flashes

Setting up a wireless control system for off-camera flashes can be a daunting — and expensive — prospect. The fine folks at PocketWizard are aiming to simplify that with the newly announced PocketWizard PlusX, the companies most straightforward and affordable wireless control rig.

Yongnuo has built a reputation for offering solid flashes on the cheap, making them a frequent first stop for photographers who aren't quite willing to pay for a first party strobe. The company has just announced three new products, all of which are updates to existing and popular lines.

As anyone who has lugged around a bag full of gear at an event will tell you, every ounce you can save is paramount. Photographer Les Tirmenstein thinks he's come up with a lighter, easier to stow flash diffuser, and he's looking for help to fund it. Dubbed the FlashPipe, this diffuser is held in place simply by a silicone band that slips over the flash itself, and weighs next to nothing. 

The folks at Westcott have teamed up with educator/photographer Erin Manning to release the PocketBox flash kit, a set of three small flash-modifiers, carrying case, and an educational DVD to give you the lowdown on their use. Westcott is calling this "the first-ever compact flash system combined with education", and the whole kit is designed to work with a relatively modest sized hot-shoe external flash unit.

 We saw some interesting new stuff last week at PhotoPlus, but Polaroid has another new gadget vying for space in camera bags. The new PL160 and PL150 lights offer both strobe and continuous light to accommodate both photos and videos.