I was thinking for the best ever color quality $250 is a helluva great price. Still $350 is isn't bad either. With no major faults it's a must by imo for home users.
I bought two of the 200x (not S) lights two weeks ago and am very happy with them. I ordered the first one, tried it, then immediately ordered the second one. As to the build quality, within hours of removing light #1 from the box, my dog and I pulled it off the table twice, hitting the hard floor hard enough to ovalize the reflector. But the light is fine. I prefer the light weight of the 200x to the more robust build of the more expensive lights as they will be used in a home studio/shop anyway. But I kept the boxes just in case. This is a good sign that Aputure is introducing the new technology in its budget friendly line of products. This should spur on the competition and result in lower prices and better gear for all of us. As always, great job on the review, Curtis.
Great information, as always, and the fact that you're willing to update for things like pricing is a testament to how great a resource your channel is. Thank you for the work you do!
Another great review, Curtis. What baffles me is that the improved lights are the same price as the previous models. This new technology makes me scratch off the other models/brands.
Thanks for this detailed review, you've convinced me to go for the Amaran 200xs as my key light with a Light Dome iii for making piano tutorial videos. I have a question I'm sure others would share: what stand would you recommend for this permanently set up in a home studio please? If anyone else has any recommendations also, would love to hear them. Many thanks
The new Amaran lights really look nice! Unfortunately, I had a failure of one of my Amaran lights during the warranty period and there was a complete lack of warranty support. Now I'm hesitant to add any additional Aputure /Amaran lights to my kit.
@kushagra K Mine was not damaged. It was a manufacturer's defect. Aputure said that they would cover it and provided an RMA number. Once they received my light, they didn't repair it, replace it , or even return it. They just kept it and quit responding to emails. Kind of unbelievable really!
Great vid as usual Curtis! how bad is the fan noise? Can it be heard if the light is less than a metre away from the mic? I'm trying to avoid having to edit it out of my audio.. currently have the GVM 100W and the fan is real loud smh. Trying to decide between this and the Godox UL60 which is fanless. For studio/basement use 🤔
Just ordered two and going to compare to my gelled Arri T1s that give me an SSI of 95 for D55 with a Roscoe 3203 and 3216. Hoping that these will work well for my use case.
Is it really a big difference with the previous version especially when working on a short film or an interview for example ? How this new version is gonna help ! I wanted to see a test showing similar shots lighted with these 2 version so we can see the real difference.
I don't have the old version any longer, sorry. But when the skin tones come out spot on like it did with this light vs. the other 95 CRI light, it means less post/grading for my work.
Thanks for the review Curtis - just picked one up. It's a shame about the lack of a carry case though - I'd happily buy it separately but they don't seem to make one. Given it is a (mainly) plastic light, it's something I would have thought would have been an option
Does the optical modifiers work well on these now? I have seen weird patterns when they are mounted with he 2X fresnel or the Projection/Spotlight mount
Hi Curtis : Question. I was watching some of your older videos from 8 years ago and you were recommending the Audio Technica AT4053B for indoor dialogue . Is that still your preference in 2023 ? Would love to see an updated video of : what microphones do I use in 2023 !
Curtis, would I be correct in assuming that I would only be achieving 100w each at both 3200k and 5600k? Apologies if you covered this somewhere in the video, I just didn’t see it
hey can you please do another more portable light comparison/recommendation, you seem very genuine and have the skill to test the quality of the light, a very difficult benchmark for us normies lol. please consider my idea for a video or even a reply with some model numbers, it would help out a lot. budget is low lol, but quality is the most important,roughly up to the level this light is in CRI or whatever the benchmarks where. your videos are amazing and I'm just learning about mics to, so I'll be watching a ton of your videos in the coming months and wanted to thank you in advance.
Thanks for the great review. looks like a very good light to purchase. What would be your recommendation if I wanted to use it with a much larger diffuser I already own. Thanks
Hi Curtis. I’m looking into purchasing this light. What would be the best modifier for an interview key light for this? I need this for run and gun situations and traveling to shoots and I hear the Light Dome SE is difficult to setup and pack down. Are there any good alternatives?
The light dome 3 is great, but it pushes the boundaries of what this light is designed to hold. I use that combo in studio and it has been fine. You'll also want solid light stands and place on of the legs under the soft box to keep it upright.
@Curtis Judd. I just subscribed and I am so thankful for your videos. Is the 100x s suitable for single person interviews with a soft box. I would go with the 200x a but don’t know if it’s overkill.
@@curtisjudd Thanks so much for confirming! Is there any easy to setup softbox you recommend? I bought the P60c, but may return it. The softbox was a bit frustrating.
Hi! Great review! I consider buying the light after watching it. However I wonder if I really need 200W. I can see that Aputure released also 100x S. What is your take on that?
Please do a test like this on the new GVM PRO line. Theyre definitely trying to give Aputure a run for their money but all the tests I've seen of them look pretty bad, especially when comparing to the results these simple Amaran 200x S do. Thanks as always for being one of the best channels on TH-cam. It's refreshing to see objective gear info in this world as there's so few of those given how so many people just want to keep the companies happy so they can continue getting free stuff. ❤
all the lights these days are so good that i'd be surprised if anyone could honestly see a difference in a real world application such as shooting a scene in a film
@@curtisjudd that's a great video. I spent a career using traditional incandescent lights, and LED lights have tons of benefits. But for simulating sunlight through an exterior window coming in through shades, or as a key light for someone in make up (which has its own color) I've never seen that big of a shift. The only experiment I've run where there is a very noticeable difference is using outdoor LED flood lights like you would at a baseball stadium or to light a soccer field. In those applications, the light quality has a lot less contrast. Which I guess if they were used for the right application, would be ok. I still think rodger deakins swears by HMI and tungsten.... But if they're looking at a 1/16 color shift, how good is the story...
Good video. Like to buy this for the interview video as a key light. What kind of softbox you recommend for this light? One man band so like to buy the light one. Light dome II or Light dome mini II more practical?
Curtis I have no comment related to this video... but I am hoping you'll read this anyway :) I always enjoy all of your videos. Full of great info and practical use tips. It would be great to see a review of the Zoom M4. I'd really like to hear your professional opinion of this recorder. Hope to see it soon! :) Thanks!
I have this light but don’t like having to find outlet sources in certain situations. Are there any budget friendly solutions for making this light a portable solutions like using vmount batteries?
Fantastic review. Have you tried it with the Fresnel 2x? The Amaran compatibility page says the 200x is compatible with but not optimized for use with the Fresnel 2x, whatever that means.
Hi Curtis, how does this compare to the Prolycht Orion 300 in terms of colour reproduction by eye? Say for skin tones? I recall you mentioned in a previous video the PO300 scored lower in the metrics but by eye produced more real, subjectively pleasing skin tones compared to the Aputure 300X which had higher metric scores. Wonder if this holds true with the 200XS? Also would love a comparison to the iFootage Anglerfish lights. Similar concept and wonder how they compare. Thank you!
Skin tones with this looked closer to tungsten/halogen light than any other LED I’ve ever used. I’ll take predictability over dumb luck that looks nice because I can always grade to get the exact look I need if I can start from a predictable place which has captured all the color info. Here’s a brief comparison to Halogen and a few other LEDs: th-cam.com/video/V40Bs9H4jpE/w-d-xo.html
This sounds like a really good light for many purposes. But if it is like the previous X versions, i think you won't be able to use a fresnel attachment with it. I think you could only use the fresnel attachment with the D versions?
in a quiet room, standing 1 meter from the light, about 30% output, can you hear the 200xS fan by ear? not asking about microphones, our use case would be a gallery space with low ceiling and spotlight se attachment, thanks!
Is the studio mode more dependable on these? The original Amaran COB lights only work occasionally on studio mode, so I have to get a chair all the time to re hit the switch.
I just invested in the Aperture LS 600X Pro. Would you say this would be nice to pair it with for 2nd and 3rd light or would this more be of a complementary light and I still "need" a 300X Pro? Trying to op my videography game and light is next on my focus list :)
I would consider the 200x S a good compliment in terms of color quality, but NOT in terms of build quality. If you're going to be doing a LOT of on-location work, the Aputure COBs are more durable.
No, daylight is just where the improvement is most dramatic. Daylight LEDs usually score around 72 - 75 SSI. Tungsten colored LEDs usually score around 82 - 85. With this light, the tungsten AND daylight scores are 90.
I have the ifootage lights and have tested them with a Sekonic C800. They have the dual blue LED but are done a bit differently. The spectrum cuts off just below 420nm (which is generally where camera sensors also cut off). Other companies using this technology let the light extend slightly into the UV range (around 400nm and slightly below). Allowing more UV light makes it score better in SSI because SSI is comparing directly against sunlight which has quite a bit of UV. I slightly prefer the approach of ifootage personally. But the approach of Aputure will give you really great results too. Can’t go wrong.
Im a sucker for Natural looking light, and up until now the only way to achive these kinds of numbers was to go tungsten with full blue, which is a gigantic hussle, not to mention an economical disaster (for example, to get the same amount of light as a 4k hmi, you need somewhere around 20k of tungsten when gelled full blue). Cant wait til they bring this to their flexlight series, also im still hoping for a 4x2 feet flexlight from apurture, i use the lightmat 2l all the time, but im not happy with the color most of the time. Not that dps would notice, but as i always say, dps are blind, sound mixers are deaf.
Aputure claims that the Amaran 200x S has a SSI of 92 compared to a tungsten 200W Midget Solarspot (SSI [D32] of 96). A Joker 800 HMI has a SSI (D56) of 94, and the Academy claims that any SSI higher than 90 will most likely produce no color rendition problems, so in terms of color rendition (ignoring the difference in optics), would you feel comfortable in replacing 1K tungstens (or dimmed 2Ks) with this light?
Are you sure they hadn't already changed the fan in the 200x? I got one about a month ago and the character of the noise seems much improved from what I heard in the early reviews. There's a decent amount of noise at 100%, but it's mostly whooshy air movement.
@@andriispeaks5160 Yes, links in the description. This was recorded with a Sennhieser MKH50 and Sound Devices MixPre-3 II. In post production, I used Izotope RX.
I have a 100d with a LightDome SE and I have always got decent results. I mostly shoot fairly simple talking heads using an LS60x as a backlight. Now though I think the bi-colour 200x S will be a nice to have with the improved colour quality and a bit of a boost in power. Then...typically the 150C and 300C have been announced and I'm wondering if one of those could be a better purchase instead of the 200x, but I don't know if they will reach the same kind of colour quality and surely there are compromises when moving into an RGBWW light?
Thanks Curtis! Really good to hear your take. A good key light is a lot more important to me, but great to know that I could get a 150C as an fx light if I wanted and pair them with the Sidus app.
SSIT for Aputure 120t? Back then when the 120t came out the SSIT didnt exist. So I cant compare them to Amaran 200x. What thungsten light has better quality? Aputure 120t or Amaran 200x?
@@AnimusNitra-X The tungsten setting on the Amaran is probably right around the same (guessing from memory). But if comparing to the 120D, the Amaran is substantially better.
@@curtisjudd thank you very much for your comparing in memory. I bought 4 120t years ago. Lucky me bought the t and not the d. I was hopping that the 120t is still on the level of the 200x. So in small rooms I can still fetch my lighter 120t without guilty conscience. Thank you again for your assassement. Best regards!
This is probably a dumb question, Mr Judd, but wouldn't an accurate light still be limited to how "colour accurate" the diffusion used in front of it is?
Yes, we measure without diffusion in front of it for that very reason. Quality diffusion should NOT affect the color spectrum to a large extent, but cheaper stuff may.
Kind of crazy that they introduced this much better light (in terms of full spectrum) to their low end lights, rather than limiting it to only the high end. Seems like they’re putting their customers ahead of “maximizing profits”.
Considering the spark method of LED light spectrum generate, why don’t they make out of visible-range UV light the foundational base light so the entire visible spectrum can enjoy a smooth transition, put a UV cut-off filter then it is ready to go, do I make any sense?
This is a repost. We corrected the price for the Amaran 200x S which is $349 USD.
I was thinking for the best ever color quality $250 is a helluva great price. Still $350 is isn't bad either. With no major faults it's a must by imo for home users.
woah, reposted the vid instead of just making a note. that's why you're the best, Curtis! thanks much for all you do.
what's a buck among friends ay,lol
@@akak5128 LOL
I bought two of the 200x (not S) lights two weeks ago and am very happy with them. I ordered the first one, tried it, then immediately ordered the second one. As to the build quality, within hours of removing light #1 from the box, my dog and I pulled it off the table twice, hitting the hard floor hard enough to ovalize the reflector. But the light is fine. I prefer the light weight of the 200x to the more robust build of the more expensive lights as they will be used in a home studio/shop anyway. But I kept the boxes just in case.
This is a good sign that Aputure is introducing the new technology in its budget friendly line of products. This should spur on the competition and result in lower prices and better gear for all of us.
As always, great job on the review, Curtis.
Thanks for sharing, Joe.
Great information, as always, and the fact that you're willing to update for things like pricing is a testament to how great a resource your channel is. Thank you for the work you do!
🙏
Another great review, Curtis.
What baffles me is that the improved lights are the same price as the previous models.
This new technology makes me scratch off the other models/brands.
Hopefully they add the dual blue tech to their higher-end lights soon.
@@curtisjudd It's in the new 1500w RGB that isnt out yet.
@@RayValdezPhotography Glad to hear!
Best review I've seen yet on the 200x s (and I've watched a LOT of them.) Will definitely be subscribing to this channel.
👍
Thanks for this detailed review, you've convinced me to go for the Amaran 200xs as my key light with a Light Dome iii for making piano tutorial videos. I have a question I'm sure others would share: what stand would you recommend for this permanently set up in a home studio please? If anyone else has any recommendations also, would love to hear them. Many thanks
The new Amaran lights really look nice! Unfortunately, I had a failure of one of my Amaran lights during the warranty period and there was a complete lack of warranty support. Now I'm hesitant to add any additional Aputure /Amaran lights to my kit.
@kushagra K Mine was not damaged. It was a manufacturer's defect. Aputure said that they would cover it and provided an RMA number. Once they received my light, they didn't repair it, replace it , or even return it. They just kept it and quit responding to emails. Kind of unbelievable really!
Sorry to hear about that experience with their support. Thanks for sharing. 🙏
@@geezer2tech154 You should dispute the charge with your bank/credit card
This is some of the most professional content I've seen on TH-cam. Subscribing!
👍
Great vid as usual Curtis! how bad is the fan noise? Can it be heard if the light is less than a metre away from the mic? I'm trying to avoid having to edit it out of my audio.. currently have the GVM 100W and the fan is real loud smh. Trying to decide between this and the Godox UL60 which is fanless. For studio/basement use 🤔
The light was about 1.5 meters from me in this video so you can hear - we did NOT do any noise reduction to the audio.
ooh impressive then, I can't here it even on max volume. Ended up buying it and no complaints so far, thanks for the reply Curtis!
Thanks for the review Curtis! Did you notice any more difference besides the light accuracy and the fan noise between the s and non s generation?
No, not really.
Just ordered two and going to compare to my gelled Arri T1s that give me an SSI of 95 for D55 with a Roscoe 3203 and 3216. Hoping that these will work well for my use case.
Neat!
@@curtisjudd Thanks for a great and informative video as usual!
Is it really a big difference with the previous version especially when working on a short film or an interview for example ? How this new version is gonna help !
I wanted to see a test showing similar shots lighted with these 2 version so we can see the real difference.
I don't have the old version any longer, sorry. But when the skin tones come out spot on like it did with this light vs. the other 95 CRI light, it means less post/grading for my work.
Thanks for the review Curtis - just picked one up. It's a shame about the lack of a carry case though - I'd happily buy it separately but they don't seem to make one. Given it is a (mainly) plastic light, it's something I would have thought would have been an option
Yes. I guess they assume people will just set this up in their house or office and leave it there.
Does the optical modifiers work well on these now? I have seen weird patterns when they are mounted with he 2X fresnel or the Projection/Spotlight mount
That`s my concern as well. I think with the previous version you could only use a fresnel with the daylight versions.
I'll give it a try.
@@curtisjudd Thanks a lot, looking forward to it
Hi Curtis : Question. I was watching some of your older videos from 8 years ago and you were recommending the Audio Technica AT4053B for indoor dialogue . Is that still your preference in 2023 ?
Would love to see an updated video of : what microphones do I use in 2023 !
Here’s an update from 2020 th-cam.com/video/q7rfwCFjBDg/w-d-xo.html
Pretty much still holds.
Thanks for the great review! Are bowens mounts on these metal, like on 150c/300c, or are they made of plastic?
The mount is metal 👍
Curtis, would I be correct in assuming that I would only be achieving 100w each at both 3200k and 5600k? Apologies if you covered this somewhere in the video, I just didn’t see it
I assume so, roughly.
hey can you please do another more portable light comparison/recommendation, you seem very genuine and have the skill to test the quality of the light, a very difficult benchmark for us normies lol. please consider my idea for a video or even a reply with some model numbers, it would help out a lot. budget is low lol, but quality is the most important,roughly up to the level this light is in CRI or whatever the benchmarks where.
your videos are amazing and I'm just learning about mics to, so I'll be watching a ton of your videos in the coming months and wanted to thank you in advance.
Thanks for the great review. looks like a very good light to purchase. What would be your recommendation if I wanted to use it with a much larger diffuser I already own. Thanks
This light cannot support heavy modifiers because of its plastic build. But it can handle small softboxes.
Hello Great Video
I have a amaran 100ds. Do you recommend aputure light Dome II? What other soft box do you recommend for doing a 2 person shoot?
Yes, Light Dome 2
Thank you
👍
Hi Curtis. I’m looking into purchasing this light. What would be the best modifier for an interview key light for this? I need this for run and gun situations and traveling to shoots and I hear the Light Dome SE is difficult to setup and pack down. Are there any good alternatives?
The light dome 3 is great, but it pushes the boundaries of what this light is designed to hold. I use that combo in studio and it has been fine. You'll also want solid light stands and place on of the legs under the soft box to keep it upright.
@Curtis Judd. I just subscribed and I am so thankful for your videos. Is the 100x s suitable for single person interviews with a soft box. I would go with the 200x a but don’t know if it’s overkill.
For head and shoulders framing, yes, the 100x S should work nicely.
@@curtisjudd Thanks so much for confirming! Is there any easy to setup softbox you recommend? I bought the P60c, but may return it. The softbox was a bit frustrating.
Hi Curtis. Great vid.
Is your multi-color background achieved with colored lights or virtual via greenscreen?
Colored lights: th-cam.com/video/wMcduDNV-6k/w-d-xo.html
@@curtisjudd Off course you had that covered already... haha! Thanks much.
Hi! Great review! I consider buying the light after watching it. However I wonder if I really need 200W. I can see that Aputure released also 100x S. What is your take on that?
I assume the same but less light output. (I don't have one on hand to test it).
Please do a test like this on the new GVM PRO line. Theyre definitely trying to give Aputure a run for their money but all the tests I've seen of them look pretty bad, especially when comparing to the results these simple Amaran 200x S do.
Thanks as always for being one of the best channels on TH-cam. It's refreshing to see objective gear info in this world as there's so few of those given how so many people just want to keep the companies happy so they can continue getting free stuff. ❤
Would love to but no funds at the moment.
Another great video! I'm using 2 Amaran 100x lights, might keep an eye out for the 200x S to go on sale and upgrade.
👍
Cheers! Are you planing to take a look on the new Smallrig Lights? Wondering how they compare ...
No plans at the moment.
all the lights these days are so good that i'd be surprised if anyone could honestly see a difference in a real world application such as shooting a scene in a film
Here’s a look at that very question: th-cam.com/video/X5TwwvQUpTQ/w-d-xo.html
@@curtisjudd that's a great video. I spent a career using traditional incandescent lights, and LED lights have tons of benefits. But for simulating sunlight through an exterior window coming in through shades, or as a key light for someone in make up (which has its own color) I've never seen that big of a shift. The only experiment I've run where there is a very noticeable difference is using outdoor LED flood lights like you would at a baseball stadium or to light a soccer field. In those applications, the light quality has a lot less contrast. Which I guess if they were used for the right application, would be ok. I still think rodger deakins swears by HMI and tungsten.... But if they're looking at a 1/16 color shift, how good is the story...
@@davida5296 Fair perspective.
Is it true that they have lowered the output comparing to the old version?
Not sure, I don't have the original to compare.
Would this be a good choice if I plan to use it as the main keylight for small product photography, such as smaller than dog size?
Yes
Good video. Like to buy this for the interview video as a key light. What kind of softbox you recommend for this light? One man band so like to buy the light one. Light dome II or Light dome mini II more practical?
Depends on how soft you want your key light. I prefer the results from the Light Dome II but it is bigger.
Curtis I have no comment related to this video... but I am hoping you'll read this anyway :) I always enjoy all of your videos. Full of great info and practical use tips. It would be great to see a review of the Zoom M4. I'd really like to hear your professional opinion of this recorder. Hope to see it soon! :) Thanks!
Thanks, Mike, for the suggestion. 👍
Great review!! Thanks, as always.
👍
I have this light but don’t like having to find outlet sources in certain situations. Are there any budget friendly solutions for making this light a portable solutions like using vmount batteries?
Yes, I believe Aputure’s power station and 2 Cine batteries will power it: th-cam.com/video/JZJesv4z0-8/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared
Can you please tell me where I can purchase the reflector that creates an even flood of light?
www.aputure.com/products/bowens-mount-standard-reflector/
Fantastic review. Have you tried it with the Fresnel 2x? The Amaran compatibility page says the 200x is compatible with but not optimized for use with the Fresnel 2x, whatever that means.
It means it will adjust the beam angle, but not as much as the lens was originally designed to do with the smaller chip lights.
Thanks@@curtisjudd
And you will get yellow spots...
Hi Curtis, how does this compare to the Prolycht Orion 300 in terms of colour reproduction by eye? Say for skin tones? I recall you mentioned in a previous video the PO300 scored lower in the metrics but by eye produced more real, subjectively pleasing skin tones compared to the Aputure 300X which had higher metric scores. Wonder if this holds true with the 200XS?
Also would love a comparison to the iFootage Anglerfish lights. Similar concept and wonder how they compare.
Thank you!
Skin tones with this looked closer to tungsten/halogen light than any other LED I’ve ever used. I’ll take predictability over dumb luck that looks nice because I can always grade to get the exact look I need if I can start from a predictable place which has captured all the color info. Here’s a brief comparison to Halogen and a few other LEDs: th-cam.com/video/V40Bs9H4jpE/w-d-xo.html
This sounds like a really good light for many purposes. But if it is like the previous X versions, i think you won't be able to use a fresnel attachment with it. I think you could only use the fresnel attachment with the D versions?
I don't know, I'll need to test that.
This is a dealbreaker for me, if true -- I want to be able to fresnal and barn doors. Can you barn door on the hyper-reflector?
@@BryanRomaine If you need clean cuts with barn doors, best to stick with single color lights or higher end lights with quality light mixing lenses.
@@curtisjudd Thank you.
in a quiet room, standing 1 meter from the light, about 30% output, can you hear the 200xS fan by ear? not asking about microphones, our use case would be a gallery space with low ceiling and spotlight se attachment, thanks!
Depends on your hearing but generally, yes, a quiet whirring sound.
Great review as always.
Thanks Pip.
Is the studio mode more dependable on these? The original Amaran COB lights only work occasionally on studio mode, so I have to get a chair all the time to re hit the switch.
When I leave the switch in the on position, it seems to start up when I plug the power back in each time.
I just invested in the Aperture LS 600X Pro. Would you say this would be nice to pair it with for 2nd and 3rd light or would this more be of a complementary light and I still "need" a 300X Pro? Trying to op my videography game and light is next on my focus list :)
I would consider the 200x S a good compliment in terms of color quality, but NOT in terms of build quality. If you're going to be doing a LOT of on-location work, the Aputure COBs are more durable.
@@curtisjudd tyvm 🙏❤️
Is the improved color accuracy only at the daylight side?
No, daylight is just where the improvement is most dramatic. Daylight LEDs usually score around 72 - 75 SSI. Tungsten colored LEDs usually score around 82 - 85. With this light, the tungsten AND daylight scores are 90.
Have you tested the iFootage lights? Those have also more even light without blue peaks.
I haven't.
I have the ifootage lights and have tested them with a Sekonic C800. They have the dual blue LED but are done a bit differently. The spectrum cuts off just below 420nm (which is generally where camera sensors also cut off). Other companies using this technology let the light extend slightly into the UV range (around 400nm and slightly below).
Allowing more UV light makes it score better in SSI because SSI is comparing directly against sunlight which has quite a bit of UV.
I slightly prefer the approach of ifootage personally. But the approach of Aputure will give you really great results too. Can’t go wrong.
@@cagf2013 cool, thanks for sharing.
Could this work with a 150cm lightdome?
Probably, but depends on how heavy it is.
Im a sucker for Natural looking light, and up until now the only way to achive these kinds of numbers was to go tungsten with full blue, which is a gigantic hussle, not to mention an economical disaster (for example, to get the same amount of light as a 4k hmi, you need somewhere around 20k of tungsten when gelled full blue).
Cant wait til they bring this to their flexlight series, also im still hoping for a 4x2 feet flexlight from apurture, i use the lightmat 2l all the time, but im not happy with the color most of the time. Not that dps would notice, but as i always say, dps are blind, sound mixers are deaf.
LOl!
Litemat is used all over Marvelous Ms Maisel as key light... looks better than anything I have ever seen to me...
Very helpful, thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Figures, I bought the OG 3 days ago 😆
😔
Aputure claims that the Amaran 200x S has a SSI of 92 compared to a tungsten 200W Midget Solarspot (SSI [D32] of 96). A Joker 800 HMI has a SSI (D56) of 94, and the Academy claims that any SSI higher than 90 will most likely produce no color rendition problems, so in terms of color rendition (ignoring the difference in optics), would you feel comfortable in replacing 1K tungstens (or dimmed 2Ks) with this light?
Yes. Though this light is not nearly as rugged. So for location work, there’s still more work for Aputure to do.
@@curtisjudd Agreed. Let's hope for the LightStorm S series.
Are you sure they hadn't already changed the fan in the 200x? I got one about a month ago and the character of the noise seems much improved from what I heard in the early reviews. There's a decent amount of noise at 100%, but it's mostly whooshy air movement.
I’m not sure, mine was an early copy.
Hi! What you recommend 150 c or 200 x s ? Thanks
For lighting skin tones - 200x S. For effects, 150c
Thank you! What about your amazing sound 👌!!! What mic did you use? Did you used some program for voice ?
@@andriispeaks5160 Yes, links in the description. This was recorded with a Sennhieser MKH50 and Sound Devices MixPre-3 II. In post production, I used Izotope RX.
I have a 100d with a LightDome SE and I have always got decent results. I mostly shoot fairly simple talking heads using an LS60x as a backlight. Now though I think the bi-colour 200x S will be a nice to have with the improved colour quality and a bit of a boost in power. Then...typically the 150C and 300C have been announced and I'm wondering if one of those could be a better purchase instead of the 200x, but I don't know if they will reach the same kind of colour quality and surely there are compromises when moving into an RGBWW light?
Their color quality is NOT as great as the 200x S. Here’s our review: th-cam.com/video/odH2H4gPzks/w-d-xo.html
Thanks Curtis! Really good to hear your take. A good key light is a lot more important to me, but great to know that I could get a 150C as an fx light if I wanted and pair them with the Sidus app.
Appreciated your discussion for helping make my decision on choosing 200xs over 150c to be my first key light.
Is this light bright enough to light someone in front of a window (with diffusion)?
In most cases, yes.
SSIT for Aputure 120t?
Back then when the 120t came out the SSIT didnt exist. So I cant compare them to Amaran 200x. What thungsten light has better quality? Aputure 120t or Amaran 200x?
Sadly, my 120T power supply stopped working so I can't test it.
@@curtisjudd what would you say out from memory?
@@AnimusNitra-X The tungsten setting on the Amaran is probably right around the same (guessing from memory). But if comparing to the 120D, the Amaran is substantially better.
@@curtisjudd thank you very much for your comparing in memory. I bought 4 120t years ago. Lucky me bought the t and not the d. I was hopping that the 120t is still on the level of the 200x. So in small rooms I can still fetch my lighter 120t without guilty conscience. Thank you again for your assassement. Best regards!
This is probably a dumb question, Mr Judd, but wouldn't an accurate light still be limited to how "colour accurate" the diffusion used in front of it is?
Yes, we measure without diffusion in front of it for that very reason. Quality diffusion should NOT affect the color spectrum to a large extent, but cheaper stuff may.
@@curtisjudd thanks for the lesson!
This little light of mine... 🔦
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine 🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶
Indeed!
Спасибо большое за подробный обзор!
🙏
4:53 is that a lot of play in the power connector?
There is some play but nothing that has caused problems.
No noise from the fan ?
Every fan makes noise, but I didn't find it to be problematic.
@@curtisjudd So it's a huge difference compared to the first version ?
@@mica.motion it is quieter than the first gen. Not huge, but quieter.
Have you seen new Colbors?
Colbors?
@@curtisjudd Colbor stackable usb c led lights, CL60 and CL100.
How loud is the Fan?
You can hear it throughout this video - we used it as our key light with the Light Dome II.
@@curtisjudd didn't hear anything but is it quieter than the smallrig rc120d?
@@MIMCKMedia not sure, haven’t used the smallrig.
@@curtisjudd do you know the db of the fan noise?
@@MIMCKMedia at what distance? You’re looking for dB SPL?
What’s the difference between 200x and 200x-s?
S is the new version with better color rendition.
Kind of crazy that they introduced this much better light (in terms of full spectrum) to their low end lights, rather than limiting it to only the high end. Seems like they’re putting their customers ahead of “maximizing profits”.
Yes!
Glad the real price is $349... I was really tempted to buy one at $249
👍 Sorry about that.
How can I make it wireless
You mean run on battery power? You'll need the Aputure power station and cinema batteries: th-cam.com/video/JZJesv4z0-8/w-d-xo.html
200x s or AP 60d ?
AP?
We need violet pump cobs
What is that?
the "S" means?
Second generation?
I was guessing "Super" :)
I need Amaran 500d xD (or 400^^)
👍
SmallRig 22oD is better
How so? Better color quality, higher SSI score?
@@curtisjudd No, it was a joke! Amaran 200XS the best!
Considering the spark method of LED light spectrum generate, why don’t they make out of visible-range UV light the foundational base light so the entire visible spectrum can enjoy a smooth transition, put a UV cut-off filter then it is ready to go, do I make any sense?
Great question. I'll let the manufacturers speak to that.