Accessory Roundup: new cages for new cameras

Images: PGYTech, SmallRig, Chimera, Epson Another week down, another chance to check out some new accessories. This time around, we've got some massive printers, a wildly fast SD card, cages for new cameras and more. But first, as always, the deals. Deals of the week Image: Nikon The Nikon Z7 II has been included in our Best Cameras for Landscapes buying guide because it provides a lot of image quality at a very reasonable price. This week, it's even cheaper, selling for $500 under MSRP. Buy now:Buy at Amazon.comBuy at AdoramaBuy at B&H Photo Image: Nikon If you're more excited by style and shooting experience, Nikon's retro-inspired Zf is also on sale for $200 off. Buy now:Buy at Amazon.comBuy at B&H PhotoBuy at MPB More mounting options Image: Chimera Chimera, a lightning company that prides itself on building quality modifiers that it says will be "durable and long lasting," is giving users even more mounting options. Its new Chimera Pro series light modifiers are compatible with Bowens mount rings, which many users may already have, given the widespread use of the mount by several of the biggest names in lighting. There are several different modifiers in the Pro series, including a 30" lantern and four sizes of its "LightBank" softboxes. Pricing will depend on what option you're going with, but they're currently available to preorder at B&H and Chimera's website. An SD card that reaches new heights Image: Adata SD Express has been around for a few years now, but Adata says its latest card is the first to support the SD 8.0 Express specification. That means it has write speeds of up to 1200MBps and read speeds up to 1600MBps. Adata says that's 12 times faster than standard UHS-1 cards and four times faster than what UHS-II cards are capable of. It even trades blows with some relatively high-end CFExpress cards despite being the same tiny SD form factor we're all familiar with. Of course, the elephant in the room with SD Express is that there currently aren't any cameras that support the standard; they'll work in a standard SD card slot, but only at UHS-1 speeds, which sort of defeats the purpose. But if a camera manufacturer ever does decide to support the standard, it seems like there will be cards ready to go for it. Currently, there's no word on pricing or availability for Adata's SD8.0 Express card, but the company says it'll come in a 512GB capacity. Kitting out the Canon EOS R50 V... The cage lets you attach accessories like the sold-separately handle, as well as various coldshoe-compatible add-ons.Photo: SmallRig Canon's latest camera is the video-focused EOS R50 V, which seems like it's designed specifically to fit into a cage or a gimbal. It's no surprise, then, that SmallRig has already stepped in to make a cage for it, which adds a deeper grip and a plethora of mounting points. It also has a built-in Arca-Swiss quick-release plate, which could be a big upgrade since, by default, some larger tripod plates will block the EOS R50 V's battery/SD card compartment. If you don't need all the mounting points, SmallRig is also selling an L-shaped mounting plate that adds the grip and tripod plate but doesn't go all the way around the camera. Buy at SmallRig Buy at Amazon Image: SmallRig Also available from SmallRig: a furry windscreen that attaches to the camera's hotshoe and covers the microphone to cut down wind noise. Thankfully, its design includes a coldshoe mount as well, so you can still mount a microphone, monitor, light or other accessory on top of your camera. Buy at SmallRig ... and the Insta360 X5 Photo: PGYTech The EOS R50 V isn't the only camera getting a cage this week. PGYTech has designed one that locks on to Insta360's latest 360 camera, the X5. The X5 is a bit of a blank slate camera, so the cage adds some attachment points for coldshoe accessories, as well as a bit of protection in the form of silicone lens covers. Buy at Amazon Print big Image: Epson Recently, Epson announced two new large-format printers: the SureColor P7370 and the SureColor P9370. At 24" and 44" respectively, the printers are aimed more towards commercial use than home use, but they're also designed to be a bit less expensive than higher-end models. While the company's site doesn't currently have pricing info, PetaPixel reports that they're around $1000 cheaper than their higher-end counterparts. That's because they use a 10-ink system instead of a 12-ink one, though Epson says they're still capable of "accurate color reproduction and industry-leading print permanence." The two models will be available in "summer 2025." Read last week's roundup

May 3, 2025 - 15:49
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Accessory Roundup: new cages for new cameras
Accessory Roundup Cages Lights Printer
Images: PGYTech, SmallRig, Chimera, Epson

Another week down, another chance to check out some new accessories. This time around, we've got some massive printers, a wildly fast SD card, cages for new cameras and more. But first, as always, the deals.


Deals of the week

person hand holding nikon z7ii
Image: Nikon

The Nikon Z7 II has been included in our Best Cameras for Landscapes buying guide because it provides a lot of image quality at a very reasonable price. This week, it's even cheaper, selling for $500 under MSRP.

person shooting with nikon zf
Image: Nikon

If you're more excited by style and shooting experience, Nikon's retro-inspired Zf is also on sale for $200 off.

More mounting options

chimera pro series lineup bowens
Image: Chimera

Chimera, a lightning company that prides itself on building quality modifiers that it says will be "durable and long lasting," is giving users even more mounting options. Its new Chimera Pro series light modifiers are compatible with Bowens mount rings, which many users may already have, given the widespread use of the mount by several of the biggest names in lighting.

There are several different modifiers in the Pro series, including a 30" lantern and four sizes of its "LightBank" softboxes. Pricing will depend on what option you're going with, but they're currently available to preorder at B&H and Chimera's website.


An SD card that reaches new heights

adata sd ex 8 card with hummingbird
Image: Adata

SD Express has been around for a few years now, but Adata says its latest card is the first to support the SD 8.0 Express specification. That means it has write speeds of up to 1200MBps and read speeds up to 1600MBps. Adata says that's 12 times faster than standard UHS-1 cards and four times faster than what UHS-II cards are capable of. It even trades blows with some relatively high-end CFExpress cards despite being the same tiny SD form factor we're all familiar with.

Of course, the elephant in the room with SD Express is that there currently aren't any cameras that support the standard; they'll work in a standard SD card slot, but only at UHS-1 speeds, which sort of defeats the purpose. But if a camera manufacturer ever does decide to support the standard, it seems like there will be cards ready to go for it.

Currently, there's no word on pricing or availability for Adata's SD8.0 Express card, but the company says it'll come in a 512GB capacity.


Kitting out the Canon EOS R50 V...

SmallRig EOS R50 V Cage

The cage lets you attach accessories like the sold-separately handle, as well as various coldshoe-compatible add-ons.
Photo: SmallRig

Canon's latest camera is the video-focused EOS R50 V, which seems like it's designed specifically to fit into a cage or a gimbal. It's no surprise, then, that SmallRig has already stepped in to make a cage for it, which adds a deeper grip and a plethora of mounting points. It also has a built-in Arca-Swiss quick-release plate, which could be a big upgrade since, by default, some larger tripod plates will block the EOS R50 V's battery/SD card compartment. If you don't need all the mounting points, SmallRig is also selling an L-shaped mounting plate that adds the grip and tripod plate but doesn't go all the way around the camera.

Buy at SmallRig
Buy at Amazon
Smallrig EOS R50 V windscreen
Image: SmallRig

Also available from SmallRig: a furry windscreen that attaches to the camera's hotshoe and covers the microphone to cut down wind noise. Thankfully, its design includes a coldshoe mount as well, so you can still mount a microphone, monitor, light or other accessory on top of your camera.

Buy at SmallRig

... and the Insta360 X5

Pgytech Insta360 X5 cage
Photo: PGYTech

The EOS R50 V isn't the only camera getting a cage this week. PGYTech has designed one that locks on to Insta360's latest 360 camera, the X5. The X5 is a bit of a blank slate camera, so the cage adds some attachment points for coldshoe accessories, as well as a bit of protection in the form of silicone lens covers.

Buy at Amazon

Print big

SureColor printers
Image: Epson

Recently, Epson announced two new large-format printers: the SureColor P7370 and the SureColor P9370. At 24" and 44" respectively, the printers are aimed more towards commercial use than home use, but they're also designed to be a bit less expensive than higher-end models. While the company's site doesn't currently have pricing info, PetaPixel reports that they're around $1000 cheaper than their higher-end counterparts. That's because they use a 10-ink system instead of a 12-ink one, though Epson says they're still capable of "accurate color reproduction and industry-leading print permanence."

The two models will be available in "summer 2025."

Read last week's roundup