Gear of the Year: Accessories
Posted on Jun 20, 2025 by Pro Moviemaker
Gear of the Year is here – cast your vote and back the best accessories of 2025
No matter how advanced your camera or how stunning your lenses, production doesn’t run as smoothly without the right accessories. From rugged transport solutions to high-speed storage, reliable monitoring and essential software, this year’s Gear of the Year Awards celebrates the tools supporting every shoot.
For protecting and transporting precious gear, hard cases and rollers are indispensable. The Peli 1535 Air Case remains a favourite for its rugged build and airline carry-on compliance. Alternatives like the Orca OR-14 and Panaro Max520 combine strength with interior organisation. The new Tenba Cineluxe V2 Roller and Manfrotto Pro Light Cineloader are designed with filmmakers in mind, while the Think Tank Airport Roller Derby V2 brings four-wheel mobility.
Backpacks and holdalls are the best option for many. The Lowepro Pro Trekker BP 650 AW II and Droneguard BP 250 blend comfort with space, ideal for all-day location work and perfect for carrying a UAV. Peak Design’s 25L Outdoor Backpack offers weather resistance and slick modularity, while the Manfrotto Reloader Switch-55 transforms from backpack to roller with ease. Think Tank’s Darklight Backpack and Video Tripod Manager 44 are durable, high-capacity options.
Being able to see clearly and capture confidently is key, and the best monitor and/or recorder can add so much to a production, including unlocking the maximum potential from your camera. The SmallHD Cine 18 4K and Ultra 10 are standout production monitors, while Blackmagic’s Video Assist 7 12G remains an essential for on-set monitoring and recording. Portable options such as the Accsoon Seemo 4K and Neewer F700 give shooters versatile screens for any scenario.
Atomos brings new functionality to its affordable Shinobi II, as it can be used to control lots of camera functions directly from the screen.
Fast, reliable memory cards keep your footage safe and sound in the heat of the moment. This year’s shortlist features heavyweights like the Sony Tough CFexpress 1920GB, Sandisk Extreme Pro SDHC UHS-II 128GB and Angelbird AV Pro SE 1TB. Whether it’s CFexpress Type A or B, SDXC, CFast or micro SD, there’s a format for every user, from content creators to cinema DOPs.
External drives are equally vital. The Samsung T9 and T7 Shield SSDs, Sandisk Extreme Pro, OWC Thunderblade X8 and high-capacity Sandisk Desk Drive SSD 8TB provide blazing-fast, reliable backup.
Powerful software ties it together. Industry titans like Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve Studio 20 and Final Cut Pro X are joined by workflow-enhancing tools such as Frame.io, Atomos Atomosphere and Sony Ci Media Cloud, making this category more essential than ever.
Accessories might not always steal the limelight, but without them the show doesn’t go on. Vote now and help spotlight the unsung heroes of filmmaking.
Shortlist
Bags and cases
Roller/hardcase
- Lowepro Pro Trekker RLX 450 AW II
- Manfrotto Pro Light Cineloader
- Orca OR-14
- Panaro Max520
- Peli 1535 Air Case
- Shimoda DV Roller
- Tenba Cineluxe V2 Roller
- Think Tank Airport Roller Derby V2
Backpack/holdall
- Lowepro Droneguard BP 250
- Lowepro Pro Trekker BP 650 AW II
- Manfrotto Advanced Rolling Bag III
- Manfrotto Pro Light Reloader Switch-55
- Peak Design Outdoor Backpack 25L
- Tenba Air Case Attache
- Think Tank Darklight Backpack
- Think Tank Video Tripod Manager 44
Monitor and/or recorder
- Accsoon Seemo 4K HDMI
- Atomos Shinobi II
- Blackmagic Video Assist 7 12G
- Neewer F700
- SmallHD Ultra 10
- SmallHD Cine 18 4K
Memory card
- Angelbird AV Pro SE CFexpress Type B 1TB
- Delkin Devices Black CFexpress Type A 160GB
- Lexar Armor Gold SDXC UHS-II 1TB
- Lexar Diamond CFexpress Type A
- Prograde Digital CFexpress Type A Iridium 480GB
- Samsung Pro Plus 1TB micro SD
- Sandisk Extreme Pro CFast 2.0 128GB
- Sandisk Extreme Pro SDHC UHS-II 128GB
- Sandisk Pro-Cinema CFexpress Type B 320GB
- Sony Tough CFexpress Type B 1920GB
External hard drive
- Lacie 1big Dock SSD Pro 4TB
- Lacie Rugged SSD Pro 4TB
- Lexar SL500 Portable SSD
- OWC Thunderblade X8
- Samsung Portable SSD T9 4TB
- Samsung Portable SSD T7 Shield 4TB
- Sandisk Desk Drive SSD 8TB
- Sandisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD
Software
- Adobe Frame.io
- Adobe Premiere Pro CC
- Apple Final Cut Pro X
- Atomos Atomosphere
- Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve Studio 20
- Canon Camera Colour Matching App
- Sony Ci Media Cloud
This article was first published in the July/August 2025 issue of Pro Moviemaker
