International Magnesium Information Bulletin-17

（2023.03.19-2023.03.26）

DJI has announced the Ronin 4D Flex and its first zoom lens, the DL PZ 17-28mm T3.0. The 4D Flex allows operators to separate the Zenmuse X9 gimbal camera from the main body, reducing handheld weight and size.
The lens is constructed out of aluminum magnesium alloy, and it weighs 520g / 1.14 lb. It also features an internal servo zoom motor that is claimed to deliver smooth and reliable zooms without the need for an external focus motor or lens calibration. It is nice to know that the DL PZ 17-28mm can be zoomed without requiring re-balancing.

Fig 1. DJI Ronin 4D Flex & DL PZ 17-28mm T3.0 Lens.

The Audeze LCD-5 is the company's latest flagship planar magnetic headphones with a flagship price to match their technical prowess. For $4,500 you get a completely new design and one of the fastest pairs of headphones I've ever listened to. Designed and hand built in the USA, the LCD range is made to order with 3D-printed diaphragms and "exotic materials."
Audeze has put some premium materials into, onto, and around the LCD-5. Between that and the redesigned and smaller transducer, the new flagship is nearly 40% lighter than the prior LCD-4. That's good for long listening sessions, and if you're anything like me, you won't want to take them off — they sound that good. They look good too, with magnesium grilles surrounded by tortoiseshell acetate. The suspension-style headband is mostly carbon fiber to save on weight and provide all the strength that users of Audeze's carbon steel headbands are used to. The only minor quibble I have is that the headband could do with an option for those of us with larger skulls.

Fig 2. Audeze LCD-5 earphone.

The work of F1 design guru Adrian Newey – the engineer behind more than 190 grand prix wins – the Valkyrie is, essentially, a Formula 1 car for the road, delivering 1,140bhp and capable of 0-60mph in 2.5 seconds.
Hurtling around the Bahrain International Circuit in blistering heat, I’m starting to understand why, despite everything that has troubled this remarkable car since it was first announced in 2016, Aston Martin was determined to make the Valkyrie a reality.
Engineers didn’t use a single steel component in the car’s structure, which is 100 per cent carbon fibre. Every part has been on a strict diet, with magnesium alloy wheels weighing less than the tyres, the world’s smallest, high-level brake light – just 6.5mm wide – and fantastically-efficient titanium brakes with carbon-ceramic discs.

Fig 3. Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar.

The Honda NR750 was an incredibly important motorcycle in the history of the two-wheeled mode of transportation. It was the first production motorcycle to feature oval-pistoned engines, a revolutionary design that allowed the bike to produce more power than any other 4 cylinder.
The Honda NR750 was designed to be lightweight and aerodynamic in order to maximize its power output and performance. In order to achieve this, Honda used a unique construction process that included a lightweight aluminum frame, carbon fiber fairings, and titanium components. Additional weight savings were achieved by using lightweight components such as magnesium and titanium alloy wheels, a magnesium swingarm, and a titanium exhaust system. All these components together allowed Honda to reduce the overall weight of the bike without sacrificing performance or strength.

Fig 4. Honda NR750 Motorcycle

If all we’ve been used to in the past is a pair of binoculars(opens in new tab) or their lighter-weight monocular(opens in new tab) alternative, then the Celestron Regal M2 65ED spotting scope will feel properly heavy-duty by comparison. The length of our elbow, forearm, and hand combined, it’s a chunky beast, even if it is more compact than the average telescope.
Roughly the length of a human forearm complete with hand and elbow joints, the magnesium-alloy-bodied Celestron Regal M2 65ED certainly looks, well, a bit posh. Instead of a plastic or rubber slip-on eyepiece cover, we get a metal cylinder that screws into place and covers that whole section, thereby offering maximum protection for the angled eyepiece unit when transporting.

Fig 5. Celestron Regal M2 65ED