Today on LensVid Talk 14 we have another long list of new announcements, reviews and topics including a quick look at the new ultra-affordable Nitcore BBnano micro blower, our review of the Hollyland Lark M2 wireless audio system, and the newly released iFootage SL1 200BNA bi-color COB LED as well as several topics from CES 2024 such as the new curved Dell monitors, new Asus Zenbook dou laptops and upcoming Thunderbolt technology and super high capacity Seagate HHDs. We also cover the ray-ban + Meta smart glasses, a new Edelkrone motorized tripod, two ultra-wide lenses from Laowa and Yongnuo and another mod for the Pocket Cinema camera plus several updates on Sony firmware for 2024.
Nitcore BBnano blower
We have tested many of the Nitrcore blower products in the past and they have just surprised us with a new one called the BBNANO micro blower. This tiny new model is really cute but more powerful than you might think with 40K RPM and 40km/h max wind (around 25mp/h) with two speeds and USB-C charging.
The big selling point here compared to the previous model is the tiny size and low price of around $30. This is the perfect gift for your favorite photographer.
The new BB nano blower
Hollyland Lark M2 Review
We recently published our review of the new tiny Hollyland Lark M2 system and look at how it compares to the Hollyland Lark Max which we have been using since September 2023 with great success.
You can check out our full review of the Lark M2 here (When it comes to pricing, the M2 USB-C version sells for $140, the combo kit is $180 and the Lark Max costs $250).
The tiny Lark M2 transmitter
iFootage SL1 200BNA bi-color COB LED Review
Another recently published review was our look at the all-new SL1 200BNA bi-color COB from iFootage. We were amongst the first websites to review this new bi-color light from iFootage and the 6FPL Fresnel and you can check out our results on our review.
As for pricing, the 6FPL Fresnel bowens attachment costs $100, the new LC-01 V-mount quick-release clamp sells for $40 and the SL1-200BNA sells for $360.
IFootage-Anglerfish-200BNA and the new 6FPL Fresnel
Dell 40-inch Ultrawide Curved 5K Monitor
CES ended earlier this month but it was full of announcements and while no cameras or lenses were announced there is some relevant gear that photographers and videographers could be interested in that was first shown at the show.
One such product is the Dell U4025QW UltraSharp 40 Curved 5K Monitor. This large wide (and curved) high-resolution (5120 x 2160 resolution) monitor 120Hz refresh rate, 10bit color depth, 100% sRGB, 100% Rec. 709, and 98% DCI-P3. DCI-P3 includes a front USB-C hub which you can close and a back Thunderbolt 4 dual port/hub.
The price of the Dell U4025QW is set at $2700 and it will be available starting late February 2024.
Official Dell U4025QW video
Extra – during CES 2024 Linus from Linus Tech Tips was granted access to an ongoing development project from Intel where Thunderbolt cables could work to create a fast computer-to-computer connection (sort of like an ultra-fast version of CROSSOVER RJ45 ethernet cables). We can certainly see some uses for this technology in the future when it becomes available.
Ray-ban + Meta smart glasses
This one is not all that new (announced back in September 2023) but it did make us ask some interesting questions both about the product itself and about the idea of camera glasses for photographers.
While the second iteration of the Ray-ban & Meta smart glasses has a lot of limitations (vertical only, 1 min recording, etc., Facebook oriented) the concept of eyewear with a decent camera that can shoot for a long time is extremely interesting in our view, especially for a full day of BTS but for this we will need a different type of camera glasses.
You can check out Lee Zavitz’s review of the Ray-ban & Meta smart glasses here. Pricing is set at $330.
Ray-ban | Meta Smart Glasses
Asus Zenbook duo laptop with dual monitors
Asus demonstrated at CES 2024 a new Zenbook laptop, a series it has been developing and upgrading for quite a few years now. The latest version called the Asus Zenbook duo is a dual monitor laptop with two sides having full 16:10 touch displays boasting a 1920 x 1200 resolution, 500-nit HDR peak brightness, 60Hz refresh rate, and Pantone® validated 100% DCI-P3 color accuracy. If you want a keyboard you can add a magnetic one on top of the screen and turn it into a more normal-looking laptop.
Pricing will start at $1500 (more info from the here).
Official Asus Zenbook dou laptop video
Godox XNANO TTL wireless transmitter for flashes
It feels like we have new Godox products on every LensVid Talk and the company has been pushing out products at a very fast paste rate.
The latest Godox product is a tiny wireless transmitter called XNANO. This small unit has a touch screen and a knob on the side. Interestingly it has a built-in battery and USB-C charging.
The Godox XNANO sells for here (with versions for all popular camera systems).
Official Godox XNANO video
DJI mic 2
DJI recently released its second-generation wireless mic system called DJI MIC 2. This new version has several improvements over the original version including a 32bit float and noise reduction and longer total battery life.
Watching several reviews of the new mic it seems that DJI missed a few things on this one (here is a recent comparison of the MIC 2 to the new Lark M2 mentioned earlier).
The DJI MIC 2 sells for $350.
Official DJI Mic 2 video
Seagate 30TB HHD
Seagate recently announced a new series of ultra-high capacity mechanical hard drives with (currently) up to 10TB of storage per platter. This is very important as the current technology and current HHDs on the market reach a maximum of 22TB while the new Seagate Mozaic 3 supported HHDs will reach 30TB, initially with ever larger capacities planned in the not-too-distant future.
There is currently no pricing or release date on the new series of Seagate drives.
Seagate Mozaic 3 technology video
Edelkrone Tripod X
This one is kind of strange. Edelkrone recently announced a new tripod. The unit called Tripod X includes electronics and 3 motors one in each leg. This means that the tripod can self-level but can also move to create different up-down and even up/side movements.
This is an interesting concept but honestly, we are still struggling to think of actual use cases for this, especially given the limitations it has (the tripod is not weatherproof) and the high price tag of around $2600 – what do you think?
Short official Tripox X video
Laowa 10mm f/2.8 AF FF lens
Laowa is about to be released (the seemed to be some delay as the lens was released in China but not in the West at the moment) a new ultra wide-angle f/2.8 lens for full frame cameras (Nikon, Sony as well as L and RF mounts). The most exciting aspect is the addition of AF. This is as far as we know the first AF Laowa lens and will likely not be the last.
There is no official pricing at the moment in the west but we will keep our eyes open on that (you can see a leaked video and pricing on SonyAlphaRumors).
Yongnuo 11mm f/1.8 APS-C lens with Follow Focus
Another ultra wide angle lens announced recently came from Yongnuo. This is the 11mm (around 16mm equivalent on FF) f/1.8 AF lens with a twist. It can be purchased with a small wireless remote that can control the focus (basically a follow focus with no external motor). We like this idea and even suggested something like this to Sony way back.
We love this idea and want to see more lenses with such a feature.
You can purchase the lens with the remote for around $280.
The Yongnuo 11mm f/1.8 APS-C lens follow focus remote
Pocket Cinema camera box mod
Last time on LensVid Talk we discussed a different Pocket Cinema camera mod from pod tech. This time we have a more ambitous-looking cube-shaped mod project from Nexus cameras. We don’t have too much to tell you about it although Thumas the creator of this project commented on the following video with some details on his plans for the future mod.
Official Nexus G1 Pocket 6K box camera mod
Possible info on the upcoming A1/A7S III firmware
During IBC 2023 we got a sort of confirmation (which later became official) that Sony will be releasing an important firmware version for the A1 and the A7S III. No exact date was given but our understanding is that it should be available no later than March 2024 (and possibly even during February).
So far there is no real news here. What might be worth discussing is what this firmware will actually bring. Sony confirmed only focus breathing compensation, relay playback, and c2pa format support for the A1 (and DCI 4K 24P for the A7S III).
According to SonyAlphaRumors, there will be a much more extensive update to (both?) cameras. This is not confirmed and while we typically don’t cover rumors on LensVid Talk, this one is worth discussing since it is quite clear that Sony has been getting a ton of pushback from it customers and the community as a whole about the lack of major firmware updates for its flagship camera.
We are mildly optimistic here (we have no internal info sadly) about actually getting a significant update (far more than the 3 features mentioned by Sony so far), and while things like AI Chip features can’t be added by firmware, there are plenty of other features that other Sony cameras have that the A1 (and A7S III) lack and can be added to the camera – so we will have to wait (just a little longer) and see.
Upcoming FX6/FX3/FX30 firmware
From one firmware Sony update to the next. Sony officially announced that they will be releasing new firmware for the FX30/FX3 and the FX6 (two separate firmware). This is of course welcome and it will bring a short list of features, some of which are pretty useful (see list) such as the Shutter Angle option for the FX30/FX3 which is very welcome (and we would love to see on all Sony cameras).
The only problem is that these updates will only be available in September 2024…
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Iddo Genuth 
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