The expert guide to gadgets

From Chris Packham's camera trap to Sarah Storey's wheels: nine experts discuss the impact of technology on their lives and describe their hi-tech tools of the trade.

View the gallery of their recommendations

Sarah Storey - Cyclist

Technology in cycling has a mass of implications: wheels, frames, helmets and the power-to-weight aspect of frame and rider have to be taken into account, and each rider has a jigsaw puzzle to put together to reach their optimum. Technology is enhancing certain aspects of cycling, but it isn't replacing skill. The faster a bike goes and the more technology it has, the greater your skill base has to be to cope with that technology and speed. Computing the messages that are coming at you at high speed takes huge neurological effort, so we train overspeed using motorpacing to ensure that we can receive and process the messages that our eyes are taking in.

Sarah Storey gadgets
Photograph: Luke Albert For The Observer. Click for a larger image.

1. Boardman Air/TT 9.89
In terms of technology and dimensions, Boardman's time trial bikes are very similar to the bike I rode to win my first gold medal in Beijing. I now ride a bespoke bike engineered by the UK Sports Institute and developed by Chris Boardman and other members of the 'Secret Squirrel' club.
The technology is so secret and specific that not even the athletes are involved, but the R&D that has gone into my frame ensures the aerodynamics are the best they can be within the rules and the frame is stiff to channel the power into propelling the bike forwards., £1,699

2. Shimano Di2 electronic gears
Because I don't have a left hand, I have to do everything on the right-hand side of the handlebars, so shifting takes longer. Normally someone would change the front ring and back gears simultaneously with either hand, whereas now, with a swift movement of one hand, I can perform the same action in almost the same time. In a race with lots of twisty, up-and-down roads and hairpins it's a godsend.
Parts shown are Shimano Dura-Ace 9070 derailleurs (£269.99 and £449.99) and dual control levers (£449.99), parts shown are Shimano Dura-Ace 9070 derailleurs (£269.99 and £449.99) and dual control levers (£449.99)

3. Rolf race wheels
Wheels are a personal preference as are the tubulars you run on them and the pressure within them, which affect the balance and the handling of the bike. We chose Rolf because they're very light and they use their own hub-and-spoke setup for the front, with no flexing in the wheel, no energy lost and no unnecessary vibration in the spokes.
2pure, 0844 811 2001. Wheels pictured are Rolf Ares 8, POA

4. SRM PowerMeter
This is one of the most helpful pieces of technology for a cyclist: without it I'd be training and racing blind. There are strain-gauges inside the crank, which measure the power you're producing, and it also measures the cadence and records speed, altitude and temperature. It means you can analyse every ride down to each pedal-stroke to work out how efficient you're being and how much more power you'll need to go quicker up climbs. And it all feeds back to you instantly, the box on your handlebars tells you what you're doing at that moment, so you can compute that constantly in your own mind. It's really the brains of the bike, and the challenge is how you can utilise the information to ride most effectively., POA

5. REN skincare
Skin can be highly stressed by environment, and mine suffered for years firstly from chlorine when I was a swimmer and now the elements outdoors. These products contain no parabens and no sulphates., from £15

6. CNP nutritional supplements
Due to the number of calories an athlete burns, it would be impossible to take on sufficient nutrition from ordinary food and still have time to do any training. The nutrition in these supplements is condensed and very high quality. The research for the supplements was done in conjunction with British cycling., sample gels from £1.30

Rankin - Photographer

In photography, the jump from film to digital changed everything – not only the look of the image but the way you work and the way you share the result. Personally, I have found it incredibly liberating; digital photography is more collaborative and allows everyone to get involved on set. Models, stylists and make-up artists all get to see their work on camera while we're shooting and be part of the process, and I can edit what I'm shooting while I'm shooting, which helps me to work more efficiently. Digital post-production enables me to achieve effects in seconds that would take ages to achieve manually. The downside is you have a load of untalented people who now think they can take photos.

There is a clear distinction between being an Instagrammer and being a photographer. I use Instagram everyday and think it's fun to play around with filters, but when I'm shooting on set I like to keep an image as real as possible – capturing as much as I can within the frame and minimalising post-production. I don't think post-processing is something to be viewed negatively, but I think people should feel comfortable enough to go filter-free as well.

The use of different filters is all part of the trend itself – the vintage look links to people's nostalgia for film. I still like film; I always will, as I worked in it for so many years, and although I have fully embraced digital, I understand and remember the excitement of the big reveal when you develop photographs. Photography students should learn on both digital and film. Each can teach them so much.

rankin gadgets

1. H20 Audio Surge 2G Waterproof Sport Headphones
This isn't really a photography gadget, it's for listening to books and music when I swim. I've loved swimming since childhood and this just enhances the experience., £34.99

2. Nokia 808 PureView
This is the best cameraphone on the market. I embrace mobile photography – if it gets people taking snaps then I'm all for it., £359.99, handset only; newer Lumia 1020 model, from £599.99, handset only

3. GoPro Hero 3+ and remote control
The GoPro camera is great to use outside attached to something moving. It gives this incredible wide-angled view of the world, but is so small that you can put it nearly anywhere. So far I've just messed around with it – but I'll find something to do with it eventually., £353.99 for both

4. Leica S-System
This is now my preferred camera: it's easier to use, the lenses are the best in the world and the file sizes and detail are closer to a medium format than a 35mm. They're just the best for what they are., body £16,000, lenses from £3,410

5. Lensbaby Spark

The Lensbaby is something to have fun with. It's like using a more convenient and simpler tilt and shift, which makes areas of the plane go out of focus. It's fairly difficult to master and is very unpredictable, but some of the results you can get are astonishing., £72

A major retrospective monograph of Rankin's portraits, MORE, will be published on Friday by teNeues.

Leo Houlding - Mountaineer

Satellite communications have changed everything. People used to find their way with a sextant and a watch, but now with a GPS and half a day's training, you can navigate across the Antarctic. Ultimately it's much safer and more convenient, but at the same time it makes expeditions less adventurous. I spoke to my wife from the summit of Everest when she was on a beach in an obscure part of Indonesia. That was amazing, but the negative side comes when I can no longer tell my loved ones "no news is good news".

Does GPS mean the world is completely discovered? You're not going to find the highest mountain in the world or another North Pole. The north-east face of Ulvetanna in Antarctica, however, where we went this year and where I used all the technology I've listed below, was unclimbed. There's a whole world of more subtle challenges to discover and modern technology opens those doors.

leo houlding gadgets

1. Thrane & Thrane Explorer 500 for BGAN
This is a high-speed satellite data transfer system. It's the best remote location solution for high-speed internet., £2,250

2. Kestrel 4000 Anemometer
It's intriguing to know how cold it really is. The most fascinating fact that we found on Ulvetanna was the maximum temperature: 36C. The solar radiation in Antarctica is intense, and it never gets dark, so the air inside the tent gets really heated. The coldest reading was -35C on the summit., from £306

3. Garmin 62st GPS
This is useful when you're covering great distances and it also gives an accurate altitude reading. I used it in the Arctic to know how far we'd gone each day, which was critical for supplies., £329.99

4. Iridium 9555 satellite phone
This is the only truly global communications device; it uses the same satellite network as the US military. It's an invaluable tool for emergencies and for weather forecasts., from £699

5. Goal Zero Nomad 13 solar panel with Sherpa 50 power pack
Photovoltaic cells are so much lighter and more efficient than they used to be and this panel is tailored towards adventure expeditions., Nomad 13 £135, Sherpa 50 £170

The Last Great Climb, a film documenting Houlding's ascent of Ulvetanna, is touring throughout November

Mark Champkins - Inventor and children's tech specialist

If you look at education in the Victorian sense, as a system for readying people for work, you can see why schools are increasingly teaching people how to use the web and create software. They're preparing kids for working in the electronic sphere, where once it was in manufacturing. Tablets are used in class that link up safely with the web and parents are able to log in to virtual learning environments. Technology now is so accessible, so intuitive, that kids are likely to flourish with it and enjoy using it.

Outside school, games and toys are increasingly engaging, but in some ways there's less imagination required, which is why I've picked out more craft and making-oriented toys.

mark champkins gadgets

1. Jawbone Mini Jambox Speaker
At the Science Museum, where I am inventor in residence, we were trying to find the best way to bring music into kids' bedrooms and these neat, Bluetooth-enabled speakers are a good alternative to an iPod dock or sound system. Yves Béhar did the design and I'm a big fan of his., £149.99

2. NeuroSky MindWave brain control kit
It's clear that if you're more focused your brain is in a different state, so the idea is that the MindWave picks up on that. There's a theory called "flow", which refers to a state of being involved in a task with the right levels of difficulty and absorption so that you become unaware of time passsing. This technology claims to help you reach that state by detecting alpha waves and pulse. My company, Concentrate, is all about helping kids focus in schools. We've learned that it's harder than ever for them to focus on a single task and this could help., £75.25

3. Bare Conductive electric paint
These electric paint kits are great - really educational and innovative. I always remember electronics being impenetrable and confusing, but being able to draw the circuit with the conductive paint makes it playful and a great deal more engaging. They do a really nice Christmas card set which you paint to make it light up. Electric paint pen, £6; flashing Christmas card set, £25

4. Makerbot Replicator 2 3D Printer
I believe every school should have a desktop 3D printer like this – it's a fantastic tool for extending the imagination and learning about the value of materials and innovation. To have kids engaged in the manufacturing process changes so much about the way that they value their surroundings and I'm keen on that idea.

The more people who understand about where something's come from, the better. There are cheaper printers than this, but this is the one I know is good. Anybody from 11 upwards would find it useful – it's not hard to use and it's staggering how accurate it is. There's something deeply satisfying in taking something from your imagination and making a physical object from it., £1,995

5. Lightspeed iHelicopter with onboard camera
I don't have one of these but I'd like one. The idea of being able to patrol around and see things from the pilot's perspective is very cool. You could even spy on people, as long as it's quiet enough., £39.99

6. Boogie Board Jot 4.5 LCD eWriter
This modern take on the Etch A Sketch uses advanced electronic paper tech. It's a bit like an e-writer, as opposed to an e-reader, and this whole area of low-power technology – like the e-ink in Kindle screens – seems to me to be a very smart thing. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is something magical about it; it has an authentic tactility to it, so it feels more like paper than any other display. It's just another way for kids to express themselves., £19.99

Chris Packham - Naturalist

Thanks to technology, we live in one of the most exciting of times to be a naturalist. We have the tiniest devices which are able to track and record the heartbeat, altitude, temperature and location of animals, and as such we're learning far more, far more rapidly, about the ecology and behaviour of wildlife.

chris packham gadgets

1. LED Lenser X7R
This is my baby. It's rechargeable and phenomenally bright. Mostly at night you don't want to use a torch because it'll scare things off, so I don't use it much in the UK except for lighting things when I'm taking photos. If you're on safari or something, it's as bright as the huge hand-lamps that rangers use., £129.99

2. Powerful Laser Pointer
I use a pointer if I want to attract an animal's attention, but they are also great for pointing things out to people. If you're guiding, you can shine it near the bird or the animal and people find it much easier to see what you're talking about. They're an absolute bonus.
(Note: Lasers with a higher power rating than 1mW are regulated by law.), from £16

3. Spypoint BF-10 camera
These use black LEDs, which are useful not only because the animals won't look at them, but because other naturalists can't spot them in the dark either. There's a rechargeable battery and a nice big screen, and you don't have to be out in the country – you can get great pictures of urban foxes, squirrels and hedgehogs., £235

4. Nikon EDG 10x42 Binoculars
Binoculars have got lighter and brighter. If you buy an expensive pair there's no reason why they shouldn't last you a lifetime; they're waterproof, don't steam up and you don't come home with an aching neck. I've had mine for five years, I wear them every day, and in terms of optics they're as good as when they came out of the box. If you think you've got a lifelong interest, save up and buy a decent pair: they're a fundamental tool of the trade., £1,499

5. Bivi Tunnel Tent
You want to put a hide together as quickly as possible and very often you want to move it from one place to another without disturbing the animals. This one has the advantage of being very portable., £180.90 or £269.89 with scrim cover

Julia Kendell - DIY expert

DIY stores can be overwhelming, and a few years ago there was almost nothing designed for women because they weren't expected to DIY, but I think the industry is starting to catch up. I need to know that I can do the job effectively and well, so it's preferable to have something manageable in terms of size and weight. Technology has come on a lot in that area and tools are much lighter now. When it comes to new tools technology has advanced a lot as well, but there many gadgets that come and go. They purport to make life much easier, but they are often gimmicks.

julia kendell gadgets

1. Eco-Ezee Paint Trays and Brushes
On the programmes I do, you find there's a lot of waste. People don't like to wash things out and they end up in the skip at the end of the job, which I find pretty upsetting. These paint trays hardly need any cleaning out and they're biodegradable so if you can't be bothered to wash them at least they aren't made of plastic. trays £1.50, brushes from £3.95

2. Frogtape
Masking tape inevitably rips the paint off, or it folds up, or the paint seeps underneath it. Frogtape is a miracle – I always have it in my toolbox now: it gives you a very distinct and clear line very easily., £6.79

3. Durofix 10.8v Li-Ion Drill/Driver
This is the most important tool I own. It's very lightweight but it's powerful. It's got great battery life and it charges quickly., £107.99

4. Leica Disto D510 laser measure
It can log all the measurements for a room in a few seconds and this new model is even more fabulous because it links up with an app via Bluetooth, where you can add the measurements to photographs and remember exactly which measurement refers to what. It can even connect to a CAD system and draw out the room for you., £478.80

5. Stanley Cordless Gluegun
The strength of the glue can deal with all kinds of things you wouldn't think could be glued and because it's cordless it can get into difficult places. It's very precise and comparatively cheap to use – contact adhesives are expensive these days and they often have quite a short shelf-life, whereas the glue rods for these are really cheap., £15.99

Jason Atheton - Chef

Young chefs often get trapped in the hamster-wheel of staying cool, but I'm not a young chef any more and I'm not looking to be trendy and cutting-edge, I only have my customers' interests at heart. For instance, we have a lamb shoulder at Berner's Tavern that's cooked for a day-and-a-half in a water bath, but the only reason I do that is that it makes my service quicker and means the lamb is absolutely perfect condition, like butter, when the guests touch it. I couldn't give a monkeys if the guest knows I've cooked it in a water bath – that is no more than a piece of machinery which makes my food better.

I used to work with Ferran Adrià, one chef who thinks very clearly about technology. When you stand by that guy's side and watch him work, you see how amazing that mindset can be. But I don't think like that. I just use modern techniques as a means to an end. If I agree to use a Gastrovac, it has to make my soup taste better. If it doesn't, what's the point in spending ten grand? If something new comes out we'll maybe rent it and try it, but there's a lot of crap out there. I'd say about one in 20 new developments that come to market are really any good to us.

jason atherton gadgets

1. MAC knives
These are really durable, consistent blades to work with, I highly recommend them. The thing is that they are multi-purpose. You see chefs coming into the kitchen with a roll of 15 knives and each one can only do a single thing. I live with three knives, that's it. And a wife and two kids., knives shown are the Pro Chef Knife 10.75ins, £225.28; the Pro Chef Knife 8ins, £128.44 and the Pro Santoku Knife 6.5ins, £75.73

2. Polyscience Smoking Gun
This is just a little bit of fun; we don't claim to have invented it, but use it to create a bit of theatre in the restaurant. At Pollen Street Social we hay-smoke the salmon in a little wooden box at the table. They're pretty straightforward; if you're doing a dinner party you can have a bit of fun with it., £59.99

3. Sous Vide Creative circulator
Waterbath cookery has changed my cooking completely. My holy grail is consistency – that's the biggest key in my life – and waterbath cookery is the only kitchen technology that's completely disciplined. Nothing can go wrong; you'd have to be an absolute clown to mess up cooking a piece of meat in a water bath.

Some chefs hate them and say they take the skill out of the kitchen, and I get that. But at the same time, I just like discipline. I can train a chef to cook a lamb shank in there for six hours and when the alarm goes off it'll be absolutely perfect. Why would I not want to use that?, £353.99

4. Scale, £29.99
It's really important to have a very accurate scale. When you're using pastry, the big ones are no good.
Scale shown is the Salter Air,, £29.99

5. Teppanyaki Grill
I always thought that these were just used by cheesy Asian places in Piccadilly Circus and no chef worth his salt would think of using one, until I went to live in Spain and realised that every restaurant has what they call a plancha for meat. They're non-stick, very thin, sear fish beautifully and allow one guy to cook many things at the same time.
Grill pictured is an Andrew James Teppanyaki Grill, available from from £26.99

Amma Asante - Filmmaker

In many ways I think of film as a progressive, technical medium that's constantly evolving, but in other ways I think of it as a very classic form of storytelling which still resonates. I see the process, also, as a combination of technology and creativity. It's a messy business. They say a film goes through nine deaths as you watch it change from your original vision to the eventual product, and that's traumatic in a way, but technology is so definite and that's comforting.

A writer spends a lot of time alone with very little technology, working with the chaotic unknown quantity of creativity, but then when the film's written the cold aspect of technology arrives to facilitate the project from then on. You can either use that to reinforce your vision, or you can get carried away with it and ruin it. It's about the people whose hands the technology is in, and I have to put my faith in those people.

Amma Asante gadgets

Sony F65 camera

Belle was the first feature film in the UK to be shot on an f65, so it's a very new camera. Deciding not to shoot on film was an unusual choice for a period drama because they lend themselves to the aesthetic of film. I had been quite a purist: I shot my first feature on film, but I didn't want to get left behind.

Previously what I hadn't liked about digital was the harsh way it treated light. It didn't seem to have that mysterious quality film gives you, that soft gentleness that you really need for a costume drama, especially one that's inspired by a painting, as Belle is. But when I watch footage from the F65 I can't tell it's not film, and when it came to grading we were able to do more colouring treatments, which made it look even more like film. The resolution is amazing, so you can have that sharpness if you want it, but you can also have that same milky quality film has. I feel now that there's nothing digital can't do.

The best thing is what it does with contrast. I wanted to shoot Belle widescreen, because I thought it was very much about all the individual relationships my protagonist has with the people around her. Consequently, there are a lot of two-shots in the film and widescreen lends itself to that. But with her being the only black lead character in the film, she was obviously going to be shot alongside white people, and we needed to know that the F65 would give a true representation of the tone, the colouring and the beauty of my lead character's skin without compromising that of the white characters. I was an actress 20 years ago and back then black characters were usually servants or slaves and no one saw the need to light us properly or do anything but make us look a bit grey and dusty in the background. I'm quite proud of myself for taking the technological route. I hope people won't even think about what it was shot on, but those who are in the know I think might be impressed with the way it looks. Having used an F65 I don't know if I'll ever have to use film again. It's a beautiful piece of equipment., £50,400; or to hire from, £800/day +VAT

Belle, the story of a mixed-race woman adopted by an aristocratic 18th-century family, will be released next spring.

Mark Thompson - Astronomer

Astronomy has a geeky, fringe reputation, but the good thing is that's changing, and I think social media and technology have helped to make science more accessible and acceptable to people. I know loads of people who have got into astronomy just by virtue of dowloading apps to guide them round the sky, so the era of smartphones and tablet PCs is bringing people to the subject and making astronomy easier for them. That's one of the fabulous things about the subject; it's probably the only science that the average person in the street can do; anyone can do it at whatever level and it's important that people can access things to help them with it.

People simply don't look at things any more. My dad came to an observation with me in Norfolk, looked at the sky and said he hadn't seen a sky like that since the blackouts. Of course he's been into the countryside since the second world war, but had not looked up since. People need to take the time to look up and anything that encourages that has to be a wonderful thing.

mark thompson gadgets

1. Sega Toys Homestar Planetarium
I've seen a few of these and think this is quite a good one. You turn it on and it projects pinpoint star images on to your ceiling to represent the entire night sky – you can find Ursa Major, the Pole Star, Orion. It's a brilliant way to inspire children to look at the night sky. Astronomy is a nighttime hobby and if that means kids can't see the night sky let's bring the night sky to them. They can absorb so much and if you show them that much information at bedtime they will retain it.

Kids – boys and girls – have a passion for space. They might lose it in the teenage years because it's more about alcohol and other things, but there's comfort in knowing that the sky is always going to be there, no matter what age you are. I'm not going to ram it down their throats, but if my children show an interest in astronomy of course I'll be stoked., £99

2. Sky Watcher Heritage 114P Telescope with Synscan AZ GoTo system
A perfect telescope for beginners. The GoTo functionality allows you to say "OK, I want to look at the moon", push a few buttons and it finds it for you. You can put it on a table outside and within minutes you can be looking at the rings around Saturn or the moons of Jupiter.

Some people complain that it's de-skilling astronomy a bit, but it depends on what you're looking for. You can spend all your time looking for stuff or you can spend all your time looking at stuff. For me, the latter wins every time. The gadgets are there: let's use them. telescope, £199, SynScan AZ GoTo handset and cable, £170

3. Vixen Polarie Star Tracker
You bolt this on to the top of a tripod, stick a DSLR on it and it allows you to follow the motion of the stars. You can let it run for 20 minutes or two hours with an open shutter and won't end up with streaks instead of stars. I've got a bit of a thing for gadgets generally, but the world of taking photographs through telescopes, and all the wonderful things that I use to get images of the sky – that does it for me., £399

4. Orion SteadyPix
I think this is fabulous, a simple little gadget which allows you to take pictures through a telescope with the iPhone. You don't need to buy an expensive camera or an expensive telescope to get shots of the moon and stars. When smartphone cameras manage to reduce the digital noise build-up in long-exposures, astronomers will use them more and more., £59

This article was amended on 12 November 2013 to clarify the satellite network used by the Iridium 9555 satellite phone.
