SWPP Societies 2013 Convention

The SWPP Societies 2013 trade show is almost upon us!

Trade Show Dates and Opening Times
11-13 January 2013 – 10:00-17:00
New Venue Hilton London Metropole

For full information on the Societies’ 2013 Convention including tickets explained, seminar schedules, Big L Challenge, hotel layout plus more, please see the Societies’ 2013 Convention website: http://www.swpp.co.uk/convention/

The SWPP 2013 show will be offering a broad range of learning opportunities designed to expand the proficiency of photographers and brings together a rich selection of talent within the photographic industry:

Masterclass Schedule

Location Seminars

Superclass Schedule

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Trade Show Exhibitor List

Snapperstuff will be exhibiting at the SWPP 2013 Trade show - Hilton London Metropole, 11-13 January, 10:00-17:00, King Suite, Stand K52, K53, K54!

We are proud to now represent the following brands, which we’ll have on display for you to check out:

New Distributor for Peak Design

Snapperstuff is excited to announce that we are the NEW DISTRIBUTOR for PEAK DESIGN®.

Who are Peak Design®?

The mission of Peak Design is to enable photographers and outdoor/adventure enthusiasts to better capture the beautiful world around them. We will do this by designing and building innovative, thoughtfully composed, ultra-durable products that are easy to use and versatile. Right now our aim is to help people better transport and physically manage their cameras, but as time goes on we will continue to tackle other ubiquitous pain points that photographers and outdoorsy people face. We believe that wherever you go and whatever physical activity you do, your camera should be right there with you.

 

What’s their product range?

Peak Design has developed the Capture® Camera Clip System – which they launched through Kickstarter (and they are the 2nd most funded project in Kickstarter’s history!).

WHAT IS CAPTURE®?

The Capture® Camera Clip System rigidly holds your camera to any strap or belt, keeping it secure and accessible during any physical activity. Take your DSLR Camera everywhere. Capture® is an aluminum clip that will forever change the way you shoot. It lets you carry your DSLR camera, with lens attached, directly on any backpack strap or belt. This eliminates the need for a neck strap, sling, holster or bulky camera bag. Capture® holds your camera rigidly, allowing you to be physically active without your camera swinging and swaying.

CAPTURE CAMERA CLIP KEY FEATURES:

• Holds any camera: DSLR, Micro 4/3 or point-and-shoot
• Attaches to any strap or belt: Works with straps up to 7.6 cm (3”) wide & 1.3 cm (0.5”) thick
• Quick-release locking action: means you’ll never miss another shot
• Strong enough for any physical activity: Quick-release lock withstands over 150 lbs. of force
• Compatible with other tripod brands: including ARCA® (see compatibility list below)
• Change lenses with ease: Your camera locks into Capture omnidirectionally
• Redundant twist-lock: Extra security for extreme activities & theft prevention
• Works with hand straps: Built-in strap loops Ultralight, Ultra-Durable Weatherproof aluminium construction

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HOW CAPTURE® WORKS:

1. SCREW
Screw the quick release plate into the tripod mount on your camera. There are 3 low profile plates available, which can attach to any camera. Pictured: ARCAplate – also compatible with ARCA®-type tripods

2. CLAMP
Clamp the aluminum Capture clip around any backpack strap or belt using the two hand-tightened bolts.

3. SLIDE
Slide your camera (attached to the plate) into the clip. Your camera locks into place, keeping it secure as you move around. Access your camera instantly by pressing the quick-release button.

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There are 5 Capture® products in the range available now:

Capture Clip with ARCAplate (above)

Capture Clip with DUALplate (above)

CW from top: ARCAplate; MICROplate – idea for 4/3s cameras; DUALplate – Manfrotto® RC2 & Arca®-type tripod compatible (above)

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 Download here:

 How to Attach Capture Camera Clip to Think Tank Photo Pro Speed Belt

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Where and when can I buy their products?

All Capture® products available NOW direct from www.snapperstuff.com - where you can also find a full Dealer list.

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Does My Kit Fit? Glass Taxi

Withe the Binocular & Telescope Show at Titchfield Haven (National Nature Reserve) coming up this weekend – 30th June & 1st July – we took a look at how some optics fit in the Think Tank Photo Glass Taxi:

Leica APO-TELEVID 82 with 25-50 eyepiece attached

Swarovski ATM80 HD with 25-50

Carl Zeiss DiaScope 85 FL with 20-70 eyepiece

Carl Zeiss DiaScope 85 FL with 20-70 eyepiece with the new Conquest HD large Binoculars (10×42) and Carl Zeiss Victory Compact Binoculars (10×25)

You can find out more about the Think Tank Photo Glass Taxi here (click link) as well as from our network of Authorised Retailers.

LCE Winchester will be showing the optics featured here at the Titchfield Haven Binocular & Telescope Show this weekend, so if you’d like to go here’s the full info:

Airline Carry-on travel guide (June 2012)

Copyright: Helen Atkinson 2012

With the Summer holidays on the horizon we thought a summary of current Airline Carry-on weights & dimensions* would be helpful… so, here are the weights & dimensions for popular flights out of the UK & Ireland:

Aer Lingus (shorthaul & longhaul) – under 10kg – 55 x 40 x 20 cm

Aer Lingus (regional) – under 7kg – 48 x 36 x 21 cm

American Airlines - 56 x 35 x 23 cm (max) & personal item e.g. laptop or handbag with total dimensions not exceeding 91cm (length + width + height)

bmi - unlimited – 55 x 40 x 23 cm

British Airways - 23 kg – 2 pieces – 56 x 45 x 25 cm & 45 x 36 x 20 cm (laptop or handbag which must fit under seat in front of you)

easyJet – unlimited – 56 x 45 x 25 cm

flybe - 10 kg – 50 x 35 x 23 cm

First Choice - 5 kg – 55 x 40 x 20 cm

Jet2 - 10 kg – 56 x 45 x 25 cm

Monarch – 10 kg – 56 x 45 x 25 cm

Ryanair - 10 kg – 55 x 40 x 20 cm

Thomas Cook Airlines – 5 kg – 55 x 40 x 20 cm

Thomson Airlines – 5 kg – 55 x 40 x 20 cm

Virgin Atlantic - 6 kg – 56 x 36 x 23 cm

*Note: all carry-on weight and dimension allowances are subject to change at any time by the airlines, so please ensure you check with your preferred airline for accuracy prior to travel, to avoid disappointment.

We welcome your feedback on this, especially your experiences traveling with the Think Tank Photo bags, and if you have any other carry-on info you’d like to share please let us know. Thank you.

Does My Kit Fit? Retrospective 10 pinestone

Pete Rawlinson, Sales Specialist at London Camera Exchange in Winchester, was privilaged to be asked to test out the new Nikon 1 cameras at the press launch in Shanghai, back in October…

“I thought I’d need a bag that would better suit all my kit. Now, like most photographers, I have many different bags and cases yet none seem to be able to handle the kit I’d be taking out with me.

While at work I looked at the Retro series and thought I’d appeal to my rep, Helen’s, kind nature and ask if there were any Retro Demo bags I could borrow. Unfortunately none of these were available, but Helen kindly lent me her own Retro 10. The bag was big enough to fit all my kit plus the chargers and my vitals, phone and wallet.

The main things I really found great about this bag were;

• Enough room for all my kit plus more
• Not your typical “Camera Bag” (meaning I could happily walk around the streets with £8000 worth of camera equipment on my shoulder)
• The cushioned strap was more than welcomed as I spent 5 days carrying all this kit for the whole time
• The carrying handle made picking up my gear from the taxis, buses and boats easier than having to pick it up via the long strap.
• The sound silencers were probably the best feature with this bag. I found this particularly handy while exploring the Buddhist temple when I had to switch over memory cards.

All in all I don’t think I could say anything negative about these series of bags and since returning from China I have bought myself a Retro 10 which has become my primary Camera Bag.”

www.LCEGROUP.co.uk

www.Pete-Rawlinson.co.uk

Congratulations to Pete who recently wind 3rd prize in the Sony World Photography Awards (staff competition)!
Here he is collecting his prize:  Pete collecting prize

Pete Rawlinson shooting in Shaghai with the Nikon 1 camera

Shaghai at night, taken on the Nikon 1 camera – Copyright Pete Rawlinson 2011

Shaghai People, taken on the Nikon 1 camera – Copyright Pete Rawlinson 2011Fellow Nikon Photographers Simon Stafford & Will Cheung (Advanced Photographer Editor) with their Think Tank Photo Urban Disguise shoulder bags in Shaghai, shot on the Nikon 1 camera – Copyright Pete Rawlinson 2011

Shaghai, taken on the Nikon 1 camera – Copyright Pete Rawlinson 2011

Nikon 1 camera gear, which Pete fitted in the Retrospective 10 bag – Copyright Pete Rawlinson 2011

To see more of Pete’s work please check out this link: www.Pete-Rawlinson.co.uk

To find out more on the Think Tank Photo Retrospective 10 and other bags in the range to can catch up with Pete in the LCE – London Camera Exchange – store in Winchester, Hampshire. Website: www.lcegroup.co.uk

You can follow LCE on Twitter here: @LCEUsedCameras

and here: @LCEOffers

You can follow LCE Winchester on Facebook here: LCE Winchester

For more info on the Retrospective range click on this link: RETROSPECTIVE RANGE

Does My Kit Fit? Streetwalker Pro

After reading the ‘Does My Kit Fit? Airport International v2.0′ feature, Sports Photographer Stefano Grasso, contacted us about his experience travelling with his Think Tank Photo Streetwalker Pro backpack. Based in Italy, Stefano works internationally:

“The Airport International is definitely the best trolley we can have !!
The size is ok, BUT, as you know, mainly in Europe the problem of carry on cameras and lenses is the weight…
I have a lot of equipment to bring with me and every time is a real nightmare. Lufthansa and Swiss allow 1 piece of 8 kilos max in cabin !

The last frontier for me right now, is a 400 f2.8 + EOS body 1D IV in the Streetwalker Pro and my other equipment (200 f2, 70-200 f2.8, 24-70 f2.8, 14 f2.8, 8-15 f4, 2 bodies EOS 1D, Mac Book Pro 15″ and some more things in the Airport International.  No comment about the total weight… Sometimes some equipment flies in a Peli Case, but what a stress. I have insurance of course, but I can’t afford to miss the picture !!!“

Here’s how Stefano fits his gear in his Streetwalker Pro:

1) Streetwalker Pro with Canon 400 2.8 II + Eos 1D mark IV mounted + extender 1.4x III plus + extender 2x III

2) Streetwalker Pro with the same gears but the extenders covered to avoid scratches

3) Streetwalker Pro with the same gears and plus Canon battery charger and cable packed in pluriball

4 & 5) the Streetwalker Pro shown closed with all the gear inside

… total weight… 8 kilos, more or less !!

You can see Stefano’s work here: www.stefanograsso.it & www.horse-poster.com

For more info on the Streetwalker Pro backpack click on this link:
STREETWALKER PRO

My gear’s too heavy: how can I spread the weight? part 2

‘The photo kit I have is heavy! It is too heavy to be supported around the neck!’

Wearing camera gear around your neck and over your shoulders for prolonged periods, may cause you aches and pains and eventually damage your neck and, or back…

For times when you need to carry camera equipment on your body a one good solution is to spread the weight across your body using a combination of belt and harness with pouches attached for your camera equipment.

For those of you who need a light weight solution with minimum bulk, the Think Tank Photo belt, harness and pouch system could be what you are looking for.

See: My gear’s too heavy: how can I spread the weight? part 1

Here I am on the Think Tank Photo stand at the PDN Photo Plus Show 2010, New York, USA helping a customer find the right carry solution for his gear:

Photo Plus Show 2010, New York, USA

You may also find that you hunch one of your shoulders to stop your camera slipping off…

…if you do, then you may find the Think Tank Photo Camera Support Straps™ and Camera Strap™ are the solutions for you (in addition to the belt, harness and pouch system):

• The Camera Support Straps™ come in pairs and clip onto the straps of the Pixel Racing Harness™ V2. The Camera Support Straps™ can also clip onto the straps of most backpacks in the Think Tank Photo range.

Camera Strap™ & Camera Support Straps™

• The Pixel Racing Harness™ is then clipped onto one of the belts in the Think Tank Photo range: Skin belt™, Pro Speed Belt™ or Steroid Speed Belt™, and your choice of pouches can be added to the belt.
• The Camera Support Straps™ then clip onto the ‘O’ rings of the Camera Strap™, so you can hang your camera in front of you and adjust the height to suit. This way the weight of the gear is spread across the harness system rather than around your neck.

Camera Support Strap™ connects to Camera Strap™

• When you add pouches to the belt, and lengthen the Camera Support Straps™ you can then rest the lens in one of the pouches, again helping to spread the weight more around the harness system and your torso, and prevent the camera swinging from side to side when you are trekking.

Below is a summary of the specific products mentioned and links to our Snapperstuff website for more product info:

T017 Pixel Racing Harness™ v2 – can attach to all version 2 belts in the TTP range
Skin Belts™ – webbing belt with no padding
Pro Speed Belts™ – lightly padded belt
Steroid Speed Belts™ – wide padded belt provides extra support
T255 & T256 Camera Strap™ – in black/blue or black/grey
T257 Camera Support Straps™ – (pair of) hang on harness & backpacks & attach Camera Straps to spread weight of camera

Look out for Part 3 coming soon with more suggestions to spread the weight of your gear…

by Helen Atkinson

Snapalot78 – dslr video workshop

Stuart Jefferies and Steve Vernon – Clarke decided to take a road trip around the USA and film whatever came across their path… you follow their escapade here: Dodge & Burn: The Road Trip

‘One Dodge Charger, 2 Photographers/Film Makers and as many states as we can fit in. Mostly Unplanned and letting the ‘Road Gods’ guide us through Americas vast landscapes and forgotten towns. Documenting our experiences and thoughts as we go and sharing them with you when ever we find a WiFi hotspot.’

‘The Homestead‘ – is the first of several short interviews they shot while on this road trip around America. They traveled for nearly 3 weeks and travelled through 9 states. Their aim was to meet interesting people who would give them a small insight into their lives. None of the people they met knew that they were coming to interview them and on a couple of occasion neither did they! But, all were gracious enough to give them a few moments of there time.

You can see more of their interviews here: Snapalot78

Stuart will be carrying out a Video DSLR workshop at the Multimedia event at TFC – The Flash Centre – BIRMINGHAM – on Wednesday 24th November 2010

For more info and to sign up please call TFC Birmingham: 0121 327 9220

My gear’s too heavy: how can I spread the weight? part 1

‘The photo kit I have is heavy! It is too heavy to be supported around the neck!’ (customer feedback 2010)

Wearing camera gear around your neck and over your shoulders for prolonged periods, may cause you aches and pains and eventually damage your neck and, or back…

For times when you need to carry camera equipment on your body a one good solution is to spread the weight across your body using a combination of belt and harness with pouches attached for your camera equipment.

For those of you who need a light weight solution with minimum bulk, the Think Tank Photo belt, harness and pouch system could be what you are looking for.

Think Tank Photo Modular System

There are three options to choose from with the belt:
Thin Skin – webbing only, so very lightweight – great for hot countries, times when you need to travel light or carrying a few small pouches
Pro Speed Belt – lightly padded, for more support and comfort, and to carry an average amount of gear
Steroid Speed Belt - double rail, padded, extra wide for support and comfort and to help spread the weight of heavy gear, especially good for those with back problems

Pro Speed Belt with Speed Changer & Whip It Out

Two harness options:
Pixel Racing Harness v2 – Harness affixes to all three styles of Think Tank Photo belt & helps spread the weight of the gear across the torso, not just the waist or hips
Belly Dancer Harness – is a one size fits all belt and harness that clips at the back & helps spread the weight of the gear across the torso, not just the waist or hips

Pixel Racing Harness with belt & Lens Changer 50 & Whip It Out

Pixel Racing Harness attached to Pro Speed Belt (rear view)

Belly Dancer Harness

Lightly padded pouches for three typical zoom lenses:
Lens Changer 50 or Large Lens Drop In = Canon 16-35 f2.8 OR Nikon 14-24 f2.8 (in each case with lens hood in position)
Lens Changer 35 or Lens Changer 50 = Canon 24-70 f2.8 OR Nikon 24-70 f2.8 (in each case with lens hood in position)
Lens Changer 50 = Canon 24-70 f2.8 OR Nikon 24-70 f2.8 (with lens hood inverted)
Lens Changer 75 Pop Down = Canon 70-200 f2.8 OR Nikon 80-200 f2.8 (can fit lens with hood in position or inverted AND tripod collar in place)
Whip It Out = Canon 70-200 f2.8 (with lens hood in position BUT no tripod collar)
Lightning Fast = flash / strobe / speedlight or battery pack

Modular Pouches

Lens Changer 75 Pop Down

Non padded pouches for your specific lenses:
Skin 50 = Canon 16-35 f2.8 OR Nikon 14-24 f2.8 (in each case with lens hood in position)
Skin 50 or Skin 75 pop down = Canon 24-70 f3.8 (latter pouch with lens hood in position)
Skin 75 pop down = Canon 70-200 f2.8 OR Nikon 80-200 f2.8 (can fit lens with hood in position or inverted AND tripod collar in place)
Skin Strobe = flash / strobe / speedlight or battery pack

Skin pouches

Pouches for the camera bodies:
The Chimp Cage – for pro DSLR body
Skin Chimp – for pro DSLR body or holds a semi pro body with up to a 24-70 lens on it (also has pop down feature so can accommodate lens hood in position AND inverted)

Chimp Cage

Chimp Cage interior

All the Think Tank Photo pouches come with a fully seam sealed rain cover, for the times when it is bucketing down!

Look out for Part 2 next week for more techniques to spread the weight…

Airline carry-on guide

We frequently get asked:

What are the maximum dimensions and weight you can take as hand baggage on airlines?

With all the current security measures now in place, each airline has its own size and weight allowance for carry-on, although usually only one bag is allowed as carry-on.

So, we have compiled a list of the current* Airline carry-on allowance for some frequently used airlines departing from the UK:

Airline Hand Baggage Allowance

*carry-on allowance at 8^th July 2010, as stated on the Airline websites