Memory cards might not be the most exciting purchase, but they’re indispensable - without one, even the best camera is useless. I always stock up on SanDisk 64GB Ultra SDXC UHS-I cards, not for their size but for their reliability, great value, and the fact that they’re almost always discounted ahead of Amazon Prime’s big camera sales.

• See all of today's Amazon Prime camera deals
• See all memory deals across Amazon

Sure, 64GB might not seem like much in an era of 8K video and high-resolution sensors, but for everyday photography, it’s plenty - and at this price, they’re practically impossible to resist.

It’s become something of a ritual for me now. I ignore memory cards for most of the year and wait until Prime Day - or the days leading up to it - when prices start to tumble, and full-price suddenly looks ridiculous. SanDisk’s 64GB Ultra cards often drop into impulse-buy territory, and if you need more room, the 128GB and 256GB versions usually follow suit at prices that feel like a steal.

The real trick is having spares. I never head out without at least two or three extras in my bag. Cards fill up, fail, or simply vanish, and having backups means you’re never caught short - no deleting files on the fly or missing a shot while swapping cards. And when you’ve picked them up for less than the cost of a pub lunch, there’s no reason not to stock up.

SanDisk Ultra cards have always hit the sweet spot for me. They’re not overkill for everyday or even semi-professional use, yet they’re fast, reliable, and built for real-world shooting, whether that’s documenting family life, covering events, or spending an afternoon out with the camera. I’ve filled more of them than I can count, and not one has ever let me down.

So why pay full whack? Prime Day is basically a once-a-year restock event for me. I buy cards like people buy batteries at Christmas – just enough to get me through another season or two. It’s a small investment in peace of mind, and at Prime Day prices, it's hard to make a case against it.

If you shoot regularly and you’re not taking advantage of these sales, you’re missing a trick. The SanDisk 64GB Ultra SDXC UHS-I is always on offer, and if you need more storage, the 128GB and 256GB versions are rarely far behind. Just wait for the price to drop… and buy!

Shop the memory card

With fast transfer speeds, reliable performance and a price that’s hard to ignore, the SanDisk 64GB Ultra SDXC UHS-I is a smart addition to any camera bag – ideal for everyday shooting, and right now, it’s cheap enough to pick up without hesitation.

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Don't forget – the best memory cards need the best memory card readers to get the best out of them!

I’m so used to SD, microSD and CFexpress cards as gold standard removable media for my digital camera of choice – not to mention wireless transfer – that it’s easy to forget about all the failed physical formats previously presented to data-hungry photographers.

If you’ve taken an image with a digital camera over the past 25 years, as I have, you’ll be familiar with a roll call of formats that were once the must-have, but have now disappeared, among them SmartMedia and xD cards – both favored by Fuji point-and-shoots – along with Sony’s proprietary Memory Stick and, for more serious users with larger cameras, CompactFlash. The latter gave way to CFexpress cards and the XQD format in the 2010s, just slightly thicker than a SD card but offering much faster speeds than CF.

To this list of gone but unforgotten formats we can add the bonkers late 90s idea of Sony Mavica ‘compact’ cameras recording to 3.5-inch floppy disks and subsequently 8cm Mini CD-Rs. The thinking at the time was solid – circumnavigate the ‘chain of pain’ with a media format that I could take straight out of my camera and slot into my PC drive. Those nervous about the ‘newness’ of digital photography back then were presented with something familiar and unthreatening, if ultimately impractical.

First introduced in 1995, SmartMedia was one of the first digital memory formats I encountered switching from film to digital photography, intended at the time to be a flash (memory) alternative to the floppy disk. Recently reacquainting myself with a FinePix 6900 Zoom from 2001, I’d forgotten how comically huge SmartMedia looks next to SD and microSD cards today. SmartMedia’s capacity maxed out at 128MB, which quickly made it obsolete in the race for more pixels. Plus, its exposed gold contact pins and sender dimensions made the cards more fragile that what quickly came to replace them.

In my world, that replacement was the much smaller and tougher xD memory card, jointly introduced by Fujifilm and Olympus in 2002 and able to offer quite a jump in capacity. Almost a third of the physical size of SmartMedia, xD cards also enabled the cameras that supported the format – mainly from Olympus and Fuji but also several Kodak models – to themselves become more compact, and thus desirable.

However, Panasonic and SanDisk’s introduction of Secure Digital / SD, which first hit the market with a modest 8MB capacity in 2000, eventually meant that xD disappeared by 2009. In the race to accommodate larger data demands, SD spawned SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) in 2005, plus SDXC (Secure Digital eXtended Capacity) in 2009. As, simultaneously, camera phones were getting more sophisticated, microSD cards were launched primarily for mobile devices in 2005 and continues to be widely used 20 years on.

Available alongside these formats for a short while and intended as an exclusive revenue driver for Sony digital cameras, was the electronics giant’s chewing gum-shaped Memory Stick format. First introduced in 1998, by 2010 Sony was being forced to bow to consumer pressure and offer compatibility with SD cards instead. I can recall an audible sigh of relief at the time from consumers confused by all the competing formats.

Again, it was because SD offered a higher storage capacity, faster read/write speeds, plus more affordable production costs – and that unlike Memory Stick, was non-proprietary – that saw its widespread adoption and market dominance, that continues over a quarter of a century later.

Fast forward to 2026 and I’m just grateful that my card reader and laptop no longer need multiple slots to accommodate the many bewildering, but now redundant, memory card variants still rattling around in a shoebox I have at home.

Check out the best memory card options available for today's digital cameras

When it comes to tripod manufacturers, Benro might not be as famous as a couple of its Italian cousins, but this Chinese company has been up and running for more than 30 years and has manufactured some of my personal favorite professional-grade tripods, monopods, and support accessories during that time. I’ve tested and reviewed quite a few of them over the last decade and bought a couple as a result, subsequently being completely happy with them over long periods of time.

The monopod that I’m reviewing here is from the SupaDupa line-up. Typical of Benro products in general and SupaDupa monopods in particular, it’s cleverly designed with innovative features, expertly engineered, and immaculately finished. As such, it aims to be one of the best monopods for photographers on the market today. Whether you need to support the heavy load of a big telephoto lens or just beat the shakes when using slow shutter speeds, this Benro should prove well up to the task.

Benro MSD46CB SupaDupa: Specifications

Benro MSD46CB SupaDupa: Price

What price a monopod? The Benro MSD46CB Black Diamond SupaDupa costs $170 / £180, which is pretty much at the upper end of the scale, especially for a Chinese-manufactured monopod, although you can expect to pay more for a top-of-the-range Manfrotto or Gitzo, both of which are made in Italy. For comparison, we reviewed the similar Benro SupaDupa Pro MSDPL46C, which lists at an even pricier $209 / £209 and is shorter but heavier, though it does come complete with a useful leveling pan head, which is absent from the MSD46CB I’m reviewing here.

Benro MSD46CB SupaDupa: Design & Handling

There are a lot of things I like about this Benro monopod, but top of the list is the 8-layer carbon fiber from which it’s made. The look and finish of the carbon fiber absolutely scream ‘quality’, and as I’ll come to later, that translates into superb performance. And although impressively rigid even at full stretch, the carbon build helps to keep the weight down to an easily manageable 0.58kg or 1.3lb. That’s despite the monopod having a mighty maximum payload rating of 40kg / 88lb.

Speaking of full stretch, I’m a tall guy and have often been disappointed that even some of the best monopods on the market are simply too short for me to use without stooping. That’s definitely not a problem with this Benro, as it extends to a relatively towering 177cm, or 5ft 10in. Just like with the huge payload rating being delivered by a lightweight construction, the lofty maximum operating height comes with a surprisingly small stowage length of just 43.5cm or 17.1in. That’s made possible by no less than six telescoping leg sections.

Okay, I’d be the first to admit that such a large number of leg sections would normally equate to a couple of compromises. First up, as I’ve experienced with many travel tripods, the bottom sections often tend to be very thin and spindly, and therefore lacking in strength and rigidity. That’s not the case here, as even the bottom section has a generous diameter of 21.8mm (0.9in), with a robust and rigid feel to it.

The second compromise is that six leg sections require five separate clamps to release and lock them, which brings the prospect of the monopod being a time-consuming chore to use. As it turns out, the bottom four telescoping sections each have a twist-action lock. They’re pretty quick and easy to use, partly because when the monopod is contracted, you can grab all of the twist clamps in one handful and loosen or tighten them in a single gesture.

The top telescoping section is different from all of the rest, as it has a quick-release flip-action lock. Not only is it easy to locate by feel when your eye is to the viewfinder of your camera, but it’s super-speedy to operate. When using the monopod, I find that I generally tend to extend all of the lower sections and just rely on the top section with its flip lock for making any height adjustments. That makes using the Benro speedy and simple.

I’m a little disappointed that the monopod doesn’t come with a head, but I know a lot of photographers who find it unnecessary to use a head with a monopod. And at least if you do want to use a head, you can buy one of your choosing. Either way, the monopod has a 60mm / 2.4in diameter circular platform up top, which should prove ideal for mounting a camera or the mounting ring of a big, heavy lens, or indeed a head.

A crafty bit of design is that the securing screw for any of these has a dual-diameter spring-loaded arrangement, so the larger 3/8in thread automatically retracts to reveal a 1/4in thread if you need the smaller size. If you’re fitting a head on the monopod, there’s also a grub screw in the platform to ensure that it doesn’t work loose.

Another thing that you don’t want to be working loose is your grip on the monopod, sending your camera and attached lens crashing to the ground. I’m reassured that the monopod features a wrist strap, and it’s a particularly good one at that. Not only does it have an adjustable diameter to securely fasten around any size of wrist, but it also has a push-button, quick-release clip so that you can quickly and easily remove the wrist strap if you feel the need. The quick-release clip can also be easily removed from the securing lug to which it’s tethered.

Keeping a secure hold on the monopod is also aided by the inclusion of a Benro SupaDupa Shoulder Pad in the kit, a standalone version being available on its own for $20 / £15. It’s a really neat comfort pad that you can wrap around the monopod, with a rubberized, anti-slip inner surface, a padded mesh exterior, and a Velcro strip to keep it in place. You can actually use it with any monopod or tripod leg that has a diameter of between 32mm and 37mm (1.3in and 1.5in).

Neat extras include a couple of hex keys for making adjustments if and when needed, and there’s a clip for attaching one of them to the monopod if you feel you might need to use it when you’re out and about.

Even the foot of the monopod is pretty smart. I find that I’m often given to panning when using a monopod, as I use them with heavy telephoto lenses while tracking wildlife and sports subjects in motion. The fixed foot of most monopods tends to try to drill a hole in the ground during the process, and can make panning feel stiff and jerky. This Benro monopod features a spinning foot, which glides on its own V-profile roller bearing cage, making panning actions silky smooth.

If panning’s not your thing and you feel the urge to ram the bottom of your monopod into soft ground for a more assured footing, you can swap out the spinning foot with its rubber pad for a metal spike that’s supplied as part of the kit. You simply unscrew one and screw in the other, which takes minimal time and effort.

Benro MSD46CB SupaDupa: Performance

If I had to sum up the performance of the Benro MSD46CB Black Diamond SupaDupa Monopod in two words, they’d be ‘speedy’ and ‘sturdy’, but allow me to embellish. I like that, with no fewer than six telescopic sections, the monopod folds down small, but has a really tall maximum operating height.

That would usually come with the pain of setup and take-down being time-consuming chores. However, the provision of a flip-action clamp for the top section and twist-action clamps for the lower sections actually makes the monopod quick to extend and fold down again. It also makes any required height adjustments fast and effortless while the monopod is actually in use.

Then there’s the stability. I’m of the ‘fat legs first’ school of monopod and tripod use, in that I generally extend the larger-diameter top legs first and only deploy the relatively thin bottom ones if I really need to. I use this Benro rather differently, extending all of the lower sections, all of the time, and then extending or contracting the fattest top section with its flip-action clamp to apply any necessary height adjustments. In practice, that works really well, and the monopod remains rigid and extremely resistant to any unwanted flexing, even at its maximum operating height with everything fully extended.

And to finish with just a little thing, that spinning pad on the foot with its roller bearings gives a huge performance boost when you’re panning or just tracking subjects in motion.

Benro MSD46CB SupaDupa: Verdict

The Benro MSD46CB Black Diamond SupaDupa is definitely one of the best monopods I’ve ever used. It’s cleverly designed, superbly well-engineered, immaculately finished, and performs flawlessly. I really like that it folds down nice and small, and is really lightweight for the journey, yet stretches to a very generous maximum operating height and has a mighty payload rating.

The carbon fiber is of particularly good quality, and the clamps all work with smooth precision. I like the mix of twist-locks and a flip-action lock up top, which work brilliantly well together, enabling speed and ease of use. The spinning foot makes the Benro an absolute joy to use for panning shots. My only gripe is that Benro’s rather excellent leveling pan head isn’t supplied as part of the kit, despite the monopod being particularly pricey to buy.

Alternatives

The Godox ML series consists of a series of modular continuous LEDs. I use the term modular because you can attach a range of accessories to them, such as magnetically attached diffusers or a twist-and-lock ML-CS1625 soft tent (which is basically a little soft box). You can also power them wirelessly using a clip-on Godox ML-BA battery, or use the ML150Bi’s supplied ML-VMA battery plate to attach Godox or third-party V-mount batteries to the LED.

The Godox ML range starts off in terms of affordability and power with the palm-sized ML-40Bi. At the top of the ML range, we have the Godox ML150Bi. This is the bigger brother to the similarly specced Godox ML80Bi, a key difference being that the ML150Bi produces a much brighter continuous light source for photographers and videographers to enjoy, even in the brightest of outdoor locations.

Both the ML80Bi and the ML150Bi ship with an ML-Z Zoom Reflector, so when this accessory is set to spotlight, the ML80Bi can emit 29,600 lux. On the same reflector setting, the ML150Bi produces 61,054 lux. Time for your model to put on some shades!

The term "Bi" pops up a lot in this introduction. The entire ML series consists of bi-color lights, meaning that they can emit a range of light color temperatures in degrees Kelvin. The ML150Bi can be adjusted – via button rotation or a swipe of a slider in the Godox Light smartphone app – to emit light that has a color temperature between a warm 2800K and a much cooler 6500K.

Being able to control the LED’s color temperature means that you can complement existing light sources, such as dialing in a cool daylight temperature of 5600K to add fill light that’s compatible with the location’s natural outdoor key light.

If you need a more colorful light source (such as purples, greens, and reds), then you need to look for an RGB LED, not a bi-color one. I can recommend the Neewer HB80C for both creative color and Kelvin scale illumination, among other continuous LED options in our buying guide to the best video lights.

Godox ML150Bi: Specifications

Godox ML150Bi: Price

The Godox ML150Bi retails at $259/£229. Its weaker little brother, the ML80Bi, retails at $229/£203. So for only around $30/£30 extra, you can purchase a more powerful 150W LED (compared to the weaker 80W device). So on paper, it seems like a no-brainer to go for maximum power for an extra $30.

However, I do have a word of caution. The cheaper ML80Bi ships with a dockable ML-BA battery that matches the white design of the lamp. The more expensive ML150Bi doesn’t ship with the ML-BA battery, so you’ll need to power the ML150Bi by its supplied mains cable or use its supplied ML-VMA battery plate to attach a V-mount battery (not supplied). You can buy an ML-BA battery to power the ML150Bi, but that will add another $89/£73 to your costs.

Personally, I like the fact that you can power up the cheaper ML80Bi out of the box thanks to its supplied battery (after charging it via its USB-C cable). I did have a V-mount battery to attach to the ML150Bi’s adapter plate, so that was fine for my test, but bear this powering issue in mind when considering a purchase.

Godox ML150Bi: Design & Handling

After unboxing the Godox ML150Bi, it looks like an elongated version of the Godox ML80Bi, with the same distinctive plastic white body material. The bigger ML150Bi features extra grilles and ventilation holes to help dissipate the extra heat that its 150W produces (plus an internal fan is on hand to keep the lamp cool). As with its little brother, the ML150Bi has an identical control panel that has an On/Off button and a Mode button to jump between controlling color temperatures in CCT Mode or choosing animated lighting effects in FX Mode.

A ridged plastic control wheel enables you to scroll through various menu items or adjust the frequency of lighting flashes, for example, and a central Set button lets you commit to your desired settings. A little OLED screen tells you all you need to know about the properties of the currently selected mode, and you can use that to activate Bluetooth, which enables you to control every setting via the Godox Light smartphone app.

The control dial/button (or the Godox Light app) enables you to adjust color temperature between a range of a warm 2800K to a cooler 6500K, so you can mimic candlelight, a sunset, or average daylight with ease. There are also 11 animated lighting effects – Lightning, Flash, Cloudy, Broken Bulb, TV, Candle, Fire, Fireworks, Explosion, Welding, and SOS.

As it’s a bi-color light, the lighting effects can use a mix of warm and cold color temperatures – such as creating cold flashes of lightning using a color temperature of 5400K, or a flickering fire at 2800K. If you want to mimic the flashing blues and reds of an off-screen police car, then you’ll need an RGB-capable LED such as the Neewer HB80C (which has 18 lighting effects, compared to the 11 from the ML150Bi).

The rear of the ML150Bi is initially hidden by a white plastic panel. At first, it was a bit of a challenge discovering how to remove the panel, but all you need to do is slide it up. Behind the panel are docking clamps that enable you to connect the LED’s body to a Godox ML-BA battery (not supplied). Fortunately, the kit does ship with the Godox ML-VMA battery plate, so I was able to pop a Neewer PS099F V-mount battery onto the plate and power the light during my test shoot.

Also included in the sturdy carry case that ships with the ML150Bi is an ML-Z Zoom Reflector. This mounts onto the front of the LED and can be rotated to create a wider or narrower (and more intense) beam of light. The front of the reflector is magnetic, enabling you to easily attach diffusers to subtly change the light’s properties. The Godox ML-D diffusers (sold separately) are designed to pop straight into the reflector. I found the diffusers to be a bit too subtle when out in a busy city location, but they may be more attractive (and more noticeable) if you’re shooting in a studio against a plain backdrop.

Godox ML150Bi: Performance

Since the ML150Bi didn’t ship with a battery, I popped on its supplied adapter and slid a Neewer PS099F V-mount battery I already had onto it. The Neewer battery’s display informed me that it was 80% charged, so I thought that would be more than enough power for a one-hour test shoot with Maddy, the model.

The ML150Bi’s sturdy black and branded carry case fitted nicely into my Gomatic 25L Camera Backpack, alongside a variety of accessories such as mini tripods, a Hohem iSteady V3 Ultra gimbal (to record my intro for the video review), and a spare iPhone 17 to capture some B-roll clips for my video review. The Neewer V-mount battery fitted in there too, so I found the backpack quite heavy to carry as I wandered through London to my shooting location – the Barbican Centre.

I’d previously tested the smaller Godox ML80Bi on a model portrait shoot in the Barbican Centre, so I decided to repeat the shoot with the ML150Bi. The weaker ML80Bi needed a Fresnel lens attachment to boost the light when shooting outdoors. The more powerful ML150Bi did not!

I started by using the bright sun as a key light, but this plunged parts of my model’s face into harsh, contrasting shadows. I was then able to position the ML150Bi on a lighting tripod to fill in the harsh shadows with a complementary daylight color temperature. I also enjoyed placing the LED behind the model to create a rim light that helped her stand out from the background. This extra light source helped "sculpt" her face with a key, fill, or rim light, giving it a more interesting three-dimensional look.

To make the ML150Bi’s light a little less harsh, I removed the reflector and slotted the Godox ML-CS1625 Soft Tent onto the LED, courtesy of the soft box’s supplied Godox mount adapter. The soft box reduced the intensity of the LED, so I needed to place the light in the shot while I snapped portraits for this review with my iPhone 17. It was an easy job to paint out the light stand and its shadow using Photoshop’s Generative Fill tool, so I was happy to keep the light in the shot when capturing wide shots of the model. For tighter portraits, I was able to keep the ML150Bi out of the shot.

I then moved into the shadow of the tall Barbican towers, which had a cooler, darker, and flatter lighting that was no good for portrait photography. Fortunately, after adjusting the LED via its tactile switches and dials, I was able to summon a strong golden-hour sun to be a key light in the gloom. This enabled me to capture some attractive sunset portraits (and slow-motion video of the model’s hair being backlit by the "sun").

Finally, I headed to a darker shaded area and used the ML150Bi as a harsh key light to capture film noir-style portraits with stark shadows. I also experimented with using some of the lighting effects while shooting video on the iPhone 17. The Broken Bulb effect in particular worked well with the grungy mise en scène of the urban environment, so these lighting effects should make the ML150Bi appeal to video creators as well as portrait shooters.

My hour-long shoot took place in four different locations that were relatively close together, so the light was on more than it was off! Given my V-mount battery started at 80% charge, I was lucky to have around 4% of power left at the end of my shoot, so I’d certainly recommend taking a spare battery along with you, especially due to the 150W power of the Godox ML150Bi.

I have one little niggle regarding the performance of the Godox ML150Bi. I turned the LED off between the various location setups to save battery power. To turn it on, you need to press the power button. A little icon appears on the OLED screen indicating that you then need to rotate the plastic dial in a clockwise direction to activate the LED. Sometimes this operation didn’t work, so I needed to press the power button again and have another go at rotating the dial. This did slow me down a little.

Oh, there was also a little bright orange rubber stopper that fitted onto the end of the metal lever that releases objects mounted to the front of the LED, such as the supplied reflector. This rubber stopper kept dropping off and, as I expected, it got lost during the shoot. However, it doesn’t affect the performance of the light in any way, so it is negligible, but I do like to be thorough in my reviews.

Godox ML150Bi: Verdict

I enjoyed using the Godox ML150Bi during my model portrait test shoot. As it was considerably more powerful than the ML80Bi, I could travel lighter without needing the brightness-boosting Fresnel lens that the ML80Bi required when shooting outdoors. However, I missed the Godox ML-BA battery that is supplied with the ML80Bi. My Neewer V-mount battery powered the ML150Bi throughout the shoot, but its bulky black casing looked out of place against the LED’s white body. Godox’s white ML-BA battery blends much more neatly with the white plastic bodies of its ML series LEDs, although buying one to power the ML150Bi would cost an additional $89/£73.

All in all, the Godox ML150Bi deserves a place in your kit bag as it elevates portraits from good to great. You can fill in harsh shadows or add a key light that accentuates the shape of your model’s face. Videographers might find the animated effects useful for adding drama, but the lack of RGB lighting effects (such as Squad Car) means that the effects from this bi-color light are less useful.

Alternatives

Benro is a Chinese creator of pro-grade tripods and other photography and videography supports. The company has been going strong for 30 years and counting, and I’ve personally paid cash money for some of its products over the last 10 years or so. I’ve been very happy with all of my purchases, being continually impressed with the craftsmanship, quality and dependability, throughout heavy use over long periods of time. Items in my collection include the lofty but super-sturdy carbon fiber Benro TMA38CL Mach3 9X CF Series 3 Long Tripod, the Benro GH2N gimbal head for the joy of movement, the Benro SupaDupa Pro MSDPL46C carbon fiber monopod, and the highly ingenious, ultra-versatile Benro FS20PRO Hybrid Video & Foto Head.

The Benro A48FD Aluminum Monopod that I’m reviewing here might not be ‘SupaDupa’, but it’s still packed with clever tricks. Benro bills it as a lightweight flip-lock video monopod that’s ideal for small cameras, with a 3-leg locking base that includes a ball joint for smooth and stable shots, along with reverse folding legs for compact travel. I’d agree with all of that, although I really don’t feel it’s only ‘ideal for small cameras’. I think its 20kg / 44lb payload rating makes this monopod tough enough to support even the heaviest of cameras mounted with long lenses. All in all, it aims to be one of the best monopods on the market, and quite possibly the best value for money.

Benro A48FD Monopod: Specifications

Benro A48FD Monopod: Price

I recently tested and reviewed the rather excellent Benro MSD46CB Black Diamond SupaDupa Monopod, a heavy-duty monopod with a heavy-duty price tag of $170 / £180. I’d have bought one myself if I didn’t already have the older Benro SupaDupa Pro MSDPL46C in my supporting cast. Shortly afterwards, I spotted this aluminum monopod kit with added extras in the shape of a 3-leg base for the bargain price of just $99 / £59, and the deal was done. It seems outrageously great value, especially in the UK, and for me, it’s a worthy additional monopod that I can use for hybrid shooting. Further investigation revealed the full list price in the UK is actually £120, but even at that price, it's reasonable value.

If you’re feeling flush, there’s also the Benro SupaDupa Pro MSDPL46C carbon fiber monopod, which lists at a much more expensive $209 / £209. This kit doesn’t include a 3-leg base but does come complete with a leveling head that’s useful for panning when shooting video or stills.

Benro A48FD Monopod: Design & Handling

The full title of this monopod is the Benro A48FD Series 4 Aluminum Monopod with 3-Leg Locking Base, which pretty much gives the game away and doesn’t leave much to the imagination. Even so, it’s imaginatively designed to be genuinely supportive for both videography and stills photography. It’s a bit like the best bits of a monopod and tripod all wrapped up into one convenient package, able to stand on its own three feet while giving a helping hand to panning and tilting, so you can go steady while tracking the action.

Let me start by saying what this monopod is not… It’s not carbon fiber. Even so, it has a high-quality aluminum build. It’s just that it’s also nearly twice the weight of the carbon fiber Benro MSD46CB Black Diamond SupaDupa Monopod that I mentioned earlier, although that monopod doesn’t include a 3-leg base. Either way, the aluminum model isn’t exactly heavy, at a very manageable 1.07kg / 2.36lb, and that’s with the 3-leg base fitted.

There are four leg sections in all, enabling the monopod to rise up from a fairly compact 56cm / 22in folded length (or minimum height) to a maximum operating height of 164cm / 64.6in. Sure, it’s not the tallest monopod in the world, but I’m 6ft 5in and found that it was tall enough for me to use comfortably without stooping. Naturally, if you add a monopod/tripod head of your choosing, you’ll gain an extra few inches in maximum height. More on that later.

Each of those four leg sections is pretty beefy, with diameters of 36.2, 32.4, 28.6, and 25.2mm, as measured from fattest at the top to the thinnest at the bottom. The four sections come complete with three flip locks, again differing from the SupaDupa design, which mostly employs twist locks with just one flip lock at the top. I’m fine with flip locks throughout, especially as they work with smooth but solid efficiency.

I’ll come to that 3-leg stand in a moment, but let’s start at the top and work our way downwards. The circular platform for mounting a camera or head has a sizeable diameter of 56cm / 22in. Given the monopod’s aspirations towards videography and panning for stills, I’m pleased that there are no less than three grub screws featured in the platform to securely lock a head in place if you fit one. I just hate it when a head starts unwantedly unscrewing when I’m panning in a counter-clockwise direction.

Another neat thing about the platform is that it features a reversible screw, so you can use it for mounting cameras or heads with either a standard 1/4in or 3/8in thread. A spanner is provided along with some other tools for removing, inverting, and securely refitting the mounting screw in either orientation. While that’s in process, you can also remove the platform for securing or releasing the grub screws, and detach the wrist strap on its circular metal collar if you’d rather not use it.

A plus point of aluminum compared with carbon fiber is that it’s not prone to shattering if it gets a sharp knock (accidentally, of course). A minus point is that it feels relatively cold to the touch, which can be an issue in chilly weather if you’re not wearing gloves. With that in mind, there’s a generous length of comfort padding applied to the top tube, and very comfy it feels too, being not too firm and not too squishy.

Enough beating around the bush. Let’s get onto that 3-leg stand, which is indeed a pretty standout feature of the kit. The complete assembly fixes to the bottom of the monopod in the same way that you’d attach a regular foot pad or spike, via a single threaded socket. However, each of the legs within the assembly is mounted on its own separate hinge. You can therefore rotate each of the legs down from their folded-up position, so that they stick out laterally, ready for action. They lock in place automatically when you reach full extension, thanks to the inclusion of spring-loaded pins. The head of each of the three incumbent pins has the word ‘Push’ engraved in the top, and, sure enough, you simply push them in to unlock each leg and fold it up again.

The fact that the legs fold upwards means they don’t add anything to the stowage length of the monopod, unless you extend the bottom section to enable them to fold flush with the tube, rather than over the flip locks.

A smart feature of the 3-leg assembly is that it has a ball and socket joint at the top. An anodized red twist clamp enables you to lock or release the joint. When locked, it keeps the monopod standing upright, or at your preferred angle to the vertical. When unlocked, the ball joint enables tilt and panning for shooting stills or video. There’s a full 360 degrees of panning on offer, but the tilt range is relatively limited.

Although the 3-leg base is a major feature of the kit, there are times when it’s more convenient to ditch it altogether and use the monopod in time-honored fashion, with just a single foot. With that in mind, you can simply unscrew the 3-leg base and detach it altogether, stowing it away for safekeeping.

For regular monopod duty without the 3-leg foot in tow, the kit comes complete with a regular and impressively chunky pointed rubber pad. It simply screws into the bottom of the monopod in place of the 3-leg base. A metal spike is available to buy as an optional extra if you’d prefer that for working on loose ground.

For making adjustments to any of the flip locks, removing and refitting the platform, and for other running repairs or alterations, the monopod is supplied with a spanner and three hex keys of different sizes. There’s also a clip that you can attach to the top tube, for holding the largest of the hex keys and for tethering a cable that’s running down from your mounted camera.

I’ve seen plenty of expensive, luxury tripods and monopods from certain manufacturers that are supplied without a carrying bag (stand up and be counted, Manfrotto). I’m impressed that despite the cut-price tag on this Benro monopod, it’s nevertheless supplied with a high-quality soft case, complete with an adjustable shoulder strap and an inner zippered pocket for stashing the set of tools.

Benro A48FD Monopod: Performance

The Benro monopod is short enough for me to use on my hands and knees, if I feel the need. That also means it’s not too big or heavy to carry around easily. That’s a big performance factor in my book, as unwieldy kit is likely to be left at home when I’m out and about, where it’s of no use whatsoever.

For more practical purposes in general shooting, the Benro extends to a fairly generous height so that I can use it without stooping, and I’m a pretty tall guy (well, tall if not pretty). Maximum extension is a stern test for any monopod or tripod, because it makes use of the thinnest legs and all of the joints, each of which is a potential point of weakness. I’m pleased that the Benro feels really rigid and resistant to unwanted flexing and vibrations, even at its maximum operating height.

Last but not least in the performance stakes, given the hybrid video/stills nature of the monopod, is its ability to enable tilting and panning. I’d say that the system works, but that it’s good rather than entirely great. I found the range of tilt to be a little limiting, and panning was prone to catching occasionally, rather than having a fluid and free-flowing action. The remedy for both of these niggles comes in the shape of a pan and tilt head, which you can buy separately and fit to the monopod.

I’d heartily recommend the Benro FS20PRO Hybrid Video & Foto Head, which I actually bought for use with this and other monopods and tripods, and it’s been serving me thoroughly well. It’s a ball head that also includes independent tilt and panning locks with a nice fluid action. There’s even a secondary panning mechanism up on top, which is especially useful for rotating the Arca-Swiss top clamp to suit either a long lens with a tripod mounting collar, or a camera with an L-bracket or cage.

Benro A48FD Monopod: Verdict

I really like that the Benro A48FD Series 4 Aluminum Monopod with 3-Leg Locking Base amply caters to my every whim. Sometimes I want the extra stability and secure footing of a 3-leg base. Other times, I prefer the slimline and unrestricted placement of a single foot. The Benro does both, thanks to the inclusion of a 3-leg base and an alternative chunky rubber foot, which are quickly and easily swappable.

In other respects, the Benro continues to impress, with solid and sturdy performance, fast and simple adjustments, and a good range of operating heights enabled by its chunky 4-section design. Sure, it lacks the luxury of a carbon fiber monopod, but this aluminum stick is cleverly designed, smartly finished, and works a treat. All in all, it’s great for shooting both video and stills, and it’s an absolute steal at the price.

Alternatives

It’s been two and a half years since I reviewed the original 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine, and I was very impressed at the time. It was everything I’d come to expect from the company behind it – an innovative design that packs an array of useful features, with excellent build quality and an impeccable finish.

Enough said? Well, while I’ve been steadily adding to my personal collection of 3 Legged Thing photo and video equipment over the years, the new and improved AirHed Cine CC is destined for a place on my shopping list, with its ability to turn pretty much any set of legs into one of the best video tripods. It certainly looks and feels right at home on my prized 3 Legged Thing Winston 2.0 sturdy carbon tripod.

3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC: Specifications

3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC: Price

Specialist video heads are often big, heavy, unwieldy, and very expensive to buy. The 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC is ideal in my books (and those of my accountant), in that it’s relatively compact, lightweight, and reasonably priced, at $249 / £229 / AU$799. Considering the feature set and quality of construction, it’s a bit of a bargain.

3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC: Design & Handling

I didn’t find much of anything wrong with the original version of the 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine fluid, video head, but the updated ‘CC’ adds some neat new tricks. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though, and start with the basics. The head is designed primarily with videography in mind, but it works just fine for shooting stills as well, especially if panning is the name of the game for tracking sports or wildlife subjects. It’s also a good fit for a large spotting scope.

A key feature of any video head is that it enables smooth pan and tilt movements, and, just like the original, the CC has a lovely fluid feel to it, based on a quality design and spring-loaded counterbalance mechanism. That said, the counterbalance is not adjustable to accommodate different sizes and weights of camera, but the omission is what I’d expect from a relatively compact, lightweight, and affordable video head, such as this one.

Crucial to panning and tilting is the panning handle itself, as your primary point of physical contact with the head. The handle is completely revamped in the new version, the main difference being that it has a retractable design. Not only does it enable you to choose the length that feels most comfortable and natural in use, but it also makes it less likely that you’ll need to remove it and stash it separately when stowing the head. The images above and below show the panning handle in its retracted and fully extended states.

True to type, the panning handle is mounted on splines, which enable a wide range of rotational adjustment as well as ensuring a secure fitment that avoids any slippage or wobbling. The arm release knob can be pulled out and rotated on a six-sided head to ensure it doesn’t stick out in the wrong direction and get in the way when fastened.

Also, as I’d hope for in a video head, the panning handle can be attached to the left or right side, catering not only to left-handed and right-handed users but also to individual preference. Some right-handers will prefer to use the panning handle with their left hand, to leave their right hand free for operating the mounted camera.

At the center of the left side of the head is the main tilt-action lock and release knob. It operates with smooth simplicity and can lock off the tilt very securely for fixed position shooting. Only minimal turning is required to lock or release the head’s tilt mechanism. A generous 165 degrees of tilt is on offer, from 90 degrees forward to 75 degrees backward.

Above and to the front of the tilt knob on the side of the head is a mounting socket with a standard 1/4-inch thread. You can use this to attach accessories like a microphone, LED lamp, or video monitor. 3 Legged Thing offers two sizes of optional ‘Pivot Magic Arms’ for the task.

Down at the bottom of the left-hand side is the panning lock/release knob. Like the release knob for the panning handle, this one is spring-loaded and sits on a six-sided head, so you can pull it out and rotate it to your preferred position. Loosening the lever enables a full 360-degree panning rotation. To help keep tabs on movement, there’s a 360-degree scale on the base, numbered in 15-degree intervals and marked with lines at smaller 2.5-degree increments.

To help with leveling your tripod legs, which in turn helps to ensure that everything stays on the level when you’re panning, there’s a bubble level built into the lower section of the head. A secondary bubble level is fitted to the main clamp at the top, for assistance with leveling the tilt mechanism.

Another upgrade over the original version of the head is that the clamp up on top can be removed by undoing four hex screws, and rotated laterally through 90-degree intervals. The bonus here is that you can change the orientation of the QR plate from running front-to-back to side-to-side. This can be a big advantage if you’re using a camera with an L-bracket or a cage.

The Arca-Swiss compatible quick-release plate is also redesigned. For starters, it’s longer at 100mm instead of 90mm, giving more scope for centering the weight of your camera on the head. It also features a sliding camera screw sled and spring-loaded locator pin, plus a cable management hook at the front. The QR plate also adds compatibility for 3 Legged Thing’s growing range of ‘Xpand’ accessories, cheese plates, and risers, and features multiple 1/4-inch and 3/8-inch threaded screw holes.

The images above and below show the top and bottom of the ‘XP 100 Ultra Plate’, 3 Legged Thing’s redesigned Arca-Swiss compatible quick-release plate that’s supplied with the head.

Last but not least, the head is supplied complete with 3 Legged Thing’s handy ‘Toolz’ multi-tool, which features hex keys, a flat-blade coin key, a keyring clip, and a carabiner for attaching it to whatever you see fit. It even works as a bottle opener if things get really tough.

3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC: Performance

I’m impressed that despite having a compact size and weighing in at just 690g / 1.5lb, the AirHed Cine CC has a beefy maximum payload rating of 10kg / 22lb. As I’ve mentioned, it doesn’t feature an adjustable counterbalance system, but I found it worked well with everything from small, lightweight cameras to big, hefty outfits comprising large camera bodies with super-telephoto lenses.

Any video head lives or dies by the smoothness of its pan and tilt mechanisms, and the AirHed Cine CC has a really nice fluid feel to it. The new extending panning handle is a joy to use, and all the controls feel smooth, precise, and intuitive. Suffice it to say, you can devote your entire attention to shooting rather than wrestling with the head to get what you want out of it.

It can be a bit tricky to level the legs of your tripod, which can be essential to ensure your camera stays on the level during panning. One elegant solution is to add a 3 Legged Thing LevelHed Levelling Base into the mix, but it’s pretty pricey at an additional $140 / £130 / AU$259. Something I’ve seen in some video and hybrid heads, like the Benro FS20PRO Video & Foto Head, is a secondary panning plate on top of the head, which enables you to just level the head for panning rather than the legs or a leveling base as well, but this is omitted in the AirHed Cine CC.

3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC: Verdict

The 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC is a great fit for me and my gear. It’s conveniently compact and lightweight, so I can stash it away in my photo backpack and grab it whenever I need to swap from shooting stills to video. It actually works really well as a pan-and-tilt head for shooting stills in addition to video, especially if you add in an L-bracket for portrait orientation shots. The laterally rotatable clamp makes the new CC version of the head all the more ideal for this, as you can use the QR plate or slot in an Arca-Swiss compatible L-bracket running sideways instead of just front-to-back.

I also like the redesigned, retractable panning handle, as it enables me to select the length that I want to use, as well as saving on storage space without feeling the need to remove the handle every time I pack the head away. The tricked-up replacement ‘XP 100 Ultra Plate’ is yet another improvement, and I like the way that I don’t even have to use the QR plate at all if I’m shooting with big, heavy telephoto lenses that have an Arca-Swiss profile mounting foot in their tripod mounting collars. All in all, the ‘CC’ is a worthy upgrade over the original. With its clever design, rich feature list, excellent build quality, and stylish finish, this one’s a keeper.

Alternatives

UGREEN is becoming quite the force in the world of NAS drives. Now boasting two series of drives, the entry-level, budget-friendly, personal cloud DH series and the high-performance, prosumer DXP series, UGREEN offers a wide range of products to suit most types of users.

The UGREEN NASync DH2300 belongs in the DH series and is a super compact two-bay NAS that functions as a private cloud. This makes it a particularly attractive alternative to paying for monthly Google One or iCloud subscriptions.

It's also a fantastic entry-level NAS for photographers who want a cheap backup solution and the ability to quickly dump large shoots via high-speed USB-A and USB-C ports. Unfortunately, there's no built-in SD card slot though.

Its reliance on a standard Gigabit network port also means it's never going to be the ideal solution for streaming raw, multi-gigabyte image files directly off the server in real-time.

Its biggest strength for photographers and families alike is its intelligent built-in photo management app. Backed by a dedicated AI smart chip, the system automatically scans your catalog to recognize faces, objects, and scenes. Because all of this processing happens locally inside the box, your family photos and professional shoots are never uploaded to a corporate web server, which helps to guarantee privacy.

UGREEN NASync DH2300: Specifications

UGREEN NASync DH2300: Design & Handling

The UGREEN NASync DH2300 is a sleek, minimalist, and aesthetically pleasing unit. The design and color choices follow firmly in line with almost all other UGREEN devices, from power banks to chargers. The modern design sets it apart from many other NAS alternatives which are chunky, industrial, and purely functional.

In terms of materials, UGREEN has chosen a plastic chassis styled in a two-tone gray palette. There's no metal in sight, and you can tell that as soon as you pick it up. I'd count this as a positive in terms of weight but a negative in terms of robust build quality. It feels pretty cheap, but that's no surprise given the price.

The internal bay trays are hidden below the top removal 'hood' and are constructed of thin plastic, which meant I had to treat them with a lot of care when inserting the hard drives. If you weren't careful, then you could definitely snap something. The trays are able to house 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch drives, with the included screws providing stability.

Thermal management is built into the design with vent cutouts subtly integrated at the bottom of both the left and right sides, working alongside ventilation holes in the top panel and the base to maximize airflow and heat dissipation. I never experienced the unit getting too hot, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the design.

The front panel is kept pretty minimal with an on/off button, three light indicators, and a USB-C port. At the back there is an RJ45 port, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, and the DC power port. All in, it's a really nice design that's only let down by the budget materials.

UGREEN NASync DH2300: Performance

This is my first experience of using a UGREEN NAS drive, and having experienced a number of other brands, I think UGREEN has absolutely nailed the setup and software experience, especially when we're considering users who are unfamiliar with NAS.

I was able to get the NAS setup in less than ten minutes simply by plugging it into a power source, connecting it to my router, inserting my hard drive, and navigating through the easy-to-follow user guide.

I loved the ability to discover the NAS device through a variety of different methods. I opted to download the dedicated client via the UGREEN downloads page, and after a few simple procedures I was up and running quickly. My experience fills me with confidence that beginners to NAS technology will be absolutely fine.

The NAS can also be discovered via a browser or even with NFC detection on an NFC-enabled phone. UGREEN really has done a good job of making the NAS work with a variety of different devices and operating systems to make it a genuine alternative to existing familiar media backup solutions.

The DH2300 is powered by an 8-core Rockchip RK3576 processor and 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM, which makes it both snappy and efficient. It also features a Mali-G52 GPU and dedicated 6 TOPS NPU which comes into its own when transcoding for H.264, H.265, and AV1, alongside smooth 4K output via HDMI 2.1.

We all care about transfer speeds, and the DH2300 maxes out its single 1 GbE network port, delivering consistent real-world transfer speeds of roughly 110 MB/s to 115 MB/s for sequential reads and writes. These speeds are okay for backup and retrieval, but I wouldn't rely on it to stream footage for video editing, especially if it's 4K in size. For that you'll want a device that can deliver around 300 MB/s to 400 MB/s.

The UGREEN NASync DH2300 features a native Photos app that uses a built-in NPU for local AI-driven image processing. As a result, users can take advantage of facial recognition, object detection, and OCR text extraction tools. It also includes an intelligent cleanup tool for identifying duplicate or blurry photos to optimize storage.

During operation, the NAS is incredibly quiet, so you'll hardly notice it's there. You could even put it in a space you use regularly, and it'll blend into the background. It also draws just 10 to 15 watts of power, which means it's economical to run too.

UGREEN NASync DH2300: Final Verdict

The UGREEN NASync DH2300 is a superb, budget-friendly entry-level NAS that serves as an excellent private cloud alternative to costly subscriptions. It features a sleek design and an incredibly easy setup process that takes less than ten minutes via app, browser, or NFC.

Its biggest strength for families and photographers is its local, AI-driven photo management app, which automatically sorts images while keeping your data entirely secure and private at home.

Unfortunately, its low price point comes with notable hardware compromises. The lightweight plastic chassis and internal trays feel cheap, and performance is bottlenecked by a standard 1GbE port that limits transfer speeds to around 115 MB/s. This makes it too slow for serious, real-time 4K video editing.

Lacking support for M.2 NVMe drives, Docker, and virtual machines, this NAS also offers very limited scalability, meaning power users and tech enthusiasts should look elsewhere.

There has been some fun World Cup 2026 merch to accompany the soccer tournament, from the brilliant Lego World Cup Trophy to the Ilford film featuring analog photos from ExpiredFilmClub.

However, this might be the neatest World Cup gear I've seen so far: SanDisk has launched a range of FIFA-themed memory devices, including these USB flash drives that look like referee whistles.

They come in four regular flavors, one for each host nation of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and a generic "Global" version. It has to be said that Mexico's looks the best, with its stunning logo design, with Canada's stylized maple leaf and the USA's swirling stars and stripes also looking the business.

However, the coolest is a special Gold Edition that comes in a shiny gold finish worthy of a World Cup champion.

All four "whistles" (which sadly do not function as such) also come with a stylized SanDisk / FIFA ribbon, so you can live out your dreams of handing out red cards to those who have wronged you… and, of course, know that you've always got some memory with you by hanging it around your neck.

The USA, Canada and Gold drives are only available in 128GB capacities, while the Mexico and Global editions are also available in 64GB options. Each drive is preloaded with the SanDisk Memory Zone mobile app (for Android phones and tablets) and desktop app (for MacOS and Windows).

The 64GB drives are priced at $25.99 / £26.99, with the 128GB versions at $34.99 / £37.99, and the Gold Edition available for $37.99 / £46.99 (availability on the Gold Edition seems to vary by region and retailer). Each drive also comes with a collectible World Cup 2026 sticker.

Note that the actual sale prices are pretty variable (the Gold Edition is just £41.99 at Argos in the UK) and the SRPs / RRPs are way higher – the Gold Edition is listed at $87.99 on the SanDisk US website!

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Keychain cameras like the Kodak Charmera have gone viral – but that’s not the only photo gear shrinking down to fit on a key ring. Joby, the same brand behind the flexible GorillaPod, has launched a mini tripod that clips onto a belt loop or a bag that weighs just 106g / 3.7 oz.

The Joby HandyPod Clip Extend is a mini tripod built for smartphones, compact cameras, and action cameras. While the compact tripod itself is only around six inches, the built-in extending selfie stick can also be used to extend the tabletop tripod to a height of 33.5 cm / 13.19 inches.

One of the tripod’s legs has a built-in carabiner, allowing creators to clip the tripod to a belt loop or backpack. The mini tripod’s folded length under 16mm / 6.5 inches makes it larger than a keychain camera, but still fairly portable for a tripod.

I can see the new mini tripod attracting creators on the go who want to pack light. The carabiner will also allow the tripod to be attached to lanyards or camera straps.

The HandyPod Clip Extend uses a standard 1/4-inch tripod thread, allowing it to accommodate a variety of different types of cameras. Those cameras should be under 1 kg / 2.2 lbs, but that still allows the tripod to support smartphones, compact cameras, action cameras, and even some lighter travel mirrorless cameras with lightweight lenses.

True to Joby’s roots, the tripod isn’t meant to spend its life on a tabletop. The legs have clips that allow the camera to enter what the company calls “mantis mode” and cling on to the side of railings and chain link fences.

A ball head allows creators to further adjust the camera’s angle, including supporting both horizontal and vertical positions.

The tripod also has an integrated cold shoe to add a light, mic, or another accessory.

The tripod also doubles as a selfie stick and handheld grip.

Last year, Videndum – the same brand that owns Manfrotto and Lowepro – sold the Joby brand to the Chinese manufacturer Vijim. At the time, Videndum said the move would help them narrow their focus on more pro-oriented gear.

Since then, Joby, who is still based in California, has continued to launch portable camera accessories. The June 09 launch of the HandyPod Clip Extend follows a GripTight Cold Shoe mount that allows smartphones to be held from a shoe mount, also announced in June.

The new launch isn’t Joby’s first tripod with a carabiner, but the June 2026 launch takes on a different design and adds an extension selfie stick compared to earlier options like the HandyPod Clip and HandyPod Clip Action.

The Joby HandyPod Clip Extend sells for about $35 / £31 / AU$58 / CA$57. Some retailers have already opened orders, including B&H in the US and Joby's online store.

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Godox has revealed an affordable new compact flashgun compatible with a variety of camera brands and models. The iM30Pro Mini Flash measures just 62 x 64 x 48mm (2.5 x 2.4 x 1.9") and weighs only 121g, making it suitable for almost any size kit bag. Thanks to its simple single-contact hot shoe design and standard PC sync port for triggering, the iM30Pro will work with a huge range of cameras, including classic film models. A built-in photocell also allows the flash to be triggered remotely for off-camera use.

Read more: the best flashguns for your camera

Despite its basic connection format, the flash still features an automatic mode: simply set the camera’s aperture and sensitivity, then the flash automatically calculates the correct exposure. Alternatively, a manual mode allows flash power adjustment down to 1/128 in 1/3-stop increments.

Unlike many budget flashguns that are powered by AA batteries, the iM30Pro packs a built-in 7.4V, 700mAh rechargeable lithium battery. It's capable of up to 550 full power flashes per charge, with a recycle time of just 1.5 seconds at full GN15 flash power. Battery charge level is displayed on a small color display on the rear of the flash, and this display also makes it easy to adjust flash settings.

Though it appears to be a fixed, forward-facing flash design, the iM30Pro is actually capable of firing vertically to bounce flash. The small flash head can be tilted upward, with a choice of four angles - 45, 60, 75, and 90 degrees - enabling various creative lighting possibilities. There’s even a pack of optional magnetic color gels and modifiers available separately which can be attached to the flash head to create additional special lighting effects.

The Godox iM30Pro is available to pre-order now from B&H, priced at $44.90. It is said to be compatible with select Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Olympus, and Sony cameras.

Benro is renowned for offering solid support to photographers and videographers. The Chinese manufacturer has been going for 30 years and counting, creating a diverse range of products. I’ve been impressed by many and varied bits of Benro kit, including the Benro Cyanbird Carbon FS30 travel tripod kit, Benro SupaDupa Pro MSDPL46C monopod, Benro FS20PRO Video & Foto Head, Benro GH5C gimbal head, and the Benro QRB95DUAL Quick Rotation Lens Bracket, to name but a few.

The Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock Aluminum Video Tripod Kit that I’m reviewing this time around is from a new series of video tripods, their main claim to fame being the ‘lightning lock’ leg system. As its name suggests, the design aims to be super-fast for setting up the tripod and packing it away again after a take. Available in both aluminum and carbon fiber versions and with different heads, it aims to be one of the best video tripod kits on the market. I put the aluminum kit with the KH fluid head to the test.

Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock: Specifications

Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock: Price

The current range of Lightning Lock-series legs and complete kits starts at a very competitive price and stays very reasonable through to the top end. Kicking off the selection is the set of aluminum legs on their own, priced at $175 / £220. Adding the KH fluid head for a complete kit brings the price up to $280 / £330. The carbon fiber legs on their own are slightly pricier than the complete aluminum kit, priced at $300 / £340, while the range-topping carbon kit with head sells for $380 / £450. Even that’s very affordable for a pro-grade video tripod.

Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock: Design & Handling

Following something of a time-honored tradition for video tripods, the legs are constructed from twin-tube sections. The idea is to maximize the overall stability while reducing the risk of tortional flexing and twisting while you’re panning. As such, the top and middle sections of the 3-section legs have double tubes, and the bottom section has the usual single tube.

When folded out, the legs have the usual look of five tubes in a row. At least, that’s how things look when the tripod is set to its minimum height. As you extend the legs for loftier operation, the top two sections extend in pairs of tubes, and the single bottom tube of each leg also extends.

Another bit of video tradition is that the Benro features a spreader between the legs. Again, this is to enhance stability and to make sure that the legs stay evenly and securely positioned while the tripod is in use. The spreader is typically hinged so that it folds out automatically as you pull the legs out from their folded position. As such, the tripod doesn’t feature alternative locking leg angles for operational use, and clips are included for holding the legs together when the tripod is folded down.

Getting on to the hotter news about extending and contracting the legs to alter the height, the tripod features Benro’s new ‘lightning locks’. I’m a fan, liking that each leg has just a single lock/release lever for height adjustment, making them very quick and easy to adjust. You simply pull each lever outwards from the leg to release all three sections, make the necessary height adjustment, then push it back in again. As well as speeding up the process of height adjustments, the system also makes it easier to level the legs.

While the lightning locks enable quick and broadly accurate leveling, you still need the platform that supports the head to be perfectly leveled if panning is on the cards. That’s so that the horizon doesn’t start to tip over at an angle during panning. As such, the tripod features a 60mm leveling bowl and a simple lock/release knob underneath the main platform. Again, it’s a quick and easy system to use, as you just have to loosen the knob, make the leveling adjustment, then tighten it back up to lock the platform in place.

As an aid to leveling, there’s a bubble level on the platform, and I’m pleased that it’s comparatively large and easy to see, unlike the tiny bubble levels of some tripods. Naturally, most cameras these days feature an artificial horizon that can be more accurate than using a bubble level, but every little helps.

I’ve found that some video heads have a panning action that’s a little too loose for my liking, whereas others feel a bit tight and stiff. A neat feature of the Benro is that, as well as the pan lock/release knob, there’s an adjustable fluid drag control. This has a twist action that enables you to set just the right amount of fluid drag that you’re most comfortable with, for the job at hand.

The tilt mechanism is relatively straightforward, with a simple lock/release knob. This gives some control over the amount of drag for front-to-back tilting, but not so much as with the panning adjuster. As I’d expect, there’s a spring-loaded counterbalance system but, again, this is quite a simple affair and the head doesn’t feature an adjustable counterbalance mechanism for tailoring it to different weights of camera.

To further enhance the feel of the tilt and panning action, the head features a generously long panning handle. It has the usual elbow that angles its shaft, and is mounted on splines that avoid any risk of slippage or wobbling. The grippy rubberized hand grip area of the panning handle is also comfortably large and feels good to the touch.

As is often the case with up-market video heads, a splined attachment bracket is featured on both the left and right sides of the head, to accommodate comfortable panning with either your left or right hand, respectively.

The clamp up on top is industry-standard 501 compatible and comes complete with a quick-release plate. The clamp has a rotary lock-release knob plus a security pushbutton at the rear, to avoid any nasty surprises with the plate sliding out accidentally.

The QR plate itself features a sliding mounting screw saddle for attaching your camera, cage, or lens with a tripod-mounting collar. There are also three spring-loaded security pins and a calibrated scale along both sides of the plate, for precision placement.

The tripod comes with large, rubber pads which give a firm and stable footing on hard flooring and ground. They’re removable, to reveal dual spikes as alternative footwear that’s more suitable for soft flooring and loose ground. It’s nice to have the choice, my only slight complaint being that I found the rubber retaining straps that hold the rubber feet in place to be quite stiff and fiddly for removal and replacement.

The image above shows one of the large rubber foot pads, whereas it has been removed for the image below, which shows the dual metal spikes.

Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock: Performance

A key performance plus point is that the ‘lightning locks’ live up to their billing and enable super-quick setup of the tripod. That can be a massive bonus if you need to react quickly to an unfolding storyline at weddings and other events, and for shooting sports or wildlife. The bowl mechanism in the head is similarly speedy for quick and accurate leveling, so you’re ready to roll in no time at all.

There’s a fairly decent height range on offer, from a minimum operating height of 75cm / 29.5 inches, up to a maximum of 151cm / 59.5 inches. That should suffice for most scenarios, but won’t cover you for ultra-low-level shooting or for getting an overview with a really tall perspective.

Stability and rigidity are impressive, and the tripod is very resistant to flexing and vibrations when panning and tilting. Pan and tilt themselves operate with the requisite fluidity for videography, and I’m very happy with the adjustable fluid drag control for panning. The lack of an adjustable counterbalance system can be less rewarding, especially if you’re using hefty camera and lens combinations. The maximum payload rating of the kit is 6.8kg / 15lb, which again should suffice for most needs but isn’t overly generous. There’s also no threaded socket for attaching accessories like an LED lamp, microphone, or monitor screen via a magic arm.

Ultimately, the Benro won’t win any prizes for its range of height adjustment or maximum load-bearing capability, but performance is very pleasing within the design parameters. It’s a quick and easy video tripod to use, without being too big, heavy, and cumbersome.

Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock: Verdict

There’s a lot to like in the Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock Aluminum Video Tripod Kit. Living up to its billing, the new ‘lightning lock’ system enables super-fast height adjustments and leveling of the legs, while the 60mm bowl mechanism in the head allows for ultra-precise leveling adjustments. As well as being quick and easy to set up, the tripod operates with smooth efficiency and features an adjustable fluid drag mechanism for panning. That’s backed up by good resistance to unwanted flexing and vibrations.

The maximum load rating isn’t overly generous, there’s no adjustable counterbalance system, and the feet require a bit of effort to swap them between rubber pads and dual metal spikes. Even so, the Benro is simple to use, highly effective in most shooting scenarios, and very good value for money.

Alternatives

Flash photography has never really been a major part of my photographic career. Like many photographers, I have used flash when I absolutely needed to, usually in poorly lit rooms, dark venues, or situations where the available light simply was not doing enough. It was always more of a practical necessity than a creative choice.

But over the years, as camera technology improved, I slowly put the flash down. Modern cameras have become so good in low light, with incredible ISO performance, better sensors, and cleaner files, that flash started to feel less essential. Why carry another piece of kit when you can simply raise the ISO, open the aperture, and let the camera do the work?

That was my thinking for a long time, until recently, when I picked up a cheap camera flash for my Leica (a Zeniko ZA-12S, costing $40 / £48) and decided to take it out for a walk. There was no big plan, no technical experiment, and certainly no grand creative project behind it. I simply wanted to see what would happen if I added flash back into my photography, not in a studio or a dark interior, but out in the real world during daylight hours.

While exploring my local area, I stumbled upon a church and started taking photographs. Then I fired the flash. Suddenly, the images had something different. There was a punch, a lift, and a sense of separation that I was not expecting. The light gave the scene a different character, almost as if it had woken up certain parts of the image that would otherwise have sat quietly in the shadows.

What surprised me most was not that the flash worked, but that it made photography feel fun in a slightly different way. It forced me to think again. Instead of only reacting to the natural light, I was adding something to it. I was shaping the image in a small but deliberate way, and that changed how I approached the scene in front of me.

This is where I now see the real appeal of using a camera flash as a fill light during daylight hours. It is not about blasting a subject with artificial light or making an image look obviously flashed. Used carefully, flash can simply lift the shadows, add a little sparkle, and create a more balanced photograph. It can bring out detail in a face, a doorway, a stone wall, or a subject standing against a strong backlight.

For years, I thought of flash as something you reached for when the light was bad. Now I am beginning to see it as something you can use when the light is good, but it needs a little help. That is a very different way of thinking, and it has made me look at a familiar piece of kit in a new way.

There is also something wonderfully freeing about using a simple, inexpensive flash. It does not need to be complicated. You do not need a full lighting setup, stands, modifiers, or a studio bag full of accessories. Sometimes, one small flash on top of the camera is enough to completely change how you approach a walk around town.

Of course, this is not going to replace my love of natural light, and I am certainly not about to turn every photograph into a flash-heavy experiment. But it has reminded me that photography should be playful. It should involve trying things, making mistakes, and occasionally rediscovering tools you thought you had left behind.

For me, adding a flash back into my camera bag has been one of those small creative jolts that makes photography feel exciting again. It has made me slow down, experiment, and look for ways to add light rather than simply chase it. And, perhaps most importantly, it has reminded me that sometimes the cheapest bit of kit can have the biggest impact on how you see the world.

Check out our guide to the best camera flashguns

As a portrait photographer, I think the bigger the light source is, the better. The problem is that large light sources are, well, large – and getting them on site can be problematic. The latest lights from Godox, however, use inflatable heads to create a travel-friendly, versatile light source.

The Godox LC500R Air takes inspiration from the existing LC500R and swaps out the solid head with an inflatable one, making the constant LED light wand around 30 percent lighter than the solid model at about 532g / 1.17 lbs.

The light-saber-like wand, however, also launches alongside the LR150 Air inflatable ring light for flattering portraits and circular catchlights. The two lights are modular, allowing the handles to swap out different inflatable heads and accessories.

The light’s power rests in the handle, where a built-in battery offers over 90 minutes of run time at full power for both lights. The wand light is capable of 2,660 lux, which Godox says is 3x brighter than similar lights in this category. The ring light, meanwhile, can send out up to 1,760 lux.

That light can be adjusted through the control panel on the handle or through a smartphone app. Along with being handheld, the light also has a tripod thread mount and a magnetic mount.

The Godox LC500R Air comes with the inflatable wand head, while the LR150 Air ships with the inflatable ring head. Additional diffusers and grids for the wand, as well as an optional MagSafe mount, are sold separately.

The LC500R Air retails for $99, with the ring light LR150 Air sitting slightly higher at $109. International pricing has not yet been announced, but that converts to about £74 / AU$141 / CA$138 and £81 / AU$155 / CA$152. Pre-orders have opened at some retailers, including B&H and Adorama in the US.

That puts the inflatable series not only lighter than the earlier model with a solid head, but more affordable as well. The earlier LC500R remains the more powerful option, however, rated at 5800 Lux.

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Take a look at the best LED light wands or the best ring lights, as picked by real photographers.

LaCie's iconic bright orange Rugged portable hard drives have been searing our retinas since 2005, but it's recently been revealed by Global Distribution that two models in the Rugged range are going to be discontinued. You might assume these would be the oldest or slowest models in the line-up, but they're actually some of the newest and fastest drives: the Rugged SSD4, and Rugged SSD Pro5.

The Rugged SSD4 is/was available in 1TB, 2TB and 4TB capacities, each operating through a super-fast 40 Gbps USB4 interface, enabling transfer speeds of up to 4000MB/s read and 3800MB/s write. That's impressively quick, but the Rugged SSD Pro5 was even more rapid. It used a bleeding-edge 80 Gbps Thunderbolt 5 connection, allowing the drive to achieve an incredible 6700MB/s read speed and 5300MB/s write rate.

Both the Rugged SSD4 and Rugged SSD Pro5 were only launched last year, making it especially surprising that they should be discontinued after such a short production run. And the reason for this early demise? Why, it's ongoing lack of NAND flash memory, of course. Since the start of the year we've seen countless news stories of SSD and memory card price hikes due to the global shortage of flash memory. It seems that within this sector the fastest memory has seen the most dramatic price increases; the very memory that’s needed to construct portable SSDs like the Rugged SSD4 and Pro5.

When our sister website Toms Hardware reviewed the Rugged SSD Pro5 in February 2025, the 2TB version was priced at $400, and the 4TB $600. Right now at B&H the latter will set you back a cool $1600, equating to a 167% price increase in less than 18 months (the 2TB version is already listed as discontinued). It's unclear whether LaCie chose to discontinue these SSDs because it was no longer able to physically source the necessary flash memory to manufacture the drives. I’d speculate that the components are still available, but are now so expensive to source that the end product is no longer economically viable to market.

As for why flash memory is in such short supply and now commanding crazy prices; we can thank unstoppable rise of AI. AI data processing centers devour high-bandwidth memory and fast SSD storage, causing AI companies to buy up huge stocks of solid state memory. This in turn is having a knock-on effect in other sectors that require DRAM and NAND flash memory, such as the memory card and portable storage industries. SSD manufacturers like LaCie (and its parent company, Seagate) have to fight for the remaining memory stock after the AI tech giants like Google, Meta, Nvidia and Open AI have paid top dollar to fuel their data centers. And when demand is high, prices go up, resulting in the unsustainably high prices we're seeing for the fastest and highest capacity portable SSDs.

With its butter-soft leather and tasteful gold hardware accents, you would be forgiven for thinking that the Voygr 1 Camera Bag was merely a stylish messenger bag. Happily, this is exactly what the team behind Voygr designed the bag for. There is no unnecessary bulk or drab technical fabric here – only premium materials and a sleek, compact profile.

As one of only a small handful of products by Voygr, this bag was created for photographers and creators who do a lot of traveling. Accordingly, I can absolutely see this as being excellent for the best cameras for street photography, especially with its low-profile design. As someone who loves a good city break, I would also rate it as one of the best camera bags for travel (as long as you’re someone who doesn’t need to carry a huge amount of kit).

Despite its elegant exterior, this bag is far from being all style and no substance. Inside is a Mary Poppins-esque array of artfully designed nooks and crannies that made me verbally note “oh, that’s useful” to myself multiple times. I’ve hoisted many a camera bag upon my shoulders in my time, but I fear the Voygr 1 may have spoiled me for the future. After all, if other camera bags don’t come with pebbled calf leather memory card holders, then I don’t think I want them.

Voygr 1: Specifications

Voygr 1: Price

The Voygr 1 Camera Bag is available for $281 / £179 / AU$395 with free shipping. This is on the more expensive side for camera messenger bags, but I would say that it’s a fair price when you consider the leather exterior and the suede interior.

When you compare it to the Billingham Eventer MKII bag (currently billed as the luxury option in our best camera bags guide), which retails for roughly $834 / £662 / AU$1,171, I think it’s practically a steal.

Voygr 1: Design & Handling

The Voygr 1 can hold one DSLR or mirrorless camera and two lenses. There are suede-covered inserts that can be adjusted to create smaller and larger pockets within the bag. As opposed to some other bags I’ve tested, the velcro holds really nicely and it takes a significant tug to take it away from the bag’s interior fabric. There are two small cupholder-like pockets on either end of the bag. These are a nice idea in theory, but when the bag is filled with kit, there isn’t really room to put anything substantial in there.

There is a front interior pocket that can fit an iPad Mini, but will not house a laptop or tablet larger than 10 inches. The rear interior pocket has three leather SD card holders and four more cupholder-like pockets that could house tripod plates, rolls of film, cables, and other various accoutrements. I would say that they run on the smaller size, so they are unable to fit in filters (especially those with larger circumferences). I would have personally preferred three slightly larger pockets than the smaller four. However, the rear pocket as a whole is more than big enough to store multiple filters if necessary – they just won’t have individual homes.

The rear exterior of the bag has a zipped compartment that contains four slots for bank cards or photo ID. It’s a relatively roomy pocket, but I would be hesitant to put too much into it for fear of stretching the leather. However, it would be perfect for holding a phone and passport.

The zip on the back pocket of the bag is smooth and uninterrupted. However, my one major quibble with this bag regards the zip for the main compartment. The end of the zip is tucked into the interior of the bag itself. This means that there is no clear ‘stop’ for the zip to come to when the bag is opened. When drawing the zip back and forth along the back, it noticeably sticks for the first couple of inches while being closed. Additionally, if the zip is tugged fully open, then the end of the zip needs to be untucked from the bag in order to close it. For me, this isn’t a dealbreaker. However, it is an irritation.

The leather strap is adjustable and features a shoulder rest. However, that rest doesn’t appear to contain any additional padding. There are also four studs on the bottom of the bag to protect the leather from being placed directly on the floor. These studs also help to easily keep the bag upright rather than tipping over.

One of my favorite features of the bag is the clip-on camera strap that can be attached to either the D-rings at each end of the bag, or to the spare adjustable clip on the shoulder strap. For me, this really highlights how perfect this bag is for travel and street photography. If you’re ever in a location where you want to keep a tight hold on your camera, you can attach it to your shoulder strap and take photos without worrying that it could be yanked from your hands mid-shot.

Voygr 1: Performance

Even without any kit inside the Voygr 1 camera bag, I immediately noticed that it felt relatively weighty in the hand. Considering the premium materials used, this isn’t a surprise. However, my perennial bugbear with all camera messenger bags is that it’s a lot of weight to put on one shoulder, especially if you use DSLRs. If this is something that you think might bother you, then you might be better off with something like the Bellroy Venture 10L Sling Camera Edition bag, which weighs almost 200 g (7 oz) less (although is also far less stylish!).

When the bag was fully loaded up, it felt a little boxy to carry. I walked with it for an hour, and found myself pretty aware of it the entire time. However, when carrying lighter kit that has a smaller profile, this is less of an issue.

With a DSLR and two lenses packed inside the Voygr 1, I will say that room inside the bag felt tight. Those additional pockets are great, but realistically, it’s tough to actually fit anything extra inside them. In fact, when I tried to add in a couple of filter holders, I started to struggle to be able to close the zip. I think that this is partially due to the material of the bag. If you take the aforementioned Bellroy Venture as a comparison, the external material has a level of give that the leather of the Voygr 1 bag just doesn’t.

On the leather, I would be remiss not to mention that the pebbled calf leather exterior isn’t going to be the most practical material when caught in a downpour. While it will typically handle a light shower of rain relatively well, repeatedly taking it out in inclement weather may result in damage to the leather (and to the camera kit inside). This is a shame when rain can provide some excellent street photography opportunities, but it’s also much of a muchness if you’re considering a leather camera bag in the first place! It would be nice if Voygr included a rain cover for their bags to ensure that users aren’t limited to shooting solely on non-rainy days.

Another material consideration is the bag’s zip. While the large-toothed zip looks great, I did find myself wincing as I pulled my camera in and out of the bag. More than once, my camera body scratched against the zip, which isn’t ideal. If you’re a little too laissez-faire with your lens cap like me, then this could be a recipe for a lens-scratch disaster.

Ultimately, while Voygr’s assertion that the bag can fit a DSLR and two lenses is correct, I think users will be more comfortable sticking to kit with a smaller profile.

Voygr 1: Verdict

The Voygr 1 Camera Bag is a beautifully crafted messenger bag that prioritizes good quality materials and plenty of thoughtfully designed pockets. The removable inserts mean that this is a bag that will live a lot of lives with me, rather than just being relegated to my closet whenever I’m not shooting.

During testing, I appreciated how discreet the Voygr 1 is. There was no way that the strangers I passed were able to tell that I was carrying camera kit worth thousands. Considering that some camera bags can feel like I’m hoisting a flashing advert crying “please rob me” onto my back, I was surprised at how calm I felt with the Voygr 1.

My only significant frustration revolved around the zip, which did tend to stick when fully open. This is a real shame, because it’s something that could have been resolved with a shorter end that didn’t need to be tucked into the bag. I would also caution users to be careful when lifting delicate glass in and out of the bag, as I could foresee issues with lenses potentially being scratched.

Alternatives

See our full guide to the best messenger bags for photographers

Lexar and AFA's new Elite Legend Series of storage devices, including Lexar Air Portable SSDs and

Serious pro photographers might be interested in the SL500 Portable SSD Elite Legends Series combines read speeds of up to 2000MB/s and write speeds of up to 1800MB/s

Looking for something lighter and prepared to compromise on the speed? Lexar also has you covered with the 512GB or 1TB Air series of the even more portable SSD, which transfers files over USB 3.2 at a slightly more sedate 400 MB/s.

Lexar has also taken the opportunity to launch a co-branded

The problem for me, of course, as an Englishman, is that I'm not especially fond of the so-called talents of the Argentina Number 10 from forty years hence as celebrated by this design.

It is, of course, the famous Diego Maradona and so far as I'm concerned his most famous goal was the "Hand of God" goal scored in the 1986 World Cup in which England ended up losing to Argentina 2-1.

Not unreasonably, the idea of a goal assisted in its path by the hand – somewhat obvious from the video replay – isn't really something which impressed my fellow countrymen (and in 1986 it was only 20 years since England had last won a World Cup, so it didn't even seem impossible at the time).

There are many photographers who might like this device, however.

Scottish football fans have long rejoiced in England's bad luck, for a start!

I once went through a phase where I needed a wagon to drag my photography props along on a shoot – but once I’ve tasted the freedom of a minimalist gear kit, it’s hard to go back. Camera bags are beginning to jump on the minimalist trend too, skipping the plethora of pockets for a sleek and streamlined look. The Peak Design Travel Backpack 20L is one of those bags.

The exterior of the Peak Design Travel Backpack is all clean lines and simplicity – and the 20L is even more so than the earlier 30L and 45L options. Inside, the bag is minimalist as well, meant to carry a mirrorless and a few small lenses with a medium (or Smedium) camera cube.

The bag’s minimalist design isn’t just about looks – there’s little to get caught on tucking the bag under a seat, and the bag’s size was perfect for my more petite frame. But there were two features that were a bit too minimal for me to make it my go-to camera bag.

Peak Design Travel Backpack 20L: Specs

Peak Design Travel Backpack 20L: Price

I tested the 20L version of the Peak Design Travel Backpack, but the company also has 30L and 45L variants of the bag, which are not only larger but have slightly different pockets and features.

The 20L backpack sells for about $200 / £170 / AU$390 / CA$280 for the bag on its own.

But, like Peak Designs' other backpacks, the system needs a camera cube to carry photo and video gear. The Smedium camera cube sells for about $70 / £60 / AU$150 / CA$95, and the Medium for about $100 / £85 / AU$190 / CA$140, which adds to the cost of the bag.

That’s certainly not cheap, but it does make it one of Peak Design’s more affordable backpacks.

Peak Design Travel Backpack 20L: Design

My first impression of the Peak Design Travel Backpack 20L is just how sleek and minimalist the bag is. The backpack has very few protrusions on the outside, creating a slim and streamlined look.

Those clean lines aren’t just for looks. With fewer pockets and protrusions, there’s not much of the bag sticking out to get caught while trying to tuck it under an airplane seat or in another compact spot.

The bag’s main compartment unzips from the back panel in a clamshell style opening. This makes the main compartment easy to access. The bag will fit a Smedium or medium camera cube here and still have a bit of extra packing space at the top of the bag.

Those camera cubes have a divider system that’s both rigid and smart. Some of the divers have a built-in shelf – this is key for making sure that small pancake lenses don’t have too much space to bounce around. Using a “shelf” I could tuck a pancake and a GoPro in the same small lens slot.

There’s an exterior zipper that expands the bag’s main compartment a bit – which is required in order to fit a camera cube inside.

On the flip side of the back opening, there’s a laptop sleeve, and an extra small pocket, the right size for a handful of batteries and filters. The laptop sleeve is roomy for such a compact bag, fitting a 16-inch MacBook Pro, but this does make the back panel rigid, so it doesn’t mold as well to my back and isn’t quite as comfortable.

There’s a small secondary zipper at the top of the bag. This pocket extends down through maybe a third of the bag’s height and can fit smaller items like a wallet, sunglasses, and keys.

At first glance, there’s no obvious water bottle pocket on the bag. But that’s because the bag uses a hidden interior water bottle pocket that keeps the bottle upright on the inside of the bag.

On the one hand, this hidden water bottle pocket is great because the traditional mesh stretchy side pockets often catch on things, like when sliding the bag underneath a seat.

But I found the hidden water bottle pocket too minimalist for two key reasons. One, the pocket only fits smaller bottles and won’t fit, say, a travel coffee mug with a handle on it or a Stanley-style cup with a straw. I also had to turn the camera cube to get a water bottle to fit.

But the bigger problem is that while the exterior fabric is waterproof, the interior lining of the water bottle pocket is not. The thin fabric made me nervous while packing a bottle inside, so I decided to intentionally leave a water bottle cap a little too loose, and the water did, in fact, end up in the main compartment where camera gear is stashed. Peak Design’s camera cubes are water-resistant, but that would mean keeping the cube zipped rather than open for fast access.

The interior water bottle pocket won’t fit a full-height tripod, but Peak Design still included a tripod carry option on this bag. Included straps will attach a tripod to the bag. The straps are a bit fiddly to get on, but once gravity is helping keep the straps tight, my tripod didn’t budge.

The exterior fabric is, however, water-resistant, including weather-sealed zippers. The nylon shell feels very sturdy and gives the bag a classic look. But, the feel of the material is a little rougher than other Peak Design bags that I’ve tried – like the Travel 2-in-1 – and that texture tends to attract pet hair and dirt more than other nylon bags that I’ve tried.

The straps on the Travel 20L are a little narrower than Peak Design’s larger bags, but I have a more petite frame, and I thought this design fit quite well. The straps also have a good amount of padding and are well-shaped, with a removable chest strap to keep them in place.

The bag was very comfortable to wear for several hours with smaller items tucked inside. The bag is comfortable with a mirrorless camera, a few small lenses, and a flash tucked inside. Fully packing the bag out with a laptop and tripod latched on, the weight is a bit much – it’ll be fine for short periods, but I wouldn’t hike with it all day with that much gear inside – it’s best for minimal gear setups.

Along with the straps, there’s also a thick grab handle at the top and a luggage trolley pass-through at the back.

While the Peak Design Travel 20L carries the same name as the brand’s previously launched Travel Backpack 30L and 45L bags, the smaller bag takes an even more minimalist approach. There’s no secondary side access to the main compartment, the water bottle pocket has moved to the inside, and there’s no waist belt on the smaller bag.

Peak Design Travel Backpack: Verdict

The Peak Design Travel Backpack 20L is both wonderfully and frustratingly minimalist at the same time. I loved the sleek look of the bag, the streamlined pockets, and the fact that there’s nothing for the bag to really catch on.

The bag is also pretty comfortable to carry a mirrorless camera and a few smaller lenses with. As a petite person, I often feel a bit swallowed by larger camera packs, so the compact size of this bag was a good fit for me personally.

However, I think the internal water bottle pocket at least should have used a waterproof material to avoid disastrous leaks. I also didn’t like the fabric – it tended to attract pet hair and dirt more than other nylon bags.

Overall, that mix meant I liked the bag, but didn’t quite love it. It’s great for a minimalist bag and particularly well-suited for petite frames and short trips. But, I wouldn’t put a water bottle in it, nor overload it with both camera gear, a laptop, and a tripod.

Peak Design Travel Backpack: Alternatives

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Take a look at the best camera backpacks or the best camera bags tested by our experts.

Take a bow, Robert Weinreb. He’s a native New Yorker and professional photographer who’s faced challenges in his career, confessing to wrapping his cameras and lenses into knitted hats for packing into regular backpacks when going in search of ‘the shot’, most notably while trekking in harsh Himalayan environments. His solution was to get a Manhattan-based sewing shop to stitch up a bespoke camera bag of his own design and that’s how, back in 1977, Tenba was born. Almost 50 years later, Tenba has become one of the top names in the camera bag business. The name itself comes from a Tibetan word meaning strong, unshakable and reliable, backed up by a company motto of ‘Never Compromise’.

Tenba’s evolutionary design process has recently hatched the Roadie v2 collection, claiming to be the world’s first rolling camera cases with completely removable backpack straps. The backpack straps themselves are actually sold separately as optional extras but even so, the Roadie v2 series builds on the successful design concepts of the original versions, aiming to be the ‘most advanced camera carry solutions’ on the planet, and among the best roller bags for photographers. I got my hands on the Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International, which is literally a case in point.

Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International: Specifications

Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International: Price

From full-sized bags to small battery pouches and accessories, I’ve consistently been impressed with Tenba products large and small. The Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International case that I’m reviewing here lives up to my expectations, with a premium look and feel. It’s only fair that this is reflected in the selling price, which is towards the top end of the scale for a camera roller bag, at $489 / £445 / AU$699. The Tenba is undeniably more expensive than a few other popular camera roller bags that double as backpacks, including the Lowepro Pro Trekker RLX 450 AW II at $429 / £319 / AU$549 and the Vanguard Alta Fly 55T G2 at $349 / £250 / AU$469.

If you’re in the mood for extras, the completely removable Tenba Roadie v2 Backpack Straps sell for $39 / £52 / AU$99, and they’re an additional purchase, not supplied with the bag itself. You can also unzip and pull out the entire camera insert section and replace it with the optional Tenba Roadie v2 Luggage Liner Kit, converting the camera bag into a regular, general purpose carry-on roller bag, at an additional cost of $49 / £56 / AU$109.

Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International: Design & Handling

I’m precious about my cameras, lenses and photographic accessories, which is only natural because they’ve cost me big bucks. The hustle and bustle of air travel can make it a dangerous environment for kit that’s made from glass and delicate parts, so I’m up for all the cossetting I can give them. I like that the Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International feels soft to the touch, its outer being made from padded water-repellent 1680D ballistic nylon that helps to absorb the shock of any knocks. The inner camera compartment is soft but firm, and fully customizable with plenty of adjustable Velcro dividers. Even so, reinforcements are on hand, with rigid protection featured at likely collision points around the bag’s construction.

The sibling Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 ‘Air Case’ is advertised as being so strong that you can stand on it. The ‘International’ that I’m reviewing here doesn’t have as much weight-bearing potential but you can happily put it on its side and sit on it without fear of damaging anything inside. That’s thanks to a rigid inner frame that runs around the top, sides and bottom of the bag. Unlike the Air Case, however, there’s no slide-in pad that fills the laptop compartment and adds weight-bearing potential to the lid.

In terms of size, the bag is designed to be small enough for full compliance with the international carry-on regulations of commercial airlines, although weight might be an issue, as I’ll come to later. Despite being built down to certain size regulations, the bag can accommodate two or three mirrorless or DSLR cameras, or a pro-sized cine camera complete with a grip. Got lenses? You can pack eight to ten of them, ranging in size from pancake optics up to and including a typical 400mm f/2.8 prime and/or a 180-600mm super-tele zoom.

Lifting the lid on the bag, so to speak, is a pleasurable experience. It lifts easily on its hinge but has the added attraction of adjustable Velcro-fixed straps, for which you can change the length or remove them altogether. I like that I can adjust the straps to stop the lid opening too far, making the four pockets built into it easily accessible without any kerfuffle. These zippered pockets have a neat organizer layout, ideal for storing accessories like photographic filters and spare batteries, or any other little extras that takes your fancy.

Call me greedy but I prefer roller bags that have four sets of wheels rather than just two. For one thing, you can just nudge the bag along in small increments, when you’re queuing for check-in or boarding. Four sets of wheels also enables you to roll the bag sideways, making it easier to navigate narrow aisles, whether you’re on a plane, train, coach or anywhere else with limited space. What I don’t like are small wheels that catch on the smallest of lumps and bumps on the floor or ground.

The Tenba wins out on both counts, with four sets of wheels that boast ‘WideTrak design with CloudDrive technology’. They’re placed in the extreme corners to give maximum stability and avoid the risk of the bag toppling over. They also glide over challenging surfaces thanks to having large-diameter, elastic, shock-absorbing outers and carbon-steel bearings. The result is that the Tenba is a smooth operator in the rolling stakes.

I’ve often been identified as ‘the tall guy’, standing at 6ft 5in. Catering amply to me and others of pretty much any height, the sturdy, aluminum handle of the bag is made in telescoping sections with three alternative locking heights. I found the uppermost option supremely comfortable in use, not only because of its generous height but also due to its rubberized grip area, which ensures a comfy and secure hold. As I’d expect, the handle folds down flush with the top of the bag, for when you want it to be out of sight and out of mind.

With the best will in the world for rolling along at every opportunity, there are times that you simply have to carry any carry-on bag, even if it’s just to lift it onto a security check conveyer or into an overhead locker. Catering to this, the bag has two luxuriously comfortable and padded, leather-lined carrying straps on the top and on one of the sides. They feel like they’re lightening the load when you’ve got the bag fully stuffed with camera gear and the weight becomes considerable.

If your bag gets lumped in with a load of other luggage, it’s a safe bet that it’ll somehow be facing the wrong way when you want to retrieve it. With that in mind, as well as for packing or maneuvering it in tight spaces, there’s a third grab handle on the bottom of the bag. It’s a more basic strap that isn’t leather-lined like the other two, but it’s still padded and comfortable to use.

Stop for a moment and consider the total value of a bag like this, when it’s packed full of expensive camera kit. It can feel like putting a huge wad of cash within easy reach of anyone who’s technically competent enough to undo a zipper and help themselves to what’s inside. Making your camera gear inaccessible to anyone who’s not desperately determined to get at it, there’s a TSA-approved combination lock on one side of the bag, which secures the two main zipper handles of the main camera compartment. This makes it impossible to open the bag without cutting/breaking off the zipper handles or slicing into the bag itself.

Taking security a step further, you can lock down the entire bag rather than just confining the zippers of the main camera compartment. A small pocket at the top of one side opens to reveal a long steel cable which is fastened internally to the base of the bag’s aluminum extending handle. The other end has a loop and the cable comes with a TSA-approved combination padlock, so you can tether your bag to any suitably immovable object and make sure it stays put.

Naturally, tethering your bag to an immovable object is all very well (and safe) until you actually want to go anywhere. And going places is kind of the whole idea of a roller bag. To help you keep tabs on your bag when it’s on the move, one of the four zippered sections in the lid has an internal neoprene sleeve that’s designed to hold an AirTag or Tile tracker.

Whereas there’s a small pocket on one side of the bag for the steel security cable, a much deeper pocket on the other side acts as a drop in holder for a tripod. It’s zippered, so you simply open it and drop in one or more of the legs of your tripod to stow it. An adjustable strap helps to keep the tripod firmly fixed in place.

When you’re traveling with a lot of luggage, keeping it all together in one place can feel a bit like herding cats. But at least if you’ve got a pair of bags that you don’t want to be separated, there’s a strap that pulls out of the Tenba’s top zippered pocket. It has an easily adjustable length and works well for securing an additional bag to the roller bag.

I’m old enough to remember international photographic expeditions to far-flung destinations where one of the biggest concerns was where to stash all my dozens of rolls of film. They’ve now been replaced by the obligatory laptop computer and, sure enough, an addition to the v2 is a whole new dedicated compartment that can accommodate a 16-inch (or smaller) laptop. This compartment was notably absent from the original Tenba Roadie Air Case Roller 21 roller bag. It’s housed within a separate zippered enclosure at the front of the bag that also has a supplementary full-length pocket and an organizer section for the likes of your passport, business cards, wallet and other travel essentials.

The Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International is so travel-friendly, well made and smartly turned out that it seems a shame to only use it when you’re on photographic assignments. As luck would have it, however, undoing a single internal zipper is all that’s required so that you can lift out the entire camera compartment. You can then fill the empty space with whatever you need instead of your camera kit, for the journey at hand.

Nature abhors a vacuum, as they say, and the empty space that’s left after removing the camera compartment can be suitably filled by the optional Tenba Roadie v2 Luggage Liner Kit, at an additional cost of $49 / £56 / AU$109. Of similarly high quality to the bag itself, this offers the perfect way of converting your camera bag to a regular roller bag for general traveling. The kit comes complete with a liner that zips into the main compartment, plus a soft inner bag.

The retail pack of the optional Tenba Roadie v2 Luggage Liner Kit is shown above, supplied in its own handy mesh pouch. It only takes a few seconds to install the kit in the empty space left by the removed camera compartment, the net result being shown below.

Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International: Performance

There are various aspects to the performance of any roller bag designed for camera gear but for me, the main one is how well it protects the camera kit itself. I’m happy to say that the Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International accommodates all of my photographic paraphernalia in cosseted comfort and safety. I’ve got cameras of different sizes and lenses large and small, and they can all be made to feel right at home, thanks to the provision of many dividers that are endlessly customizable to enable a tailor-made solution.

I like that the space on the inner side of the lid doesn’t go to waste. The four separate zippered pockets are useful for stashing all sorts of small gadgets and photographic accessories, but one of my favorite uses is for stowing photo filters.

The outer 1680D ballistic nylon skin of the bag is water-repellant and very resistant to inclement weather but when it comes to camera protection, I’m a belt and braces kind of guy. I’m happy therefore that Tenba has seen fit to include an additional weather-proof cover. It scrunches down nice and small, into its own integral pouch, but pulls out to cover the whole bag. Furthermore, it’s reversible so that the outer surface can be either black or silver. Black is good for going incognito, while silver is ideal for reducing the build-up of heat within the back, if it’s out in the blazing sun.

Another critical aspect of the performance of any roller bag is just how well it rolls along. The Tenba scores really highly here, thanks to those trick wheels and sturdy extending handle that I mentioned earlier. During my testing, I found that the bag successfully negotiated tricky terrain, quietly gliding along where some roller bags would have trouble traversing. That’s all well and good but if you’re trekking across the likes of sand, mud, snow or craggy terrain, there’s no other option than to pick up the bag and carry it. The optional backpack straps are ideal for this, being highly adjustable, very comfortable and of similarly high quality.

The external dimensions of the bag mean that you can expect it to sneak in below the size limits for carry-on luggage imposed by international airlines. The only problem might be the weight. Even by camera roller bag standards, the Tenba is hefty at 10.9lb / 4.9kg, and that’s when it’s completely empty. Many international and domestic airlines are relatively relaxed about maximum weights but some restrict carry-on weight to as little as 14.43lb / 7kg, which would only enable you to pack one camera body, a couple of standard lenses and no laptop before flying. It’s something to bear in mind when you’re planning a trip.

Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International: Verdict

I reckon Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International could easily become my favored travel companion. It’s thoughtfully and cleverly designed, expertly manufactured to the highest standards, and impeccably finished. I really like that the styling makes it look like a regular roller bag, rather than something that’s shouting out that it’s holding a not-so-small fortune’s worth of camera kit.

The build is a great blend of shock-absorbing soft surfaces and padding, with hardy, rigid interior sidewalls. I feel that the bag also has a really go-anywhere attitude, working perfectly as a smoothly gliding roller bag over most terrains, and having optional backpack straps for when the going gets really tough. I’m not quite so happy that I have to buy the backpack straps separately as an optional extra, but feel it’s more reasonable paying extra for the luggage liner kit that can take the place of the camera compartment. The Tenba is quite hefty so it’s worth checking carry-on weight restrictions before you travel, but all in all, it’s a brilliant bag that’s terrific for almost any journey you can think of, near or far.

Alternatives

We love a good portable SSD. They can provide a high-capacity and fast way to keep your images and videos mobile, and are often compatible with a variety of devices. There are plenty of options out there, so you need a pretty special product to stand out. The new Atom EX80 from Glyph looks like just that.

Read more: the best portable hard drives and SSDs

For starters, it's quick. Though it’s based around a USB4 interface like many other high-end portable SSDs, the EX80 uses the latest USB4 standard, which at 80Gbps is twice as fast as typical USB4 drives. This enables real-world transfer speeds of up to 7,000MB/s - enough speed to handle even 12K video with ease. In Glyph's own tests the EX80 was able to transfer 1TB of data in under 3 minutes, making it more than 3x faster than rival USB4 and Thunderbolt 5 SSDs. Glyph states that this is due to the EX80 being built for demanding, continuous file transfers, not just short bursts of peak speed that only looks good on spec sheets. In order to exploit the EX80's full speed potential, you will need a computer with the latest 80GB/s USB4 connectivity. Alternatively, the drive is compatible with Thunderbolt 5, which is also capable of 80GB/s. The drive will work with Thunderbolt 4 and 3 devices, though speed will be limited by their respective bus speeds.

To cope with this level of sustained transfer speed, the EX80 is constructed with a solid aluminium core and outer shell, enabling effective heat dissipation without the need for noisy fan cooling. A soft composite bumper increases shock protection, helping the EX80 to qualify for MIL-Standard 810F shock, vibration, and dust resistance. Glyph also backs this up with its 3-2-1 warranty: three years of hardware coverage, including cables. Two years of Level-1 data recovery, and one year of advanced replacement.

What’s more, the EX80 doesn't just protect against hardware damage and data loss: it can even help you locate a lost or stolen drive. Thanks to built-in mobile device location tracking, it's possible to track and find the drive using native Apple and Android tracking software. Another handy feature is MagSafe compatibility with iPhones, or the magnetic mounting system will attach to any ferrous metal surface.

The Atom EX80 is available to pre-order, with availability expected from June 19th. Capacities include 1TB, 2TB, 4TB and 8TB, priced at $499.99/£393, $699.99/£550, $1099.99/£863 and $2199.99/£1726, respectively.

Pre-order now from B&H

Tenba is a company with a history of designing bags, cases and accessories for photographers, by photographers, going back about 50 years. The history itself is that pro photographer Robert Weinreb used to go about his business, wrapping his camera lenses in woolly hats and stuffing them into regular backpacks, until finally getting a local Manhattan sewing shop to stitch up his own specialized camera bag. That was all the way back in 1977.

Tenba has literally gone from strength to strength over the ensuing decades. The name is derived from a Tibetan word meaning strong, reliable and unshakable, and the company’s motto is ‘Never Compromise’. One of the most recent, upgraded designs, the Tenba Roadie v2 collection launched as the world’s first rolling camera cases with removable backpack straps. Indeed, the backpack straps are so removable that they’re actually sold separately as optional extras. Either way, the Roadie v2 series builds on the success and reputation of the original Tenba Roadie Air Case Roller 21, aiming to be the ‘most advanced camera carry solutions’ to date, and among the best roller bags for photographers. Let’s take a closer look.

Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 Air Case: Specifications

Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 Air Case: Price

I’ve always been highly impressed by Tenba bags and cases. The Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 Air Case that I’m reviewing here is typical of the brand, with the look and feel of an absolutely premium product. Unsurprisingly, that’s reflected in the selling price, which at $549 / £495 / AU$749 is towards the top end of the scale.

It’s certainly more expensive than some of my other favorite roller bag/backpacks, including the Lowepro Pro Trekker RLX 450 AW II at $429 / £319 / AU$549 and the Vanguard Alta Fly 55T G2 at $349 / £250 / AU$469. And although the Tenba’s backpack straps are completely removable, they also cost extra to buy, priced at $39 / £52 / AU$99. Is the Tenba worth the money? Yes, absolutely.

Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 Air Case: Design & Handling

When I’m after the ultimate protection for my camera kit, I’ve often been tempted by hard cases. Personally, however, I’ve never really got on with them. They transmit much of the shock from accidental knocks to whatever’s inside, and can give you a bit of a hard knock as well, if you bump into one. I like that the Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 Air Case feels soft to the touch, its outer being made from water-repellent 1680D ballistic nylon. The inner camera compartment is suitably soft and comfy, as well as being endlessly customizable with a generous provision of adjustable Velcro dividers. Even so, there’s literally a hard side to this roller case.

In between the soft nylon exterior and padded camera insert, there’s a super-strong hard shell that delivers maximum protection. The bag is advertised as being shippable, checkable (rather than just being designed as a carry-on) and virtually uncrushable. Indeed, it’s designed to withstand weights of up to 500lb (240kg). It’s strong enough to stand on but, as I didn’t want to wipe my dirty feet all over it, I sat on it instead. With that in mind, it can come in handy if you find yourself in for a lengthy delay at the airport.

So yes, ultimately the Tenba is designed to be compliant with carry-on regulations when flying on commercial airlines, while also being tough enough to check as hold baggage if the need arises. Although the dimensions are limited to carry-on specifications, the bag is nevertheless sufficiently voluminous to carry two or three mirrorless or DSLR cameras, or a pro-sized cine camera complete with a grip. You can also stash eight to ten lenses, ranging in size up to a typical 400mm f/2.8 prime or a 180-600mm super-tele zoom. Oh, and there’s a separate compartment for holding tablets and a laptop of up to 16 inches (40cm) in size.

I like that the lid has captive straps to stop it over-opening, and that you can remove the straps altogether if you prefer. Like the dividers, they have Velcro fasteners. Better still, the lid has an organizer layout with four separate sections that are ideal for storing photographic filters, spare batteries and other small accessories.

To help you keep tabs on your bag, one of the four zippered sections in the lid has an internal neoprene sleeve that’s designed to accommodate an AirTag or Tile type tracker. And to help bring on the joy of movement, I’m pleased that the bag has four sets of wheels rather than just two. This can be a big plus point when maneuvering the bag along narrow aisles in aircraft or on a train, and in other confined spaces. And they’re not just any old wheels. The ‘WideTrak wheels with CloudDrive technology’ are placed to give maximum stability, and designed with carbon steel bearings and large-diameter, elastic, shock-absorbing outers to ensure smooth and quiet rolling on the widest possible range of surfaces.

Going from bottom to top, the rolling action is based not only on tricked-up wheels but also a three-section extending handle, which is made from tough aluminum. As such, it folds away flush with the top of the bag but also allows for three different height options when in use. I’m unusually tall at 6ft 5in but found that the maximum height setting of the handle was very comfortable for me.

There’s a good range of handles for grabbing and carrying the bag when you’re not rolling it along. I’m particularly pleased that there are two comfortably wide and padded, leather-finished strap handles on the top and side of the bag. Not only that but there’s also a more basic grab strap on the bottom of the bag, which can come in useful if you’re trying to retrieve it from an airport carousel or other luggage area, and the bag happens to be facing away from you.

For the security conscious (well, the bag is designed to hold a stash of pro-grade camera gear, after all) there’s an integral combination lock for the zippers that open the main camera compartment. As I’d expect in this day and age, the lock is TSA-approved. The same goes for the steel cable that you can pull out from one of the pockets to tether the bag to a fixed object. Again, this comes complete with a TSA-approved combination lock.

Over on the other side of the bag to the steel cable pocket, there’s a tall pocket that’s designed as a drop-in for a tripod. It has a generous opening circumference and features an adjustable strap to secure the tripod in place.

Up on top, there’s yet another small pocket. This one opens to reveal an internal adjustable strap. Extend it to the desired length and you can attach a second bag, keeping them tethered together.

A laptop is all but essential for many photographers on the move. Sure enough, the bag has a specially designed compartment for holding laptops of up to 16 inches in size. It’s a new addition in the v2 series but that’s not quite the whole story. The Air Case is strong enough to be shipped as cargo, but that strength is compromised if you put a laptop in the internal compartment. The bag is therefore supplied complete with a reinforced block that slides into the laptop compartment to ensure maximum robustness and integrity. If you’re using the bag as a carry-on, you can simply remove the block and pop in your laptop instead.

With the block removed, you can slide in your laptop and secure it with a safety strap. The separate zippered enclosure also includes an additional full-height pocket plus an organizer section for stowing the likes of a passport, business card, wallet and so on.

Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 Air Case: Performance

The main performance criteria is that the bag should keep my camera kit safely cosseted, and it does this in fine style. I use the word ‘style’ advisedly, as the Tenba looks just like a regular roller case, rather than advertising the fact that it’s accommodating a lot of expensive gear. To ensure that cameras, lenses and other gadgets don’t rattle around, the moveable dividers come to the fore, enabling an endlessly customizable fit.

The lid is equally useful for stowing smaller items, and it’s nice that there are no less than four separate zippered compartments. I tend to stuff them with photographic filters to which I need quick and ready access.

A nice little extra that’s often supplied with photo bags is a weather-proof cover. You get one here, that scrunches down into a little self-contained bag, despite the outer material of the bag itself being very weather-resistant in its own right. Better still, the all-weather cover is reversible, so you can have black or silver on the outside. The latter is a good option for reflecting light, and therefore heat, under a blazing sun.

I said earlier that the large-diameter wheels are designed to give smooth and quiet rolling on a wide range of ground surfaces. They’re also positioned right at the corners, to maximize stability. However, with the best will in the world, there’s no way you can effectively drag any roller bag across mud, sand, snow or really bumpy terrain. With that in mind, the pair of backpack straps that are available as an optional extra can pay dividends. They’re of high quality, comfortable, very adjustable and come complete with a sternum strap for added stability.

My only reservation is that the bag weighs in at 12.65lb / 5.7kg and is therefore quite heavy even when empty, before you’ve started adding your camera kit. Given that some airlines have a maximum weight limit of as little as 14.43lb / 7kg, you might well need to check the allowance with your carrier, to avoid any last-minute problems at departure.

Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 Air Case: Verdict

I feel that the Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 Air Case offers the best of both worlds. It’s largely soft and shock-absorbing on the outside (and the inside) but with hard reinforcements on critical points of the exterior. It also has a rigid and super-strong shell that sits between the exterior and the camera compartment – so strong that you can literally stand on the bag with no danger of damaging anything within. It therefore works equally well as a camera bag that you can use as carry-on luggage, or check into hold baggage if space (or weight) doesn’t allow.

Adding further to the versatility, I’m pleased that the Tenba works so well as a roller bag on all sorts of terrain, apart from sand, mud and the like. And furthermore that straps are available to buy as an optional extra, for effectively turning the bag into a backpack. To be picky, I’d have liked the backpack straps to be supplied as part of the standard kit. The only other issue is that the bag is quite weighty, so you might fall foul of carry-on weight limits with some airlines. Even so, it’s a top-quality bag that’s full of clever tricks and design flourishes. Excellent work, Tenba!

Alternatives

On-camera flashes tend to create harsh shadows that are unflattering for portraits, but off-camera flash is not only challenging to learn, but also bulky to pack. But retro-styled light maker Harlowe has an unusual solution: a flash with “legs.”

The Harlowe Pocket Flash is a small camera flash that also doubles as a constant LED light for video. But what caught my eye – and immediately reminded me of the classic bionic detective Inspector Gadget – is that the little flash has legs.

I’m a portrait photographer, and on-camera flash tends to be unflattering for this genre (unless you’re intentionally going for a retro look or a paparazzi feel). But learning off-camera flash is a challenge, and packing one takes up a lot of space in my bag – not to mention requiring a light stand.

Harlowe’s solution is to give the Pocket Flash a lift system. By putting the light a bit higher than the camera lens, Harlowe says the flash creates shadows that are angled in a more flattering way – and it also helps fix the common problem of reflections on glasses.

The Z-lift system raises the flash about four centimeters (about 1.5 inches) from the hot shoe slot. That’s not a lot – larger pro hot shoe flashes will also sit a bit higher than the hot shoe flash. But the Z legs also look like it gives the small flash the ability to tilt and bounce – two features that will help create even more flattering light. The flash also supports magnetic diffusion domes and colored gels for more flexibility.

The Harlowe Pocket Flash doesn’t solve problems that high-end lighting gear already solves, but the ability to shoot higher, tilt, and bounce are features that are difficult to find on pocketable budget flash systems. The flash weighs just 125g or 4.4oz, which Harlowe boldly claims is less than some of the larger telephoto lens caps.

As an added bonus, the flash is also capable of continuous output, so it can be used as a video light too, or to check the angle of those shadows before shooting stills.

The USB-C rechargeable battery is good for up to 700 full-powered flashes, while photographers can dial down the intensity to as low as 1/64th power. As a continuous LED, the light can run between two to seven hours, depending on the brightness levels.

Small flashes aren’t as powerful as larger setups, but the Pocket Flash offers 2W in standard mode and 4W in boost mode. The color temperature of the light is also adjustable from 2700K to 6500K.

The Harlowe Pocket Flash launches at a $150 / £114 / CA$211 list price, but it’s also available in a Creator Kit with diffusers, gels, bounce cards, and a case for $199 / £152 / CA$281. The new flash is available directly from Harlowe as well as from retailers, including B&H in the US.

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When I reviewed the PMI Smoke Ninja back in 2024, one of my criticisms was that the handheld smoke machine’s Dry Ice setting would leave behind a greasy residue on the surfaces it had been applied to. I’m therefore pleased to hear that PMI has been developing a solution to that problem.

Its newly launched Vanishing Formula for its Smoke Ninja Pro smoke machine is said to leave behind no residue. This is particularly good news for toy photographers. The last thing you want to do when photographing a painstakingly hand-painted miniature or diorama is coat it in a thin layer of sticky residue.

And that’s not the only challenge the Hong Kong-based outfit has claimed to have conquered. A problem when working with smoke machines in smaller indoor spaces is that a thin haze of smoke gradually builds up during extended use. This plays havoc with both visibility and image quality. The Vanishing Formula is said to mitigate this problem, while also reducing the risk that it will trigger a smoke detector.

The Vanishing Formula is available now as a standalone refill bottle or as part of a kit, which includes the Vanishing Formula, a Vanishing Formula (VF) Chamber and an Amplifier Nozzle. PMI recommends that the Vanishing Formula Kit is only used with the Smoke Ninja Pro.

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I used a smoke machine to photograph Lego and the results are cinematic. Looking for more studio tools? Here are the best photography lighting kits and here are the best portrait lenses.

When I travel, I’m always torn over how to pack – do I grab the carry-on that I can fit the most in to avoid a checked bag, or a smaller bag that won’t make my shoulders ache while I’m out exploring? The decision is why the Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1 caught my eye – it’s an oversized bag with plenty of space – and a separate smaller pack that quickly zips off the front.

As the name suggests, this backpack isn’t one but two bags. Used together, the bag still slides in under most airlines' carry-on bag dimensions. The larger main pack can also be used without the front pack, and when traveling light is warranted, the front pack zips off for a minimalist carry – and, yes, it still has straps.

I spent some time with the new Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1 to see just how versatile the bag is for traveling photographers and videographers.

Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1: Specifications

Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1: Price

The Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1 retails for $399 / £349 / AU$779 / CA$559.

The backpack on its own doesn’t accommodate camera gear – a camera cube is needed, which is typically sold separately. I used the Large Cube (about $120 / £99 / AU$240 / CA$170), which takes up the entire main compartment of the backpack, but it is also compatible with the Medium ($90 / £85 / AU$190 / CA$140) if you want more space for non-photo gear.

Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1: Design & Performance

The Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1 is two backpacks that can be used together to carry up to 40L. The main pack can also be used on its own to carry up to 34L, and the daypack on its own can carry up to 16L (yes, separately they fit a bit more, due to stretching and the need to tuck away those straps).

Because the bags are designed to be used both together and separately, several features are repeated on both bags. Both can accommodate up to a 16-inch laptop, both have two water-bottle-small-tripod-sized pockets on each side, and both have chest straps. Features like grab handles, luggage pass-throughs, exterior attachment clips, and external front pockets are also repeated across both bags.

The daypack and main pack both have comfortable straps, but there are a handful of notable differences between the two. As the straps that will handle both the main pack and both packs zipped together, the main bag’s straps are thicker and more shapely. These straps are also magnetic, so they hang the bag nicely when not in use.

The main pack has a padded waist belt that the smaller daypack lacks. It’s well-padded, comfortable, and even manages to fit in another small pocket. (But don’t worry, waist-strap haters, the belt can be tucked between the bag and the back padding when not in use. I legitimately didn’t even realize it was there until I did some in-depth exploring.)

The bags zipped together fit quite a bit of weight in them – I wouldn’t want to carry any bag that fits that much gear all day long. But the bag’s straps are well-shaped and well-padded – and the waist-belt helps quite a bit in distributing that weight. I think the bag is comfortable considering how much weight I put into it – but I’m also glad there’s a luggage pass-through for long airport hauls.

The daypack’s straps aren’t quite as wide, the chest strap is thinner, and there’s no waist belt. But the daypack isn’t built for heavy gear, and I found the straps more than sufficient for what can fit inside. I used the smaller pack on a beach day trip, holding a change of clothes, a Kindle, and a GoPro, and even my freshly sunburnt shoulders didn’t complain.

While I managed to slip a GoPro into the daypack – and a compact camera would also do just fine – the smaller daypack isn’t made for camera gear. Mirrorless cameras, lenses, DSLRs, and drones are relegated to the largest compartment in the main pack.

I used the bag with a large camera cube in the main pack, and I fitted in two mirrorless bodies, two telephoto lenses, three primes, one pancake lens, and a flash. The bag is fairly deep, but some of the dividers can collapse to create a shelf – this was key for storing the pancake lens, as it would have bounced around in the bag too much had this feature not existed.

It’s a versatile and rigid divider system. The only thing that seemed odd is that with the Large camera cube, there’s an extra inch of space at the top between the main bag and the cube. The bag comes with clips, though, so the camera cube will stay in place even with the extra space.

Also on the inside, on the rear panel, against the back, is the laptop sleeve, along with one smaller interior pocket that’s a good size for filters and batteries. I did wish the bag had a dedicated interior pocket for SD cards – a classic symptom of a bag that can be a camera bag but can also be a standard backpack.

Gear access to that main compartment is entirely through the campshell zip that opens the back panel. There’s no side zip access like some Peak Design bags. I didn’t mind, as I rarely use the side zips anyway and loved having four (FOUR!) water bottle pockets. I could carry water, coffee, a small tripod, and an umbrella if I really wanted to.

The daypack uses the more classic top zip access rather than the rear panel access – which makes sense, as this allows both bags to remain accessible when zipped together. The only pocket I couldn’t access when zipped together is the small front pocket on the main pack.

Detaching and reattaching the two packs is simple – the zipper lines up easily to restore the bag to its full 40L capacity.

The bag’s exterior uses a weather-resistant fabric that’s a type of recycled nylon, but feels thicker and more luxurious than the nylon on cheap packs. Most of the zippers are also sealed – the zip between the two packs is not, but with both bags water-resistant, the only thing that risks getting damp are the straps on the day pack.

The zippers also have a built-in loop that can be latched around each other – this makes the bag more challenging to open quickly, which helps deter pickpockets in crowds. And there’s an AirTag pocket that’s so well hidden, it took me a while to actually find it.

Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1: Verdict

Peak Design’s take on the modular backpack is well thought out, creating a two-bag system that helps traveling creators customize their bag to match their day. The main pack fits large camera kits (or smaller ones with a medium or small camera cube), while the day pack isn’t designed for camera gear, but makes a quick and lightweight grab bag for essentials.

I loved how much space and how many pockets the system has. I’m always irritated when I have to choose between packing a tripod or packing a water bottle, but there are four side pockets on this bag. Similarly, there are two laptop sleeves (plus a tablet fits as well).

But the biggest plus was that the shoulder straps and waist packs are so well designed that carrying all that weight is well-balanced.

My complaints about the bag are minor. There’s a small gap between the main compartment and the large camera cube that’s too small to fit much but big enough to be mildly irritating. And, I wish the bag had a dedicated pocket for memory cards.

I do have one complaint that isn’t quite so minor, though: the price. The bag retails for $399 / £349 / AU$779 / CA$559, but photographers will also need to pair it with a camera cube, which means this is every bit a $500+ camera bag. The versatility comes with a higher price tag than Peak Design’s less versatile bags.

Peak Design Travel Backpack 2-in-1: Alternatives

I’ve long puzzled over how to pack the most in a carry-on bag while still having a comfortable bag to use once I arrive there. Peak Design’s Travel 2-in-1 does an excellent job at this while staying in backpack form. I haven’t found a camera bag that’s two backpacks in one that works as well, but there are a few different types of bags that have more packing versatility than standard packs.

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Carbon fiber tripods tend to hold heavier loads, but come at a premium cost. Really Right Stuff (RRS), the U.S.-based company known for its high-end carbon pro fiber camera support systems, believes its new Core Line offers a compelling solution.

According to RRS, the new Benchmark and Benchmark Inverted tripods are the most affordable carbon fiber tripods the company has ever produced, costing up to 32% less than comparable in-house alternatives.

The Core Line is RRS's first tripod series produced entirely at its facility in Lehi, Utah, from raw fiber to finished legs. That, the company says, is one of the main reasons the new options are more affordable than the brand's previous supports.

The Benchmark is a four-section carbon fiber tripod designed for maximum stability, reach, and load capacity. It offers four leg-angle positions (24°, 44°, 64°, and 84°), weather-sealed twist locks designed to prevent over-twisting, and magnetic pull tabs that make adjustments easier, even while wearing gloves.

Built for heavier camera setups, the Benchmark supports up to 75 lb (34 kg), with a height range of 4.2 in (10.7 cm) to 69.7 in (177 cm). It weighs 3.8 lb (1.7 kg) and folds to 23.6 in (60 cm). While suitable for travel and hiking, it is less compact than many dedicated travel tripods when folded.

The Benchmark Inverted shares the same core features but uses a three-section design with an inverted leg system that allows the tripod to be extended or collapsed from the top. RRS says this enables photographers to adjust the tripod without changing their position.

The Benchmark Inverted supports up to 40 lb (18 kg), weighs 3.6 lb (1.6 kg), and offers a height range of 4.6 in (11.8 cm) to 61.1 in (155.2 cm). It folds to 26.5 in (67.3 cm). Although relatively lightweight, its folded length may make it difficult to fit inside some backpacks.

The Core Line is available for preorder exclusively on the RSS website, with prices starting at $945 (£701 / AU$1,315) for the Benchmark and $795 (£589 / AU$1,106) for the Benchmark Inverted.

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Check out our expert review of the Peak Design Travel Tripod (carbon fibre), which tops our list of best travel tripods.

[HeaderNot every digital camera has in-body or lens-enabled image stabilization, and even those that do need a little extra help from time to time. Especially in low light, where I might not want to simply crank-up ISO sensitivity or deploy artificial lighting.

Enter the camera tripod, which has been around as long as photography itself. Think metal sheet or glass plate photographs from the 19th Century that required excessively long exposures to produce an image. Not only did subjects need to remain as static as corpses, but the camera did too.

Nearly two hundred years later, however, I’m still yet to encounter the perfect camera or the perfect camera tripod. Even finding a tripod that matches my personal needs most of the time can be tricky, and nigh impossible if embarking on both stills and video capture, with the latter requiring a smooth panning head capability and seamless real-time adjustment.

I blame the basic laws of physics; which, having suffered through physics lessons and exams as a teenager, I’m always happy to do. 

If I want a lightweight and portable tripod, it’s not going to be able to cope with my large camera body and heavyweight telephoto lens. And if I compensate by going for a larger, heavier tripod, it’s obviously not going to be as portable. Yes, some tripods will allow me to hang a balancing weight from a hook at the base of the center column, to lower the centre of gravity and increase stability, but not all.

Therefore, the rule of thumb I go by is to always opt for the sturdiest possible example, which typically means the heaviest tripod I am prepared to carry. There’s no point in buying something I’m going to struggle to transport and use; it’ll just get left at home. The warhorse of a Velbon CX 540 tripod and three-way PH-656Q pan-and-tilt head has served me well for the past 25 years. Yes, I could spend more on a carbon fiber tripod for maximum strength and a relatively lightweight build over a heavier aluminum model at a lower cost, but, whichever, there is always a compromise to be made.

And whether I choose a ball head, a three-way head, a two-way head, a geared head or a fluid video head is an article all to itself. Types of leg lock also differ; but basically, I’m looking at something that is quickly adjustable yet provides maximum flexibility in terms of height and stability with it. Three-section legs with lever locks have served me just fine.

Alternatively, to throw a cat amongst the pigeons, might a monopod with height adjustable sections and a tripod-like base occasionally suit you better than a tripod? I’ve found monopods useful when needing to gain height in a narrow or confined space, when shooting alongside other people, or over the heads of a crowd.

But while, ultimately, I don’t believe there is a one-size-suits-all solution, it’s safe to say that any camera tripod (or monopod) is better than no tripod at all.

Check out our full guide to the best tripods for photography

I have been using Zhiyun's lighting gear for a few years now, and I have been continually impressed by the power output, design ethos, and affordability. So, when I got the chance to try out the brand's latest portable light, designed to work like a "miniature Arri SkyPanel X", I jumped at the chance.

The Fiveray M60 Ultra is a pocket-sized panel light with a staggering 60W output. It has RGB functionality, an all-in-one design with a sizable battery, and magnetic attachments for diffusion and light-shaping.

With an MSRP of just $129, it seems like a great deal for anyone seeking powerful continuous lighting in a portable package. Is it too good to be true? I've been using it for the past few weeks to find out.

Specifications

Price

The Zhiyun Fiveray M60 Ultra has an MSRP of £129 / $129 / €139 from Amazon or Zhiyun's official store, which is very affordable considering the features on offer here.

The closest panel light I could find, matching the 60W output and RGB functionality, is the Amaran Pano 60C, which currently retails for $165. However, this alternative doesn't have a built-in battery, and it's significantly larger.

You have far more options if you're open to COB lights, but if you're keen on a compact panel light, the M60 Ultra stands out as a unique option.

Design & Handling

One of the things I really like about Zhiyun products is that they don't try to blend in. Not every piece of pro camera equipment needs to be an anonymous black rectangle, and love it or hate it, the M60 Ultra certainly looks unique.

This light is around the same size as a modern smartphone, and about as thick as three of them stacked on top of each other. It comes with a beige/cream housing, with bright orange accents and contrasting black sections. It gives me a sort of retro-futuristic, rugged, and utilitarian vibe. It wouldn't look out of place on Tatooine.

The M60 Ultra is designed with cooling in mind, and despite its high power output and small size, there's plenty to ensure it doesn't get too hot. There are vents cut into almost every surface, a large fan in the centre of the rear panel, and the insides look to be mostly filled with heat sinks.

The front panel is entirely transparent, with no bezels, and a strong magnet in each corner. It almost looks unfinished, as you can quite clearly see the LEDs and PCB through the frosted plastic front panel. However, when you attach the magnetic modifiers, it looks much more polished. There's a honeycomb grid and a plastic domed diffuser included in the box, both of which can be magnetically stacked on the front panel.

On the base, there's a 1/4-20 tripod mount and a USB-C port for charging. I was pleased to learn it charges very quickly, too - supporting up to 18W speeds with a suitable USB PD plug, but you don't get one in the box, only a USB-C cable.

The unit is turned on and off via a large orange rotating switch on the top side. It's well protected by raised plastic lips around the edge, so you'll certainly never turn it on or off by accident, but it's quite stiff and a little fiddly. Still, I'd rather it be a little fiddly than open my backpack to find a blisteringly hot light that's been running for hours.

The rest of the functions are controlled via two control knobs and a tiny colour screen on the rear. Navigating the numerous options on this tiny screen can also take some getting used to, but it's well thought out, and after some trial and error, I managed to adapt. I really like that you access just about everything on the light itself, rather than needing to rely on a smartphone app, just expect a bit of a learning curve when trying to remember which knob does what.

That said, the M60 Ultra also supports wireless control via the ZY Vega app for Android phones. There's not currently an iOS equivalent, but Zhiyun says it's in the works and should be available in the near future.

The app is really handy, especially if you're trying to dial in a specific colour, as it gives you multiple tools for doing so. You can point your phone's camera at an object or another light, and it'll do its best to match it. I was really impressed with how quickly the light responds to changes in the app; it's almost instant. And if you have multiple Zhiyun lights, it gets even better, as you can control all of them at once.

Overall, I'm very impressed with the build quality. Despite being made from plastic and full of airflow holes, the M60 Ultra feels solid and robust. Of course, with such a cooling-focused design, I don't expect it to have any kind of water resistance, but you can't have everything in a footprint like this.

Performance

Considering that it can fit in your pocket, the Fiveray M60 Ultra is astonishingly powerful. It wasn't long ago that a light this powerful would have been a hefty unit requiring mains power; it's awesome to see the progression.

I've been using it almost every day for the past few weeks, either lighting my product shots for reviews like this or lighting talking heads and top-down shots in my YouTube videos.

For product photography, I mainly used the light without any diffuser, and I found I rarely needed to exceed 10% power. It puts out a fairly focused beam, which I found surprising, given its panel shape, and any spill can be reduced further using the magnetic honeycomb grid.

For talking head shots, I used the M60 Ultra as a key light with the supplied plastic diffuser. It does a great job of softening the light, but I was shocked at how much it reduced the output. In a well-lit room, I had to almost max it out to get the desired result. Of course, in a dimmer location, you wouldn't need to push it quite so hard.

The built-in fan only activates when it's needed, and it's barely audible when it does. I usually shoot in the same room as my desktop PC, and I never noticed the sound of the M60 Ultra over the constant background hum of the PC's fans. I often use Zhiyun's older pocket light, the Fiveray M40, and that fan is significantly louder, so I'm happy to see improvements in this area.

The M60 Ultra colour temperature can be adjusted from 2500k to 10,000k in its standard CCT mode, so you shouldn't have much trouble matching existing light sources. It also has full RGB support, and if you switch into HSI or RGB mode, you'll have millions of colours to choose from.

The RGB mode is a great way to add a splash of colour to an otherwise uninspiring scene. I found it really useful to spruce up talking head shots with a colourful wash on the background. It's still bright when using a colourful hue, but not as bright as the white mode, so I found that it's best used without any diffusion in front of it.

The M60 Ultra also has some special effects built in, and they're all somewhat customisable. You can replicate the look of police sirens, a fire, a flickering lightbulb, fireworks, and more. For most people, these effects will be of limited use, but they're quite impressive. If you're working on a short film, they could come in handy.

The light has a built-in 4500 mAh battery, and Zhiyun claims that it'll get you 160 minutes of runtime at 20% brightness. If you max it out at 100% brightness, it should still give you over 30 minutes on a charge.

As mentioned, I was usually running the M60 Ultra at less than 20% brightness, and the battery life really impressed me. That said, if you need the maximum output for longer, that's no issue, as it can be charged while in use. Zhiyun recommends a 60W or higher power source for this, and my 100W Sharge power bank was able to keep it running at full power without issue.

Verdict

If you need a super-powerful panel light that's compact and portable, few options are as compelling as the Fiveray M60 Ultra. It's reasonably priced, the battery life is solid, and it's very easy to transport.

Most 60W portable lights tend to be COB lights with a harsher output; pocket panel lights with such a powerful output are few and far between. Sure, there are products like the Amaran Pano 60C, but that's much larger, heavier, more expensive, and requires mains power. The M60 Ultra stands out as a unique offering.

So, if you're finding that your pocket panel light doesn't quite have the guts to keep up with your shooting needs, the M60 Ultra is very easy to recommend. I've had a great time shooting with it, and I don't plan to stop anytime soon.

Alternatives

The word photography combines two Greek roots that literally translate to “drawing with light.” But perhaps no genre quite takes that translation so literally as light painting, the long-exposure technique where artists use a light source to draw shapes in a photograph. Now, a photographer known for his viral light painting videos has built a literal light pen designed specifically for the craft.

You may not be familiar with the name Darren Pearson – but odds are good that you’ve seen a video from Dariustwin pop up in your feed. Pearson has been creating light paintings for nearly 20 years – and sharing the results with his followers at Dariustwin, a name inspired by a video game he used to play with his twin brother in the 1990s.

But, over his nearly two decades of light painting, Pearson has been searching for the right light to work with before finally realizing that such a light didn’t exist – so he created his own. The photographer has been building his own light painting tools since 2015 and recently launched his latest light writing pen.

Night-Writer is a light painting pen with 11 built-in colors, adjustable brightness, and USB-C recharging – it even has a memory recall and programming. The pen has three neutral colors along with 8 rainbow hues. The buttons on the pen are also symmetrical, allowing the pen to be used for right and left-handed light painters both.

While Pearson has shipped around 900 handmade light pens over the years, the new Light-Writer was built in collaboration with both a mechanical engineer and an electrical engineer.

“I wasn’t satisfied with other lights that were available, I needed something that didn’t exist,” Pearson explained. “So, I took it upon myself to try and create the best tool for drawing with light. It needed to be precise, quick, intuitive, ergonomic, color changing. I designed something that worked less like a flashlight and more like a marker built for illustration.”

Building the Night-Writer – which is Pearson’s 13th light writing pen he designed – came with a lot of problem-solving. But, that’s not unlike the genre of light painting itself. “Experiment often, challenge yourself, get outside, and make it a nightly routine to progress quickly. Have a vision you are striving for,” he said.

The biggest challenge for the photographer, who captures both light painting photographs and stop motion animations, has been sitting still. “The biggest challenges are the creative plateaus that inevitably happen in between the productive streaks,” Pearson said. “Sometimes it’s hard to sit still, but often your next best ideas will emerge from the quiet. It’s best to be patient and let them arrive when they are ready.”

Fittingly, Pearson was first inspired to try light painting when he saw a photograph of a painter. He explained that he came across a 1949 photograph of Picasso, illustrating with light in an image captured by Gjon Mili. The image inspired him to try to create his own light painting. “It was an intersection of art and technology that seemed uniquely relevant with the change from analog to digital cameras in the early 2000’s,” Pearson said of his start in the genre in 2007.

“I think light painting is one of the least explored facets of photography, and one that can still deliver the most interesting results if used correctly and under the right environmental circumstances,” Pearson said.

The photographer, who works with his wife Jordan Pearson on creative concept and editing and even gets his young son involved behind-the-scenes, shares the process behind his work across several social media channels, including over a million followers on Instagram and TikTok. “Try to deliver something your audience hasn’t seen before, build a style that is your own,” Pearson advises creatives.

But, the creative was quick to add that sometimes it’s the algorithm, not the art, that's limiting reach. “Remember, just because the audience isn’t there or favored by an algorithm doesn’t mean that the work is not great,” he said. “Sometimes the timing has to be perfected - hit the zeitgeist, organize your work, and try again when the timing is better or more relevant.”

The new Night-Writer has already sold out in its first production run, but Pearson encourages fans to sign up for his newsletter for stock updates. The Night-Writer sells for $249 on Pearson’s website – though it currently only ships within the US. Fans can also find prints, clothing, and accessories from Pearson’s online store.

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Earlier this year, Nikon sold the Mark Robers Motion Control Limited. Now, less than two months later, the innovative camera robotics company has entered liquidation and is in the process of shutting down.

A notice on the Mark Roberts Motion Control Ltd. website says that the company has entered liquidation as of May 22. Liquidation is the process of selling off assets to pay off debt as well as investors, and typically signals that a business is shutting down. In the UK – where the company is based – liquidation means that “the company will stop doing business and employing people.”

At the end of March, Nikon announced that it had agreed to sell its shares in MRMC to investment company Blandford Capital LLP, nearly ten years after acquiring shares in the company. At the time, Nikon said that it had “reconsidered its business portfolio.”

The move originally raised questions as to why Nikon sold the robotics company, considering Nikon’s recent investment in video through its acquisition of RED and subsequent launch of the Nikon ZR. The announcement for the liquidation seems to suggest why Nikon decided to back out of the company it first starting working with during the 2012 London Olympics.

MRMC is a UK-based company that celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2026. It specializes in robotic rigs to create cinematic camera movement. Along with robotic cameras for cinematic movement, the company also builds equipment for product photography, such as turntables, as well as slides and rails.

The company manufactures and assembles all of its products in its Surrey, UK facility. The robotic rigs are behind a number of Oscar Award-winning films and in 2018 received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade.

The company has not shared an official statement as to the details of the liquidation beyond the formal statement on its website.

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Godox has released a new macro flash unit that offers a twin-strobe arrangement for close-up photography. The new Godox MF-T76 is very similar to the previous Godox MF-R76 - except for the fact that instead of a circular ring flash design, this offers to separate flash units that can be independently placed around the front of the lens. The MF-T76 will be available in three different dedicated TTL versions for Sony, Nikon and Canon interchangeable lens camera systems.

Ring flash and twin flash units are widely used in close-up photography - fitting on front of a macro lens to ensure even illumination, even when the camera and photographer are throwing the subject into shadow. As well as being used by wildlife photographers for close-ups of flowers and creepy-crawlies, they are widely used by medical photographers, forensic investigators and dentists.

The flash power from the two units is 76Ws - with manual power settings range from full down to 1/256 power at one-third of a stop increments. As well as offering TTL automatic metering, there is a High Speed Sync, allowing you to use your camera's highest shutter speeds. The units also offer 2.4G Wireless X System compatiblity, so can work in unison with other Godox wireless flashguns. Built-in modelling lights to allow you to preview the lighting ratios, and to aid focusing.

The full range of compatible cameras according to the manufacturer's instruction manual is as follows:

F-T76 C (For Canon):
A type cameras: 80D, 90D, 7D, 6D, 70D, 750D, 760D, 5DMark IV, EOS 1DX, 6D Mark II, 77D, 800D, 5D Mark III, 5D Mark II, 60D, 7D Mark II, 200DII, 1500D, 3000D
B type cameras: 600D, 50D, 30D, 500D, Digital X
C type cameras: M5, M50, R, RP, R7

MF-T76 S (For Sony):
α77ll, α99, a77, DSC-RX10, α6000, α7R, α350, α7R ll(4.0), α7R lll, α7 III, α9, α7R IV, α7 R5、α7MIV, ZV-E10, A9lll, A7C, A7Cll, a6400, α6500

MF-T76 N (For Nikon):
D800, D750, D700, D610, D500, D200, D300S, D5, D4, D810, D780, D5300, D5200, D5100, D5000, D3300, D3100, D60, Z6, Z7 II, Z8, Zf

The Godox MF-T76 flash units are now on sale costing $249/£221/AU$389 – which is significantly cheaper than twin flash systems sold by Canon and Nikon. The US, the MF-T76 strobes will also be available from Adorama under the Flashpoint brand.

See our full guide to the best ring flash units for macro photography

In a world where every other tech news story seems to be about the rising price of flash memory, then you’ll probably know that portable SSDs now cost a fortune. But there is a possible solution: an SSD enclosure. This is simply the casing and USB electronics of a portable SSD, minus the SSD itself. You're then free to fit a compatible SSD of your choice, which could be especially useful if you happen to already have an internal SSD that’s no longer being used.

Some enclosures can be basic USB 3 designs that could significantly bottleneck the SSD within, but not the Terramaster D1. This uses a super-fast 40Gbps Thunderbolt 5 / USB4 interface, which is capable of delivering blistering transfer speeds. Terramaster's testing with a Samsung 990 Pro SSD connected to a Mac mini M4 yielded sequential read speeds of up to 3853MB/s, and a 3707MB/s write rate. If you're not rocking a Thunderbolt 5 / USB4 machine, the D1 is also backward compatible to USB2 or Thunderbolt 3, though naturally max transfer speeds will be reduced. The drive is compatible with standard NVMe M.2 2280 SSDs up to 8TB in capacity, and requires no separate power source - the USB/Thunderbolt connection provides power.

As for the enclosure itself, that's made almost exclusively from aerospace-grade aluminium, which combined with the large cooling fins should offer excellent heat dissipation. Judging by the press photos, the color also seems to match the finish of silver Mac products rather well. On the base are anti-slip rubber feet, and the design requires no cooling fan, so operation will be silent.

Terramaster also bundles its TDAS mobile app with the D1 which provides easy photo and videos backup direct from iOS and Android devices. Alternatively, TPC Backupper software offers automated, scheduled backups for Windows systems.

The Terramaster D1 SSD enclosure is available now, priced at $89.99/£109.99.

Insta360 has just completed a pre-launch event for its new Luna and Luna Ultra pocket gimbal cameras, sharing the device with creators and others at the legendary Leica campus.

The camera clearly takes a swipe at DJI's established Osmo Pocket 4 and Pocket 4P products, the latter of which is also waiting for final price and release date, but is has some distinct differences.

One of the most obvious is that both variants of the Leica Luna sport a detachable remote control – into which the controls, a touchscreen, and a microphone are built-in. This gives the Luna some interesting use cases for YouTubers.

At the event, the company shared that there will be two models of the Luna – a Luna Pro (with one camera) and the Luna Ultra with two.

The Luna Ultra will have five steps of optical zoom, with the tele lens 3x the wide, but also offering 6x (lossless) and 12x.

In both cases, the lens is co-engineered with legendary camera company Leica, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of its core technology last year.

The main image sensor is 1-inch, and has a f/1.8 maximum aperture.

The camera also boasts an in-camera beauty mode, which should make it very competitive in the vlogging space. This is a feature DJI has made sure is available in its cameras, and it seems to contribute to success – before Insta360 arrived to compete, DJI was reported to have 72.5% of the market share in Japan for video cameras by BCN in April, thanks to the new Pocket 4 launch (the Pocket 4P is still not on sale).

Insta360 has clearly also considered the cinematography market. There are cinematic profiles, as well as ACES workflow compatibility, 10-Bit I-Log and Dolby Vision.

As you might imagine, given the location for the event, there are also Leica color profiles built-in.

The Maxidok 17-in-1 is the most comprehensive docking station Ugreen has ever made. With compatibility for three displays, superfast 120Gbps data transfer, 240W total power output, and built-in M.2 storage expansion, this dock is a serious beast, comparable with the 4.5-star CalDigit TS5 Plus Thunderbolt 5 Dock.

This 17-in-1 dock is for uncompromising professionals who want access to (almost) every type of connectivity. I say "almost" because there's no native HDMI port. Why Ugreen, why? You could use an adaptor, but that could have repercussions in terms of resolution and quality of output.

Ugreen also sells a smaller version of this dock with 10 ports and a much smaller overall size. I gave the Ugreen Revodok Maxidok 10-in-1 4.5 stars and called it a "great solution for photographers". The 17-in-1 alternative steps it up in every conceivable way, and in my testing I was interested to find out why anyone would go for the 17-in-1 rather than the 10-in-1.

Revodok Maxidok 17-in-1: Specifications

Revodok Maxidok 17-in-1: Design & Handling

The Maxidok 17-in-1 dock features a rugged, industrial aesthetic, but even though it's part of the Revodok line-up, it doesn't follow many of the design elements that are found in the rest of the lineup. The most obvious difference is the distinctive copper-colored strip which angles from front to back, accentuating the rear port panel.

But more than providing a stark contrast to the space gray chassis, this ribbed strip acts as a passive heatsink, dissipating heat across a larger surface area to minimize the requirement for the internal fan to kick in. I think it looks fantastic, and the fact that it serves a purpose is even better.

The other primary difference is that the aluminum alloy which Ugreen has landed on for the 17-in-1 dock is much more plastic-feeling than the 10-in-1. As a result, it feels a lot less premium, and even though it's thick enough to remove any possibility of deformation or cracking, it does feel a little substandard. I can only imagine that Ugreen did this to keep the overall weight down but I think that was unnecessary.

Moving on to ports, at the front, the 17-in-1 features USB-C ports for device charging and data transfer. The SD and TF ports are also located on the front panel so you're not rooting around the back every time you need to transfer media from your camera. At the back you'll find more permanent connections, such as the DisplayPort, Ethernet, and Thunderbolt 5 USB-C ports.

The lack of a native HDMI port is disappointing, even though this is probably in favor of a DisplayPort to cater to professional, multi-monitor workstations rather than consumer setups. I still think they could have included one.

More positively, on the base there is an access panel that provides access to an M.2 NVMe SSD slot, allowing for up to 8TB of internal storage without disrupting the visible sides of the dock. This feature is lacking on the CalDigit TS5 Plus Thunderbolt 5 Dock and helps to set Ugreen's offering apart from the competition.

Revodok Maxidok 17-in-1: Performance

I began by testing the display technology of the Maxidok 17-in-1. This involved using the provided USB-C cable to connect the dock to the MacBook Pro, followed by another USB-C cable to connect the dock to my 4K BenQ Creative Pro monitor. The dock instantly recognized the monitor and delivered a 4K image from my MacBook Pro.

The picture was clear and consistent, and even though it maxed out at 100Hz rather than 144Hz, it will be sufficient for almost all types of creative work. The dock is capable of 8K output to two monitors and 4K to three displays. I wasn't able to test these due to a lack of 8K monitor resolution and not having three displays in my setup. I'm confident, though, that the dock will deliver as per its specs.

Another key function of any dock is power delivery. The Maxidok 17-in-1 can deliver a 140W single output and 240W across multiple ports. I was able to charge my laptop, phone, and smartwatch and keep a number of peripherals powered, all at the same time.

As for data transfer, most creatives will need to move files between laptops, SD cards, TF cards, and external drives. All of this is possible with the Maxidok 17-in-1. But more than that, the up to 120Gbps bandwidth means that you can access and edit files directly from an SSD rather than needing to transfer them for local access.

The dock features an internal fan, although at no point in my testing did it ever get louder than a quiet hum. With music playing, you'll never even notice it. This goes to show how well designed the unit is and how effective the case is at dissipating heat.

Revodok Maxidok 17-in-1: Verdict

The Ugreen Revodok Maxidok 17-in-1 is a powerful, high-end docking station designed for creative professionals who require uncompromising performance and expansive connectivity. With blistering 120Gbps bandwidth, 140W laptop charging, and the ability to drive triple 4K displays, the dock excels in high-demand environments. In testing, its performance remained rock-solid, maintaining consistent 4K output and managing heat effectively through a clever copper heatsink design that keeps the internal fan down to a quiet hum.

As good as it is, the Maxidok 17-in-1 is let down by a couple of things. The first is the omission of a native HDMI port, forcing users to rely on DisplayPort or adapters, which may frustrate those with standard consumer monitor setups. The second is that the aluminum alloy casing feels surprisingly more like plastic, lacking the premium tactile finish found on Ugreen’s smaller models. It is also a physically "chunky" unit with a significant price tag. However, for professionals who need a hub for fast data transfers, multi-device charging, and internal storage expansion, it represents one of the very best on the market at the moment.

Lexar has released special editions of three of its portable storage products. Created in partnership with the Argentine Football Association (AFA), the new Elite Legends Series of products reflects Lexar's status of official partner to the Argentine National Football Team. Consequently each product is finished in the same distinctive blue-and-white color scheme as the 2026 Argentinian national football strip. The tie-in is said to celebrate a "shared commitment to performance, resilience, and excellence under pressure".

The Elite Legends Series of special edition Lexar products is comprised of:

SL500 Portable SSD Elite Legends Series

This is a re-liveried version of Lexar's existing SL500 portable SSD. Consequently it's capable of the same rapid 2000MB/s max read and 1800MB/s peak write speeds, achieved via a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 interface. Lexar has managed to squeeze all this performance into a slim metal body just 7.8mm thick and 43g in weight. The SL500 is compatible with Windows, Mac and Android devices, and it can also be connected directly to an iPhone for use when shooting video, with native support for Apple Pro Res recording. Choose between 1TB or 2TB capacities, though right now only the former is available to buy, priced at $259.99.

Air Portable SSD Elite Legends Series

The Air is Lexar's lightest, most travel-friendly portable SSD. It tips the scales at a barely believable 19g, and is also impressively compact, measuring 50.7mm x 70.7mm x 9.3mm. Yet despite the crash diet, Lexar has somehow made the Air tough enough to survive a 2-meter drop. Transfer speeds aren't going to break any records, as the Air is 'only' rated for speeds up to 390MB/s read and 400MB/s write, but who really cares when it's now available in the eye-catching Elite Legends Series livery? One capacity option is available - 512GB - costing $149.99.

Dual Drive D500 Elite Legends Series

The third and final device in the new Elite Legends Series is a USB flash drive, rather than a portable SSD like the other two devices in the range. Again, it's a re-skin rather than a technically new product, this time being based on the existing Jump Drive Dual Drive D500. The signature feature of the Dual Drive D500 is its USB-A and USB-C connectors, positioned at each end of the drive, with a reversible cover able to rotate to protect the connector not currently in use. Expect transfer speeds of up to 400MB/s, and when used in conjunction with the Lexar App, the drive will automatically back up mobile photos, videos, and even iPhone Live Photos. Currently only a 128GB capacity priced at $54.99 is available in Elite Legends Series spec, though the regular Dual Drive D500 can also be had in 256GB, 512GB and 1TB options.

Godox has launched the ML40Bi / ML40R handheld portable LED video lights for photographers and filmmakers needing high-intensity illumination for on-the-go shooting without breaking the bank.

This is the latest portable LED release from the brand as part of a growing lineup of budget-friendly, travel-ready lights that Godox hopes will fulfill increasing demand from the creator economy, with the manufacturer touting the ML40Bi / ML40R for delivering professional-level output in an ultra-compact body.

Available in both full-color and bi-color versions, the ML40Bi / ML40R aims to produce “true-to-life” tones with a CCT range of 2,800K–6,500K.

Compact video lights tend to have lower strengths, but Godox is using a modifier trick to give creators a brighter output in a smaller design. The ML-L10 lens reflector, designed specifically for this new system, boosts light intensity, with the manufacturer claiming up to 24× brighter output for the ML40Bi and 16× brighter output for the ML40R compared to the light used without a modifier.

For a palm-sized device, those specs certainly raise eyebrows. However, with a runtime of just 43 minutes at full output from the built-in lithium battery, creators shooting for extended periods might find themselves short on power. That said, the device can be charged while in use.

As with other Godox portable LEDs, the ML40Bi / ML40R is compatible with a range of accessories for improved creative control. And with NFC pairing for mobile app control, usability appears straightforward.

All specs considered, you might be asking what sets the ML40Bi / ML40R apart from the Godox FL15Bi, the handheld flashlight-style fill light also released recently. While the FL15Bi prioritizes handheld simplicity and outdoor shooting thanks to its IP54-rated weather resistance, the ML40Bi / ML40R pushes further into professional mobile production territory with higher-output performance and broader mounting and accessory flexibility.

However, both systems are geared toward run-and-gun workflows prioritizing backpack-sized builds, with the ML40Bi / ML40R weighing just 422g and measuring 97 × 46 × 91mm, while the FL15Bi weighs a mere 253g and measures 45mm × 36mm × 14.5mm.

The ML40Bi / ML40R system is available for pre-order now from authorized Godox retailers, including B&H in the US, with a list price of $99 (approximately £73 / AU$138) for the ML40Bi and $119 (approximately £89 / AU$166) for the ML40R. The reflector is included, while other modifiers are sold separately. Godox says prices may vary depending on your region.

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See our guide to the best photography lighting kits for studio, location, and video shooting.

Last week was a big one for Canon announcements, with the Canon EOS R6 V and RF 20-50mm f/4L PZ making headlines. However, for me personally, the most exciting announcement flew completely under the radar.

Canon also unveiled a brand new Bluetooth remote, the BR-E2. So why am I so psyched about such a niche product? I'm glad you asked!

First of all, unless I'm mistaken, Canon is the only brand still making first-party camera remotes like this. Everyone else expects you to rely on their smartphone apps – some of which are borderline useless (interestingly, Canon's Camera Connect is one of the best).

Secondly, and most importantly, it's an upgrade over the original Canon BR-E1 remote that I've long been waiting for.

Why do you even need a camera remote?

Let's be clear: some people don't. Every camera these days has a self-timer, or you can use the phone app if you don't mind wrestling with your phone and WiFi pairing. But depending on what, when and why you shoot, having a remote can be completely game-changing.

Landscape or long-exposure shots, where you don't want camera shake, for example. Or family snaps where you want to be in the frame. Thumbnails for YouTube and social media. Taking self-portraits, if that's something in which you partake. And, the most pertinent one these days, solo content creation.

The last one is where the Canon BR-E2 really comes into its own. If you're anything like me, you've sat down to present some video to camera and cursed the gods every time you have to get up and down to start and stop recording. And if you've got a zoom lens, you cursed them again for having to get up and reframe your shot.

Obviously, the BR-E2 can start and stop recording without having to move a muscle. And where the original BR-E1 had a single 'shutter' button, the BR-E2 adds a dedicated 'record' button so you can easily snap a thumbnail or shoot some footage without having to get up and change modes on your camera.

And where the BR-E1 had separate W(ide) and T(elephoto) buttons to zoom in and out, the BR-E2 has a W-T zoom rocker to make pushing and pulling way more tactile and instinctive – and, again, possible while sat miles away from the camera. It also adds a pair of customizable buttons for any specific functions you might need.

All of this is hugely helpful whether I'm filming content in-studio on my EOS R5 with a Power Zoom lens like the RF 20-50mm f/4L IS USM PZ, or I've got my PowerShot V1 set up on the HG-100TBR tripod grip in a café.

It's entirely possible that I'm the only person this excited about the new remote, but trust me – if you're a solo creator or self-shooter, especially if you use a camera or lens with power zoom, it's nothing short of a hack for your workflow and ease of shooting.

The BR-E2 replaces the BR-E1, being the same size and weight, and is backwards-compatible with all the same cameras that worked with the original model (though custom button compatibility will depend on the body in question).

You can order the Canon BR-E2 by itself for $69.99 / £74.99 / AU$109.99 or in a kit with the tripod grip (which remains unchanged) as the HG-200TBR for £149.99 / $159.99.

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Take a look at the best Canon cameras along with the best Canon lenses for DSLRs and the best Canon RF lenses for mirrorless bodies.

The OM System PT-059 is an underwater housing produced for the OM System Tough TG-7 and older, but nearly identical, Olympus Tough TG-6 Tough compact waterproof cameras.

While both of these compact cameras have a waterproof rating, an underwater housing enables you to take them to greater depths when scuba or free diving. It also adds an extra layer of protection against water entering your camera, which occurs if seals on compartment doors are dirty or the internal seals fail due to age.

An underwater housing doesn’t just increase protection from water, though; it opens up the ability to add more accessories to your underwater photography setup, increasing its capability.

OM System PT-059: Price

The recommended retail price for the OM System PT-059 is $ 399 / £329 / AU$579 and it is found widely on sale at camera retailers and online stores, as well as from OM System direct – so there is no need to go to a specialist diving shop.

There are cheaper housings available for the TG-6 and TG-7 but, considering the build quality, layout and features, the PT-059 in my opinion is the best value option.

OM System PT-059: Specifications

OM System PT-059: Build & handling

The OM System PT-059 is the lightest underwater housing available for the TG-7, making it ideal for travel. I take mine with the camera in hand luggage when I fly.

That’s paid off on one trip where a bag containing some of my larger underwater camera equipment was delayed; I still had a camera and housing to shoot with for the first day diving while the bag caught up with me.

Despite being lightweight, the PT-059 is robust and hardwearing. I’ve taken mine on a lot of diving trips and so far it has functioned perfectly.

The low weight is achieved by the housing being predominantly made from polycarbonate plastic, which is strong enough to protect your camera down to 45m / 147ft. For most recreational divers this is enough depth – and certainly for me it is. As an underwater photographer, I seldom venture below 25m / 82ft.

Plastic housings can be less long-lived than metal ones. In particular, if sand gets into a button or dial and you don’t remove it, the surrounding plastic can be worn away – causing an irreparable leak.

The lens port is scratch-resistant coated glass and is recessed in a metal surround, so you have to be trying pretty hard to get it scratched.

The ports on plastic housings are more prone to fogging up than on metal ones, but the PT-059 has a recess for a silica gel pack to help prevent that.

A front grip for your right middle, ring and little finger, and a raised thumb rest on the rear make it easy to hold. All the controls can be operated while the camera is in the housing, and I find that I can adjust most of them with my thumb while I keep my index finger on the shutter release.

With the camera inside, the PT-059 is almost exactly neutrally buoyant. If you let go of it when it isn’t attached to you it will sink pretty slowly, so you’ll have a good chance of getting it back.

There’s an attachment fitting for a pair of fiber optic strobe cables, which neatly clips onto the diffuser for the camera flash.

An included wrist lanyard is what I use for securing the housing when I’m using it on its own or as part of a small underwater photography setup.

The included port cap is something of nuisance in the water, and I’d suggest taking it off completely when in use and not having it drifting around on the cord it comes supplied with.

OM System PT-059: Performance

For me, being able to use the built-in flash as a light source when the camera is in the housing is a major advantage that the PT-059 has over most other TG-7 housings.

You do have to be quite close to subjects to light them using the camera flash (I’d suggest getting within about 50cm or less), but for close-up and macro photography it does a reasonable job.

When starting out taking underwater pictures, it’s a wise move to get used to taking photos using the built-in flash or ambient light before adding the bulk and added task load of using an external strobe.

A cold shoe mount facilitates the attachment of a focusing light or action camera to the top of the housing. You could add an external strobe or video light to this mount on a short arm but, with the mount being screwed onto the body of the housing, I’m a little wary of putting too much weight and leverage on it in case it breaks off.

The housing base has a plate with three tripod-sized screw holes, enabling you to mount it on a tripod or a lighting tray with handles for attaching strobes or video lights.

With a single strobe attached to a tray with a left handle, the controls are easy to operate. But with a two-handle tray you may find operating the shutter release lever while holding the right handle is too much of a stretch.

You can hold the side of the housing with your hand between it and the right handle, but that can be uncomfortable. A third-party extension for the shutter release lever or trigger style attachment will enable you to take shots while holding the right handle.

A 52mm screw thread on the housing port makes it possible to attach wide-angle wet lenses by brands such as Inon, Aoi and Weefine. Inon and Nauticam also make specific quick-change bayonet mounts to fit the PT-059, so their bayonet-fitting wet lenses can be used.

Being able to quickly remove or fit a wide-angle lens while underwater enables you to switch between taking pictures of large marine creatures, like turtles and sharks, over to the tiniest of animals.

You do have to take some care when using the PT-059, though. While the waterproof nature of the camera provides extra protection, a severe leak of your housing at depth can still kill your camera.

A visual check of the O-ring for debris should be done before every use, and you should ensure that the O-ring that seals the door is kept suitably lubricated.

OM System PT-059: Verdict

The OM System PT-059 does an excellent job as an underwater housing, combining good build quality with a reasonable cost. It’s comfortable to use on its own and readily expandable with a large range of third-party accessories available from quality underwater photography brands such as Inon, Nauticam and Aoi.

It would take a really impressive housing at the same or lower price point to persuade me to stop recommending the PT-059 to my customers and students.

OM System PT-059: Alternatives

Check out our guide to the best underwater housings for other cameras and phones

Canon has introduced a new adaptor that finally allows you to use all of its RF macro lenses with its specialist Canon MT-26EX-RT Macro Twin Lite flashgun.

Launched alongside the sexier Canon EOS R6 V camera and RF 20-50mm f/4L IS USM PZ zoom, the Mount Ring A allows you to mount the twin-tube flash system for use with a further three RF lenses – the two remaining RF macros, and the popular 'nifty fifty' RF 50mm f/1.8.

The three lenses that now gain compatibility are:

• Canon RF 24mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM (using supplied Macrolite Adapter LC)
• Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM (using supplied Macrolite Adapter LB)
• Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM (using supplied Macrolite Adapter LD)

Originally launched back in 2017, the Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-26EX-RT was designed to work with EF DSLR lenses, so has up until now only being compatible with selected RF lenses. The full range of lenses that the flash is compatible with before today was:

• RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM
• RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM (requires additional Macrolite Adapter 67)
• EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro
• EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro
• EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
• EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM (requires additional Macrolite Adapter 67)
• EF180mm f/3.5L Macro USM (requires additional Macrolite Adapter 72C)
• EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM
• EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM
• MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro

The Twin Lite system is primarily designed for use with macro lenses, allowing you to get even, shadowless lighting with close-up photography. This ring flash type of lighting is useful for those who specialize in taking photos of insects, jewelry, or coins. But it is also widely used by dentists and crime scene investigators.

The Mount Ring A adaptor set is expected to retail for $179.99 / £199.

Last night DJI shared the much-teased Osmo Pocket 4P and finally put one in my hands – in no less a place than the Hotel Majestic at the center of the Cannes Film Festival.

The new Pocket 4P has no final price – though it’s fair to say it’s going to cost more than the $769 Osmo Pocket 4, which only has the single 1-inch sensor. What I can say is that it is definitely real and that I’m testing it with a review on the way.

It’s nice to have a chance to rub shoulders with movie stars, but once I’d made my way past the red carpet and into the hotel it was clear that the device’s Cannes debut was about positioning the 4P as a distinct product.

While the Pocket gimbal camera has established itself as a camera popular with vloggers – and there were plenty of those outside the hotel. Inside was the hands-on experience with the as-yet-unlaunched Pocket 4P, and that was teeming with cinematographers and professional filmmakers wanting to try out the new device.

Some details aren’t final, but DJI was very clear that the camera boasts 17 stops of dynamic range – which, incidentally, is the same amount as a cinema camera like the Arri Alexa 35 – and shoots D-Log 2.

This concentration on color science is significant and it'll be something I'll look at closely in my upcoming review – which we won't publish until the device's software is final and the price announced.

Clearly, I’ve not fully tested the camera that I was handed last night. But it also clearly has much in common with its sibling, the Osmo Pocket 4, which I reviewed already, so I'm intrigued to see how they compare in real-world use and high-end use.

And judging by the turnout from the filmmaking community, I'm not the only one!

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I’m willing to bet you’ve never seen a camera rig like this before! DJI has posted a video of a photographer who is giving me serious action flick vibes, thanks to a crazy wearable DJI Ronin 4D rig.

The torso and pauldrons look like armor that’s been pinched from one of the colonial marines from Aliens, the shoulder-mounted Ronin 4D looks like War Machine’s shoulder canon from Avengers: Endgame, and the leg supports look like they’ve been ripped from Matt Damon’s exoskeleton in Elysium.

(You forgot to add my Road Warriors reference!!! – Ed)

To top it all off, you’ve got a pair of wrap-around sunglasses that give the whole getup serious T-800 vibes. All of this amounts to what has to be the most intimidating photographer I’ve ever seen…

During the video, the DJI Ronin 4D can be seen moving around on the photographer’s shoulder, while a gimbal arm extending from the torso is attached to what appears to be the Canon EOS C50 and Canon RF 1200mm f/8L IS USM (a $20K / £22K / AU$35K lens in its own right!).

At one point, the photographer spins the hulking 3.4-kg optic around on the armature and catches it. On closer inspection, the body armor appears to be made by Riddell – which makes a lot of sense, considering it produces shoulder pads for football (that's American football, for our international readers).

And as for the exoskeleton legs, they're made by Hypershell and are used to lighten the load.

It would appear that the mastermind behind this totally barmy rig is called HangpaiV. And judging by the comments section on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, people love it! My favorite comments are “Beginners photographers for no reason… [sic]” and “All that and forgot to press record”. Then again, when you look that cool, who cares?

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Looking for more futuristic tech? This AI tech creates a 3D map of sports fields in real-time, enabling you to put a virtual camera anywhere. Surely I’m not the only creative who’s worried? Plus, Bolt Hunter camera trigger promises to solve the shutter lag struggle for lightning photographers improving your hit rate using real-time analysis. And for something a little more fun, I REALLY want one of these hand-painted film cameras inspired by the Gundam anime. They’re affordable, too!

Godox has launched the FL15Bi bi-color LED fill light designed for creators who want portable yet versatile lighting for content production, livestreaming, and outdoor shoots.

Weighing just 253g and retailing for an eye-catching $99 (approximately £75 / AU$135), the device combines magnetic light shaping, app-based wireless control and IP54 weather sealing in a travel-friendly package.

As the creator economy continues to grow, Godox is clearly targeting photographers and videographers who regularly shoot on the move and need lightweight, portable production kits.

While the recently released Godox RS100Bi/R also fits that bill, the handheld FL15Bi is much more geared toward creators on tighter budgets who want a simpler lighting setup.

Portability is the name of the game here. The FL15Bi weighs just 253g, and its slim flashlight-style design means it can fit into almost any backpack without taking up much room – making it especially appealing for outdoor creators.

Godox touts the Fresnel lens as boosting optical efficiency to deliver “brighter, smoother light transitions.” And the flexible silicone design also enables users to adjust light angles by folding the lens into different positions, helping achieve softer and more natural-looking illumination.

Despite its budget-friendly focus, Godox says the FL15Bi doesn’t compromise on versatility. The light offers a correlated color temperature (CCT) range of 2800K for warmer tones up to 6500K for daylight-balanced lighting, making it suitable for a wide variety of shooting scenarios.

Godox has also built 11 FX lighting effects into the device, including fireworks and candlelight modes. For more creative applications, the Torch mode enables light painting.

The FL15Bi gains points for usability as it can be controlled from up to 30m away via the BLE mobile app. However, while the IP54 splash- and dust-resistant build adds some protection, the lack of higher-grade weather sealing means it still won’t be suited to harsher environments despite Godox’s claims.

The Godox FL15Bi is available now from authorized retailers in the US for $99 and in Europe for €119, although Godox says pricing may vary depending on region.

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Godox has unveiled the RS100Bi/R, an LED location lighting system geared toward mobile filmmakers. The company says that these compact units bring studio-grade light intensity to even the most diverse shooting environments while eliminating the need for external battery packs and complex cabling.

Despite their “backpack-ready” size, the RS100 series seemingly packs a significant punch, delivering up to 28,600 lux at 1m (at 5600K).

The series offers two distinct types of illumination: the RS100Bi, a bicolor unit with a CCT range of 2800K-6500K, and the RS100R, a full-color RGB fixture featuring a respectable 1800K-10,000K range and advanced HSI, RGBW, and gel simulation modes.

Both illumination modes feature what Godox says is “professional-grade” dimming precision, enabling increments as small as 0.1% and a true 0.0% minimum for cinematic fades.

The standout feature of the RS100 series is the integrated power system, featuring a built-in battery that provides up to 52 minutes of runtime at full output.

Supporting USB-C PD fast charging (18W–140W), Godox says a full charge can be achieved in roughly two hours even while the light is being used, and a real-time runtime countdown display enables crews to monitor power levels.

Godox has also introduced the SP36/50K ultra-mini projection attachments alongside the lights. These modifiers are smaller than traditional attachments, with a view to offering precise light beam shaping and pattern projection without the bulk.

The lights integrate into Godox’s broader S-Mount ecosystem and feature NFC tap-to-pair for remote control via the Godox Light App.

The RS100Bi and full-color RS100R are available for pre-order from authorized Godox retailers for $229 (approximately £168 / AU$316) and $319 (£234 / AU$440), respectively.

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I’ve reviewed a few smartphone ring lights for Digital Camera World, including the Godox Litemons LR30Bi. Like the LR30Bi, the AJ-19 Selfie Ring Light is a ring of LEDs (light-emitting diodes) designed to physically clip onto the top of your smartphone and illuminate your face while you snap a selfie or present a 'talking head' video sequence for your YouTube channel, for example. The extra illumination provided by a ring light enables you to fill in harsh shadows caused by available light (such as the sun shining through a window). More light means that your smartphone can use a faster shutter speed and avoid motion-blurred selfies. Extra light also minimizes artifacts such as noise in smartphone-captured clips and stills. A ring light also produces a characteristic circular reflection (or catchlight) that helps add life to your eyes.

The AJ-19 Selfie Ring Light is made by Xinbaohong, a China-based company that has a track record of producing affordable LED selfie lights and video conferencing lights. I tested the device with an iPhone 17, though as it attaches via a large sprung plastic clip, it should fit onto any smartphone.

Xinbaohong Selfie Ring Light AJ-19: Specifications

Xinbaohong Selfie Ring Light AJ-19: Price

The Xinbaohong Selfie Ring Light AJ-19 is widely available via Amazon worldwide, in countries including the USA, UK, and Australia, for under £20 / $20 / AU$30. At that price, it falls in the entry-level of the smartphone ring light price spectrum, but as you’ll see from the footage and stills accompanying this review, it can make a difference to the quality of your smartphone-captured assets. Sure, it’s not the brightest LED on the market, but for the low cost, it provides a device that can make you look better on a Zoom call or capture a less blurry portrait while on the go.

Xinbaohong Selfie Ring Light AJ-19: Design & Handling

The first thing that struck me as I took the Selfie Ring Light AJ-19 out of its box was how light it was. I couldn’t find the weight on any specifications, but by popping it on my kitchen scales, it weighed in at a super light 1.6 oz (45g). This meant that its weight was completely negligible when I mounted it on my iPhone 17. I’d previously tested the Godox Litemons LR30Bi, another smartphone ring light, which was a relatively heavier 2.9 oz (83g). I preferred the lighter weight of the Selfie Ring Light AJ-19; plus, as it overlaps your smartphone, it’s less top-heavy than the Godox Litemons LR30Bi.

The Selfie Ring Light AJ-19’s lack of weight is down to the ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) material from which it is constructed. ABS is the type of plastic used to create Lego bricks, so it’s fairly tough and durable. Despite the durability of the casing, the manual warns you not to vigorously shake the product, or it might fail. This could be down to the fragility of internal components such as the circuit board or the LED beads inserted into the ring. I didn’t treat the device vigorously during the test just in case of failure.

Inside the opaque ring on the front of the ring light that acts as a flattering diffuser, there are 40 LED beads. Twenty of these produce a white light. The other 20 produce a yellow light. A single switch enables you to toggle between a mixture of white, yellow, or white and yellow LED activation, which changes the color temperature output of the ring light.

The rear of the LED ring consists of an identically sized clip. Strong springs ensure that the clip will cling onto your smartphone securely (fitting smartphones up to a width of 0.6 in [16mm]). The Selfie Ring Light AJ-19 fitted onto my iPhone 17 even when it was encased in its Apple-branded protective case.

Xinbaohong Selfie Ring Light AJ-19: Performance

Once I’d clipped the Selfie Ring Light AJ-19 to my iPhone 17, it was a simple matter to press the single button on the edge of the ring to toggle between three color temperature settings. The device’s official specifications give a color temperature range between 3500K and 6000K. In practice, this means you can emit a warm light, a cool light, or use a combination of both white and yellow LED beads to create an intermediate, more neutral wash of light.

The specification sheet also claims that you can have three levels of brightness, which I found wasn’t accurate. You can change the brightness by long-pressing on the single button, but in practice, all this seemed to do was gradually dim the illumination to a less-than-useful light level. Therefore, most people will use the standard illumination setting that the device defaults to, rather than the super-dim alternative.

If you double-tap the button on the side, this causes the LEDs to flash in a repeating sequence. This sequence consists of three short flashes followed by three long flashes, followed by three short flashes – SOS in Morse code. This could be a useful tool in certain situations, but luckily I didn’t need to send out any distress signals during my test. The Selfie Ring Light AJ-19’s publicity material suggests you could clip it onto a bike to make yourself more visible as you cycle. This could be a situation where the flash mode might be useful.

The Selfie Ring Light AJ-19 slides over the top of your smartphone so that it encircles the selfie camera on the front of your device. As you can see from my test footage and stills, this adds a fill light to your face and a catchlight to your eyes when using your smartphone’s front-facing camera.

However, when clipped to the top of your smartphone, the large circular clip at the rear of the LED overlaps your smartphone’s superior rear-facing lenses. So you can’t use those lenses when the light is attached to your device in its selfie deployment. I found that when I wanted to film using the rear-facing cameras, I was able to clip the light onto the side of my iPhone 17. This made it able to illuminate products that I wanted to film with the rear-facing cameras, without the clip getting in the way of the lenses. I was also able to clip the ring light onto my Apple MacBook Air. This made my face look brighter and clearer when making video calls, and the catchlight reflecting in my glasses indicated that I’d spent money on some third-party lighting!

Xinbaohong Selfie Ring Light AJ-19: Verdict

So, for less than $20 / £20 / AU$30, the small and portable Selfie Ring Light AJ-19 is an accessory that won’t break your budget, but it will improve the image quality of your photo and video selfies. It’s not the brightest LED ring light on the market, but when clipped to your smartphone and held at arm’s length, it’s bright enough to make a difference (and add a sparkle to your eyes). It’ll also brighten up your face when clipped to a laptop.

It only offers three CT (color temperature) settings, but at this price, I would not expect you to be able to dial in specific settings in the Kelvin scale. The main downside to the design of the unit is that the large clip obscures the rear-facing cameras. If you want a selfie ring light that enables you to illuminate your face when using front-facing or rear-facing cameras, then check out our review of the slightly more expensive Godox Litemons LR30Bi.

Alternatives

Lexar has launched a handy new USB flash drive that promises high levels of performance, convenience and versatility. The Lexar Dual Drive Portable SSD D70E plugs directly into Windows or Mac computers, as well as Android and iOS devices, including smartphones and tablets - no separate cable necessary.

To ensure maximum compatibility, the drive features a USB Type-C connector and one end, and a Type-A plug at the other, making it backward compatible with older computers. Each plug is protected by its own port cover, neatly integrated into the drive’s sleek metal housing.Connect via USB-C and the drive can operate at USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 speed, resulting in a maximum 2000MB/s read speed and 1800MB/s write speed (1300MB/s for the 512GB model). Switch over to the USB-A connector and the drive uses a USB 3.2 interface for a peak 1000MB/s read rate and 900MB/s max write speed.

The Dual Drive Portable SSD D70E measures 79.6mm x 30.2mm x 7.8mm and weighs 55g, with silver being the sole color option. Three capacity variants are available at launch: 512GB, 1TB and 2TB, priced at $119.99/£129.99, $199.99/£199.99 and $299.99/£299.99, respectively.

So whether you want to move files between old and new devices, automatically back up photos or videos via the Lexar app, or simply expand the built-in storage of your smart device; the Lexar Dual Drive Portable SSD D70E looks like a speedy yet simple solution

Peak Design has built much of its reputation around carry products, from camera bags and tripods to its popular Slide, Leash, and Form camera straps. The Mobile Crossbody Strap is its latest product aimed at the growing market of camera phone straps, but with a useful crossover for photographers who want to carry a small compact camera without using a full-size strap.

It uses the company’s new Micro Anchor system, which is designed to be smaller than its regular camera Anchor Links while still offering a secure attachment point. Peak Design says the strap is compatible with its own phone cases, Apple iPhone 17 cases, third-party phone cases via the included adapter, and lightweight point-and-shoot cameras.

I used it with a Fujifilm X100-series camera, which feels like the upper end of what I would personally trust it with. I would not use it with anything much heavier, but for a fixed-lens compact or a very small mirrorless setup, it is an interesting alternative to a traditional rope strap.

Specifications

Price

The Peak Design Mobile Crossbody Strap is priced at $49.95 / £44.99, so it’s much more expensive than some other generic brand straps you’ll find on Amazon, but not outrageously high by Peak Design standards. It costs around the same as Peak Design’s Leash camera strap or Form Rope straps for larger cameras.

For camera users, the value depends on expectations. If you want a neat strap that can carry a premium compact camera, the price feels more justifiable. If you want a more versatile camera strap that can work for small and large cameras, Peak Design’s own Leash, Slide Lite, or Form straps make more sense.

Design & Performance

The Peak Design Mobile Crossbody Strap has all the usual quality and premium materials I’d expect from a Peak Design product. Peak Design says the strap uses custom cords, CNC aluminum hardware, and recycled and Bluesign-approved materials. That fits with the company’s broader approach to well-made carry accessories.

The strap is available in a good range of colors, including Black, Ocean, and Ibis. I chose black, which is the safest and most camera-friendly option, and it complements my cameras better than the brighter colors. If you are buying this primarily as a phone strap, the bolder options might make more sense, but for camera use, I prefer the understated look.

The materials feel very good in the hand, the rope has a premium texture, and the hardware feels sturdy enough that I did not worry about the strap failing. The whole thing has a level of finish that cheaper phone straps rarely match.

The adjustable length is useful, especially if you want to switch between crossbody carry, shoulder carry, or using the strap with different clothing. However, I am not completely sold on how the adjustment section looks. The two strands of rope around the adjustment area make it look less tidy than a fixed-length strap, and on occasion, I managed to get my arm or head tangled up in them.

There is also a connection point on the strap itself, which means you can carry it across your body with an additional connection point. That adds some flexibility and suits the product’s phone-first design, although for my own use with a camera, I would hesitate to dangle all my camera's weight on one cord.

Micro Anchors

Now, we get onto my one big issue with the strap – Peak Design’s Micro Anchor system. These tiny connectors attach to the strap and then connect to a compatible phone case or the strap lugs on a small camera. The system is easy to clip in, and once attached, it feels extremely secure. That is the good part. The bad part is that it is surprisingly difficult to remove.

I had hoped this would feel like a smaller version of Peak Design’s classic quick-release Anchor Link system, but in practice, the Micro Anchors are not satisfying to use. They are very tight, and I often found myself fighting with the anchor for ages to get them out of the connectors, and having to apply an extraordinary amount of force. That rather undermines the whole quick-release promise.

Weight limits

Peak Design is quite clear that this is not intended for larger interchangeable lens cameras, but it can handle point-and-shoot cameras, or small compacts – so I tested it with my Fujifilm X100VI camera.

The X100VI is small and not especially heavy, and the strap suits that type of setup well. For cameras like Sony ZVs or Canon's PowerShot range, I think it would be perfect. I think it could also stretch to something like a Fujifilm X-M5 with a compact prime lens, but I would not go much beyond that.

But with the X100VI, I had plenty of confidence in the strap. The cord does not feel cheap, the anchors do not feel like they are going to pop out, and I never felt like the camera was at risk, which is the most important thing for any strap. With this setup, the strap was also comfortable to wear all day without it cutting into my shoulder or chafing on my clothing.

Verdict

The Peak Design Mobile Crossbody Strap is a premium, stylish, and well-made phone accessory that also works for lightweight cameras. It worked brilliantly for my Fujifilm X100VI, and would suit similar small, fixed-lens/lightweight mirrorless cameras, but I couldn’t recommend it for anything much larger – or you do so at your own risk.

The design and materials are excellent, but the Micro Anchor system is more frustrating than convenient; it's secure but far too difficult to remove. But it's not a total dealbreaker, and style and build quality are enough to make this a strap you should still consider.

Mous is best known for making protective tech accessories, particularly phone cases, so it makes a lot of sense to see the brand applying that same mindset to a backpack. The Mous Flap Backpack is designed as an everyday bag with extra protection built in, namely AiroFoam cushioning to protect from drops and bumps. The backpack is aimed at people carrying valuable tech such as laptops and tablets, but is large enough to hold cameras, lenses, and other accessories if you don’t necessarily want the look of a traditional camera backpack, or want something a bit more multipurpose.

That is really the appeal here. Plenty of the best camera bags are practical, but also don’t gel with my style. I find they often look boxy, overdesigned, or styled in an aggressively technical way. The Mous Flap Backpack takes a different route. It is more of a contemporary daypack, one that blends into daily life far more easily while still promising a bit more security for the gear inside.

For photographers, that makes it interesting. It is not trying to replace a full modular camera backpack with padded inserts and dedicated lens dividers, but it does offer an option for anyone who wants to carry a lighter setup in a more discreet, more fashionable way that would work just as well without cameras as a flight bag or on the daily commute. After spending time with it, I found that balance to be its biggest strength.

Mous Flap Backpack: Specifications

Mous Flap Backpack: Price

The Mous Flap Backpack is a premium backpack, but in use, it generally backs that up with a strong quality, design, and extra AiroFoam reassurance for carrying expensive kit. The appeal here is less about specialist camera-bag functionality and more about getting a bag that looks good enough for daily life while still offering more protection than a standard backpack.

That does make its value a little dependent on what kind of user you are. If you want a dedicated photography backpack with built-in dividers and fully padded compartments, there are more purpose-built options out there. But if you want a stylish, understated bag that can carry a camera setup or just some daily essentials on the commute, the Mous makes a strong case for itself.

Mous Flap Backpack: Design & Performance

The Mous Flap Backpack doesn’t really look like a camera bag. It has a really sleek, modern design that feels much more like a stylish everyday backpack as well as something made for carrying expensive gear. Personally, I love that. If I am walking around with camera kit, especially while traveling, I do not always want to broadcast that fact to everyone around me. The Mous feels far more discreet than many dedicated camera bags, and I think that alone will make it hugely appealing to a lot of photographers.

It also helps that the bag just looks great. This is the kind of backpack that works across different situations. I could see myself using it without cameras for commuting, travel, events, day trips, and just general everyday use. I have the bag in all black, and it pretty much goes with everything from smarter outfits to more casual clothes, which is not always something I can say about camera bags. There are also multiple color choices available if you want one that pops a little more.

In practical terms, there is a lot to like. A zip runs down the front of the bag, which makes the main compartment easier to load and arrange than I expected. I was able to fit my Canon EOS R, Canon 24-70mm f/2.8, and a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 in the main compartment, which is a respectable amount of gear for a bag that does not look particularly large from the outside. It will also take up to a 16-inch MacBook and a 13-inch tablet, which makes it easy to take your editing gear on a shoot.

That said, this is not a true camera bag. There are no built-in camera dividers, so if you want more internal organization and protection for separate pieces of kit, you will probably want to add a small camera cube. For me, that is not necessarily a dealbreaker, because I think the whole point of this bag is flexibility, but it does mean the Mous will suit photographers with a lighter or simpler carry style more than those who want a fully compartmentalized setup.

The protective element is reassuring. Mous uses its AiroFoam protection here, and while I definitely did not test that by throwing my gear to the ground, it is nice to know I have more protection than I would get from a normal backpack. There is also water resistance, which is enough to shrug off light rain and adds another layer of confidence when carrying cameras and tech. I would not treat it like a fully weatherproof expedition bag, but for everyday real-world use, it feels adequately protected.

There are a few caveats. The material felt a little stiff to begin with, though I am not sure it will soften up over time with use. Comfort is generally good, even though there is not a huge amount of padding on the straps or the back panel. It is comfortable to wear, but not especially plush, and breathability is only average. For daily use, that is fine, but on a long, hot day, I think you would notice that compared to a more heavily padded hiking-style bag.

The large top handle is excellent for quick grab-and-go use. There is a discreet pocket at the back that is ideal for a passport or wallet when traveling. The single clasp is also a nice design touch. It is quick to undo when you want access, but it feels secure enough that I would expect to notice anyone trying to get into the bag. It also has multiple positions, which help adjust for how full the bag is. The stretchy side pocket is another handy addition, easily handling different sizes of drinks bottles or coffee cups.

My main reservation is that the AiroFoam protection is only on the base and the back, which means your gear is still more vulnerable to impacts from the front. That does not ruin the bag, but it is an important limitation to be aware of. This bag offers more protection than a regular backpack, but not the all-around padded security of a dedicated camera bag.

Mous Flap Backpack: Verdict

After a few weeks with it slung around my shoulders, I am sold on the Mous Flap Backpack. I want a bag I can use for multiple occasions, and the Flap feels like a bag designed for real life, not just for gear. It is stylish and versatile, but the thing I liked most is how the bag is more discreet than some overtly "tech-y" specialist camera bags; it doesn't really announce itself and the expensive gear it has hidden inside. Instead, this feels like a premium everyday bag for people who want extra safety for their kit without sacrificing style.

The lack of internal dividers does mean it is not a true camera bag, although it does easily take a camera and two or three lenses, or you could squeeze in a small camera cube, and the front opening zip makes it easy to access gear inside. The added AiroFoam gave me a little more confidence carrying expensive tech than a normal backpack would, although the front of the bag is vulnerable to knocks. But overall, for many photographers, I think it works extremely well, and I came away genuinely impressed by how much I enjoyed using it.

Alternatives

DJI has just launched the teased Osmo Mobile 8P, or 'Pro' version of the phone gimbal series, and it comes with a significant new feature – a detachable touchscreen remote control with mirroring.

DJI's social post, showing a tiny piece of the new Osmo Mobile 8P, left the world making wild guesses as to what the now-released product would be (my personal favorite was the suggestion it might be a Tamagotchi-like toy). In practice, though, we saw a compact screen with a joystick and a record button below it.

The device features the 'Multifunction Module 2'. This is a built-in fill-light, and it can be directed to either face either direction, also including a camera which points in the same direction you're shooting.

This has two functions; firstly you can see it on the admittedly compact touchscreen interface and use it as a display (more use when you're using the display as a remote). Secondly, it is the 'eye' for the ActiveTrack system; the AI feature which keeps a subject in frame as you move the gimbal around.

The result is more precise framing, especially for selfies using your phone’s higher-quality rear cameras.

There are other features too. I was pleased to find that the latest version of DJI Mimo – the iPhone / Android app which connects to DJI's consumer devices – now includes a Smart Teleprompter which can show you a script on screen as you record (it's not as 'smart' as I hoped; it doesn't listen in and scroll with AI, but you can choose the speed yourself).

Features from prior Osmo Mobile devices that are still included are the Magnetic Phone Clamp 5, a phone charging cable, and this isn't the first generation to benefit from a direct phone connection for native tracking features (for example Apple's DockKit means some advanced features are available in Apple's Camera app).

The extending telescopic pole is also included, and supported by pop-out tripod legs, and it is easily possible to add a microphone like the DJI Mic 2 to the bottom, making your phone a very practical alternative to the best vlogging camera.

The Maxidok 10-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station is part of a new lineup of docks that Ugreen released in March 2026. It's designed for the average high-end laptop user who wants the speed of Thunderbolt 5 without the bulk of a massive station. It'll also appeal to the person who is on a limited budget but still likes the idea of a minimalist desk setup.

The docking station offers a reasonable range of ports, although the lack of native HDMI is disappointing. Depending on your monitor setup, that might not be a dealbreaker, and you can always buy an adaptor if it is. On the subject of monitors, it does boast support for dual 6K (macOS) / 8K (Windows) monitors, which is impressive.

100W power delivery is good but not excellent and, alongside the missing HDMI port, is one of my biggest gripes. Let's be realistic, though. Ugreen had to limit the features somewhere; otherwise, paying more money for their 17-in-1 alternative would become pretty pointless.

If it's Thunderbolt 5 technology that you're after, then take a look at our reviews of the CalDigit TS5 Plus Thunderbolt 5 Dock and Anker Prime TB5 Docking Station.

Revodok Maxidok 10-in-1: Specifications

Revodok Maxidok 10-in-1: Design & Handling

If I'm ever looking for a docking station, power bank, or charger, then Ugreen will be my absolute first port of call, with Caldigit following a close second. They are designed and built so incredibly well that I lack no assurance that they will stand the test of time.

The Revodok Maxidok 10-in-1 follows in this vein without compromise. Opting for a robust zinc-aluminum alloy enclosure, the dock sits firmly on the desk and feels more like high-end audiophile equipment than a standard computer peripheral.

Other than the discreet on-button at the front of the dock, there's not a single bit of plastic in sight. The chassis oozes class with a minimalist two-tone design, blending a sleek space-grey case with a much darker grey for the text.

The choice of materials goes well beyond aesthetics, with the dense metal shell acting as a massive passive heatsink, essential for managing the significant thermal load generated by the 120Gbps Thunderbolt 5 controller and 100W power delivery.

One of the most notable design choices is the integrated host cable, which could be argued as a positive, but I've put it down as a negative. I appreciate that having the Thunderbolt 5 cable built-in and non-removable guarantees a permanent, stable connection, ensuring that the host cable cannot be misplaced or swapped with a lower-spec USB-C cable that might throttle performance.

But my issue is, what if that cable fails? Well, then you would need to buy a whole new dock, which, as you could imagine, would be seriously frustrating. Ugreen has made a number of attempts to mitigate this, including using a weaved cable sheathing and putting a durable rubber connector where the cable enters the dock. But whether these two factors will be enough, only time will tell.

In terms of the ports, Ugreen has opted for three USB-A ports at the front alongside the two card readers. This makes sense, although I would have swapped one of those USB-A ports for a USB-C. The rear features all the permanent connections, including the DisplayPort 2.1, dual Thunderbolt 5 downstream ports, and Gigabit Ethernet.

You'll notice the distinct lack of an HDMI port, and even though you could buy a DP to HDMI adaptor, this can cause problems with the resolution, refresh rates, and graphics card detection. If your setup depends on HDMI, then buying a dock with a native port would be advised.

Revodok Maxidok 10-in-1: Performance

The Revodok Maxidok 10-in-1 performs incredibly well and is able to transfer photos and videos as fast as 1,250MB/s. At these speeds it was possible to transfer a 10GB 4K video file in less than 15 seconds. Achieving these speeds will of course require a fast NVMe external SSD.

One of the primary features of this 10-in-1 dock is the dual display that offers up to 8K resolution on Windows and up to 6K on macOS. Users can choose to utilize the Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports on the back to make this happen or use just one of these alongside the DisplayPort. I had no problems connecting my MacBook Pro using the dock's display functionality.

Total power delivery is 140W, but a single device maxes out at 100W. This will be more than sufficient for most laptops, although if you have anything like the 16-inch MacBook Pro, then you won't be able to take advantage of its ability to recharge at 140W. It's worth checking your specific laptop to see if you'll be affected by this limit, and only you can decide how important super-fast charging is to you.

The dock is capable of charging much more than just a laptop, but if you're using two Thunderbolt USB-C ports for displays and your devices are mostly USB-C-enabled, then you might need some USB-C to USB-A adaptors. You'll be fine if it's just a phone, but as soon as you throw other devices, such as smartwatches and the like, into the mix, you might start running out of ports.

The dock operates in complete silence thanks to an intelligent passive cooling system. The internal components are thermally bonded to the metal exterior, allowing heat to dissipate evenly across the surface. This solid-state cooling approach is incredibly effective, so much so, that you won't even know it's there.

Using the Revodok Maxidok 10-in-1 is like driving a basic Ford Fiesta rather than a Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Both cars will get you to where you need to go, but the Fiesta offers a much simpler and stripped-back set of features to get you there. This is evidenced by the missing HDMI port, the non-detachable Thunderbolt cable, and the power delivery that tops out at 100W.

None of these are performance issues but rather design decisions that Ugreen has made to exclude certain features rather than include them. Ugreen hasn't made those choices because they want to make a 'bad' product but, instead, because they want to make a more affordable device that appeals to a specific set of people. More power-hungry users can always go for the 17-in-1 alternative.

Revodok Maxidok 10-in-1: Verdict

The Ugreen Revodok Maxidok 10-in-1 is a high-performance Thunderbolt 5 docking station that is ideally suited to photographers and videographers who work with multiple displays and are regularly transferring files between devices.

The premium and durable all-metal chassis is an attractive choice for creatives who want a clutter-free desk without sacrificing the cutting-edge bandwidth required for large 4K video files and high-resolution workflows.

However, its focus on affordability and a small footprint leads to several notable trade-offs. The dock lacks a native HDMI port, relies on a non-detachable host cable that could be a point of failure, and tops out at 100W power delivery.

It's becoming an all too familiar story: a memory card manufacturer announces an upcoming price increase. A few weeks ago Prograde Digital warned it would raise prices in May, and now OWC is following suit. In most cases the expected price increases are, however, reported to be relatively modest, rising by an average of 6% relative to April pricing.

The products in OWC's memory card portfolio most affected are CFexpress 4.0 cards, including the OWC 480GB Atlas Pro CFexpress 4.0 Type A card and the 2TB Atlas Ultra CFexpress 4.0 Type B card. These will both be subject to a 14% price hike, increasing by $40 and $150, respectively. And if you're after a 960GB Atlas Pro CFexpress 4.0 Type A card, that's set to cost $629.99, up from its current price of $569.99. Thankfully OWC's CFexpress 2.0 cards, along with many of its SD cards, will not receive increases (this time), though how long this will last remains to be seen.

However, it's particularly bad news if you're in the market for a new portable SSD. The price of a OWC 1TB Express 1M2 USB4 External SSD will jump 30%, increasing from $329.99 to $429.99. The 8TB version of the same drive will see a 21% price hike, going from an already hefty $1,729.99 to an eye-watering $2,099.99. Elsewhere in the OWC SSD range, prices are increasing by between 3% and 20%. And remember, all these percentage increases are measured against April pricing. We've already seen prices rising steadily since the start of the year, making these latest jumps even harder to stomach.

But it should be noted that this is an industry-wide problem and certainly not confined to OWC. Every manufacturer of products that use flash memory - memory cards, SSDs, RAM, etc - has hiked prices dramatically in 2026. The cause of these spiralling costs continues to be the unstoppable rise of AI. AI data processing centers devour high-bandwidth memory and fast SSD storage, causing AI companies to buy up huge stocks of solid state memory. This in turn is having a knock-on effect in other sectors that require DRAM and NAND flash memory, such as the memory card industry. Memory card manufacturers like OWC then have to fight for the remaining memory stock after the AI tech giants like Google, Meta, Nvidia and Open AI have paid top dollar to fuel their data centers. And when demand is high, prices go up, resulting in the ever-increasing memory card prices we're now being faced with.

We love Leica's iconic M-series cameras, with their exquisite no-compromise build and pure shooting ethos. However, if you want to shoot one-handed, the minimalist (and slippery) thumb rest on M10 and M11 bodies doesn't offer the most reassuring grip.

But now a Chinese brand named AKuser BE THE ULTIMATE has come up with a larger, more sculpted thumb rest that should make an M10 or M11 feel considerably more secure in the hand. The rest attaches to the hot shoe mount of a Leica M11, M11-P, M11-D, M11 Monochrom, M10, M10-P, M10-D, M10 Monochrom or M10-R. It then extends over the camera's own thumb rest, both widening and extending it further outward. The carefully-designed shape avoids any interference with the camera's controls, and the fit is said to be seamless and rattle-free.

Three finishes are available: Stainless Silver (constructed from Damascus steel - an especially tough form of steel with distinctive patterning that has historically been used in the construction of sword blades), Frost Gray, and Frost Silver, both of which are made from Crystal Titanium. The steel version weighs in at 37g, while the titanium thumb rests are just 22g.

Whichever finish/material you choose, it's said each thumb rest is precision CNC machined and meticulously finished, resulting in “a tactile feel that clings to your fingers and a high level of sophistication that rivals even Leica camera bodies". And to be honest, the manufacturing quality does appear to be first class, at least judging by the marketing images and video.

At the moment the thumb rest only seems to be available in Japan, where it is distributed through E&I Creation and sold through its 2ndfocus retail store. There you will find the Damascus steel version for 53,000 Yen (approx. $336, £248), while the Frost Gray and Frost Silver titanium options are priced at 36,000 Yen (approx. $228, £168).

Unless you're a keen cyclist, you may not have come across the Allen brand before. It specialises in making suction-cup bike mounts for car roofs, which is no easy feat.

Bikes aren't the only thing that people want to mount to cars, though. If you're filming documentaries, short films, or even YouTube vlogs, there's a good chance you'll want to mount a camera to your car at some point.

That's where the Smart Suction Snap camera mount comes in. It's designed to securely attach heavy payloads to either the interior or exterior of a car, and it's so advanced that it even has built-in Bluetooth.

The question is, does this suction mount offer real advantages over no-name options? I've been testing it for the past week to find out.

Specifications

Price

The Allen Smart Suction Snap camera mount retails for £69.99/$69.99, which puts it in the middle of the spectrum of suction cup pricing. You can spend a lot more for the type of mount used on Hollywood productions, or you can spend way less on a similar option from the likes of SmallRig.

That said, the Allen Smart Suction Snap mount stands out as a unique offering. It's the only mount I have come across that offers Bluetooth suction detection, and if this feature appeals, it may be the only way to get it. It also comes with a lifetime warranty, which is quite rare for this type of product, and should also be factored into the price.

So, while this mount isn't an outright bargain, it seems very fairly priced considering what's on offer.

Design & Handling

The Smart Suction Snap camera mount looks like most other heavyweight suction mounts on the market. It has a 6-inch diameter rubber sucker on the base, with a cylindrical plastic housing on the top.

There's a plunger on one side, which you'll use to remove air from the cup and create a vacuum seal. On top, there's a 1/4-20 threaded hole.

The mount comes supplied with a short friction arm and a 1/4-20 to GoPro-style action camera mount. The friction arm is made entirely from metal, while the GoPro tabs are plastic, but they both feel extremely sturdy and high-quality

Where this suction mount differentiates itself is with its Bluetooth connectivity. It sounds like a crazy addition, but it makes sense in practice.

The Smart Suction Snap mount has a pressure sensor and a Bluetooth module inside, and when combined with the Allen app for your smartphone, it will confirm whether or not you have a good seal before you go ahead and attach your camera to it. It may seem like overkill, but cameras are expensive, and this extra peace of mind goes a long way.

The Bluetooth functionality is powered by two AA batteries, which can be inserted by removing the top of the suction mount. You'll need to remove four Philips head screws to do so, which is a bit of pain, but since this is how the camera mount attaches to the suction cup, those screws are all very necessary.

On the side of the mount, there are two rubberised buttons. One turns the device on and off, while the other enters Bluetooth pairing mode.

Performance

Setting up the Smart Suction Snap mount is pretty straightforward. Slap it on any smooth, non-porous surface, like a car window or body panel, then press the little pump repeatedly until it's securely suctioned on.

Then you attach your camera of choice using the friction arm mount, which effectively has a ball head on each end. It's plenty adjustable, and it's strong enough to keep a full-frame camera in place without sagging.

The Bluetooth functionality is very basic, but it's useful. Once paired to your phone, the app will tell you whether you have good suction or not.

This feels somewhat redundant, as the built-in pump button has a red mark on the side, and once you've pumped enough, the red mark is no longer visible. Plus, you can just yank on it and immediately tell whether it's properly affixed.

What's more useful is the fact that the app will play an alarm sound and notify you if it detects a loss of suction. This could be really handy if you have an action camera on the outside of your vehicle, for example, as if you can't see it, you won't know that it's coming loose.

Thankfully, throughout my testing, the suction cup has remained firmly affixed, and I haven't needed this functionality. But it's that peace of mind that might be worth paying extra for.

I tried the Allen Smart Suction Snap mount with my GoPro Hero 11 Black for exterior shots, and used my Lumix S5II for interior shots.

Given the size of this mount, it's no surprise that it keeps a GoPro in place, even at 60mph+ and while traversing bumpy, pot-hole-laden country roads. It doesn't seem to mind whether you use a body panel or a window; the suction is always as strong as can be.

I was a little more cautious with my mirrorless camera, hence why I only mounted it inside the car, but the Allen suction mount had no trouble keeping it secure, either.

It's quite impressive. The camera, with its mounting plate affixed and the Sigma 24mm f/2 lens, weighs in at 1.2kg. Combine that with all the road vibrations and bumps, that's a lot of force yanking on this vacuum seal, but the Allen mount took it in its stride.

What's even more surprising is how easy it is to remove when you're finished. There are two tabs sticking up from the rubber seal. Just pull up on one of those, and the mount pops right off without leaving so much as a mark.

Verdict

If you're hunting for a suction mount to affix cameras to your car, boat, or whatever else, there's no shortage of options to choose from. The question is, which of these numerous options can you trust to keep your precious camera safe?

Allen, with its years of expertise in sucking bikes onto the roofs of cars, seems like a safe bet. Add to that the Bluetooth functionality, which not only provides reassurance that the mount is properly attached but also notifies you if that changes, and you've got a very compelling option.

At $69.99, it's not the cheapest mount, but it's also not dramatically more expensive than the competition. It's the only version I've come across with the nifty Bluetooth notification feature, and it has a lifetime warranty, which should certainly be factored in.

In my eyes, these features are worth the premium. This product works exactly as advertised, and you don't want to be skimping when it comes to securing your cameras.

Alternatives