Amaran releases its first ever full-colour Pixel Tube LED lights

Amaran, the entry-level sub-brand of Aputure, has announced the Amaran PT1c, PT2c and PT4c in 1ft, 2ft and 4ft lengths, respectively. These are the first full-colour RGBWW LED pixel tubes released under the Amaran brand, with USB-C charging, smooth diffusion, multiple Pixel FX, as well as remote control abilities through either DMX or the Sidus Link app on your smartphone.

The company has also refreshed its COB 60, 100 and 200 LEDs with a new S series. The new upgraded lights feature a new SSI LED design to bring higher colour accuracy. This results in increased CRI and TLCI scores for more accurate colour rendering. As before, there are both daylight and bi-colour versions available, still sporting the familiar Bowens mount, with Sidus Link remote control.

Amaran PT1c, PT2c, PT4c Pixel Tube LED lights

Let’s get these out of the way first as these are completely new to the Amaran product lineup. These are similar to the recently announced INFINIBAR series of Pixel Bar lights, but in a tube form and with a more budget-friendly price tag. The company says that the Amaran Pixel Tubes are targeted towards “filmmakers, photographers and creators who need a whole family of small, mid and full-sized battery-powered tube lights that can produce unique pixel effects” without the extra bells and whistles of products like INFINIBAR and the Aputure MT Pro.

That’s not to say that these lights don’t pack a bunch of fantastic features. They offer a full-colour RGBWW chipset with a wide 2,700K to 10,000K colour temperature range, fully tunable green-magenta control for a CRI of 95 and TLCI of 98. They feature integrated pixel level control, allowing different parts of each fixture to show different colours, with various animated effects options. Pixel FX can be triggered using the onboard controls or through the Sidus Link smartphone app. Pixel FX controls can be fine-tuned using DMX control with a USB-C to DMX adapter with USB-C input (sold separately).

The Pixel Tube family is available in three lengths of 1ft, 2ft and 4ft with a 4-pixel-per-foot pixel density. So, the PT1c features 4 pixels, the PT2c features 8 and the PT4C features 16. This is significantly lower than the Aputure INFINIBAR, which features 24 pixels per foot, but depending on your needs (and budget), this may be more than enough.

For mounting, the PT1c features built-in magnets for easy and flexible positioning on-set, while the PT2c and PT4c include magnetic brackets with 3/8-16″ threads for mounting on magnetic surfaces or to attach to spigots or baby pins. All of the Pixel Tube lights also feature a built-in 3/8-16″ scrfew mount in their end cap for mounting on floor stands or to connect tubes together for multi-light shapes.

The Amaran PT1c is available to pre-order now for $139, the PT2c is available to pre-order now for $299 and the PT4c is available to pre-order now for $429. For reference, the recently announced Aputure INFINIBAR series are $299, $479 and $639 for the 1ft, 2ft and 4ft versions, respectively.

Amaran “S” series COB LED lights

Aputure has refreshed its Amaran COB LED series, including all six of the 60, 100 and 200 daylight (D) and bicolour (X) versions. So, now we have the COB 60D S, COB 60X S, COB 100D S, COB 100X S, COB 200D S, and COB 200X S ranging in price from $169 to $349. The new models are largely identical to their predecessors but with a new SSI LED design to improve colour rendition and accuracy.

Naturally, the 60/100/200 numbers in each of the product names refer to the output wattage of each fixture, although the 60 series lights are actually 65W – similar to the Colbor CL60 lights we recently reviewed here. The “D” and “X” correspond to daylight-balanced or bicolour, respectively. The “S” part of the name refers to the “significant improvement in spectral quality and a superior product for our end-users”, according to Aputure.

The new Amaran S series COB lights are targeted towards the same types of user as the models they replace in the Amaran lineup. That is filmmakers, creators and photographers who need lightweight (and inexpensive) fixtures without sacrificing spectral and image quality. They feature a Bowens mount on the front for using all of your favourite modifiers from Aputure and third parties.

Silent cooling and accurate colour, the company says, make them ideal for home studios and live streaming setups. Remote control from the Sidus Link app or DMX over USB makes them easy to control in a home studio setup, too, especially if you’re live streaming and don’t want have to move from in front of the camera.

The Amaran COB 60D S ($169), 60X S ($199), 100D S ($199), 100X S ($249), 200D S ($299), and 200X S ($349) are all available to pre-order now and begin shipping any day.