TALON is a patented series of three pocket-sized folding LED lights that are designed to deliver high-quality light with portability. The three-model TALON line opens quickly, and the smallest size weighs in at just 178g / 6.28 oz. TALON will launch on Kickstarter on October 13, 2026, at 8:00 a.m PST.
Overview
According to its developer, Michael Maven, who previously made the Maven color-coded magnetic filter system, TALON has been in development for seven years. According to Michael, TALON is a new category of portable LED light designed for photographers, videographers and content creators who need a large-surface-area, soft light source that is extremely portable.
The TALON series consists of three models:
- Mini
- Pro
- Max
Split-arm design
TALON utilizes a quite unusual split-arm design that folds two LED panels into a single compact bar on three sides, giving you six panels in total. In some ways, it sort of reminds me of a mini-sized Hudson Spider that has three arms instead of 8.
When you open it up, the arms fan out. The whole concept behind this design is to spread light across a footprint many times the size of the closed unit. This is claimed to produce a soft, wraparound illumination normally associated with larger softboxes or panels.
Each TALON uses high-CRI (95+) LEDs with a flicker-free, fanless driver, so skin tones stay accurate and footage stays clean at standard shutter speeds and frame rates.
The TALON Mini (178 g, 150 × 50 × 35 mm folded) is the pocket close-up light, a full three-arm TALON roughly the size of a phone, ideal as a fill or key light for interviews, product shots and on-camera work.
The TALON Pro is bi-color (3200-5600 K) with 96 LEDs and 2,120 lux at one meter, and the TALON Max is a daylight-balanced powerhouse delivering 4,170 lux at one meter. They both weighing 1.68 Ib with a 4,000 mAh battery and have a LCD status readout.
Built-in Battery
All three models feature a built-in battery. The Pro and Max versions have a 4,000 mA batery, while the Mini has a smaller 1,000 mA battery. The lights can be run directly from a USB-C PD power source if you prefer. They can also be charged via USB-C.
I am in two minds about products with built-in batteries. While it is nice to have a self-contained unit, batteries deteriorate over time, and then you can end up with e-waste, as eventually the whole unit would need to be thrown out.
Power Draw
Strangely, the company doesn’t list what the power draw of the fixtures is.
Pricing & Avalability
The TALON lights will be available to back via Kickstarter for the following prices:
- TALON Mini $125 USD (MSRP $249)
- TALON Pro $159 USD (MSRP $299)
- TALON Max $159 USD (MSRP $299)
- A Creator Bundle (one of each light plus two Quick Stands) is $499 USD (MSRP $1,099)
- Studio Bundle (two of each light with stands, ball heads, quick releases and a carry case) is $999 USD (MSRP $2,499).
Accessories include the TALON Quick Stand, a 36.5 cm (14.4 in) tripod that extends to 205 cm (6 ft 9 in), plus a Mini Ball Head, Quick Release plate, Accessory Arm and a Collar Mount for Pro and Max.
The campaign runs at kickstarter.com. Initial Kickstarter shipping countries: USA, UK, Canada, Australia and Japan.
With any crowd funding project, please use common sense and your own best judgment before backing as there are no gauruntees.
