Meet The Gaffer
Вставка
- Опубліковано 16 лип 2024
- In this episode I compare an M18 with the new 1200D from Aputure. Having both units go through a frame of 250 diffusion allows us see a more real world experience. We also try out the different intensifiers, the F10 fresnel, and the 150 cm Dome.
For more information about Seerveld Lighting, check out www.seerveld.com
Index
00:00 Intro
00:38 M18
01:39 M18 Flood
02:08 M18 Spot
02:23 1200D
02:42 1200D no reflector
03:13 1200D's 3 intensifiers
04:04 1200D Power Box and Head Overview
04:58 1200D Wide intensifier
05:20 1200D Med intensifier
05:38 1200D Narrow intensifier
06:23 Fresnel in Flood
06:33 Fresnel in Spot
07:12 150cm Dome
08:08 Shootout Summary
09:19 Two Quick Walkthroughs on Set
11:20 Post Roll - Розваги
You know you’re a gaffer when you call an actual household lamp a practical 😂
You and Gaffer & Gear are the gold standard for information on these lights! Thank you.
G&G is gold, I’m more like bronze or copper🙂
@@meetthegaffer Don't sell yourself short. You are both equally amazing for different reasons.
Too kind.
@@meetthegaffer G and G dives deep into the actual numbers and materials but unlike you he doesn't set it up in actual set usage with diffusions, cameras (plural) and talent. You also get reactions and comments from DP's on set. Apples and oranges Luke. We need both of you.
100% truth!!!!
Great video Luke, I was hoping someone would compare these, and so interesting to see the output level from the intensifier compared to the Fresnel, amazing how much level you get from the narrow one. thanks for making this!
Hello there!
It’s great to see Aputure expand their offering like this, looks like an amazing unit
I think its the most important light from Aputure beneath the 600d...
Great Test Luke! Thanks for putting this together brotha!
Great video! Quality information here. Thank you for filming that!!!
Thanks for the review... I can't wait to get my order in for this light.
Thanks. Answered a lot of questions I had about the light
You always make great videos. Thank you.
Thanks Luke, great comparison! Was really blown away by the output of the biggest reflector!
Great comparison! Thanks for doing this!
Hey Luke, I LOVE your channel!.. I always learn something new, thanks for sharing and keep up the great work!
Seems like a game changer... Thanks for the review Luke!
So informative! thanks for making these videos. It is great to see how new technology can stack against the hot lights.
Luke you are THE best. Great video and comparison. Incredibly helpful and useful. Thanks so much!
That last shot looked great. this is awesome.
This tutorial has really opened my eyes a lot. Thanks Gaffer.
Thank you for doing these! Very helpful!
Love our 1200D and already considering buying a 2nd unit. This is such an impressive system. Thanks for the review, Luke!
Thanks, man. Im suprised it compares so well to the m18
brilliantly made-simple comparison with all we need to know. Without all the usual UA-cam bloat. love it. thanks!! amazing good looking light also.
As always, an insightful write up, Luke. Thanks for showing it through diffusion as it takes some of the beam irregularities out of the equation, and also reflects how I ‘d typically use this light. To me the 1200d seems to have better color as well.
Amazing comparison, love it!
0.01% *drops mic* Always awesome Luke. Thanks so much!
awesome ! Great comparison. Thanks mate
Great video so concise and instructive thanks!
Thanks for the comparison!
Ah man. So useful. Thanks for sharing!
Great work!
Thank you, Scott!
epic. thank you for the breakdown
Great comparison and video as always. Haha that 0.1% was intense!
Frequently we have to drop tungsten scrims in these at "0.1%" with native ISOs so high.
Solid info 💪🏽 also I find it hilarious that you just sit there letting blinding light hit you, while we watch and enjoy. 😂
Ha, ha!
Thank you for this!
Gotta love Luke and @gafferandgear's use of 'Benny Hill' style fast forward sequences 😂😂😂
Super dope. Thanks!!
Okay this is what I needed to see. Thanks a lot for convincing me YET again to make another purchase 😂
Ha, ha!
Ha, ha!
;-) Yesterday I didnt need it. NOW I DO.
this video is very useful!
Thank you!
Love the content! So much useful info in all of your videos. Thanks so much!
This thing is a beast!
Nice & bright
The 1200D just makes things on set easier. The difference in output between it and M18 isn't worth the the speed and dimming on the 1200D. I've used M18's for years and years, LED has FINALLY actually caught up enough to replace it IMO. Still no 4k, 9k, or 18k HMI equivalents, but the watt difference isn't really going to stop us from using generators, getting them lighter and cooler would be nice though. Thanks for your in depth overview, this video helped convinced us to get a 1200D and it was a very good choice.
This makes me really want a "1600D", please make one soon Aputure!
LOL
Well looks like for house power lights the 1200D is the way to go. at 1450W it shouldn't pop 15A breakers which is nice
I get why they went with these intensifiers vs Fresnel but I still wish they'd make a larger Fresnel
I wouldn't be surprised if Aputure comes out with an even higher end fresnel specifically for this light.
One thing he doesn't mention is the M18 with ballast is $14K and the 1200D complete (Minus accessories) is $3,400.
Details😁
Mainly a still shooter here but on Monday a client added some video to the list of wants. I rented the M18 but really wanted to use the 1200d but nowhere available here in Chicago because it rents constantly. Prob will buy the 1200d since I have the 600 and the 300 and those are very nice. The M18 feels a bit like a dinosaur compared to the Aputure functionality. Enjoyed this post.
The M18 is still a very capable light, the 1200D sure has a lot going for it!
Thanks for this review, the aputure 1200d with the narrowest dome seems to do the job well.
Yup, but now we can be even more greedy as higher wattage Bi-color and full-color units are being introduced in quick succession. 😀
@@meetthegaffer Oh yes, can't wait to see them in action. Which company are pushing to drop those releases?
Well, Nanlux has a 1200 bi-color and a 900 full color out already and Godox has a 1200 bi color starting to ship, so Aputure will no doubt be wanting to have a similar product very soon.
It's amazing how far LED's have come. My first unit was 100w and blew me away with how much output it gave in lumens per watt. I'm guessing we're seeing a tapering off, unless the COB efficiency can be greatly improved. I'll wager other brands will max out at 1200w for quite some time, and for good reason. That's a huge output, even if you can only run a single unit per breaker.
We’ll see, but I hope they keep going!
Good observation.
At the same time, we've all seen that another advantage of LED is that it can be deployed in very thin, broad shapes. So for cases where you might have looked to a very large light to fill a very large frame, it might be that you could just go to something like LED ribbons or Asteras or LiteTiles now-- and have much more control over the shape and quality of the light, even changing it dynamically, while requiring much less space. The bigger Skypanels work that way, too. So some of the strengths of LEDs actually push against the need for higher power point source-like units.
I can also imagine we'll see more lights like the 1200 arranged in arrays for big studio stuff, like the Wendy/Dino tungsten lights units (or the similar approach of Digital Sputnik LEDs).
All that said, I'd also be pretty excited to see what an Aputure 3k or 5k could do!
Thank you for your review. Been speculating for a while, but I'm finally relieved that 1200d is comparable to M18. Maybe the Nanlux Evoke 1200 is an alternative as well, since the included intensifier (or reflector, probably?) is really good. LED tech has actually come a long way, huh?
It sure has! Just looking at my truck package these days is kind of a weird experience: the grip stays the same, but the fixtures have changed dramatically😳
Shooting through that large dome is a nice looking light. Did you notice any color shift when dimming? Are there any situations where you would strongly prefer the M18 over the 1200D?
That's a real Gaffer,
One comment on a "small corporate interview" , budgetwise...
See 9:28 - it may sound strange, but I always have the impression productions like this in US always have more budget than here overseas (Germany, Ruhr Area). Seeing at least 2 camera guys (incl. director), grip , maybe a sound guy/girl. Over here budgets easily melt into one or two (cameraman + assistant) team members, meaning set up everything on our own, do audio "parallel", care about light/power etc. etc. Always (well... quite OFTEN) wondering when I see "small" shoots with more manpower but similar customers.. (kinda)
Wow…so Apurture finally made something comparable to the M18…incredible….how much does this unit run? I can just go check so don’t answer that. But yeah I am very interested in this. Thanks for sharing.
👏👏👏👏👏
No more jokers M18's and smelling like gas haha! Battery bank review video would be SWEEET!
Yup. I would need to interview others with a larger range of options. I just have a 2200 watt unit, but it has already come in handy paired with the Evoke 900c, for example.
Wow!! That’s crazy. I remember when Blondes would blow breakers. Man!
Great video Luke (as usual :) I think you've already covered that issue in an other video but : my only concern on this "battle" between led and hmi is if something goes wrong with your hmi fixture you can pretty much fix it yourself, change the lightbulb etc, the same is not really true with Led technology don't you think ? I'm an early adopter/supporter of aputure but each time I put down my hard earned cash for a new unit, this issue is still in the back of my mind. Anyway again, thank you so much for the time and effort you put in each and every of your videos !
It’s a different kind of worry with LED’s. Compared to HMI’s you can buy two and have a back up. Higher end units are built in such a way that you can replace boards when they die. I remember when HMI ballasts transitioned from heavy magnetic ballasts to lighter weight square wave ballasts. The worry was people would handle them too roughly and no one could fix them in the field. There’s truth to that, but like cars run by computers we slowly embrace the new capabilities the technology gives us and have nostalgia for the aspects of old technology that we miss… forgetting the numerous drawbacks. Totally know what you’re feeling, but I’m not going back!
Well, you can use waaaay old HMIs by simply buying a new bulb - thats right. After looking for a used M18 here in germany I will give up and simply go for the 1200d. If that breaks, lot of worry, thats right - but same counts for our cameras, Arri Panels etc. ;-O
@@meetthegaffer speaking of magnetic ballast I have a ltm 1200 hmi with ltm hmi magnetic ballast ,about how high can I go in frame rates before I get flicker ?
Without the “flicker free” mode of an electronic ballast (which is not a fail safe either), best to consult a chart for safe frame rates to avoid flicker. They exist; I just haven’t looked at one for quite a few years😔
@@meetthegaffer ok where do I find the charts for ltm brand ?
Not sure if I missed it but I assume you're using the 1800W globe on the M18?
I think the long throw reflector is probably around 45 degrees, I used Bowens strobes for flash and had a few of these longer reflectors. They worked great for filling a frame of diffusion and managing spill. In flash photography, photographers have found different brands or reflectors have different outputs. I am not sure by how much. So another brand of 45 degree reflector in a bowens mount may work as well, or better and perhaps cost less.
The narrow one is more like 15 degrees - the beam angles should be listed on the aputure website
Yes, looking forward to trying different ones.
Wow! I had an indoor shoot recently with the 600d where we kept the output at 1% LOL
Same! Then we turned it off cause that was too bright.
Ha, ha! Exactly: too much or too little… we’re always wanting something else🤣
Buy some ND gel (1 stop, 2stops) ;-)
Luke, Thanks!
What about MOD comparison? I know the M18 has a pretty deep safety zone, have you been able to use the COBs closer than you normally use an HMI? Aso, thoughts on how to bring all these out in the truck and on location, as the additional gear is quite bulky and somewhat fragile, compared to what we used to use. Thanks, as always you rock!
I’m less worried about units that have diffusion between them and the subject, but because there are often more than on camera involved I don’t find myself playing units too close rot the subject where it feels unsafe. The intensifier case takes up extra room that you may not have with an M18, but it’s very lightweight. Other than that the full case with head and control box is not that diff in terms of footprint. Lighter weight cable and weather ready components are a huge plus. I put my 600D’s in milk crates and that has worked out well so far, but the 600x and 1200D will stay in their cases for now. The easiest load in for me is in a hamper so I don’t have to load it on another cart or roll it in on its own, but sometimes you can’t avoid it… which makes you thankful for the case wheels and handle!
Tell them they need to fit it with a fresnel and spotlight attachment
Will u put the 1200's spot hood on the 600d and 300d and see what it does
Excellent video!!! :) How noisy is it?
It seems similar to the 600d/x units. Haven’t yet had it close to talent in a confined space during where audio was critical. We’ve either been outside or at a good distance. I have a shoot starting Wednesday that may bring the fan sound into the discussion.
Great video! was the Aputure at 40% the whole time?
Ha, ha! No.
Great informative video as usual. Please, what's the price? Because I can't seem to find that anywhere on youTube or Google search. Thanks 🙏🏽
Between $3K and $3.5K
@@meetthegaffer Thank you
@@meetthegaffer Thank you
I've got a use case question. For max output soft source, are you better off with the tightest reflector walked back to fill (lets say a 4x4) frame, or the widest reflector closer to that frame? Basically output vs distance in a practical use setting. Thanks!
Would make for a good demonstration!
@@meetthegaffer hope that means we'll get that video! Can't wait for it
It does intrigue me.
Thanks for the great comparison!
How hot (actual temp) does the 1200d feel compared to being under the M18?
It’s good to remember that these larger LEDs have fans. LEDs get really hot. If they get too hot, the lifetime of the emitters drops. A 1200D still gets warm, but due to the fans, you won’t melt your skin when you touch the back housing like you would placing your hand on the outside housing of an M18😀
@@meetthegaffer oh! I meant for the subject! 😅 Sounds like it's definitely more comfortable under the 1200D.
Ha, ha! Yes, generally speaking, the heat generated by LEDs does not come out the front, and therefore does not make the subject as uncomfortable as they might be under tungsten of HMI’s of the same output. You can still burn colored gel that is set too close to the front of a COB LED, but it takes longer than it would in front of a tungsten open face or HMI PAR🙂
@@meetthegaffer I thought they'd be cooler, but was surprised to hear you mention "heat". Good to know about the threat to gels, although I am not enthused with the bowens mount. It makes attaching gels a fiasco.
If you watch Gaffer & Gear with Andrew Lock you can see his nifty way of adding gels to COB units: basically a magic arm and a small frame extended a ways beyond the cone. I don’t actually use gels too often anymore😃
Hi Luke, which intensifier did fill the 4x4 best (in that distance)?
It was a pretty rapid test, so I wasn’t being super detailed, but at a few feet with a small frame the medium intensifier probably filled it best. I need to do more tests.
Now that the 1200 has been out for a while, do you have any thoughts on its longevity compared to the M18/other HMIs? I'm curious if you think these are a good long term investment, or if it seems like they could get outdated fast. The performance and build quality seem really solid, but I'm wondering if they'll last for years and years the way HMIs and Tungsten lights do
I don’t think very much will last as long as tungsten or HMI’s lasted. The rate of change is on a rather torrid trajectory. It may be that other factors will slow the rate of change, but not much has the permanence that we used to have. I think a better question is, can I get a return on investment with these new tools and will it push my work and choice of work further ahead than if I watch from the sidelines. I would think that daylight only units will go the way of the dinosaur. Not all high output units need to be full color, but I think they need to be tunable -white and eventually add G/M shift capability. Grip equipment is a good long term investment, not because it has an ROI, but because it will make you a better all around Lighting person and therefore a sought after hire. Of course, I’m talking from the perspective of an owner op who works on small to medium size projects, not larger, long form work😉
@Meet The Gaffer Thank you for replying! That's a really helpful perspective, I do small commercial work in the Midwest and I see lots of posts asking for DPs/Gaffers with Aputure 600's and 1200's specifically, so it seems like these are a solid investment right now and could open some doors. I'm excited to see how LEDs progress!
Hey Luke you have the do this test again soon with the new 2400b and 2600b
First we need to compare the Godox 1200Bi and Nanlux Evoke 1200B😀
@@meetthegaffer yeah lol you're right.
Have you done a test with an 800 joleko 19 degree, curious how much output you’d get compared to this
Compared to a very narrow intensifier? I’m not sure what the point of that would be…
After global color balancing per light, if someone showed you a portrait of a person lit with an Arri vs an Aputure 1200d, would you be able to tell the difference? (I’m namely curious about the difference in CRI)
Some people could, I’m sure. I would probably not be one of those people. There are so many things that come into play when creating image, not least of these is the camera, the lenses, and the diffusion one may put in front of the light.
@@meetthegaffer ❤️❤️
🙏 thank you for taking the time to reply
How about price wise? What’s the difference?
Here in the US, they are listing the unit for US$3,390 including the 3 reflectors, shipping in June. Seems like a really good value.
Have put Nanlux Evoke 1200 and M18 face to face. With certain reservations, but M18 still beats every LED light.
What I absolutely hate about apertures - is it's dimming curve! 0.01% and up to 20% doesn't have any sufficient difference. Dimming up to 50% is not consistent in any way. For me it's a deal breaker enough when you can't turn on a fixture smooth enough. Heads up for Evoke 1200, way better at that point. Guess will have to wait for Arri for a perfect spot light, maybe Orbiter 2 or smth.
Totally get it. They are different. More tools for the tool box. The fact that you can make finer and faster adjustments remotely, are three things I like about the 1200D… and the lightweight head cable. No doubt the ability to withstand weather will be a bonus too. I hope ARRI comes out with something that blows us all away, that boasts a full spectrum emitter and is a lot brighter than the orbiter, but it won’t come cheap. It’s alright to enjoy the new units that are available right now; no one is forcing us to use them or give up the tried and true, but if these LED’s give more people access to affordable bright units, who are we to rain on their parade?🤷🏼
You can change curves on the aputure lights, have you tried that? Does it matter at all?
Is that the first thing every Gaffer does, gets light, take light out, bashes light into ceiling ;)
thanks for the video! I thought it would outperform the M18:(
For the price, you get a lot😊
@@meetthegaffer For real. It's like what... 1/6 the price? haha.
1/3+
if i want to know about audio, it’s curtis judd..if light, it’s you…
No Pool
Ive had issue with DMX control on the aputure line. Does it hold last protocol if DMX is lost?
Depending on the fixtures, you may need to set that in the menu.
Hi Caleb, if you look it up under DMX loss section you can choose from a variety of options. Holding last setting is one of them. Cheers Jimmy
Noob question, but is the m18 considered a ‘1.8k hmi’?
Yes, the ARRI M18 is an 1800 watt focusable HMI. You can also use a 1200 watt globe in the fixture.
Interesting light at a very good price.... But honestly These bowen domes are for studio and soundstage. They are eventually going to get destroyed outside. Like the older chimeras on a 2k openface !
The ruggedness and longevity issue is relative to the size of the production and the ability of the crew to properly handle what are basically computers. If we all handled gear as if we owned the gear, there would be less L&D. Most of us are not that mindful in the heat of the moment. On small to medium sized productions that I work on, the level of ruggedness meets my needs very well, but yes ruggedness can definitely be an issue on location.
10:20 Triple net scrim? Custom?
Not sure what you are referencing specifically.
@@meetthegaffer only encountered single and double net.
@@anonymissed3611 there is a single and double net together
What is a 250?
250 is half white diffusion. That what is in the frames in front of both lights.
www.leefilters.com/lighting/colour-details.html#250&filter=tf
I’d be curious how the color metrics compare 1800w HMI bulb to 1200d… I’m guessing both the evoke and the 1200D will give marginally better color, with higher TM30 scores…
Andrew get’s into it, but we’ll have to do our own work to meter the M18.
Doubt it, SSI of an hmi is around 98 vs ~72 for aputure
@@w500nm Is this official info? Who measured it?
Very “practical” 😂
The image looks badly exposed. The skin tones are waaay too hot imo. But I wish I understood why you are using what you're using. Why check the light meter as often?
I’m not clear what you are referring to. The only sort of normal exposure is at the beginning and at the end, the rest is just for the sake of meter the units at different settings.
I’ll take your M18, just send it over, it’s useless anyways 😂
Too late: sold both.