90-day review: Aputure Amaran 60DS video light

[@TheIkeRai]

How is it that you don't have way more views yet?? This video was AWESOME!! Thanks for doing this one, and... pretty sure you'll be knocking at the door of 100K subscribers pretty soon...

[@MatthewHaines]

Thank you so much! I just passed 1k subs last week. It’s slow but I’m doing my best to make quality content. Thanks for your comment.

[@TheIkeRai]

@@MatthewHaines Crap I forgot to hit subscribe… done!

[@MatthewHaines]

Thanks, Ike!@@TheIkeRai

[@TheIkeRai]

@@MatthewHaines You bet! Actually you made me eye the LS60x now with your point on the twist-off mount. Last thing I need is a light smacking me in the face filming a scene LOL!

[@charlieross-BRM]

I haven't been able to use my Amaran 60D running from NP-F style batteries because I can't get more than about 15 to 20 minutes at around 50% to 60% before the 60D shuts off. I have NP-F750 as my largest capacity types. If I buy a pair of NP-F950 I will be spending as much or more on them than the light itself gambling that I will get sufficient running time. Those batteries will cost more and weigh more than the actual light. That kills the initial advertising when it came out that this is a light great for travel and portability. A nice functioning unit in terms of the COB controls but a bit of an odd ball in a few physical respects. Nobody likes the foam case either - way too tight to get the generously long AC cable stuffed back in there without a fight and the misc. attachments HAVE to be put back in a specific order and orientation.

[@MatthewHaines]

Hi, Charlie. I hadn't actually used the Amaran to the point of battery failure since I mostly use it on AC. After I read your comment, I hooked it up to two 5600 mAh (generic NP-F750) batteries to it and kept it turned on. The batteries weren't completely fully charged as I had previously done some quick testing on something else. They powered the Amaran at 100% for somewhere between 30 and 45 minutes. I checked at 30 and they were still on, but were depleted at 45. So...that seems ok to me for portable work.

[@charlieross-BRM]

Thanks for the specifics you experienced. Maybe my particular batteries are sub par. I suppose I will bite the bullet this year and get some F970s. I'm not going down the V-plate road because of all the other existing devices I have that can use NP style batteries. I am acquiring a variety of those so I can choose how much weight I'll be lugging around, according to my shooting plans. I'm ornery that way. FYI, I used the Amaran 60D for a night time Christmas carole sing along, plugged to AC. For that even 10% power kept the feeling it was night but still delivered nice skin tones at 12 to 15 feet from my Sony AX700 with acceptable image noise.@@MatthewHaines

[@ToddJohnson15]

I need a light to better illuminate my workbench for leatherwork, both for me to see better and for videos. Would this work and if so, want kind of softbox would work best for either overhead of side lighting?

[@MatthewHaines]

As long as you’re not putting it on a boom pole, this light would work fine (see my comments in the video). If you mount it on a pole in front of your work surface for example, you get nice lighting without you head making a shadow. If you need to truly extend it over your work surface though, you might want to consider a different light. Or at least keep in mind which direction the light will want to rotate. As long as you get a bowens mount soft box, really anything will do. I use a godox 2x2 ft one with a grid. The grid is helpful because it keeps the light from spilling everywhere like on your walls, and you can remove it if you want to. I use my 2x2 both for lighting my face and for the close up b-roll shots. Thanks for watching!

Hi 😅 what’s the biggest octabox this little amarán can support whithout brake?

[@MatthewHaines]

I asked Amaran that same question awhile back. They said there's no specified weight limit, but it's a small light with a 1/4-20 mount, so don't go bigger than their 3-foot (1 meter) octa.

[@AnnEspinoza]

I have been using this light (not this exact model but Aputure Amaran LED Light--not sure the model) at the high school where I teach photography. I am wondering about how long do the LED bulbs last. And is it true that if they ever burn out your can't replace them? We want to use them for our Art Show to illuminate the area where the art will be displayed (8 hours) but I'm concerned about "using up" the lights. I have always used strobes or tungsten bulbs so I'm new to LED. Thanks

[@MatthewHaines]

I don't actually know how long they're supposed to last! That's a good question. I assume they'll last a long time, as do most LED lights. But once it's dead, I think they're not replaceable.

[@AnnEspinoza]

@@MatthewHaines Thanks for the information. Ugh, that seems so environmentally irresponsible!

[@MatthewHaines]

@@AnnEspinoza Yeah. Although partially offset by the energy savings of LEDs vs old incandescent/fluorescent bulbs I suppose. 🤷‍♀

[@RachaelFerguson-xp1sx]

Really enjoying your video's im looking for a keylight and a back rim light for my home setup, Do you recommend a couple of cameras for that purpose? Would you recommend this light for keylight and something else for back light?

[@MatthewHaines]

Thanks for watching! If you want a rim light, you need something that's directional so that it doesn't spill everywhere. You'll need a light with at least a grid and maybe a snoot. LED panel lights can have grids but I've never seen one with a snoot. So a COB light (like this one) would be useful for that. I use a snoot on a old Godox with a Bowens mount snoot for my rim/hair light. Until recently, I used this Amaran for my key light. Just be careful if you're suspending it overhead, since there's a 1/4-20 mount holding it all in place (which can unscrew if suspending sideways from the wrong side). Maybe you could use something like the Ulanzi L2 for a rim light. It comes with barn doors and you could put a toilet-paper tube on the end and make your own snoot. I don't own one of these but they're cheap and easy to place in different locations.

[@upariputti]

Thank you for review. This clip save me a lot!!!

[@MatthewHaines]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.

[@tatenloi]

Does it work with an AC charger just in case the batteries are running out, may I ask?

[@MatthewHaines]

It comes with an AC power supply, but that doesn't charge the external batteries. You supply the batteries and the charger for them. Hope that helps!

[@tatenloi]

@@MatthewHaines Thanks for your response!

[@johnlocke3481]

every 1/4" screw mount needs to have at least one of those locator pins (arri standard I think?)

[@MatthewHaines]

That would make sense, but I'm pretty sure there's nothing but a 1/4-20 hole on the bottom. I'm away from the studio right now, but I'll report back if I find something different.

[@joeybailey9628]

How is this for run and gun film making ? Is it pretty powerful and is it battery powered not needing plugged into wall ?

[@MatthewHaines]

Yes it's pretty powerful, especially if you're lighting head-and-shoulders interviews and stuff like that. Not too heavy, although with batteries attached, I wouldn't want to actually handhold it for very long. Seems to run for a decent amount of time on battery power. It's a good choice when you need something bigger/brighter than a portable panel light (like the Neewer NL288 I reviewed a few months ago).

[@Cigarbully-m2j]

How is it for product photography

[@MatthewHaines]

Well...it depends. It's small-ish and light, so it's easy to move around. However because of the 1/4-20 mounting issue I mentioned in the video, I'm not sure I'd want to mount it overhead. So it depends on how you do product photography. Also, if you need a lot of light because you're shooting in slow motion, it might not be powerful enough. That said, I did all my b-roll until recently with this as the key light and then using some stick lights etc for accents. So it does work for that.

[@Cigarbully-m2j]

Preciate it🤙🏽

[@tuckertota]

You could use a strong glue to permanently attach the screw in mount.

[@MatthewHaines]

True. Although it becomes pretty permanent then! :) Perhaps some thread-locking compound like Loctite might be an option as well. Thanks for watching!

[@tuckertota]

Oh yea, Loctite would be perfect. I just bought this light myself.@@MatthewHaines

[@MatthewHaines]

@@tuckertota nice! Let me know what you think of it.

[@sennahsenna8289]

AND ABOUT ssi?

[@MatthewHaines]

89 for daylight according to their website. 86+ overall.

[@theguardian908]

Great video. Your a regular young Virgin Group , "Richard Branson" look alike!

[@MatthewHaines]

No one’s ever said that before!

[@raymondvegaphotographycine4304]

[@MatthewHaines]

Tnx!

[@kudre7]

"You are under no obligation to give a positive review" - This makes me think you will give a good review only if you're paid.

[@MatthewHaines]

Hmm, not sure why. No one pays me to review things. If they did, I’d be upfront that it was a promotional video instead of a review. I only review things that I would recommend to viewers, but I always discuss what I think are flaws.