Aputure 120D II Test and Full Review
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- Опубліковано 26 сер 2024
- The best video light on the market just got better, check out all that the Aputure 120D II has to offer with sample footage and an in depth overview of all the upgrades.
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Disclaimer: Unless otherwise stated in the video, the products reviewed were likely provided by the maker, either on loan or in exchange for a fair review. However, I do NOT get paid for reviews and I'm never obligated to say anything besides my own honest opinions. In most cases, I reached out to them because the product caught my interest, and they were kind enough to cooperate.
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/ scottdumas_jp Disclaimer: Unless otherwise stated in the video, the products reviewed were likely provided by the maker, either on loan or in exchange for a fair review. However, I do NOT get paid for reviews and I'm never obligated to say anything besides my own honest opinions. In most cases, I reached out to them because the product caught my interest, and they were kind enough to cooperate.
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Now that's how you test a product! Don't show me a meaningless test chart or show room floor demonstration, show me something practical. Many thanks to you and the kids for that one man.
Thanks so much!! Glad you enjoyed it :) :)
Word! Finaly someone who gets in and out to test it.
My 120D II just arrived today. This is the key light I need. So powerful. Excited to put it to use. Great video with your kids and wife!
Thanks so much! And really glad you're pumped about it :-D
This has to be up there as one of the best videos covering this light, thanks so much!
Thank you so much! I appreciate that :) Glad it was helpful
Thank you for this, it’s an excellent review! I’m definitely sold on this light once the budget allows it. 👍
Thanks for watching! :)
Just picked one up but haven't gotten around to playing with the different modes yet. Your video inspired me to use the effects with my kids in one of our videos in the near future, it looks like yours had a great time with that. Great review!
Awesome, I think you'll have a lot of fun with it. It's definitely a fun light to use with the kids too and that's not something you can say for every light on the market :) Thanks again for watching!
I don't comment often but your video was just perfect. Thanks
I really really appreciate that!! :)
I wish other reviews were like this one. Practical! Setups are shown. Results are seen. Excellent.
Really appreciate that! :)
How sweet getting your family involved in your light tests.
It was a lot of fun! My son started showing some interest in cameras and video type stuff lately too so he was really into it :)
Man great video! I just bought this light and now I am soooo pumped! All the best
Thanks so much! It's definitely a light worth being pumped about :)
Yeah ! I am getting this light! Thank you for awesome presentation.
Awesome, I think you'll love it! Thanks so much for watching :)
Great review and really enjoyed your creative opening.. Fun stuff! You have a new follower. Keep up the good work!
Awesome! Thank you!
Well thought out video. Great work on showing the different effects.
Thanks so much! :)
Great video, Scott! Nice to see the family all involved the process too :) Been eyeing this piece for a little while now, and am now going to pull the trigger! Thanks!
Thanks so much! The family enjoyed it as well :) Hope you like the light as much as I have!
Thank you for this video, I was looking to see exactly how to connect the cables before I start messing around but I found some interesting points you said! thank you
Glad it could help! Thanks for watching :)
@@ScottDumas didn`t really help that much as I was looking yo find out something else but thanks :)
I swear, you do the best product reviews on the planet.
Thank you so much, I really appreciate that!! :-D
The pleasure is all mine. :) I've been thinking for some time about having an LED source for simple tabletop setups (one light + 3x4 rectangular softbox) but have been holding back. I'm not a professional photographer (any longer) and so that's a fair expense. (I already have a boom. ) But it certainly appears to be a well made piece of gear. It wouldn't have to be the brightest. A high CRI rating strikes me as more important. In those cases longer exposures at lower ISOs would be fine - assuming there aren't any problems with flickering. Do you think this light's clamp will hold the unit tight at a consistent angle when there's a softbox that size "weighing" on it?
@@mikearst2940 I think this would be a great choice for that use, the bowens mount makes it really flexible and sort of future proof if you want to change up your setup/modifier. The clamp is very solid and even with the large light dome on there (not the lightest modifier and deep, so it puts more torque on the clamp than a shallower soft box would). It's held its place for me for weeks without touching it and I've had no problem out on a boom at weird angles or anything at all :)
@@ScottDumas Thanks for the reply. I had a look at the smaller/less powerful/less expensive model on their site. It looks as if that one uses the older style of clamp - requires more force to tighten down, I would imagine. It's interesting that they chose a "yoke" assembly rather than the typical design that you see for monolights and other kinds of strobe heads.
@@mikearst2940 Yeah the newer design is much better, takes less force and holds in place more securely. I think that at least in this design they went with the yoke style to be closer to traditional larger video lights, making it possible to also mount it from above by swinging the yoke around the top. I'm definitely glad they improved it in the second version though :)
Thank you for your review :D I bought thus light today sooo happy :D
Awesome! Have fun with it! :)
Thanks for this video. I would never use the effects but thanks for going through it.
Thanks for watching! Basically the same here haha
I think people who disliked this video just hate popcorns LOL!! Great Content as always man, Best Review, am sold & ordering right away!
Love From Tanzania.
Hahaha, maybe they're unhappy with the wasted food ;) I should have put a disclaimer that I did still eat it on screen lol. Anyway, glad you enjoyed it and excited for you to get your light!! Enjoy! :)
Ooh Yeah right 😂
Thanks Man!
Love your work man
Thanks so much!
Cooooool ... Loved this video ... I had to watch 3 dozen other videos on the Aputure before yours came up. I guess UA-cam saves the best for last ... Thanks !
Thanks so much! I really really appreciate that!! :-D
I have the 120D and I was thinking on buying this as spot light but I will switch them. I will use the new one as my main light and the old one as my spot light for my background!!! I’m working hard to improve the quality of my videos.... I think that I will have the upgraded setup for my video of the 7th or 8th of March 2019... crazy to see the improvement..... excellent video!!! Thank you so much for all the information, I should have my new baby by this Monday 18Feb19 😍....
I think you'll love it, and you'll definitely be able to do a lot more having two lights :) If you're looking to use it as a spot light, you might want to consider their Fresnel 2x which they just released and I have a review on (one of my newest videos at the moment). A great way to get a nice controlled and soft spot of light if that's what you're looking for :)
Scott Dumas Unfortunately I already bought one and I think is the previous version, I bought a package and it comes with the Fresnel mount 180W 5500K LED Continuous Video Light CRI96!! But, I will see the video to see the advance of this new version!!! Thank you! 👋🏼😉
I'm sure it will work great for you anyway :) Let me know if you have any questions about it!
you did a extremely good job at showcasing this!
Thanks so much! It was a lot of fun :)
Loved this review!
you could build more convincing special effects with the dmx control
Well done and straight to the point 👏👏👏
Thanks so much! :)
Great demonstrations and a phenomenal light.... saving up for one now!
Thanks so much! It's definitely worth it :)
I love how your whole family was involved in testing this light. Your daughter was so cute in the lightening scene. One question, has Mk2 improved the tightness when mounting the modifiers? I saw many reviewer saying the Mk1 was really flimsy.
Haha she's fearless ;)
I wouldn't say that either the mk 1 or 2 is "flimsy," there's just some play in the fit so it's not super tight. I'm guessing the reason for that might be since Bowens mount modifiers are made by a large range of manufacturers, there's a possibility for some slight variance in size, and this way you shouldn't have any trouble fitting any of them. It's a solid lock though, I've never been worried that the modifier will come loose or fall out or anything like that so I don't think I'd worry about it on either version :)
You deserve million subscribers bro
I very much appreciate that!
Wow, I clicked this as soon as I saw it appear.... still converting... it's only at 360p right now Scott haha ! I'm pausing it and waiting 5 minutes.
Haha that's awesome! I saw the video had 0 views but 1 comment and was so confused haha! Hope you enjoy it! :)
Very creative and fun review!
Thanks so much!
You have a adorable family and a really nice review
Aw thank you so much :) I appreciate that!
Excellent in depth review!! 👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks so much! :)
I loved this video so much! This was amazing :D You and your kids are so talented and great! That light is awesome. you can probably shoot a whole movie with that. Keep up the good work Scott! :D Hino
Thanks Hino! Hope everything's going well for you guys! :)
Nice and detail review. Don't forget to do the Light dome review Scott. Btw, the actors did a good job man. Lol 😂😂😂
Thanks so much! The light dome/mini II video will be coming very soon :) And thanks for that, the littlest one takes directions from nobody though haha.. we'll see if she can make it in the biz ;)
Great video! I love the narrative pieces! adorbs to your "actors."
Thanks so much! :)
This was so great!!
Thanks so much!
Damn. This is a proper upgrade. The original 120d will still complement a new mk2 very well.
Yeah they went all out on this. I was definitely impressed :) I've been using the mark 1 and 2 mixed for a while now and generally they play very nicely- especially as a key/rim light combo. There is a SLIGHT color difference but I haven't seen anything that has caused me any problems :)
Scott Dumas good to know thanks!
Thanks Scott!
Thanks for watching! :)
You're the kind of person I like to surround myself with so I subscribed as well. If you're into music production as well, please consider subscribing to my channel at ua-cam.com/channels/GX1uU2he8JzmfjX_mI30ZQ.html - Thanks again! 🙏🏼
Thanks, I appreciate that! Music/sound production is definitely something I'm interested in, so I subscribed as well. Looking forward to more content! :)
Scott Dumas Great! Thanks so much! I'm recording another video as we speak on my top 10 reasons to start using Ableton Live! Looking forward to your upcoming videos as well. Thanks again. 🙏🏼
Wow! Amazing review! You made my day! This is the light to go.
Thanks so much! :-D
OK this video took a ton of work and it showed. Fantastic job! I sold my older Aputure and will probably at some point get the new one. I am wondering if they are going to do the same with the LS 1/2Ws and update them as well.
Thanks so much! It was a lot of fun, honestly one of the funnest tests/reviews I've done in a while. To be totally honest I don't think they'll update that too soon... it's closer to their newer style of design already and I think they have their hands full with their RGB panel and I would guess a 300DII would come before the LS 1/2w ...They had a busy few months though so it will be exciting to see what else they're coming out with! :-D
thanks! i was interested in this for my youtube cooking channel!
Thanks for watching! I think you'll love this light. Your videos look great (and delicious), I subscribed!
thank you so much for subbing! ....i am subbed to you too 😀
Hi Scott, back again. Wow, great video ! that light is beyond awesome. I had no clue that a light like this could do all of those effects. Pretty amazing ! Subbed and liked. You have some really great content, I hope to see your sub count keep going up, it will.. just keep doing these great videos ! Thank you ! Mark over at the recipe channel.
Thanks so much! :-D I really appreciate it and glad that you liked the video and the light :) I hope you continue to enjoy the content!
InstaBlaster...
Do you think the price is still reasonable in 2024? Thinking of getting this one…
I am waiting for the Aputure 120x. When is that coming?
8:00 life hack number 20482 for light switching on/off. Just plug into a smart plug. Some have remotes some use apps (even less than 10 bucks)
Great Video, Thanks Scott. :)
My pleasure, thanks for watching! :)
Love it! Looks awesome!
Hi Scott, I just want to say you're super talented and UA-cam needs more people like you who ACTUALLY give value for their watch time. Your reviews are practical and thorough and I'm 100% confident it's matter of time before people finding you! I have one question however.. I currently own the mark I and was concerned about the temperature difference. I know the mark I is 6000K whereas mark II is 5600K. When you were using both together, did you ever find any problems? Also there are lot of v-mount/gold mount batteries out there. I have Dracast 90Wh V-Mount Batteries. On mark I with full power I get about 40-45 minutes. Are there brands you like or recommend particularly? I know in the comment below you said you use GenEnergy batteries. How long have you had them and whats the run time? How fast do they deplete when not using? Thanks so much!! Liked and subbed!
Hey, thank you so much for the kind words, I really really appreciate that. :)
As for the color difference- it's rarely bothered me to be honest but that may just be in how I've used it. If you do need absolute critical color accuracy it'll give you problems but I mix lights from tons of brands all the time and I find it to be no problem in practical use.
As for the batteries, I'd recommend the GenEnergy batteries just based on the fact that they apparently can power the Mark II better than others, but also they're rock solid and have a good battery life overall. They hold a charge between uses pretty much as most that I've used do or better, as long as you store them as recommended. On full power with the mark II I can get an hour and a half ish with the 195Wh I think but I haven't carefully timed it.
I hope that helps! But please let me know if you have any more questions anytime :) Thanks again for watching, subbing and all the kind words!
@@ScottDumas Will do! thanks for your prompt response Scott!
This is a really great video. Thank you!
My pleasure! Thanks so much for watching :)
great review....adorable family. Keep up the great work
Thanks so much! :)
Great review... Adorable kids!
Thanks so much! :-D
Awesome video Scott! Do you happen to know what battery you used to power these lights? Thanks
Thanks so much! I've always used GenEnergy batteries with these, rock solid.
I have the option of buying used either the 120d or 120d ii for almost identical prices. Which would you recommend for the softest, most flattering talking head beauty videos? I am most after the most flattering lighting but the fan noise is also very important. Is one fan louder than the other?
The only question I have is whether to get this light or pony up for the 300D. I don't care about the special effects. I will mostly be using it with the 60" octagonal soft box. I keep thinking there may be times when the extra light may come in handy.
The 300D II in particular is a killer light as well. I love the 120D II but I find myself using it on full power a lot of the time when in larger softboxes, and I'd love the extra light as well. Compared to the original 300D, I think I'd go with the 120D II though. SFX aside, the design changes in the II version were very nice and it's a solid light with more & better output than the original 120D.
Awesome!
That was a fun review! Question: is the fan always on, i.e. alos on low levels? Thx
Thanks! You know, it's been so long I can't remember with 100% certainty without it right beside me, but I think the fan is always on, however nearly silent/inaudible at lower levels. I'd have to double check to be sure though
Great review!
Just a heads up for everybody, I bought this light and left the battery on with the light set up. Light was not on. There must’ve been some sort of a slow drain from the light against the battery. I went back after a few days and the battery was completely dead. It took over 20 hours of charging to bring the battery back. My buddy has the same light different battery system. He ran into the same exact problem I did. His battery has not come back.
Over discharging batteries can definitely be bad so you'll want to be careful with this or anything else you're using them on. Not totally a fault of the light because pretty much anything will have a slow drain unless there's some sort of total disconnect (the Bebob VMicro plate has an actual "off" switch, for example) Depending on the brand of battery, you may be able to have it serviced and "brought back to life"
Thanks! quick question, What slider do you use? at 6:45 I see your slider move automatically! If you can share brand and model name it will be great! Thank you in advance!
Hi! That's the Digital Juice Slyder Pro (together with their power unit)... you can see more about it here: gear.digitaljuice.com/products/products.asp?pid=5452
Thanks again for watching!
Thanks Scott! How long do your V Mount batteries last in general with the 120d Mk2?
Thanks for watching... depends on the capacity, but a 195Wh usually goes somewhere between an hour and 1.5 hours on full power.
sold me i own godox ad600 pros for photography but wanted a good video light i think this is it
Awesome! I think you'll love it :)
Well done sir! Great review. Love the real world examples ;) Any recommendations on batteries to get for it? I've been trying my MaxOak 10700mAh, 14.8V, 158Wh V-mount batteries on them but they don't seem to work. It's almost as if the contacts aren't connecting :(
Thanks so much! I always use GenEnergy batteries and they work perfectly. Tough as can be too, I highly recommend them :)
Hi Scott, thanks for the review. Do you think this light would be suitable for cooking videos in a small windowless kitchen? If so light dome mini or the regular? Thanks
Definitely suitable.
thank U very much
Thank you for watching!
I searched for an intro, because I just bought it. The manual is hopeless useless. Amazing how many chinese companies save money on lousy small paper manuals - and then they just print a PFD of that manual in stead of making a decent manual in A4 or letter format. It took me long time to find out, how to get the plast cover off ;-) a simple button, but my eyes are not so good.
Haha yeah, manuals are definitely not their strong suit. A lot of it may be simple enough but it never hurts to have a good manual to reference! Like you said, I've seen far more complicated products with little to no manual... definitely makes it take a bit longer to get the ins and outs of it.
Hi Scott, great tutorial, but one thing you didn't go into at all is the batteries needed for this light. Do they come with the unit ? and also what type did you buy ? On B&H's website there are 2 different styles you can get - type "V" and some adapter to use type V batteries. Maybe you can do another video showing how you hook up the battery you have, how long it lasts etc.... thank you Scott !
Hi! The batteries are optional, you can plug this straight into the wall if you want. I think the most common way for battery power with these Aputure lights is v-mount and there are tons of brands (I use GenEnergy and Bebob, but IDX are also very popular). To use the batteries you just slide them on and you're good to go, nothing to install since the light comes with the plate already attached on the control unit. How long they last will depend on what size battery you get... the 120D mark II on full power will drain a 120Wh battery in a little under an hour, so you can figure out roughly from there how other size batteries would last. I'm not sure I'll have a chance to get around to a video on the issue in the near future, but I hope this helps you for now! :) Feel free to ask any other questions you need :)
Scott Dumas hello Scott great video! I was wondering what Amp output do your batteries have? I noticed the 120D Mark II manual says requires batteries at 15A. However, I swear some people are using batteries at 8-10A.
@@jermainemendoza Hey! I've been using GenEnergy batteries with them, which have a max discharge rate of 12A, I've had no problems at all with them so far!
Scott Dumas thank you Scott! Good to know
Scott Dumas Hi Scott. So Aputure tells me a 12A battery won’t be able to power at 100%. Have you had issues at full power with your v mounts?
Does this light come with a stand?
I does not, but it should work with pretty much any light stand cheap or expensive. If you're using a large or heavy modifier a C-Stand will be your best bet though.
Great review, great team! beautiful kids!
Thanks so much!! :-D
Just pre-ordered the 300D mark 2.. you getting one as well?
I'm really really hoping to!! :)
Scott Dumas awesome
Great review! Quick question. My handle on the fixture doesn't seem to tighten or loosen, not sure if I'm doing something wrong?
That's definitely not right! I can't imagine what you could be doing wrong really so it might be something defective or a piece missing somewhere. You mean the yoke lever on the side of the light right? If you want to get in touch via Facebook or email, feel free to send a picture or video and maybe I could have more of an idea what might be wrong.
@@ScottDumas Ok so I figured it out lol
It just came super tight, but not quite tight enough to lock; so I had to use every ounce of strength I could muster to loosen it haha
Now it works perfectly! Thanks!
Ho Scott.:) can we use it for photography also?
For sure! I often do that myself :)
Anybody know if these are flicker free? And is there any advantage to buying the V mount version vs the gold mount? I was using this a long with a led panel and one of the was flickering slightly and I could not figure which one it was.. A friend of mine who owns a rental store for bigger equipment asked me why I bought the V mount version rather than the gold mount. He told me the gold mount was a better choice and easier to find gold mount batteries? Is that true? Thanks for any opinions..
As far as I've seen in all my testing at different frame rates they're flicker free. As for the V Mount/Gold Mount- I think the biggest deciding factor would be just which batteries do you have already? There's definitely no shortage of V-Mount batteries and there are a large variety of things that can take v-mount power so I don't think one's necessarily better than the other.
Just a question which dome do you recommend getting the light dome 2?
I have a set up for reviews with two people sitting at a table with the lights and camera or 5 feet away . Right now using two domes, Wondering if this life would be better to use so soften a scene
I'd definitely recommend the larger light dome 2 for that kind of setup! It's fast, easy, soft and has a grid for a little more control if you need it :)
Scott Dumas Thanks a lot I appreciate it I’m actually returning 2 Wescott light boxes that I have. And decided to just get the aperture 120 ii. Will one light be enough or should I have a second light or just use reflectors?
Two lights can definitely be useful- either for key light and rim light or for key light and a fill light, or for 2 key lights if you're doing face to face 2 person interviews. But- if you have 2 people sitting side by side or just one person videos, a single light and a reflector can definitely get you by. I'd say whatever your budget allows will be the best investment :)
Scott Dumas OK thank you I will experiment I just figured better to get this one quality light as opposed to having to lesser lights
Thanks man
Thanks for the great review. What stand(s) do you use for this? I can't seem to find any suggested/related products when looking at this on Amazon. Thanks so much!
Thanks for watching! :) I've used everything from small portable stands to c-stands, depending how I need to position it. It's not overly heavy but together with the light dome you'll want to sandbag it if you have it up a little higher. On a C-stand you probably won't need to sandbag it unless you're booming it out. Also, if you use it with their "space light" modifier you'll need a c-stand or something with a boom arm because the light needs to be pointing straight down more or less with the space light hanging below it. Hope that helps! :)
can this light flash as well as continues light??? I think it can. Id love to get it as you said its soo good.
It does have the stroboscopic/paparazzi effect but it's not like a flash for photography. It's a continuous LED with some effects built in :)
@@ScottDumas ohh i seee! :P thank you :)
I was wondering if you would recommend this light over the 300d?
Only if you don't need the extra power of the 300D... the 120D II does have more features packed into it and I'm a bit curious when they'll update the 300D with a similar feature set (I don't think it will be in the very near future)... but the 300D simply has more power, and if you need that, you need it. :)
Scott Dumas thank you!
Hey, thanks for the nice review. Maybe you said it in the video and I missed it, but could you tell me what light stand you use with it?
Hi! In my room I just use some old Elinchrom and Manfrotto stands I have, but on location usually C-Stands and I use a mix of Avenger, Digital Juice and even some Neewer C-Stands
@@ScottDumas Thanks for the quick response :)
Thanks for the review. Useful. Do you feel the photometrics are accurate? (ie. power output)
Thanks for watching :) As far as I can tell they do seem to be accurate. It is definitely brighter than the mark I and the color seems to be very accurate as well!
Thank you for the info. What stand would you recommend for Aperture?
Thanks for watching :) If you just want it to stand normally almost anything should do the trick... but a stand with some protruding knobs where it extends that you can hang the control box from does help. If you want to boom the light out a bit a C-Stand is a little more expensive but always a good solid stand to have :)
What is your thoughts on the Godox SL60W light compared to the 120D mkii
Used it for a while and it doesn't compare. Battery power on the 120D is amazingly useful and the fan noise on the Godox is much much louder. Light quality wise the Godox isn't terrible though and fairly bright, also feels like it's built fairly well but no carry case included either.
Hello, could you help me please, do you know how many amps this light takes? Thank you!
I'm not sure in terms of amps, but B&H lists it as a 180W max power draw.
@@ScottDumas Thank you so much for your reply, been racking my brain. So that is 1.8amps. Not bad at all.
Love this video! Do you live in Japan, sir?
Thanks so much! I do! I'm in Kochi, on Shikoku island :)
My mom lives in Toyohashi but, I'm in the Philippines! I might actually visit her sometime in Q2 of 2019. Would love to meet other Aputure users in Japan :D
Well be sure to let me know when you're over here! :)
Will do! :)
Whats this light like without it being plugged in?
I'm not sure how you mean?
@@ScottDumas Sorry I meant using a battery. Can you still get full power and how long does it last?
@@ConsistencyWins Ahh ok, sorry about that. Yeah totally, as long as you have a strong enough V-Mount battery (I think it was 12A that is required to get to 100%, but I can't remember for sure) ...I've been using GenEnergy batteries with mine for the most part and never had a problem getting full power. If it's lower than that the light will just shut off over 80% or something like that from what I've heard.
How long it will last will depend on the capacity of your battery, so since this is roughly a 120W light, maybe a little higher, the 195Wh battery I have usually gives me around 1-1.5 hours on full power.
Did you find the reflector wiggles, has room to move off axis? As in it's not sitting too snug against the mounting face? If you put barndoors on the reflector and the wind blew, would there by any rattle or something?
The reflector can sit a little loose and from what I understand it was made that way to accomodate for the slight variation in Bowens mount accessories on the market (some are a bit larger than others so if the fit was too tight there would be some accessories, especially from other companies, which wouldn't fit). I've never found it to be an issue, even with barn doors and reasonable wind, since the weight of the reflector and the barn doors attachment is usually more than enough to counteract that. I've had other brand's lights that have a tight fit and there are certain modifiers I can't use on them because of that, and that's a much larger inconvenience. If the rattle/noise does happen to become an issue for whatever reason, which I don't think it will, a little gaffer's tape would probably solve it. Hope that helps
@@ScottDumas so overall, you find that the reflector aligns properly horizontally and there is no sag?
Do you recommend this over something like the Godox SL-60 LED?
Absolutely. I had the SL-100W myself, and it did the job but this is on another level. The build quality, ability to power it easily with v-mount, built in effects, light quality and fan noise... all huge steps up. Plus a very nice carry case making it even more portable.
Scott Dumas Thanks for the response
@@byronholman9228 My pleasure :)
9:00 Just a casual family outing, lel.
haha :-P
What battery are you using with it?
I have some from Gen Energy which have worked great for me.
@@ScottDumas Thanks! Just watched again and saw it blatantly in the video haha
dope just got mine
I think you'll love it!!
Hi Scott, I really enjoy your videos and just subscribed to your channel! I wonder if you can help me out with something. I have a jewelry business and I do most of my own product photography, especially the white background types of shots. I'm in the process of upgrading my photography gear to make my life easier (my goal is less time spent in post processing). Since I'm upgrading the gear anyway, I'd like to find a setup that allows me to shoot product photos as well as some simple but nice looking videos for social media (talking head, process videos, etc.). I'm typically good with investing a little bit of money up front for well made items that will serve me for years, but I only have a medium size bedroom in which everything will live, so I can't have tons of gear. If you were to recommend one (or possibly two) lights and softboxes that would serve both of my purposes well, what would you recommend? Thank you in advance for your help!
Hi! Thanks so much for watching and subscribing! I hope that I can help!
The 120D II is definitely a great light to get you going... quiet enough for a small room, bright and very good quality light.
The Light Dome II is great, of course, but very large and might not be the best choice if you're tight on space. The Light Dome Mini II is a great alternative in that case and still works well as a key light, comes with a grid if you want to control the spill etc.
If you have white walls/ceiling, you could also get something like the Fresnel 2X attachment instead to magnify the power of the output and just bounce it off the corner/wall to give a larger more general but very pleasing light that takes up very little space. Even if your walls aren't white, you could grab 2 large pieces of foamcore or styrofoam and tape them together into a book shape, place that in the corner or on the side of you and bounce the light off that instead. You'll have less control over the spill of the light but it should be a very pleasing look.
As for a second light, I'd say something as a rim light/hair light would be a good choice since you can use a simple reflector or white foamcore to fill in any shadows from the key light.
If you want to stick with Aputure, you could get one of their panel style lights like the AL-F7, or something larger like the Tri-8, LS-1 or LS-mini20. The main factor between those would probably be how you want to power it, the color temperature and to a certain degree control over the spill. Also, how you'd like to use it to double for product shots. Honestly, I think they'd all be a good choice for a second light.
If you want to go for something cheaper or another brand, there are of course lots of other choices so feel free to let me know. I hope that helps though and thanks again for subscribing!
@@ScottDumas, thank you so much for your quick response! I'll probably start with a one light solution for now. I like the idea of a key light that is extremely versatile. I plan to also use it for overhead / process videos (such as me making a piece of jewelry).
I've been debating mostly between the Aputure 120D II and the Godox SL60W and there's quite a price difference between the two. Have you used the Godox, and if so, do you believe that the Aputure is worth the higher price tag? Investing in good equipment for the long term has always served me well, but if this price difference is too large for not much gain in features, I don't want to make a stupid decision :)
Again, thank you! Your advice is a great help!
@@BrilliantBatgirl Good question :) I've used the Godox before and some of the sacrifices you'll be making are:
-a louder fan, could interfere with audio depending on your space and microphone type/placement
-less output (I'm not sure exactly how much less offhand)
-no battery power option
-no special effects (although I doubt you'll need them)
-slightly lower light quality (this is technically speaking although for most cases you'll probably never really notice the difference especially on something like UA-cam)
-No dimming below 10% (may or may not be important)
-physically speaking it's not bad, but the 120D II is significantly nicer as far as the materials and overall design. Again, that might not play much of a role in its effectiveness unless you're stressing/abusing it more.
-no carry case, can be annoying for transport (if you plan to bring it places).
-little to no customer support (Aputure support rocks)
That being said- the SL-60W could still do a very good job and there are others that can as well, such as the GoldenEagle LED-2000 or something from NiceFoto or a bunch more honestly. I haven't yet found anything cheaper than Aputure that comes close in terms of the "full package" and most of the cheaper ones are more or less the same quality as each other with more or less the same drawbacks across the board.
Hope that helps! :)
Scott Dumas, it definitely does! I appreciate your help and your time in answering my questions. Take care and keep making these excellent videos!
can you only power it with d or v taps?
You can also power it from the wall and the cable is included :)
@@ScottDumas gotya, so no sony npf batteries on this one.
@@JustinPhillip right... I'd probably avoid npf-v mount adapters too since it draws more power and would likely run into issues. Standard GenEnergy batteries have been working fantastically for me but others have commented that with lower amp batteries the power cuts off around 80%.
What is the wattage of the LED light? 300w??
It's 140w for this one.
@@ScottDumas how?? A 60w godox out lights it...
@@lukebeyond4u It most likely depends on the light spread. The Aputure lights have a very nice even spread of light, where a lot of others (Godox, for example) tend to have a very hot spot in the center but if you measure the light a little away from that the output is less.
I hope people dont buy this light theres a better cheaper one, nanlite forza 60, carbon fiber body, its very small and built to last it even has special effects, the light is brighter, and just better, it has alot of accessories and modifiers that are just made for the light and is way better than the 120d mark 2, the the cri is 98+ while the 120d2 is only 96+ u can even use it as a handheld light, it even comes with its own bag
You know whats crazy....i thought fireworks were really going off and your kids were really looking at them...you guys fooled me
Haha really? I thought my kids' "acting" killed it :-P They did enjoy it though, probably as much as real fireworks lol
great and nice presentation , wishing you a million subscribers asap , subscbd like shared , wishing good luck , I guess you marries in some asian country like me (china). how about you ?
7:31 okay so you either ate that popcorn that fell on your carpet, which is gross, or you threw a bowl full of popcorn away for no good reason. what a waste
expired popcorn ;)
You wasted 1 minute of my time with your nonsense opening
Simply review a product and people complain there are no "in-use" examples. Show examples of it "in use" and people still complain. Yay.