LITTLE LEDS
MINI APUTURE GOES PRO
Slightly more complex is the Aputure Sidus Link app, which lets you use your mobile device to control the light via Bluetooth from up to 80m/262ft away. This can be a tad confusing at first, but persevere and you’ll get the hang of it. The light also has 15 preset special effects including fireworks, fire, paparazzi, faulty bulb, TV, pulsing, cop car, lightning, party lights, welding, colour chase, candle, strobe, explosion and club lights. You can even get it to pulse to music if you must, and set up to ten ‘custom FX’ and ten ‘music FX’ using the Sidus Link app. In use, the actual LED bulbs are very obviously in mixed colours, which can look a little odd up close. But they mix the light to give the correct output. Putting on one of the diffusers evens it all out but does remove some power, as you’d expect. With no fan for cooling, the light is silent and there’s no overheating anyway. So it’s ideal to use close up or for when you are recording critical audio. The only issue is that you’ll want more than one MC Pro! Aputure has thought of that though, and you can buy a set of eight in a fitted case for £1722/$1899. For that, you get not just eight lights and sets of modifiers but some extra magnet fixings, an articulating arm to clamp adapters and 1/4in-20 to baby pin adapters. Best of all, the lights can all charge with one power source, so you’re always ready to go. aputure.com
Aputure helped popularise the affordable, pocket-sized LED light panel with its MC, and the new MC Pro takes it to a whole new level – as it’s four times as bright but has the same form factor. The £185/$199 MC Pro has even more connectivity options, an IP65 rating to fend off the weather and RGBWW capability. It has an upgraded optical design and new LED chipset, a colour temperature range from 2000-10,000K that’s green/magenta adjustable and has a tighter beam angle of 45°. Add splashes of colour to your set, use it as a mini practical light, portable fill or an accent light. The MC Pro is easily controlled via on-board colour display, wirelessly using the Sidus Link app on a smartphone, or via advanced wired and wireless methods such as DMX/ RDM and LumenRadio CRMX. That makes it a truly worthy recipient of its ‘Pro’ tag as it can be used in high-end productions or by solo shooters. The MC Pro runs on a 4200mAh battery, lasting two hours at full power and recharging via USB-C in 90 minutes. Measuring 108x70x25mm/4.3x2.8x1.0in and weighing only 247g/0.5lb, it really is incredibly portable – and at 5W, relatively punchy for its modest size. It attaches to metal objects via two built-in magnets on the rear – and four self-adhesive metal strips are included, so you can stick it to non-magnetic surfaces. There’s a standard 1/4in-20 thread for mounting it to stands, and it comes with a coldshoe ball head to put the light directly on your camera or other rigs. There’s also a magnetic plate attachment for
the coldshoe, so you can mount to metal surfaces and move the light around to get the angle just right. On the front of the LED panel are small, hidden magnets that accept dedicated accessories. These include a dome diffuser, flat diffuser and 30° honeycomb grid, which all just snap into place. As the light also comes with a carry case and USB charging leads, it’s definitely great value. It outputs up to 396 lux at 1m/3.3ft when set to 5600K, gives accurate and consistent colour reproduction with CQS of 95, SSI (D56) of 72, SSI (tungsten) of 82, TM-30 Rf of 94, and TM-30 Rg of 103. The CRI/TLCI scores of 96 mean faithful skin tones, and it reproduces up to 90% of all colours within the Rec. 2020 HDR colour space. There’s also advanced HSI with adjustable white-point CCT, RGB, Gel and XY modes. All that spec means the panel is accurate and controllable. Just dial in the setting you want – such as various flavours of white and RGB – or emulate standard Rosco and Lee gels. The light is simple to use with two main buttons on the side – an on/off and a mode button. Enter the modes and then turn the control dial to scroll through settings, and push it in to change to other settings. A pro-style light should be easy to use and understand – and the MC Pro certainly is that. You don’t need to plough through a manual to get the hang of it, although you can access one online if you’re stuck.
PRO KIT A grid and small dome diffuser come with the MC Pro. It’s controlled by the panel on the top, via the on-board dial or through the app
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