities; the latter being the world's first 8TB USB4 portable SSD. As you might imagine, this much speed doesn't come cheap, especially with today's sky-high NAND flash pricing. Expect to pay $339.99/£296.09 for the entry-level 1TB capacity, with the 2TB, 4TB and 8TB drives costing $649.99/£591.99, $1,349.99/£1,184.49, and $2,699.99/£2,342.79, respectively.

Portable SSD P7

The Portable SSD P7 shares the same capacity options as the P9, but at slightly more accessible price points of $289.99/£246.79 for the 1TB version, $549.99/£493.49 for the 2TB, $1,149.99/£986.99 for the 4TB, and $2,289.99/£1,952.29 for the range-topping 8TB capacity. Transfer speeds for the P7 have yet to be announced, but we'd expect the P7 to be only marginally slower than the P9, as it also uses the same super-fast USB4 interface.

The P7 also benefits from drop protection from heights up to 2 meters, along with shock and vibration durability. Samsung states that the P7 will offer broad compatibility with a wide range of host devices, including desktop computers, laptops, smartphones, games consoles, and cameras.

If, like me, you're one of the millions who bought a DJI Osmo Pocket gimbal camera – or you're thinking about it – checking out the accessories is a good idea.

A good line of accessories can make or break a pocket gimbal camera's long-term usefulness, so it's already a good start that sales have been high; that means there are millions of reasons out there to offer accessories!

This guide covers both the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 and Osmo Pocket 4, as the devices have a lot in common. The connection at the base with a USB-C port and clips is the same, as is the magnetic lens attachment (except for the 4P, which boasts an extra lens and thus needs different covers). Where there are crucial differences, I've noted them.

The other reason you might be looking for accessories is that there are a lot of bargains around, especially for the older Pocket 3 model. As I've said elsewhere, of the Pocket 3 vs Pocket 4, the available bargain bundles often leave you wondering what accessories you need – or don't.

That's why I compiled my list of core accessories for these cameras and picked out the most useful ones, and why.

Best accessories for the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 and Pocket 4: Microphones

In essence there are two approaches to wireless microphones out there, depending on your budget and needs, and the Osmo Pocket cameras are equipped to make both work. All things being equal, the most convenient is normally going to be the winner.

DJI's Mic Mini 2 system includes a receiver (RX) that plugs into a USB-C socket on a phone, but if you only want the wireless mic (TX) for your Osmo Pocket you don't even need the RX: Osmo Pocket cameras have a built-in receiver (RX) for DJI's own microphone system.

That means you can record from the 11g TX (microphone with transmitter) straight onto video as you go, with no need for editing. Light and convenient to carry, too, as you can just keep the tiny mic with the camera.

Where you do need more quality and backup recording for editing emergencies, the DJI Mic Mini 2S or DJI Mic 3 series are steps up the range. They can both record 32-bit float (the audio equivalent of a RAW file) directly onto the microphone so, if anything goes wrong, you have rescue room.

If you just get one mic, when you need to charge it, it drops onto a magnetic adapter that plugs into a USB-C port – for the 2S this is also how you download files. All you need to do is not lose it.

There are pricier bundles with charging cases and connectors for a full range of cameras it can charge in the case, too. That gives you more flexibility with the microphone if you sometimes prefer to use it with your phone camera.

You can see my full review of the Mic Mini 2 and Mic Mini 2S.

Best accessories for the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 and Pocket 4: Battery Handle

The Osmo Pocket's battery handle is hot-swappable and – crucially, for the big-handed like me – improves the camera's ergonomics by extending the handle. There is one for each camera series, but they are cross-compatible (up to a point).

At best, shooting at 4K 60fps, you'll see under 2 hours without the battery handle – and realistically less, as the battery does slightly drain all the time. Add the battery and you should see that surpass 3 hours (officially it's 116 to 186 minutes, a 62% improvement).

It also adds a tripod thread at the base, rather than a USB-C port, which is handy in a lot of scenarios. Otherwise, you need to attach the shorter cube-like base that is shipped with the standard Pocket just to be able to attach a tripod.

In other words, you have an accessory a bit like this already, so why not get the bigger one that'll grant you longer shooting time?

For me the answer is easy. The benefit of this depends entirely on whether you're able to top up the charge as you go – if you already carry a big power pack, this might be unnecessary. As I said, though, the longer grip can make the device feel.

Incidentally, the Pocket 3 battery handle has 950mAh and the Pocket 4 battery has a little more oomph with 1,080mAh. My first instinct might be to opt for the cheapest on the day, but getting the correct one for your camera's generation also means the battery charge level can be detected by the device – and other features that rely on subtleties of the USB (fast transfer, microphone pass-through) can be affected.

See the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 Battery Handle details at the DJI store.

Best accessories for the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 and Pocket 4: Lens Filters

DJI's simple set of three filters attaches magnetically and is compatible with both the Pocket 3 and Pocket 4 cameras, so there is little to complain about.

They help you achieve a cinematic look with a slower shutter speed on a bright day, even if you let the camera itself handle the settings in auto mode.

Brands like Neewer offer an even more extensive range – including bundles with lens adapters for wide-angle and tele, but we haven't had the opportunity to review it yet at DCW. If you just need a simple set of the core options, however, then DJI's own offering is ideal.

DJI's hard-shell plastic with high-quality foam also feels thoroughly convincing, a great balance between low weight (retaining the portability the device is known for) and a good level of protection.

Best accessories for the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 and Pocket 4: Tripod base

What makes DJI's own-brand tripod base appealing is that it color-matches the camera, it's solidly built and it manages to be very lightweight and yet sturdy at the same time.

It is not solid plastic, but the molding of each fold-out leg is an ABS-style plastic with a pattern of triangular beams for structural strength – and each has a rubber foot, so you can place the tripod on a flat surface like a glass table without worry of it slipping.

The hinges, too, have a nice feel to them. When I open and close them they stay exactly where I leave them, which just feels premium (in so far as any product in this category can).

Remember, by the way, you need to attach either the Battery Handle or standard Handle extension as these have the 1/4-inch thread needed.

Oh, and this is included in some of DJI's bundles, like the Creator Combo, so make sure you're not getting it already!

Best accessories for the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 and Pocket 4: Fill light

There are times when a little extra light is a good thing. While this isn't the equivalent of professional studio lighting, it is a handy addition that can overcome a difficult shadow or add some sparkle in the subject's eye.

Weighing just 16g and offering a trio of brightness settings (12, 25, or 40lux) and color temperature options (warm, neutral or cool), this is ideal. It also takes very little space and, because it mounts to the gimbal, it turns with the camera lens(es).

I tested the fill light when I reviewed the camera, and I found myself making use of it and enjoying how easy it was to pop on and off. The buttons make it easy to cycle through the settings, and there are neither too few or too many. Since it fits in the camera bag, it's hard to argue with this design (and it's nice that I can use it on both the 4 and 4P)

Compatibility

As I mentioned, the Pocket 3 and Pocket 4 series (made up of the Pocket 4 and Pocket 4P) share a lot of common elements and specs.

All the lower attachments – handles and grips – that work with the Pocket 3 and Pocket 4 will work with the other – but the software might not always recognize it.

DJI did improve the battery handle between generations, for example, but the Pocket 3 might have trouble working out the power remaining on a Pocket 4 handle.

Where things differ is at the top. Both the 4 and 4P, but not the 3, have a set of pogo pins on the side of the gimbal where the fill light accessory can be mounted, and perhaps others to come. These aren't compatible with the 3 because it doesn't have this connector.

The other difference is the magnetic lens mounts. These are the same between the 3 and 4, but (perhaps obviously) not the 4 and 4P, which have different camera setups.

Godox has been on something of a tear recently with innovative and unusual new products, such as the Godox C100 half-camera, half-light-meter… thing.

The latest lighting product from the company – which started as a lighting specialist, after all – is a suction-based mount that provides a unique means of setting up your lights. You can attach them to the wall!

Or a window. Or a desk. Basically any flat surface, really. The Godox ES01 is essentially an electronic flash base with a suction cup on the bottom and a built-in battery to keep it attached. Supporting up to 1.3lbs / 590g of weight, it is compatible with a number of small Godox flashes and LEDs – and should work with any flash below the weight limit.

This means you’ll be able to use the mount with some of the diminutive Godox flashes that have impressed us recently, including the Godox iT32 – which comes with a trigger kit that enables it to be used completely off-camera.

Weighing just 2.4oz / 69g itself, the Godox ES01 is an absolutely tiny piece of kit, measuring 2.7 x 2.7 x 1.7 inches / 68 x 68 x 42mm.

To mount it, you simply press the silicone suction cup down on a flat, non-porous surface; the motorized pump will then activate to remove the air and secure the mount. Attach your flash, shoot your shot and then when you’re done, press the release button to break the air seal.

Given its tempting list price of just $29 (around £20 / $AU40), I can see the ES01 having a lot of appeal for budget-conscious portrait photographers and vloggers – especially those working in cramped indoor environments, where you don’t necessarily have space to maneuver with a tripod or a desk to mount a mini one.

The full list of compatible lights supplied by Godox is as follows: the TT350, V350, iT32, iT30Pro, iT22, iT20, iM22, iM20, iM30Pro and iM30 flashes, and the LED6R and LED6Bi compact LED lights.

Plus, if you want to mount a larger flash or light unit, Godox is also selling the product in three-mount kits with a three-pointed base, enabling you to use the suction power of three simultaneously. The K3 kit has a screw mount in the center and costs $79 (£59 / AU$110).

We’ll have to wait to get our hands on the Godox ES10 to see if it works as advertised, but you can head to the Godox website for more information.

As part of its 30th anniversary celebrations, The Pokémon Company has unveiled its latest collaboration: a collection of Pokémon x SanDisk mobile storage drives themed around fan-favorite characters Mew and Mewtwo.

"Crafted for creators, collectors and Pokémon trainers alike", the lineup marries tactile 2D likenesses of Mew and Mewtwo with the high-capacity, high-performance power of SanDisk flash drives and portable SSDs.

The SanDisk Pokémon Portable SSD Mewtwo Edition challenges you to "carry even more and channel Mewtwo's strength", with capacities of 500GB and 1TB, and transfer speeds up to 5 times faster than traditional portable hard drives.

Just like Mewtwo, this pocket-sized SSD is one tough customer; it's able to withstand drops of up to 6.6ft / 2m, and can operate in temperatures as low as 32°F / 0°C and all the way up to 113°F / 45°C. It can even store your data in temperatures as extreme as -4°F / -20°C to 176°F / 85°C.

The SanDisk Pokémon USB-C Flash Drive Mew Edition, meanwhile, promises to "bring Mew's playfulness to your flash drive". Ideal for cross-platform storage and transfer, this 128GB drive works across phones (via the SanDisk app), PCs and Macs, boosting your storage space to up to 5,000 photos with 250 MB/s read speeds "faster than Mew’s evasive maneuvers".

Both drives come with the SanDisk app for mobile and desktop, which makes it easy to move, copy, protect and automatically backup your files.

"Pokémon has sparked creativity, imagination and personal connections for generations," said Susan Park, SanDisk's VP of consumer product management. "As fans celebrate 30 years, we wanted to create products that feel worthy of that legacy."

"Iconic and powerful, Mew and Mewtwo are among the most beloved and instantly recognizable Pokémon. By combining the enduring appeal of these two Pokémon with Sandisk’s proven performance and reliability, we’re giving fans new ways to carry the moments, memories, and creations that matter most."

Both products are available now, with the SanDisk Pokémon Portable SSD Mewtwo Edition starting at $149.99 / £106.99 and the SanDisk Pokémon USB-C Flash Drive Mew Edition priced $34.99 / £28.99 (Australian pricing to be confirmed). For more information, visit the Pokémon x SanDisk page.

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Take a look at these Pokémon x Polaroid cameras, similarly launched to commemorate the 30th anniversary, and check out this Pikachu-themed Canon camera that's the worst camera I've ever bought!

Early video tripods used a series of loud gears, but then in 1946, a father and son in Australia patented a new design: the fluid tripod head. The company behind that game-changing invention, Miller Camera Support Equipment, has announced that it is shutting down next month.

In a letter, small business owners Mark and Diane Celementson announced their retirement, which will bring Miller Tripods to a close on September 30.

Eric Miller, working with his son Bob, introduced the first fluid tripod head in the 1940s. The design solved a key problem with early tripod systems: noise. Before the fluid head, tripod heads used gears that introduced noise into the footage. Panning was difficult before the fluid head, and Miller Tripods says that diagonal camera movements were “virtually impossible.”

The arrival of the fluid tripod head in the 1940s is made all the more impressive considering where video technology was at the time. The earliest videos used stationary cameras, with the first panning shots arriving in filmmaking in the early 1900s.

Camera movement like panning didn’t become mainstream until the 1920s, but when audio arrived on the scene in the 1930s, camera movement halted again – the loud cameras needed to be locked in soundproof boxes too large to move.

As video camera technology shrank down, cinematic camera movement re-entered the scene, but there was still a problem – the typical video tripods used noisy gears.

Eric and Bob Miller patented the first fluid head in 1946, later creating the company in 1954 to sell those tripod heads, and eventually the first fluid head tripod made its way to Hollywood in 1958.

Rather than gears, the fluid head uses a liquid-filled chamber to allow videographers to create smooth camera movements. Miller’s first fluid head had a fixed resistance, but the format would move on to introduce adjustable resistance and counter-balance systems for handling heavy cameras.

While Miller got its start from tripod heads, the company also developed full tripod sets shortly after. The first tripod from Miller Tripods looked quite a bit different than today’s design, including wooden legs.

By the 1970s, Miller Tripods’ specialty shifted to creating camera support systems for news and broadcast. According to the company’s website, the tripods are used by more than 265 television networks. The company's camera support systems are used in more than 65 countries.

“From those early beginnings, Miller grew into an internationally respected manufacturer, supporting broadcasters, cinematographers, filmmakers, and content creators across the world,” Mark and Diane Clementson, owners of the company for the last 55 years, wrote in a letter announcing the decision. “Through changing technologies, evolving production environments, and generations of industry professionals, our commitment to innovation, quality, and customer service has remained central to who we are.”

The Australia-based company says that operations will cease on September 30.

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Nikon Image Space is shutting down. The imaging giant announced that the cloud storage service will begin shutting down on October 15, closing the chapter on the dedicated storage space while opening up 5GB of free storage on Nikon Imaging Cloud.

Nikon Image Space is the brand’s dedicated cloud storage platform that included 2GB of free storage, or 20GB of free storage by registering a Nikon camera. Launched in 2013, the platform serves as a backup and cloud storage solution for Nikon photographers.

Nikon says that the Nikon Image Space service will shut down on October 15, after that date, all features will be disabled except for the bulk download tool. Nikon is giving photographers a few more months to save their images using that bulk download tool, until April 15.

Nikon isn’t shutting down Image Space without offering an alternative. In an email to users, Nikon said that the company is adding storage and sharing features to Nikon Imaging Cloud instead. After Nikon Image Space begins the shutdown process on October 15, Nikon will add up to 5GB of storage to Nikon Imaging Cloud.

That's lower than the 20GB formerly part of Image Space with a registered camera, however, and Nikon Imaging Cloud also isn't directly compatible with Nikon's DSLRs.

The move adds more long-term cloud storage to Nikon’s app that already offers unlimited temporary storage for 30 days. Nikon Imaging Cloud is also used for firmware downloads and saving image recipes. Axing Nikon Image Space moves Nikon’s software to fewer, more streamlined options.

Nikon Image Space will shut off every feature except for bulk downloads on October 15 at 9 AM Japan Standard Time – which is 1 AM BST on October 15 and 7 PM EST on October 14.

Nikon Image Space will fully shut down on April 15, 2027 at 1 PM JST (5 AM BST / 12 AM EDT) – after that, any photos and data left on the platform will be permanently deleted.

In a notice announcing the change, Nikon said the move was “due to changes in the market environment,” but did not specify what those changes are.

Camera makers as well as cloud service providers are facing the after effects of the rise in artificial intelligence creating high demand for storage. That demand is increasing the cost of memory components for camera makers, including Nikon, and is also driving up demand and use of cloud storage.

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The memory crisis is showing no signs of stopping. For photographers and tech consumers alike, it’s an alarming time. I bought a Nintendo Switch 2 this month; I’d been mulling over the idea for a while, but an impending price increase strong-armed my decision. Then a colleague of mine bought an Apple MacBook Neo for his daughter’s birthday, and I was surprised to find it had increased by $100/£100.

All across the consumer tech industry, prices are increasing. And although the memory crisis isn’t solely to blame – tariffs, component shortages, and a rising cost of living – it’s having a huge impact. As a photographer, it’s especially worrying because we rely heavily on storage. Memory cards and SSD drives were expensive enough – now they’re through the roof!

But a strange byproduct of all this is that I now find what I once considered aging tech – the humble SD card – to be an absolute lifesaver. Don’t get me wrong, many SD card prices have risen exponentially, too. But they still pale in comparison to XQD and CFexpress prices.

Thankfully, all but the very pro-tier, flagship cameras tend to have either an SD card slot or a dual SD and CFexpress slot. And I have to wonder if that trend will continue as long as the memory crisis. It seems remarkable to me now that Nikon launched its full-frame mirrorless Z mount back in 2018, with two cameras that only contained a single XQD/CFexpress slot.

I mean, cameras are expensive enough as it is, but now the camera and the lens and the spare battery aren’t enough. You’ve got to spend $100/£100+ on a CFexpress card. Don’t get me wrong, CFexpress cards are certainly preferable to their SD card counterparts. They’re faster, more robust and more reliable. But they’re also a lot more expensive.

There is another angle, and that’s built-in storage. I’ve just recorded another episode of Bokeh Face: The Digital Camera World Podcast, and in our Gear Up section we talked about the Sigma BF. Not only is it a gorgeous-looking camera with some impressive specs, but it also doesn’t have a memory card slot. Instead, it has 230GB of internal memory.

Don’t get me wrong, a device with built-in memory isn't immune to the memory crisis, but at least you don’t have to worry about buying a collection of cards. And in 2026, a few CFexpress cards could set you back $400/£400+. That’s madness!

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It’s been about five years since I discovered 3 Legged Thing, a British company specializing in tripods and other supports. My first encounter was with the Winston 2.0 and AirHed Pro kit. I instantly fell for Winston, and it’s still my favorite full-sized tripod to this day. Even so, a lot has happened in the last five years, and 3 Legged Thing has branched out in all sorts of different directions, currently catering to photographers and videographers, as well as ramping up its endeavors for field sports and birding, plus shooting and target sports. I’ve reviewed many 3 Legged Thing tripods and heads, desk mounts, window mounts, phone mounts, microphone arms, light stands, L-brackets, camera straps, and other items along the way, being highly impressed by pretty much all of them.

Bringing things up to date, there’s a dynamic duo of new 3 Legged Thing video tripods in town, going by the names of Ridley and Wes. They’re both similar in many ways and are named after master movie directors. Ridley (Scott) is the larger three-section tripod of the two, whereas Wes (Anderson) is the smaller sibling, with a travel-friendly, fold-down-small five-section leg design. Both carbon fiber tripods are available as sets of legs on their own, or as full kits with the same fluid head. They aim to be among the best carbon fiber tripods and the best video tripods, while the Wes that I’m reviewing here also eyes up a spot as one of the best travel tripods for videographers.

3 Legged Thing Wes: Specifications

3 Legged Thing Wes: Price

Quality seldom comes cheap, and sure enough, a set of the premium Wes travel tripod legs will set you back $399 / £379 (AU$ TBA). Go for the complete kit with the addition of a high-performance fluid head, and you can expect to pay $599 / £569. They’re both fairly substantial chunks of money, but the features, design and build quality make them well worth the outlay, especially as both options feature a built-in leveling base, smart padded soft case and handy little extras. All in all, they’re very competitively priced.

3 Legged Thing Wes: Design & Handling

Wes Anderson has proved himself as an ingenious, stylistic, and very versatile movie director over the last 30 years, so Wes is an inspirational and aspirational name for this new video travel tripod from 3 Legged Thing. Available in gray and black with orange accents or in all-black, the legs are made from premium Japanese eight-layer carbon fiber with an aerospace-grade magnesium alloy canopy. But when shooting a video narrative, I feel that legs are only half the tripod story, so I went for the full kit that adds a fluid head. More on the head later, but I’ll begin with the legs.

The small stowage size of the Wes tripod legs equates to just 44cm / 17.3in in length, or 54.8cm / 21.6in with the fluid head fitted. To my mind, that makes the kit small enough to take on pretty much every journey to any location, whether I’m pounding around local city streets or jetting off to the other side of the world. For the latter, the tripod is small enough to fit within the cabin baggage regulations of most airlines.

Fully extending all five sections of each leg reveals ever-decreasing circles, in terms of the relative diameters. Even so, the thinnest bottom sections have a perfectly respectable 14mm diameter. Not only is that significantly greater than in many travel tripods that I’ve seen and used, but it also enables a strong payload rating of 14kg / 30lb, even when the tripod is at full stretch.

There are a couple of potential drawbacks to five-section legs that can outweigh the allure of compact stowage. First up, each joint is a possible point of weakness, where flexing and wobbling might be introduced. The second is that you end up with no less than 12 separate leg section locks to contend with when fully extending and contracting the tripod. That can equate to a lot of time and effort.

Thankfully, the twist-action section locks featured in the Wes only require minimal rotation to unlock and relock them. You can easily grab the full set of them for each leg when the sections are contracted, and tighten or loosen them with a single flick of the wrist. Ultimately, they’re surprisingly quick and easy to use, while maintaining super-solid locking that avoids any unwanted flexing or movement when the tripod is in use.

While the twist-locks for the leg sections are a brilliant piece of design that’s thoroughly well executed, the same applies to the locks for the three alternative leg angles. The leg angles themselves measure 23, 55, and 80 degrees from the vertical, so there’s plenty of room for maneuver. Moreover, the simple yet highly effective spring-loaded, push-lever locks ensure maximum speed and ease when playing all the angles. Unlike many travel tripods, including the more stills-centric 3 Legged Thing Leo 2.0 + AirHead Pro, there’s no time wasted swinging the legs up around the center column for compact stowage, as the Wes has no center column anyway.

One place you generally don’t want any angles coming into play is in the platform on which the head is mounted. If you try to compensate by adjusting the level of the head itself, you’ll find that your horizons go wonky as soon as you start panning. One method is to meticulously adjust the overall height of each leg, so that the tripod canopy is level. However, this tends to be an arduous, time-consuming process, especially if you’re working on uneven ground.

To make things quick, simple, and highly effective, the Wes features a built-in leveling base that is an absolute doddle to use. It has a single locking screw with a spring-loaded handle mounted on a six-sided shaft, so you can pull out the handle and rotate it for your favored orientation. Another aid to leveling up is that the base features a bubble level, which can be rotated through a full 360 degrees for easy viewing from any angle.

With the opposite of a soft underbelly, Wes has a pair of solid, robust weight hooks extending from the bottom of its magnesium alloy leveling base. They’re ideal for adding ballast to avoid the tripod swaying in the breeze if you’re shooting outdoors in windy conditions.

Intent as ever to cram as many crafty design flourishes into a tripod as possible, 3 Legged Thing has doubled up the usefulness of the weight hooks. The hooks also form the T-section of an Allen key that mounts to the underside of the leveling base via a QD (Quick Detach) mechanism. A simple press of a button is all that’s required to release the Allen key, which you can then use for securing your camera to the head’s quick-release plate, or for anything else that uses the same-size Allen key.

I’ve written a full, standalone review of the revamped and updated 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC fluid head, and as part of the complete kit, it’s an ideal match for the Wes tripod legs. It ensures wonderfully smooth tilt and pan operation and excellent all-around performance. The favorable feature set includes an adjustable, telescopic panning arm that can mount on either side for left-handed or right-handed use, and an extra-long XP100 Ultra Plate quick-release plate, which is Arca-Swiss compatible.

Another bonus is that you can use that QD-mounted Allen key that I mentioned just now to remove four screws and rotate the orientation of the head’s camera platform through 90-degree increments. The upshot is that the long QR plate can run from side to side instead of just from front to back. The sideways orientation can be more ideal if you’re using a cage, and definitely if you’re using an L-bracket like one of 3 Legged Thing’s camera-specific L-brackets or the universal 3 Legged Thing Lexie.

Going from top to bottom, or rather from head to foot, the legs are fitted with rubber pads that give a very firm and stable footing on most surfaces. There’s also a variety of alternative footwear on offer from 3 Legged Thing as optional extras. These include Heelz (metal spikes), Stilettoz (elevated metal spikes), Clawz (metal ice/rock grips) and Vanz (dual metal spikes and rubber pads).

There are many and varied tripods on the market, in which you can unscrew one of the legs and use it as a monopod instead. It’s a good idea in that it saves carrying two separate bits of support kit. With the Wes, however, you can remove all three legs if you wish, which adds even greater versatility.

A neat trick is that if you remove all three legs, you can use the canopy of the Wes with the optional Vanz footwear that I mentioned just now. These dual metal spikes with rubber pads can screw directly into the canopy, effectively transforming the Wes into a tabletop tripod.

There’s a handy multi-function tool supplied with the tripod kit, aptly named the 3 Legged Thing Toolz2. It has a keyring attachment and includes two different sizes of hex keys, a coin/flat blade key, a bottle opener, and a carabiner. It comes in useful for a whole range of tripod/photographic tasks, as well as for popping the tops off bottles when all that videography makes you work up a thirst.

Attention to detail in both design and manufacture is carried over from the tripod itself to the high-quality padded soft case that it’s supplied in. The case features a pair of internal securing straps for the tripod and an internal mesh pocket, all with Velcro fasteners. There’s also a side pocket for additional storage complete with a zippered three-section organizer (the zippers have comfy pullers for easy opening and closing). There’s a detachable, adjustable shoulder strap, a carrying handle, plus a carabiner-style hook. The hook is ideal for attaching the bag to one of the weight hooks on the tripod after popping a few weighty objects inside.

3 Legged Thing Wes: Performance

Travel tripods sometimes get a bad press, not least from me. Sure, I like that they tend to be lightweight to carry and fold down to unfeasibly small dimensions, but I feel that the lack of rigidity and meagre maximum operating height often makes them somewhat unfit for their intended purpose. I’m happy to report that while the maximum operating height of the 3 Legged Thing Wes kit isn’t exactly towering, it’s definitely tall enough for the vast majority of videography shooting scenarios, equating to 134.5cm / 53in complete with its fluid head. That’s actually pretty generous for a videocentric travel tripod that omits a center column.

Just as important, or maybe more so, is the fact that the Wes supplies firm, solid, and stable support even at its maximum operating height, with all of the leg sections fully extended. That’s no mean feat for a relatively lightweight tripod with 5-section legs.

Another factor that I’m happy to include under the ‘performance’ umbrella is that I like a tripod to enable ultra-low-level shooting without too much fuss and bother, or the need to invert the center column and shoot with the camera upside down, which is a bit of a non-starter for videography anyway. With its head in place, the Wes can shoot down to nearly ground level for creative effect, with a minimum operating height of just 21cm / 8.3in.

I found that the multiple leg angles made it easy to work around obstacles like low walls and staircases, as well as catering to rough terrain. Another bonus is that the middle leg angle setting enables a firmer footing when shooting from fairly low operating heights, adding stability and making the tripod less at risk of being knocked over accidentally or falling foul of very windy conditions.

I’m tall at 6ft 5in and found that the Wes was a little short for me in regular monopod mode, at least when using the viewfinder of a camera. Even so, I didn’t have to crouch very much, and like many of us, I’m much more likely to shoot video using the rear screen of a camera rather than putting my eye to the viewfinder. In this configuration, the monopod proved tall enough for me at its maximum height with the head fitted. And if you hanker after a taller monopod, you could connect two or even three legs, top to toe, after removing the feet from two or three of the legs, respectively.

3 Legged Thing Wes: Verdict

The 3 Legged Thing Wes ticks all of the boxes on my wish list for a video travel tripod. It folds down small and is very lightweight to carry, yet reaches a decent maximum operating height while being sturdy and resistant to flexing and vibrations. I’m generally wary of tripods with five-section legs because the bottom leg sections are often very thin and spindly, resulting in a drop in rigidity and stability when they’re extended. There was no hint of this when using the Wes, and I found it gave solid support throughout its entire operating range, from just above ground level to its maximum height.

The premium carbon fiber legs with their aerospace-grade magnesium alloy canopy are a great buy on their own. However, the recently updated 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC fluid head is such a great match for the legs that I feel the complete kit is the best option. As a complete travel tripod for videographers, it’s hard to beat.

Alternatives