We covered the Profile Wireless when it first came out, which you can read about here, but this year at NAB, Callie gave Nino a closer look at how the system works in practice. It includes two transmitters and a receiver that slot into a compact charging bar, which doubles as a handheld interview mic or can be mounted on a tripod via a thread for desktop use. Each transmitter has a built-in mic and the option to connect an external one. The receiver connects directly to phones, laptops, or cameras using the included USB-C, Lightning, or cold shoe adapters.

Internal recording and backup options

During the conversation, Callie confirmed that the Profile Wireless could be used as a standalone microphone and that each transmitter includes 16GB of internal memory, allowing for up to 30 hours of onboard recording. This internal recording acts as a backup in case of signal dropouts or interference. There’s also a safety track mode that records a second channel at lower gain, helping to avoid distortion from sudden loud sounds. Currently, the system records at 24-bit, but Callie noted that a firmware update is planned. She also pointed out that the Profile Wireless carries Sennheiser’s signature sound profile, something the company prioritized even though they weren’t first to market.

Battery and charging

Each transmitter runs for up to 7 hours on a single charge. If needed, they can also operate while plugged into power via USB-C, making longer sessions possible without interruption. The charging bar holds both transmitters and the receiver, and when fully charged, it extends overall operating time to around 15 to 18 hours in the field without access to AC power. A USB-C to USB-C charging cable is included. The charging bar extends overall battery life and can also be mounted on a tripod.

Compatibility and connectivity

The receiver connects directly to a variety of devices, including smartphones, laptops, and DSLR cameras. It comes with USB-C and Lightning adapters, as well as a cold shoe mount and a 3.5mm TRS cable, so, as Callie pointed out, there’s no need to purchase additional accessories to get started. Each transmitter includes a locking 3.5mm input for an external lavalier mic, giving users the option to combine the built-in mic with a more concealed or specific mic placement when needed.

Price and availability

The Sennheiser Profile Wireless is available now for $299 / €237.06. For more information, please see the Sennheiser website.

What do you think about the Profile Wireless? Are you already using it? Let us know in the comments.

STORM XT52 is a pocket light from Aputure, similar in size to their tiny MC Pro. No, just kidding. In fact, STORM XT52 is one of the biggest lights the company offers and, at the same time, the brightest LED point source fixture made for filmmaking to date. The full demonstration is in the video, and technical details follow below.

Aputure STORM XT52 and its biggest USP

Yes, as Ted confirms, Aputure STORM XT52 features 5,200W of LED power. In terms of brightness, its output is comparable to a traditional 9,000W HMI, like an ARRI M90. At the same time, Aputure’s new baby claims to be 30% lighter and smaller (61 lbs or 28 kg versus approx. 86 lbs or 39 kg for a 9K HMI). It still isn’t feather-light, but it means one person can hold and operate it if needed.

With STORM XT52, Aputure clearly targets the rental market. So, it’s probably not something that independent filmmakers are going to buy and keep in their own storage but rather rent from the rental houses.

BLAIR light engine

Just like its smaller brother, STORM 1200x, presented at the NAB show last year, the new fixture has the company’s flagship BLAIR light engine. Simply put, instead of using just the white light LEDs, this chipset combines and mixes five LED colors (blue, lime, amber, indigo, and red – hence the abbreviation) to deliver a better-quality white light and scientifically recreate the curve of the spectrum of different CCTs (2500-10,000K CCT range).

People still often choose hot lights for their productions because they see these 5% of the color difference between LED and tungsten. LEDs have gotten better in terms of color quality over time. With BLAIR, it’s done. We solved it.

Ted Sim explains in the interview

Not only white

At the same time, the BLAIR light engine in STORM XT52 is able to output colors across more than 70% of the Rec.2020 color gamut. Of course, they won’t be extremely saturated, as Ted explains, but the performance of the color is comparable to the company’s STORM 1000c or 80c and covers most application cases. Following users’ demands, Aputure’s developers also added the HSIC+ mode to this fixture.

Other features of Aputure STORM XT52

The STORM XT52 can be used at full brightness while powered by a standard 6,500W generator. The fixture comes with a 7,5m head cable in the box, but the company also made an extendable head cable, which runs 45 meters in length. This means that regardless of the set-up, you can leave the control box on the ground to save on weight.

As for accessories, the standard kit for Aputure STORM XT52 includes the 35° reflector. At NAB 2025, Ted also mentioned two additional modifiers: The CF16 Fresnel (that will be available both as a manual or motorized zoom) and the Parallel Beam adapter. The latter is a hyper-narrow 5° reflector system, which allows you to project light and create spotlight effects (say, in case you want to imitate the classic Batman signal).

Pricing and availability

The Aputure STORM XT52 is currently priced at $13,100.00, with some local dealers offering early bird pricing options. (Contact them if you want to get your new fixture at a reduced price.) The STORM XT52 should start to ship at the end of April 2025, and the mentioned modifiers should be within the next two months.

For more information, please visit the product page on Aputure’s website here.

What do you think about Aputure STORM XT52? A mighty beast, huh? And what about the BLAIR light engine? Have you already had the chance to use it to its fullest? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

It’s important to note what Simon pointed out: the idea of AI is not to replace the person “in the seat” but to provide tools that simply make editing quicker. Let’s have a look at what stood out!

AI script-based pre-editing – Intelliscript

One of the most exciting new features is Intelliscript, an AI-powered tool that assembles timelines based on a written script, a transcript, or an audio transcription. It doesn’t require any special formatting – a basic text file with paragraphs is enough. Editors can use this to auto-assemble long interviews or scripted scenes, with the system matching text to spoken content.

When multiple takes exist, the tool stacks them in the timeline so you can choose the best version during the edit. It also works with multi-camera setups, allowing the same script to be applied across multiple angles.

AI-assisted multicam switching

Nino asked Simon how Resolve handles multicam edits, especially with two or three cameras recording at once. He pointed out the new AI Multicam Smart Switch, an AI tool that analyzes mouth movement and audio to identify who’s speaking and automatically switches angles. It’s useful for podcasts or interviews recorded without live switching. If the footage is synced via timecode, the tool can generate a clean first pass. Simon noted it’s not meant to replace live switching but offers a helpful shortcut in post.

AI Voice Conversion tool and music editing

The update also introduces a voice replacement feature. Editors can swap out a voice using built-in models or a voice sample – for example, to change a voice or an accent or fix a line. Nino asked Simon whether Resolve can actually learn someone’s voice. He confirmed that it can: Resolve includes a learning module that allows users to train a voice model by uploading a sample. While the built-in models cover common needs, users who want something more specific have the option to create their own.

Music trimming has also been improved: Resolve can now automatically identify loop points and restructure a track to match the length of your edit. Instead of manually cutting and blending sections, you can simply drag the cue shorter or longer, and the software adjusts it in the background.

More editing tools for DaVinci Resolve 20

Simon said that many of the tools are meant to save editors time. Here are some examples:

• Media Pool stacking, so you can manually order clips before dropping them into a timeline.
• A new Source Timeline view that lets you edit from one timeline into another – handy for doc-style workflows.
• A redesigned keyframe editor with spline support, bringing more of Fusion’s animation power directly into the edit page. It’s especially useful for animating layered PSD files.

Cut page improvements

The Cut page has been updated with features like dynamic trimming, for example, aimed at speeding up fast-turnaround edits. It now includes a full-height portrait mode, making it easier to work with vertical video for social platforms. Mouse-based trimming has also been added, bringing Speed Editor-style functionality to users without the hardware. In addition, new AI-assisted trimming tools help streamline edits without interrupting the flow of the timeline.

Fusion gets deep image compositing

Although it wasn’t mentioned in the interview, according to their webpage, Fusion offers a Deep Image Compositing toolset. This feature typically allows for advanced layering and depth-based compositing workflows, which is especially useful for VFX-heavy pipelines.

Privacy and AI training

Simon emphasized that no user content is used to train AI models (except when explicitly providing a voice sample for voice conversion). AI tools may perform temporary cloud-based processing, but project files and media stay local.

Price and availability

The public beta is available now, and you can download it here. As in the past, it is free. Some features are still being finalized and could carry a small fee down the line, but nothing has been confirmed yet.

How do you see AI fitting into your editing process? Let us know in the comments below.

What caught my attention with Portkeys monitors a few years back was perhaps the camera control capability, as they were among the first companies to offer this. Nowadays, Portkeys has a wide range of products for every budget and size.

Last year in September, during the IBC show, we got a first look at their BM5 IV WR monitor. This year at NAB, the Chinese monitor manufacturer introduced a new 7″ monitor with camera control – the Portkeys LS7P. Let’s take a quick look at its specs and features.

Portkeys LS7P monitor

The display unit used in the upcoming LS7P monitor is a 7″ LCD (1920×1080) screen with a contrast ratio of 1000:1 and 1000 nits brightness. The available color gamut is a classic Rec.709

In terms of connectivity, the monitor has both SDI and HDMI input/output ports. The HDMI supports up to 4K 30fps input and up to 1080p 60fps output. Both SDI ports are 3G-SDI, so they are limited to 1080p. The LS7P supports SDI cross-convert to HDMI.

The wireless camera control features are included with this model, and Samuel told us Portkeys added new camera models to the supported camera control list, including the Canon C400, Canon C80, and Sony FX6 (including the control of the built-in ND filter).

As usual, this new Portkeys monitor includes many assist features (histogram, focus peaking, false color, vectorscope, etc. The included MOVNORM OS also features the Log exposure chart and the Touch focus frame function.

As Samuel told us, Portkeys is working on two new techniques that are still in the testing phase and expected to roll out later this year (I suppose as a firmware update to select Portkeys monitors):

• stop-based log false color – this is similar to the EL-zone false color. You can select the level of exposure that you would like to see on the monitor.
• multi-camera control

The Portkeys LS7P chassis is made of aluminum alloy, and the whole product weighs 409g (0.9 lbs). The monitor can be powered with an NP-F battery, a power cable, or via the Portkeys dummy battery. The maximum power consumption is 13W, the input voltage is 7-20V, and the NP-F dummy battery plate at the back can have a wireless transmitter or receiver mounted directly on it.

Price and availability

The final price of the monitor has not been finalized yet, but as Samuel told us, Portkeys will aim to keep it below $500.

Do you use Portkeys monitors for your productions? What do you think about the new Portkeys LS7P? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section underneath the article.

Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music PlayerFM iHeart Radio YouTube

Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by FUJIFILM. Check it out at 38:19.

Also big shoutout to iodyne, who hosted us at their booth. They’re all about fast storage workflows for professionals, check out their site: https://iodyne.com.

Chapters & Articles Mentioned in This Episode:

00:00 – Intro

01:02 – Is this NAB changing? Question to Michael Cioni

06:26 – How could NAB develop in the future?

10:03 – Content consumption is higher than ever – so why is the industry struggling?

15:08 – Michael’s prediction of a new category of content between streaming platforms and YouTube

20:12 – What happened to Vimeo?

23:01 – What’s the trend at this year’s NAB?

29:15 – How Chinese manufacturers are getting so good at manufacturing

34:12 – Why California is such a good spot for software developers

39:24 – What is repatriation?

43:29 – Michael explains the idea behind his latest startup and how innovation is happening

46:28 – The different approaches of camera manufacturers

49:12 – Will RED’s bottom-up approach frustrate the existing user base?

53:34 – Why are major players becoming more open and allowing others to integrate their technology (e.g., Apple ProRes on Windows)?

55:46 – How will the camera of the future look?

We hope you enjoyed this episode!

You have feedback, comments, or suggestions? Write us at podcast@cined.com 

CineD congratulates the winners of this year’s CineD Best-of-Show Awards for NAB 2025! As a reminder, we had seven categories in which manufacturers were invited to submit their products.

CineD Best-of-Show Awards for NAB – categories:

• AI Innovation
• Audio Equipment
• Battery Innovation
• Broadcast Innovation
• Camera
• Camera Control & Accessories
• Camera Support
• Lenses
• Lighting Equipment
• Monitors & Recording

Now, it is important to point out that prior submission to the awards by the manufacturers was a requirement for us to be able to prepare and dedicate the required amount of time for judging. 

But without further ado, here are our winners and nominees in each category!

AI Innovation – Winner: HeyEddie.ai

Before you scream, “traitors,” here’s the deal: You can hate on AI, but it will not make it go away. We will not consider products or technologies that are trying to replace creativity – we are considering the ones that are there to augment it.

Remember the days when our fantasies about the future centered around having robotic helpers that would do the work nobody wanted to do? This can also be extended to the most basic editing tasks, where many repetitive things have to be done regularly.

Turns out that both of this year’s nominees fall exactly in this category: the Adobe Media Intelligence and Search Panel in Adobe Premiere and Eddie AI (link to our article). Both are designed to take over the most mundane assistant editor tasks and help streamline the early, often tedious stages of editing.

We decided to give the award to Eddy.ai since we see lots of potential in their approach to help with mundane editing tasks, and their integration with all kinds of NLE’s makes it a versatile companion app. Congratulations! You can also check out their product on their website.

Audio Equipment – Winners: Saramonic and Hollyland

Lots of great innovation is happening in the audio field, which is why we decided to award two very different solutions catering to different ends of the spectrum – but equally relevant for independent filmmakers or small crews.

The nominees were Saramonic for the Saramonic K9, DJI for the DJI Mic Mini, and Hollyland for the Lark Max 2 and the Lark MS2.

Our first winner was Saramonic: The Saramonic K9 is a professional audio system that transmits in a UHF band instead of 2.4GHz. It brings internal 32-bit float recording, timecode sync, and UHF diversity to improve signal reliability and reduce interferences. But what really caught our attention is its miniature Lavalier microphone (only 3mm). In a convincing demonstration, we saw this Lavalier surviving dust, water, flour (and more) and still continuing to work. Even the cable attached to it seemed to be unique in the sense that it was hard to destroy. 
Last but not least, $999 will buy you a kit of two professional transmitters and a single receiver, all in a compact, robust case. 

Our second winner is the Hollyland Lark Max 2 wireless audio transmission system, which consists of two senders, an on-camera receiver, as well as a smartphone receiver. Compared to the first version, it has been updated to support 32-bit float recording inside the transmitters. They offer an optional hot shoe adapter that allows the receiver to communicate directly with Sony cameras, so there is no need to use the cable. What really convinced us was their optional wireless monitoring solution – over-ear headphones that connect to the receiver, which in turn can be connected to the camera, so you are actually hearing what’s being recorded in-camera (which is crucial!). A smart idea for monitoring that does away with the typical cable-connected headphones is especially relevant for one-man band content creation.

Battery Innovation

This is the only category we chose not to award this year. While the submission from CoreSWX for their Nano M-Snap Battery Packs was very solid, we felt it didn’t quite meet the threshold for an innovation award.

Broadcast Innovation – Adobe

We were discussing if this was a better fit in the AI category, but it definitely also fits here: the Adobe Generative Extend in Premiere Pro, which lets you add up to two seconds of new footage to the start or end of a clip using Firefly AI – useful for smoothing transitions without reshoots. Another time-saver for those times when you simply need a few more frames for an edit and don’t have them. Check it out on their website.

Camera – Blackmagic Design

In terms of Camera Innovation, Blackmagic Design stole the show once again with the introduction of the 12K version of their PYXIS camera. What’s remarkable is that they managed to put this extremely high-performing sensor in such a small body. Its performance was evidenced by the results of our Lab Test of the URSA Cine 12K, which was the first camera to have that same sensor.

Other submissions in this category were the Proton HFR camera, DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro, and OBSBOT Tail 2.

Camera Control & Accessories – DJI

This is traditionally a very diverse category with a wide range of submissions and nominations, so it’s never easy to judge.

Ultimately, the CineD team agreed to award the prize to DJI for the DJI RS 4 Mini since it shows the biggest advancement in gimbals in a long time because of its very convincing Intelligent Tracking Module.

Other nominees in this category include the Hollyland Cosmo C2, the Bun-G-Ring, and the OWC Jellyfish S24 and ThunderBlade X12.

Camera Support – MID49 and Tilta

Also never an easy category to judge, as camera support covers a broad spectrum of products that are often difficult to compare directly. In the end, we decided on two ex aequo winners for the CineD Best-of-Show Award for NAB in the category of Camera Support: MID49 for the TWIST Ball Arm, and Tilta for the Nucleus-M II.

MID49’s TWIST Ball Arm is innovative because in the area of “magic arms,” there’s usually little magic, but this one is different: its friction design allows for grabbing and twisting it without loosening a thumbscrew.

The other winner in this category is the Tilta Nucleus-M II, which convinced us it was a worthy successor of Tilta’s incredibly popular Nucleus M. Tilta proved that they listened to a lot of customer feedback, addressing many pain points of the original system, and also adding some really innovative functions to this remote follow focus, which is offered at a very competitive price.

Other nominees in this category were Ghost Kits for their Specter device, Atomos for the ATOMOSphere cloud service, and, again, Tilta for their Electronic Suction Cup Monitoring Kit (which allows you to check the status of up to ten of their electronic suction cups remotely – from inside the car, for instance – to check whether they are still safely attached).

Lenses – Laowa & DZOFILM

Lenses are always an interesting category, with many very different products to choose from. We decided to focus on the innovation aspect here and, in the end, awarded two competitors with very similar products, Laowa and DZOFILM, for their new probe lenses. Both models have their advantages, but we can see how both companies did a good job innovating in this field: both offer a wide-angle zoom, both cover full frame, and both have 360-degree versions and periscope versions available.

Other nominees in this category are FUJIFILM for the Duvo™ HZK14-100mm Portable PL Mount Zoom Lens, Blazar for the Mantis 1.33x FF Anamorphic Lens, and Beastgrip for the Beastgrip DOF Adapter Фoton.

Lighting Equipment – NANLITE

In the Lighting Equipment category, we opted to go for something “small” and chose the NANLITE PavoTube II 6XR, which is the successor of an extremely popular tiny RGB tube light. It’s incredibly versatile, can be fully controlled and synched remotely, and so on. Check the details in our article!

Other nominees in this category include Godox for the MS60R/Bi, Astera for QuikSpot, NANLITE for the Evoke 5000B, and Aputure for the Storm XT52.

Monitors & Recording – ASUS

In this category of the CineD Best-of-Show Awards for NAB 2025, the ASUS ProArt Display OLED PA32UCDM convinced us. 10-bit color in an ultra-wide display, combined with a great maximum brightness of 1,000 NITs and 240 Hz for less than $2K, is kind of a big deal and a remarkable achievement.

Other nominees include the DJI SDR Transmission system and the SWIT K15 Field Monitor.

What do you think about this year’s CineD Best-of-Show Awards for NAB 2025? Let us know in the comments below!

DZOFILM offers quite a large line of cinema lenses, such as the Arles set of lenses, which then expanded with the Arles B Set. When asked why DZOFILM decided to expand into the probe zoom lens market, Susanne said they are always eager to push the boundaries and give something new to their users.

Versatile design with three versions

There are now three versions of the X-tract lens – 0° (direct view), 90° (periscope), and 360° (periscope). The angled 360° version lets you capture both low and overhead shots by rotating the lens a full 360 degrees. Susanne explained that the 360° version works with two prisms to get at all the angles. The X-tract covers full-frame and zooms from 18 to 28mm at a consistent aperture of T8 to T45, which is rare for a probe lens.

With up to 2.1:1 magnification and parfocal design, you can move from extreme close-ups to wider framing without needing to refocus or move the camera. The lens includes 0.8 MOD gears for focus, iris, and zoom, and features a 300° focus rotation for precise control when paired with a follow-focus system. Nino also pointed out that chromatic aberration appears to be minimal, even at close focus.

Compact build for tight spaces

Despite all that flexibility, the X-tract lens is quite compact at just 41.4 cm (16.3 inches) long with a front diameter under 3cm (1.2 inches), so it should work very well in tight setups or tabletop work, for example. It weighs 1.08 kg (2.38 lb). The lens focuses as close as 0.24 inches, and the straight version gives a direct forward view, while the 90° and 360° options open up more creative angles depending on what you’re shooting.

Key features of the DZOFILM Probe

• Full Frame | T8 Maximum Aperture
• Innovative 90° Probe Zoom
• 0.8 MOD FIZ Gears, 300° Focus Rotation
• 2.1:1 Image Magnification
• Versatile 73 to 100° Angle of View
• Minimum Focus: 0.24″
• <1.2″ Front Outside Diameter
• Compact 16.3″ Length
• ED and HRI Elements Reduce Aberrations
• Waterproof, Dustproof, and Anti-Fog

Specifications

• Focal Length – 18 to 28mm
• Maximum Aperture – T8
• Lens Mount – ARRI PL
• Angle of View – Full Frame (Horizontal: 100 to 73°)
• Zoom Ratio – 1.56x
• Minimum Focus Distance – From front of lens: 0.2″ / 6 mm
• Maximum Magnification Ratio – 2.1:1
• Lens Mounting – 1x 1/4″-20 (via Included Support Foot), 3x 3/8″-16 (via Included Support Foot)
• Gear Standard – Focus: 0.8 MOD, Iris: 0.8 MOD, Zoom: 0.8 MOD
• Gear Rotation – Focus: 300°

Price and availability

The X-tract 0° and 90° Macro Zoom Probe Lenses are available now, each priced at $3,499 / €3,531.70. They currently ship with a PL mount, but Susanne mentioned that an EF mount option is coming. The 360° version is expected to be released within the next month. For now, the lenses are only sold individually, though a full set may become available once all three versions are out. For more information, please see the DZOFILM website.

How would you use a macro zoom probe like this in your own workflow? What’s your ideal setup for getting extreme close-ups? Does this kind of lens solve a problem for you, or just open up new creative rabbit holes? Let us know in the comments below!

Phone cameras have been used by filmmakers daily for years already because of their portability (the best camera is the one you have in your pocket all the time). The two latest generations of Apple iPhones (Pro models), however, took the video quality to the next level thanks to the internal 10-bit Apple Log recording, ProRes, and other pro features.

While the original Apple camera app offers all the main functions, some third-party apps bring more options and flexibility. One of the most popular ones is the free Blackmagic Design camera app (which is now compatible with Android phones, too). Mavis camera app for iPhones has been available for a long time as well, but the company behind the app released a new version with a handful of innovations during this year’s NAB show. Let’s take a quick look at the details.

Mavis camera app

On the NAB show floor, we met with Patrick Holroyd from Mavis to tell us more about the Mavis camera app. One of the unique features of the Mavis app is the integration with Adobe’s frame.io camera-to-cloud (C2C) workflow. The content starts uploading while the camera is still shooting. With a stable internet connection, the process is quick and suitable for fast turnaround content.

On top of frame.io, the newly launched Mavis C2C feature is a paid, subscription-based service that enables progressive uploading to Grass Valley Framelight X, Sony Ci Media, Amazon S3, and MediaSilo.

You can also stream directly from the app to various streaming providers such as YouTube, Twitch, Instagram, and more. Custom RTMP is supported as well.

The way the user interface is designed in the Mavis app allows for a simple operation for users who do not want to deal with manual settings. On the other hand, pro users can dive deeper into all the menus and settings to be able to customize all the settings of the app.

Additionally, the Mavis app features a comprehensive audio system that allows multiple audio inputs. These can be mixed or recorded individually.

Naturally, the app can record in all available frame rates and resolutions, in Apple Log, Pro Res, etc. There are assist features for filmmakers such as focus peaking, expanded focus, false color, vectorscope, histogram, zebras, and more.

Compared to the free Blackmagic app, for instance, the Mavis app offers a simple and elegant user interface and a few extra features, such as direct streaming or SRT, as Patrick told us. The app works natively on iOS devices with iOS 18.0 (iPadOS 18.0) or later, so all the latest iPhone and iPad models are compatible.

Price and availability

The Mavis app is now available for download in the Apple app store. The app itself can be downloaded free of charge. To use some of the more advanced features, such as the audio mixer, frame.io connection, or timecode, you would have to pay around $14.99 for the “Pro Pack” as a one-time in-app purchase.

Mavis C2C will be available for $14.99 per week or $29.99 monthly.

Do you use an iPhone for your video production? What do you think about the Mavis Camera app? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section underneath the article.

Last year at the IBC trade show, BLAZAR introduced the APEX 1.33x – the first anamorphic lens with autofocus. This time, during NAB 2025, the Chinese lens company introduced a new anamorphic lens series – the BLAZAR Mantis. We were, of course, at the NAB show floor to talk about the details of the new lens series. Let’s dive right into it.

BLAZAR Mantis – 1.33x anamorphic with the 2x look

Although the squeeze ratio is only 1.33x, BLAZAR emphasizes that the lenses deliver a 2x look characteristic. As Jaxon Schriever from BLAZAR showed us, the Mantis lenses have an oval-shaped 14-bladed IRIS mechanism at the back that stays consistent through the whole T-stop range. That results in the out-of-focus areas looking more stretched than 1.33x (oval bokeh typical for anamorphic).

The Mantis lens set contains five focal lengths:

• 25mm T2.4
• 35mm T2.0
• 50mm T2.0
• 75mm T2.0
• 100mm T2.4

The practicality of the BLAZAR Mantis 1.33x squeeze ratio lies in the ability to provide an anamorphic look to cameras that do not offer open gate modes or have 16:9 or 17:9 image sensors. These cameras would not have enough vertical resolution to fully make use of a 2x anamorphic lens, for instance.

When it comes to close focus, the 25mm can focus as close as 1.25ft (0.38m), the 35mm and 50mm manage 1.57ft (0.48m), and finally, the 75mm and 100mm lenses feature a close focus of 2.2ft (0.67m). The focus throw is the same on each lens in the set – 180°.

In terms of sharpness, the Mantis line should be on par with the Remus line, perhaps a tiny bit sharper as the squeeze ratio is lower. The flares show a slight amber tint.

BLAZAR also claims the lenses are compact and lightweight, ranging from 1.43 lbs (650g) to 1.74 lbs (790g). The front diameter is the same across the whole set – 80mm. When it comes to the front filter thread, all the lenses in the series except the 25mm lens feature a 77mm thread.

Mantis lenses come natively in PL and E mounts, with full support for EF, RF, Z, and L mounts. Thanks to Mantis’s interchangeable mount design, you can switch between all these mounts.

Price and availability

The first BLAZAR Mantis lenses (35mm, 50mm, and 75mm) will be available for pre-order from May 2025, and they should ship in June 2025. The other two focal lengths (25mm and 100mm) will open for pre-order in June 2025 and should ship in July 2025.

Pricing of the BLAZAR Mantis lenses has not been finalized yet, but Jaxon told us it should be somewhere around $1,000 to $1,200 per lens (similar to BLAZAR Remus pricing).

Do you use 1.33x anamorphic lenses for your productions? What do you think about the new BLAZAR Mantis series? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section underneath the article.

Camera batteries are perhaps not the most exciting part of every filmmaker’s gear kit, but they are indeed essential. While the safest option is to buy original battery packs from our camera manufacturer, third-party options have been constantly getting better. Let’s take a quick look at the new charger and camera batteries from Tilta.

Tilta’s Portable Charging Station simplifies charging

This recently announced charger seeks to tame the chaos of charging all your camera batteries in the field. It isn’t uncommon for camera chargers to only take up to two batteries at a time, and many chargers charge them one at a time (sequentially). Tilta’s charger will charge all four batteries in about 3 hours. This requires that you connect its USB-C cable to a charger that can provide 45 watts of power, which you will need to provide.

It also features indicator lights to monitor charging progress. Tilta’s NP-F style batteries can be charged without a standalone charger by connecting them via USB-C.

Compatibility

The Tilta Portable Charging Station was initially announced for both Sony NP-FZ100 and NP-FW50 batteries, but the company now released models that support all major camera manufacturers – Nikon, Panasonic, Canon, and FUJIFILM with a focus on smaller camera bodies. We’ll see both portable chargers and batteries from Tilta for these brands.

• Panasonic DMW-BLK22
• FUJIFILM NP-W235
• Nikon EN-EL15
• Sony NP-W235
• Sony Np-FZ100

On the positive side, you can see from the top view that it does charge two different kinds of Sony batteries. Tilta makes both styles, the NP-FZ100 (2400mAh) and NP-FW50 (980mAh) or other camera brands as well.

The good thing is that these are four-channel chargers, so the inserted batteries should fill up fairly quickly.

Thankfully, the batteries themselves have a USB-C input so they can also be charged without the charger if needed.

Price and availability

The Tilta Portable Charging Station currently retails for $26.10 and should be shipping this month. For more information, visit Tilta’s website.

Would you replace your charging setup with Titla’s solution? Let us know in the comments below.