Reviews

Two highly-adjustable, professional-quality tripods for photographers with DLSR and medium-format cameras.Manfrotto’s 190 series tripods were first introduced 20 years ago and the design remains popular with photographers, both professional and enthusiast. The new 190XPROB model retains all the best-loved features of its predecessors but provides improvements in build, compactness and ease of use. A ‘big brother’ to the 190XPROB model, the 055XPROB has many of the same features but is larger and more solidly built and can carry greater loads.

A powerful flash unit with advanced capabilities for professional photographers and serious enthusiasts who use multi-flash set-ups.The SB-900 flash is an evolution of the SB-800 model but still runs on four AA batteries (not supplied) and forms the heart of Nikon’s Creative Lighting System. Larger and radically different in design from the SB-800, the new model offers a GN of 48 (ISO 200/metres).

An innovative tripod head designed for single-handed directional adjustments.The Manfrotto 322RC2 Heavy Duty Grip Ball Head is made from magnesium to ensure light weight and high performance. Its design keeps the weight of the camera plus lens as close as possible to the tripod’s centre of gravity. This head only adds 10.3 cm to the height of the tripod and 700 grams to overall weight. Targeted mainly at photographers with SLR cameras with relatively light lenses or advanced, long-zoom digicams, it can also accommodate lighter medium format camera/lens combinations. Maximum recommended load is five kilograms.

A well-built pan/tilt head with conventional directional controls.The Manfrotto tripods supplied for us to review were accompanied by two tripod heads, each of which can be used on a wide range of Manfrotto tripods. Both heads are attached to threaded posts on the top of the tripods via sockets with 3/8-inch mounting threads. Although made from different materials, both have a black finish that matches most Manfrotto tripods. The 804RC2 Basic Pan/Tilt Head, which is constructed from tough, technical polymer, is suitable for use with camera/lens combinations weighing up to four kilograms. It adds 12 cm to the height of the basic tripod and 750 grams to overall weight.

A heavy-duty, high-capacity back-pack that provides security and protection for camera equipment.The Primus AW, Lowepro’s first photo backpack in which recycled material represent 51% of its content, is designed with travellers in mind. Most of the exterior material is Cyclpet, which is manufactured from recycled soft-drink bottles and is tough and resilient. Each bag contains the equivalent of 22.6 soft-drink bottles.

A compact hand/shoulder bag for camcorders, long-zoom digicams or a small DSLR and lens.Designed primarily to hold a video camera, the new Lowepro Clips 120 bag can also accommodate a long-zoom digicam or small DSLR camera with one lens attached. The main compartment of the bag opens outwards via a pivoting flap, which provides fast and easy access to the camera. It contains two sections: a large rectangular pouch for the camera and, behind it, a slot that can be used for carrying instruction manuals, disks or other small, flat items. A reversed zipper closure prevents dust from entering but can be a bit fiddly to close.

A robust backpack for bushwalking professional and enthusiast photographers who require weatherproof protection for their equipment.Announced in August 2008, Lowepro’s Flipside 400 AW joins an extensive range of camera backpacks produced by this enterprising company. The largest in the Flipside series, it’s targeted at professional photographers and serious enthusiasts – particularly outdoors enthusiasts – who want to carry a couple of camera bodies plus lenses and accessories, providing a practical solution that is secure and comfortable to wear and has silent zipper pulls for wildlife photography.

Available in black or aquamarine blue, Lowepro’s Cirrus TLZ 15 camera pouch is affordable priced and can accommodate a long-zoom digicam or a small DSLR with zoom lens attached. Designed primarily for photographers who want to protect their cameras from dust, moisture and impact shock yet keep it readily accessible, the Cirrus TLZ 15 has a tough outer layer that is water- and abrasion-resistant and a padded, tricot-lined interior pouch that holds the camera.

High-speed SD cards for cameras with fast burst speeds and high-capacity buffer memories.Designed for DSLR cameras and devices that record and store video and multimedia files, Lexar Media’s latest premium Secure Digital (SD) cards combine high speed with high storage capacity. The ‘133x’ tag on the Professional 133x SD cards denotes a minimum sustained write speed capability of 20MB/second, which means these cards should be able to write Raw files from a high-resolution DSLR camera in less than one second.