The Laowa 7.5mm f/2 MFT is the World’s widest rectilinear f/2 lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras. The extreme 110° angle of view and ultra-fast f/2 aperture allows photographers to create impressive astro-photography shots with ease. It also gives photographers a fast and wide-angle option for landscape photography and low-light shooting. Despite the extreme specifications, Venus Optics has successfully minimised the weight of the lens to less than 200g (150g in the case of the special light-weight version), and the dimensions to just 50x55mm. The optical formula comprises 13 elements in 9 groups (including 2 aspherical elements and 3 extra-low-dispersion elements). The Laowa 7.5mm f/2 MFT is currently available to pre-order via the official website of Venus Optics. The lens carries a recommended retail price of $499 for the standard edition and $519 for the light-weight version.

Broncolor have launched a new iteration of their top-of-the line generator, the broncolor Scoro WiFi. Thanks to its revised hardware and software, the new broncolor Scoro WiFi can offer even more convenient control via the bronControl app, which is available free-of-charge for iOS, macOS, Windows and Android. The Scoro WiFi automatically builds an independent WiFi network, but it can also be integrated into an existing one. The new Scoro WiFi is available immediately.

Akvis have released updates to all of their image editing applications. The new versions offer a redesigned graphical user interface with support for Ultra HD displays, full compatibility with Photoshop CC 2017, some bug fixes, and other improvements. The upgrade is free for recent buyers as well for those who bought 1 Year of Updates during the last 12 months. Users whose licenses are older and are not valid for the latest versions can update each program for $14.95 or update all of the products at once for $39.95.

Aurora Aperture has introduced the PowerND family of high-quality neutral density filters. The range comprises three ratings of light reduction capability: ND64 (6 stops), ND4000 (12 stops), and ND65000 (16 stops). Four different formats are available: circular filters from 37mm to 95mm, 100 x 100mm square filters compatible with popular square filter adapters, 150mm circular filters with an adapter for the Nikon AF-S 14-24mm f/2.8G ED lens, and the Aurora CR format, an industry first, a rear mount glass filter for the Canon EF 11-24mm F4L USM lens. “We introduced a variable ND family last year and it was embraced by photographers and videographers worldwide,” said Jinfu Chen, founder and CEO of Aurora Aperture Inc. “the fixed ND family we introduce today is much more powerful in terms of light reduction capability and offers even better optical performance, along with more formats for different camera lenses.” The Aurora PowerND family will be available to dealers and direct orders in August 2017. List price starts at US$42 and varies depending on filter format and size.

DJI and Hasselblad have introduced the World's first 100-megapixel integrated drone imaging platform. The flight platform for the combination is the DJI M600 Pro drone, an advanced and adaptable six-rotor flight platform equipped with the powerful Lightbridge 2 transmission system, a dustproof propulsion system and six Intelligent Flight Batteries. The M600 Pro can be guided by the D-RTK GNSS navigation system, which can withstand strong magnetic interference to provide highly precise centimeter-level 3D positioning. The on-board camera is the 100-megapixel Hasselblad H6D-100C, which features a 645 format sensor that offers outstanding detail, colour reproduction and tonal range even in poor lighting conditions. The camera mounts on the drone through the Ronin-MX three-axis stabilized gimbal, which uses powerful motors and inertial measurement units to resist high G-forces, maintain stability and hold the horizon. The M600/Ronin-MX/H6D-100c platform is on display through April 27 at the NAB Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, in DJI booth #C2807 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The combination will be released in the third quarter of 2017 at a price to be announced later.

Atomos have introduced their first production/studio monitor to combine a 19” HDR 1200-nit 10+ stop panel with 4K 12-bit raw or 10-bit 422 ProRes/DNxHR recording and HD capture up to 240p. Sumo’s 19” 1920x1080 10-bit LCD panel is driven by the AtomHDR engine which precisely maps the Log/PQ/HLG from popular cameras to resolve 10+ stops of HDR in real time. The brightness range and vivid colours of HDR bring scenes to life either on the monitor itself, or when output to larger HDR/Rec709 displays for on-set review. It can also be used with popular NLE or grading suites for affordable HDR or SDR editing or grading in the studio. The 19” Atomos Sumo will launch in Q3 2017 for an MSRP US$2,495.

DJI has announced features and specifications for DJI Goggles, a first-person view system that gives drone pilots a seamless bird’s eye view of the world in Full HD. DJI Goggles use a beam splitter to display an image in front of each eye, as well as polarization to prevent any image overlap. Through DJI’s OcuSync wireless transmission system, up to two pairs of DJI Goggles can be connected to a single Mavic Pro aircraft. DJI Goggles can receive video data directly from the drone bypassing the controller to minimise lag. When flying with the Mavic Pro, DJI Goggles offer both 720p at 60 fps and close range 1080p at 30fps viewing with latency as low as 110ms. A touchpad integrated into DJI Goggles makes navigating the internal menu system simple, providing easy access to key intelligent flight features such as ActiveTrack, TapFly, Terrain Follow, Cinematic Mode and Tripod Mode. In Fixed Wing Mode, DJI Goggles bring with them a whole new way to fly the Mavic Pro. In this mode, the aircraft flies forward with enough rotational movement to simulate realistic flight. An AR trajectory prediction feature in Fixed Wing Mode makes using this mode much safer in complex environments. Priced at £499 (€549), DJI Goggles will start shipping after May 20, 2017.

Western Digital today announced upgrades to their G-DRIVE, G-RAID and G-SPEED product families, including the addition of Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C connectivity. Designed for creative professionals, the new G-DRIVE with Thunderbolt 3 (available now, priced at $699.95 for 10TB, with 12TB available next quarter for $799.95; pictured) features dual Thunderbolt 3 ports and a USB-C port (supports USB 3.1 Gen 1). Users can conveniently daisy chain up to five additional devices, allowing them to keep connected to multiple drives and quickly move HD videos and 4K footage through a single connection. G-RAID with Thunderbolt 3 will become available June in up to 20TB and next quarter with up to 24TB for $1999.95. G-SPEED Shuttle XL with Thunderbolt 3 is expected to hit shelves in in up to 20TB capacity and next quarter with up to 96TB for $10,199.95, whilst the G-SPEED Shuttle XL with ev Series bay adapters will come next quarter with up to 72TB for $7,799.95.

YI Technology today announced the new YI 360 VR consumer-grade Live VR camera, which enables 360-degree 5.7K VR capture, 4K instant in-device stitching, and 2.5K live-streaming. “Virtual reality is exciting. It promises a whole new range of opportunities for creating and sharing truly immersive experiences,” said Sean Da, CEO of YI Technology. “But it can also be really intimidating. For VR to truly take off it has to be easy and fun. At YI Technology, we challenge ourselves to bring the most innovative technologies together in a way that is simple, enjoyable and useful for anyone, from kids to professionals. VR is no exception. Too many of today’s solutions are exciting in theory but really complicated in practice. That is why we worked so hard to perfect YI 360 VR. Using the best components, rigorous industrial design and many years of testing, we eliminated the cables, confusing interfaces and bulky components and added 5.7K fidelity, 4K in-device stitching and 2.5K live-streaming, all in a handy, affordable package so everyone can share exciting moments live, from any angle.” Scheduled to be released in June 2017, the YI 360 VR is available for early ordering now and will be on display at this week’s NAB 2017 show in Las Vegas.

YI Technology today unveiled YI HALO, a next-generation virtual-reality camera built with Google's Jump technology. "We announced Jump in 2015 to make high quality VR video easier to create; streamlining capture, post production, and playback processes," said Amit Singh, VP of Business for Google VR. "Since then, Jump has helped produce immersive, compelling work, and we're excited to see what's possible using YI's next-generation cameras." YI HALO consists of 17 camera units including the Jump platform’s only up-view camera unit, allowing users to experience a scene in every direction. Leveraging industrial design, electrical, firmware and optical engineering yielded a product that generates high quality 8K x 8K, 360º stereoscopic VR video at 30 frames per second, or 5.8K x 5.8K, 360º stereoscopic VR video at 60fps. The company also announced today the consumer-grade YI 360 VR camera, the only camera to offer 360-degree capture up to 5.7k and automatically video/picture stitching in the device. Both new products are on display at NAB 2017, Booth N1121VR.

DJI has introduced new hardware and a premium customer support programme to help professional customers get the most out of their aerial and hand-held imaging equipment. The new Cendence remote controller is DJI’s first multi-platform controller for professionals who need versatility, efficiency and personalisation at their fingertips. Users can program and store customised button configurations for different flight and shooting options, and can use two dials to adjust the pitch and yaw of the gimbal at the same time. With Cendence, pilots have instant access to functions like ISO, sharpness, shutter speed, focus and more, without navigating the touch menu settings on their mobile device. Cendence features built-in SDI and HDMI video transmission ports for live HD broadcast and streaming applications, and can be easily adapted to use DJI’s Lightbridge or WiFi video transmission technology. DJI Tracktenna is a high-gain antenna that improves signal reliability over long distances and resisting interference. Its built-in sensors and two-axis gimbal automatically point the antenna to the aircraft at all times, bolstering the connection even while the operator is in motion or on a vehicle. The CrystalSky family of dedicated monitors offers a brighter and more reliable display screen for pilots, photographers and filmmakers who need more robust visual information than is available on smartphones and tablets. The CrystalSky monitors are available in 5.5-inch and 7.85-inch sizes. They attach directly to the new Cendence controller, and use a new dedicated mounting bracket to attach to other DJI controllers. CrystalSky will be available soon in three configurations: a 5.5-inch, 1000 cd/m2 version for £449 (€549); a 7.85-inch, 1000 cd/m2 version for £669 (€799); and a 7.85-inch, 2000 cd/m2 version for £949 (€1,149). Cendence, DJI Tracktenna and CrystalSky are on display at the DJI booth at the NAB Show in Las Vegas, Nevada from April 24-27.

DJI have introduced their Ronin 2 three-axis camera stabiliser. Based on DJI’s transformative gimbal technology, Ronin 2 has more power and torque to carry larger cameras, is more versatile to be used in every situation, and has more intelligent features than its predecessor. Powerful gimbal motors ensure sufficient torque to handle payloads up to 13.5kg. Aided by onboard GPS, the powerful encoded motors let Ronin 2 travel at speeds of up to 75 mph while delivering the same 0.02 degrees of sub-pixel level precision that Ronin users have come to expect. New axis locking levers and fine tuning knobs deliver faster and more precise balancing, while the Auto Tune Stability feature intelligently adjusts motor parameters for optimal use in seconds. A new integrated touch screen with 1,000 nits of brightness lets professionals directly configure the gimbal settings for on-the-fly adjustments and for full control of mounted RED cameras.Ronin 2 will be available in the second quarter of 2017. Pricing will be announced prior to availability.

Light & Motion today unveiled their new Stella Pro 5000 RF and Stella Pro 8000 RF single-point LED lights. Adding complete wireless control to their list of features; these extremely portable, weatherproof and rugged 5600K continuous lights can be set up practically anywhere, with no need for DMX controllers or external wireless RF modules. Leveraging a new new technology partnership with Elinchrom, Light & Motion has incorporated the Elinchrom ‘Skyport Protocol’ into these two new Stella Pro RF units. With this protocol, the RF Control for Stella provides users with 20 channels, 4 separate groups, and the ability to turn the unit on and control its power from 0 to 100%. In addition, it is also capable of controlling up to 20 lights at a range of up to 656’/ 200m outdoors and 197’/ 60m indoors. This shared technology also potentially allows the Stella RF lights to be controlled by the new Speedmaster L858D-U with the Elinchrom/Phottix module and the Litemaster Pro L-478D-U-EL. The Stella Pro RF units will be available in June 2017. However, pre-sale is available beginning 4/24/2017 at StellaProLights.com and select participating specialty dealers across the United States.

Light & Motion and Elinchrom have announced a technical collaboration two years in the making. The synergetic relationship between the two companies is billed as "an exciting development for the ever-expanding world of on-the-go content creators requesting lighting solutions that are reliable, compact, and timesaving." The announcement of the Light & Motion and Elinchrom partnership comes with their first collaborative release of the Stella Pro 5000 RF and Stella Pro 8000 RF lights. These powerful, portable, and cord-free daylight balanced lights from Light & Motion now add complete wireless control thanks to the addition of the Skyport Protocol from Elinchrom. A new Elinchrom Skyport Remote Control for Stella was also released to conveniently manage the lights’ settings from alongside the camera/monitor, in any environment.

Panasonic have announced an upcoming firmware update for their Lumix GH5 cmpact system camera (pictured). Available from 24 April 2017, Firmware Version 1.1enables 4:2:2 10-bit video recording in either FHD [MP4(LPCM)] / [MOV] or Anamorphic (4:3) mode, in addition to the existing 4K video recording option, and fixes a couple of bugs. Click through / scroll down for the details.