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Accessory Roundup: lights, iPads, bags and more

Digital Photography Review news -

Images: Vanguard, Apple, Elinchrom

CP+ may have ended last week, but that apparently hasn't stopped the flood of accessory news. Today, we'll look at a few lights, bags, computers and more, but first, let's see what's on sale.

Second-gen Goodness Photo: Richard Butler

Canon's Stacked sensor flagship, the EOS R5 II, is currently on sale for $300 off MSRP. We reviewed it late last year, and came away very impressed – it's a camera that excels at nearly everything.

Buy now:

$3999 at Amazon.comBuy at AdoramaBuy at B&H Photo Photo: Richard Butler

Panasonic's S5II isn't quite as performant, but it's still quite a good camera. It's also substantially cheaper than the EOS R5 II, especially given the current sale that gets you $500 off.

Buy now:

$1497 at Amazon.comBuy at AdoramaBuy at B&H Photo Let there be lights Image: Godox

Godox's latest light for videographers and photographers is the Litemons C30. It's a tiny LED panel weighing 248g that packs an internal battery capable of putting out 30W of light for up to 45 minutes. A USB-C port lets you recharge the battery or run the light for an extended period of time.

There are two versions of the light – a bicolor model, which costs $59, and an RGB model that will run you $89.

Buy at Amazon Buy at B&H Image: Elinchrom

If you need something a little more powerful, there's the recently released Elinchrom LED 100 C, a continuous RGB light with an integrated 72Wh battery that provides up to 40 minutes of power in the field. It comes with a diffusion dome and an adapter for Profoto light modifiers and can be charged via USB-C.

$599 at Amazon $599 at B&H On the level Image: Vanguard

Ball-head tripods are great if you want to easily level your tripod without messing around with leg length, but what if you already have a tripod that you like? Vanguard's LVL accessory might be for you. It's designed to sit between your sticks and your tripod's head, adding a bit of height and letting you level your tripod head in a matter of seconds.

Vanguard makes several sizes, so it should be compatible with a wide range of tripods. The smallest, the LVL 42, has a 42mm base and can support up to 20kg (44lb), while the LVL 75 can support up to 40kg (88lb) – just make sure the rest of your tripod can handle that much weight too.

In the bag Image: Wandrd

If you want to carry around some camera gear without using a massive backpack, Wandrd's Stratus Photo 18L may be the bag for you. It's relatively small and has built-in organization for your camera gear, as well as access hatches on both the right and left-hand side. It's made of weather-resistant materials and has load-adjustment straps and a chest strap, which should let you carry it comfortably even if you've got it filled with gear.

Buy at Amazon Buy at B&H New affordable iPads Image: Apple

People don't always think of the iPad as a photographic tool, but nowadays Apple's tablets have a lot of processing power and can run many of the apps photographers use on their desktops. The company's entry-level models – the iPad Air and the plainly-named iPad – have just gotten updates that make them better than ever. The Air gets the laptop-class M3 chip, as well as a new, optional keyboard with a bigger trackpad, function row and aluminum design. The M3 iPad Air starts at $599, and the new keyboard costs $269.

The cheaper iPad, meanwhile, gets the A16 chip from the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro. While it's not as powerful as the M-class chips and doesn't support Apple's suite of AI features, it should still be plenty for light photo editing and organization. Its base storage has also been doubled from 64GB to 128GB. It starts at $349, which is what its predecessor sold for ever since Apple cut the price by $100 in 2024.

That wasn't all Apple announced this week, though...

Get caught up

Some accessory news is so big that it gets its own article during the week, but we'd feel remiss not also mentioning those products here.

Image: Apple

As an example, Apple's new computers. The company announced updates to its entry-level MacBook Air and top-of-the-line Mac Studio this week, adding its latest processors. The MacBook Air has enough processing power to handle the typical Photoshop and Lightroom tasks that most photographers need, all while being hyper-portable, while the Mac Studio can handle the highest-end photo and video editing tasks.

Image: Peak Design

Also announced this week: Peak Design's Roller Pro, the company's first piece of roller luggage. It's a bit of a hybrid between a hardshell case and a softshell one, with plenty of padding and a front sleeve that can hold a laptop and other everyday carry items. You can read our full coverage of it here.

It's currently being sold via Kickstarter for a discount over its $599 MSRP, but the usual disclaimer applies: Remember to do your research with any crowdfunding project. DPReview does its best to share only the projects that look legitimate and come from reliable creators, but as with any crowdfunded campaign, there’s always the risk of the product or service never coming to fruition.

Pledge on KickStarter

Read last week's roundup

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All those sea sponges that live in deep oceans have a secret: their light lattice-like forms are astonishingly stiff and strong. Inspired by these fascinating creatures, researchers at Australia's RMIT University have developed a new structure to make significantly stronger materials for more durable buildings.

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Waterless electric toilet auto-bags it up – so you never see it again

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Dog poop bags for grown humans – that's the experience off-grid toilet brand Wrappon is selling. It might sound weird, undesirable and maybe downright gross at first, but compare it with the other available methods of pooping in the unplumbed wilds, and you might gain a new appreciation for an electric toilet that automatically bags the mess so you can chuck it in a garbage can – no dump stations, no manure spreading in the garden, and no regrets or second thoughts.

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This simple dietary swap could help you live longer

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A study of over 220,000 people that looked at the consumption of butter versus plant oils has reached a conclusion that shows just how much better for you one is than the other. Making the switch might be one of the easiest ways to extend your life.

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Take a walk through the Polaroid factory in this fascinating video

Digital Photography Review news -

There's something magical about the experience of shooting with Polaroid film, no matter how many times you see it roll out of a camera and wait for it to develop. It's clear it's a complicated process even without understanding the ins-and-outs of how it's produced. But, in a recent video, Polaroid has pulled back the curtain, revealing just how complex Polaroid film is.

The video provides a behind-the-scenes look, walking you through the Polaroid factory in Enschede, Netherlands, the only place where Polaroid film is made. It shows the entire process from start to finish, including the mixing of the developer, the cutting of the negative sheets in complete darkness with night vision goggles, how the cassettes are made and more, all the way to quality control and boxing up the finished product.

While the video touches on some of it, it doesn't go into all the details of how interesting the history of the factory is. The factory doors closed in 2008, but a small group managed to save the company, bringing it back, albeit in a much smaller form. For some time, it produced film under the name The Impossible Project. In 2017 the company rebranded as Polaroid Originals, and then in 2020, it was able to rebrand as Polaroid once again. You can watch a full documentary on the story on YouTube as well.

"I mean, this is an ancient technology that nobody uses anymore. So it's not like we can just say hey, let's replace it and put a whole new brains in it."

It's fascinating to see that the factory still uses the same process and machinery as it did in the 1970s. "There's a lot of frustration. You've got to have patience. We've got a machine here from the seventies," explains an employee named Andrew in the video."It stops, starts, stops, starts. I mean, this is an ancient technology that nobody uses anymore. So it's not like we can just say hey, let's replace it and put a whole new brains in it. We've got to try and make do with what we've got, which means refurbishing parts, which means having people learn how this works and specialize in it."

The video also touches on the formula of the film. Anyone familiar with the early Impossible Project days will remember how rough around the edges that film was. I purchased many packs for my beloved SX-70, most of which didn't turn out. While the current film is significantly better than it used to be, it still isn't quite where Polaroid film was quality-wise. Andrew says in the video that they know the quality isn't as good as the original Polaroids, but he explains that the original formula wasn't very environmentally friendly and they are trying to address that.

Whether you shoot Polaroid or not, it is interesting to see the complex process behind something that played such a significant role in the history of photography.

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Ranking the best Apple TV+ sci-fi: From 'Severance' to 'Dark Matter'

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Apple TV+ has clearly decided to invest in top-shelf science fiction as a defining pillar of its offering – and overall, it's put together an impressive slate. Some shows have been outright successes, and where others have missed, there's at least been a refreshingly grand artistic swing.

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Sony's content authenticity system isn't just for pro cameras anymore

Digital Photography Review news -

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Photo: Richard Butler

Sony has released a firmware update that brings its Content Authenticity Solution to the a7 IV. The company announced a similar update for the a1 II, a1 and a9 III in January. However, this is the first time the tool to authenticate images will be available on something other than high-end, professional-grade cameras.

Software Ver. 5.00 for the Sony a7 IV adds support for the "Write Digital Signature" function for still images. This function allows photographers to add an electronic signature to their images to prove that they were taken with that camera. Authenticity tools such as this are becoming increasingly important with the growing prevalence of generative AI-created imagery and, as a result, the spread of fake images.

Of course, as with the update for the three pro-grade cameras in January, there are some caveats involved. The Digital Signature function requires a paid license and is only available for certain media outlets, not the general public. Unfortunately, Sony still hasn't provided any additional information on if or when it will be available for general consumers. On the firmware update page, Sony simply says that the "timing for the provision of paid licenses to customers other than certain media outlets is yet to be determined."

Even though the current usability is limited, Sony rolling this out to consumer models is a step in the right direction. The Content Authenticity information page also says that "more camera models will be supported in due course," so it sounds like we should see additional cameras with the tool at some point. If Sony makes the feature more widely available beyond media outlets, the Digital Signature feature will already be on cameras and ready for use.

If you want to be prepared, or happen to work for one of the select media outlets, the Sony a7 IV firmware update Ver. 5.00 is now available for download.

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