It’s that time of year where you have to spend that annual bonus or your significant other asks you what the hell you want for Christmas, Kwanzaa or Festivus. Well I’ve put together a short list of things I’ve found useful this year, perhaps you will too…
In no particular order…
Vapur Water Bottle $8.95
Everyone needs to drink water but how many of us carry it around? Bottled water is the great rip off of the late 20th century but reusable water bottles tend to be bulky and annoying. Well this one is super light and gets smaller the more you drink! I got one for my birthday and have fallen in love with it. If you travel, or just walk around a lot this is a can’t miss. And it is less than ten dollars, how can you go wrong? Plus you feel like you’re saving the planet.
Rapidwinder $570
Okay, this is a bit of photo tech and even worse it is a bit of Leica related photo tech so if you A: aren’t into cameras and/or B: not into Leicas feel free to skip this entry.
If you use film (film, what’s that?) Leicas you need to get a Rapidwinder. Basically it is a trigger winder that allows you to shoot faster and if you are a left eye dominant photographer not take your eye away from the camera every time you advance the film. Best of all it is made by a very nice Canadian gent by the name of Tom Abrahamsson who guarantees his product for life. Even if you didn’t buy it from him. I found a Rapidwinder on eBay for a song and snatched it up. I sent it back to Tom and not only did he fix it for free (even machining new parts for it) he sent me another one as a spare, for free just in case something went wrong with the repaired Rapidwinder. Did I mention while he was fixing the one I sent him he sent me a loaner free of charge?
Quality and service. That is what a Rapidwinder represents. The best money you’ll ever spend for a piece of Leica related gear.
Seagate 2.5” 500gb HDD $84
Okay so here is a piece of computer tech. As modern photographers we carry around a lot of data, and create even more. The most annoying thing in the world is to carry around a heavy 3.5” drive and on top of the a heavy AC adapter. When you buy a 2.5” hard disk drive and the associated external enclosure not only do you put your data on a diet but you don’t need the AC adapter. Smart huh? I got two and left the big ol’ hard drive at home…
Kindle $259
Okay so if you know me you know I am obsessed with my Kindle. Sure, when I first saw it I thought it was ugly as sin. It grew on me and it grew up, now it is even pretty looking. But all that doesn’t matter. What matters is what it does.
If you’re reading this then, well, you read. At least a little bit, more likely a whole lot. If you read and if you travel then the Kindle, or any electronic book is for you. I read and travel a great deal for my work and not having to choose which five or six books I take with me is a big deal. On my last trip I read about ten books and there is no way I would have taken them all with me before I got a Kindle. On top of that each week I read my copy of the New Yorker, all sans paper. Now the Kindle is not perfect. In fact eReaders have a long way to go. But the freedom it gives me more than makes up for all the other faults. Not everyone feels this way and that is okay. But if you don’t own an eReader in twenty years you will be either a Luddite or dead…
Past and future. © Damaso Reyes
Mountain Hardwear Synchro Ski Jacket $240
I’ve actually had this jacket for a few years but it deserves to be on the list. This is a light, wind and water resistant softshell that is also pretty warm. It has lots of pockets and even a very good hood. Like the Rapidwinder what sets this company apart is service. Earlier this year a zipper broke on my jacket so I called the company and they told me to send it to them. And they fixed it for free because they provide a lifetime warranty on all their products. They even shipped it back express because I was leaving on a trip. Mountain Hardwear rocks!
Bare Bones Bag $95 & $125
If you hate carrying around a big, bulky camera bag then the Bare Bones Bag is for you. After switching to Leicas I was still carrying them around in one of these padded tanks that passes for a camera bag. While something like that is useful when on the airplane when you are actually shooting it is more trouble than it is worth.
More than once when I first got my BBB I actually turned around in a panic thinking “where’s my camera bag?” when all the time it was on my shoulder. Some people worry that because it is so light that it can’t possibly protect your camera. Well it does have some padding, in the bottom where it belongs. The rest of the tough nylon bag conforms to your body, eliminating much of the need for padding. After falling on my rear while trying to catch a train in Budapest I can attest that the Bare Bones Bag does a great job of protecting your camera (if not your pride). It comes in two sizes the original, which is great if you have one camera and the BBB2 which I find can nicely take two Leica M bodies, a Kindle and a notepad plus some film. The bag is water resistant and pretty tough, it also features a subtly reflective panel which adds safety when walking down those long winding roads…
