Fancy giving yourself a photographic treat this Christmas for less? Read on...
Fancy treating yourself to a new toy this Christmas? Whether it's a new tripod, a lens or even a piece of software you're after, check out these eight great ideas, each under £100!
Manfrotto 294A3 Aluminium Tripod and D3RC2 3-Way Head Kit
Promising to be rigged while keeping weight low, this aluminium tripod in Manfrotto’s 290 series comes complete with a detachable pan-and-tilt head and supports loads up to 4kgs. It boasts a three-faced centre column to keep it firmly in position, while its maximum height of 181cm shows it to compete well against even pricier models.
Click here for more information on the Manfrotto 294A3 Aluminium Tripod and D3RC2 3-Way Head Kit
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens
A 50mm lens is something every photographer should have in their kit bag. This option from Canon is the most afforable of its 50mm options, but with its f/1.8 aperture it still manages to admit more light than the typical kit lens. It's also small and light enough to be kept on the camera as an everyday lens, for everything from street shots to portraits and more.
Click here for more information on the Canon EF 50mm f1.8 II Lens
Western Digital 1TB My Book Studio FireWire 800 External Hard Drive
Compatible with both Mac and PC, although styled very much to complement the former, this spacious FireWire-enabled drive boasts password protection and can be set to backup images and other documents automatically.
SanDisk Extreme Pro 16GB 160MB/s CompactFlash
Ever shoot a burst of images and your camera starts to slow down sooner than expected? Maybe a faster memory card is in order. This one from SanDisk ensures write speeds of up to a staggering 150MB/s so that your camera's buffer can keep churning out images without delay. It's also guarded against shock and vibrations, and comes with free image-recovery software for peace of mind.
Click here for more information on the SanDisk Extreme Pro 16GB 160MB/s CompactFlash
LaCie Rugged Key 16GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive
A flash drive with a difference, the Rugged Key from LaCie not only works on super-speedy USB 3.0 but it's also water- and dust-resistant and fully protected should it be dropped. Need more space? No worries - there's also a 32GB alternative available. And if you're in any doubt as the the drive's rugged credentials, see just how LaCie decided to prove it with the video below.
Click here for more information on the LaCie Rugged Key 16GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive
DxO Optics Pro 9 - Standard Edition
Cameras and lenses aren't perfect, but a piece of software that can immediately and automatically correct any minor aberrations can save the photographer plenty of time when it come to processing. DxO Optics Pro 9 is exactly that, with support for an exhaustive range of camera bodies and lenses, together with the option to fine tune the many adjustments available. This latest version also includes an array of new presets for instant treatments, as well new controls like DxO Smart Lighting for better highlight detail recovery.
Click here for more information on the DxO Optics Pro 9
Hahnel ProCube Twin DSLR Charger
Imagine charging the batteries for your DSLR, flashgun, smartphone, tablet and any other accessories with just a single product - now stop imagining it because you can do just that with the Hahnel ProCube Twin DSLR Charger! As well as charging two camera batteries, the ProCube can charge up to 4xAA batteries at once, as well as USB-powered devices through a rear socket. You can even monitor the status throughout with the handy LCD panel on its front. Clever, no?
Click here for more information on the Hahnel ProCube Twin DSLR Charger
Rode VideoMic Microphone
The microphones on most DSLRs are typically suitable for general audio recording, although there's no beating a dedicated external alternative for utmost clarity. This lightweight condenser shotgun from Rode is cleverly suspended in its own mount to isolate it from any vibrations, while its integrated high-pass filter can be called upon to filter out lower frequencies where required.
Click here for more information on the Rode VideoMic Microphone
