Gear Reviews

Digital camera reviews, lens reviews, strobe reviews, camera bag reviews and more.

Really Right Stuff TA-3 Series 3 Leveling Base Review

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Really Right Stuff makes leveling heads for their Series 3, Series 2, and Series 4 tripods. In this review, we’ll be taking a look at the Series 3 TA-3 leveling head, which sells for between $195 and $310 depending on the handle options and clamp that you specify. The head weighs 12.2 ounces and with the twist of the locking handle you can tilt it up to 15 degrees in any direction. When you set up your tripod, all you have to do is roughly level it with the leg locks, and then use the leveling head, with built-in bubble …

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REVIEW: Cecilia Leather Camera Straps

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It’s pretty hard to stand out from the crowd in the camera strap market and it seems that every couple of months I get another press release from someone that claims to have the “next big innovation” in this sector. I also get my fair share of requests from people to test their latest straps, and usually it’s pretty hard to get excited about that prospect. Recently I got an email from the folks at Cecilia though, and what struck me right away was the fact that they weren’t trying to reinvent the wheel with some form of clever sliding …

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CanvasPop Print Service Review

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Printing images on canvas has become very popular over the last few years and CanvasPop has emerged as one of the more prominent online companies to offer this service. They recently reached out to me and asked if I’d like to test their services, and given that I’d never reviewed a print service before, I thought it would be fun. Up to now I’ve always had my own prints created locally in Vancouver, BC, so I haven’t had a good answer for people when readers have asked for an online printer recommendation. Armed with a credit for about $100 to …

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MindShift Gear BackLight 36L Backpack Review

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In this review we’re taking a look at the BackLight 36L outdoor photography pack from MindShift Gear. I’ve been testing this as my main photo pack for the last month, prior to its public release. As usual, there’s a ton of photos in this review, as well as a video walk-through of the features and some suggestions about other bags that you might consider when looking to buy a bag of this size for outdoor photography. For those that aren’t familiar with the brand, MindShift Gear is Think Tank Photo’s sister company. Whilst Think Tank concentrates more on the urban, …

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REVIEW: Peak Design Everyday Sling 10L

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Peak Design continue to expand their product lineup, and the Everyday Sling 10L was added alongside the previously reviewed Everyday Backpack, and the Tote, during a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign. The styling cues are all the same, but there’s a few differences in functionality that means it’s not quite as simple as saying this is a “mini Everyday Messenger”. I’ll say right away that surprisingly to me, this is actually my favourite of the Everyday series! I know a lot of people love the Everyday Messenger and Backpack, and I did like them, but I also had my criticisms. In several …

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Peak Design Shell Camera Cover Review

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Camera bag and accessory manufacturer, Peak Design, first became famous for their quick release Capture Clip which I have previously reviewed on this site. The Capture Clip is a very useful way to carry a camera on a belt or backpack strap, giving you fast and easy access to it all day long. The only potential problem is that you might be hiking in poor weather, or a dusty environment, and having to put the camera in the pack all the time to combat that, would really negate the usage of the QR system in the first place. This is …

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Peak Design Capture Lens Review

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The Capture lens is an innovative lens carrying device that pairs with a Peak Design Capture Clip quick release system. I’ve reviewed the Capture Clip in the past and found it to be very useful when you want to have fast access to a camera. This Capture Lens device allows you to have just as fast access to one or two lenses, and should be of particular interest to event and wedding photographers where carrying a big bag of additional gear all day is usually not at all practical. Video Review If you want to see the Capture Lens in …

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MindShift Gear PhotoCross Sling Bag Review

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I’ve reviewed a lot of MindShift Gear products in the past, but this is the first time they’ve brought a sling-style pack to the market so I was very curious to see what their take on it would be. MindShift is the sister company to Think Tank Photo, but their products focus entirely on the outdoor photography markets such as landscape, adventure, travel and wildlife photography. Pretty much all of the camera bags I use for work on a daily basis are MindShift ones, but I’ve never actually owned a sling before so I was excited to try one out …

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How to Fix Cloudy Plastic Camera Rain Covers

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Having a good rain cover in your photo kit is a great idea because clouds, snow and thunderstorms can often produce very dramatic images. If you’re a working professional, you also need to be able to guarantee you can work in any condition, particularly photojournalists and sports photographers. I’ve reviewed a number of rain cover on this site in the past, and they typically fall into two categories: Firstly you have ultra lightweight covers that don’t totally enclose the back of the camera. These covers take up less room in your bag, so you can typically leave one in there …

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