Hi Caleb - Thank you for being so upfront and transparent about both the pros and cons of these tube lights. I'm a HUGE fan of Aputure and was going to order these lights 50% into your review, but after seeing the downsides I decided to hold off since my Pavotubes seem to be more suited for my needs. Can't wait for your review(s) on the flexible lights as well!
I am in same boat! I was all excited to get these and replace my Pavotubes. But I do use the color a lot and these wouldn't help in this department......other than the app. Also the battery life is half of the Pavotube. But I do love the look of these when in corded mode. And the mounting looks amazing.
Your workshop here is very very interesting. Also the live demo of lighting while filming blew my mind ^^ I will consider these lights for sure ! Thanks
Would have loved to see a comparison with the new Nanlite 30X tubes which are significantly better than the 30C you tested. It's great to see Aputure in the tube light game, love all of the mounting options.
@@MoonlightSocial Agreed. The Pavotubes with the app and the pixel mapping is a win over these in my opinion. Im very much an Aputure fan, but I always give all companies a fair and equal evaluation.
As an aputure/amaran user, I will be selling my pavotube 15c for one of the t2c’s. My main faff with nanlite is the lack of usable app that integrates without a big hassle. As I’m a single operator I love being able to adjust all my lights from one app when behind the camera. Been waiting for tubes from aputure for ages and so glad it’s out soon!
Sweet tube lights. I was just looking at options for tube lights for some music video projects and these pretty much hit the mark on what I'm looking for in the price bracket I'm after.
Very Cool! Finally someone has added some much needed updates to RGB tube lights. Love the option for a detachable battery or DC power. I was thinking the exact same thing about having a pinned connector instead of that barrel cable for power input.
YYYEEESSS!!! I've been waiting for Aputure to get into the light tube space. I've been using Westcotts forever and while I'll probably keep them for productions where I have time to gel lights, but these would make quick productions a breeze. A 2 ft tube paired with an MC and a reflector for good measure would make a killer run and gun setup. Something I could use to enhance available light with less than 2 minutes of setup time.
The real 'cat amongst the pigeons' tube light is the Nanlite T8-7X light, which i hope you get to review sometime soon. With each tube costing about $99 (£75) per light and having 16 pixels, its quiet the low cost tube. Yes they have initial downsides due to how you want to use them (defo not an 'all purpose' light) , but they offer a lot for the cost
Thanks the point about how much length the size of the battery adds to the tube. This seems like an ideal solution for someone doing mobile filmmaking with someone hollywooding the light, not so great for mounting in small spaces.
Actually you can control the Pavotubes with an app. The old model 30C tubes that you tested require a hub (similar to the Aputure Sidus Hub), but the new 30X have Bluetooth built in to connect much easier. That being said, the Nanlite app isn't the easiest to use and Sidus is definitely more refined and feature packed.
I was in a shoot recently with nanlite 60x tube and on iphone we couldnt connect to it, on android we managed to connect, but the thing wouldnt change anything using the app. So, apparently you can "control" it, but that might not work
It’s a shame you haven’t been able to compare them with the current II series Nanlite tubes. Nanlite have fixed some of your complaint - especially improving brightness and diffusion.
I'm not sure if you're already finished with the f22c review. But if you're still shooting, it would be so awesome if you could compare the output to a 300d II with a softbox. I feel like that's a major selling point for the flexible LED lights, they're output while maintaining softness.
Thanks so much for this review Caleb, it is interesting to understand the pros and see if the cons are bearable snd worth the buy to save some bucks. Cheers from England
Caleb, you make it so hard for me to save my money...that double color set up you had looked awesome. Off topic but lookin good with the beard my dude and second, your audio sounds incredible! New mic or just changing the EQ settings?
I love that i know for sure, that if you review a product its always an excellent one or you give amazing alternatives... that light looks amazing for the price compared to Quasars
Would also liked to have seen a comparison with the Godox TL30 and TL60 lights. I have the TL30 which I like but a lot of my other lights are Aputure and it is something I would consider changing.
@@dslrvideoshooter I backed a kickstarter called TEKE which is another set of tube lights, it was 18 months ago and they're finally getting shipped so will be interesting to compare since both these and the nanlites have come to market
I’m the future, would you be willing to add a quick over exposed shot to shot what lights look like closer to your eyes? For me personally it can help influence wether I feel an accent like these is worth buying over already established lighting
I'd love to know which mini-tripod you are using here. I also wish you'd go into more detail on using the menu system, which I'm finding to be very confusing and difficult!
weird question - but let's just say for fun this was used as a shift for a handbrake or a sequential shifter... haha. Is this as delicate as it appears? at 11:36 makes me nervous just even how you're holding it. but in the initial build part of the video when you are looking at the barrel section o ring, the 2 foot tube upon seeing the 2:31 close up looks like it has a decent enclosure. would you trust it to habitually engage a momentary arduino switch with, say, the force you open your car door?
I've always seen Aputure and Nanlite to be of the same sort of price to performance range, so it surprises me that they would make amaran lights, they're budget option, the competitor to the pavotubes, maybe i've missed something. I've been waiting for aputure to get in the tube light game for ages, i love their ecosystem and really want to get into it. I'll just have to invest in a set of pavotubes in the future. I've been collating a list of cheap RGB tubes for a review video, I was hoping these would fit in when I saw your video pop but i'm not sure they will now! Great comparisons made, really practical, thank you!
Just wondering, what are the major differences with the Pavotubes II? In other words, what major downsides have I missed in the video for the Amarans? :D
IMO you can't oversell the benefit of these tubes being part of the Sidus ecosystem. Once you've experiencd being able to control whole sets of lights as comprehensive sets in one pretty well designed app, you don't want to even consider lights that don't fit in. (Most lights mobile apps are junk, and its ridiculous on set to try to juggle multiple different apps simultaneous.)
I am still unsure if I like the idea to buy only Aputure with their great app in mind. Nonetheless: their products are great, pricing is decent and they evolved a lot in the last years. And finally multi apps on set is horror.
Did I understand it correctly that if you power the tube via a separate V-Mount solution then you don't need the battery handle at all? Because that would make it a great option for me to put on a boom arm and have the heavy v-mount somewhere as either counterweight, or if on a person, on their belt or something.
Hi Caleb. I need to get a couple of tube lights that work in a medium sized room. The small little RGB lights I have do not flood the area very wel or show any real concentration on a larger area. What do you recommend in 2023 that’s reasonable pricing and has a lot of versatility for use? Thanks and great video as always!
oh heck ya. I actually got some good tube lights chinese sokani which are actually really good but that sidus link with the aputure lights is looking good
One point I think was missed is that the Amaran tubes also have a built in Nato Rail opening it up not only for MORE mounting options, but could also work as a remote support rail for various other things. Given Caleb's history of creating interesting gear builds, I have little doubt he could do something interesting with the rails despite the heat issues of the tubes.
you seem to know your business. what is the best, or your favorite 4 ft tube light. i would be using them behind basketball players for media day..thanks
Can these be used as effective toy lightsabers between projects? I'm a big kid (which I think a lot of photographers/cinematographers are), so this is an important selling point to me.
I was super excited about these until I saw the output compared to nanlite. I have the 1st gen 4 footers and love and hate them. These are really exciting for just the integration with my existing Aputure system. But man I was hoping for more color output. It just shows all things have pros and cons.
Okay I’m trying to get into streaming and I’ve recently purchased 2 of the t2c beams and was wondering if I wanted to mount by table tripod is that possible. Or what kind of other stand would you recommend
As someone who does a lot of interview setups, I’m wondering if these tubes are bright enough to use as a kicker or backlight in a scenario with windows in the shot where I’m shooting at the equivalent of 200 or even 50 ISO. Any thoughts?
@@dslrvideoshooter true, but the one thing I don’t like about Sidus link is that you have to re-connect all the lights via Bluetooth when I close the app. Not sure if that’s a user error tho. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Lets keep it real. I mostly will buy these tubes over every other just because of sidus link. It simply doesnt make sense having some aputure/amaran lights already to get a manual control nanlite tube
I can't justify LED tubes, they're simply not there yet. Not one brand has made one that has all the features I'm looking for. First, it's a must that all LED tubes have removable batteries and the batteries need to be internal (+ the option to power them externally without having the battery inside to save on weight when required). The design has to be closer to what Aputure did with these tubes with small "bezels" on the ends in case you want to mount 2 or more tubes next to each other, they also need to feature all those mounting options. The power output is still low and limiting for many situations, I'd like to see 2ft tubes with at least 30w of power. There should be an option for non RGB tubes, because 95% of the time i see myself just using the CCT mode. A tube that doesn't come with modifiers such as a grid is already a turn down for me, but launching one without the option to buy a grid separately is just a deal breaker for me. Other modifiers should include larger diffusion panels in case you want to make the light are larger (some companies are making inflatable diffusion for this purpose). Another modifier I'd like to see is a reflector that directs the beam in some narrower angle while increasing it's power, complete with honeycomb grid for spill control. Lastly, they all need to be compatible with V mount batteries, as these Aputure lights do.
your mic and whatever you do to your voice is so soothing
Instantly purchased 2 using your BH link AND IT CAME WITH 2 FREE B7C’S!!!! What?!? Fantastic savings! Thanks Caleb!
Hi Caleb - Thank you for being so upfront and transparent about both the pros and cons of these tube lights. I'm a HUGE fan of Aputure and was going to order these lights 50% into your review, but after seeing the downsides I decided to hold off since my Pavotubes seem to be more suited for my needs. Can't wait for your review(s) on the flexible lights as well!
Agree. Great review. Still on the fence.
I am in same boat! I was all excited to get these and replace my Pavotubes. But I do use the color a lot and these wouldn't help in this department......other than the app. Also the battery life is half of the Pavotube. But I do love the look of these when in corded mode. And the mounting looks amazing.
@@MatthewEncina Matthew 😳
Your workshop here is very very interesting. Also the live demo of lighting while filming blew my mind ^^ I will consider these lights for sure ! Thanks
Really appreciate the comparison vs. the Pavotubes and Quasar tubes. It's nice to see Aputure finally getting into this space.
Would have loved to see a comparison with the new Nanlite 30X tubes which are significantly better than the 30C you tested. It's great to see Aputure in the tube light game, love all of the mounting options.
I agree. I found the new 30X to be way better than the 30C in a lot of ways. I'm supposed to post a review....I should probably get on that....
@@BartJohnsonProd You originally inspired me to grab the Pavotubes, just got 2 30x and 15x kits and today I'm glad I didn't wait!
Yeah, when he mentioned the price point for the 4ft was $320 I was like, "Oh these are not competing with the new X series" lol
@@MoonlightSocial Agreed. The Pavotubes with the app and the pixel mapping is a win over these in my opinion. Im very much an Aputure fan, but I always give all companies a fair and equal evaluation.
Maybe they aren’t apples to apples but aren’t the Nanlite ones like $150-$200 more
As an aputure/amaran user, I will be selling my pavotube 15c for one of the t2c’s. My main faff with nanlite is the lack of usable app that integrates without a big hassle. As I’m a single operator I love being able to adjust all my lights from one app when behind the camera. Been waiting for tubes from aputure for ages and so glad it’s out soon!
Agreed, love controllingall my Aputure lights from one app at weddings. It's so handy.
Uh oh… okay, okay… Caleb making me want to buy another piece of gear. These are sick
These look great. Awesome video Caleb! 👍
And so is your smile. We love this channel 😁
Aw thanks man!!!
Sweet tube lights. I was just looking at options for tube lights for some music video projects and these pretty much hit the mark on what I'm looking for in the price bracket I'm after.
Very Cool! Finally someone has added some much needed updates to RGB tube lights. Love the option for a detachable battery or DC power. I was thinking the exact same thing about having a pinned connector instead of that barrel cable for power input.
The Amaran Lightsab- Ahem LED Tube looks awesome!
YYYEEESSS!!! I've been waiting for Aputure to get into the light tube space. I've been using Westcotts forever and while I'll probably keep them for productions where I have time to gel lights, but these would make quick productions a breeze.
A 2 ft tube paired with an MC and a reflector for good measure would make a killer run and gun setup. Something I could use to enhance available light with less than 2 minutes of setup time.
Woww! Really cool product 😍
That running time feature is just insane
The real 'cat amongst the pigeons' tube light is the Nanlite T8-7X light, which i hope you get to review sometime soon. With each tube costing about $99 (£75) per light and having 16 pixels, its quiet the low cost tube. Yes they have initial downsides due to how you want to use them (defo not an 'all purpose' light) , but they offer a lot for the cost
Love the removable/swappable battery for these, and can power them with a v mount battery! Will definitely be checking these out
The run time setting is amazing. They should add that feature to every LED light.
Thanks the point about how much length the size of the battery adds to the tube. This seems like an ideal solution for someone doing mobile filmmaking with someone hollywooding the light, not so great for mounting in small spaces.
love these lights! bought ten even thought my dad told me not to!
Best channel to always learn new things!
Actually you can control the Pavotubes with an app. The old model 30C tubes that you tested require a hub (similar to the Aputure Sidus Hub), but the new 30X have Bluetooth built in to connect much easier. That being said, the Nanlite app isn't the easiest to use and Sidus is definitely more refined and feature packed.
I was in a shoot recently with nanlite 60x tube and on iphone we couldnt connect to it, on android we managed to connect, but the thing wouldnt change anything using the app. So, apparently you can "control" it, but that might not work
what is your opinion about the nanlite tubes? you do think maybe godox are better?@@wasislos
I have learned so much from you! Thank you so much for this video!!!!!😊😊
It’s a shame you haven’t been able to compare them with the current II series Nanlite tubes. Nanlite have fixed some of your complaint - especially improving brightness and diffusion.
the Nanlite II is on different price point , $150-$200 more expensive
I'm not sure if you're already finished with the f22c review. But if you're still shooting, it would be so awesome if you could compare the output to a 300d II with a softbox. I feel like that's a major selling point for the flexible LED lights, they're output while maintaining softness.
Agreed
Thanks so much for this review Caleb, it is interesting to understand the pros and see if the cons are bearable snd worth the buy to save some bucks. Cheers from England
Not a bald head but a noble crown. Great video.
Haha! Thanks Robert!
Caleb, you make it so hard for me to save my money...that double color set up you had looked awesome.
Off topic but lookin good with the beard my dude and second, your audio sounds incredible! New mic or just changing the EQ settings?
Wnated to purchase your luts on your site. I have a Canon, luts compatible?
Good review, thanks .... gretting from Nicaragua!
Glad they added a battery setting. I have 5 MCs and before I even get to shooting they are almost dead.
Great review! Thanks a lot for sharing!
Honestly...the fact that you can't put the amarans as a practical into the frame without them looking like a lightsaber, is an absolut dealbreaker.
That is the main issue with these lights. I’m hoping they come with some tubes in the aputure line that can be used in that way.
Hey man! Just want to say that you're awesome!
That was very Helpful.... Thanks✌....
This is awesome, great video. Question: what mini tripod is that you’re using with the t2c?
I have some very similar to these and love them for B-roll. And it's a lightsaber if needed. 😄
Great video!!!
that remaining battery time with the output limiter is a gold feature
Great video lights ❤️🔥🙌
Caleb, I'd love to hear your take on Nanlite's New affordable pixel tubes the t8-7x
Great review! Thank you
Compare them to the more recent 30X tubes from nanlite.
Awesome pricing on these- I bet they’re going to be insanely popular. 👍
Yeah love seeing Amaran go nuts with the budget gear!
I’ll make sure I’ve got one with your name on it
The red color made you look like Darth Caleb.
I love that i know for sure, that if you review a product its always an excellent one or you give amazing alternatives... that light looks amazing for the price compared to Quasars
Would also liked to have seen a comparison with the Godox TL30 and TL60 lights. I have the TL30 which I like but a lot of my other lights are Aputure and it is something I would consider changing.
Nice light saber
They finally did it!
FIIIIINALLY! So stoked.
@@dslrvideoshooter I backed a kickstarter called TEKE which is another set of tube lights, it was 18 months ago and they're finally getting shipped so will be interesting to compare since both these and the nanlites have come to market
Great review. For me, the cord coming from the battery is the biggest deal breaker.
I’m the future, would you be willing to add a quick over exposed shot to shot what lights look like closer to your eyes? For me personally it can help influence wether I feel an accent like these is worth buying over already established lighting
woah black betty, amaran
I'd love to know which mini-tripod you are using here. I also wish you'd go into more detail on using the menu system, which I'm finding to be very confusing and difficult!
weird question - but let's just say for fun this was used as a shift for a handbrake or a sequential shifter... haha. Is this as delicate as it appears? at 11:36 makes me nervous just even how you're holding it. but in the initial build part of the video when you are looking at the barrel section o ring, the 2 foot tube upon seeing the 2:31 close up looks like it has a decent enclosure. would you trust it to habitually engage a momentary arduino switch with, say, the force you open your car door?
Great lights 👍🏻
It's miles and miles behind astera, but glad they're giving people a cheaper option.
Super helpful. Thanks.
This without audio looks like a review for Jedis on what their next best gear should be hahaha!
Ha!
The T2C with a free B7C for first batch makes this a no-brainer. But where did you get that screw in magnet!? I can’t find one.
Use the force!
I've always seen Aputure and Nanlite to be of the same sort of price to performance range, so it surprises me that they would make amaran lights, they're budget option, the competitor to the pavotubes, maybe i've missed something. I've been waiting for aputure to get in the tube light game for ages, i love their ecosystem and really want to get into it. I'll just have to invest in a set of pavotubes in the future. I've been collating a list of cheap RGB tubes for a review video, I was hoping these would fit in when I saw your video pop but i'm not sure they will now! Great comparisons made, really practical, thank you!
Just wondering, what are the major differences with the Pavotubes II? In other words, what major downsides have I missed in the video for the Amarans? :D
IMO you can't oversell the benefit of these tubes being part of the Sidus ecosystem. Once you've experiencd being able to control whole sets of lights as comprehensive sets in one pretty well designed app, you don't want to even consider lights that don't fit in. (Most lights mobile apps are junk, and its ridiculous on set to try to juggle multiple different apps simultaneous.)
I am still unsure if I like the idea to buy only Aputure with their great app in mind. Nonetheless: their products are great, pricing is decent and they evolved a lot in the last years. And finally multi apps on set is horror.
Did I understand it correctly that if you power the tube via a separate V-Mount solution then you don't need the battery handle at all? Because that would make it a great option for me to put on a boom arm and have the heavy v-mount somewhere as either counterweight, or if on a person, on their belt or something.
Hi Caleb. I need to get a couple of tube lights that work in a medium sized room. The small little RGB lights I have do not flood the area very wel or show any real concentration on a larger area. What do you recommend in 2023 that’s reasonable pricing and has a lot of versatility for use? Thanks and great video as always!
oh heck ya. I actually got some good tube lights chinese sokani which are actually really good but that sidus link with the aputure lights is looking good
One point I think was missed is that the Amaran tubes also have a built in Nato Rail opening it up not only for MORE mounting options, but could also work as a remote support rail for various other things. Given Caleb's history of creating interesting gear builds, I have little doubt he could do something interesting with the rails despite the heat issues of the tubes.
you seem to know your business. what is the best, or your favorite 4 ft tube light. i would be using them behind basketball players for media day..thanks
This one or Nanlite PavoTube II 15X 2 Foot Battery Powered RGBWW LED Pixel Tube....which one to get.
Can these be used as effective toy lightsabers between projects? I'm a big kid (which I think a lot of photographers/cinematographers are), so this is an important selling point to me.
Great video!
I was super excited about these until I saw the output compared to nanlite. I have the 1st gen 4 footers and love and hate them. These are really exciting for just the integration with my existing Aputure system. But man I was hoping for more color output. It just shows all things have pros and cons.
Doesn't Pavotube have a mark II version? As always great video, Caleb!
Yup getting one of these
If you swing it fast enough, does it make the light saber sound?
is it possible to show the position and the height you used when you placed the lights at minute 8:51 ? Thanks
Wouldn’t a better comparison be against the Pavotube X series not the C series?
Do they work as Lightsabers?
Thanks for the review. QQ what did u mean that l T2 output is greater than T4 in RGB mode? I thought lux output bigger better?
Thanks for the analysis, it is a pity that the amaran does not have any internal battery, then the external extra one would be great ;(
thanks for the video would of been nice to compare with the newer 30x from nanlite
Okay I’m trying to get into streaming and I’ve recently purchased 2 of the t2c beams and was wondering if I wanted to mount by table tripod is that possible. Or what kind of other stand would you recommend
As someone who does a lot of interview setups, I’m wondering if these tubes are bright enough to use as a kicker or backlight in a scenario with windows in the shot where I’m shooting at the equivalent of 200 or even 50 ISO. Any thoughts?
Idk why but I wish they had a remote. Lol looking forward to the “versus nanlite pavotube” videos.
Siduslink is crazy good but I do love me a good physical remote!
@@dslrvideoshooter true, but the one thing I don’t like about Sidus link is that you have to re-connect all the lights via Bluetooth when I close the app. Not sure if that’s a user error tho. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Did they raid the Sony parts bin for buttons? I hope that’s not holding up my FX3 order!
Would you recommend these over the pavotube X tubes??
We’re getting that hue issue fixed in a very near future firmware update for ya 🤘🤣
Hey Ian - is the T2C grid available? Is it included? Cost?
I see a DMX option. How does that work? Looks like a USB C?
Could these tub lights be key lights instead of a softbox light ?
What is the tiny tripod you're using?
What tripod base were you using for the T2C at 9:55?
This specific for video or can be used for light painting?
what mic are you using your your VO? It always sounds so nice. Any special EQ you're doing in post?
Let me know!
@11:31 I wonder if @aputure can fix this color issue in firmware.
I keep asking this...where do you get these hoodies mah dude?!?!
Hi
This is Shashi Kumar
From India 🇮🇳🇮🇳
Nice lightsaber
How does it compare to the Godox LC500R ?
Lets keep it real. I mostly will buy these tubes over every other just because of sidus link.
It simply doesnt make sense having some aputure/amaran lights already to get a manual control nanlite tube
I can't justify LED tubes, they're simply not there yet. Not one brand has made one that has all the features I'm looking for. First, it's a must that all LED tubes have removable batteries and the batteries need to be internal (+ the option to power them externally without having the battery inside to save on weight when required). The design has to be closer to what Aputure did with these tubes with small "bezels" on the ends in case you want to mount 2 or more tubes next to each other, they also need to feature all those mounting options. The power output is still low and limiting for many situations, I'd like to see 2ft tubes with at least 30w of power. There should be an option for non RGB tubes, because 95% of the time i see myself just using the CCT mode. A tube that doesn't come with modifiers such as a grid is already a turn down for me, but launching one without the option to buy a grid separately is just a deal breaker for me. Other modifiers should include larger diffusion panels in case you want to make the light are larger (some companies are making inflatable diffusion for this purpose). Another modifier I'd like to see is a reflector that directs the beam in some narrower angle while increasing it's power, complete with honeycomb grid for spill control. Lastly, they all need to be compatible with V mount batteries, as these Aputure lights do.
do these compare at all to Astera tubes?