The Goods: Our Favorite New Premium Gear

A Smarter Frame
This definitely isn’t your grandfather’s digital frame. The Memento Smart Frame takes the many years of promise of digital photo frames and (finally) offers a fully realized package. Where previous digital photo frames were awkward and often unappealing devices, the Memento Smart Frame looks like a real photo frame and, more importantly, showcases your digital images like works of art. Offered in 35-inch or 25-inch sizes and five different color frame options, the Memento Smart Frame boasts 3240x2160, 4x HD resolution (aka 4K) and seven million pixels of display power. We’re currently working on a full review of the Memento Smart Frame (which you will be able to see online at Shutterbug.com) and have been impressed with how beautifully and realistically it renders our images as if they were printed on illuminated sheets of art paper. Controlled via Wi-Fi through an app on your phone, tablet, or computer, you can store up to 3,000 internally on the device. The Memento Smart Frame measures ambient light and automatically adjusts the display illumination to optimize your shots so they look great no matter the level of brightness in the room. Now, that’s smart.

Memento Smart Frame
$899, 35-inch frame; $599, 25-inch frame
mementosmartframe.com

 

Desktop Darkroom
The Epson Stylus Pro 4900 has long been our workhorse for making richly detailed 17-inch photo prints and it’s nice to see Epson has finally unveiled a successor. Called the SureColor P5000, this desktop (if you have a large desktop) printer features Epson’s latest UltraChrome HDX 10-color pigment ink set and the company’s PrecisionCore TFP printhead, which are designed to deliver increased color gamut and higher-density blacks while offering twice the print permanence than the previous generation. The P5000 also offers improved dust and static control so it will require less maintenance with more durability and reliability. Meanwhile, the new printhead has 360 nozzles per color for faster print speeds with variable-size ink droplets as tiny as 3.5 picoliters. A full-color, 2.7-inch LCD panel on top makes setup and control a breeze. We haven’t had a chance to test this baby out yet but we’re looking forward to, potentially, making it our new 17-inch workhorse.

Epson SureColor P5000
$1,995
epson.com

 

Colorful Support
Tripods don’t have to be boring. Just ask the folks at Manfrotto who recently introduced four new model colors in the stylish and practical Befree line of tripods: blue, green, gray, and red. Manfrotto’s Befree tripods feature a handy folding mechanism that lets the legs fold backwards around the aluminum head for more portability. When collapsed, the tripods measure just 15.7 inches but when fully extended they can support cameras at a maximum height of 56.7 inches, with the center column extended. Though they weigh just three pounds and can be folded up and easily stored in bags, backpacks, or as carry-on luggage, Manfrotto’s Befree aluminum tripods can support up to 8.8 pounds of camera gear. Plus they come in snazzy colors. Did we mention the snazzy colors?

Manfrotto Befree Colors
$179
manfrotto.us

 

Small & Stable
Steadicam has been helping filmmakers tell their stories for over 50 years and parent company Tiffen recently went into production on the new Steadicam Volt, a compact and affordable gyro stabilizer that enables smartphone users to capture smooth, professional-looking videos with ease. Simple in design, yet sophisticated in functionality, the Steadicam Volt more than doubled its Kickstarter goal of $100,000 and is expected to begin shipping later this year. The unit works with both iOS and Android mobile devices via a free app and features a slick, collapsible design, Bluetooth functionality, and lithium-ion rechargeable batteries that deliver eight hours of use per charge. Engineered to provide the precision and control necessary for great videos, the Steadicam Volt weighs only one pound and is designed to accommodate phones from 2.3 to 3.1 inches in width. You can use the Volt in Movie mode for creating cinematic movements and Sports mode for capturing fast-moving action.

Steadicam Volt
$199
tiffen.com/steadicamvolt

 

The Goods spotlights the hottest premium photo gear out there. If you have a product you’d like considered for The Goods, e-mail images and info to editorial@shutterbug.com.

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