The news is a bit light this week with B&H’s upcoming holiday and NAB just over the horizon, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun right now. Sony is previewing one of its releases with a teaser image and announcement date. Meanwhile, Cooke has added a few new focal lengths to its S8/i FF lens series and Zhiyun launched a pair of ultra-compact and surprisingly bright LED lights.
Sony wants you to “vlog to your full potential”
Unfortunately, details are scarce on what Sony plans to reveal next week. Our only hint so far is a silhouette of what is presumably a new camera designed for vlogging.
Stay tuned for the full announcement on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, at 10:00 A.M. EDT. If you want to be notified when more information is available, you can sign up here.
Cooke brings four new focal lengths to the S8/i FF lens series
Cooke is one of the most well-known brands in high-end cinema optics. In fact, the “Cooke look” is a real phenomenon, and many cinematographers dream of having it add visual impact to their productions. The S8/i FF series is the brand’s flagship set of primes that features an all-spherical design and outstanding optics. An organic, cinematic look with smooth bokeh and minimal fringing is what brings moving pictures to life.
Although the S8/i FF series has been around for a while, there were some gaps in the lineup. Cooke is addressing that today with the release of 18mm, 27mm, 35mm, and 65mm lenses.
Featuring T1.4 apertures, 0.8 MOD gearing, and Cooke’s /i technology, these lenses are a perfect match for the rest of the series. Their capacity for electronic communication is of note since the dramatic increase of digital effects in modern filmmaking makes this additional data extremely valuable.
It’s Cooke—the new S8/i FF lenses will be spectacular.
Zhiyun unleashes the tiny and bright MOLUS G60 and X100 LED lights
The first thing we thought when we saw Zhiyun’s new MOLUS LED lights was, “how adorable.” That’s not a slight; the amount of power the brand managed to pack into such tiny lights is impressive. The MOLUS G60 and MOLUS X100 LEDs seem to punch above their weight class. Considering the relatively affordable prices Zhiyun always seems to offer, they are compelling options whether you are just starting out or looking to add a small light to an already comprehensive kit.
If you check out the hands-on video review above, you’ll get our team’s full thoughts on the lights, as well as some clips with them in action. We were very happy.
For the basics, the G60 is a 60W cube that is most similar to popular moonlight-style fixtures, while the X100 is a more powerful 100W option that reminds me of on-camera light panels. These are interesting designs for bi-color COB lights. Zhiyun also equipped them with quick-release mounts for modifiers and accessories.
There are combo kit versions available that include reflectors and diffusion options for the lights. One available accessory allows you to mount the lights to a standard Bowens S-mount modifier.
It’s hard to deny the usefulness of compact, powerful lighting no matter where you are, and that might be one of the best aspects of these lights—they can be powered by USB sources (or even a dedicated battery in the case of the X100) for extreme portability. Feel free to check out the product pages and above video for more detailed information.
In other news…
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B&H’s Gabriel Richards got to jam out with the EXPRESSIVE E Osmose synthesizer, and it sounds great.
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World Backup Day is coming up on March 31, and we have some content on the way.
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Getting into landscape photography? Here are 10 mistakes you should avoid.
See you next week!
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