The great thing about photography is that it stretches into every aspect of our lives. In the past we've compared the camera to the human eye – right down to asking what the frame rate of the human eye is – and that kind of knowledge really helps me understand what would make a good (and bad) projector for photographers.
That's a weirdly specific example? Why would you use that? Well, because it's my first bit of fun tech!
Not, to be clear, a slide projector, but a projector to have at home and use as a monitor, video projector for family movie nights, and – from time to time – to feel like you're working on a massive monitor (or, more practically, to set up a home edit suite). You can, of course
I've reviewed this and added to our list of best projectors because it was already great at full price – the fan is quieter than my laptop (though that's not saying a lot) and the speaker is great, and my family enjoyed this:
Anker Mars 3 Air | was £599.99 | NOW £419.99
$180 OFF at Amazon This is one of my favourite projectors because it's got enough battery inside it to show a film, so you can pick it up and take it anywhere, so on a good night you can have an outdoor back-yard drive-thru with no wires. It also boasts modern Google TV software Netflix apps and all mod cons – even classy backlights on the remote!
✅ Clear, sharp native 1080P projection
❌ Not really bright enough for large indoor projection in daylight
🖼 1080P, suggested image size 150-inch
Action cameras are fun. Can't argue with it. Smashing your phone around, dropping it in water. That's all worrying. Strapping it to your bike? That's too much for me, even if I like video of me actually occasionally exercising – just to prove to my future self that I have done.
A capable action camera that can shoot in all sorts of conditions and has a phone remote app can be brilliant for alll this sort of thing, plus other stuff – and the GoPro beating DJI Osmo Action 4 as been super cheap for the whole deals session – if you live in the UK 🇬🇧
DJI Osmo Action 4 | was £379 | now £229
SAVE £150 at Amazon. Grab our most-rated action camera for a more enjoyable price with 30% off. With its video recording capabilities of up to 4K120p and its 155° FOV, this is the perfect camera for most use cases, and vloggers will love the dual touch screen.
✅ Larger image sensor than GoPro so great in low light
❌ Latest model just came out (though the image sensor is the same size)
📸 1/1.3-inch sensor, 4K, long life battery
Twinkly strings – lights you can control and draw patterns on to make your own LED billboards? Craft and control a photography studio (more my kind of use, I'm afraid, as I don't have the beautiful pool the marketing shots have). Control with an app. Brilliant.
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Twinkly Curtain | was 119.99 | now $82
SAVE £31% at Amazon There are a lot of possible uses for the designer or photographer for these app-controlled lights which dangle in a 5 x 7 arrangements of 210 lights like curtains and can be controlled – I'm loving testing them and will have more to say soon!
✅ App control and multiple patterns
❌ I wish more size options were available and in stock
Amazon 🇺🇸 $119.99 | $82
Amazon 🇬🇧 £92.99 | £75 (similar "icicle")
