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Aputure AL-H160, CRI 95+ first affordable small led light
  • 35 Replies sorted by
  • DMZDMZ

    @DrDave Thanks for your feedback.

    Do you, or anyone else, have any experience how does this LED light compare to high CRI photo CFL lights (like the acclaimed ALZO CFLs with CRI of 91)?

    I am pondering if I should stick with soft-boxes/umbrellas with high CRI CFLs or make the jump to LEDs. It is for on location interviews.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    how does this LED light compare to high CRI photo CFL lights (like the acclaimed ALZO CFLs with CRI of 91)?

    CFL had been cheaper, and up to last months were only viable option for good CRI lighting.

    Any reason why you can not have both? As it is SMALL lights and CFL usually are used with quite large softboxes placed on light stands. Add to it that whole CFL kit is quite cheap. It is just different things.

  • DrDaveDrDave

    CFLS are pretty cheap, as V says, so I think you should try one and see for yourself. Here's my 2 cents.

    I think the ALZO's are slightly overrated and a bit more noise (hum) than I would like. I think the BlueMax CFL bulbs are very good and very quiet, and I feel a bit safer since the mercury is bound into the glass, in case a whole row of them goes over.

    Having said that, it is also pretty clear that these bulbs vary a bit from batch to batch.

    If you look at the light from the CFL and the new LED, the LED looks whiter and does not have that odd color cast that even the best CFLs have. But you can get good results with good CFLs, if you balance your WB very carefully. I would have to do a long session with both to really see what the deal is, but for now I'm keeping my 95 CRI CFL's and using the LED for other things.

  • DMZDMZ

    Thank you guys for your thoughtful sharing.

    It is great to hear that, at least subjectively, the new LEDs look cleaner. I will also look into the BlueMax CFL bulbs.

  • DrDaveDrDave

    Just remember that either LED or CFL, these are not perfect. But you can get good results if you really get a good white balance and light the subject well.

  • DMZDMZ

    I agree. I am using ColorChecker Passport and Sekonic light meter to get these things right. It's very helpful for mixed light.

  • rolyroly

    Ordered two of these on 22 April. Finally seem to have been shipped from HK today. Looking forward to receiving them!

    I'll give some impressions when I've played with them a bit.

  • PechentePechente

    I bought four of them from a german seller for 35€ a piece. Unfortunately the package got lost by DHL, so I had to reorder them and it'll take a few more days before they’re here.

    From Aputure’s Youtube Video it looks like they aren’t great when they’re dimmed. Am I the only one seeing a strong purple tint there?

  • imdjayimdjay

    Well, finally got mine.

    I too lack the proper equipment to test actual CRI, but my first observation was that it's warmer, in the 4900K area. my Z96 are well over 6000, and the cn160 is in the 5500 area. all according to various white balances. The light seems fairly pleasant to my eyes, but i'll try and put them next to something for comparison. at least it doesn't have the awful shoe that the cn160 has.

  • nomadnomad

    I couldn't find any major shift when dimming, neither with these or the no-name ones sold here over PV as well. The other ones had a Tungsten setting too, but that wasn't so great.

    But both LED panels could keep up quite well with Kino Flos equipped with Osram Dulux 954, which claim a CRI of 90+ Ra and are widely accepted in the industry.

    I tested with an Epic and two BM cameras. The BM cameras showed more strange things going on with colors even on my daylight reference shots than the Epic – IOW, at this level of CRI the camera you have counts more than the brand of the lights!

    For German readers: My test will be in the next issue of Digital Production.

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