If you ever wonder why many other reviewers get more views on their videos: I also have no idea. You are pretty much making every other review a waste of time. Thank you for doing this with a proffessionality and depth that has set a new standard for light reviews. Highly appreciated!
What kind of love about this channel is the dedication to just lighting and topics around your area of expertise. The reviews are non biased and reflect fact from than subjective views!
Was waiting for your review before purchasing! Thank you Andrew, being young in this industry, your reviews give me confidence in where I'm putting my money.
I like your intro statement that it is a privilege to get such a light for a review. Especially since you totally earn it as your review is helping potential buyers to make a balanced decision and also it will help Aputure improve the product, e.g. in the area of DMX. In comparison I feel some other reviewers failed to put this light through its paces. So great job, always a pleasure to see a Pro at work!
finally I can breathe fresh air now. You were the only one who could truly compare the competition with Skypanel. I'll leave a comment and watch the video. In fact, I bought this (Korea) two months ago, but I was in trouble because there was no review.
This is why I watch your videos. You don't just give an opinion that benefits pro-sumers, you talk about the seemingly casual things that we who aspire to be professionals need to know. Thank you.
The best in depth review ever of the Nova P300c Andrew. You showed us again why we should keep on coming and watching all content you create. Clear, accurate, relevant and very interesting. Thank you very much for sharing all your knowledge and experience. Best regards from New York.👏👏👏
Great review! I didn’t even bother with DMX because it wasn’t in my controller yet. We’d all be better off just letting you do the reviews... the rest of us could remain quiet.🤐 I only have one S30, so the Nova will make a good companion on most shoots, the way I use them. You did everyone a big favor re the battery input🏆 Thank you for keeping everyone else honest!
Luke & Andrew (and anyone else reading) - don't suppose you've had issues with a whistling/whine from your Nova? Check out vimeo dot com /449218184/fd13eb8cd7 - only present on certain colours and temps but pretty frustrating. Been in touch with Aputure so a waiting game but won't be filming any dialogue with them for a while..
Ed Mantle, I have not experienced that, and I’ve been using the unit pretty steadily on the last 4 or 5 jobs. I haven’t been doing anything fancy with it: some color, but mostly CCT and no effects or scene changes.
@@meetthegaffer Thanks Luke - hoping for an RMA unless it's something that can be fixed with firmware but I sadly doubt it. I could fix audio but it's a heck of a thing to have to add to workflow for a £2k light!
Each video of yours I watch I am so happy to have access to the real world of video at a pro level where you have opened the doors! I am very grateful for having you here at the end of the internet connection!
10.000 subs episode idea: viewiers Q and A. My Questions: 1. Worst day of your carrier (problems during work ect) 2. Light and Heavy stands you recommend. 3. What you like most about your job.
i have seen all the other reviews about the nova and i gotta say once again u by far produce the best review from a professional perspective keep up the good work!
Amazingly comprehensive review Andrew many thanks. I am looking to potentially add this to my varied collection of lights but might hold back until the next firmware release to see what issues that you have kindly already highlighted that they address. Also very interested in using with modifiers so will wait for your DoP Choice rundown. Much respect !!!!
They took a while to release this (from first mention), which I presume was a good thing. Having a few of these and maybe some of the other upcoming Aputure / equivelant products will provide many practical and creative options. Great to see a brand catering to all aspects of the industry and responsive to their customers. Need DMX sorted, as this light will be used in larger rigs and the practical aspect of battery connection is a very valid point.
Really enjoying your thorough reviews... super useful having someone like you go through the positives and negatives of using this equipment on a set. Cheers!
Brand New Nova, Updated Firmware. AT Hue 1 Degree, 100% Saturation and around 32-37% intensity I can see flickering in this light. NOT rolling shutter. The light flickers. ( i can see it on the video scopes flickering) Also when increasing intensity from 0%-100% at hue 1 Degree, 100% Saturation, I can clearly see colour shifting in this unit, it goes from orangey, to magenta and keeps flicking back between the two - all quite subtle, but its there.
I expected red carpet service after dropping $3k on a light but it didn't happen. The support process was not what I expected. Back and forth with someone at the factory in China over email. There was no sign of the A-Team from the USA stepping in to ensure a happy new customer.
Brillant demo, many thanks! The Nova is a bit over the top for my little TH-cam operation, but the way it drenches a room in saturated colours looks so stunning :)
Thanks for the review Andrew. I had been considering getting another Litepanels Gemini to round out my lighting... but for the money this Apurture light looks like it will do the job very nicely. Just wish you could change the CCT the light desaturates to in HSI mode!
Great review. It was detailed and thorough. One thing I saw was your review of the Aputure 300x and you were very impressed with the 5 sec fade down and up of the unit. I'm surprised and disappointed that the DMX fade up and down of the Nova is not as good. I'm hoping the DMX is as good and better than the 300x in a future firmware release. I didn't like the flicker on the Nova during the ramp up of the light.
I too was disappointed, the dimmer over phone app is liquid smooth, so hopefully it's just a response issue between DMX and the driver and can be trimmed.
If you say that you have such a good relationship with Aputure can you tell them to update a few things on the app. Unless I was blind I think the sidus app lacks a bit: 1) When you enter a light to show The NAME of the light at the top of that light menu so you know where you entered - after a while I could forget while working. I used 10-15 lights on a feature and I did not see their names in their individual control menus . In the general scene menu, I do see the names, of course, but not once I enter a light. 2) to put in an option that when lights are controlled in a GROUP - that if the group's intensity is lifted by 1% that all the lights be lifted RELATIVELY one to the other - ie PRESERVE THE RATIOS (an option, and to have an option that all lights are at the same level). When I group lights , the slider brings all the intensities at the group level. There should be a relative value which keeps ratios in mind (put a menu in there and choose to have this option). The group should detect how much % is there overhead and how much % undernwath and based on this the whole groups creates a slider with the relative % overhead that keeps the ratios (and maybe include an icon or write there, RATIOS or something to let the user know they're keeping the ratios in the group). I was trying to "fade in" a light via sidus and the group would not keep the ratios. 3) In the main page of the scene, put an option to have a tree like structure, and under each light to be able to see at least the intensity and the kelvin/Green-Magenta scale. I would be adjusting several lights and I had to go back and forth to adjust the intensity. For people that want a fiddly menu it's fine, but also give an option to display as a tree the controls for those who want a menu full of accessible sliders. If somebody say wants to go from CCT to color mode, then fine, enter the light and change the mode. But for fine adjustments, idk, when working with a lot of lights on a wide scene, I'd rather have all the sliders on one page ready to go. 4) if possible - make that BT connection refresh better - it always asks if I wanna reconnect. DUMB as hell - of course I wanna reconnect. I'm not entering the light to admire the menu. Also their annoying update requests they can shove them deep where it doesn't shine BETTER yet call them, tell them to hire me and fly me to China to sort their stuff out. I'm the most mental tester out there (hence why I love this mental channel). I had a few more ideas but anyway, let's save some for later.
As much as I often hate a separate ballast it is nice to have the option on the arri s30 as it takes 5pounds or so off the head weight when you need to rig it... i love everything about this p300 except the 23 pounds is a lot on end of a menace arm etc. We do so many multicam interviews right now with Astra 6x because of the lite weight (and cost) form factor but looking to upgrade to lite weight head with full RGBWW and DMX etc. Jury still out...
Thank you for this in depth review! I rented one to try it out and just purchased one off the back of that. Super happy with it. Only thing I didn't like is the fabric for the Aputure Softbox, gonna try and fix something custom or maybe save up for the DOP Choice one. Also, annoying that the softbox and barn doors doesn't fit in the case...
Your graphic at 8min has a typing mistake. It says „Lux @ 1m“ instead of „Lux @ 3m“. But Superb review as always. I liked your graditude in the intro :)
I used one on a shoot yesterday. Beware It's heavy, I had to lay it on the floor bcz I didnt have an arm that could support it in the air(had to change light setup impromptu). It's too heavy for a baby boom arm. Too much bend, didnt look feel or look safe to me. And the light needs modifiers, which add more weight!! The light output was really good tho (I had it at 1% all day on a Varicam shooting at 1600ISO t/5.6), and with the app I was able to match it to another 300DMK2 perfectly with a point and click. 5 stars to the Sidus App. In my opinion the form factor does not match the other aputure lights at all, which is kind of a bummer. Bcz this lamp looks like it comes from a totally different factory if not company in my opinion. I also thought the controller unit felt kind of cheap/flimsy and the design didn't match the sophistication of their other products or even the lamp itself. But I will be renting some more again! Lovely light
Old video but I’m considering the Nova P300c. However I’m stuck between the Nova, the new Godox Knowled P300r and the Chauvet Pro onAir Panel 1 IP. I know they’re both new but would love to see you review of the Chauvet and Godox or any input into the matter. Love you reviews, best around. Thank you!
Deserves 30k likes. Amazing information and superb delivery. Given your pro status, how much of a Kelvin delta is truly an issue? Should I care as an amateur if its off by 150k or even 200k? Thanks for all your knowledge on this channel.
Best review of all that I've seen! Thank you very much! Question though, will the dual vmount battery I have from the original 300d work with this if I get an adapter? Thanks again and keep rockin!!! :)
Would be great if you did a follow up review regarding all the questions (you didn’t tell us) you asked Aperture for updates… if these concerns have all been answered as promised…
This exalux costs 2500 dollars😲and you still have to buy super expensive lights like Skypanel to have this smooth transitions. Thats why i choose astera system.
Wow - thorough and extremely interesting review! I'm looking at this light as a possible "girl friday" light to use as general key light as well as some other uses. I'm a one-man-band TH-camr and the less time fussing with gear, the better. But I am also not technically educated on lighting, though I have a good fundamental understanding. I'm willing to invest what I would consider "significant" funds into a light like this to get the combination of portability and features - as well as room to grow into it rather than save a few dollars and quickly outgrow something else. Is this light overkill for this, or am I the right user for this product? In your opinion - of course....
I know you're in OZ so it might not be as easy for you to get your hands on them, but have you considered testing these against ETC fos/4 panels? I know they're not as bright but I have a feeling their color rendition is better (maybe better than Arri's too). Would love to see you comparing them.
This looks great. I bought the LEDGO MagicHue160 based on your review and it's been a great light but I hate the case (it's massive and difficult to stack with my other gear) and there are times I wish it was brighter. This looks a lot brighter and the case is more compact. I know they haven't released the v-lock power for it yet but would there be room in the case for that and a couple of v-locks do you think? Thanks for doing these. You reviews are the best around.
Man I love I've found your channel.. I'm a relative newbie (having a small owner operater production since 2017) Like most people I've been caught up trying to get better at camera operating, editing etc... But his channel has definetly gave me hope of upping my lighting game! Id love to know your thoughts of mixing brands for cob lights (aputure, godox vl series or nanlight etc) or is there one budget brand you would recommend as a perfect solution for small corporate jobs?
I run Forza 500s and Aputure 600D with the F10 Fresnels. Forza 500 is my light weight and battery goto. The 600D / F10 has that huge firepower when I need a lot more, but not as much as a M18 HMI. For me picking only one of the two would be like having only one lens for a camera.
@@gaffergear thank you for the reply... Right now I have a mix of aputure 120d mkii's some pixapro 200bmkiii's and godox... Defo love idea of the nova and was looking at something with more output on the cob front I could use as interior key and wasn't sure to go forza 500 or 600d... But I completely get your analogy.. Different tools for different jobs... Thanks again
I shoot a lot of OB sports jobs here in Sweden and we are using more a more pitch side studios. The largest OB company (NEP) have almost exclusively kitted out their trucks with CreamSource Doppio +, blenders and minis for our lighting. I was hoping to convince them to consider and add this new Nova as I being a cameraman that is constantly setting up these lights can understand what more the Nova can do for me but it will be a hard sell with limited waterproofing! Maybe they might consider the new Vortex8, so If you get a chance to review that light, I shall be the first one to watch!😂🙏🏾
Great review mate thank you for making such a detailed tool to use.. in your colour temp measurements, in this ones case you say at 5600 it’s out by the equivalent of a 1/16th correction gel.. is that in terms of green/magneta or being spot on 5600 and needing orange or blue to correct it?
The mixpanels is a good example of a light that's not a (real) rgbww. It's bi-colour with RGB slapped on top. Both good value, but this one is way more complex in its light engine and programming. That's what the price difference is all about. My rule, if you can't see the difference, don't spend the money.
@@gaffergear apologies if it's obvious or covered in another video but would you be able to explain what the difference is when you say real rgbww vs bi-colour with RGB added on top? Very curious how these two lights compare also
@@DJ-hu4ih in white mode some RGBWW lights only use the WW emitters. Others use all the RGBWW emitters to generate white light, giving you more accuracy. Some also don't have their Plus/Minus green locked to the white emitters in white light mode, so if you set a CCT with a +/- value, and then dim the light, it goes out of alignment to what you had set.
@@gaffergear I think I understand, so essentially in this case there's two separate sets of emitters used for CCT mode and RGB? As opposed to a 'real' RGBWW light using 100% of the emitters for both CCT and RGB? If that's the case, would that make 'true' RGBWW lights that use all the emitters for both modes generally a higher output, especially when using HSI mode as you'd have more emitters? That would seem logical to me but i'm sure it's a lot more complicated beyond my understanding. Appreciate the info mate!
@@DJ-hu4ih correct, I call real RGBWW a light that uses all its emitters to generate white, otherwise it's just a fancy bi-colour. There is no real difference in brightness because in most cases none of the LEDs are running at full power because they need to get the mix correct.
I see looking at the P300 now they fixed the issue with the connector at the back made it male instead of female. But now they are releasing the P600c so ... Hmmm ... ARRI S60-C SkyPanel alternative at just over 1/2 the price.
I'd be very curious to see how this compares to the Rayzr MC400max... Weight wise the S60 is 28 pounds, the Aputure 23lbs and the Rayzr a remarkable 13lbs. The rayzr 400w the Aputure 300w... very similar price points, the Rayzr about $300 more.
What is the softbox on the 300D mark ii in that overhead setup? I have a really big softbox for my Forza 500 but it is too deep. It is not practical on set as it takes a lot of space. I am looking for something like you had in that outdoor fire scene as it seems much less deeper than what I have.
I noticed that the controller is phantom powered but again the gender of the connections is the wrong way around. Something Aputure should take not off.
@@gaffergear Yeah, If I'm buying one the first thing I'll get out is the soldering iron and different connectors, unless they've fixed it in the meantime (They should) It's all standard XLR chassis sizes anyway
@@wernervanpeppen4873 Agree, as soon as I'm finished shooing this light the outlet is getting changed. Just a note that the screws holding the outlet in are not captured the other side, and any loose screws will not fall out of the air vents because they have made them insect proof (something i forgot to mention)
It's not a problem, I just got them to disconnect the plug, short out the pins with metal, plug it back in and show me it working. I've tried to blow it up my end, all good
Great review. Is the DMX mode fixed yet? I have 2 of theese and i use the more with DMX than i thought i would... I might get rid of them and swap to s30's but it r much rather just download a firmware that spend several thousand bucks to get good DMD modes
Not fixed yet, I get told that the engineering team is working on it. I think they need a dedicated DMX team. It's very complex to get DMX right. It took ARRI several years on the skypanels.
How do we let them know that there’s more of us out here that are on the fence here? We’d like to go all in on Aputure but right now the rental price on the Arri per project (while it definitely will add up) is making us keep our options open because of this flexibility issue. They are sitting on a game changer!
Not really any brand., but I would go a combo head stand, steel, with a bit of weight under it. If you go a light weight stand then you just need an additional shot bag anyway
Hello Andrew, I finally got my Aputure 2-bay power station. I remember you did a review of it and removed it few days later. Do you think I still can safely use it for the Nova? Also, I am sorry to ask you again about V mount batteries. A while ago I asked you and you very kindly sent me a link for a brand that you like that is not be very expensive and it's not distributed by B&H in the US. Unfortunately, I can't find the comment where you sent me the link.
It will power the Nova easy. Error loading n my review was I said it could run a Skypanel. It can run a Skypanel but most high capacity batteries will melt the pins overtime as the pins are usually rated at 15a and the batteries at code to flat are 12v and would then be up around 18a. The batteries would have been Fention by Farseeing
@@gaffergear Thank you very much for your reply. Would you rather use 14.4 or 14.8 or it doesn't matter? I understand they should be able to draw continuously more than 15 Amp. Is there specific battery you would highly recommend for the Nova? One thing I remember from your reply a while ago is that you suggested using batteries with high Watt/hour capacity as they tend to last longer than small ones.
Sort of, it's a dam huge library, I would say at least 300 gels, but you can't tune the gels like you can in the ARRI advanced color menu. (Which I totally forgot I could do until just now)
Aputure are all over social media, with user groups in various regions. From what I see there, they are quick to help out. I can't talk from experience because even though I own 26 Aputure lights, i have never had one fault! The only other brand I have never had fault is TGL. Every other brand I own I have had issues with.
Hey Andrew, has Aputure released a firmware update yet to fix your issue with the fire effect and the DMX issues (specifically daylight fading to a color)?
I bought one of the first ones they released at B&H. I am worried about the issue with the power connector having 4 pins instead of 3 and being female instead of male. Would you recommend returning it? Do you know when are they going to start shipping the new ones with that mistake corrected?
@@osoriony thank you for your reply. I’m really interested if the Powerstation will be supplied with cables matching the early units we have both. If so I’ll get this one too. If its not to much to ask, please let me know how it goes!
For someone with a meager budget compared to some, would you recommend the Nova over something like the Nanlite Mixpanel 150 which is $825 here in the USA vs $1700(without a case) for the Nova. I could buy 2 mixpanels is my rational, and they seem brighter. Is ease of use worth double the money I guess is my main question lol
If the colour science isn't a deciding factor, the main difference is the beam angle, the Mixpanels is very bright in hard mode, about the same brightness, but it's a very very narrow beam of about 50 usable degrees, compared to the Nova with a usable spread of about 120 degrees. The mix panel is soft mode is about the same spread. So if you don't need to light wide spaces, cyc walls, big diffusions. Then 2 mix panels may be the better go. I'll have a follow up video on Monday for the Nova, going over details like this that I missed.
@@gaffergear just to follow up, I ended up ordering the luxli taiko. Can't afford the 26v batteries just yet, esp while i have a ton of the 14.8v's to use.
I use a COB when I want a hard light, or if I want to bounce light off a ceiling. Something like this I would use if I want to flood light a background, say a studio wall, or I would use it as a kicker (back light or scratch light) if I want to have colour tunability. Using it as a key through a soft box I would use this over a COB if I want colour tunability, especially +/- green to match location lights such as in a shopping centre.
If you ever wonder why many other reviewers get more views on their videos: I also have no idea. You are pretty much making every other review a waste of time. Thank you for doing this with a proffessionality and depth that has set a new standard for light reviews. Highly appreciated!
agreed!
Agreed 👏
Hang a backdrop to cover the garage door, put a couple of trinkets around and add in some sub drops and transitions and subs will skyrocket
What kind of love about this channel is the dedication to just lighting and topics around your area of expertise. The reviews are non biased and reflect fact from than subjective views!
Was waiting for your review before purchasing! Thank you Andrew, being young in this industry, your reviews give me confidence in where I'm putting my money.
This is a safe bet, I'm buying a second one.
ByeMarcel..was waiting for this review too...Gaff & Gear tells it like it is.
I like your intro statement that it is a privilege to get such a light for a review. Especially since you totally earn it as your review is helping potential buyers to make a balanced decision and also it will help Aputure improve the product, e.g. in the area of DMX. In comparison I feel some other reviewers failed to put this light through its paces. So great job, always a pleasure to see a Pro at work!
Thanks, I would feel like crap if someone purchased this based on a review and plugged it into DMX on their first job without knowing.
finally I can breathe fresh air now. You were the only one who could truly compare the competition with Skypanel. I'll leave a comment and watch the video.
In fact, I bought this (Korea) two months ago, but I was in trouble because there was no review.
I have watched like 5-10 reviews before but I'm still watching this! I love your reviews Andrew!
Emil Tuomisto 2nd that. Thank you.
This is why I watch your videos. You don't just give an opinion that benefits pro-sumers, you talk about the seemingly casual things that we who aspire to be professionals need to know. Thank you.
The best in depth review ever of the Nova P300c Andrew. You showed us again why we should keep on coming and watching all content you create. Clear, accurate, relevant and very interesting. Thank you very much for sharing all your knowledge and experience. Best regards from New York.👏👏👏
Great review! I didn’t even bother with DMX because it wasn’t in my controller yet. We’d all be better off just letting you do the reviews... the rest of us could remain quiet.🤐 I only have one S30, so the Nova will make a good companion on most shoots, the way I use them. You did everyone a big favor re the battery input🏆 Thank you for keeping everyone else honest!
Luke & Andrew (and anyone else reading) - don't suppose you've had issues with a whistling/whine from your Nova? Check out vimeo dot com /449218184/fd13eb8cd7 - only present on certain colours and temps but pretty frustrating. Been in touch with Aputure so a waiting game but won't be filming any dialogue with them for a while..
Ed Mantle, I have not experienced that, and I’ve been using the unit pretty steadily on the last 4 or 5 jobs. I haven’t been doing anything fancy with it: some color, but mostly CCT and no effects or scene changes.
@@meetthegaffer Thanks Luke - hoping for an RMA unless it's something that can be fixed with firmware but I sadly doubt it. I could fix audio but it's a heck of a thing to have to add to workflow for a £2k light!
Each video of yours I watch I am so happy to have access to the real world of video at a pro level where you have opened the doors! I am very grateful for having you here at the end of the internet connection!
10.000 subs episode idea: viewiers Q and A.
My Questions:
1. Worst day of your carrier (problems during work ect)
2. Light and Heavy stands you recommend.
3. What you like most about your job.
i have seen all the other reviews about the nova and i gotta say once again u by far produce the best review from a professional perspective keep up the good work!
This is THE review I've been waiting for. Thank you for the in-depth content.
Amazingly comprehensive review Andrew many thanks. I am looking to potentially add this to my varied collection of lights but might hold back until the next firmware release to see what issues that you have kindly already highlighted that they address. Also very interested in using with modifiers so will wait for your DoP Choice rundown. Much respect !!!!
Good news is firmware wise is Aputure have sent me some patches to test already.
Thank you so much! You may not be the first with your reviews, but you are super accurate - and that is the important thing!!!
This will have to be my next major lighting purchase. Thanks for the thorough review!
They took a while to release this (from first mention), which I presume was a good thing. Having a few of these and maybe some of the other upcoming Aputure / equivelant products will provide many practical and creative options. Great to see a brand catering to all aspects of the industry and responsive to their customers. Need DMX sorted, as this light will be used in larger rigs and the practical aspect of battery connection is a very valid point.
Looking forward to next episode!
Excellent review. Great catch on that inlet, too. Apurture should send you a set of three of the revised versions of the Nova as a thank you.
Brilliant Review Andrew! Look forward to the next one!
What a thorough and detailed review. I love this channel and the content you put out. Thanks so much!
Thanks again for this in depth review!
Really enjoying your thorough reviews... super useful having someone like you go through the positives and negatives of using this equipment on a set. Cheers!
Very detailed review! I think I’ll be picking one up early next year. Assuming we’re back in the norm by then!
Super appreciate the in-depth + honest positive negative of using this light!
Going to hit the gym and come back and watch this, I'm excited af
Brand New Nova, Updated Firmware.
AT Hue 1 Degree, 100% Saturation and around 32-37% intensity I can see flickering in this light. NOT rolling shutter. The light flickers. ( i can see it on the video scopes flickering)
Also when increasing intensity from 0%-100% at hue 1 Degree, 100% Saturation, I can clearly see colour shifting in this unit, it goes from orangey, to magenta and keeps flicking back between the two - all quite subtle, but its there.
I expected red carpet service after dropping $3k on a light but it didn't happen. The support process was not what I expected. Back and forth with someone at the factory in China over email. There was no sign of the A-Team from the USA stepping in to ensure a happy new customer.
Brillant demo, many thanks! The Nova is a bit over the top for my little TH-cam operation, but the way it drenches a room in saturated colours looks so stunning :)
Excellent review. I'll be buying two of the Nova P300 because of your review. SOLID LIGHT!
Thanks for the review Andrew. I had been considering getting another Litepanels Gemini to round out my lighting... but for the money this Apurture light looks like it will do the job very nicely. Just wish you could change the CCT the light desaturates to in HSI mode!
Yes i get the see the flikering when it fades up and fades down!
I just got the 4xmc box pretty happy with so far
awesome in-depth review, was looking for a decent review of these, cheers
Fantastic review !
Great review. It was detailed and thorough. One thing I saw was your review of the Aputure 300x and you were very impressed with the 5 sec fade down and up of the unit. I'm surprised and disappointed that the DMX fade up and down of the Nova is not as good. I'm hoping the DMX is as good and better than the 300x in a future firmware release. I didn't like the flicker on the Nova during the ramp up of the light.
I too was disappointed, the dimmer over phone app is liquid smooth, so hopefully it's just a response issue between DMX and the driver and can be trimmed.
I got my units two days ago & I'm loving them 😍🔥
good to know that i wont smoke as much with this, the skypannel upboot time has always been an ennoyance when you have to move fast.
Thank you for the review!
The best reviews on lighting and grip come from gaffer & gear.
If you say that you have such a good relationship with Aputure can you tell them to update a few things on the app. Unless I was blind I think the sidus app lacks a bit:
1) When you enter a light to show The NAME of the light at the top of that light menu so you know where you entered - after a while I could forget while working. I used 10-15 lights on a feature and I did not see their names in their individual control menus . In the general scene menu, I do see the names, of course, but not once I enter a light.
2) to put in an option that when lights are controlled in a GROUP - that if the group's intensity is lifted by 1% that all the lights be lifted RELATIVELY one to the other - ie PRESERVE THE RATIOS (an option, and to have an option that all lights are at the same level). When I group lights , the slider brings all the intensities at the group level. There should be a relative value which keeps ratios in mind (put a menu in there and choose to have this option). The group should detect how much % is there overhead and how much % undernwath and based on this the whole groups creates a slider with the relative % overhead that keeps the ratios (and maybe include an icon or write there, RATIOS or something to let the user know they're keeping the ratios in the group). I was trying to "fade in" a light via sidus and the group would not keep the ratios.
3) In the main page of the scene, put an option to have a tree like structure, and under each light to be able to see at least the intensity and the kelvin/Green-Magenta scale. I would be adjusting several lights and I had to go back and forth to adjust the intensity. For people that want a fiddly menu it's fine, but also give an option to display as a tree the controls for those who want a menu full of accessible sliders. If somebody say wants to go from CCT to color mode, then fine, enter the light and change the mode. But for fine adjustments, idk, when working with a lot of lights on a wide scene, I'd rather have all the sliders on one page ready to go.
4) if possible - make that BT connection refresh better - it always asks if I wanna reconnect. DUMB as hell - of course I wanna reconnect. I'm not entering the light to admire the menu. Also their annoying update requests they can shove them deep where it doesn't shine
BETTER yet call them, tell them to hire me and fly me to China to sort their stuff out. I'm the most mental tester out there (hence why I love this mental channel).
I had a few more ideas but anyway, let's save some for later.
Right on Andrew, cheers from Virginia
As much as I often hate a separate ballast it is nice to have the option on the arri s30 as it takes 5pounds or so off the head weight when you need to rig it... i love everything about this p300 except the 23 pounds is a lot on end of a menace arm etc. We do so many multicam interviews right now with Astra 6x because of the lite weight (and cost) form factor but looking to upgrade to lite weight head with full RGBWW and DMX etc. Jury still out...
Even just tilted with a soft box on a ball mount it's a huge difference
Nice work, you have gained a new Sub!
Thank you for this in depth review! I rented one to try it out and just purchased one off the back of that. Super happy with it. Only thing I didn't like is the fabric for the Aputure Softbox, gonna try and fix something custom or maybe save up for the DOP Choice one. Also, annoying that the softbox and barn doors doesn't fit in the case...
Awesome video! Thank you! - Very thorough and presented impeccably.
such a perfect review thankyou
Your graphic at 8min has a typing mistake. It says „Lux @ 1m“ instead of „Lux @ 3m“. But Superb review as always. I liked your graditude in the intro :)
Thanks, bugga
Gaffer & Gear Anytime
I used one on a shoot yesterday. Beware It's heavy, I had to lay it on the floor bcz I didnt have an arm that could support it in the air(had to change light setup impromptu). It's too heavy for a baby boom arm. Too much bend, didnt look feel or look safe to me.
And the light needs modifiers, which add more weight!!
The light output was really good tho (I had it at 1% all day on a Varicam shooting at 1600ISO t/5.6), and with the app I was able to match it to another 300DMK2 perfectly with a point and click. 5 stars to the Sidus App.
In my opinion the form factor does not match the other aputure lights at all, which is kind of a bummer. Bcz this lamp looks like it comes from a totally different factory if not company in my opinion.
I also thought the controller unit felt kind of cheap/flimsy and the design didn't match the sophistication of their other products or even the lamp itself.
But I will be renting some more again! Lovely light
Great review. Will be renting until i buy it
This is a superb breakdown. Thanks
Great review sir
Thank you.
always AMAZING REVIEWS !
Your review was worth the wait
Old video but I’m considering the Nova P300c. However I’m stuck between the Nova, the new Godox Knowled P300r and the Chauvet Pro onAir Panel 1 IP. I know they’re both new but would love to see you review of the Chauvet and Godox or any input into the matter. Love you reviews, best around.
Thank you!
Fantastic review, thank you sir!
Deserves 30k likes. Amazing information and superb delivery. Given your pro status, how much of a Kelvin delta is truly an issue? Should I care as an amateur if its off by 150k or even 200k? Thanks for all your knowledge on this channel.
Best review of all that I've seen! Thank you very much! Question though, will the dual vmount battery I have from the original 300d work with this if I get an adapter? Thanks again and keep rockin!!! :)
What will the film industry be without the great master kenobi
Would be great if you did a follow up review regarding all the questions (you didn’t tell us) you asked Aperture for updates… if these concerns have all been answered as promised…
I have done some follow ups on this. From memory the gels mode still hasn't got previews, the DMX is mostly sorted out and very usable now
Sr, you are as pro as there is. congratulations
Great review!
You gotta get your hands on the Nova P600c! That would be cool to be reviewed by you.
I've been beta testing it, it's awesome. Very much improved, not just bigger
@@gaffergear I'm excited to hear that. Looking forward to the video bc I am torn apart between purchasing 2x more p300cs or 1 p600c
This exalux costs 2500 dollars😲and you still have to buy super expensive lights like Skypanel to have this smooth transitions.
Thats why i choose astera system.
Astera has by far the best dimmers of any LED i have seen.
Hey Andrew: Your usual thorough review - thanks for pressing them on the DMX firmware fix. No test unit Titan X2 from Rotolight yet?
With this while covid thing I think she me manufacturers are holding back and taking the time to reflect things
Or they just worry about giving the lights to actual gaffers who do thorough reviews - Rotolight has a history of only sending to “friendlies”
Wow - thorough and extremely interesting review! I'm looking at this light as a possible "girl friday" light to use as general key light as well as some other uses. I'm a one-man-band TH-camr and the less time fussing with gear, the better. But I am also not technically educated on lighting, though I have a good fundamental understanding. I'm willing to invest what I would consider "significant" funds into a light like this to get the combination of portability and features - as well as room to grow into it rather than save a few dollars and quickly outgrow something else. Is this light overkill for this, or am I the right user for this product? In your opinion - of course....
I know you're in OZ so it might not be as easy for you to get your hands on them, but have you considered testing these against ETC fos/4 panels? I know they're not as bright but I have a feeling their color rendition is better (maybe better than Arri's too). Would love to see you comparing them.
This looks great. I bought the LEDGO MagicHue160 based on your review and it's been a great light but I hate the case (it's massive and difficult to stack with my other gear) and there are times I wish it was brighter. This looks a lot brighter and the case is more compact. I know they haven't released the v-lock power for it yet but would there be room in the case for that and a couple of v-locks do you think? Thanks for doing these. You reviews are the best around.
There is no room in the case for batteries, or even a battery plate
Man I love I've found your channel.. I'm a relative newbie (having a small owner operater production since 2017)
Like most people I've been caught up trying to get better at camera operating, editing etc... But his channel has definetly gave me hope of upping my lighting game!
Id love to know your thoughts of mixing brands for cob lights (aputure, godox vl series or nanlight etc) or is there one budget brand you would recommend as a perfect solution for small corporate jobs?
I run Forza 500s and Aputure 600D with the F10 Fresnels.
Forza 500 is my light weight and battery goto.
The 600D / F10 has that huge firepower when I need a lot more, but not as much as a M18 HMI.
For me picking only one of the two would be like having only one lens for a camera.
@@gaffergear thank you for the reply... Right now I have a mix of aputure 120d mkii's some pixapro 200bmkiii's and godox... Defo love idea of the nova and was looking at something with more output on the cob front I could use as interior key and wasn't sure to go forza 500 or 600d... But I completely get your analogy.. Different tools for different jobs... Thanks again
I’m close to pulling the trigger to buy the Nova 300. I would love to se an updated video on all the updates of the lamp.
th-cam.com/video/8EgBRRfnP_c/w-d-xo.html
And
th-cam.com/video/C8rlrDAMvAE/w-d-xo.html
illuminating video review. Cheers if you ever wanna go to macadas in your budgie smugglers a round will be on me m8!
Fantastic review! One aspect that I am interested in that you might be able to answer is how weather proof is the main unit and the controller unit?🙏🏾
Not waterproof unfortunately.
Episode 86 shows what I do to weatherproof my lights on location
What a pity! Version II hopefully!😉🙏🏾
@@EugeneMaynard if waterproof is a big issue for your workflow have a look at Cream Source.
I have seen that one and it is very helpful. 🙏🏾
I shoot a lot of OB sports jobs here in Sweden and we are using more a more pitch side studios. The largest OB company (NEP) have almost exclusively kitted out their trucks with CreamSource Doppio +, blenders and minis for our lighting. I was hoping to convince them to consider and add this new Nova as I being a cameraman that is constantly setting up these lights can understand what more the Nova can do for me but it will be a hard sell with limited waterproofing! Maybe they might consider the new Vortex8, so If you get a chance to review that light, I shall be the first one to watch!😂🙏🏾
Very detail 👌🏿
Great review mate thank you for making such a detailed tool to use.. in your colour temp measurements, in this ones case you say at 5600 it’s out by the equivalent of a 1/16th correction gel.. is that in terms of green/magneta or being spot on 5600 and needing orange or blue to correct it?
Green magenta.
Makes me wonder how the Nova will compare against Nanlite Mixpanel 150 given the respective price differential
The mixpanels is a good example of a light that's not a (real) rgbww. It's bi-colour with RGB slapped on top.
Both good value, but this one is way more complex in its light engine and programming. That's what the price difference is all about.
My rule, if you can't see the difference, don't spend the money.
@@gaffergear apologies if it's obvious or covered in another video but would you be able to explain what the difference is when you say real rgbww vs bi-colour with RGB added on top? Very curious how these two lights compare also
@@DJ-hu4ih in white mode some RGBWW lights only use the WW emitters. Others use all the RGBWW emitters to generate white light, giving you more accuracy.
Some also don't have their Plus/Minus green locked to the white emitters in white light mode, so if you set a CCT with a +/- value, and then dim the light, it goes out of alignment to what you had set.
@@gaffergear I think I understand, so essentially in this case there's two separate sets of emitters used for CCT mode and RGB? As opposed to a 'real' RGBWW light using 100% of the emitters for both CCT and RGB?
If that's the case, would that make 'true' RGBWW lights that use all the emitters for both modes generally a higher output, especially when using HSI mode as you'd have more emitters? That would seem logical to me but i'm sure it's a lot more complicated beyond my understanding.
Appreciate the info mate!
@@DJ-hu4ih correct, I call real RGBWW a light that uses all its emitters to generate white, otherwise it's just a fancy bi-colour. There is no real difference in brightness because in most cases none of the LEDs are running at full power because they need to get the mix correct.
I see looking at the P300 now they fixed the issue with the connector at the back made it male instead of female. But now they are releasing the P600c so ... Hmmm ... ARRI S60-C SkyPanel alternative at just over 1/2 the price.
I'd be very curious to see how this compares to the Rayzr MC400max... Weight wise the S60 is 28 pounds, the Aputure 23lbs and the Rayzr a remarkable 13lbs. The rayzr 400w the Aputure 300w... very similar price points, the Rayzr about $300 more.
I'm glad I'm not starting my business as a gaffer now, I wouldn't know where to start.
Amazing! which light stand do you are using for the nova?
I would recommend avenger combo stands. Good mixture of relativity low price and high very high quality.
What is the softbox on the 300D mark ii in that overhead setup? I have a really big softbox for my Forza 500 but it is too deep. It is not practical on set as it takes a lot of space. I am looking for something like you had in that outdoor fire scene as it seems much less deeper than what I have.
I think it was from Chimera, it was the DPs
I noticed that the controller is phantom powered but again the gender of the connections is the wrong way around. Something Aputure should take not off.
I had noticed that too
@@gaffergear Yeah, If I'm buying one the first thing I'll get out is the soldering iron and different connectors, unless they've fixed it in the meantime (They should) It's all standard XLR chassis sizes anyway
@@wernervanpeppen4873 Agree, as soon as I'm finished shooing this light the outlet is getting changed. Just a note that the screws holding the outlet in are not captured the other side, and any loose screws will not fall out of the air vents because they have made them insect proof (something i forgot to mention)
It's not a problem, I just got them to disconnect the plug, short out the pins with metal, plug it back in and show me it working.
I've tried to blow it up my end, all good
Thank you for this video!
What's the lowest lux level it goes to? At 1% brightness
Say at 1m and 3200K
It would be so low I wouldn't trust my reading. But I would ask on one of the Aputure Facebook user groups. Some one from Aputure may answer
Hey man, love your channel! Do you have any opinion on the Rayzr MC400 compared to these Aputures?
Haven't seen one yet, Australia is a bit slow at getting all the brands
@@gaffergear Ok, then we'll have to test for ourselves... again: love you channel!
@@philosofilm let me know what you think of it
@@gaffergear We'll probably do a small video about it... not that we have anywhere near your level of expertise...
Great review. Is the DMX mode fixed yet? I have 2 of theese and i use the more with DMX than i thought i would... I might get rid of them and swap to s30's but it r much rather just download a firmware that spend several thousand bucks to get good DMD modes
Not fixed yet, I get told that the engineering team is working on it. I think they need a dedicated DMX team. It's very complex to get DMX right. It took ARRI several years on the skypanels.
How do we let them know that there’s more of us out here that are on the fence here? We’d like to go all in on Aputure but right now the rental price on the Arri per project (while it definitely will add up) is making us keep our options open because of this flexibility issue. They are sitting on a game changer!
How does this light compare to the Luxli Taiko?
I wondered the same thing, but can't get my hands on one for review
This. I would totally watch a big comparison between the Nova, Luxli Taiko, Razyr7 MC400, and SkyPanel S60
Thanks for great video: at 08:03 you said Lux at 3m, but video graphics say 1m…
Which is true…
It's at 3m
This light will never be in stock :'(
Same problem as the Skypanel, how do you tilt it down with a large chimera and no ball mount?
YES! YES! YES! I'm trying to convince them to make a ball mount to go into the clamp where the controller mounts. I have ball mounts an all my S-60's.
Do you have any specific light stands you’d recommend for the p300c?
Not really any brand., but I would go a combo head stand, steel, with a bit of weight under it. If you go a light weight stand then you just need an additional shot bag anyway
Does anyone know what name/brand stands those are?
They are Avenger combo stands, Italian made by parent company Manfrotto.
Manfrotto.com
Then put "combo" in the search settings.
Gaffer & Gear thanks!
For the light meter readings, should it say 3m instead of 1m?
Yes it should. Andrew corrected this error with a follow up video.
Yes should say 3m
Thanks!
Hello Andrew, I finally got my Aputure 2-bay power station. I remember you did a review of it and removed it few days later. Do you think I still can safely use it for the Nova? Also, I am sorry to ask you again about V mount batteries. A while ago I asked you and you very kindly sent me a link for a brand that you like that is not be very expensive and it's not distributed by B&H in the US. Unfortunately, I can't find the comment where you sent me the link.
It will power the Nova easy. Error loading n my review was I said it could run a Skypanel. It can run a Skypanel but most high capacity batteries will melt the pins overtime as the pins are usually rated at 15a and the batteries at code to flat are 12v and would then be up around 18a.
The batteries would have been Fention by Farseeing
@@gaffergear Thank you very much for your reply. Would you rather use 14.4 or 14.8 or it doesn't matter? I understand they should be able to draw continuously more than 15 Amp. Is there specific battery you would highly recommend for the Nova? One thing I remember from your reply a while ago is that you suggested using batteries with high Watt/hour capacity as they tend to last longer than small ones.
Opening statement comes closer than most to admitting that sent for review=free unit.
Hello, I hope you well. Just had a quick question. Can this light do the welding arc or shock pattern effect? Thanks!
Hi Andrew! Quick question - Is the gel library as robust as the sky panel's?
Sort of, it's a dam huge library, I would say at least 300 gels, but you can't tune the gels like you can in the ARRI advanced color menu. (Which I totally forgot I could do until just now)
Could you say something about the Aputure Service? What if some LEDs are going out of funktion, for example.
Aputure are all over social media, with user groups in various regions. From what I see there, they are quick to help out.
I can't talk from experience because even though I own 26 Aputure lights, i have never had one fault!
The only other brand I have never had fault is TGL. Every other brand I own I have had issues with.
Hey Andrew, has Aputure released a firmware update yet to fix your issue with the fire effect and the DMX issues (specifically daylight fading to a color)?
They still don't dim the best, but everything else is sorted. I now use them in my DMX workflow
I bought one of the first ones they released at B&H. I am worried about the issue with the power connector having 4 pins instead of 3 and being female instead of male. Would you recommend returning it? Do you know when are they going to start shipping the new ones with that mistake corrected?
I would jump on one of the Aputure forums and ask the question of them.
@@gaffergear Thank you very much.
@@osoriony have you found a solution? Just got my unit today (sticker says produced June 2020) and also has the 4-Pin battery inlet.
@@simoniannelli No, I have not been looking, however I pre-ordered the Aputure 2-way power station. Hopefully that will work
@@osoriony thank you for your reply. I’m really interested if the Powerstation will be supplied with cables matching the early units we have both. If so I’ll get this one too. If its not to much to ask, please let me know how it goes!
would 2 of them be enought to light a 4.5 meter cove white background?
I would thing so, i would use two Skypanels for that width and these have the same beam angle.
Review the Aputure LS 600c Pro please
Currently testing
@@gaffergear Looking forward to it. I'm waiting to see your testing before I make a purchase decision. Thank you.
For someone with a meager budget compared to some, would you recommend the Nova over something like the Nanlite Mixpanel 150 which is $825 here in the USA vs $1700(without a case) for the Nova. I could buy 2 mixpanels is my rational, and they seem brighter. Is ease of use worth double the money I guess is my main question lol
If the colour science isn't a deciding factor, the main difference is the beam angle, the Mixpanels is very bright in hard mode, about the same brightness, but it's a very very narrow beam of about 50 usable degrees, compared to the Nova with a usable spread of about 120 degrees. The mix panel is soft mode is about the same spread. So if you don't need to light wide spaces, cyc walls, big diffusions. Then 2 mix panels may be the better go.
I'll have a follow up video on Monday for the Nova, going over details like this that I missed.
@@gaffergear just to follow up, I ended up ordering the luxli taiko. Can't afford the 26v batteries just yet, esp while i have a ton of the 14.8v's to use.
@@curtisc8386 yep, that 26v battery is a huge mistake for them.
Let me know what you thinking the luxli.
@@gaffergear definitely will!
Curtis C So, how is the Taiko faring there? Are you pleased with the purchase?
Really basic question, but when do you use this type of light vs the aputure 300d? Are they used interchangeably, or does each have a specific use?
I use a COB when I want a hard light, or if I want to bounce light off a ceiling.
Something like this I would use if I want to flood light a background, say a studio wall, or I would use it as a kicker (back light or scratch light) if I want to have colour tunability.
Using it as a key through a soft box I would use this over a COB if I want colour tunability, especially +/- green to match location lights such as in a shopping centre.