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Posts Tagged ‘Hähnel’

Hähnel launches lantern diffuser speedlite accessory

06 Dec

Lantern Diffuser

$ 99 | Hähnel

Hähnel recently launched the Lantern Diffuser, a new speedlight diffuser that creates an exceptionally wide-angle spread of illumination in a very compact form factor by using a clever folding design. This new lighting accessory is just one part of Hähnel’s modular flash system and is designed to attach to hotshoe flash units via one of the company’s magnetic accessory clamps.

Key features:

  • Compact, folding design
  • Comes with six color gels
  • Works with Hähnel’s other modular magnetic accessories
  • Hähnel magnetic clamp is required and is a separate purchase
  • Compatible with most larger speedlight-style flashes from various manufacturers

The Lantern Diffuser is available now at B&H and other authorized Hähnel retailers for $ 99 USD.


What is it?

The Lantern comes in a kit that includes the diffuser along with a set of six colored gels and a gel holder that gets sandwiched between the magnetic clamp and the diffuser frame. The whole kit comes in a folding wallet that also has room for the magnetic clamp that isn’t part of the kit – but which is essential for its use. The clamp is central to the company’s range of clip-on accessories and needs to be bought separately.

The diffuser is made using a fan of concertinaed white material that both diffuses the light and sends it out over a 180° angle as the flash passes through it, with the idea of producing a very soft light that covers a very wide area.

I was initially concerned about how well the fanned out diffuser would survive lots of use, drops and getting its delicate design dented, but in all the use I made of it I didn’t manage to damage it. I guess if you dropped your flash with it attached and it landed face down the consequences mightn’t be good, but so long as you don’t do that it should be fine.

The kit comes in a roll-up pouch and includes 6 colored gels, a magnetic gel holder and the diffuser itself

When not in use it folds away into itself and is protected by the rigged plastic-covered metal ends. I haven’t used it long enough to know whether it will yellow with time, and the weather has been too good to test it outside in the rain – I’d be nervous to do that with the Lantern, while my softboxes would just dry out.

I’m a big fan of good speedlight accessories that are easy to use, which don’t take up a lot space and which have a dramatic impact on the characteristics of the light produced. And I have quite a collection, from inflatable frosted panels to snoots, softboxes and those yogurt-pot-like tubes the flash fires up into. This Lantern is quite different to anything else I’ve used, so I wanted to give it a try.


How it works

This video from Hähnel shows how the Lantern folds and attaches to a flash of your choice.

I used this diffuser on the Hähnel Modus 600RT flash unit, both on the camera and off using a Viper TTL trigger for Micro Four Thirds cameras and Panasonic full-frame S-series cameras. The Modus 600RT is the more powerful of Hähnel’s speedlights, and offers a guide number of 60m at ISO 100 at the 200mm zoom setting.

To attach the Lantern to the flash, I used the Module 600 clamp which, with its sprung grip, will fit most larger hotshoe style flash guns from all manufacturers. The clamp grips the head of the speedlight with the Hähnel logo facing forwards and the Lantern diffuser sticks to it when the magnets in each item attract. The gel holder can go on first, which offers a more obvious placement for the diffuser, but it doesn’t have to. Take a look at the video above for a clearer picture of how it all works.

Used in the hotshoe the light from the Lantern Diffuser is direct and straight on, but very much softer than you’d expect from such a small accessory.

Overall, the Lantern diffuses light more than you’d expect from such a small flash accessory. With a bare bulb the light would be much harder and highlight on the sun-creamed forehead would be dramatic and distracting. The accessory is small enough to create a definite direction, but the multi-layered diffusion makes that light seem quite gentle.

The Lantern diffuser folds in half, so we attach one half to the magnetic clamp and then unfold the other half to get the full 180° dome effect.


What it looks like

I started by testing the spread and the evenness of the light the diffuser gives by clamping the flash onto a stand using Hähnel’s Bowen’s mount adapter and firing the flash at a blank wall.

The difference in spread is immediately clear when you compare the Lantern-diffused exposure with that of the bare head and even when an 80cm/31in double-diffused square softbox was used instead. The Modus 600RT is a TTL gun, but if you shoot manually expect to lose about 2 stops of light due to the Lantern diffuser – about the same as when using the softbox with the extra internal diffuser sheet – but a much wider spread of illumination.

This is the coverage of the flash with no modifier The flash was left in the same position, but with the Hähnel 80cm softbox attached
Here’s the same arrangement but using the Lantern diffuser And the same again, but with a green gel in the gel holder

What is significant about this little diffuser is that it offers both a diffused and a bounced light effect, so the light is very soft once it reaches the subject. The softness is remarkable considering how small the accessory is and that the flash is still effectively a point source. Shadows are defined but filled at the same time, and lack the hard-edged contrast we get with a bare head.

The Lantern Diffuser avoids that artificial look of a direct burst from an uncovered flash bulb

I found that even when used with the flash mounted on the camera the light is dramatically altered, and still provides a nice softness when used quite close to the subject. It avoids that immediately artificial look of a direct burst from an uncovered bulb, or even that of a light bounced into a kicker reflector.

I tried the Lantern for some single-light still life shots with the flash at a relatively close range and a small subject – things that tend to bring out high contrast when hotshoe flash units are used. You can see though that the Lantern has done very well to produce a soft light that doesn’t display hotspots or reflections on the waxy surface of the avocado skin.

Click or tap-and-drag the arrow to see a soft box and the Lantern Diffuser differ.

The light is as soft as that produced by the 80cm softbox, though the shadow profile is slightly more defined due to the smaller surface area of the source. As the light from the Lantern is thrown around the room we get much more fill in the shadow areas too.

The spread of the light is also very impressive. The Lantern will light a room evenly when we are using a super-wide lens to fit it all in. This means we don’t have to worry about finding a clean white surface to bounce from. Fall off is more dramatic than with a bare bulb or a bounce, so a powerful gun will work best.

To give you an idea of the diffuser’s coverage, this was shot on the full frame Lumix S1R with a 9mm lens – at f/8 and 1/200sec at ISO 400. All the light on the foreground is from the flash. You can see that the post on the right as well as the tree trunk on the left are both lit with the flash. A 9mm lens has an angle of view of 135 degrees.

Conclusion

I’m very impressed with this Hähnel Lantern. It’s small, highly portable and weighs almost nothing, which means you can afford to carry it around in the camera bag even when you don’t actually get to use it without it having been a pain all day. The clamp is simple to fit and the gel holder and diffuser just snap on, so assembly is quick and easy too.

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I don’t often use colored gels with single flash set-ups, but they are handy for second and third guns for rim lighting and coloring a background. Background lights with these diffusers on will be very useful, and the lack of hotspots, and their size, means they are ideal for hiding within the shot without the danger of them producing give-away bright blasted areas.

I have a lot of rubbish accessories, and others that are well thought out but the size of studio modifiers so you can’t carry them around on the off-chance that you might need them. This though sits in a side pocket of a bag ready for that moment you want to soften a burst of flash whenever it happens to occur. I would also actively take this with me to light backgrounds, multiple people facing inwards, for filling in on a sunny day and for using as the main light for a portrait or a still life.

The flash was held just off-camera for this shot. The defined shadow is still there but the light on the subject is soft and attractive. The subject was in the shade and exposure was 1/200sec at f/9, so almost all the light on the subject was provided by the flash.

I love using speedlites for ‘proper’ photography especially on location (I used two Hähnel Modus 600RT units with a softbox and a small dish for the male model shots in the Hasselblad 907X sample gallery) and this will definitely be joining the collection of tools I use – and ousting a few that simply don’t do the job so well.

The Hähnel Module Creative Lantern Kit costs £59.99/$ 99.99. For more information see the Hähnel website.

What we like:

  • Amazingly well diffused soft light
  • Really wide, even spread of light
  • Small and easy to carry all the time
  • Quick to assemble
  • Nice pouch and accessories

Don’t like:

  • Dome feels a bit fragile, though it hasn’t dented yet
  • Gels are strong and for dramatic effects rather than colour correction

Star Rating

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Looking to upgrade your camera battery charger? The Hähnel ProCube 2 is worth considering

14 Jun

Hähnel proCUBE2
$ 80 | Hähnel

Intro

The Hanhel ProCube 2 is a twin-battery charger that offers user-swappable plates to accommodate batteries from different camera systems. Several models are available for popular options – Canon, Nikon, Panasonic / Olympus and Sony. The only difference between them is the color of the unit and the set of plates it comes with. It is possible to swap plates between models and purchase additional ones for around $ 12 each, if you change camera systems.

I tested the ProCube 2 with batteries for the Sony A7 III (which does not ship with a charger). At $ 80, it is cheaper than Sony’s own BCQZ-1 charger (which retails for $ 98). Additionally you’re getting the ability to charge two batteries at the same time along with some other handy features not found in the BCQZ-1.

Key features

  • Ability to charge two batteries simultaneously
  • Can accommodate a wide range of batteries via interchangeable plates
  • Includes AA battery charging option
  • 12V Car lead in the box
  • Can act as a 2.4A USB power source

Hähnel claims that the ProCube 2 can charge two Sony NP-FZ100 batteries from empty to full in three hours and a single battery in two hours, something that we’ll be testing later.

The ProCube 2 is by no means the cheapest twin-charger on the market, but it does offer a unique combination of features, from an established brand. Let’s see how it performs.

What’s in the box?

Most of the popular Sony batteries can be charged with the included plates.

The Sony version that we tested includes the plates to charge Sony NP-FZ100, NP-FW50 and NP-BX1 batteries – you can only charge one type of battery at a time. Also included in the box is a plate that accepts four AA batteries which attaches magnetically to the top of the charger, with no requirement to take out the existing plate. You will have to install all four AAs though, due to the way the plate connects – and you can’t charge camera batteries and AAs at the same time.

The box also includes a 12v car adapter for charging on-the-go and various plug adapters for different countries.

Design

A simple pin and pad connection system makes plate swapping easy

As its name implies, the ProCube 2 is a small cube. It’s a solid unit finished in orange anodized aluminum. The internal battery contacts themselves are via spring loaded pins and connecting pads, so there is no need for fiddly cables . The plate ejection procedure is a little awkward as you need to use a supplied tool or other small-tipped device to release the locking mechanism. Some care is also required when changing a plate as there is only one correct orientation.

The front-mounted LCD shows you the current charge status, via a simple 5-segment capacity gauge of each battery. It also shows percentage readout for each and how much energy it has added since the start of the charge in milliamp hours – though it can’t show the actual capacity of the batteries unless you are charging from 0%.

Charging current is stated as up to 1700 mA for a single battery and 850 mA each when charging two.

The plate swap system could be simplified with a small button

When two batteries are installed The ProCube 2 charges both at the same time and it will adjust charging current individually depending on the state of charge of each battery.

The supplied eject tool is easily lost; it would have been a good idea not to have required one at all, a small button on the back would have been ideal

One thing struck me before I started testing, the supplied ejection tool is easily lost; it would have been a good idea to have a way of storing it in the base of the charger. It would have been an even better idea not to have required one at all – a small button on the back would have been ideal.

The LCD panel displays battery charge levels in %

Performance

I tested the charge time of a single battery from completely exhausted to fully charged and did it again with two exhausted batteries. The batteries I used were newish original Sony NP-FZ100s and the figures were averaged over three cycles.

Note: Sometimes, 100% on the charger doesn’t mean 100% in the camera. If the battery is removed immediately that the ProCube 2 indicates 100% charge, I noticed my camera would indicate anywhere from 95-100%. After leaving the battery charging for another five to six minutes, I’ve found that my camera will reliably report 100% charge.

Here are the results…

Time to 100% as indicated on charger

Time to fully-charge as indicated by the camera Time to fully charge with in-box USB charger
Single Battery 1 hr 49 mins 1 hr 54 mins 4 hrs 3 mins
Dual Batteries 2 hrs 57 mins 3 hrs 3 mins

Hähnel claims that a quick 15 minute charge will provide enough power for 150 shots. This actually seems like a conservative figure from my testing, although it is very dependent on how the camera was being used. I managed to consistently get around 250-260 shots when using the LCD screen and manual focus (1 shot every 10 seconds). By comparison, a 15 minute charge via Sony’s USB charger provided enough juice for 126 -130 shots, given the same conditions.

Even your AA batteries can be accommodated

I also tested the ProCube 2 in a car with the supplied 12v lead. As the charger is designed to use 12 volts from the wall there was no change to charge times or functionality in the vehicle. This is provided the socket can provide 1.5 amps, which is usually well below the fused output on most vehicles.

It doesn’t take any longer to charge batteries in a vehicle with the ProCube 2 than it does connected to a wall socket.

Conclusion

There’s no doubt that when charging batteries this unit is both much more convenient and quicker than charging up the battery in my Sony a7 III in-camera via USB.

If you’re planning a trip it’s small enough not to take up too much space in your camera bag and means that you don’t have to take a separate AA or USB chargers as well. It’s even possible to charge three batteries overnight if you connect your camera to the USB output. It will charge the batteries in the charger first, and then switch on USB power to charge the third.

The ProCube 2 also gives flexibility if you decide to change cameras and hence battery systems or if you have more than one battery type in your gear collection.

If you’re interested in the ProCube 2, are other options out there that are also worth considering. The Watson Duo gives the same sort of functionality at the same price although it’s a bit larger, and the Nitecore USN4 offers dual charging at a lower cost – although it lacks some of the features of the Hähnel.

Overall, the ProCube 2 provides a quick way of charging either single or dual batteries.

What we like

  • Works with multiple battery types
  • Quick charging
  • Sequential charge and USB power option
  • Ability to charge in a vehicle

What we don’t like

  • LCD panel percentage display sometimes disagrees with camera’s estimate
  • Tool or pen tip required for plate swap
  • No sequential AA charging feature

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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hähnel introduces Modus 600RT flash for Micro Four Thirds

15 May

Battery and accessory brand hähnel has extended its range of radio-triggered Modus 600RT flash units with a model for Micro Four Thirds cameras. The unit can be used directly in the hotshoe as a standalone flash, or will work within a group of flashes as a TTL commander or a slave using radio or optical communication.

The company already makes this model speedlight for Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon and Sony systems, and is adding Olympus and Panasonic cameras with this new model.

Although the Modus 600RT shares its basic design with the Godox TT685 flash, and much of its specification with the Godox V860II, hähnel claims its flash has significant advantages that account for the difference in price. A spokesperson told DPReview that the build quality of the 600RT is improved, and that hähnel is especially proud of its firmware updates and customer service—both before and after purchase.

The Modus flashes also feature Digital Channel Matching that locks the transmitter and receiver together once they are connected, to reduce the possibility of interference. Another major difference, according to hähnel, is the quality of the supplied lithium-ion block battery, which is injected with silicone to insulate the circuits and to provide improved shock absorption. The company says these hähnel Extreme li-ion batteries have a longer life and retain their charge for longer than competitors’ equivalents.

The Modus 600RT has a guide number of 60m/197ft at ISO 100, and can produce 600 full-power bursts per charge with only a 1.5-second delay for recycling.

With a transmitter and receiver built-in, the flashes work as both commanders and slaves in groups of other hähnel Captur-compatible guns as well as in combination with manufacturers’ original and third party units. A Viper TTL radio controller can be used from the hotshoe to control single guns or up to three groups of guns at a range of 100m/330ft, and can operate in full TTL, manual or strobotic modes with DCM. The zoom head offers coverage for 20-200mm lenses and high speed synch mode allows use with shutter speeds as short as 1/8000sec.

The hähnel Modus 600RT for micro four thirds is available now and will cost £270/$ 250/€250 including a Viper transmitter, hähnel Extreme li-ion battery and charger. For more information, read the full press release below or visit the hähnel website.

Press Release

{PressRelease}

hähnel announce launch of MODUS 600RT Speedlight for Micro Four Thirds

Following on from the very successful launch of the MODUS 600RT Speedlight for Canon, Nikon, Sony & Fuji, hähnel have now announced availability of the MODUS for Micro Four Thirds (Panasonic & Olympus).

The staggeringly powerful hähnel Extreme Li-Ion battery provides the power for the MODUS and beats the speed of AA-powered speedlight’s hands down. With a GN of 60, the MODUS will handle over 1000 shots at ½ power and over 600 shots at full power.

Rather than waiting the normal 4-6 seconds which normal Speedlight’s would require at full power, the MODUS 600RT has fast re-cycling in abundance at just 1.5 seconds. The built-in wireless receiver/transmitter offer TTL, manual and multi modes and high-speed sync supports up to 1/8000 of a sec.

The unique wireless connectivity really steps into its own when paired with the Viper TTL Wireless Flash Trigger. Use them together and control up to 3 separate groups of flash guns in either TTL, manual or Multi (Stroboscopic) mode. DCM channel matching and over 100m range makes the Viper TTL the perfect partner for this new speedlight.

With a long-standing reputation for high- quality accessories, it is no surprise that the MODUS has received ‘Best Value Accessory’, ‘Best Accessory’ and ‘Gear of the Year – Best Flashgun’ accolades from Digital Photographer, Digital Camera and N-Photo magazines since launched.

Stock available from Monday 28th May.

MODUS 600RT WIRELESS KIT FOR MICRO FOUR THIRDS RRP £269.99

{/Pressrelease}

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Hahnel introduces radio-controlled MODUS 600RT hotshoe flash system

11 May

Hahnel industries has launched its first flash unit in the shape of the radio-controlled Modus 600RT. The new hotshoe flash is powered by a block lithium ion battery, in the style of the Godox V860ll, instead of the usual AA cells and has a guide number of 60m @ ISO 100. Each flash unit can operate as both slave or master in a wireless set-up, using optical or 2.4GHz radio signals to communicate with other guns or with a Viper flash trigger in the hotshoe.

Hahnel says the Modus units will be compatible with some other third party speedlights via its optical system and the Viper TTL radio transmitter, but stops short of saying which ones. The Modus 600RT’s radio system has a range of 100m and can control up to three groups of flash units, with manual and TTL output modes. High speed sync is also supported, with shutter speeds of up to 1/8000sec possible, and the lithium ion battery is said to provide up to 550 full power bursts per charge.

The Hahnel Modus 600RT is available for Canon, Nikon and Sony flash systems and retails at £219.99 for the flash on its own, £269.99 for the flash and a Viper transceiver, or £429.99 for a kit with two flash units and a Viper. US prices have yet to be announced.

For more information see the hahnel website.

Manufacturer’s information

{PressRelease}

You may recognise the hähnel brand for their long-standing reputation for manufacturing high quality Li-Ion batteries & DSLR accessories, so their new speedlight range may well come as a surprise to you. You must remember though, that hähnel have a long-standing reputation for their wireless flash trigger range which includes the popular Tuff TTL & Viper flash triggers.

The MODUS 600RT is powered by one of their best-sellingLi-ion batteries –the staggeringly powerful hähnel Extreme Li-Ion battery which beats the speed of AA-powered speedlight’s hands down.

This new speedlight has a GN of 60 and each unit will handle over 550 shots at full power. Rather than waiting the normal 4-6 seconds which normal Speedlight’s would require at full power, the MODUS 600RT has fast re-cycling in abundance at just 1.5 seconds. The built-in wireless receiver/transmitter offer TTL, manual and multi-modes and high speed sync supports up to 1/8000 of a sec.

The unique wireless connectivity really steps into a league of its own though when the MODUS 600RT is paired with the Viper TTL Wireless Flash Trigger. Use them together and control up to 3 separate groups of flash guns in either TTL, manual or Multi (Stroboscopic) mode.

DCM channel matching and over 100m range makes the Viper TTL the perfect partner for this new speedlight.

Available for Canon, Nikon & Sony.
For more info take a look at www.hahnel.ie.

{/PressRelease} 

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Hahnel MK100 Video Microphone – Review

30 Dec

Hi there, This is a Vid of the Hahnel Mk100 MIcrophone for DSLR and camcorder cameras ive Been doing some tests with it and it turns out to be a fine mic for compared to its price wich is just under 100 euros I was very pleased with it and i will have it on my cam from now on 🙂 Link to this cool Microphone: www.amazon.com thx for watching and please rate,subscribe and comment ! Jacques
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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Hähnel Giga T Pro II – How-to instructional video

31 Oct

Hahnel Giga T Pro II Remote Control for Canon, Nikon, Olympus & Sony DSLR’s
Video Rating: 4 / 5

 
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