2 weeks ago
3
 |
| Images: Sony, Profoto, Sennhesier |
After a week without an accessory round – mainly owing to a dearth of accessories – we're back and better than ever. Today, we'll look at a powerful flash, an exciting firmware update, a versatile set of microphones, and more. Before we get to that, though, let's see what's on sale.
 |
| Photo: Brendan Nystedt |
Panasonic's G9 II is a substantial upgrade from its predecessor, and is now much more capable when it comes to video. It's large for a Micro Four Thirds camera, but that allows for a plethora of controls and a full-size HDMI port. It's currently $200 off MSRP.
 |
| Photo: Brendan Nystedt |
Canon's EOS R8 is also $200 off, which makes it an even better deal as an entry-level full-frame camera. However, it may be worth spending some of those savings on an extra battery or two, as battery life isn't the EOS R8's strongest suit.
Light, camera, action
 |
| Image: Profoto |
This week, Profoto announced the D30, a bright monolight flash that's still compact and lightweight. It has a range of 11 F-stops, outputting between 0.5 and 500Ws of light.
It also has a continuous dimmable LED modeling light, with an adjustable color temperature ranging from 2,800 - 7,000K and a >94 CRI. Its recycle time depends on what type of mains electricity you have it hooked up to, but it ranges from 0.1 seconds to a maximum of 0.9 seconds.
The D30 is undeniably a professional tool and has a price tag to match: it comes in at $1,995, and adding a handle is an extra $50. But if you need a lot of lighting power and are making money from your photography, it's certainly an interesting option.
A versatile mic kit
Sennheiser's new Profile wireless microphone system could be an interesting option if you're looking for a plug-and-play audio kit that covers a lot of bases. It includes a few components: two microphone packs, a dual-channel receiver, a charging bar, and a host of accessories, such as wind blockers, a 3.5mm TRS cable, and mounts.
The simplest setup involves clipping the two microphones to your talents' lapels and having them record to their 16GB each of internal memory. Of course, if you're filming those people, you can also have the microphones transmit to the receiver, which can output to a camera's mic jack.
If you'd rather them not be conspicuously in the shot, both packs have locking 3.5mm inputs and can act as transmitters for more traditional lav mics.
 |
| Clipping one or both of the microphones into the battery bar lets you use it as a handheld microphone. |
Here's where things get exciting though; the microphone capsules and receiver all fit into the charging bar, which makes sure their batteries are topped up. However, that charging bar can also become a handheld wireless microphone if you're doing a piece to camera and want to look official.
It also has a tripod mount, letting you use it as a desktop microphone. You could connect it to your computer via a 3.5mm cable or USB-C... or you could snap on the included USB-C adapter to the receiver and plug it into a phone or computer, letting it work wirelessly in that mode, too. That adapter's also useful if you want to use any of these configurations while recording video with a phone instead of a dedicated camera.
Given just how many roles this setup can fill, it comes at a surprisingly reasonable price of $299. The company also says there's no app required to use it; you can manage all the settings using the receiver's touchscreen.
Focus bracketing comes to the a7 IV
 |
| Photo: Richard Butler |
If you have a Sony a7 IV and haven't updated it in a while, now might be the time. Sony recently released firmware version 4.0 for the camera, which adds support for focus bracketing, letting you automate the process of taking several images to get an object entirely in focus.
The update includes several more features and fixes, such as the ability to continue taking pictures while your camera transfers images to your phone.
The firmware can be downloaded from Sony's website.
Magical control
 |
| Image: Blackmagic |
Speaking of updates, the Blackmagic Camera app for iOS recently got support for the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro's new Camera Control button, and the ability to launch the app from the lock screen or control center. The 2.1 update also adds bitrate selection options for when you're recording in H.264 or H.265.
English (US) ·