Patagonia’s Plant-Based Wetsuit

The technology behind the eco-pioneering company's prolific green innovation

With a committed mission to reducing their environmental impact, Patagonia has partnered with eco-friendly biomaterial firm Yulex to create the first plant-based wetsuit material. “Performance, natural rubber has not been used in wetsuits, ever,” says Patagonia’s director of surf projects Jason McCaffrey, adding, “the manufacturing process is almost entirely green.” The natural rubber is made from organic matter derived from the little-known Guayule plant, which …

Manfrotto Befree Tripod

A lightweight, packable tripod for traveling photographers

No longer does traveling fast and light also have to mean leaving your camera gear behind. Case in point: the Befree Tripod from Manfrotto. Weighing just over three pounds and standing under 16 inches when folded, we found the portable tripod to be more than manageable on a few recent excursions. Central to the experience is the time-saving quick release switch at the base, which …

Lumu iPhone Light Meter

An essential tool for budding shutterbugs

Considering that the light meter is one of the most essential tools for photographers—film and digital alike—it’s quite a surprise there aren’t better options available for the amateur shutterbug. Lumu, launched on Kickstarter today, promises to be an extremely powerful and useful device for photographers looking for a light meter that can be used with a smartphone. Designed to interface with the iPhone, Lumu seems …