24 August 2019I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI subscribe 0330 333 1113Testbench BUDGET ACCESSORIES£100-200Formatt-Hitech
Firecrest85mm
starterkit
●£119●www.
formatt-hitech.com
Adecentfilterset-up
is essentialforserious
landscapephotography.
Butwhile100mm-wide
systemsarewidely
recommended,they
canbeoverkillfor
photographerswhodon’t
useultra-wideangle
lenses.Formatt-Hitech’s
latest85mmsystem
offersplentyof high-end
featuresat a more
affordableprice,
includinggeared
adjustmentof a
polariserfrom
behindthecamera.
Thekitcontainsa
77mmpolariserand
adaptersforlenseswith
58mmto77mmthreads.
Justaddneutraldensity
andgraduatedfi lters of
your choice.MetzMecalight
S500BC
●£119●www.
intro2020.co.uk
Thisrechargeableand
compactLEDlightis
thesizeof a smartphone.
It sports 117 surface-
mountLEDsandoffers
a continuouslyadjustable
colourtemperaturefrom
5500Kto 3000K.The
outputbrightnessis finely
adjustableacrossfour
stopsof range,withthe
settingsshownona small
displayontheback.Its
sturdyaluminiumhousing
includesa^1 ∕ 4 intripod
thread,andyougeta
hot-shoemountand
removable diffuser panel.Manfrotto 190 Go!MT190GOA4
● £140● http://www.manfrotto.co.uk
Forphotographersin needof a sturdy
yetversatiletripodthat’llcomfortably
holdanenthusiastDSLR,Manfrotto’s
excellent 190 Go!is difficulttobeat.
With4-sectiontwist-locklegsthat
caneachbesettofourdifferent
angles,it achievesa maximum
heightof 152cmwhilefolding
downto45cm,andweighs
1.66kg.Butitspartytrickis
a centrecolumnthatcan
beflippedfromvertical
tohorizontalusing
a neatmechanism
concealedwithin
thecentralspider,
allowingoverhead
orlow-level
shooting.Va ng u a r d
VeoSelect 49
●£150●www.
vanguardworld.
co.uk
Ifyou’re
forevertrying
tochoose
betweena
shoulderbagor
a backpackfor
carryingyourkit,
thenthiscleverly
designedbag
mightjustbethe
answer.It comes
withbotha backpack
harnessandshoulder
strap,andcanbe
switchedbetweenthe
twocarryingmodes
quicklyandeasily.There’s
spaceforoneortwocamerasand
3-5extralenses,alongwitha separate
compartment for a 15in laptop and
a tablet.Datacolor
SpyderXPro
●£159●www.
datacolor.com
Ifyouliketo manipulate
imagesona computer
beforeprintingorsharing
themonline,youneed
to ensureyourmonitor
is showingcolours
accurately.Datacolorhas
designedtheSpyderX
to calibrateyourdisplay
fasterthaneverbefore,
withthewholeprocess
takingabouttwominutes
to complete.Formost
people,thePropackage
makessense,butif you
alsoneedto profile a
printer,checkoutthe
more expensive Studio kit.Nissini40
●£159●www.
kenro.co.uk
Acompactflashgunthat’s
designedspecificallyfor
usewithmirrorless
cameras,thei40
standsoutforitshigh
specification,compact
sizeandeaseof use.Its
auto-zoomheadcovers
lensesfrom24-105mm
equivalent,andis
extendableto16mm
usingtheslide-outwide
diffuserpanel.Witha
powerfuloutputthat
beliesitssize,built-inLED
videolight,andsupport
foradvancedfunctions
suchaswirelessflash
controlandhigh-speed
sync,it’savailablefor
Canon,Fujifilm,Nikon,
SonyandMicroFour
Thirds cameras.Benro3-way Geared Head
GD3W H
●£179●www.benroeu.com
Forphotographerswhodemandprecisecontrolof
composition,perhapsforarchitecturalormacrowork,
a gearedheadcanbea godsend.Benro’sGD3WHis a
relativelylightweight,portableandpreciseexamplethat
incorporatesanArcaSwiss-typequickrelease.Three
largecontrolknobs,oneforeachaxisof movement,
drivethecameradirectlyin thecorrespondingdirection,
allowinghighlyaccuratesettingof composition.Withits
sturdymagnesium-alloyconstruction, the head is rated
to support a 6kg load.ALL PRICES WERE CORRECT AT THE TIME OF WRITING