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The much-anticipated arrival of Aputure lighting releases continues with a brand new LED Bi-Coloration model of the favored LS 600d Professional. This model is named the LS 600x. I took the LS 600x out for a spin over a number of weeks of testing alongside the Mild Dome 150. Right here’s my take. Over time I’ve change into comfy utilizing Aputure merchandise on varied units and in all kinds of environments within the area. Reservations I had with their Professional centered first-generation made me initially skeptical concerning the model. An extended record of wanted enhancements (points like slipping yokes and brief head cables and mounts for the ballast) have now been addressed. Aputure has additionally up to date the Sidus Hyperlink App with the outcome that’s it’s a helpful device for wi-fi management. Aputure has additionally been innovating its entry-level amaran product line. For filmmakers, the excellent news is that the fee to lumen ratio has by no means been decrease. Enter the higher-end $1990 LS 600x Bi-Coloration LED fixture full with the Bowens S-Sort mount and a kelvin vary between 2700 to 6500K.Once I consider excessive output sources for filmmaking, I consider cumbersome, power-hungry, and costly daylight-balanced HMI lighting know-how. To change the kelvin temperature of one thing like the favored Arri M18 or HMI fixture, you will want to gel the sunshine — not in itself a tough course of, however it’s a step that have to be accomplished earlier than cameras can roll. The LS 600x Professional does away with that step. With a excessive output variable shade temperature fixture just like the LS 600x Professional, it appears fairly clear we’re on the way in which to a world with out gels (not less than the CTB and CTO gel).Remembering to not add a number of HMI fixtures to rental orders however remembering to show to a number of LED LS 600x’s and/or LS 600d‘s for shoots is one thing that can take time to get used to. Currently, on my shoots, the LS 600d Professional, particularly, has taken up increasingly spots on initiatives I might have beforehand reserved for an HMI unit. Remark under if that’s been the case for you too. For the reader, I’m guessing the massive query right here is will the LS 600d be the way in which to go, or is spending one other $100 price it for the Bi-Coloration model? Let’s dive in. First Impressions of the LS 600xThe 40 lbs. LS 600x package isn’t small and in comparison with the LS 600d Professional, the size of the lamp head are barely bulkier. It is available in a wonderful wheeled, though tender, transport case. I might like to see Aputure develop onerous circumstances or associate with a 3rd get together to create onerous circumstances for a few of their Mild Storm merchandise like the corporate has completed with the Nova sequence. I don’t see the tender case surviving heavy impacts. Nonetheless, it’s going to most likely do the trick for a number of years for particular person homeowners/operators or perhaps a mid-sized rental operation–with skilled dealing with. The case offers loads of room for the core package, which incorporates the 55-degree hyper reflector, head cable, AC cable, ballast, distant, and lamp head. There’s additionally a mesh pocket for extra instruments or maybe a number of small items of coloured get together gel, black wrap, or diffusion. Picture Credit score: Graham SheldonThe 10 lbs. lamp head of the LS 600x seems to be slick and has barely wider dimensions than the daylight model. So as to add to the attraction of the product, the darker Aputure brand is a classy change from the 600d Professional. I’m a fan of the curved yoke design, and I haven’t had any points with the sunshine slipping after a fast hand tightening of the yoke. There’s a small button launch for any Bowens first-party or third-party accent you may want to use, and there’s additionally a small protector plate over the COB that cleans simply within the occasion of the odd bug strike. Facet view of the 600x lamp head. Picture Credit score: Graham SheldonAt 24 ft or 7.5 meters, the pinnacle cable for the Aputure LS 600x Professional is longer than earlier Mild Storm fixtures, which implies you don’t want to fret about having to mount the management field perilously excessive when elevating the lamp head far off the bottom. With the proper modifier, this gentle, particularly, can gentle a bigger house, so it is best to anticipate to need to mount the fixture increased off the bottom for house lighting. Aputure LS 600x Head Cable. Picture Credit score: Graham SheldonControl of the LS 600xAs with all latest Aputure merchandise, the LS 600x is controllable over Bluetooth utilizing your favourite cell gadget with the Sidus Hyperlink App. Should you personal an older Aputure product however are in search of Bluetooth management, I recommend giving the Sidus Hyperlink Bridge a glance. We’ve lined the wonderful Sidus Hyperlink App a number of instances in earlier Aputure opinions and bulletins (merely use the CineD search tab for extra), and the app is now accessible without spending a dime on iPad. Aputure has lately teased plans for a Sidus Hyperlink Subscription service for varied sorts of skilled customers. I hope the deliberate subscription service will present actual worth and received’t place at the moment accessible options behind a paywall. Subscriptions can undoubtedly assist fund extra updates and should assist drive new options that beforehand may not have been definitely worth the funding to develop. We’ll reserve judgment for when that subscription plan involves fruition. Picture Credit score: Graham Sheldon You even have the choice of wi-fi or 5-pin wired DMX management of the fixture.The UI of the management menu has improved over time, and the kelvin shade wheel is in, properly, shade. I additionally like that the management field has a barely upward angled display screen, an enchancment over the flat profile of the LS 300x management field that tremendously enhances readability.Every thing within the menu is straightforward to navigate. You might have entry to an entire sequence of generally used results starting from Lightning to Fireplace — with the flexibility to tune every impact to your liking by altering variables like frequency and flash depth.Total Output and Coloration Temperature ReadingsImage Credit score: Graham Sheldon I grabbed a number of measurements on my Sekonic C-700U Spectrometer (now up to date with the C-800U) to see how precisely the LS 600x dealt with shade temp (kelvin) and output (lx) from a distance of three ft. Listed here are my readings with a goal of 5600K with the output set to 100%. The included 55-degree Hyper Reflector was hooked up for all these assessments. The very first thing you could discover right here is a few 30% dip in output when in comparison with the native daylight fixture just like the LS 600d. That is regular and ought to be a part of your calculations when selecting between the daylight or bi-color model. Past that, the studying of 5127K is barely off the goal of 5600K, although with the hyper reflector hooked up I anticipate a variance of about 300K from an adjunct like that. With a Spectrometer just like the C-800U you’ll be able to merely dial the kelvin on the fixture to be precise and conform with any accent you’re utilizing with this gentle. Right here’s a measurement from the LS 600x with a goal of 3200K – once more with output set to 100%.A studying of 3029K in contrast with the 3200K goal suggests this accent combo is most correct nearer to the tungsten facet of the vary. This is a wonderful outcome. And at last lets set a goal someplace within the center at 4700K. We see a distinction right here of 359K between the goal of 4700K and our studying of 4341K. That is will inside a traditional vary of different Bi-Coloration lights that I’ve examined prior to now. Mild Dome 150While this overview is primarily concerning the LS 600x, we might be remiss to not deliver up the brand new Mild Dome 150. Launched in tandem with the LS 600x and designed with bigger Aputure fixtures in thoughts, the 5 ft. $269 Mild Dome 150 is a wonderful companion for the 600x in studio or at giant areas. The value surprises me as a result of the Mild Dome 150 feels prefer it ought to be dearer, however hey, you received’t discover me complaining. Mild Dome 150. Picture Credit score: Graham Sheldon My favourite factor concerning the Mild Dome 150 is a sequence of latches that lock into place. With minimal strain, the latches join the outside of the Bowens mount ring with the sunshine. Up to now, with comparable merchandise, you could recall having to bend steel rods into small holes across the ring connecting to the sunshine fixture. Personally, I used to be no fan of that system. It required extra power than I believed mandatory, in addition to endurance to line up the rods – each briefly provide throughout a chaotic shoot day. The brand new design eliminates these boundaries making the setup time a lot sooner.Picture Credit score: Graham SheldonI love giant tender gentle sources. They work properly for interviews (relying on subject material) and are completely implausible in style or product. Plus, each actor loves you for utilizing them. Aputure ships the Mild Dome 150 with two sorts of diffusion: 1.5 and a pair of.5 stops, and it might be nice to see extra supplies accessible for extra buy. Perhaps unbleached muslin? Do you’re employed totally on journey shoots bouncing from aircraft to aircraft? Relatively than the Mild Dome 150 and the LS 600x, contemplate smaller fixtures just like the LS 120d MK II alongside the Mild Dome II or Mild Dome Mini, all of which match properly in a rolling tripod case. I don’t recommend pairing the LS 600x/Mild Dome 150 with an ordinary c-stand – in my view, it is a rolling combo stand setup. The Mild Dome 150 additionally places vital strain on the LS 600x yoke, however I didn’t witness any slippage. Your actual buy determination with the Mild Dome 150 comes all the way down to mobility and the scale of the house you’re capturing in. Maybe you have already got a studio with a rolling combo stand? Nice. Purchase the Mild Dome 150 as a result of it’s made for you.Ultimate ThoughtsThe LS 600x Professional does a wonderful job filling out the Mild Storm line. It brings excessive output Bi-Coloration capabilities to the area of interest between the 300x and the anticipated LS 1200D Professional. If wanting solely at pure output numbers, you’ll be most within the LS 600D Professional and the necessity for gels that comes together with it. For a faster-moving setup, the LS 600x could be the way in which to go.Funds permitting, having each the LS 600D Professional and the LS 600x Professional makes essentially the most sense in that they provide essentially the most flexibility. Want to maneuver sooner or work on plenty of journey shoots? Then I’d level you within the path of the LS 300x/300d combo or recommend renting regionally in numerous marketsWhat do you assume? Will you be including the LS 600x Professional to your package? Tell us within the feedback under!
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