Aputure Mini20 Video Light Kit Review
Вставка
- Опубліковано 2 сер 2024
- Today we check out the Aputure Mini20D and Mini20C Light kit! To see the lights in action, jump to 9:23 were I show you three lighting setups using these 3 LED fresnel video lights.
Aputure Mini20 Light Kit
Aputure: bit.ly/2gJRIic
Amazon (PAID LINK): geni.us/u9d5zSk
B&H Photo Video: www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...
You can also purchase a single light on Aputure’s store here:
bit.ly/2gEj5qa
PROS:
Fantastic spot/flood fresnel lens
Easy to get sharp light cuts with the barn doors
Bright
Tons of included power options and accessories
Small and easy to travel with
CONS:
Fans are a little noisy
The daylight lights are 7500K
Battery plates are external to light
Plastic body build
Slight edge color distortion depending on angle
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Perfect lights for anything other than a key light. Yes, you could use them as a key light, but they aren’t quite bright enough to pull that off.
I love these for backgrounds, hair/rim and other areas of a scene I want to highlight.
So far, I have not worked with an LED that spots or cuts as well as these due.
DISCLAIMERS:
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
This video was not paid for by outside persons or manufacturers.
Aputure supplied me with the kit with no strings attached. - Фільми й анімація
About to buy through your link! Your content has helped me over the years, glad I can give something back for once.
Thanks for the honest review of these lights. I was very interested when they were promoted 2 years ago, but they raised the price, originally sold them only in kits of 3, and the color and fan issues are disappointing. I generally like Aputure products (I own 5 of their lights), but not every product is a win, their quality control is sometimes off and their prices are creeping up as they become a popular brand. All this is making an opportunity for competition.
Can't wait to get to the level, where I can fully understand.
We would love to get a few of these! The barn doors look awesome for highlighting small areas of your scene!
Always love your methodological reviews, so helpful and really great when making decisions :) Thanks
Hey those look really cool, I think I need a few of these for my next video, thanks Caleb!
Thanks Dave! I could see you really putting them to work in your background. Couple gels and bam!
Really trusting your opinion! Thanks for the consistent delivery of great videos :)
Thank you for the kind words. Means a lot!
Very good review ! www.novsights.com/
So this is what its like to be subscribed to a tech type channel. You get to see all the cool new gadgets first. Awesome.👌
Got mine earlier this week. BUY THESE NOW. They're amazing!
Nice Tim!
Great review about this Aputure mini 20 kit, thumb up bro , I really see that all your reviews are helpful, keep it going and keep it up.
Thank you Sultan!
Thanks Caleb, I tried to research and compare stats for these, the Came Boltzens 55W and Fotodiox Popspot. In the end I bought a Boltzens 55W and much prefer it for my wedding work. Significantly more output/throw. But keeping the Mini20 kit for potential talking head/interview setups. Worth having in the gear kit I reckon. But yea the Boltzens really surprised me. And battery mounts direct to the light!
Thanks for your video! Saw you at NAB, but am somewhat of an introvert. Just picked these up for work. Great use for interviews and lecture based content.
That's a massive package. Great review, Caleb.
That X background was sick!
Thanks NerdSync!
jonathan frakes will sue you!
Agreed! Love that look.
Awesome, in depth review, I might buy this kit soon.
Looking good with the new haircut dude! Great video, keep it up!
Thanks Daniel!
Was waiting for this review!!
Amazing porduct!!!! Hope to see it soon here in Italy!
Thanks for what you do. You are BY FAR the most concise and insightful person I've found. I am looking for a good key-light to go with these guys... recommendations? My film space is only 10 feet x 15 feet (small I know). Per your video and comparing to dozens of others, I bought the aputure light kit and purchased an additional D to hopefully "get by" as a key light for the time being. If I can boost my budget a bit, I'll try to get the 120 or 300D, but for the stuff I'm shooting I had to put the 120D at 10% power so I surmised that if I just get an extra mini 20D I should be able to have enough of a key light for what I'm going for - but I want to thank you for your comments and education. you rock !
Thanks for your review of these lights. I was intrigued by the original daylight model when it was announced 2 years. Nice form factor, hard-ish cut for background slashes, and spot/flood focusing would be a nice complement to my Aputure LS1/2 and COB 120d light kit. Sadly, after a very long wait, the estimate price of $199 jumped 30% and for the longest time you could only buy the 3 light kit (single lights weren't available). I really wanted to get this light, but the odd color temperature, bleaching gel inserts, loud fan noise and low output give me pause.
really helpful review Caleb, especially noting those caveats!! thank you ;-)
Terrific comprehensive overview. Thanks!
Quite an honest review of these lights
Thanks for this video. Super helpful as I was looking for a new lighting kit and these were on my list. The lack of them being strong enough to be key lights is a deal breaker for me but I think everything else looks great.
If you have a Sony full frame or even a6500 you'd probably be ok. My G85 doesn't like the dark!
Dope, Thanks for the heads up. I was thinking of getting the Cam-TV 55w for wedding and event work.
I have come to really like the external power as I can cut the lights without climbing on chairs and so forth to "save the lights." I have added x-10s from eBay...
Great review Caleb! I was super keen on getting the three kit when these lights were announced. A little disappointed by the bleaching of the CTO filter after use and the loud fan. That being said I'd love to have one of these lights to round out my kit, most probably the Mini 20C.
Subscribed - intelligent and thorough review
Was looking for a light kit. Thank you!
Very imformative and helpful video! Thank you
that light is so cute
great review! thank you!
Very good review - again! I appreciate you deeper look and not only praising of the products.
I would be very interested in a review of the Rotolight products - first of all the Rotolight Neo 2. Any chance you pick up one of these? Probably comparing it to similar lights of other brands, you already reviewed?
Great review, as usual :)
this looks so awseome
Great video review - thank you so much! Greetings from Germany, Dirk
Thank you for this informative review
Thank YOU for watching!
Is the color fringing happening because of the orange piece of acrylic that's bleached in the center but not the edges?
Miniac not sure, it looks magenta to me, so wouldn't that be from the LED?
Unfortunately it is there with or without the filter.
DSLR Video Shooter that's a real shame. Would make it hard work to mix with other lights.
Might be great for film noir though :)
To make an educated guess, the yellow fringing occurs because Aputure did not properly mask the edges of the COB module. As a result, light is refracted through the edges of the phosphor and leaves the fixture.
Wow. These are awesome. I dont have the money for it, but it seems every cent worth.
Do you know if the color temperature is an issue with the other Aputures? I really don't want to be fighting my lights every day to get true daylight
Most all are a standard 5500k daylight, except the COB 120D which is 6000k, the tri-8/672/528/198/M9/LS1/300D all the same, bi color is 5500-3200, the mini 20 are the only ones this far off.
I actually like that the power isn't on the light means it is easier to reach if the light is up high and you need to change it would have been good if they had the controls on the battery holder too.
Really interesting - I'm after a 3 point lighting rig, still a little expensive compared with likes of godox sl60. I saw Godox have released the s30-d pack which looks very similar to this however £300 more expensive. Wonder how they perform as they are 5600k instead of the 7500k of these lights - maybe a future video? Thanks again for the great video dude!
Yet another I HAVE to buy :)
Haha! Sorry Ry!
I just super-subbed.
Caleb thanks for the review. Can i used these light during the reception dance during a wedding?
I finally picked up this set... I wonder if you ever figured out a way to have them always on so that they can be powered on and off easily when mounted high? They default to off when losing power.
Out of my budget😢.
Great video😁!!
Thanks for the review. What would be the power equivalent with a classic tungsten fresnel in watts ?
Hello buddy,
Great video. Very precise review.
Which light stands di you use for the Aputure minis ?
Cheers from Senegal !
What options if any does someone have for a soft box for this? Since it’s my Bowen’s mount is there an alternative you can recommend?
So I have a question about this light. If I plug this in to a power strip and then turn off and on the power strip, will the light come back on? Or do I have to hit the power button again on the light itself? Thanks! Great review!
Hi Caleb, great video - would you be able to recommend a compact light which would be daylight (or mixable) and be better suited as key light? portability is key, I need to traverse London's tube on my own with all my video kit! I will mostly be balancing the light with the ambient and shooting through an umbrella or soft box. Thanks in advance
ooo bit like a dedo light i guess, very cool and nice review
so now i wanna know how they compare to the came tv boltzens which are around the same size.
hi Caleb, thanks for this review. How would they work to create a seamless whitebackground? Do you think they can do the job?
thanks for the video. How long do the batteries last at full power? Do they come with the power cord to plug them directly to the wall? and how would you compare them to FotodioX Pro PopSpot J-500 ($1,099.95) and CAME-TV Boltzen 55W ($868.00)?
Thanks again.
Having to use CTO to convert to DAYLIGHT! That's very disappointing, and I would almost say not usable for the majority of shoots. The barn doors, and battery options are great but I don't think it's worth the pain of the wacky colour temps. I would suggest most people would be better off renting a kit of Dedo 150W lights. Great review though Caleb, love your work
Sam Bennett I feel the same. 7500 kelvin is just blue
And probably measured LUX numbers won't be as high anymore with the 5600 filter put on.
Especially disappointing that it has this problem and it costs $700!
if you bought it without knowing what 7500K means...what can I say
Love this video!
Can I get the answer what do you use for the key-light in this video?
Thank you)
Likely a aputure 120d
This light vs the CameTV Boltzen (30w and 55w) battery powered lights?
Dance floor lighting for weddings? Bi Color or daylight? Thanks!
Just watch your review on the Apurture mini 20d. Have you ever had the chance to try the FotodioX Pro PopSpot? If so, which one do you prefer and why?
Can we see Aputure Mini vs Dedo LED sometime?
You mentioned few times that they're noisy. What lights do you recommend in a similar price range, silent ... to fit corporate interviews?
Thanks for the info. What was the name and true color of your backdrop? I'm needing to beef up my lighting for head shot sessions and these would help. Thanks!
Hey, would you recommend the Mini20s or the Intellytech Pocket Cannon?
Love the video man but what's your thoughts comparing these guys to the practilite 602, I know there at different levels but still Curious how the Aputure lights compare at such a cheaper price point?
Careful with the barn doors. While they are made of metal the are attached to a really thin piece of plastic. One of mine was tightened just a little too tight from the factory and it snapped off as soon as I tried to open it. Aputure was kind enough to send out a replacement barn door assembly but it's something I have to be very careful with from now on. It's kind of a design flaw in my opinion.
Did you review the lights on the Aputure site? I think I saw you there!
Thanks for the info.
What would you recommend as a fanless option, that still can cut light well with barn doors?
Those are cute.
Not sure about those imprecise scales for intensities/settings. Would've prefered an LCD readout for those values.
Otherwise, super nice tho! Price is a bit steep, but these LightStorm lights are always superb value nontheless. You just get what you pay for and with a lot of other companies you end up paying way more than what you're getting.
I agree. Little display would have been nice. Unfortunately I think people are just looking at the color temp and output. These offer so much more with the fresnel lens and ability to cut. So darn good!
Very good review. But I think for Aputure price is a litle bit high)
Is your background gray or white? Because whatever it is, it looks perfect. Not super dark black and not blown out white.. love the in between. Very soothing. Maybe just dimly lit white.
Do you like these better than the 55W CAME-TV Boltzen?
When you were using them as background lights/kickers which light did you use as a key light?
YONGNUO YN216 YN-216 LED Video Camera Lights on Amazon for $60. They take NP-F batteries. Powerful and a REAL budget option.
Honestly I’d love to add these to my kit. Primarily because they’re small and battery powered. Perfect for a hair light, background, etc. Problem is I also wanna get 120 and 300. lol!
I hear ya!
Hahah same here, i want everythang!!!
Will it work with a softbox?
hey man I'm huge fan you help me a lot!!
I looking for lights and I want know if the Aputure LS-mini20 Light Storm works with Aputure Light Dome Mini II can you help me?
For a fill or hair light, which would you recommend over the other, an Aputure mini 20d or a Came TV 30 W?
If i go budget buy this as main light or chose something else?
Its a good thing the battery is separate. If the Light is high up you can change the battery easily without bringing the light down.
Will this be bright enough for a key light in a really small confined space?
What is the point of getting a daylight version reading 7500k then killing output of light by throwing on a CTO Gel..smh
Aputure loves to post their high output specs... I'm sure they were able to boost their numbers (on paper) by making them 7500k... just like the 120d is 6000k not 5600k.
Is there any mention of a wireless feature for these? The C300d and 120D has a remote, so it could have been possible.
like all the small lights out there... arri 150w has the same porpouse those ones are more versatile and probably nicer.. what about their competitors? the boltzen led small etc etc???
Could you recommend a bi color video led light with spot and flood light modes with option to fully dim and increase color temperature?
Hi, Caleb! Would like to know what your aperture and shutter speed/angle was at 9:43 just to get an idea of how bright two mini20D's are for a talking head setup like yours. Also, how far was the light from you? A meter or two? Really considering buying these!
Did you notice a fan noise difference between the bi-color and the daylight color model? And could you use one light as a key, I notice you used 2 through diffusion. Great video, these lights look really great!
Both were similar, but at certain temps, the Color model would get loud much quicker which was weird.
please if this position compar those with CAME-TV Boltzen 55w
thanks
Hey Caleb!! Great review as always! Judging by your comments would you recommend this kit for lighting weddings/dance floor/toasts?
Pivot Point Films I own both and am a Wedding cinematographer. Aputure output is decent in most weddings, but for sure the Boltzens 55W give longer throw if you are ever in big ballrooms!
PIGMINTFILM thanks so much for the pro tip! I'll look into the Boltzens!!
Danke, great Review! I like the small size, fresnel/focus and different powering options BUT the color fringe and noise is a no go for me. Having these issues solved would even justify a higher price tag. Is there any recommendation for an alternative?
A lot of people swear by Fiilix. For bi-color, look at the Ikan Helia 40; it is definitely the "higher price tag" at about $600 per, but it also is an LED fresnel with barn doors that cut cleanly.
my understanding was that if all my lights would be the "same" blue I can correct it by the white balance settings. So CTO is really needed?
Also you mentioned they are great for everything but key light but we can use them as key light. I didn't exactly catch what are the limitations for key light. Is it the temperature as well?
Hi. Firstly; your videos are awesome and as a qualified photographer back in the day (decades ago), and the help I am now giving my ten-year-old boy to help set up a UA-cam gaming channel, the memories of my previous life have come fludding back, so thanks for that. Anyhow, you seem to be the man to ask, so I will jump right in.
The set up is to light my son whilst reviewing video games, so he will be in a chair (space about 1x1m; give or take), and there is a 1x1m window approximately half metre infront and to the right of him, so could be used as a fill light (I assume), but the left side is dark the room is only 3x3m. I have looked at your reviews, would you recommend the LS C120D from Aputure or the mini 20's . . . but given your reviews regarding power and colour issues, I am not experienced enough any more to really be sure and could really use some advice.
Caleb, anyway you can comment if these mini20d's are comparable to the cameTV Boltzen 55 series? I have the three set of the daylight Boltzen 55w lights but wanted to know how they might compare to these.
I second this question...
Once I play with them more I'll let everyone know!
Guys, I have bought both. The focusing on the Boltzens are push pull, but that’s the only down side. Boltzens have significantly more output. Whilst it’s great that Aputure provide clamps and battery mounts, there’s no substitute for attaching a battery to light itself. I’m keeping the Mini20 kit for reasons Caleb mentioned. But if output is more of an issue than sculpting, then Boltzens win.
PIGMINTFILM thanks for sharing that. Would you say they're close in color temperature? Would you be able to match them in the same shot? referring to the daylight specifically in my case.
thinkoffbeat no, Aputure is much cooler, but the little CTO Caleb mentions maybe brings them closer!
Thank you for that review!! Do you think the Aputure hr672s is the better keylight like in your 500$ kit setup??
Consti Häuslmeier I would also like to know this!
Yes for a key you'll want something with more punch.
Hoping to see an update on these with actual daylight temperature and remote control support. This lights just are way too dated compared to Aputure's most recent stuff.
I like the sound of your shotgun microphone. at 9:46, there is a wide shot of your studio. What make and model is this shotgun microphone? Thanks for doing this video. I'm looking into buying this kit. maybe. :)
So to avoid the 7200k and CTO in the d version. Would going for the bi colour be more suitable?
Would you recommend this for weddings? Or just buy one 300?
Good stuff! Is that a grey background or black?
would two of these paired with the Aputure 120 be a good 3 point set up?
I was considering to bye one... - but has no illusions about the overall quality of the product...
Can you tell the audience about its pulsation? I'm desperately looking for a decent lighting for high-FPS-shooting with all gh5 180FPS...
Hi. What's the best mirrorless for shooting videos in the 500/600$ price range? I can't choose between Sony A5100L, Panasonic G7 and Panasonic GX80. The stabilization of the GX80 attracts me, but the lack of the microphone input is quite a deal-breaker for me: I can work without it mos of the times, but I also shoot a lot of "vlog style" videos, with the camera on a tripod and me talking, so having the mic input would be a nice addition, and the G7 has it. The A51000L maybe has better image quality overall, but it does lack both in-body stabilization and mi input. Wha would you choose?