Photo Accessory News

Countless things appear at photokina that are not cameras, lenses, tripods, bags, materials, or lighting and studio. It’s part of the magic of the place. Calling this category “accessories” won’t do, because for most of us, “accessories” consist mostly of small things in blister packs: cable releases, lens caps, that sort of thing. At photokina, it can...

Photokina 2014 in Germany has been covered widely on the Internet already—including our own extensive reporting on the show on Shutterbug.com—so there’s no need for me to rehash the major announcements from the event, such as the latest full-frame cameras from Canon and Nikon and the like. My photo report here is aimed at sharing some wider ranging thoughts and perspectives on this important biennial show and what it told us about photography today and where it might be heading tomorrow.

Slik introduced the first pistol grip over 25 years ago, heralding an innovative adaptation of the ball socket head. Still in production, that head has not changed, but today there are numerous variations on this basic design. Several are fashioned along the lines of a video game joystick. Two other types included here are the collar lock ball head and what I call the “vice grip” head.

Exactly what is a Platypod Handle? It's a grip for vloggers. It's a tripod tool: a camera riser. It's a versatile attachment point for lighting paraphernalia, microphones, monitoring gear and other accessories. It pairs perfectly with any Platypod tripod alternative and the Platypod Grip ballhead. It's the brainchild of highly respected NJ physician and brilliant inventor, Dr. Larry Tiefenbrunn, CEO at Platypod Pro LLC.

Designed for professionals, enthusiasts, schools, and clubs, the OpticFilm 120 scanner from Plustek ($1999) can handle negative and positive film, including 35mm filmstrips, individual 35mm slides, and medium format film up to 6x12cm format. The scanner contains an eight-element glass lens and can deliver up to 10,600dpi optical resolution, with a claimed 4.01 dynamic range using the supplied SilverFast software’s Multi-Exposure function. The tabletop scanner is about the size of a six-slice restaurant toaster (about 8x14.5x7.5”) and is supplied with a complete set of very well-constructed film holders, an IT8 calibration target, and a full version (not a trial) of SilverFast Ai Studio 8 software.

What’s new and different in gadgets and accessories this year? While digital has overtaken cameras it seems that many of the accessories we saw could be used as much on a film as a digital camera, proving that while there might not be much new under the sun there are certainly variations that bend with the technological tide.

Alpine Innovations’ D-Pod is an interesting...