With Christmas and the New Year right around the corner, Red Bull Illume takes a look at the new product releases of 2011/2012 that are sure to be high on every photographer’s wish list.
Lowepro Flipside 500 AW
An old favourite of professional photographers, Lowepro’s evolving range of bags, belts and covers caters for every photographer. We are big fans of the Flipside 500 AW after all the great feedback from our photographers.
Nikon Speedlight SB-910
Replacing the SB-900, the SB-910 is a worthy successor. With a smarter system, more efficient battery usage and new hard-type colour compensation filters, the SB-910 is definitely a step up.
SanDisk Extreme Pro memory cards
This year SanDisk introduced their Extreme Pro CompactFlash. With speeds of up to 100MB/s and a staggering 128GB of space, this is the Granddaddy of memory cards! Designed to withstand extreme conditions, it’s ideal for anyone shooting action sports.
New Canon & Nikon bodies
In 2012, the much-anticipated EOS 1Dx Canon body will take over as Canon’s flagship DSLR. Similarly a new Nikon body is rumored to be launching around the same time. It will be interesting to see how these two releases compare.
Go Pro Hero2
This model, which came out in November, is a significant improvement on its predecessor. Two years in the making, it’s almost twice as powerful, with sharper resolution (11 megapixels) and with better audio. Where will you attach yours?
Helicams
Remote-controlled helicams are starting to take off — literally — among action sports photographers thanks to the unique aerial perspective they give. Some photographers have gone the DIY route while some pay up to US$20,000 for a custom built chopper. We recommend getting in a few flying lessons first though!
Leica D-Lux 5
We can’t resist putting up our own camera on this list. Leica’s compact camera is a fantastic solution for the on-the-go photographer. With a state-of-the-art lens, expect professional results from a compact. You can read more about our favourite camera here.
Pocket Wizard’s new ControlTL series
ControlTL stands for ‘Control The Light’ and this new series gives photographers even greater power over their lighting setup. There are a number of items that make up the system, from triggers to small flash-specific triggers. A great new release, and we’ve certainly enjoyed the control this system offers!
Seacam underwater camera housing
Seacam is the market leader for quality underwater housing, producing professional housing for all camera bodies. After recent tests, we were very impressed with Seacam and definitely give this brand our stamp of approval!
Glitzo Ocean Traveler
Looking to invest in a top quality tripod? Glitzo’s Ocean Traveler is crafted from stainless steel and specifically developed to perform in extreme climates and rough conditions. This makes it the professional’s choice for shooting in difficult environments.