Photography News Issue 54

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

News

Interfit LM-inates darkness

Manfrotto is bringing several new products to photographers: an innovative sling bag, a rechargeable LED light and three new accessories for the HiLite illuminated background system. Tackling the latter first, the three HiLite accessories take advantage of the HiLite’s appeal as a huge, full length softbox, helping to control the shape, direction and intensity of the light; there’s the Window Voile, the Shaper and the Shaper & Masks set, all of which fit the HiLite 1.8x2.15m system. The Window Voile (£123.95), supplied with a collapsible aluminium pole and clipping to the top of the HiLite, with the curtain hanging below, gives an easy window lighting effect. The Shaper (£108.95) uses the same pole design as the Voile, and hangs an 86cm wide black panel which masks the light from the HiLite. The Shaper can be moved to any position along the pole, making strips or masking the photographer when shooting with the HiLite behind. The Shapers & Masks set (£245.95), in addition to the Shaper, has three masks, attaching to the top and the sides of the HiLite to prevent spill. For £104.95, the Lumimuse 8 is a small, powerful light, which can be mounted on a variety of supports using a 1/4in connector, or an included hotshoe adapter. Featuring eight LEDs, the light is built from aluminium, uses a rechargeable lithium battery with a running time of up to an hour and comes Interfit has had a busy month, releasing a new range of LED lights called LM8. The lights are aimed at what’s seen as an increasing number of pros and enthusiasts wanting to shoot both video and stills. The range includes Soft Light Pads, Studio Panels, a 100W Monolight withBowens S-Mount fit, Studio Ring Lights and a selection of kits. Thanks to using either a mains AC adapter or batteries they can be used on location or in the studio; the LM8 lights can use NP-F Sony or V-Lock type batteries, and an external battery pack for the 100W monolight will be available this summer. The LM8 Soft Light Pads are available in 100 and 400 LED counts (at £49.99/159.99) and their bicolour (3200-5600K) bulbs are set behind a diffuser providing a soft light source. The LM8 LED Studio Panels, available with

either a 600 or 1200 LED count (at £209.99/369.99) and also bicolour, give more powerful illumination. The LED Studio Panels also come with a set of metal barndoors, one transparent and one frosted filter, a power cord and case. The LM8 100WLEDMono Light (£189.99) is a daylight balanced (5600K) LED that uses a Bowens- fit accessory mount and a Pop- Up Softbox ring, making it fully compatible with Interfit’s range of modifiers and accessories. Finally, the LM8 LED Ring Light is available in both bicolour and daylight balanced versions (at £209.99/189.99), with a circular emitter that provides very even illumination on the subject, and it comes with a mirror, mobile phone bracket, cables and case. All the LM8 lights are available now.

interfitphotographic.com

Manfrottohighlights

Laowa’s 25mm5x macroandmore

In what could be a real treat for macro shooters, Laowa has released the 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5x Ultra Macro. This new lens offers close-ups from 2.5x to 5x life-size, so should give some incredibly detailed views of tiny subjects. The lens has an extended working distance of 45mm at 2.5x and 40mm at 2x, allowing easier lighting of your subject, and is available now in Sony E, Canon, Nikon and Pentax mounts, costing £399. Also from Laowa is the 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D lens, boasting an ultra-wide 113° angle of view. Designed for use with mirrorless cameras, the lens is small and light, weighing in at only 215g, and features two aspherical elements and three extra-low dispersion elements in its 15 elements, 10 group construction.

It’s available now in Sony E, Fujifilm X and Canon EOS-M fits with a price of £499. Finally Laowa has introduced a new mount converter for using full-frame lenses on Fujifilm G series cameras. The Laowa Magic Format Converter enlarges the image circle produced by these lenses to match the larger sensor of the Fujifilm GFX 50S, so there is no vignetting. The Laowa Magic Format Converter has a focal length multiplier of 1.4x and reduces the maximum aperture by 1 stop, so for instance a 12mm f/2.8 will be an effective 17mm f/4 lens. The Converter comes in two variants, allowing you to use either Canon EF or Nikon F lenses, and is available now, costing £319.

laowalens.co.uk

with three colour filters and a diffuser. Most interesting of all, up to 13 Lumimuse lights can be controlled wirelessly via Bluetooth and a free app. Finally, Manfrotto’s Pro Light FastTrack-8 is a clever sling bag that incorporates a camera strap. This means you can keep

a camera connected at all times whether it’s stowed or in use, and the bag also has space for two additional lenses, a tablet and accessories. It’ll set you back £109.95. Check out this month’s Buyers Guide for more info.

manfrotto.co.uk