gadgets...what do you have?

[hollis]

photo gadgets...which ones do you have and
are they just for fun or do you actually use them?

For some reason (which totally escapes me right now)
I HAD to have a reversing ring so I can use my 18-55mm as a cheap macro lens.
Comes in handy to see if your $20 bill is legit
This one passes :thumbsup:

[WsW-WYATT-EARP]

I have a reversing ring too - they are fun for extreme closeups in a controlled setting


Another thing that is fun is the ND filters for that nice silky water look or for using a wider aperture in that bright sun.

[mjs1973]

I too had to have a reversing ring, but I haven't played with it much yet. Another MUST HAVE item I purchased recently was a wireless flash trigger. I didn't go with the Pocket Wizards because of the price. I opted for the cheap Hong Kong version for about $35 with shipping. I haven't had much time to play with that yet either, but I'm hoping to soon. Another gadget I picked up a while back was a tablet for my PC. Again, I went with a cheap version for about 1/10 of the cost of the Wacom tablet of the same size.

[WsW-WYATT-EARP]

Ahh yes the wireless ebay triggers - I too have a set. Fun to play with and if you have a light meter they are easy to work with.

How do you like your tablet ? which did you get ?

[Old Timer]

Don't know if you would call Gary Fong dome for my flash a gadget or not but at a discounted $35 it was a steal. I love it and it's a lot easier and rigging up the the old tupperware bowl.

[mjs1973]

I like the tablet a lot. I got the Digi Pro 8x6 USB tablet with cordless pen. I figured I would get a cheap one to see if I actually liked it before dropping a ton of money on a Wacom. I paid $37.99 for mine including shipping, the same size Wacom sells for $329! I still use a mouse for most of my navigating, but when it comes time to work on photos, I switch to the pen. I get much better control with the pen than I do the mouse for masking photos. At

[another view]

Bubble level for the hotshoe. I use this all the time for tripod shots and it really helps in low light. It's not perfect, but if I need to straighten it's only a very small amount. The less I need to straighten, the less I lose at the edges.

[mjs1973]

I'll second the hotshoe level! I love mine, and wish I had one for each bag because whenI switch bags, I always forget to grab my level.

[drg]

Bubble levels are a definite requirement and cost about a dollar each, so they are a 'gadget'. I've gots lots of stuff that seemed cool but wasn't including all kinds of lens cleaners and dusting items. Not harmful, but do not really work well. Including battery powered blowers. They just move dust around.

A rocket blower (neoprene bulb with one way valve, filter optional) is a must.

One item I have in every bag is a piece or two of non-slip tool material. Or you can use tool drawer liner material. It works great as a lens wrap, camera pad cushion, dries almost instantly it wet, lets you set your camera or lens safely on a less the perfect level surface with more confidence, like the hood of a vehicle or the roof!

The non-slip material also has been a saver when I've had a filter or teleconverter jam. It gives me a little extra grip to break them loose with out damage. Or have you ever had filters freeze/stick due to rapid temperature change? I have and the material is a great extra grabber.

It has many uses and take up almost no room and provides extra padding.

Cheap and readily available, no moving parts, but a gadget!