Accessory Reviews

LEE Little Stopper, HandlePod and Olympus Pen E-P5: Light gear for long exposures

24/03/2014 By Heather

Though I’ve always had a fondness for long exposure photography, my interest in seriously experimenting with it myself first emerged when I came across FlixelPix’s excellent article about using the LEE Seven5 System with the Fujifilm X100s. In his article, he speaks about his initial outings with the Big Stopper, a 10-stop ND filter for daytime long exposures, and shares what he calls “test shots,” though I’m sure you’ll agree they are deserving of a better title than that! 🙂

Up until recently, the Big Stopper had been the only long exposure option from LEE for compact system cameras. However, complaints that 10-stops was too much for sunrises and sunsets led the company to produce a second filter, the 6-stop LEE Little Stopper, which is the filter I spontaneously ended up ordering at the UK Photography Show a couple of weeks ago.

First Impressions of the LEE Filters Seven5 Starter Kit

24/02/2014 By Heather

The LEE Filters Seven5 Starter Kit arrived on our doorstep for testing well over a month ago, but between a mix of predictably miserable February weather and the onslaught of recent releases and announcements, I only just got around to testing it this past week.

Reviewing PhotoMADD’s X100s Grip and Tripod Plate Kit

17/02/2014 By Heather

“Why add a grip to such a svelte camera as the X100/s?”

This was a valid question we received when we posted an image of PhotoMADD’s X100/s grip and tripod plate kit the other day. Indeed, one of the biggest advantages of the X100/s system is its compactness and portability, so adding a grip may seem like creating a problem for an already-existing solution.

However, after extensively using the kit over the weekend, my impression is that despite the increase in size, it actually has improved my personal shooting experience with the X100s.

Review of the HandlePod: The best alternative to traditional tripods out there

11/12/2013 By Heather

While absentmindedly browsing the Web a few weeks ago, I came across a product which immediately piqued my curiosity. Aptly named the HandlePod, its inventors claim it is the perfect alternative to the traditional three-legged tripod.

Did I already mention that both Mat and aren’t fond of traditional tripods? Our dislike of tripods is one of the main reasons we love the Olympus OM-D E-M5 and E-M1 so much – the excellent internal stabilisation reduces the need for any type of external stabilisation down to one second.

Review of 1Eye Roaming: Patrick La Roque’s first photography e-book

02/12/2013 By Heather

When I first came across Patrick La Roque’s blog back in January, I was bewitched not only by his talent as a photographer, but also by his way with the written word. Patrick has the ability to make even the most banal situations come to life, using images as the core fabric of his posts and vivid commentary as the thread which binds them together.

It was no surprise then to discover that Patrick had decided to release his first e-book entitled 1Eye Roaming. He kindly sent us a copy for review, which Heather and I immediately devoured over the weekend.