Author: Emma

The Latest Lights Released at NAB 2019

The annual NAB in Las Vegas is always full of surprises from the media, entertainment and technology world, and this year’s show was certainly no exception. 

As ever, there were plenty of exciting announcements, but by far, the most note-worthy was the range of new and innovative lighting options that are set to hit the market this year.

Ranging from pocket-sized RGB LED panels, to lights you can charge via a regular light fitting and even wearable options, there’s something for every purpose and shooting condition.

Keep reading to find out more about these exciting new light releases that are guaranteed to make you smile.

1. Aputure Amaran AL-MC

The Aputure Amaran AL-MC is a pocket-sized RGB LED panel that is lightweight, durable and very easy to use thanks to the integrated Bluetooth Mesh technology.

With a CCT range of 3200-6500K, offering 36,000 different colours and providing an output of 100 lux at 0.3 metres (0.98 ft.), it’s a great tiny addition to anyone’s lighting rig.

2. Aputure 300d II

The Aputure 300d II is the newer, improved version of the 300d. Now 30% brighter, it boasts 90,000 lux at 1 metre when fitted with the fresnel 2x attachment.

With passive cooling, better cable organisation and extra mounting options. You also get 8 lighting presets, 0-100% dim and a c-stand that allows you to hang it without worrying about wires.

3. Aputure AL RC

This might look just like a traditional light bulb, but it’s actually an innovative 5W RGBW LED light which you can charge via a regular light socket.

Offering flicker-free lighting at high frame rates, 3200-650K range and 1000 lux at 0.3 metres (0.98 ft.), it’s a great little invention that will help fill in those dark areas and build your lighting kit.

Did we mention that it also offers Bluetooth Mesh control?

4. Zylight Go-Panel with Active Diffusion

The Zylight Go-Panel is a well-built and high output LED fresnel which is similar to the Zylight F8-200 but with added extras such as green and magenta control, a handy USB port for firmware updates and DMX control.

Using a layer of semi-transparent LCD, it offers fully-controllable active diffusion technology which will help you create exactly the light conditions you want.

Great easy set-up and exciting versatility means we can’t wait to see this one when it’s released for sale.

5. Luxli Viola² 5″ On-Camera RGBAW LED Light

This is another second-generation compact RGB light which uses 88 5-colour LEDs to offer up to 10000K RGB at a consistent 93 CRI.

Full dimmable and controllable through 360°, you can use use the updated controls to create exact the right colour output, CCT, color, saturation, filters, and effects for your shooting needs.

If that wasn’t enough, it offers full Bluetooth integration and you can control the until though a handy smartphone app.

6. Spiffy Gear Lumee Wearable LED

The Lumee is an innovative, bracelet-style, wearable LED light that works brilliantly when you want to add a tiny pop of light to an area.

Boasting high-quality LEDS, entirely splashproof, rechargeable via micro USB, and with a magnetic backing or eyelet feature they’re easy to use and provide some great effects.

This year’s NAB saw the release of many new lighting options to suit every requirement from the big to the small. We can’t wait to see these products on the market and see how they really perform.

Azerbaijan Baikanor Project

November 2016

(Nutopia – One Strange Rock – Series One – National Geographic)

Engineering Case Study.

The brief was to build a Canon C300 MK2 camera and external recorder into a housing to film a rocket launch, from approx. 150m away from the launch pad. The unit had to be battery powered and record for 48 Hours. The crew could only set up 24 hours prior to launch and retrieve 24 hours afterward. 

There were 2x housings constructed, 1x for the camera, lens and external recorder. The other to house the 6x Truck batteries wired in series to power the rig for the duration. The truck batteries were sourced locally. The Camera housing was a large peli case with a square hole cut to the side. The camera and lens were fixed to the bottom of the case with the lens positioned to the edge of the cut hole. An optical flat filter was fixed over the hole to protect the Lens. Ventilation holes were placed to the rear of the case to disperse heat. A power wiring loom was constructed to connect the 2x cases together. The Rig was placed on the ground along with the truck battery housing behind, both anchored down by sandbags to hold in place during the launch. 

The shoot was a success, the camera and recorder survived the blast without issue and captured amazing footage for the final project, with only damage to the optical flat filter. A unique challenge!

Canon C200

Canon C200

Show: NAB 2017, In Between Shows

The Canon C200 was another surprise from Cinegear. Perhaps not the most exciting release of all but Canon are still sticking to their guns with the C300/100 form factor which is very much a love/hate divide in the industry. It comes with an EF mount with slow motion, 4K/UHD/HD and RAW – the main thing to watch out for is the HD recording is only 8-bit rather than the industry standard 10-bit. For C300 lovers this still very much ticks all the right boxes so long as you’re looking towards online content or a RAW workflow.

Specifications

  • Super 35 Sensor
  • Canon RAW
  • MP4
  • 8-Bit
  • CFast or SD Cards depending on your workflow
  • No timecode or genlock

All reviews, summaries, and collections of information, as well as all other information are the copyrighted property of Pro Motion Hire Ltd.

Cooke S7/i Prime Lens

Show: NAB 2017

The enthusiasm for full and medium frame formats continues to be encouraged with Cooke introducing their latest spherical lenses, the S7/i range.  Boasting coverage of a 46.31mm image circle of which belongs to the RED Weapon 8K sensor.  Matching the S4 line for T-stop of T2.0 and colour matched to all other modern Cooke lenses.  The S7 line initially consists of 8 focal lengths; 18, 25, 32, 40, 50, 75, 100 and 135mm and promise to be another beautiful addition to the Cooke family.

All reviews, summaries, and collections of information, as well as all other information are the copyrighted property of Pro Motion Hire Ltd.

Angenieux New EZ Range

Angenieux

Show: IBC 2016

The EZ-1 S35 is 30-90mm T2

Angenieux have released two new zoom lenses specifically for broadcast rather than film. This new range is unlike any other as it has new “Interchangeable Rear Optics” (IRO) technology. This allows you to change the back end/elements of the lens, effectively giving you two lenses in one – S35mm or FullFrame/Vistavision. This gives you complete flexibility across most cameras and future-proofing your purchase. 

They also come with PL, Canon EF and now E Mount options. 

There are two lenses in this new style, EZ-1 and EZ-2. 

EZ-1 S35 is 30-90mm T2, then FF/VV is 45-135mm T3

EZ-2 S35 is 15-40mm T2, then FF/VV is 22-60mm T3

Both are lightweight lenses ideal for shooting on the go, weighing in at no more than 2.15kg each. They have the angenieux look and style, though perhaps slightly cheaper and not quite as rigorously crafted as the cine zooms. They will also work with a detachable END style zoom from MOVCAM. 

Features

  • S35 or FullFrame/Vistavision back options for both lenses
  • Lightweight
  • Colormetry matched with Optimo lenses
Angenieux EZ-1 FF 45-135mm T3

Angenieux EZ-1 FF 45-135mm T3

Full Frame 45-135mm T3 PL Cine Zoom

£270.00/day +VAT
Shop now

All reviews, summaries, and collections of information, as well as all other information are the copyrighted property of Pro Motion Hire Ltd.

Panasonic AU-EVA1

Panasonic AU-EVA1

Show: In Between Shows

The latest camera from Panasonic was the real surprise of Cinegear 2017, compact, versatile and designed for the new wave of broadcast television. It takes tips from the ever-popular Canon C300ef and Sony FS5 but delivers a unique Dual Native ISO previously only available with the Panasonic Varicam. Panasonic have not been heavily used in UK Digital and Broadcast filming in recent times it will be a shame if this impressive camera was overlooked.

Specifications

  • Super 35 Sensor – 5.7K
  • EF Mount
  • Removable IR Filter
  • Dual Native ISO
  • ND Filter
  • 422 10Bit
  • 4K 60p
  • 2K up to 240p
  • 1.2kg

All reviews, summaries, and collections of information, as well as all other information are the copyrighted property of Pro Motion Hire Ltd.

Angenieux 44-440 A-2s Anamorphic Lens

Show: NAB 2016

Release Date – July 2016

Estimated Price – €65,000 with an additional €10,000 for the rear spherical element

Announced at NAB 2016, this is a beautiful lens and the third in their range. Angenieux is calling this ‘the renaissance of the long range anamorphic zoom’. The Optimo has a hefty range of 44-440mm with an aperture of T4.5 across the range with a close focus of 4ft 1in and comes in at a light or heavy (depending on the way you look at it) 16.6lbs. 

While it has all the precision focus scales and minimal breathing you would expect from an Angenieux lens, this long range anamorphic has one more trick up it’s sleeve – the ability to (by a skilled engineer) change the back optical element from 44-440mm anamorphic to 25-250mm spherical T3.5! Just change the focus scales over and the lens becomes a fully functional 25-250mm, identical to the standard lens of the same length, giving you two options in one lens. 

Key Features

  • 44-440mm Range
  • T4.5 across the zoom
  • Can be converted into 25-250mm

All reviews, summaries, and collections of information, as well as all other information are the copyrighted property of Pro Motion Hire Ltd.

Cooke Anamorphic 35-140mm

Cooke Anamorphic 35-140mm

Show: NAB 2016

Released: June 2016

Price: ~£40,000

Cooke had their impressive new anamorphic zoom, the 35-140mm T3.5, on their stand at NAB. With a 4 x zoom ratio and a constant T3.1 it is an impressive range and T stop, especially when compared to the Angenieux lenses that are T4 and cover shorter focal lengths. However, the Angenieuxs, which cover 30-72mm and 56-152mm, weigh in at 2.2 and 2.4kg whilst the Cooke weighs in at just over 10kg, so you can see how covering the whole of the range really adds to the weight. That being said when did weight ever deter anyone from using the classic 24-290mm Angenieux – mainly it comes down to having the right tool for the job and Cooke are giving you one amazing option with this lens and its newly announced sister lens, the 45-405mm Anamorphic Zoom (coming soon).

One key difference between Angenieux and Cooke anamorphic lenses is Cooke have their anamorphic elements at the front of the lens, giving a much more traditional anamorphic look with more characteristic oval bokeh and flares. 

Of course the new zoom lenses have been designed to work and match seamlessly with their Anamorphic Prime lenses, giving you maximum flexibility and all the Cooke lenses have their i technology giving you lens data for focus, T stop and depth of field for every frame. 

Cooke have long been an institution in our lens history and it was great to get our hands on their latest design and we can’t wait to take one out for some test shoots.

Key Features:

  • 35-140mm 2x Anamorphic
  • T3.1
  • Front Anamorphic Elements
  • 10kg

All reviews, summaries, and collections of information, as well as all other information are the copyrighted property of Pro Motion Hire Ltd.

9.Solutions C-Pan Arm

9.Solutions C-Pan Arm

Show: IBC 2016

9. Solutions’ new C-Pan Arm is certainly one of the most innovative things we saw at IBC ’16. A unique take on the jib/tracking/dolly systems – designed to be compact and lightweight but flexible and with, you guessed it, 9 solutions for movement on set. At first we were a little confused as to what we where looking at, but a quick demo and all became clear. User friendly and portable this was a really unique system that offers you straight pan, curved pan horizontal, vertical points can be fixed and it is quick and easy to adjust. 

All reviews, summaries, and collections of information, as well as all other information are the copyrighted property of Pro Motion Hire Ltd.