In the dark corners of the Vu Studios in Las Vegas, we met with Ted Sim, co-founder and president of Aputure, to take a closer look at the Aputure STORM XT52. During NAB 2025, the company decided to expand the show with their own event, APEX: The Aputure Experience, showcasing the lights in action and exploring virtual production techniques with ASC cinematographers and industry leaders. It turned out to be the best space to witness what the mighty new fixture is capable of. STORM XT52 is a pocket light from Aputure, similar in size to their tiny MC Pro. No, just kidding. In fact, STORM XT52 is one of the biggest lights the company offers and, at the same time, the brightest LED point source fixture made for filmmaking to date. The full demonstration is in the video, and technical details follow below. Image source: CineD Aputure STORM XT52 and its biggest USP Yes, as Ted confirms, Aputure STORM XT52 features 5,200W of LED power. In terms of brightness, its output is comparable to a traditional 9,000W HMI, like an ARRI M90. At the same time, Aputure’s new baby claims to be 30% lighter and smaller (61 lbs or 28 kg versus approx. 86 lbs or 39 kg for a 9K HMI). It still isn’t feather-light, but it means one person can hold and operate it if needed. Images source: CineD With STORM XT52, Aputure clearly targets the rental market. So, it’s probably not something that independent filmmakers are going...
Published By: CineD - Thursday, 10 April