Travel Gear: Surprise offering from a serious camera-maker

Leica Sofort

German brand Leica wouldn't have a reputation at the "fun" end of the camera spectrum. Its lens technology might grace other's hardware, but it's a premium camera-maker, usually with serious price tags to match. Hence the arrival of the Sofort is something of a surprise, channeling the instant photography of Polaroid. The styling is smart and compact, with a 60mm lens and an optical viewfinder. There are a couple of preset modes as well as a mirror to give you a selfie option, and it shoots colour and B & W stock. All quite un-Leica-like perhaps, except the ticket.

€279, see leica.com for more.

Electron Wheel

As more electric bicycles hit our streets, it's inevitable that conversion kits for existing bikes are appearing too. Electron Wheel offers an all-in-one kit to transform your pedal bike to an electric "pedal-assist" in just 30 seconds. Oh and no tools. It comes in 26in and 28in sizes, to fit rim-brake models (disc brakes won't work unsurprisingly). It claims to deliver a top speed in Europe of 25kmh from its 250W motor, promising a range of about 40km from a full charge. A Bluetooth wireless pedal sensor helps the app manage the Electron Wheel's smart output as well as GPS tracking and the rest.

$799, see electronwheel.com

Moleskine Travel Light

In the last few years, as the marketing jargon goes, Moleskine has enthusiastically leveraged its brand equity: in other words, you’ll now find considerably more notebooks and other products bearing its name. Like this neat little travel light, for instance. Flexible, it can also work as a desk lamp, on your bike or as a personal reading light. The rechargeable LED array has five settings with a simple ball joint and clip for easy angling, and plenty of colours to choose from. Ideal for late night scribbling in your Moleskine journal.

€30 from moleskine.com

@tomtom.kelly