Which Aputure light should you hire? LS 600d, 600x and 600c Pro, LS 1200d Pro, Storm 400x, 1200x and 1000c compared by output, colour, power and job.
Aputure makes up most of our lighting shelf, and the range has grown fast. Between the LS 600 series, the LS 1200d Pro and the newer Storm lights, it isn't always obvious which one a shoot actually needs. Hire too small and you're fighting daylight all afternoon. Hire too big and you're paying for output you'll never use and carrying a heavier case up the stairs.
This guide walks through the Aputure point-source lights we hire, what each one is good at, and how to choose between them for interviews, interiors and bigger set-ups in London.
A 600W daylight COB light, and one of the brightest point-source LEDs of its size. Aputure says it can approach the brightness of a 1200W HMI with a maximum power draw of only 720W, so you can run more than one from a household circuit. It's the workhorse key light for interviews and corporate work: put it through a Light Dome III and you have a big, soft, flattering source. See the LS 600d Pro page for the live rate and what's in the case.
The bi-colour version of the 600. Aputure's colour-blending optics combine the warm and cool chips into a single source, so it works properly with optical modifiers like the F10 Fresnel and the Spotlight Mount. Choose it when you need to match tungsten practicals one minute and window light the next. LS 600x Pro details.
The full-colour 600. You get adjustable white light plus saturated colours and effects, which is useful for music videos, night interiors and stylised looks. LS 600c Pro details.
Aputure calls it the "Baby BLAIR": a bi-colour light with the new BLAIR engine and the Bowens Prolock mount. It's a good choice when a 600 is more than you need, for example as a backlight, a hair light or a small interior key. Storm 400x details.
A 1200W daylight COB, the brightest light in Aputure's LS line, and, Aputure says, the highest-output Bowens-mount fixture on the market. This is the one for punching through a big frame of diffusion, lighting a large room from outside a window or holding your own against daylight. Our kit comes with the control box, a 7.5m head cable, three Hyper Reflectors and a rolling case. LS 1200d Pro details.
A 1200W bi-colour point source with a 2,500K to 10,000K range, the BLAIR LED engine, and fine white-point and green-magenta control. Think of it as a 1200 that can also go warm. It's the most flexible big light on the shelf when you're mixing with tungsten, practicals or changing daylight. Storm 1200x details.
The full-colour big light in the Storm range, for when you want 1000-class output and colour control in the same fixture. Storm 1000c details.
Everything above is a point source: a small, very bright emitter that you shape with a modifier. That's the most flexible approach, because the same light can be a hard sun through a Fresnel or a huge soft key through a dome. The alternative is a soft panel like the Nova P600c, a 600W RGBWW soft light with a 2,000K to 10,000K range. Panels are quick to rig and already soft, which suits fast interview set-ups and green-screen work where you want even light with less fuss.
A big advantage of LED is that you can often run off the building's sockets. A standard UK 13A socket supplies roughly 3kW. With the LS 600d Pro's 720W maximum draw, two or three on one ring is realistic, but check how many other things share the circuit, especially in older London flats and offices. The 1200W lights draw more, so plan where they're plugged in and talk to the location about available circuits before the day. If you're unsure, send us the location details and we'll help you work it out.
Most Storm and LS lights use the Bowens mount, so modifiers swap between them easily. Popular picks to add to an order:
Each product page lists which mount it uses, so it's easy to check what fits.
If a 1200W light isn't enough, we also hire the Electro Storm XT26 and CS15 and the Storm XT52, and the Nanlux Evoke 2400B, a 2400W bi-colour spot. For tubes and colour effects, see our Astera range.
Every light on our Aputure hire page and lighting hire page shows its live day rate, and longer hires are cheaper per day: three days are charged as 2.5 days and Monday to Friday as 3.5 days. Register a production account before your first order, then collect from Unit H1, 2 Leswin Place, Stoke Newington, London N16 7NJ, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm. Shooting interviews? Most crews pair these lights with a Sony FX6; see our FX6 vs FX3 guide. Send us your shot list or a reference frame at rentals@weareyellowcactus.com, or call 020 7898 3322, and we'll help you put a sensible lighting package together.
Yes. For most sit-down interviews and small interiors, a 600-series light through a Light Dome or lantern is plenty of key light.
d is daylight only, x is bi-colour (adjustable from warm to cool white) and c is full colour, with saturated colours and effects as well as white light.
When you're pushing through big diffusion, lighting a large room, putting light through a window from outside or competing with daylight. The Storm 1200x is bi-colour, the LS 1200d Pro is daylight.
Often, yes. A UK 13A socket supplies roughly 3kW and the LS 600d Pro draws up to 720W, so two or three on one circuit is realistic. Check what else shares the circuit, and plan the 1200W lights with the location.
Most Storm and LS lights use the Bowens mount, so Light Domes, lanterns and softboxes swap between them. Each product page lists the mount.