Curtis Judd 3/9/21 Curtis Judd 3/9/21

Aputure F10 Fresnel & 2 bay Battery Power Station

In this episode, we take a look at the new Aputure F10 Fresnel lens mount as well as the 2-bay Battery Power Station which can power the Aputure Nova P300C and the Amaran 100 and 200 series lights.

If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses including processing dialogue audio in Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve/Fairlight, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. Our latest course is Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini.

Support my work creating videos by donating.

Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, DVEStore, or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:

- Aputure F10 Fresnel - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store

- Aputure F10 Barn Doors - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store

- Aputure 2-bay Battery Power Station - Aputure

- Aputure Nova P300C RGBWW panel light - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store

- Aputure 600D Bowens mount light - Aputure, B&H

- Aputure 300X Bowens mount light - Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Aputure 300D II Bowens mount light - Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Aputure 120D II Bowens mount light - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

- Amaran 100D Bowens mount light - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

- Amaran 200D Bowens mount light - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

- Aputure Light Dome II - Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Aputure Light Dome SE - Aputure

- Aputure Light Dome Mini II - Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Earthworks SR314 Microphone - B&H, Sweetwater

- Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 6K - B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

- Sigma 24-70mm EF f/2.8 DG OS HSM ART Lens - B&H, Amazon

- Schneider Radiant Soft filter - B&H

- Canon C200 camera - B&H

- Canon EF 24-105 f/4L IS Lens - B&H, Amazon

Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself.

Curtis Judd 1/16/21 Curtis Judd 1/16/21

Amaran 100d & 200d LED Lights: Affordable Aputure Single Point Lights

Aputure makes some great LED lights for video and film production, but as time marches on, it seems like they’re offering more and more lights aimed at larger budget productions. That changes now with their new Amaran 100d and 200d lights. In today’s episode, we take a look at these new more affordable Aputure Amaran lights.

Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, Pictureline or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:

- Amaran 100d LED Light - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

- Amarain 200d LED Light - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

- Aputure Light Dome SE - Aputure

- Aputure 120d mkII LED Light - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

- Aputure spotlight mount (used to make the pattern on the background) - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

- Aputure Nova P300C LED Panel Light - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store

- Aputure Soft Box for Nova P300C - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store

- Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 6K - B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

- Sigma 24-70 EF f/2.8 DG OS HSM Lens - B&H, Amazon

- Canon C70 cinema camera used for BTS shots - B&H

- Canon RF 24-70 f/2.8L IS Lens - B&H, Amazon

The intro and outro music for this episode is from Musicbed - “For the Kids” by Utah. Get the best music for your videos at Musicbed.

Curtis Judd 12/14/20 Curtis Judd 12/14/20

Aputure 600D Pro LED Light

In today’s episode, we have a detailed look at the new Aputure 600D Pro LED light fixture for video and photo. This is Aputure’s most powerful, single-point LED light with a Bowens mount. In fact, it looks like Aputure is aiming to make a light as powerful and versatile as a Joker 800 HMI fixture which is a staple in larger budget film production. Join us as we have a look at the photometrics, features, and pros & cons.

Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, Pictureline or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:

Aputure 600D Pro - Aputure, B&H
Aputure 300x LED Light - Aputure, B&H, Amazon
Aputure Light Dome 2 soft box - Aputure, B&H, Amazon
Aputure Nova LED Panel Light - Aputure, B&H
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K - B&H, DVEStore, Amazon
Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 DG OS HSM Art Lens for Canon EF - B&H, Amazon
Canon C70camera - B&H
Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L lens - B&H, Amazon

The intro and outro music for this episode is from Musicbed - “For the Kids” by Utah. Get a free trial of the best music for your videos at Musicbed.

Curtis Judd 10/4/20 Curtis Judd 10/4/20

Aputure B7c Accent Practical LED Light Bulb

In today’s episode, we have a look at an innovative new smart bulb purpose built for filmmaking: The Aputure B7c Accent. This RGBWW LED bulb screws into standard E26/E27 household light fixtures so it is perfectly suited to use as a practical light - a regular light fixture within your scene. Why not just use a regular smart bulb? We cover how the B7c has some distinct advantages over other LED smart bulbs, especially suited to filmmakers.

Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, Pictureline or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:

- Aputure B7c Accent LED Bulb - Aputure, B&H, Pictureline, Amazon

- Aputure 300 series LED Lights - Aputure, B&H, Pictureline

- Aputure Light Dome II Soft box - Aputure, B&H, Pictureline, Amazon

- Aputure Light Dome Mini II - Aputure, B&H, Pictureline, Amazon

- Aputure Spotlight Mount - Aputure, B&H, Pictureline, Amazon

- Aputure Fresnel 2x - Aputure, B&H, Pictureline, Amazon

- Aputure Barn Doors - Aputure, B&H, Pictureline, Amazon

- Aputure Lantern - Aputure, B&H, Pictureline, Amazon

- Aputure MC Mini LED Panel Light - Aputure, B&H, Pictureline, Amazon

- Aputure Nova P300C LED Light - Aputure, B&H, Pictureline

- Aputure Softbox for Nova P300C - Aputure, B&H, Pictureline

- Aputure Nova P300C LED Light and rolling hardcase kit - Aputure, B&H, Pictureline

- Sekonic C-800 Photo Spectrometer for measuring light output and color quality - B&H, Amazon

- Westcott 5 in 1 Reflector - B&H, Amazon

- Impact Turtle Base C-stands for holding scrims and lights and more - B&H

- Sennheiser MKH-8050 Microphone - B&H, Amazon

- Sound Devices 888 Mixer/Recorder - B&H, Sweetwater

- Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K - B&H, Pictureline

- Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS ART Lens - B&H, Pictureline, Amazon

The intro and outro music for this episode is from Musicbed - “For the Kids” by Utah. Get a free trial of the best music for your videos at Musicbed.

Curtis Judd 7/26/20 Curtis Judd 7/26/20

Aputure Nova P300C LED RGBWW Light

In today’s episode, we have a look at the new Aputure Nova RGBWW LED light panel. This professional grade LED light panel features many of the things we are used to seeing in pro-level lights - durable build, good color quality - but also a few things we don’t see as often in the pro lights. This includes things like the wireless control via the Sidus Link app. Let’s have a closer look!

Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, Pictureline or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:

- Aputure Nova P300C LED Light - Aputure Direct B&H

- Aputure Softbox for Nova P300C - Aputure Direct B&H

- Aputure Nova P300C LED Light and rolling hardcore kit - Aputure Direct B&H

- DPA 4017B Shotgun Microphone - B&H, Sweetwater

- Sound Devices 888 Mixer/Recorder - B&H, Sweetwater

- Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K - B&H, Pictureline

- Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS ART Lens - B&H, Pictureline, Amazon

The intro and outro music for this episode is from Musicbed - “For the Kids” by Utah. Get a free trial of the best music for your videos at Musicbed.

Curtis Judd 4/22/20 Curtis Judd 4/22/20

Aputure LS 300x Review - Bi-color Point Source LED Light

In today’s episode we review the new Aputure Light Storm 300x bi-color single point light for video and photography. We measure the color quality using the Spectral Similarity Index and it’s output using the Sekonic C-800 spectrometer. We also show several lighting setups with the 300x and run through the new features.

If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses including processing dialogue audio in Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve/Fairlight, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F4, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders.

Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, Pictureline, or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:

- Aputure LS 300x Bi-color point source LED Light - B&H Amazon Pictureline

- Aputure LS 300D II daylight point source LED light - B&H Amazon Pictureline

- Aputure Light Dome II - B&H Amazon Pictureline

- Aputure Light Dome Mini II - B&H Amazon Pictureline

- Aputure Spotlight Mount - B&H Amazon Pictureline

- Aputure Fresnel 2x - B&H Amazon Pictureline

- Aputure Barn Doors - B&H Amazon Pictureline

- Aputure Lantern - B&H Amazon Pictureline

- Aputure MC Mini LED Panel Light - B&H Amazon Pictureline

- RODE NTG3 Shotgun Microphone - B&H Amazon Sweetwater

- Sound Devices 888 Audio Recorder/Mixer - B&H Sweetwater

- Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 6K - B&H Pictureline

- Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 DG OS HSM Art Lens - B&H Pictureline

Get a free trial of the best music for your videos at Musicbed

Curtis Judd 11/3/19 Curtis Judd 11/3/19

Aputure MC RGBWW LED Light for Video and Photography

In today’s episode, we look at the new Aputure MC mini RGBW LED light for video. This little light delivers a great set of features for all sorts of creative lighting for your video and photography projects. Not only can it produce any color of the spectrum with its RGB mode, but it can also be used as a tungsten balanced or daylight balanced light as well. Its tiny form factor make it easy to hide in tight spots and its wireless and USB-C PD fast charging make it convenient for a variety os situations.

If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses including processing dialogue audio in Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve/Fairlight, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F4, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders.

Gear used or mentioned in this episode:

Aputure MC RGBW LED Light - B&H Amazon

Sound Devices 633 Mixer/Recorder - B&H

Sennheiser MKH 8050 Microphone - B&H

Aputure Light Dome II Soft Box - B&H

Aputure C120T for the slash of light on the back wall- B&H

Aputure C120DII - B&H Amazon

Anker PowerCore 26,800 USB Battery Bank - Amazon

Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 6K - B&H

Sigma ART 24-70mm f/2.8 EF Mount Lens - B&H Amazon

Get a free trial of the best music for your videos at Musicbed.

Ethics statement: Some of the links above are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Curtis Judd 8/29/19 Curtis Judd 8/29/19

Aputure Spotlight Mount - A Leko or Spotlight for Bowens Mount Video Lights

Aputure’s COB series of LED lights for video production have been the core of my lighting kit for over 3 years now. The reason I like these lights so much is that you can do so many different things with them. They work great as a flood light, with the Light Dome II they’re create a beautiful key light for interviews or talking head shots. There’s the new Lantern which allows you to light an entire room in a natural sort of way and control where light spills with its included skirt. There are also the hard light modifiers like the Fresnel 2X which allows you to focus a circle of light into an intense beam and there are the barn doors allowing you to cut the light with hard edges. Today, Aputure released the new Spotlight Mount which is a spotlight with 3 different lenses allowing super intense beams of spotlights, a gobo holder which allows you to cast patterns or logos on your subject or on a surface behind them. And it also has a gel holder allowing you to add gels to stylize the light with cool effects.

If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses including processing dialogue audio in Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve/Fairlight, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F4, F8 and, F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders.

Gear used and mentioned in this episode:

Aputure Spotlight Mount - B&H

Aputure Spotlight Mount 19 degree lens - B&H

Aputure Spotlight Mount 26 degree lens - B&H

Aputure Spotlight Mount 36 degree lens - B&H

Aputure Spotlight Iris - B&H

Aputure Light Dome II - B&H

Aputure Lantern - B&H

Aputure Barn Doors - B&H

Aputure Fresnel 2X - B&H

Aputure COB120DII LED light - Amazon

Aputure COB300DII LED light - B&H

Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K - B&H

Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 OIS Lens - Amazon

Get a free trial of the best music for your videos at Musicbed

Ethics statement: Some of the links above are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, or other affiliate links.

Curtis Judd 7/28/19 Curtis Judd 7/28/19

Aputure COB300DII: Refined, Powerful, Versatile Video Light

Aputure updated their COB 300D LED single point light in some substantial ways with the COB 300D II. This new light puts out even more than the first generation COB 300D, adds a new more refined control box, removes the separate AC adapter, and adds an extremely convenient light stand quick release system. The color quality is very good for a daylight balanced LED light and the Bowens mount makes this light especially versatile. With various modifiers you can make hard or soft light with Aputure’s Light Dome, Light Dome Mini, Fresnel 2X, Barn Doors, Lantern, and soon to arrive Spotlight. Let’s take a closer look.

If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses including processing dialogue audio in Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve/Fairlight, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F8 and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders.

Gear used and mentioned in this episode:

Aputure COB 300D II with V-Mount Battery Plates - B&H

Aputure COB 300D II with V-Mount Battery Plates - Amazon

Aputure COB 300D II with Anton Bauer Gold Mount Battery Plates - B&H

Aputure COB 120D II - Amazon

Aputure Light Dome II - Amazon

Aputure Light Dome II - B&H

Aputure Light Dome Mini II - Amazon

Aputure Light Dome Mini II - B&H:

Aputure Lantern - B&H

Aputure Barn Doors - B&H

Aputure Fresnel 2X - B&H

Aputure Fresnel 2X - Amazon

Aputure Spotlight - B&H

Sound Devices Scorpio - B&H

DPA 4017b Shotgun Microphone - B&H

Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K - B&H

Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 OIS Lens - Amazon

Get a free trial of the best music for your videos at Musicbed

Ethics statement: Some of the links above are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, or other affiliate links.

Curtis Judd 4/14/19 Curtis Judd 4/14/19

Aputure - New Lights and Sidus Link - NAB 2019

At NAB 2019, we stopped by the Aputure booth to see the new products they announced and wow! There's a bunch of them. Hopefully they can deliver them all before 2019 comes to a close. I'm especially interested in the 300DmkII and the spotlight. The new Sidus Link sig mesh bluetooth control is also interesting.

Please consider my sound for video classes.

Aputure MC - Small RGB LED panel that can charge wirelessly and communicate via sig mesh bluetooth. Optional hard case with 12 wireless charging slots - Coming soon

Aputure RC - A smart LED bulb, but battery powered, RGB, and with good CRI/TLCI, and color effects. Oh, and also sig mesh bluetooth control. No flicker at any shutter speed - Coming Soon

Aputure COB300DmkII - 20% brighter, handbrake yoke, 360 degree yoke, integrated control box and power supply with passive cooling and metal body, power via 1 or 2 cine batteries, super clamp and QR for control box - Coming Soon

Aputure Spotlight - similar to a leko light - various beam angles with focusing, internal flags to cut the light, and slot for adjustable aperture and cookies and gobos - Coming soon.

Aputure Lantern - Quick setup china ball with double sided skirts - Coming soon