When Aputure announced a series of affordable “Amaran” daylight and bi-color lights alongside their live stream deep dive into the flagship 600d Pro, it came as a surprise. The Amaran 100d and 200d are both hundreds of dollars-cheaper when compared to the Aputure 120d MK II which raises questions for the consumer. What are you giving up in exchange for these savings? And, is what you are giving up worth the tradeoff? Let’s find out. Lately, Aputure has been announcing new products one after another, and the pricing spectrum spans from the flagship 600d Pro at $1890 and Nova fixtures at $1699 to the $299 Amaran 200d and $199 100d. Reviewing these lights is tricky because I don’t want to leave the impression this is wholly about what you’re giving up when compared to other Aputure light. Doing that would create the sense that these two fixtures are somehow lacking and this is not the case at all. Considered on their own, the Amaran 100d and 200d (d as in daylight) are unique and really affordable, but having said that, the obvious comparison is with the Aputure 120d MK II, so let’s dive in. Image Credit: Graham Sheldon Build quality of the Amaran 100d / 200d First, let’s talk about overall construction. These lights, with their plastic polycarbonate build, are clearly not meant to take a hit and a careful owner/op will be fine, but a quick rotation rental house will want the 120d MK II for long term survival....
Published By: CineD - Thursday, 7 January, 2021