What kind of videos do you want to see us making in 2018?

@alexanderclark4446

6 жыл бұрын

I would like to see you guys go into more detail on the different modifiers you provide. Like the space lights, china balls, and softboxes.

@AlexMilanese

6 жыл бұрын

When you mention “Aputure”, I think most people think of the lights you make, for good reason. However, in 2018, I’d like to see you make videos that expand on your other products like audio equipment, monitors, etc. I learned a lot from your 2017 videos about mics and monitors, and I think everyone would love to see more videos like that, especially considering how much your channel has grown in the last year. Best of luck in 2018!

@DIYCameraGuy

6 жыл бұрын

It would be interesting to see how to light a miniature set like for a brick film or stop motion.

@THE1BAD

6 жыл бұрын

I’d like to see a video about what creative lighting techniques are best for different situations and what is a good setup that could cover most situations.

@SamLucas26

6 жыл бұрын

I'd love to see some videos about on camera video lighting. I have a couple of aputure m9 lights that when I'm shooting weddings can really come in handy. But at the same time, is sometimes a struggle to make it look natural. But you can actually see the subject in low light reception situations. Visible > looking natural lol

It is also very important to consider if you need your light to be battery powered. If you're not gonna use it outside, where you can't plug it in, anyway, then you could just save that money and buy a light, that doesn't have the option to be battery powered.

@aputurelighting

6 жыл бұрын

Great point, Tim!

Definitely look for what type of accessories or modifiers you can add on to the light. A Bowens mount adds a lot of options for accessories that can attach directly to the light. Some smaller on camera lights also have the ability to attach them together to create a larger, brighter light source. Other lights might need special adapters bought to add on things like softboxes or barn doors. The easier it is to modify on the light, the better the buy.

My bottom line with lighting (as a video shooter) is simply: does it look good on screen? I shoot natural light outside (almost always) and indoors is pretty controlled for me in my studio. I’ve created some incredible lighting scenarios with $35 dual flood lights from Home Depot, a shower curtain diffuser for fill and a simple desk lamp using Phillips hue as a practical light. Shooting a log profile allows me large amounts of room to tweak the light in post and most people (even some pros) would never know the difference for under $100. With that being said, 2018 is the year that I upgrade my lighting situation to a more professional solution so I would love to win this light lol. I’ve actually had a pair of mini 20’s in my amazon cart for a couple weeks waiting for tax return season to roll around lol

As a solo content creator who does a first person POV shoot, these are other features important for me to buy next lights: 1. A light that is portable and lightweight. I have a small sized room to shoot my content indoor. Lights should be easy to set up and small footprint wins me big number. If I need to be on a remote location, the light should be light and easy to transport with my existing car. Aputure LEDs are on top of my list in this point. 2. A light that comes with a remote controller to adjust brightness. This greatly helps you analyze how lights affecting the scene you shot. This is to me reduces frustration going back and forward from your seat to adjust each light brightness. 3. Lights accept existing battery solution such as vastly available Sony NPF batteries. I don't want to buy lights with a proprietary battery. 4. As described in the video, lights that have no or low noise. This lets you concentrate your content more.

Good info, G's. You guys covered all the main points here, especially the CRI 95+, loud fans, bi-color outputs, and etc. I think the the most important things that I consider when buying a light are price, size, battery life and specialty. Fort example, a 3 pt lighting system would include a narrow light as my key light, a wide light as my background light, and an ice light as my hair light. Doing this for an interview is basic, but you can use the same principles to light an action scene. ADAPT. IMPROVISE. OVERCOME. You guys touched on that a little.`

I was just looking at getting new lights. Solid timing. Keep up the great work on these videos!

Ted you forgot powering option, it's quite crucial. Not just the ability to go battery or AC, but also what kind/type of battery can the light use, are the batteries relatively affordable and accessible, are they flight-safe, for shooters who have to travel. It is quite important for doco type shooters who may have to travel to rural areas where they don't have access to rentals and possibly no power outlets on location.

i totally would say everyone should look at the noise of a light, but that is biased because it doesnt apply for photography, but for cinematographers definitly the noise level of a light is very very important! thank you for this video!

As a hobby interview filming person I often consider portability and ease of use - you can throw in a backpack set it up easy throw batteries on if you have no socket, then price vs quality (that is all on low budget shelf)

Loving these videos from you guys!

Great video for people looking for the most important elements of a light. One more you could add is whether there is flicker in the light.

Available accessories and light modifiers is a good thing to consider (grid, barn doors, focused vs. wide beam adjustment, scrim/diffusion slot etc).

Diversity of power options can be mission critical. Not only the ability to move from AC to battery but the ability to use NPF (where possible) V-Mount, Gold Mount and, even a mobile charger in a pinch (like the Mini 20 can). One could walk into a shoot with Tri8 and Mini 20 and could be well covered for a variety of contingencies.

All the things mentioned are important, but speaking of the future of lighting - I am really looking forward to the LED RGB colour features! I do like traditional gels, but here the creative possibilities are endless.

My biggest necessity when picking out a good light is SIZE. Portability and mobility are my two essentials with the work i personally do. Thanks Aperture! You guys rock!

I think that there are 3 main things to look for when contemplating a light purchase. 1. Power output - Diffusing light is the name of the game, and having a higher output will allow you more flexibility when diffusing. 2. Mount options - It's a bit difficult to attach diffusing onto your LED panel - Finding a universal mount (like Bowens) will allow you to easily hot swap your diffusion and other things like snoots on the fly. 3. High CRI - a High CRI is very important for me. I am a bit of a color snob (at least learning how to be! haha) so having that color reproduction be spot on is key. Love your products! I currently own a light dome, but my 55 Watt lights don't push enough power to really make the most of it.

@jennyluvsfood

6 жыл бұрын

i agree ...i bought a set of 4 LED panels and hardly use them b/c i want really soft light ...what i really need is a Bowens mount with a light dome

It's always important to think about the size your light should have... especially if you need to put it in small corners, boxes refridgerators etc.

Battery options is a really important one for me. Ever since I first got into filmmaking, lighting in the field has been such an insurmountable hurdle. One of the most exciting things about LED lighting is not having to worry about noisy generators or running miles of power cables anymore 👍

Two essential aspects concerning lights: is there a battery so I can use it outdoors and is the light weathersealed? Great video by the way.

I got a pixeltube and AsteraBox a few months ago and they're absolutely insane, I just made a video on them as well because it seems like they're so underrated, more people need to know how great they are, between the portability and effects they're a bundle of joy to say the least!

A feature i personally would have a hard time missing is a dim switch. Especially if you like me likes to get creative with darker scenarious but still want to have some lighting. Great video ✌️

For a directional light fixture like a fresnel, think about what convenient options are available to make the like soft. A good soft box means that your light can serve different purposes.

Most important feature everyone should look for in their next light is whether the fixture is going to retain its value for you long term. So much film gear becomes obsolete within a year or two. Before you spend, try to anticipate whether the investment will still have a place in your kit when your needs evolve and newer/better fixtures become available.

Thanks for the video lighting tips before we leave 2017! My new Aputure review(s) are coming this weekend before this month is out! Here's to a great year and an even greater New Year in 2018! All the best A-Team and thanks for all the tips!! #Aputure2017toInfinity!

These are really essential and I think you can also add "rigging", this is to someone who can not afford different types of lights hence coming up with different set ups like using fresnel, soft boxes , c stand etc.

Something else id look for is how controllable or modifiable the source is, that's why I'm a big fan of the Bowens mount on your 120/300 series, Huge range of control options!

Great video Ted! I’d suggest points of “BATTERY POWER OPTIONS” and “DIMMABLE ACCURACY & CONTROL”. These are huge factors for location versatility and dialing in for various lighting conditions. 😀🎬🎥

One of the most important things to think about is how the light is powered! I’ve been looking to upgrade my kit and I’ve spent so much time on this subject. Whether a light can be battery-powered or night can be crucial in the long run. Will you be using a powerful outdoors? If you’re going to be deep in the woods you might not have access to outlets, so batteries are important. But you then have to decide if the cost of the batteries required is cost-effective for your needs. V-Mount batteries, for example can be very pricey. I’m on the contemplating upgrading from Sony-NPF battery fixtures to some more professional/higher output gear and it’s a big added cost. But if I’m only using it indoors, I can simply power by wall outlet. The mini20 lights are really interesting to me because of the battery options (USB brick, wall, Sony). While there are many aspects to consider, I do think power options are extremely important and vary widely upon the user.

I have a 528 S and W and love that you can use battery or plug in and charge battery.

The weight and size of the light is always very important especially for small or one person crews!

Something that I try to look for first(after price;)) is versatility. Since my projects are low budget, I have to look for lights that will be able to do the job for many projects.

Great video! I think that an other think to consider is the portability of the lights, and if you can power them with batteries, this is why I love LED, you can carry them whatever you want and power them with batteries. this is very important in some locations where you don't have electricity and its dificult to where a generator. I'm looking for a kit of great lights and one of my options is to buy some of your lights, I like your products and also I like what you are making with this channel. (the only reason because I have not bought them yet is because I have little budget, but this is going to change soon 👌) If I would be lucky to have some aputure lights soon I'll try ta make some reviews of them. thanks!

One feature I believe people may overlook is: "does it look professional?" Yes, I know this may be counter-intuitive for the most part. However, if you've ever had clients on set, they want to know that they are getting the quality that they paid for. Sometimes, this means having that light that looks professional rather than using a DIY solution that may get similar results but does not look professional. Of course, we filmmakers care about the end result rather than how professional the equipment looks, but it can be very important when clients are there so you look like you know what you are doing.

I look for a light that can hold up in harsh conditions like a freezing cold day, and I also look for a light that is simple and easy to transport, as being a filmmaker will take you all around the world.

It is always important to look at the space the light occupies, specially if you are not settled in a studio but you travell arround everyday.

Great video

Definitely durability and quality!

I love and use aputure lights and a small monitor. Also like your videos. I just thought it was funny that you choose the revenant as an example when it was shot entirely with natural light (except the fire screen, but maybe that's why you picked it.. ).

I would also consider the weight of the light itself as the mounting options really depend from it. A small LED panel could be hanged almost everywhere but a bigger light needs a heavy dutty stand or something like that.

Make sure the light has a nice color throughout the light beam, most lights have a good center but the edges of the light can tint green or magenta. I also like to see if the light does stepping when I cut the light with a flag. Instead of a smooth cut of light.

You should consider if light has attachments for modifiers... some led panels has softboxes or barn doors. Also some has Bowens mount. that opens up to many options of modifiers

How well it can be used with modifiers: Does it have a Bowens mount or at least an umbrella holder. And maybe how well you can cut the light without getting the ugly steps panels normally make!

Ok thank you for the video, if you are to advise, which light should one buy if they are considering starting a filming project. Something affordable and.good working.

Portability! Being a one man band and fast on the move, i’de like my light to be compact and easily assembled. Especially with a external battery source so I can use my light where there is no electric source like in the woods or the desert.

Can/should I try to light a mobile scene such as a Golf Course Vlog? When there is no time for setup and you will be shooting outside from many different angles (dictated by where everybody’s golf ball finishes), are there any techniques to make the footage look the best it can? Keep up the great work, really enjoy your videos Simon

Build quality is also important for invesment , i don't want to keep changing light , and i think the most important feature for me is when you have power option to use AC or battery , what kind of the battery , and is it affordable or not , especially for small filmmaker like me who don't have generator or electricity socket when you shooting outside

Consider if you need DMX controls on the light, most indie filmmakers don’t. But it’s a really nice feature to have the day you need to mix your lights with bigger setups like concerts or theater.

Am shooting a shoot film next month will be buying some lights, So purpose is important when considering what light to buy, what u want to use the light for, secondly portability how easy is it to carry the light and use it, for now must of the shoot I do are low budget, I have few and sometimes no crew so transporting gears is an issue LED light have been very help because they are lighter, uses less power and I can light them very close to the subject and they don’t burn due to heat.

I would also look out for size, wight, overall portability... You don't want to bringe a 2k tungsten to a location you have to hike in 2 or 3 miles...

if all light comes with fresnel mount and barn doors it gives full control of the light. if you wanna soften the light could always shoot through a silk frame

You also have to think about the size of modifiers you're going to put on that light, because you might end up with a small light and a modifier so big that you can't fit it in the room. LED panels help a lot with that!

The most important feature to me to look for in lights is do they flicker. Most video LED's do not, but I have seem some that do, particularly at higher shutter speeds. Recently had someone bring some led Christmas lights that flickered like crazy on set. Had to throw them out. This is a big problem with led dimmable lights too that aren't specifically for video.

I would consider mounting options. It's important to know how the light can and cannot be attached to various stands ect. during filming.

The durability of a light is really important to me. Lights that require careful transportation or bulky padded bags end up being a burden on production for us. I’d rather use a few well built LED panels than a bulb with a fragile filament or “lightweight” housing. So my question I ask is “what is the light like when it’s off?”

hey Ted. Thanks for sharing guys! What about that Wattage, Voltage, Current thing? Could you please elaborate?

More info on mobile options. I have a 120d, to go mobile I've decided to use a Goal Zero instead of a V'mount battery.

One of the things I look for is a remote control. When I hang the lights in hard to reach places I’d like to be able to adjust the light without a ladder.

I look for can it be powered by cable and battery, and is it easy to travel with. That means just buy whatever Aputure light works because they are all legendary! :)

Something with a detachable power connector to the unit, so if the cord breaks or if the connection point to the head of the light wears out, its easily replaced.

For us low to no budget filmakers, priority should be versatility, coz the more different scenarios you can use that new light in the less light fixtures you'll need

I always want to know how easy it is to control spill from a light, and whether or not the controls for it are on the ballast (if it has one). It can be the difference between a 15 second adjustment and a one minute adjustment.

also wise to take into account that Led lights produce less heat than other kind of lights. Important if you're putting these lights close to actors or in closed and hot spaces. it will also affect the way you handel the light...using gloves and waiting for it to cool down.

Aww i love Ted :)

One thing to consider is weight and battery options. Every location may not have a power source

I would look for a means of adjusting the output/brightness of the light. Oh yea...first!

2 features I would ask for are lux /foot candle output and what battery mount its has

Portability and weight is also important!

Portability is a question I would ask depending on what I'm shooting. These lights are fine when you have a power source, can carry a ton of gear, or have access to an outlet. But when I'm out in the field, I sometimes look for a way to light my shots. For photography, you can easily bring speedlights and light a lot of situations. It has its limitations, sure, but you can't beat its portability. But what light would be the equivalent for film?

I’m going to invest in lights for my studio/office in 2018, and although each of the points in this video is important, for me it comes down to two features: price vs. quality of light. Since I’m on a strict budget, I can’t afford to drop thousands on a light setup. However, I’ve tried the super cheap “Amazon specials” that are a waste of money since the CRI is so low it nearly ruins the video quality. I feel like whatever I end up getting, it will definitely be an Aputure since you guys do a great job of making affordable lights that don’t sacrifice on quality. Best of luck in 2018 Aputure!!!

@thematty2303

6 жыл бұрын

Alex Milanese having just bought some 'Amazon specials', can you explain how it almost ruins the video quality?

@aputurelighting

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Alex!

@AlexMilanese

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the question thematty2303. This is an over simplification, but every light's quality can be measured. A common indicator of quality is the light's CRI rating. When I bought some cheapo lights from Amazon, I ignored the relatively low CRI rating since they were very affordable. Although they get decently bright, they tend to color the subject (in my case, with a magenta hue). This causes a headache in post production because I have to do a ton of work to recolor the image back to a natural look, then do my color grading. The reason I'm an Aputure fanboy from here on is because they only manufacture high quality products, and through some sort of wizardry, they still manage to keep their prices very reasonable.

Stack-ability. I'd love to be able to plop my Amarans on top of each other to build a larger light fixture when I need the power. That way I can retain the small packing size for small shoots. Hopefully my next lights will be a lego kit that I can build up or tear down!

I think one of the biggest questions to ask that was not asked in this video is outlet or battery powered. I have to truly ask myself I I will be using the lights strictly indoors with tethered power or do I need to move around cordless.

Size/Weight are big considerations. Will I need new stands? Sandbags? Modifiers? How much will that add to my travel kit? C-Stands are great but not particularly enjoyable to travel with. Using some LED lights can help to keep you mobile and able to shoot in better locations.

Something that people don’t I think about is the size of the light. I’ve been having trouble putting a soft box in a small room and being able to track people makes it hard.

It is important to see how can the energy be supplied: a plug into the wall or some kind of battery.

My film sets are still quite small and scrappy, so easy to use and transport are high priorities!

How important is a good light ? Well a good light impacts on the whole project. To get good image you need good light and to get good audio you need a good light with .low noise . So I guess a good light is the most important part of ones kit. Go aputure

When looking for lights, I'm looking for portability and usability. If it's too heavy or can't fit easily on set, it is harder to justify bringing it to a shoot.

Another thing to look for is it rechargeable or take batteries.

I look for ease and versatility of manipulation along with beam intensity.

A light that gets rid of the dark

Do you have to buy a light board for lights like Dedo-lights? Or can you control lights another way for brightness?

How to sell a video? Like feature and short films?

Awesome Video 👏

@aputurelighting

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Noah!

@NoahPetek

6 жыл бұрын

Aputure No problem, could you recommend a good light under 200$ ? Thank you🙏👍

@aputurelighting

6 жыл бұрын

Yes! Check out the Amaran M9 and Amaran 198 if you want a super bright on-camera light. If you want a larger panel light the Amaran 528 is also a great option.

generally LED lights can not help in day light when there is a bright sun light behind the subject at that time we need most powerful light so we can bright our subject properly but there is a confusion again that if we are shooting outside where there is no option for power supply so what will be the option for power the lights....

Tip: buy a light based on the amount of space you have ....ie mini vs reg light dome; also tungsten bulbs are hot ...so if you are doing a cooking channel like i am, you should get LEDs.

Would u write down which models I can use for filmmaking in most cases?

@Slesaint17

4 жыл бұрын

Khamit Arkayev if you can only buy ONE light, buy the Aputure LS-120d

Easy adjustment like a hand brake??

does it have attachment options????

How can i get Aputure products in Greece?

I would look for durability. Don't want to keep changing parts

@aputurelighting

6 жыл бұрын

Very true!

People should always look at portability and weight of lights they buy!

We should all look for the "will this make it look like Aputure KZread videos" feature! 🤣

I think that you should consider buying a light that is future proof! Of course lighting tech will always improve but you don't want to be buying a new light kit every year. Just remember, you get what you pay for!

Single Source vs Multi Source lights. Single source lights cause one hard shadow whereas multi source lights can cause a bunch of harder shadows. If a clean shadow is important, use a single source light.

@BBkiddz

6 жыл бұрын

Cob 120D vs Light Storm 1

Main feature to look for: 1) is it an Aputure? If yes...buy it! If no....keep searching until you find an Aputure light.

Gotta look for the price. Free stuff is the best

Too bad the power cord maze hasn't been addressed yet and the reflector rattles like an old station wagon when moving it around. For the price, I'd expect a snug fit. From what I've seen you can get better value with something like the Jinbei 150D kzread.info/dash/bejne/aXihq8V8qcXYcbg.html - It's brighter, and more importantly comes with a battery for $100 less.

Let me guess - an Aputure nameplate on the side ?😂

I am using crop sensor canon DSLR with kit lens.... What I should buy good lighting... With low grains in footage....???