40 23 November 2019 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113Testbench CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE
£250–£500
ALL PRICES ARE APPROXIMATE STREET PRICES
Elinchrom D-Lite RX
One/One Softbox To Go Set
● £479 ● http://www.thefl ashcentre.com
This D-Lite RX One kit is a good introduction to studio
fl ash and it makes the next logical step from using
fl ashguns off-camera. With roughly twice the power
of a Speedlite and a variable power output of
6W-100W, it’s ideal for smaller studio
environments where
space might be limited.
It comes with a built-in
receiver for wireless
triggering with the
EL-Skyport Plus, and
features a cooling
fan to prevent
overheating. In the kit
you get two RX One
fl ash heads, two stands
with a carry bag, two Portalite
softboxes, one translucent defl ector,
an EL-Skyport Transmitter Plus and
a robust storage bag to transport it
all in. Note that no refl ectors are
included but they are
available to buy separately.Páramo Halcon jacket
● £295
● http://www.paramo-clothing.com
Super lightweight and able to
cope with up to four hours of
rain, the Páramo Halcon
jacket is ideal for spring,
summer and autumn. It
uses soft, breathable
waterproof fabric, which
is quiet and rustle-free,
so shouldn’t scare off
wildlife. The jacket has
decent-sized external
pockets and two large
internal mesh
pockets. It comes in
both men’s and
ladies’ fi ts, in a wide
range of sizes.Westcott Ice Light 2
● £469 ● http://www.fjwestcott.com
If you enjoy painting subjects with light
at night, such as cars, the Ice Light 2 is
the ideal tool for the job. This long, thin
LED light creates a narrower beam of
light than circular or rectangular LED
panels and successfully squeezes
1,740 lumen of daylight-balanced
(5,500K) light into its compact
cylindrical housing. Set to full
power it offers one hour of
constant fl icker-free
illumination, and it allows
you to drop out the
rechargeable battery and
replace it with a fully
charged spare. Power is
easily controlled
across an 18-step
range and optional barn
doors can be bought
separately.Canon
Speedlite
470EX-AI
● £399
● http://www.canon.co.uk
This is the most
interesting Speedlite to
be announced in recent
years. It’s a powerful
mid-range fl ashgun,
equipped with Canon’s
Auto Intelligent (AI)
bounce feature, which
works out the optimum
bounce position to
eliminate unwanted
shadows before
automatically tilting and
swivelling the fl ash
head for beautifully lit,
natural-looking
results. The guide
number of this fl ash
is 47m at ISO
100, and it has a
lens coverage of
24-105mm. It ’s
one highly
innovative
Speedlite
that
performed
well when we
reviewed it.Manfrotto BeFree
GT Carbon Fibre
Tr ipod k it
● £289 ● http://www.manfrotto.com
This set of sticks is aimed at keen enthusiasts
and working pros who want their tripod to
be strong, portable and lightweight.
Measuring a compact 43cm
long when folded, it extends to
a maximum height of 162cm
and supports a maximum
load of 10kg. It comes
supplied with Manfrotto’s
excellent 496 aluminium
centre ball head, but if you
regularly shoot from low
angles or like to capture
overhead macro
images, you’ll be
better served by the
BeFree GT XPRO
with its 90°
rotating centre
column.