Every year Black Friday and Cyber Monday see a host of discounts as the official "holiday shopping season" kicks off. But it's also a smart time of year for patient filmmakers who have been considering a purchase to nab that much-needed piece of kit that will make their shoots easier in the new year.
There are a ton of great deals out there this year, and this is our curated list of the deals with think are the best on the gear we think you'll actually use.
Aputure LS 600d Pro - $1890 down to $1699 (Nov. 26 - Jan. 3)
Aputure LS 600d Pro
• Dust & Light Rain Weather-Resistant.
• Multiple Control Methods.
• Dual Battery Plate Power Supply Supports Multiple Voltages at Half or Full Power.
• Can Charge V-Mount / Gold Mount Batteries When Plugged into AC Power.
The Aputure LS 600d is a great all-around light for filmmakers to have in their regular kit. With enough punch to give some much-needed backlight in a night exterior, and full dimming controls to work well in lower light scenes as well, it's a flexible unit.
Best of all, it can be run off two batteries (this sale applies to the light in either A or V battery mount setups). It all comes wrapped up in its own case, which makes for easy storage, and would make for easy wrapping for a particularly generous doliday gift.
Atomos Ninja V 5" 4K Recording Monitor with 1TB AtomX SSDmini & Mounting Kit - down $300
Atomos Ninja V 5" 4K Recording Monitor
- 1920 x 1080 Touchscreen Display
- 4K HDMI Input, SSD Drive Caddy
- Single Sony L-Series Battery Slot
- 1TB SSDmini Drive, SATA III Connector
- Monitor Mount and High-Speed HDMI Cable
Atomos is the top game in town for combo monitor/recorders, and the Ninja V 5" is one of its most popular units. Pairing well with items like the Sony A7S3 or the Panasonic S1h, the Ninja V lets you get ProRes and ProRes RAW files directly from your camera, while also offering a bevy of monitoring tools to make sure you are getting your exposure and focus perfect, every time.
This unit comes bundled with a 1TB SSD and is a whopping $300 off the normal price.
Adobe Creative Cloud - 40% off, or 70% if you are a student or teacher
Adobe Creative Cloud
Graphic design, video editing, web development, photography, plus cloud apps, and services.
Adobe Creative Cloud remains ubiquitous with filmmakers for its Premiere Pro and After Effects software, both of which offer a quick, powerful toolset for post-production.
Discounts on Creative Cloud are rare, and this is one not to be slept on.
Zoom H1n 2-Input/2-Track Mini Recorder - $20 off
Zoom H1n 2-Input/2-Track Mini Recorder
- Speech, Sound Effects & Music Recording
- Onboard Stereo Mic, Built-In Speaker
- 3.5mm Mic/Line Input with Plug-In Power
- Simple Layout of Common Controls
- Records in WAV up to 96 kHz
- 3.5mm Line/Headphone Output
- Auto-Record & Pre-Record Functions
- Battery Life up to 10 Hours
- Supports microSDHC Cards up to 32GB
- Auto-Level, Limiter & Low-Cut Filter
Every filmmaker needs a mini recorder. Even if you never end up using it for a shoot, you need it for research interviews, you need it for recording yourself for podcasts promoting your work, and you need it to feel like an old-timey detective making notes to yourself while you work a case.
Long before "Zoom" meant "video calling," to filmmakers "Zoom" meant "audio recorder," and the H1n, the smallest member of the family of recorders, is a great place to start.
RØDE VideoMic Camera-Mount Shotgun Microphone Kit - $55 off
RØDE VideoMic Camera-Mount Shotgun Microphone Kit
- Mobile Journalist, Vlogger, Run & Gun
- VideoMic Camera-Mount Shotgun Mic
- Micro Boompole & 10' TRS Extension Cable
- Auray Windshield Reduces Wind Noise
- 100-Hr Run Time via 9V Battery
- Selectable Pad and Bass Roll-Off
- Attached 3.5mm TRS Output Cable
- Power Switch with LED
- Integrated Shoe/Pole Shockmount
No matter how confident you are in your dual system sound setup, it's always good to record a backup scratch track into your camera, and the VideoMic from RØDE is a great option for doing that.
Combining that into a kit with a micro boompole for when you can get the microphone closer to the action makes this an even better addition to a flexible setup for a wide variety of filmmaking situations.
Hollyland Mars 400S SDI/HDMI - $80 off
Hollyland Mars 400S SDI/HDMI Wireless Video Transmission System
- Entry-Level 1080p60 Transmitter/Receiver
- 400' Range; L-Series Battery Plates
- SDI/HDMI Input and Output
- Wi-Fi Transmission to 4 Mobile Devices
Wireless video is a requirement for any modern-day film set. Especially with social distancing requiring crews to get further from the camera, a way to wirelessly link camera to monitor is absolutely essential.
Hollyland is a newer competitor in that field but has done a great job building a solid reputation in the last few years for innovative design and ease of use.
These units work with both SDI and HDMI, which should make your workflow more flexible no matter what your camera or monitor setup may be.
Aputure MC - $90 down to $79, Aputure MC 4-Light Travel Kit - $499 down to $449 (Nov. 26 - Jan. 3)
Aputure MC 4-Light Travel Kit
- Hard Shell Case & Accessory Pouch Easily Fit into Backpacks & Suitcases
- Charging Case Also Features 2x USB 5V/2A Ports
- RGBWW Mini LED Light
- CCT Range: 3200K-6500K
- 9 Built-in Lighting FX: Fire, Pulsing, TV, etc.
- Upload Custom FX Presets
- OLED Display With Control Wheel
- Sidus Link® Mobile APP Control
- Up to 120 Minutes @ Max Brightness (2,600mAh Battery)
- Charging: USB-C PD Quick Charge + Wireless Charging
- Built-in Magnets
The Aputure MC is an amazing little light. Powerful output considering its size and cost, amazing color flexibility, and really amazing remote control. Using Sidus Link over Bluetooth, you can control this unit from up to 300 feet away. We tested it, and it works.
On top of that, if you go for the kit, they can build a mesh of lights, which can extend control over an even longer distance.
What will you be picking up? Let us know in the comments!
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