Aputure has become a household name for filmmakers, videographers, and photographers who require professional-grade lighting without the traditional Hollywood price tag. Their equipment bridges the gap between amateur setups and high-end cinema production, offering reliability, color accuracy, and innovative features. Whether you are setting up a home studio or preparing for a commercial shoot, understanding which Aputure products fit your specific needs is the first step toward achieving cinematic results.
Choosing the right lighting involves more than just picking the brightest lamp. You must consider color temperature, power requirements, and how the light interacts with various modifiers. This guide explores the diverse range of Aputure lighting solutions and accessories to help you build a kit that grows with your creative ambitions.
The Core of the Aputure Ecosystem
Aputure organizes its products into several distinct lines, each catering to different levels of production and budget. Understanding these categories helps you navigate their extensive catalog effectively. The two primary lines you will encounter are the Light Storm series and the Amaran series.
The Light Storm (LS) Series
The Light Storm series represents the professional flagship line. These lights are built with robust materials, often featuring aircraft-grade aluminum bodies and external control boxes. They are designed for heavy use on professional sets where durability and weather resistance are paramount. Most LS lights use the universal Bowens Mount, allowing you to attach a wide variety of light modifiers from both Aputure and third-party manufacturers.
The Amaran Series
The Amaran line is designed for content creators, vloggers, and independent filmmakers who need high-quality light in a more lightweight and affordable package. While these lights often use more plastic in their construction compared to the LS series, they do not compromise on light quality. They provide excellent Color Rendering Index (CRI) and Television Lighting Consistency Index (TLCI) scores, ensuring that skin tones look natural and colors appear vibrant.
Essential Point Source Lighting
Point source lights, often referred to as COB (Chip-on-Board) LEDs, are the workhorses of the modern film set. They emit light from a single small point, which allows them to create sharp shadows or be easily softened with modifiers like softboxes and umbrellas.
LS 600d Pro: The Powerhouse
The LS 600d Pro is one of the most powerful LED lights available today. It is capable of competing with the sun, making it an excellent choice for lighting through windows or filling in shadows on a bright day. It features professional-grade weatherproofing and multiple power options, including V-mount battery plates for location shooting. If you need a primary “key” light that can handle almost any situation, this is a top-tier choice.
LS 300d II: The Versatile Workhorse
The 300d II is perhaps the most popular light in the Aputure lineup. It strikes a perfect balance between size, weight, and output. It is powerful enough to be a key light for interviews and narrative scenes but small enough to be managed by a single operator. Its updated control box and cable management make it incredibly fast to set up and tear down.
LS 60x and 60d: Compact Precision
For those who need smaller, more focused light sources, the LS 60 series offers an adjustable beam angle. These lights allow you to spot or flood the light without needing external accessories. They are perfect for hair lights, accent lights, or illuminating specific parts of a background. Their compact size makes them ideal for travel kits.
Portable and Creative Lighting
Beyond the large COB lights, Aputure offers a variety of specialized tools for unique lighting challenges. These are often used to add “pizzazz” to a scene or to provide light in tight spaces where a traditional stand cannot fit.
- Accent B7c: This is a smart bulb designed for filmmakers. It fits into standard light sockets but allows you to control the color and brightness via an app. It is perfect for practical lights that appear on camera.
- MC Series: These are tiny, credit-card-sized RGBWW lights. They feature built-in magnets, allowing you to stick them to metal surfaces. They are excellent for hiding in corners or placing inside cars for interior shots.
- MT Pro: A professional tube light that offers pixel control. This is ideal for creating dynamic lighting effects or sleek, reflected highlights in product photography.
Softening the Light: Essential Modifiers
A high-quality light source is only half of the equation. To achieve a cinematic look, you often need to modify the light to make it softer or more directional. Aputure has developed a range of accessories specifically designed to work with their Bowens Mount fixtures.
The Light Dome Series
The Light Dome II and Light Dome SE are the most common modifiers used with Aputure lights. These circular softboxes create a beautiful, wrap-around light that is very flattering for human subjects. The Light Dome II includes a gel holder and two layers of diffusion, giving you total control over the quality of the light.
The Lantern Modifier
If you need to light an entire room evenly, the Aputure Lantern is the best tool. It is a spherical softbox that spreads light in all directions. It is frequently used by documentary filmmakers to provide a natural, ambient glow to a space without creating harsh shadows.
Spotlight Mount
For precision control, the Spotlight Mount allows you to shape your light like a theatrical follow-spot. It uses internal shutters to create sharp edges and can accept “gobos” (metal stencils) to project patterns like window blinds or tree leaves onto your background.
Smart Control with Sidus Link
One of the biggest advantages of using Aputure gear is the Sidus Link ecosystem. Most modern Aputure and Amaran lights feature Bluetooth mesh networking. This allows you to control every light in your kit from a single smartphone or tablet app.
With Sidus Link, you can adjust brightness, change colors, and trigger special effects like lightning or flickering fire without ever leaving your camera position. This saves an enormous amount of time on set, especially when lights are mounted high on stands or in hard-to-reach places. The app also allows you to save “scenes,” so you can instantly recall your lighting settings for recurring shoots.
Choosing the Right Setup for Your Needs
When building your kit, start with your most frequent use case. If you primarily film interviews, a two-light setup consisting of an LS 300d II with a Light Dome and a smaller Amaran 100x for a backlight is a fantastic starting point. This setup provides a professional look while remaining portable.
For narrative filmmakers, having a mix of power levels is important. You might want a 600-series light for your main source and several MC lights for background accents. Always prioritize getting one high-quality key light before buying multiple cheaper lights, as the key light defines the overall look of your image.
Conclusion
Aputure professional lighting equipment offers a comprehensive solution for creators at every level. By combining high-output COB lights with versatile modifiers and intelligent app control, they have simplified the process of creating high-end visuals. Whether you choose the rugged Light Storm series for professional sets or the portable Amaran line for on-the-go content, you are investing in tools that provide consistent, beautiful results.
As you expand your lighting kit, remember that the best gear is the equipment that helps you tell your story more effectively. Explore different modifiers and experiment with light placement to fully unlock the potential of your cinema accessories. For more tips on improving your production value, consider exploring articles on camera settings and sound recording to complement your new lighting setup.