Aputure LS 300X LED Light Gear Breakdown
Here at Foundation Digital Media, we are constantly searching for the best technologies available and comparing gear breakdowns to deliver our customer’s the highest quality product for their budget. We’d like to begin passing these evaluations on to you, our customers, and to our colleagues in Washington D.C. video production and elsewhere.
Here we are taking a look at the new Aputure LS 300X LED Light, a ground-breaking piece of light technology recently released by one of the leading companies in the field. At a price point of $1,199, it’s no flashlight, but the gear breakdown below will serve to convince you why it’s worth every penny.
Let’s look at the specs
According to the company’s official release, Aputure’s latest Light Storm LED, the 300x, takes Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) technology to the next level. By seamlessly combining the variable-white lighting of their bi-color chipset with a specially designed color-blending optical element, they have created the most accurately cohesive point-source light engine.
Speaking of CCT, the 300X has gone beyond the traditional “bi-color” standards with a Kelvin range of 2700-6500. This light is “warmer than tungsten fixtures and cooler than conventional daylight (D55)” and also the first of many lights they are releasing to do so. The advantage here is that you will require fewer color adapters or gels to be able to achieve the optimal lighting signature you are looking for.
For those interested in the color rendering specificities, the 300X has a “CRI and TLCI score of 96+, a tungsten SSI score of up to 85, and a D55 SSI score of up to 74.” The importance of these features is to assure you that whatever you are shooting will have the most accurate color reproduction possible to what the subject’s actual color appears.
While adaptable CCT technology has existed for some time, the LS 300X also continues to utilize Bowens-S Mount for attaching any number of light softeners and optimal modifiers. An attached Fresnel 2X amplifier, for example, would allow the LED to produce “over 56,000 lux at one meter.” This sort of output is unparalleled and combined with other modifiers or even by itself, the LS 300X can be custom-tailored to any shoot without having to worry about flicker or stroboscopic effects that would detract from the quality of your production. It can even be moved from Constant Output to Max Output for increased intensity to match difficult lighting circumstances.
How it’s built
The function is not the only noteworthy feature here as the form is just as impressive. The build of the 300X is equally, if not more, groundbreaking as it has built upon the successes of its predecessor, the 300D II, by taking its head and control box design and adding a 360-degree adjustable handbrake locking yoke. Like the 300D it can be operated with a single battery, for half output, or two batteries, for full output, with realtime expected remaining battery life displayed on the control box. It also utilizes a silent, passively-cooled control box with its power supply and control system integrated to provide heightened versatility on set.
On the box itself, you’ll find that the 300X is incredibly easy to use with its brand new CCT control wheel and preexisting intensity wheel. It also comes with a handy preset button in the middle of the wheel for common CCT presets providing added speed. It even has 9 built-in effect profiles such as “Paparazzi”, “Strobe”, and “Fireworks” for quicker workflow.
For even more flexibility the 300X can be controlled not only on the device but also through Aputure’s proprietary 2.4G RF Remote, the DMX512, as well as with the smartphone-compatible Bluetooth Mesh Sidus Link App. The Sidus Mesh chipset is present in most Aputure products that also use it to communicate with each other, creating a smarter ecosystem that allows you to control “up to 100 lighting fixtures” from your smartphone or tablet.
Conclusion
In the end, we think the lesson of the new LS 300X LED Light Storm from Aputure is clear: why reinvent the wheel? Why fix what isn’t broken? While continuing many traditions Aputure has employed in light systems past, they have also found the few strategic improvements that can be made to their earlier releases like the 300D II that will allow the 300X to take your shoot to the next level.
The added bi-color functionality, more accurate color rendering, and design modifications to streamline workflow all work in tandem to make this new Light Storm product a must-have for any professional shoot. Find today at sites like B&H Photo/Video or get in touch with us today to discuss how we can incorporate innovative lighting solutions to your next video or digital media project!
