Black Friday Specials

James0b57 said:
....But don't you want that Aputure full rotation feature? Looks like the light can't tilt in any direction without putting it on an articulating baby pin or arm. (I'M KIDDING, but also it I true)


EDIT, ok, all these comments have me looking too. So I just red the reviews again, but more thoroughly.

- One reviewer of the 300w says the brightness is closer to the Aputre 120D ( I assume the mk2, though they didn't list)
- some fan noise from the ballast. though, they advertise it as "silence is the goal" so I cannot imagine the noise to be excessive, but could be annoying to some
- there are no 500w reviews, although after this weekend I am sure we'll see those flood in.
- no smart phone app - but does come with a wireless remote.
- not as many tilt angle options (as I initially mentioned as a joke above)
- no 500 reviews about fan noise. The 500 looks to be in the same housing and using the same cooling system as the 120 and 300 versions, does that effect the fan noise on the head?

But at 30% off already good prices, that is the dollar per watt value I am looking at for additional lighting. Something I won't use all the time, but is there to do some utilitarian lifting to supplement the main lighting setup.
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I have the 350W and the 500W CLAR IllumiMax lights. They replaced two Aputure 120D II lights. AMA.

They are NOT using the same housing. The 500W is definitely bigger. The control box is also considerably bigger on the 500W. The 500W also has a single-knob brake.

I have not had a huge problem with the fan noise. It seems about the same as my 120D IIs.

The 350W is significantly brighter than my 120D IIs. Before I sold the 120Ds, I set them up together. The CLAR 350W pretty much drowns out the 120D II visually. The 500W isn't even on the same planet. It's bright.

The 300W and 350W are only $50 apart... and the control box design on the 350 is significantly better.

I'll likely pick up at least one more 350W.

My only complaint with the 500W is it doesn't get as dim as I'd like and the control box feels a little plasticky. I'd also love it if the 350W had the single-knob brake.

I also have two of the CLAR S30s (and one ellipsoidal) and one of their 24x24 flexible panels. Both of those models are also great.
 
jbregar said:
I have the 350W and the 500W CLAR IllumiMax lights. They replaced two Aputure 120D II lights. AMA.

They are NOT using the same housing. The 500W is definitely bigger. The control box is also considerably bigger on the 500W. The 500W also has a single-knob brake.

I have not had a huge problem with the fan noise. It seems about the same as my 120D IIs.

The 350W is significantly brighter than my 120D IIs. Before I sold the 120Ds, I set them up together. The CLAR 350W pretty much drowns out the 120D II visually. The 500W isn't even on the same planet. It's bright.

The 300W and 350W are only $50 apart... and the control box design on the 350 is significantly better.

I'll likely pick up at least one more 350W.

My only complaint with the 500W is it doesn't get as dim as I'd like and the control box feels a little plasticky. I'd also love it if the 350W had the single-knob brake.

I also have two of the CLAR S30s (and one ellipsoidal) and one of their 24x24 flexible panels. Both of those models are also great.
Click to expand...

Awesome first hand report!


Also, the Nanlite 500w below 10% is still kind of bright. Not that i got it for subtle hits of nothinness, but it definitely means that 0% dimming is a bit misleading. So, i am looking at a 200-300w light to fill the gap between the 500w and 60w cob’s i currently have. Just wanted to say that maybe all 500w lights have difficulty getting real low and subtle.

Really encouraging to hear the fan noise is on par with the 120d
 
Thanks so much for sharing your experiences with the lights. Can you confirm the 500W CLAR IllumiMax light actually pulls 500w? And do you notice any color shift towards green or magenta?
 
epsom salt said:
Thanks so much for sharing your experiences with the lights. Can you confirm the 500W CLAR IllumiMax light actually pulls 500w? And do you notice any color shift towards green or magenta?
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I haven't put it on a Kill-A-Watt, so I don't know.

I have no noticeable color shift.
 
Yeah it won’t go straight up or down.

I have never needed to place a light either way... and if I did, I’d just put an extension arm on my c-stand.
 
jbregar said:
My only complaint with the 500W is it doesn't get as dim as I'd like and the control box feels a little plasticky. I'd also love it if the 350W had the single-knob brake.
Click to expand...

When you say it doesn't get as dim as you'd like, exactly HOW dim are you trying to go? If I'm using a light like that, I probably need POWER. I look at these 500 watt plus LED's(like the Aputure 600d I have on order) as HMI replacements/supplements or something you can push through a large frame or maybe a book light. And most dimmable HMI's dim maybe a stop. So my train of thought goes, if you can't dim that 500 down enough, you should probably be using a lower wattage light to begin with.

Of course, a lot of people are probably used to being able to dim LED's from 100% to 0%, so instead of buying various wattage instruments, like we used to, they'll just buy all "big one's" presuming that they can use them as "big" or "small lights".
 
jbregar said:
I have the 350W and the 500W CLAR IllumiMax lights. They replaced two Aputure 120D II lights. AMA.
Click to expand...

Glad to hear about the low fan noise. How's the brake on the 500? Does it sag under the weight of large modifiers? Does the 350W dim down a lot more than the 500w? How's the remote control?

Strongly considering picking up a 500w and a 180w (or two 300w lights from Godox).
 
Run&Gun said:
Of course, a lot of people are probably used to being able to dim LED's from 100% to 0%, so instead of buying various wattage instruments, like we used to, they'll just buy all "big one's" presuming that they can use them as "big" or "small lights".
Click to expand...

Well, there's no technical reason LEDs can't be used that way, and it would save money, time and space. So why not insist on having instruments that dim smoothly down to 0%?
 
QuickHitRecord said:
Glad to hear about the low fan noise. How's the brake on the 500? Does it sag under the weight of large modifiers? Does the 350W dim down a lot more than the 500w? How's the remote control?

Strongly considering picking up a 500w and a 180w (or two 300w lights from Godox).
Click to expand...

Personally, I'd get the 500 and 180 for more power and versatility.

I agree with run&gun about caring more about output than minimum dimming. Of course, more capabilities are always a good thing (all else being equal) and I've swapped out fill lights numerous times in favor of smaller units after dimming them down all the way and still being too bright. But I own about 15 sub-100w LEDs and what I could really use is a more powerful key.

Btw for anyone who doesn't know the aputure design and full-tilt range James has been referring to - the rear end of the CLAR sticks out too far to rotate through the yoke, unlike the aputure which can do this:

12-1000x1000.jpg
 
BTW my Peak design 5L sling came in - https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...Grk4cTFEh_7JXkaAhghEALw_wcB&lsft=BI:514&smp=y

I'm so happy with it and so glad I didnt get something bigger... perfectly sized compartment for my sigma 24-70 with focus gear and samyang 85 with lens hood + a filter pouch and lens blower. Convenient little pockets for batteries, cards, lens tissues

And it straps right against my back pretty comfortably. No change to my balance, no effect on range of arm movement.

It's rare to find exactly what you needed...
 
Run&Gun said:
When you say it doesn't get as dim as you'd like, exactly HOW dim are you trying to go? If I'm using a light like that, I probably need POWER. I look at these 500 watt plus LED's(like the Aputure 600d I have on order) as HMI replacements/supplements or something you can push through a large frame or maybe a book light. And most dimmable HMI's dim maybe a stop. So my train of thought goes, if you can't dim that 500 down enough, you should probably be using a lower wattage light to begin with.

Of course, a lot of people are probably used to being able to dim LED's from 100% to 0%, so instead of buying various wattage instruments, like we used to, they'll just buy all "big one's" presuming that they can use them as "big" or "small lights".
Click to expand...

Yeah. Like I said initially, that’s why I have lower wattage lights... and why if I add another one it’ll likely be another 350.

It gets pretty dim, honestly... just not “accent light” dim.
 
QuickHitRecord said:
Glad to hear about the low fan noise. How's the brake on the 500? Does it sag under the weight of large modifiers? Does the 350W dim down a lot more than the 500w? How's the remote control?

Strongly considering picking up a 500w and a 180w (or two 300w lights from Godox).
Click to expand...

I’ve put a big soft box on the 500 and it didn’t slip. The yoke holds fast.

The 350 gets as dim as I’d want it to honestly. Anything dimmer and I’ll use the S30s.

The remotes are ok. Bulkier than the Aputure remote and not as nicely designed, but they work. I like that they use AAAs.

I’d do a 500 and a 180 vs two 300s. The 500 is so nice for balancing daylight or throwing out a lot of soft light in a book light setup or the like.

My ideal kit would probably be one more 350W and what I have. That gives me a 500, two 350s, two S30s, two flexi panels (12x24 and 24x24) and a tube light (ice light style). I can do about all I’d ever want to with that.

The reason I jumped on the CLAR gear was moar power. The 500 definitely gives me that.
 
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ahalpert said:
BTW my Peak design 5L sling came in - https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...Grk4cTFEh_7JXkaAhghEALw_wcB&lsft=BI:514&smp=y

I'm so happy with it and so glad I didnt get something bigger... perfectly sized compartment for my sigma 24-70 with focus gear and samyang 85 with lens hood + a filter pouch and lens blower. Convenient little pockets for batteries, cards, lens tissues

And it straps right against my back pretty comfortably. No change to my balance, no effect on range of arm movement.

It's rare to find exactly what you needed...
Click to expand...

Congrats! Always cool when it is something you actually need and a great deal!

As a collective group we are doing pretty frugal this year. What is our total for the weekend, just the $55 bag right?
 
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