Industrial design student Hunter Frerich came up with a simple and cheap DIY beauty dish that’s created using fabric, foil, velcro, and glue. To make your own, simply download and print out the template and follow the step-by-step instructions.

DIY Speedlight Diffuser [Hunter Frerich]

The RoundFlash is a new ring flash adapter that’s lightweight and collapsible. Setting it up from its collapsed state is similar to setting up a tent: simply take the rods and stick them into the holes to expand the adapter.
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The Twig Pod is a new lightweight aluminum monopod for compact cameras (not DSLRs) that collapses like a tent rod into four 8-inch segments. It has a pointy base that can be planted into the ground for hands free shooting. In addition to stabilizing your camera when propped up, the head also bends, allowing you to take self-portraits from further than an arm’s length away (two similar products are the XShot and QuikPod). You can pick up a Twig Pod for $28 over on Photojojo.

Here’s a “carry around” tripod for your carry around lens and camera: The ZipShot is a “compact, ultra-light tripod” by Tamrac that has aluminum-alloy legs that resemble the collapsible poles used in tents. While it’s not very useful in windy situations, or with heavy professional gear, it might suffice for most ordinary uses and lighter cameras (supposedly it can hold up to 3lb). The biggest benefits are obviously weight (11oz) and setup time. Here’s a video showing how quickly you can set the thing up:

The ZipShot costs $50, and can be found at most camera equipment retailers online (just search for “zipshot”).