Maven’s Talon Is a Folding LED Light Designed to Save Bag Space

Michael Andrew did not set out to invent a six-panel light because photographers needed another gadget to put in their bags. He wanted to stop carrying so much lighting gear around. After one particularly painful $500 excess baggage fee, the Maven Filters founder started working on a light that could fold down small while still giving him a useful lighting surface. Seven years later, the Talon is finally here.

Maven Filters is launching the Talon as a new folding LED light designed around a simple problem: small lights are easy to carry, but their tiny lighting surfaces can be limiting. Large lights solve that problem, but they can be awkward to transport.

The Talon tries to sit somewhere between the two.

Six panels, one very strange looking light

The Talon uses a patented split arm design with three arms that fold into a compact bar. Each arm carries two LED panels, giving the light six panels in total.

Open it up and the arms spread out like an osprey’s talons, which is where the name comes from. Each panel can also be articulated independently in three dimensions, giving photographers more control over where the light is aimed.

That folding mechanism is really the interesting part. Instead of making a conventional LED panel smaller and accepting a smaller light source, Maven has taken a different approach by dividing the light across multiple panels that can collapse together.

The result is something that looks considerably more complicated than a typical pocket light, but takes up much less space when packed away.

Maven is offering three versions. The Talon Mini weighs 178g and measures 150 x 50 x 35mm when folded. It is intended for close up work, fill light, product photography, interviews and on camera use.

The larger Pro and Max models weigh 1.68 pounds and include a 4,000mAh battery and LCD status display.

Pro and Max are built for bigger jobs

The Talon Pro is bi color, covering 3200K to 5600K, and uses 96 LEDs. Maven rates it at 2,120 lux at 1m.

The Talon Max is daylight balanced and is rated at 4,170 lux at 1m.

All three models use high CRI lighting with a claimed CRI of 95 or higher. They also use a fanless driver, which should make them quieter than lights that rely on active cooling.

Brightness is controlled with a stepless dial, while USB C handles charging. The lights can also run continuously from USB power, so photographers do not have to rely entirely on the internal battery during longer shoots.

There are also 1/4 20 mounting points and a magnetic base, giving the Talon a few different ways to attach to a setup.

Maven is also making several accessories for the system. The Quick Stand extends from 36.5cm to 205cm, while a Mini Ball Head, Quick Release, Accessory Arm and Collar Mount add different mounting options. The Collar Mount is designed for the Pro and Max.

A small light still has to be a useful light

The Talon’s folding design solves a genuine problem, but there is an obvious tradeoff. Six small panels do not automatically produce the same output or light quality as a large studio source.

Maven’s idea is instead to give photographers a more useful lighting surface without asking them to carry a large fixture. That could make more sense for people shooting on location, traveling, working in small spaces or simply trying to keep a smaller kit.

The company says the Talon was developed over seven years by Andrew and electrical engineer Craig Rettew of Zepto Industries. Its folding mechanism has also received a utility patent.

The lights will launch on Kickstarter on October 13 at 8 am Pacific time. Early campaign pricing starts at $125 for the Talon Mini, compared with a listed $249 MSRP. The Pro and Max will both start at $159, compared with a $299 MSRP.

After spending seven years trying to make a light that takes up less room, Andrew’s bigger challenge may be convincing photographers that six little panels are enough to leave the big light at home. Can the Talon pull that off?

---