As with all Aputure announcements, there was nothing but good stuff to get excited about. However, there is one piece that makes me particularly excited.
It feels like every time Aputure has announced new stuff, there are two or three giant headline items, and then there are a few extras and modifiers that get thrown in at the end. As much as I get really stoked about professional high-output LED fixtures that are accessible and affordable for most filmmakers, it's almost always those modifiers and extras that make me go "Woah."
Previously, when it announced new fixtures like its Nova RGBWW, or the initial announcement of the much anticipated LS 600D, it always throws in some really great quality-of-life tools that when used correctly can change the way you shoot forever.
A great shining example of this is its Leko-style spotlight attachment, or its fantastic fresnels. In this announcement, Aputure announced the Light Dome 150, which is essentially a five-foot version of their Light Dome II.
The Light Dome 150 is the most I've been excited to purchase a piece of lighting gear in quite some time. Here's why.
Credit: Aputure
The LS 600X Pro
In Aputure's announcement, it talked mostly about the LS 600x Pro. If you're familiar with Aputure's current offering, this is a bi-color version of the LS 600D Pro.
The light takes aim at HMI fixtures like the Joker 800, achieving higher output with much lower power usage, and sports a very malleable Bowens mount for all kinds of various modifiers. It's a great product that I use on almost every gig I do these days.
Credit: Aputure
Personally, I tend not to buy bi-color fixtures because I almost always value output over color temperature. Usually, you have to make a trade-off. A bi-color fixture usually means about half the output of the daylight version, because there needs to be a separate chip for each color temperature. Impressively, while the output of the LS 600X Pro is slightly lower than the daylight version, the trade-off is far less than with most bi-color fixtures (still significantly more output on either temp than a Joker 800 or similar fixture).
Aputure has also made some updates to the control box and other functionality items as well. This looks like a great light.
Credit: Aputure
The Light Dome 150
So this is the main part I've been really excited about. If you've ever done any beauty work, whether it be with models, makeup, hair, or anything of the sort—you've probably rented a Briese light, or at least have looked at them with mild adoration.
The Briese is a kind of industry standard for beautiful lighting. It's basically a giant reflective dome, with a single bulb right in the middle, from 140" to as much as 220" in diameter. They can be diffused like a soft-box or left wide open and broad. They can be focused. They come in continuous and flash versions. They are very expensive to rent, and they aren't available in all markets (I'm in Dallas, and they are a little hard to track down).
Credit: Clearhead
The reason the Light Dome 150 excites me is that they will basically provide the same functionality as a Briese light, and I can use it on any existing Bowens mount fixture.
Put simply, it's a five-foot diameter version of the Light Dome 2 (known for its quality of light and easy setup). You can get an absolutely giant soft source right next to your subject in a matter of seconds. You can control it with the included honeycomb grid on the front, or you can diffuse it with two different levels of diffusion. It packs down into a small bag that you can take anywhere. It's not a perfect 1-to-1 comparison to a Briese (the bulb and light dispersion will be pretty different), but it's close enough for me.
Credit: Aputure
Here's the thing, though—it's an astonishingly affordable $270 to purchase one.
So now, all of us who used to dream of having a Briese in our arsenal can have a similar effect with any of our existing Bowens mount fixtures (Aputure or otherwise).
Yet again, as they did with the spotlight mount, they've provided a modifier that I've always wished someone would come out with. As always, it's affordable and easy to use. I'm excited. What about you?
