News roundup: DJI, Hobolite, ARRI, Rosco, Pergear, and Freewell

This week we cover news from DJI, Hobolite, ARRI, Rosco, Pergear and Freewell.

DJI and Hasselblad open Concept Store in UK

DJI and Hasselblad have opened their first dedicated DJI Hasselblad Concept Store in Birmingham, UK. On display and for sale are the latest releases in the hobbyist and professional product portfolio including the recently-launched dual-camera DJI Air 3 and Osmo Action 4. Also the entry-level but high-quality Mini 3 Pro drone; the world’s first three-optical-camera drone Mavic 3 Pro and gimbals such as the R 3 series and DJI Pocket 2. Hasselblad’s creative video and photography equipment includes the X2D 100C, 907X 50C, X1D II 50C, XCD Lenses, and key accessories.

The new 230 square-meter store can be found at 2-6 Corporation Street, Birmingham, B2 4RN - Go and see for yourself!

The new Vintage Hobolite Micro LED light

A fairly new player in the lighting market, Hobolite has a unique vintage-looking exterior style when it comes to LED lights and has just released the compact and lightweight Hobolite Micro.

The Hobolite Micro measures 5,08 × 6,85 × 7,62cm and weighs only 235g. The external housing is made mainly of aluminum with both sides covered with brown faux leather. The light is IP20-rated, which means it is resistant to dust or objects over 12mm in size, but not water. With 8W output and a bi-color LED chip, it can go from 2.700K to 6.500K. 

The Micro LED light is powered via a removable Lithium-ion battery that runs the light at full power for 50min and 1.6 hours at 50%. It also comes with two rechargeable batteries and a charging dock. You can adjust the lighting intensity at the back of the fixture. The bottom of the Hobolite Micro features a built-in V-Mount style quick-release plate with a 1/4 “-20 mounting point in the middle of the quick-release plate.

The Hobolite Micro comes in two packages: Standard kit $159 or Creator kit $269.

ARRI drops Software Update Package 2.0 for cforce mini and cforce plus lens motors

ARRI’s most recent SUP 2.0 dramatically improves the time it takes for cforce motors to respond to user inputs, making the lens motors twice as responsive. The small and lightweight cforce mini motor, first introduced in 2014, has been considered the default motor for most productions, except for when exceptional torque or speed is required. Now, a cforce mini motor invigorated by the new SUP 2.0 firmware is able to cover even more use cases with ease.

The Software Update Package 2.0 also offers a new Encoder Mode for the cforce mini motor. This mode permits the lens axis held by a lens motor to be rotated manually while still allowing data from custom lens files to be recorded and displayed. Encoder Mode enables a cinematographer to adjust the iris value directly on any lens without removing the motor. 

ARRI cforce mini motor

Encoder Mode can also simplify virtual production workflows by offering an integrated solution for lens tracking. Focus pullers and virtual production technicians can utilize one set of cforce motors as both lens motors and encoders simultaneously, instead of needing to run parallel systems. The number of cables tethering cameras to virtual production hardware is also minimized, since the Encoder Mode allows lens data to be streamed directly from cameras.

SUP 2.0 for cforce mini and cforce plus is available now as a free download here.

The Rosco DMG DASH OCTA KIT

Rosco has announced its new DMG DASHTM Octa Kit, a set of pocket LED lights for filmmakers and rental houses. The DMG DASH Octa Kit includes eight DMG DASH CRMX fixtures and eight sets of accessories inside a durable charging case.

The Octa Kit features wireless DMX via LumenRadio to provide CRMX and W-DMX control with RDM capability. The DMG DASH fixtures can also be controlled via their onboard controls or wirelessly via Bluetooth using Rosco’s free myMIX mobile app (available for both iOS and Android devices). The Octa Kit includes eight full sets of beam-shaping accessories, including Flat Diffusers, Dome Diffusers, and Eggcrates. There are eight light stand mounts and eight magnet mounts inside the kit to deploy the fixtures individually. 

Request a quote for the kit here.

Pergear 60mm f2 8 macro 2:1 lens

The Pergear 60mm f/2.8 MK2 Ultra-Macro Full Frame Lens is an affordable ultra-macro lens with good sharpness. The lens suits for close-up subjects with manual focus design, along with focus distance and depth of field scales. With full frame coverage, it provides an all-in-one solution for normal portrait shooting as well as ultra-macro photography. Its optical system consists of 10 elements in 7 groups, including three high refractive index elements that help to control spherical aberrations and reduce distortion in order to realize high sharpness and accurate rendering.

• Focal length：60mm
• Format： Full-Frame
• Mount： Nikon Z, Canon RF, Sony E, Fuji X, M4/3, L Mount
• Focus type: Manual focus
• Max aperture：f/2.8
• Min aperture：f/16
• Min focus distance: 19.1cm / 7.51″
• Max magnification: 2x
• Optics: 10 elements in 7 groups
• Aperture blades：10
• Filter diameter： 62mm

You can find the lens here for $199.

Entry level Freewell Eiger Matte Box

The Freewell Eiger Matte Box is an entry-level ($149) option next to using traditional screw-on filters by coming up with a lightweight matte box that you could use with a variety of different-sized filters. It allows you to incorporate optional filters (VND, Gradient, Mist, Steak, Straight ND) in one system. An adjustable carbon fiber top flag also allows you to minimize any unwanted glare or flare. It doesn’t work with traditional 4 x 4″ or 4 x 5.65″ filters. The inset filters Freewell refers to are their own graduated ND ones.

In the box you get the Eiger Matte Box, adapter cap, adapter rings (67mm, 72mm, 77mm, and 82mm), and the top flag. You can find the different prices for the filters, which start from $49, and the rest of the range here.