News roundup: Tiffen, Flanders Scientific, Aputure, DJI, Laowa, and ZOOM M3

This week we look at some of the new releases from the likes of Tiffen, Flanders Scientific, Aputure, DJI, Laowa and ZOOM. 

Tiffen's next-generation Lowel Tota LED XL daylight-balanced panel

Tiffen introduces the next generation Lowel Tota LED XL daylight-balanced panel floodlight with a foldable design and 3x the brightness of the previous model.

The panel is designed for lighting subjects or raising the ambient set lighting for video or photographic production. The Tota LED XL emits 11,200 lux of flicker-free light with 216 individual LEDs, and the 8" x 8" panel produces a bright 60° beam at 5600° K ±200° K. 

The panel comes with a three-section design that folds down to half its width for transport. Tota LED XL operates via AC or battery (not included). An LCD window displays the output readout and a knurled knob controls range and fine-tune dimming (100% to 0% at 1% increments). For further flexibility, a 2-way 5/8-inch receiver is included allowing the fixture to be mounted vertically or horizontally.
 
The complete Tota LED XL is available for $449.

Flanders Scientific's new 16″ DM160 OLED monitor

Flanders Scientific has a new 16″ DM160 OLED monitor which weighs 5.8 lbs / 2.6kg and has a 17W power consumption. The 16″ OLED monitor is designed for post-production, color grading, and broadcast applications. It comes with fast mode processing, a durable all-metal chassis, and an advanced feature set - all in a compact form factor.

Working with color, this monitor has 10-bit OLED (1.073 Billion Colors) screen with a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. It utilizes an RGB OLED that can go up to 400 nits of brightness. You can select from Rec709, EBU, SMPTE-C, DCI P3, Rec2020 Emulation (not full Rec2020 color space), Native Wide Gamut, and Custom User Generated color spaces. FSI monitors come pre-calibrated from the factory and free recalibration is always available as part of their services.

The Flanders Scientific 16″ DM160 OLED is available to purchase now for $4,500.

Aputure LS 1200 4-Light Bracket

Aputure has released a new frame that is designed to hold four of its LS 1200 units which can put out up to 4800W of directional daylight-balanced light. This strong aluminum frame is designed for filmmakers and technicians who want power in a single setup.

Aputure lets you decide if you want a wider spread of light or a high-intensity one in a single direction with the frame’s versatile pan-tilt adjustment. Other lights with junior mounting pins are also compatible with the frame.

Key specifications:

• Supports Up to 4 LS 1200d Pro Lamp Heads Mounted on a Single Frame
• Achieves 4800W of Light Output with 1200d Pro
• 4 Junior Pin Receivers (28mm / 1.125in) Compatible With Any Fixtures With Junior Mounting Pins
• Junior Mounting Pin (28mm / 1.125in) Compatible With Stands and Rigging Hardware With Junior Pin Mounting Receivers
• Independent Pan/Tilt Adjustment For Each Lamp to Light From Various Angles and Directions
• Dual Heavy-Duty Rosette Yoke to Support Heavy Lights
  Durable Aluminum Build With Reinforced Corners

Aputure's 4-light bracket is available for $2,400.

DJI Mini 3 released

DJI Mini 3 is the company's new affordable entry-level drone in the market.  The lightweight drone is designed to blend the existing Mini 2 and 3 Pro together. This drone features a 12MP 1/1.3-inch image sensor paired with the 24mm equivalent f/1.7 lens. Unlike the Mini 3 Pro, the Mini 3 cannot actually output 48MP photos. The stills here are available up to 4000×3000 pixels in either JPEG or DNG raw format.

Compared to the Mini 3 Pro, this drone lacks 4K50 and 4K60 recording modes and 10-bit color .The video recording is available only in H.264 MP4 with up to 100Mbps 8-bit 4:2:0 in the following resolutions and framerates (up to 30fps also optional with HDR output):

• 4K: 3840×2160 – 24/25/30 fps
• 2.7K: 2720×1530 – 24/25/30/48/50/60 fps
• FHD: 1920×1080 – 24/25/30/48/50/60 fps

For wireless control, the new Mini 3 flies using the older DJI O2, which sends 720p/30fps live feed from up to 10 km away in FCC mode or up to 6km away in CE mode. The Mini 3 is compatible with the DJI RC-N1 controller as well as the new DJI RC. The maximum flight time per battery is 38 minutes.

The Mini 3 is available for £519 from CVP. 

Laowa's new 19mm F/2.8 Zero-D GFX lens

Laowa's new 19mm F/2.8 Zero-D GFX lens is a medium-format Ultra-wide-angle lens with an AoV of 110° with Zero Distortion as well as an f/2.8 aperture. The lens weighs 546g and is just 80mm in length featuring a 77mm filter thread and a minimum focusing distance of 18cm

Key specifications

• Laowa 19mm f/2.8 Zero-D GFX
• Focal Length 19mm
• The angle of View 110°
• Aperture Range f/2.8-22
• Format Medium Format
• Lens Structure 12 elements in 10 groups
• Aperture Blades 5
• Min. Focusing Distance 18cm (7”)
• Max. Magnification 0.185X
• Filter Thread Ø 77mm
• Dimensions Ø 82.6 x 80mm (3.27” x 3.15”)
• Weight 546g (~19.2 oz)
• Mounts Fujifilm G

The Laowa 19mm f/2.8 Zero-D GFX is currently available for £1,129 from CVP

ZOOM M3 MicTrak Stereo Shotgun microphone & recorder

The M3 MicTrak Stereo Shotgun Microphone and Recorder is a 4-channel, camera-mounted, combination shotgun microphone and recorder, with two internal shotgun mics that can switch between hyper-focused super cardioid (90°) or a wider bidirectional (180°) mode.

The 4-channel internal system lets you to record in stereo while monitoring the mid and side microphones to hear the differences. This is useful for mixing an ideal stereo signal from a wide, bidirectional recording. The M3 is fully compatible with microSD cards and it runs on two AA batteries, USB-C bus power, or an optional Zoom AD-17 AC adapter that is sold separately.

You can purchase this for £234 from CVP.