Gaffer & Gear 112 - Aputure B7C

[@waynosfotos]

By the way, great review, Gerald undone did a review too (who is renown for detailed reviews) but yours was much better. Cheers

[@gaffergear]

I'm Subbed to Gerald

[@chriscoveries]

G&G comes across as a man with a dayjob doing weekend YT, rather than Gerald an enthusiast.

[@reynoldsc]

Its great that you mention AC/DC so much in this review, what with a new album on the way!!!! 🤟🏼🤟🏼🤟🏼

[@TheOneMonk]

‚For once faulty bulb makes sense because it is in a … bulb.‘ LOL Once again a reference review, thx!

[@XanderEwald]

Just got one and I was surprised how bright it is! Even more useful than I expected.

[@andreyandreev7048]

Wow,?!… So glad to find this channel. New Subscriber here, Sir! It’s so great to actually see professional talking about lighting gear versus all these UTube bloggers that have zero idea/experience on real world sets.

[@Aaron_Smith_OM]

Goddam I love this channel. Really appreciate the review of both creative and technical aspects. Thank you!

[@nanoIQ]

Amazing light. I just wished it would be plane white, basic desing. It looks like a kids toy and its noticible if not hidden

[@BlakeCastle]

Awesome video, just what I need, more lights to buy haha. Would love to see some videos if possible on making different sized frames and mounting options for them. I’ve got a couple of 8x8 butterfly frames but considering swapping them out with some scaff tubing style frame that I see most gaffers use on set. Problem is there is so little information online about what to use, what connectors to use and how to safely / securely use them outdoors. Would love some info on that

[@richardboniface1176]

You're right Blake, there's very little decent info available on frames. I'm getting two 12x12 frames in scaff though I wasn't confident whether I should go 1.25 or 1.5 inch so will probably go the 1.5 inch for overkill. Especially because one of Andrew's earlier videos (G&G 31) about his kit bag included a rubber mallet "to straighten frames bent by the wind". I'm looking at the Kupo 1.5 inch frame kit at mickgrip.com.au (if you're in Australia) or something similar. The Kupo kit is something like high $700 but the Avenger kit (sold by John Barry I think) is in the high $900. It won't be hard to buy the scaff cut to size. Hopefully the Kupo kits are strong enough. I hoped an 8x8 frame was small enough to get by with square tube like the Kupo kits. Are you moving away from a square tube kit or a different type like Lastolite etc & why? For anyone else who reads this, Australians call Speedrail "scaff" which is short for scaffold tubing.

[@davidalanmedia]

Looks like a great product! Nice review.

[@Brian-Hansen]

Fantastic overview. Thank you!

[@wernervanpeppen4873]

Th one problem I would have in the UK is that most prop house lights and locations where we would use this use Bajonet sockets, or E14 sockets occasionally. E27 is a mixed bag. Mostly on newer lights.

[@gaffergear]

Same in Australia, You can get adaptors on eBay but the bulb will most likely sit to high.

[@mochouinard]

I'm surprised you like them... I personally don't find them useful in their current form factor(as a replacement for most practical light). What I mean by that is the light need to wrap around it ! I do have Led light that does this, so I don't understand why going with this design which doesn't. Also, I would want only a tiny internal battery to control the bluetooth connection, so when the light switch is back on, we already have connectivity to it, but I wouldn't want it to be battery power. What would be great, is to connect the power input from the outlet to a trigger command to power other aputure light, and also create different ramp up speed for all the light. So you don't need an operator that sync the action of switching the switch to on, the light would generate that switch action to the other lights.

[@gaffergear]

I don't like the shape of any of these smart globes either, especially if the lamp shade is transparent. I like the old school glowing orb, that's what I grew up seeing. For me, if I need some light in a practical, it would still be an incandescent off a dimmer pack, or the MC with the silicone diffusers. I can see me using these, but my go-to, if I need something off battery in a hurry, will still be my MC kit.

[@mochouinard]

@@gaffergear Product idea for aputure... a light socket with a dual sided magnetic charging pad for MC ! So you could put 2 MC light, each one facing opposing direction ;) I guess we can use a light socket to an output adaptor and connect a a tiny USB-C charger. But again, it would be great if we can set the USB power as a trigger to power on / off other light !

[@gaffergear]

@@mochouinard I would buy 6

[@c4studio446]

Hi Andrew! First of all I have to Say your channel is so impressive, a lot of technical and accurate information, congratulations! I’d love to know if I can set +/- green balance Values on cct mode? Thanks

[@gaffergear]

No you can't unfortunately

[@SaintProductions1]

I don't remember my original eight bulbs that came with the case ( individual bulb ID number that shows up on the Sidus Link) I have gotten 4 more bulbs since then, and they are all mixed together...lol Just wondering is there a way to find out. I looked on the back of the boxes that the four separate bulbs came in but none of those numbers seem to match what's on sidus link.

[@eduardosanchezflorido2111]

So usefull¡¡ Thanks a lot¡

[@haq765]

thanks i just watched this again for how to unlock ;) for rentals hahha

[@byan4003]

AC and DC mode- 7:30 - 9:36 could be another video on its own.

[@duge30]

When are you expecting to release a 600d pro review? Have they even sent it to you? 😅

[@EugeneMaynard]

Great review Andrew! Does the light work correctly on a household socket that has dimmer connected to it? If it was accidentally dropped from waist height, do you think it would survive?🙏🏾

[@gaffergear]

I think it would survive a waist height drop, it's dam solid. Good question about the dimmer circuit. Because it's not just the light, it's the battery charger inside it. I have no idea.

[@gaffergear]

I've put the question to the Aputure User Group. I'm interested in the answer myself.

[@EugeneMaynard]

🙏🏾

[@chriscoveries]

@eugene maynard Glad you asked... Tommy Callaway dropped his B7C already! Check it out

[@gaffergear]

Tommy droped it from 6 foot up.

[@DavidJonesImages]

Hi Andrew, great video thanks. What will happen if the B7c is in DC mode and you screw it in to a powered AC fixture, will that harm the B7c?. In other words, do you have to set the mode to AC before using it in a AC powered light fixture?

[@gaffergear]

Good question, it will just switch to AC, keep running and charge the battery at the same time. I did beta testing for Aputure with this product. My job was to try and blow them up. I failed.

[@the_black_douglas9041]

Hey, love this channel! I saw a dp I follow on instagram using a Hudson Spider. I’d never heard of them but on further research there is a lot of hyperbolic claims no doubt to try and match the hyperbolic price! I’d love to hear your take on its performance, use cases and value? And how would it compare to a more resonably priced rig like a 120d ii with Light Dome? Thanks in advance :)

[@gaffergear]

Not a fan of the concept, lots of shadows, It might make sense as a pack down kit but it's just so expensive, and only 3ft

[@the_black_douglas9041]

Gaffer & Gear thanks! And yes bloody pricey for a travel kit. I just travel with a flexlite if I can’t take the 120d ii - 1/8 the price of a Hudson Spider!

[@Antonyizm]

do you know if you can program strobe effects in the app?

[@gaffergear]

I seldom use the app, but I'm about 99% sure it's in the standard app FX.

[@shizwiz09]

Hi Andrew, how have these held up? I'm wanting to get some but unsure. Mainly be using them as in shot practicals in the background of interviews ect, do their output compete with traditional, real practial bulbs? i like to throw a lot of warm yellow light onto the surrounding area around the practical. I sometimes suppliment this yellow throw with an apeture MC if the light shade on the practical restricts the throw of the practical bulb.

[@gaffergear]

They have held up ok, but not as bright as the old Tungsten. I tend to use the MC a lot more as they seem easier to deal with

[@BensTechLab]

Nothing shown in this video was a "globe". 😜 ha, ha. Is this an aussie thing? Good video anyhow, i think I need one of these! Philips Hue flickering in my cameras..

[@m.richards6947]

Can this run for extended periods when powered by a lamp without any problems? I need something that can run for up to 8 hours for an art installation.

[@gaffergear]

If you have power to the socket it can run all day

[@lll9416]

My only issue with these is that most of the light is projected upward. You dont get that beautiful spread of light below the lamp shade like a practical (home style) led bulb.

[@gaffergear]

Agree

[@MatthPeder]

9:02 Disappointing to find that there's a significant delay when turning on the light. It looks completely unnatural when used as a practical bulb.

[@gaffergear]

This creates unnecessary complications for what would have been a simple thing to film 10 years ago with incandescent bulbs.

[@bluntsfrommaui]

should you charge up the light before using it for the first time?

[@gaffergear]

Aputure say yes

[@gangd4807]

If there was no MC, I would have thought about it, but I think MC is more efficient because it is perfectly compatible. Almc is a mistake of aputure🤔

[@gangd4807]

But the almc is not completely synchronized with nova in the app. Is this light bulb the same? Otherwise, I think I'll buy one.

[@gaffergear]

@@gangd4807 same CCT range, but no +/- green and no gels library

[@TheUlitamateStunt]

These things remain to this day the only thing I have ever electrocuted myself with. They are the bane of my existence. I know other crew who have also been electrocuted with them and it all comes down to the fact these have a very unreliable battery and can only be charged/powered with lamp sockets with potentially exposed conductors. In my experience, unless your entire set happens to use E27 fixtures, it is much easier to use MCs as they’re usually hidden behind lampshades anyway.

[@gaffergear]

Agree, I only only get used when we can see the bulb in the fixture, otherwise it's an MC Pro, Dash or Hydra depending on how bright I need it. I also have a strict "NO AC POWER" to practical lights rule now, because of the amounts of dangerous lamps that the art department has supplied over the years. So many lamps are made in china and the active is on the outside thread to the bulb

[@pgrigoriou]

1st