After debuting at NAB back in April, the new 300D from Aputure is finally shipping. The compact unit is not only wall-pluggable, but it draws a mere 300 watts while outputting light equivalent to a 2K unit. All for right around $1000.
The 2K has a long and storied history on film sets as the biggest light you can plug into wall power. When doing an "edison" type shoot that needed a big unit, the 2K junior or open face was it before the Barger Baglite came along. With the 300-watt power draw of the new 300D, you get an equivalent light volume to the old school 2K, but you can safely plug six of them into a single 20 amp circuit.
When really desperate, you might even plug seven or eight of them in a 120V 20amp circuit. However, you are likely to have a spike when turning the unit on or off, so for maximum safety, six is a smart max to avoid tripping circuits. That's six 2K equivalent units in one 20amp circuit.
Credit: Apurture
The light is daylight balanced, which makes it a great complement both for daylight shoots when using it for fill in outdoor shoots, or balancing window light on day interiors. However, with modern sensors having less noise with daylight balanced sources, the daylight balance of the unit will be just as useful for night interiors and exteriors, mixing well with HMIs and other LEDs. Converting to tungsten with CTO is also cost-effective and traditionally only cuts around 2/3 of a stop, though it might cut slightly more due to the segmented nature of LED. The color spectrum of the light is also exceptionally broad and reasonably smooth, which will lead to good color reproduction both in native mode and also when gelled.
Credit: Apurture
The 300D comes with a case, which is a small detail but actually much appreciated as lights increasingly come with accessories like remote controls, cabled control boards, and power adapters. Keeping it all together in an organized kit is actually exceptionally helpful rather than spreading out the accessories in one case and the lighting unit in another. While hard cases have been traditional for lighting units, the combination of internal padding and solid build quality should make a soft case both effective and lightweight.
One item to note is that while most LEDs will power up with a single V-mount or AB mount battery, this unit does require two batteries to get enough draw for the power it delivers. Having a battery mount option at all will be especially useful when using this unit for a distant backlight far from your set, saving many productions from having to rent a generator.
Credit: Apurture
Shipping now for $1099. For more info check out the Aputure site or B&H.
Tech Specs:
- 300 Wats
- 2.1KG/4.6lbs
- Over 31000 lm, 142000lux @ 0.5m (With Fresnel Mount)
- TLCI ≥ 96, High Color Rendition
- Ultra Silent Fan, Noise Low at 18db
- Wall power or dual battery power
- Wireless Remote with 328' Range
