Tiffen Launches Lowel Tota LED Production Kit, Steadicam Air Spreader, New Diopters
The company’s latest solutions address location lighting, camera stabilization and close-focus capability.
The Tiffen Co. has introduced the Lowel Tota LED Production Kit, the Steadicam Air Spreader and two new 138mm full-field diopters.
The Lowel Tota LED Production Kit (pictured above) takes Lowel lighting on the road, combining three Tota LED lighting fixtures with combination V-Mount/AC power supplies, three stands, a silver-reflective Tota-brella and a white-silk Tota-brella in a soft case.
The Tota LED is a powerful daylight source with a CRI of 96.3. The ability to power the lights via AC power or V-Mount batteries makes them a flexible solution for location work. Their low power draw means hours of light off of common professional batteries. The Tota LED is ideal for use outdoors for stand-ups, for increasing the ambient illumination of a space or for creating a three-light setup for interviews. The Tota-brellas can quickly modify the LED’s clean, clear light by reflecting or diffusing it.
The Tota LED floodlight is designed with rugged, all-metal construction to withstand the rigors of daily location shooting. Its daylight-balanced LEDs (5600K) output the equivalent of a 750-watt tungsten fixture with flicker-free dimming from 100-0 percent. The custom case securely stores the fixtures and all accessories with internal dividers and features an additional zippered compartment and a padded shoulder strap.
The Steadicam Air Spreader is a foldable, screw-in, three-leg base option for the Steadicam Air 15 or Air 25 gas-powered monopods. The Air Spreader increases the overall stability of the monopod while offering the potential for more comfortable operation, depending on the application.
Available as an accessory to the Steadicam Air 15 and Air 25 monopods, the Air Spreader can be installed in under a minute by simply unscrewing the post that connects the rubber foot at the bottom of the monopod and screwing the Air Spreader into its place. Once attached, the Air Spreader’s legs can fold up to be packed in the standard Steadicam Air carrying case without removal. An adjustable-friction ball head at the top of the Air Spreader allows the angle of the monopod to be adjusted dynamically and locked into place for creative applications.
In response to filmmakers’ requests, Tiffen has expanded its family of close-up optics with +1/8 and +1/4 138mm-diameter diopters. The lower-powered diopters subtlety extend the focus capabilities of lenses, especially popular anamorphic and older spherical lenses, without distortion. They also create a shallower depth of field to isolate subjects and remove unwanted background elements.
The diopters’ 138mm diameter allows them to work with standard accessories such as matte boxes and diopter holders. They match the existing Tiffen family of diopters that includes +1/2, +1, +2 and +3.
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