camera accessories

Between Canon and Nikon's inexpensive full-frame bodies and Sony's full-frame press of a compact, pro body and camcorder, there are going to be a lot of photographers and videographers lining up to sit on Santa's lap this holiday season.

But if you prefer something smaller, there's plenty of that for you, too, in the form of new enthusiast compact cameras from almost every manufacturer and updates to interchangeable-lens models. Plus Panasonic gave its video-friendly GH2 a complete overhaul for the GH3.

Here's a guide to our complete Photokina coverage. Just because.… Read more

We've heard of holsters for cameras, such as the Roberu leather holster or the Spider holster, but what about one for dSLR lenses?

Compared with typical lens holsters -- which are basically small nylon bags that carry a single lens -- the Quikdraw system allows shutterbugs to quickly swap between multiple lenses.

All you need to do is to strap on a belt and you'll be able to hang several lenses from your waist. The lenses are mounted on the Quikdraw units and dismounted with a twist-and-lock motion, just like what you do when mounting lenses on a camera body. … Read more

I had the opportunity to check out the Trygger iPhone Camera Case for iPhone 4/4S firsthand a couple weeks ago in Portland, Ore. Its co-creator, Joel Kamerman, and I sat down to test the prototype and I was immediately blown away.

As a fashion photographer in my spare time, the benefit of having the Trygger case secured to my iPhone was easily apparent. With a solid and sturdy case structure that maintained a slim feel to my iPhone, the Trygger case adds great functionality without the bulk. … Read more

There's not a lot to say here, except that this lens, with its effective focal length of 150mm on the Micro Four Thirds system and a fast aperture of f1.8, sounds like a great addition to the pool of MFT lenses.

Olympus doesn't currently have any fast telephotos in its MFT lineup -- just some really clunky, slow zooms, and Panasonic's best equivalent only goes as low as f2.8 (for about the same $899.99 price). Olympus' 45mm f1.8 is one of my favorite MFT lenses, and this looks pretty similar. I can't wait to give it a shot, so to speak.… Read more

Come this June, you'll finally be able to use your languishing Leica lenses on the Fujifilm X-Pro1 -- or at least expand on Fujifilm's small collection of lenses.

The new M-Mount Adapter will cost $199.99 and seems to provide full compatibility, including support for the camera's viewfinder framing corrections. Via the camera's Mount Adapter Settings you'll be able to create profiles for up to six lenses with corrections for distortion, peripheral illumination, and color shading across the frame.

It sounds well-built -- aluminum mount on the body side, stainless steel on the lens side, connected by aluminum.… Read more

I'm not a big fan of camera straps. I have one I use regularly, but in general I don't like having my camera dangling around my neck. That's what makes the Spider Black Widow holster an appealing alternative.

The basic Black Widow includes the holster and one pin. The pin screws into your camera's tripod mount and the holster threads onto your belt. Slide the head of the pin into the holster's slot until you hear a click and your camera is secured.

The Black Widow holster when used with your own belt is designed for cameras up to 2 pounds. From 2 to 4 pounds, Spider recommends using its $15.99 belt that can be combined with an $8.99 belt pad. If your gear weighs more than that, you'll want to step up to Spider Holster's Pro system. I tested the Black Widow holster on my regular leather belt with a Nikon D7000 and its kit lens as well as a few full-size megazooms and I never felt uncomfortable from the weight. … Read more

If you're into time-lapse photography and/or panoramas--or want to get started with them--and you have a camera with an intervalometer, Camarush's clever and inexpensive Camalapse mount sounds like a useful accessory to throw in your bag. Based on the same mechanical timer technology as a conventional egg timer, the Camalapse rotates up to a maximum of 360 degrees in one hour. You attach a small (less than 1 pound) camera or camcorder to its tripod mount, and optionally attach the Camalapse to a tripod, wind it up, and you're off and autorotating. You can also stack … Read more

A major user complaint about the Canon PowerShot S90 and its followup, the S95, wasn't about image quality, but about how slippery they are. There's at least one custom grip out there that I know about, but if you don't need something quite so special, check out Flipbac's little stick-on grips.

Made from silicone, the inexpensive grips can be attached to just about any point-and-shoot. And because they are silicone, they bend easily allowing you to wrap them around just about any camera body.

Slapping one on your camera is a peel-and-stick affair, so within seconds … Read more

While I don't understand why you'd want to do it, other than because you can (and a desire to be able to say in your Flickr stream that you did), you can now attach Canon and Nikon lenses to your iPhone. Photojojo, a source of photo-accessory awesomeness, grants your wish with the $190 iPhone SLR Mount.

It's an idea that's easy to mock, especially given Photojojo's suggested photo of it with a huge Canon lens attached, but it might not be quite so laughable with a pancake prime or Lensbaby. Or if it were a … Read more