What we want to see (and don’t) this year in lighting

What should the future of speedlights be like?

So we are almost in the second month of 2012 and there are things we would love to see. Head inside to read what in our opinion there should and shouldn’t be in the lighting industry of 2012.

Westcott Ice Light to meet a warm or icy reception?

Westcott Ice Light

March 2012 will see the release of the Ice Light, a mysterious new product from Westcott. Designed by Jerry Ghionis, the marketeers describe it as “the first ever wraparound handheld LED daylight light source”.

Aputure Amaran: Perfect LED Lighting Solution?

Aputure Amaran 198A

Aputure sent us some samples of their latest Amaran LED lamps to evaluate. The Amaran AL-198 is a battery-powered lamp with 198 LEDs and adjustable intensity. The AL-198A adds the ability to “zoom” or adjust the beam angle of the emitted light.

Hedler lighting gets a USA distributor

Hedler DX-15 PRO2KIT

Hedler, a German lighting manufacturer, have announced that Minox USA are to be their exclusive distributor in the United States.

Jinbei Energon EN-760 portable power pack

Jinbei Energon EN-760

Jinbei have unveiled the Energon EN-760, a mains-output battery pack. The Energon is a battery fitted with a pure sine wave inverter so that you can power your AC studio flashes on location.

PocketWizard Plus III not announced at CES

PocketWizard Plus III transceiver

The PocketWizard Plus III wireless flash trigger was not unveiled at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Canon: short-range radio to supersede hotshoes?

Canon patent 2012-2984, figure 11

Canon have filed a patent for a system where a camera communicates with a shoe-mount external flashgun by radio signals instead of by wire.

Oloong releases a rival flash to the Yongnuo YN-565

Wireless settings on the SP-660II

Oloong’s SP-660II speedlight offers manual mode through the hotshoe, but can also act as either a Nikon or a Canon advanced wireless slave, complete with TTL. At a price of only $100, could it become more popular than the Yongnuo YN-565?

RayFlash Rotator UK price drop

RayFlash Rotator

Flaghead Photographic have reduced the price of the RayFlash Rotator – the 360° TTL flash bracket – by £30. The new retail price is £119 including VAT.

N-flash: a truly wireless studio flash

Nice n-flash battery compartment

Shenzhen Nice Photographic Equipment Co. have unveiled the n-flash, a portable monolight with an integrated lithium battery and built-in wireless radio receiver.