We all have our selection of favorite gear; you know, the equipment we have that we actually keep with us on a regular basis. So spring seemed like a good time to take a renewed look at the gear various members of the GD team actually use. First up — from Gear Diary’s Australian Bureau — Mitchell Oke.
My job takes me on the road a lot, so my laptop bag is never more than a few metres away, packed with all the gear that I might need when I’m out of the office.
Bag: Booq Taipan: I don’t quite remember when I got this bag, but it would be over two years ago. It has been dragged in and out of cars and tossed in dozens of aeroplane overhead bins in that time, yet it has very little wear. The wear is does have it displays with pride. The bright orange interior makes it easy to find dongles, USBs and cables no matter the mess, and its padded edges keep the contents safe. Get it.
Laptop: Apple MacBook Pro 15″ Retina: I ordered this on day one of availability, and it’s awesome. Sleek design, light weight, excellent performance, and of course that super-high-res display make it the perfect travelling edit suite. I’ve loaded up with Adobe CS6, so I can get work done anywhere. Go shopping.
Tablet: Apple iPad Mini with LTE: The tablet I’d been waiting for: a compact iPad. This release of the iPad mini was almost the perfect tablet for me. Though I dearly miss the Retina panel from my iPad 3, the iPad mini’s significantly smaller size and weight make it a much better travel companion. Teamed with a 4G LTE data plan, it also serves as a hotspot for my MacBook Pro. Go shopping on MacMall.
Samsung Galaxy S 4: I picked up the Galaxy S 4 a few weeks ago, replacing my launch-day iPhone 5. Its larger screen and USB OTG functionality means I can review vision I have shot on any of my cameras with a simple adaptor cable — no need to pull out the laptop. The tiny Galaxy 5 has a second SIM I use for another network. Get the S4.
Mouse: Logitech MX510: I bought this mouse on special almost a decade ago and it continues to impress. Accurate tracking, ergonomic design, and just enough function buttons; it’s perfect for editing in a hotel room. Get one.
USB Accessories: Lightning cable, microUSB cable, 30-pin iPod cable, cigarette lighter charger and various dongles mean I connect anything to my MacBook Pro or Galaxy S 4.
a-JAYS Four with Mic: For $99 you get a mic, iOS audio controls (though the middle button works on Android too), a flat cable and decent sound quality. I bought them because they claimed you couldn’t tangle them, and they deliver on the promise. Sound quality is good, and the mic quality is perfectly acceptable. Buy the black ones though, as the white get dirty. Get them for less than Mitchell did.
No-name Servo Sunnies: I’ve owned several pairs of nice sunglasses, but I inevitably lose or break them. Despite my best efforts, I haven’t managed to do either to these crappy $20 sunglasses.