Neewer is a brand that has slipped into people’s consciousness over the last few years providing very cost-effective photography gear. Neewer photography accessories dropped onto my own radar when I was looking for a softbox and lighting umbrella.
The usual course of action follows – wade through the listings then find the best deal. Then you start to realize a company called Neewer is offering loads of photography accessories for far less money than the competition.
Budget camera gear has been around since day one, but not necessarily with the accompanying quality. But Neewer can offer both relative to the price and after trying a few of their products, the quality is surprisingly high for the price point.
The company also seems to be diverging into many different types of products. Some of these are not even photography related, such as a Neewer condenser mic I bought as a cheap kit which is surprisingly good quality. Many people in the audio world could spend more than this on a cable alone.
With any cost-effective products, savings have to come from somewhere. Which means we will focus on those products which can take a good deal of use, while still being very favorable to the pocket.
1. Neewer 43″/110 cm 5-in-1 Collapsible Multi-Disc Light Reflector (Overall Winner)
You can’t beat the overall usefulness of a light reflector, not just for bouncing light onto a subject, but also as a backdrop for headshot, macro photography or even as a light diffuser. The Neewer 43″/110 cm 5-in-1 Collapsible Multi-Disc Light Reflector is 43inches/110cm wide with surfaces that include gold, black, translucent, white, and silver.
Like most light reflectors, this Neewer version folds down and fits into an included 15 inch/35cm bag. And just like all light reflectors, folding the thing up takes a few practice attempts, but once you’ve got the knack, it’s literally a two-second process to pack away.
Considering that the current price, there’s literally no complaints about this product. As it has five different surfaces, it covers everything you could need on a photoshoot. The translucent side also makes for a very good, impromptu speed light diffuser for off-camera lighting.
I bought this product some time ago and its had plenty of use and just keep going. The only real negative point is that the zip on the bag isn’t the strongest, but even with a nonworking zip, it still holds the reflector in securely.
2. Neewer Photo Studio Shooting Tent Light Cube Kit
This product may seem like just a small little white box, but it’s a box with a purpose. Essentially, this is a 24×24 inch light tent or lightbox, which folds down into a nice little package and comes with four colored backdrops.
Each side of the light tent is translucent for defusing any type of light source. Plus, the front can be fully detached or kept in place with an opening for a camera lens.
The light tent is reasonably large and is a quick and easy way to produce shadow-free product images. You will have to supply your own light sources, but in every other respect, this is a very cost-effective solution. The only negative point is the backdrops can easily crease, so for long term use it’s advisable to buy a bunch of colored papers.
3. Neewer TT560 Flash Speedlite
The asking price of the Neewer TT560 Flash Speedlite is something you will have to double take a few times before it sinks in. It even comes with its own little hotshoe stand and carrying bag.
This particular unit works with the majority of popular cameras and has many of the features you would find on a high-quality flashgun. These include a guide number of 38 (ISO 100), flash durations ranging from 1/300s~1/20000s, light output adjustable in eighth stop increments, a test button, and a simple readout display.
The flash head itself can fully rotate and be used as part of a group set up. There’s even a built-in bounce card and light diffuser for good measure. All this sounds too good to be true, which then leads us onto the caveats.
This speedlight is well put together, but nowhere near as good quality as a same-brand version. There’s no TTL support, with only manual output. The features are very simplistic, but if you only need basic light output or an extra flash as part of a group set up, the Neewer TT560 provides ridiculously good value.
4. Neewer Extra-Long Waterproof Camera Rain Coat
Photographers who spend most of their time outdoors will eventually need some sort of rain protection for their camera and lens. Many top-end cameras and lenses are weather-sealed, but still require protection forthe front of the lens. This is where the Neewer Rain Cover comes into play.
This rain cover is essentially shaped like a huge raincoat, attaching to the lens with a drawstring and snugly fitting around the camera body, with enough length to also cover a tripod. Also, a handy opening with a built-in door allows viewing of the camera’s rear screen.
The rain cover does exactly what it says, providing great weatherproofing for your camera gear and with enough material to keep your head dry when needed.
5. Neewer DSLR Camera Shutter Release (Budget Winner)
The Neewer shutter release is remarkably good quality for its current asking price. Along with being a simple way to trigger the shutter remotely, the remote also has a self-timer, long exposure setting, interval timer, and a nice little LCD screen which can also light up.
The timer can be set from 99 hrs, 59 mins, 59 seconds, with a half press of the button locking in autofocus and a full press triggering the shutter. It’s also possible to dial in timelapse images, further expanding the usefulness. This particular version is setup to be used with most Nikon cameras, with others being available for other camera makes.
The plus point of this unit is it’s cost compared to the same-brand versions. Same-brand versions are far more expensive, but also built to a higher standard. If you can’t justify the cost of the ‘real’ versions, the Neewer is a wonderful second option.
Scoring the Best Neewer Photography Accessories
The Neewer photography accessories above should provide you a taste of a few excellent value products currently available from Neewer. The company also provides very cost-effective video lighting and is even venturing into higher-end products such as carbon fiber tripods, which also double up as a very useful monopod.
Therefore, if you need a generic camera accessory and cannot justify the costs of a same-as-camera-make version, Neewer will probably have an option somewhere in their line-up.
