accessories

First Ever Five-Axis Stabilizer Promises to Deliver Rock-Steady Video

Certain indie filmmakers may be all in love with shaky-cam production values, but for the rest of us, nausea still isn't terribly valued as a special effect. So huzzah to the ShadowCam S-5, an upcoming stabilizer for DSLRs and pro series cinema cameras (Red Epic, Canon C models, etc.) that promises to dampen motion like no other stabilizer.

New HoldFast Bag Lets You Tote Around Your Camera Inside Bison Skin

HoldFast Gear makes gear for photographers that you won't really find from other companies. Last year one of their big products was the MoneyMaker, a suspenders-style leather camera strap that looks like it popped out of an old detective film.

Today the company added a new eye-catching product to its lineup: the Bison Tote. It's a tote bag that's made out of bison hide.

Accessorize From the Hip with the New Spider Monkey by Spider Holster

Spider Camera Holster just announced its newest addition to the holster family. Unveiled at WPPI Las Vegas, the company's new Spider Monkey does for accessories what the SpiderPro or Black Widow Kit does for your SLR -- it keeps them instantly accessible on your hip at all times.

Colorful Fashion-Forward Camera Straps Made From Climbing Rope and Chains

New York-Based designers Sarah Frances Kuhn (SFK) and Meredith Wendell are teaming up to bring a little bit more fashion into the world of photography. Only their fashion accessories won't be displayed on a model standing in front of your camera, they'll be keeping your camera securely attached to you.

Photographs of Clothing and Accessories Frozen in Large Blocks of Ice

Fashion company Pierre Cardin did a marketing campaign earlier this year that revolved around the slogan: "Simply Cool." It enlisted the help of Brazilian art director Cláudia Xavier and luxury still life photographer Norimich Inoguchi for a series of advertising photographs. The creatives decided to convey that "it's cool to wear Pierre Cardin" in a very literal way: they photographed various clothing items and accessories frozen into large blocks of ice.

Canon Has Not Started Bundling Hoods and Cases with Non-L Glass

Lens hoods and protective cases are nice accessories to have, but they're generally only bundled with professional L glass when it comes to Canon lenses. Canon USA almost never includes them with lenses that don't carry that distinctive red ring (or a green ring). Last week, Bryan Carnathan over at The Digital Picture recently noticed that the pre-order pages for the new Canon 35mm f/2 IS over on B&H and Adorama listed a hood and case as part of what's included. The news surely got many a Canonite wondering, "will bundled hoods and cases be included with non-L lenses now?"

Unfortunately, the answer is no -- at least for photographers in the US.

CineSkates: Rollerskates for Your DSLR

CineSkates are new patent-pending wheels that attach to JOBY's GorillaPod Focus tripod, allowing you to capture fluid, stabilized video with your DSLR without bulky or expensive equipment.

Cheap DSLR Follow Focus Kit that Lets You Remember Focus Points

DSLR Solutions has a new follow focus kit that allows you to keep track of focus points without being bulky or expensive. The $60 kit is basically a clamp, a velcro strap, and some metal markers that attach to the strap. Attaching the markers allows you to bounce between focus points, or keep track of a number of points if you have multiple subjects. We've featured a number of DIY follow focus solutions here in the past, but using a velcro strap and markers is something we haven't seen before.

Inconspicuous Camera Bag Designed to Look like a Quiver for Arrows

If Legolas from Lord of the Rings ever decided to trade his bow for a camera, the new Urban Quiver by the newly formed Blackstone Bags is a camera bag he might use. The quiver shape keeps it from attracting too much attention from would-be thieves, while the compactness allows it to be stored in small spaces like the overhead bins on airplanes.

Add-on Grips for Compact Cameras Designed for Little Hands

Compact cameras are portable and convenient, but often they trade ergonomics for their small size. If your camera is a bit too small to hold comfortably in your large hand, Flipbac Camera Grips are designed to help you get a grip. Their shapes are inspired by actual grips found on larger compact cameras, and each one sticks to your camera securely and non-messily using 3M adhesive.

Sleek Case Transforms iPhone 4 into Futuristic-looking Camera

The UN01 is a Kickstarter-funded iPhone 4 case that makes it look like some kind of Apple-designed futuristic camera. The middle of the case features a pseudo-lens bulge that is actually a locking mechanism that secures the two halves of the case. They're looking to raise $23,000 to bring this case to market in 7 colors, and a pledge of $30 will pre-order one for you in black or white.

Ring Flash Add-on for Your External Flash

Photojojo has a new ring flash adapter that allows you to shoot soft, studio-style portraits without shelling out the big bucks for an actual ring flash. It's a plastic add-on with a reflective circle that simply channels the light from your existing flash, so it doesn't require any batteries.

Limited Edition Canon F-1 Belt Buckle

We featured a Nikon belt buckle here last month, and now here's one by Canon. It's a limited edition Canon F-1 belt buckle made by Lewis Buckles in Chicago for Canon in the 1970s. Charles Eves won the one above for $3 in an eBay auction. The seller was a former Canon salesman that was awarded the belt buckle for his high sales.

Unboxing the Canon Lens Thermos and Coffee Mug

I've been dying to take a look at the Canon lens coffee thermos and mug since I first wrote about it back in the beginning of March, but didn't want to buy a set just to take a look. Luckily for me, the nice people over at canonmugs.com sent me some samples to check out and play around with. In this post I'll be sharing some photographs and thoughts about these unique items.