It’s officially less than 20 days from Christmas, so while this isn’t really a buyer’s guide for Christmas, it’s never a bad idea to have that in the back of your mind for your own photography gift list, or to purchase for that photography person in your life.
Other than that, these are just some of the deals that lept out at me this week, so enjoy!
Manfrotto XPRO Geared 3 Way Pan/Tilt Head
A geared tripod head is always expensive when you compare it to ball heads, etc. But there’s a reason. They are more precisely manufactured and allow for very small adjustments. The goodgeared heads also have the ability to slew to a position quickly.
A geared head can be good for a variety of purposes. You can use this head with an auto guider for field astrophotography, stitching larger images, and for video work. The ability to fine tune your image framing can be very useful. The best part is that right now this head is on sale for 25% off it’s regular price.
Key features include;
- Load Capacity: 8.8 lb
- 3 Independent Movements with Locks
- Spring-Clamp Controls for Fast Movements
- Integrated Incremental, Geared Movements
- 90° Forwards and 20° Backwards Tilt
- Up to 90° Portrait Angle Tilt
- 360° Rotation, Three Bubble Levels
- RC2 Quick Release Cam Lock
- 200PL-14 Quick Release Plate
- 1/4″-20 Mount, Non-Slip Surface
Manfrotto XPRO Geared 3 Way Pan/Tilt Head
-
Load Capacity: 8.8 lb
-
3 Independent Movements with Locks
-
Spring-Clamp Controls for Fast Movements
Flashpoint XPLOR 600 PRO TTL
I’m crazily jealous of the studio gear that can be had these days. Today, the cost of equipping a modest of studio has never been this inexpensive. Not only that, but so many monolights allow the use of AC or DC sources, something that was unheard of when I had my studio.
All this grants the photographer an unparalleled amount of flexibility.
I love the Flashpoint XPLOR series of lights. They are compact and both battery and AC powered. They also use a Bowens Mount, which means you have literally a bazillion different light modifiers you can use with them.
The advanced kit includes a C stand, which are better for a smaller studio as you aren’t tripping on the much wider leg spread of a normal light stand. In the past, these were actually quite expensive to purchase. Not anymore.
Key features;
- Compact 600ws XPLOR 600Pro TTL with innovative R2 Radio System for wireless functionality
- Fast recycling in under a second at full power with super stable color output
- Integrated reflector and classic Bowens mount for versatile lighting control
- Compatible with Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, and Olympus/Panasonic TTL auto flash systems
- Advanced 2.4GHz R2 Radio Remote System for reliable TTL and pass-through to speedlights
Even if you dont’ have a camera that uses a compact flash express type B card, you can always plan for the future and also use these cards for other uses than simply in a camera.
With 1TB of storage, these small cards are excellent offsite or emergency backups of your laptop or computer.
No need for a bulky hard drive, you can put everything on a very inconspicuous card.
Just remember to get a good card reader for your computer. It’s a good idea to get a solid USB 4 CF Express Type B reader so you are future proofed in your purchase. More and more computers support USB 4 these days.
Displaying the images that we capture is part of the process of being a photographer. There’s nothing better than printing on speciality paper, but to be honest at times it’s very impractical in people’s lifestyle to be able to have a full print setup, and getting your images printed to your standards can be expensive as well.
This could be the option for a many, the Samsung “The Frame” TV displays your images as if they are printed in a matte frame.
I don’t think anyone will argue that Samsung’s displays are among the best, which is why most high end brands use Samsung panels. While Samsung has The Frame displays up to 85″, this one is more modest with a more modest price.
Key features include;
- 4K UHD 3840 x 2160 QLED Panel
- Quantum HDR with Wide Viewing Angle
- Art Mode for Displaying Art & Photos
- Anti-Reflective Matte Display
- Stream 20 Classic Pieces via Art Streams
- 2-Month Trial to Online Art Store
- Motion & Brightness Sensors
- Slim Fit Mount & Customizable Bezel
- One Connect Box for All Connectivity
- Tizen OS-Powered Samsung Smart Hub
SAMSUNG 43 inch The Frame QLED 4K Smart TV
-
4K UHD 3840 x 2160 QLED Panel
-
Quantum HDR with Wide Viewing Angle
-
Anti-Reflective Matte Display