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Aputure just released the new amaran 150c with 150W and the 300c with 300W. Both point-source LED lights come with RGBWW color control, optical and soft light Bowens Mount, and integrated controls, and are available for preorder now. The amaran 150c retails for $359, the 300c for $569, the Light Dome Mini SE for $69, and the amaran Spotlight SE for $335. Let’s have a closer look at these new LED fixtures and lighting modifiers.
Over the last few weeks, we have seen several new releases from Aputure: the updated amaran COB S Series LED Lights, the amaran PT1c, PT2c, and PT4c Pixel Tubes, the Aputure INFINIBAR LED Light System, and the long-awaited Aputure MC Pro Mini LED Panel Light.
The two new LED lights are using the same RGBWW full-color control as much larger fixtures, and have a CCT range from 2.500K up to 7.500K with green-magenta adjustments, and 360-degree HSI color control with >90% coverage of the Rec.2020 Color Space. According to Aputure, both fixtures have CRI/TLCI ratings over 95+, SSI Daylight ratings of 71, and SSI Tungsten scores of 83, so they should be fairly color accurate.
We have all experienced situations when lights start to produce a bothersome buzzing sound, which is annoying when you are shooting quiet scenes with actors. Aputure claims that the 150c and the 300c come with new heat sinks and a silent active cooling system. This has to be tested in a real-world situation, but at least it sounds promising.
Both fixtures have a small LCD screen at the back and two knobs to control the dimming and the color temperature. In addition, they have small built-in handles which allow you to adjust the position of the light head – quite a clever design feature!
Also, the lights can be controlled wirelessly with the Sidus Link app. From your Android/iOS smartphone or tablet, you can adjust the light output from 0 to 100%, change your color settings, trigger one of the nine built-in lighting effects, or even save up to 10 Custom FX and 10 Music FX for shooting a music video, for example.
Similar to the amaran 100d/x or 200d/x, the amaran 150c and 300c comes with an external AC power supply and a 3m/9.9ft locking power cable.
However, you can not directly power the lights via an external V-Mount/Gold Mount battery. Indeed, the 150c and 300c can be battery-powered using their 48V DC power inputs, but you’ll need two batteries and use a battery adapter like the Aputure 2-Bay battery power station (sold separately) or other power stations like the Core SWX Renegade, for example.
The 150c and the 300c feature a universal Bowens Mount and come with the Aputure Hyper Reflector. The main advantage of a Bowens Mount is that you can use many different lighting modifiers such as the new Light Dome Mini SE. This is an octabox soft light modifier, featuring an 8-sided parabolic design with a reflective silver inner lining. Measuring 58x34x21,5cm / 22,8×13,4×8,5in when built, with a weight of 0,73kg/1.61lbs, the Light Dome Mini SE is comparatively small and light for a soft light octabox. It can be used with other fixtures like the amaran COB S Series, as shown in the photo below.
The Spotlight SE is a compact projection lens that transforms your light beam into a hard spotlight. It comes with a choice of two lens options – 19º and 36º to customize your lighting. The 19º lens focuses the light output into a tighter beam, resulting in a smaller and brighter light circle. The 36º lens provides a larger beam spread for wider areas.
With internal shutters, you can shape the beam for lighting control. For additional shaping capabilities, the Spotlight SE also comes with 15 M-Size Gobo inserts. An M-Size 18-Leaf Iris is sold separately and can be combined with the shutters and gobos.
If you are planning on heading to this year’s NAB Show, the amaran 150c and 300c LED Lights and all light modifiers will be shown in Las Vegas. All products are currently available for pre-order. Pricing is as follows:
For further information please visit Aputure’s website.
Do you use amaran LED lights? Would these budget-friendly LED fixtures come in handy for your next project? Please let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
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Jürgen Moors is a freelance filmmaker based in Vienna Austria. As a pilot he is passionate about all sorts of aerial photography, but he is also working on the ground as a production manager, producer, director, editor and camera operator. Jürgen has over 35 years of experience in several departments in the film business.