BUYERS’ GUIDE
AMARAN T4C £327/$329 aputure.com
APUTURE ACCENT B7C £76/$56 aputure.com
Amaran is the more budget offering from Aputure, and this 40W T4C is packed with tech. The T4C is 4ft long, but there is also a T2C at 2ft and 20W output. Both are RGBWW and can be controlled wirelessly via the free Sidus Link app. The same app is used for all Aputure’s lighting. The tubes have adjustable colour temperatures from 2500 to 7500K, green-magenta adjustment and full colour control for a range of looks and lighting effects. A CRI of 95+ and TLCI of 98+ mean colour is accurate. Each tube features mounting options including NATO rail, 1/4in- 20 threads and 3/8in-16 threads with Arri-type locating pins. The included 77Wh swappable battery grip allows the light to be powered anywhere without AC power. The bigger T4C can run for 100 minutes at full power. There are 46 colour gel presets and 15 built-in effects including disco lights, lightning, TV, candle, fire and a whole lot more. The unit is silent as there is no cooling fan and it comes in a carrying case. You can also leave the tube bare with its 180° aperture, giving wider coverage, or even attach a toolless, collapsible 45° grid to the tube to create your own lighting design. Control the T4C using DMX with a special USB-C to 5-pin DMX512 in/ out adapter cable, adding pro-level control panels.
The light bulbs you see inside the fittings on many sets aren’t everyday bulbs, but fully adjustable, tunable and non-flickering LEDs made for filmmaking. A typical example is the Aputure Accent B7c, a full-spectrum RGBWW LED light that screws into a simple E26/27 household light fitting. So you can screw this 7W bulb into your bedside lamp. If this has mains power, you can run it from that and it will also charge the internal lithium battery – or place it inside any light unit without power and it still works. To replicate white light, set it to a colour temperature from 2000 to 10,000K. Change settings using the small buttons on the body of the bulb. Use the free Sidus Link app to set any colour you like. There are options with your phone camera where it will match existing light sources. Or go for RGB settings with hue, saturation and intensity controls. Colour will remain accurate as the bulb has a CRI/TLCI rating of 95/96. Without power, it will last for around 70 minutes on full intensity. Turn this down and the life extends. Like so many RGBWW LEDs, there are special effects like TV, paparazzi, fireworks, faulty bulb, party, pulsing, lightning, police car and fire. Wireless Bluetooth control goes to around 50m/164ft and you can group lots of units together in the Sidus Link app to produce identical effects.
Pros: High spec for a budget brand Cons: Not the cheapest!
Pros: Inexpensive and work well Cons: No USB-C charging, heavy
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