Have you already seen de Clar Illumi Max 120? It's just a 120D with all the bells and whistles AND it is bicolor at just $250.00. For sale at adorama and amazon. You should check it out.
Really awesome review! I gotta say that the Godox-SL60w is far more attractive (price-wise) than the 120d that can use the same accessories! Been really awesome for my weddings this year - only thing is it needs plugged in.
Thanks again for your practical review of these lights. I've been watching many reviews but none really seemed to steer me in the right direction. I now know that the 120d II is going to be the right light for my needs.
@@whoismatt oh wow.🙏 Thanks! Now I'm embarrassed that you saw me make a fool out of myself. 😂 Also, I was not joking when I said I watched Matt WhoIs Matt Johnson to learn... Because back in 2016 when I started doing videography, I watched your videos to learn and get started, so thank you very much.
Honestly, I thought these lights were a bit overhyped, but then we got a few in for work and WOW- it’s an insanely great light. I was totally wrong, haha
As someone who does events and commercial work, I'm leaning towards Aputure for all my lights. As you mentioned, there are so many accessories and lights in the Aputure lineup that work well together. Just having one remote for all the lights makes me want to stick with one brand for everything.
The Aputure Sidus Link app is super impressive too. Once they release the dongle to make it work on the 120D it’s gonna be amazing to control any of their lights from your smartphone.
You can controll all Practilites throughout the range with the bluetooth smartphone app. No dongle required, just connect it to your phone, pairing the 602 fresnel together with the 802 panel and using them simultaneously.
Biggest two problems with the Practilite for me is that it's very expensive and not that powerful. My crew and I have about 6 of the Torch LED 250s and love these little lights. The Practilite costs FOUR times as much as these, yet is barely more powerful. Additionally, when you put it in the back of the room, you're not getting much lighting coverage on the dancefloor anyway. The Torches can go anywhere - which makes up for their slightly lower power. So, I've since sold the Prac and went with an Adorama CLAR 120 - which is 1/4 the price of the Prac and far more powerful. When I need a "back of the room" light, it's a far better option for us.
I am using the the Aputure 120d with the focus lens on it for my weddingfilms. Love it sofar. It's also great for the getting ready part with a china ball or softbox on it. I normally try to switch off all ugly lights in the hotel room, but iften times this is too dark for hair and make up. So Before using the Aputure for getting ready, I had to accept mixed lighting, which is super not pretty :D Thanks for the review Matt, love how much work you put into those videos!!
Hey Matt I really enjoyed your review but the apurture 120d Mark ii comes with a reflector not a beauty dish, a beauty dish is going to have a rod that holds a flat piece that evenly spreads the light around the beauty dish and making it so that nothing is directly lit but instead reflected and defused before it hits the subject. On the 120 d Mark ii it features a reflector that simply focuses the beam. And I know you don’t know who I am but I have worked as the video editor for fstoppers.com and did the Peter Hurly Illuminating the face, where we went through every profoto modifier and showed the differences. Keep up the amazing work, your Chanel is always one that I get the most excited over when I see the upload notification.
Great video. Just a no re: Practilite case. It came in a precut foam insert. I just kept in in that foam insert and put it inside an older camera shoulder bag I had lying around. Very snug fit with enough space for 2x batts and the cables. See you at Lonely Hearts!
Mattt, you should try the Nanlite Forza 60! It's sooooo small and powerful! I personally own a 300dii but I'd pick the Forza 60 if I'm doing one man band and don't need that much output! One big con though is that it isn't a typical bowens mount but nanlite's own mini mount system. I really wish Aputure would release something in this form factor but at the same time powerful.
Thanks so much for this review. Practilite 602 info is hard to find and yours is the best. Been rocking my arri fresnel kit for years and I think it's time to upgrade!
I used three 120Dii for my latest short film and I really really LOVED the color accuracy! With the Aputure domes, it was a real pleasure to shoot with. But I do agree on the aspect of using it for weddings may not be the most practical. It's not very 'run and gun' of a setup. Also yeah. It's bright. The diffusion on the domes made it look a bit underexposed only to find out my whites were clipped on post. Oops lol
These are great lights. But more importantly, I’m loving the way that the crazy plant/bendy light thing compliments Matt’s lustrous beard! And that ‘Cat painting’, so GOOD 😀🕺🏻🎥🏖🇦🇺
Both great lights for sure 👍🏼 I'd go with the practilite for weddings for sure. For a person on a budget (me 😂) I love the boltzen 55w or the nanlite Forza 60. Cheers!
Hello great video Matt, just wanted to ask do you have any other battery options for the aputure 120d ii (at full power). I live in the UK and i cannot buy the juice box. much love
I bought the 3 light kit of the 120dii for when i did narrative work. Now that I've been doing weddings for a while they've just veen collecting dust coz none of my clients have asked for lighting and I'm Australian so weddings at dusk always result in snake bites for people sitting at the edges
Honestly I think you would be really happy with the 60x. It’s not quite as bright but close. Otherwise you could look at the 300x. Bummer they don’t have a 120x 😭
Matt, you're Arri worked great because it was 3200K, not daylight. Almost every reception I've been to has been below 3200K--that warm orange glow. Using a 5600K key light in a tungsten room is just too weird. Non-variable light is deal-breaker for me at weddings.
Hey Bob, totally valid point for sure. Aputure made a 120T for a while (t standing for Tungsten) but I don't believe they made a version 2 unfortunately. 😢
Hey Matt! Quick question? Have you used the grids on the reflector instead of the fresnel lens? I have the version 1 fresnel and wasn’t too impressed (horrible light leaks and yellow banding on the edge) I tried some 40 degree grids this weekend and they were good but I think I could go a little tighter for controlling spill onto the crowd and only lighting the dance floor.
Hey! Nope I haven’t tried that. I’ve heard the version 2 improved the fresnel lens considerably. I haven’t seen any light leaks or yellowing in my 2x lens.
Hey Ed! Because the light is setup before the dancing ever begins, people just assume it’s part of the venue or DJ’s lighting. If I ever get a complaint (which is very rare) I just dim it down a bit.
Hey brother, what setting should I use for white balance? I have the Sony fx3 shooting in slog 3, and I have one 120d light. I only do head talking videos btw. So, should i do custom balance or set kelvin to 5500k?
@@whoismatt oh ok, however, I’m using a teleprompter and I’m noticing it’s reducing the exposure and color temp of the shot, so, what could you recommend me in this case?
I bought the 120dii for commercial used and didn't really know how to film a wedding with because of the harshness of the light. I need to buy the fresnel and barn door, i would like to see a video of your setup on a wedding night.
@@whoismatt My question was bad written, but i am curious to see how would you used the 120d on a dance floor. I am always a bit confused when i light a wedding i don't want to break the mood with my lighting.
that is way too much for a light, I've been using the YONGNUO YN216 sometimes I only need one light sometimes I need more than one light, I have a total of 4 of those lights, also got the YONGNUO YN600L just in case I needed it. but so far I have not needed it for a wedding. most of the time I found myself only needing one or two YN216 lights.. YN216 are just $50 and the TN600L are $110. to me those The Aputure 120D and Practilite 602 lights are just a waste of money if you only doing weddings..if you get a camera and lens there are very good in low light my cheap flights will be fine.. I have the Sony a7III with the tamaron 28-75 mm lens.. I mean no disrespect Matt you're still my God and hero.. I respect the beard!!
Both of these seem really expensive and cumbersome to me for weddings. Honestly wedding receptions are typically so dim lit that any light is better than nothing. I use a 2 yongnuo yn300 iii. Remote control and the battery life is outstanding with np 900 batteries. Lasts for multiple weddings. The apurture and practilite are both better in general and i like the accessories that can be had, but overall they both seem unnecessary
✍ And now for a Wedding Lighting Haiku:
_Darkening evening_
_A bright Aputure shining_
_at the perfect light_
Thanks for watching! 😍
The comment we all needed.
What do you think about flexible led panels for wedding?
[counts on fingers] 5... 7... 5... Yep, checks out! 👊
Have you already seen de Clar Illumi Max 120? It's just a 120D with all the bells and whistles AND it is bicolor at just $250.00. For sale at adorama and amazon. You should check it out.
Really awesome review! I gotta say that the Godox-SL60w is far more attractive (price-wise) than the 120d that can use the same accessories! Been really awesome for my weddings this year - only thing is it needs plugged in.
Thanks again for your practical review of these lights. I've been watching many reviews but none really seemed to steer me in the right direction. I now know that the 120d II is going to be the right light for my needs.
Another solid review by the legend, Matt Johnson. 👏👏👏
Haha thanks Vu! Enjoyed your editing video!
@@whoismatt oh wow.🙏 Thanks! Now I'm embarrassed that you saw me make a fool out of myself. 😂
Also, I was not joking when I said I watched Matt WhoIs Matt Johnson to learn... Because back in 2016 when I started doing videography, I watched your videos to learn and get started, so thank you very much.
Honestly, I thought these lights were a bit overhyped, but then we got a few in for work and WOW- it’s an insanely great light. I was totally wrong, haha
Haha same, it's so so good!
As someone who does events and commercial work, I'm leaning towards Aputure for all my lights. As you mentioned, there are so many accessories and lights in the Aputure lineup that work well together. Just having one remote for all the lights makes me want to stick with one brand for everything.
The Aputure Sidus Link app is super impressive too. Once they release the dongle to make it work on the 120D it’s gonna be amazing to control any of their lights from your smartphone.
You can controll all Practilites throughout the range with the bluetooth smartphone app. No dongle required, just connect it to your phone, pairing the 602 fresnel together with the 802 panel and using them simultaneously.
Biggest two problems with the Practilite for me is that it's very expensive and not that powerful. My crew and I have about 6 of the Torch LED 250s and love these little lights. The Practilite costs FOUR times as much as these, yet is barely more powerful. Additionally, when you put it in the back of the room, you're not getting much lighting coverage on the dancefloor anyway. The Torches can go anywhere - which makes up for their slightly lower power.
So, I've since sold the Prac and went with an Adorama CLAR 120 - which is 1/4 the price of the Prac and far more powerful. When I need a "back of the room" light, it's a far better option for us.
I am using the the Aputure 120d with the focus lens on it for my weddingfilms. Love it sofar. It's also great for the getting ready part with a china ball or softbox on it. I normally try to switch off all ugly lights in the hotel room, but iften times this is too dark for hair and make up. So Before using the Aputure for getting ready, I had to accept mixed lighting, which is super not pretty :D
Thanks for the review Matt, love how much work you put into those videos!!
Hey Matt I really enjoyed your review but the apurture 120d Mark ii comes with a reflector not a beauty dish, a beauty dish is going to have a rod that holds a flat piece that evenly spreads the light around the beauty dish and making it so that nothing is directly lit but instead reflected and defused before it hits the subject. On the 120 d Mark ii it features a reflector that simply focuses the beam. And I know you don’t know who I am but I have worked as the video editor for fstoppers.com and did the Peter Hurly Illuminating the face, where we went through every profoto modifier and showed the differences. Keep up the amazing work, your Chanel is always one that I get the most excited over when I see the upload notification.
Ah dang it, thanks for the correction Patrick! I swear I googled the name of it and I saw someone had called it a beauty dish 😂 Love fstoppers btw!
Great video. Just a no re: Practilite case. It came in a precut foam insert. I just kept in in that foam insert and put it inside an older camera shoulder bag I had lying around. Very snug fit with enough space for 2x batts and the cables. See you at Lonely Hearts!
Mattt, you should try the Nanlite Forza 60! It's sooooo small and powerful! I personally own a 300dii but I'd pick the Forza 60 if I'm doing one man band and don't need that much output! One big con though is that it isn't a typical bowens mount but nanlite's own mini mount system. I really wish Aputure would release something in this form factor but at the same time powerful.
Thanks so much for this review. Practilite 602 info is hard to find and yours is the best. Been rocking my arri fresnel kit for years and I think it's time to upgrade!
Matt! Love your content, bro! Keep it up, my friend!
I really wanted to see this comparison!
Awesome! 😁
I used three 120Dii for my latest short film and I really really LOVED the color accuracy! With the Aputure domes, it was a real pleasure to shoot with. But I do agree on the aspect of using it for weddings may not be the most practical. It's not very 'run and gun' of a setup.
Also yeah. It's bright. The diffusion on the domes made it look a bit underexposed only to find out my whites were clipped on post. Oops lol
😂😂 oh man 3?! Light up everything!!
@@whoismatt A very large room haha
Yes please on the more lighting videos! Thanks for this one. Really informative and very helpful indeed.
What is the name of the device that connects the 120D to Sidius link? Is it the sidius link bridge?
I'm so glad you made this! I've been trying to decide what lights to look at for weddings.
You’re welcome! 😁
Next video show how you position your practilite and thought process behind it. Thanks!
These are great lights. But more importantly, I’m loving the way that the crazy plant/bendy light thing compliments Matt’s lustrous beard!
And that ‘Cat painting’, so GOOD
😀🕺🏻🎥🏖🇦🇺
Hahah thank you!
It’s been awhile since I’ve been on the channel, so these Lyle touches were not lost on me!
Hello Matt, could you help me please? Do you know the operating temperature for the 120d iI, please?
Finally, I was so indecisive. Thanks MATT!
Both great lights for sure 👍🏼 I'd go with the practilite for weddings for sure. For a person on a budget (me 😂) I love the boltzen 55w or the nanlite Forza 60. Cheers!
Hello great video Matt, just wanted to ask do you have any other battery options for the aputure 120d ii (at full power). I live in the UK and i cannot buy the juice box.
much love
I bought the 3 light kit of the 120dii for when i did narrative work. Now that I've been doing weddings for a while they've just veen collecting dust coz none of my clients have asked for lighting and I'm Australian so weddings at dusk always result in snake bites for people sitting at the edges
Any idea why they don't offer a bi-color version? I'm really interested in the 60x and would love a more powerful bi-color light to go with it.
Honestly I think you would be really happy with the 60x. It’s not quite as bright but close. Otherwise you could look at the 300x. Bummer they don’t have a 120x 😭
Matt, you're Arri worked great because it was 3200K, not daylight. Almost every reception I've been to has been below 3200K--that warm orange glow. Using a 5600K key light in a tungsten room is just too weird. Non-variable light is deal-breaker for me at weddings.
Hey Bob, totally valid point for sure. Aputure made a 120T for a while (t standing for Tungsten) but I don't believe they made a version 2 unfortunately. 😢
Just throw on a lee filters daylight to tungsten gel using the gel holder for the aputure 120d. I do this for wedding all the time
@@Ben-id1tc Yeah, I've done that, but you lose a good bit of light. And it's extra stuff to carry around. I just prefer bi-color LEDs.
Hey Matt! Quick question? Have you used the grids on the reflector instead of the fresnel lens? I have the version 1 fresnel and wasn’t too impressed (horrible light leaks and yellow banding on the edge) I tried some 40 degree grids this weekend and they were good but I think I could go a little tighter for controlling spill onto the crowd and only lighting the dance floor.
Hey! Nope I haven’t tried that. I’ve heard the version 2 improved the fresnel lens considerably. I haven’t seen any light leaks or yellowing in my 2x lens.
💰💰💰🤦♂️🤣 how many lights are you using now to light the dance floor?3 fresnels does not sound like a fun way to spend $300+ 🤣
There's a reason they turn the lights down low for group dancing. Don't you get resistance on the dance floor shining a light into them Matt?
Hey Ed! Because the light is setup before the dancing ever begins, people just assume it’s part of the venue or DJ’s lighting. If I ever get a complaint (which is very rare) I just dim it down a bit.
Thanks Matt, I will give that a try.
Hi! Did you mention the sound of this light at all? I am guessing its not an issue?
I wish you had 1.000.000 Subscribers!!! 🏆 🥇 😎
what kind of softboxes would you pair with with the lights for wedding?
I wouldn’t use a softbox at a wedding with this light, just the spotlight attachment
Wish to have this light but unfortunately I’m still on budget :(( btw nice video man !
How did you make the broll part of the video....the intro has a really cool effect...the slider...cuts...lighting!! Tell us more! Please!!!!
Hey brother, what setting should I use for white balance? I have the Sony fx3 shooting in slog 3, and I have one 120d light. I only do head talking videos btw. So, should i do custom balance or set kelvin to 5500k?
Set your white balance to match the light. 120d should be 5500K
@@whoismatt oh ok, however, I’m using a teleprompter and I’m noticing it’s reducing the exposure and color temp of the shot, so, what could you recommend me in this case?
Hi Matt what do you think about Forza 60? Thanks
I bought the 120dii for commercial used and didn't really know how to film a wedding with because of the harshness of the light.
I need to buy the fresnel and barn door, i would like to see a video of your setup on a wedding night.
It would look pretty similar to how it looks in the BRoll :)
@@whoismatt My question was bad written, but i am curious to see how would you used the 120d on a dance floor. I am always a bit confused when i light a wedding i don't want to break the mood with my lighting.
that is way too much for a light, I've been using the YONGNUO YN216 sometimes I only need one light sometimes I need more than one light, I have a total of 4 of those lights, also got the YONGNUO YN600L just in case I needed it. but so far I have not needed it for a wedding. most of the time I found myself only needing one or two YN216 lights.. YN216 are just $50 and the TN600L are $110. to me those The Aputure 120D and Practilite 602 lights are just a waste of money if you only doing weddings..if you get a camera and lens there are very good in low light my cheap flights will be fine.. I have the Sony a7III with the tamaron 28-75 mm lens.. I mean no disrespect Matt you're still my God and hero.. I respect the beard!!
Another great video!!
johnson what do you think of the sokani lights?
Now I can't deside between single-led light and flexible panel
Dear Mat,
I just want to thank you because you've helped me build a 800$ editing Beast 🤗. Keep up your excellent work. It is really useful.
Both of these seem really expensive and cumbersome to me for weddings. Honestly wedding receptions are typically so dim lit that any light is better than nothing. I use a 2 yongnuo yn300 iii. Remote control and the battery life is outstanding with np 900 batteries. Lasts for multiple weddings. The apurture and practilite are both better in general and i like the accessories that can be had, but overall they both seem unnecessary
I wanted the reception to think aliens landed so went for the 300dii 🤣
😂😂
what about the godox sl 60w for more affordable choice for weddings ? :)
Man I love your content.
And I love you
Hi just tell us the Lux rating at 1m. So we can compare with other lights. Why all led light manufacturers do not provide this info is beyond me.
hi friends. 4k video editing long time line RX580 8g or GTX1060 6g which one is best? pls r me...
Venkat Jeevan nvidia if you're premiere pro user bro.
@@billyfajardo9604 yes. i use premiere pro. thank u...
You got me with the "CAT WALL"
Nanlite Forza 60 is much better for weddings than Aputure for a lot less, I own both.
Came-TV Boltzen 55 Q-Series is way better than Practilite 602 for less than half the price.
Bro your a beast!
You got me at 10:29 😂😂😂
heh, dongle.
Great review as always, Matt!
Useful... 😍
Godox SL60W best budget light.
I’ve heard good things!
his beard is so big that he needs to tilt his head backwards, which may lead to further cervical spine problems
stay healthy, my dude
Petru B. Lol smh
Forget the Aputure, Nanlite's Forza 60 is as good and wayyy cheaper.
The Physics of measuring the light is wrong in here!
First comment ! 🙌🏽
Alllmost!
yes but... not bicolor...
Jeremy Siers has a much thicker beard than you!
😭😂😭
you got something cheaper xD