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Hollyland’s new Lark C1 wireless mic for smartphones lets you keep charging your phone while it’s in use

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We got to see a sneak peek of it at IBC 2022 in Amsterdam last month but now Hollyland has officially announced their new tiny wireless microphone system for iPhones. It’s the Hollyland Lark C1 and it’s essentially an update to the Lark M1 that doesn’t require a headphone jack or adapter cable. It’s available with a Lightning connector for iPhones or a USB-C connector for Android devices.

The Lightning version is fully Apple MFi-certified and both versions are fully plug-and-play, automatically detecting when the receiver is plugged into your smartphone. They’re dual-channel receivers, allowing for two microphones on two transmitters. There is also a Lightning or USB-C socket on each receiver allowing you to continue charging your mobile device while you’re recording.

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Straw delivers power to your cameras from a Type-C USB power bank

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A few months ago, some of you might remember I posted a video about some prototype USB cables I’d been testing. These cables take advantage of the USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) protocols in order to negotiate a 9v signal, instead of the USB-typical 5v, which can be used to power cameras and other devices.

Well, those cables are what is now known as Straw, and they’ve just launched on Kickstarter. Also, there are a couple of new Nikon EN-EL15 and Canon LP-E6 Type-C dummy batteries available, too. For those that missed it, here’s the video I posted back in June.

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Blindspot Gear launches range of USB PD cables to power your cameras from USB power banks

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I’m always interested in different ways of powering kit externally on location and USB Power delivery has been particularly fascinating to me. With more power banks supporting USB PD over the last couple of years, I’m actually quite surprised it’s taken this long for photographers and filmmakers to jump on it. But jump on it they now have.

Blindspot Gear, creators of the Power Junkie, have today announced a new line of “Power Pipe” cables that offer 8.4v and 12v outputs from your USB power banks to keep your cameras (and other gear) powered externally on location. As well as standard DC barrel jack versions, there’s also one specifically for the Blackmagic Pocket cameras.

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This tiny cable will power your camera from a USB power bank

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USB has been undergoing a pretty rapid development over the last few years since the Type-C connector came along. We’ve seen massive increases in speed, but it’s also received a very cool feature that few companies seem to actually be utilising; USB Power Delivery (USB PD).

It’s essentially an attempt to consolidate and standardise all of the different “quick charge” protocols that smartphone companies have implemented into their devices over the years. But did you know you can actually power a DSLR or mirrorless camera with it, too? Well, you can if you have this little cable. I was sent a couple of prototypes, so I made the above video to test them out.

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USB 3 is about to get renamed (again) and it’s going to get even more confusing

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While not strictly a photography topic, all of our cameras use USB, as do our card readers, many of our flashes, flash triggers, and other devices we use during the course of our daily photographic lives. And the numbering system used with our equipment is about to get a bit more complex.

Yes, the current USB 3 protocol is being renamed. Again. USB used to be so simple. We just had whatever the current version was. Now we’re going to have three different USB 3.2 protocols, and two of them have already have names. And one already had a name before its current name![Read More…]

The Sony A7RIII is the fastest camera out there for tethered shooting, moving photos in under a second

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Of all the features I’ve read about regarding the Sony A7RIII, this is the one that’s probably impressed me the most. I don’t often shoot tethered, but when I do, it’s often quickly. Usually, I’ve got animals in front of the camera, and they tend not to take direction very well. So, I’m shooting fast, then waiting for the computer to catch up.

According to this video from photographer Evan Guttman, that waiting all goes away with the new A7RIII. In burst mode, it manages to transfer shots from the camera to Capture One in under a second each over USB3. And yes, he’s shooting raw, not jpg.

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Anker’s PowerCore+ powers your whole photo studio

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If you’re a photographer on the move, you’re probably in a constant state of battery anxiety. Many of us carry a couple of USB battery packs with us, but with the new generation of USB-C computers coming to market, it’s possible to charge all of your gadgets – including your laptop -on the go using Anker’s new PowerCore+ power banks. [Read More…]

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