UK manufacturer Hink Pro Limited has launched a crowd-funding campaign for their Spacefish camera flash. The company hopes to raise £80,000 (~$130,000) on Indiegogo to fund production of their unique photography light, the “first flexible flashgun”.
“With some of the best minds and companies in the engineering industry like David Cassapi (M Eng) heading up our mechanical engineering team, and Nick and Philip on electronics; and several UK based tooling and moulding companies coming to our aid we have created one of the most up-to-date flashgun designs ever created both inside and out,” said Hink.
“Unlike ‘big company’ campaigns we don’t have an established company behind with masses funds to invest, we are a young start-up, UK company with limited funds,” they added. “However Spacefish has been designed from the very beginning to be inexpensive to produce and assemble, and mass production will lower the price further.
“For this reason we hope to build momentum with this campaign, demonstrating that the market is ready for this kind of device.”
The Spacefish has a long flexible neck, allowing it to point in almost any direction, with a guide number of 33m at full power. The device has an LED modelling lamp so you can focus and compose your shot more easily without endless chimping. The lithium battery in the base provides “larger, more reliable power” but the device as a whole is a similar size to a conventional hammer-head-style flash unit. A number of modular accessories, including external power supplies and radio triggers, are expected to be unveiled later.
Money raised through Indiegogo will go towards factory tooling — engineering and virtual testing is already complete. Hink plans to have over 80% of the Spacefish’s components manufactured in the UK.
“We are so excited to be moving ahead with this project and striving to bring more of the industry back to the EU and US where it belongs,” they said. “We are looking to provide jobs to the local community and are pushing for the project to be entirely UK based as soon as humanly possible.”
Backers contributing more than £140 (about $230) will get a Spacefish flash unit for their trouble. Shipping is expected early next year, with an estimated retail price of £180. Click here to find out more. Will you be backing this project?