The Aputure MT Professional, first introduced alongside a coming MC Professional replace at NAB 2022, is a singular 1-foot $199 RGBWW tube mild with built-in Lumen Radio CRMX and a whopping 36 individually controllable pixels in that very same small footprint. With banner options like that, it’s simple geared toward “Professional” customers (it’s within the title in spite of everything), and but it ships with a tiny tripod that appears geared toward desk-based content material creators. These wi-fi DMX options combined with a tiny desk tripod is a little bit of quandary and it’s a quandary that I’m excited to discover on this evaluate of the Aputure MT Professional.
The Aputure MT Professional is being marketed as a tube mild and it is certainly a tube mild, however I’d say the design is extra of a half-tube. That is necessary to contemplate as a result of on this configuration you aren’t getting fairly as large a beam angle as, say, with the amaran T4c RGBWW tube.
In some way Aputure has crammed a bunch of options into the petite 1-foot MT Professional:
- 36 Pixels (consider these a bit like the sunshine engine “zones” within the Nova 600C, however they’re every 0.3 inches large)
- Lumen Radio CRMX Management
- Built-in Battery
- Bluetooth Management over Sidus Hyperlink
- Inexperienced and Magenta +/- Management
- CCT Mode with 2,000K to 10,000K vary (expandable in Sidus Hyperlink to 1,500K to twenty,000K)
- HSI, RGB Modes (no X/Y)
- 7 Constructed-in Pixel Results (these are results that make use of these 36 previously-mentioned pixels)
Aputure MT Professional: First Impressions
The Aputure MT Professional lives in a world of its personal and it’s tough to discover a comparable product within the 1-foot built-in battery tube class. BB&S Lighting makes a single coloration 1 foot fixture referred to as a “pipeline“, however, past the scale, it’s completely different in each means.
Two 1/4″-20 mounting factors are on the base of the MT Professional and on one facet, whereas two built-in magnets full the mounting choices on the outside of the matte black fixture.
A shiny LCD display screen for guide controls dominates the again of the system alongside a “menu” and “again” button paired with a small wheel that makes navigating the menu simple. This is perhaps my favorite LCD display screen on a smaller Aputure product up to now – it’s simpler and quicker to navigate than the unique Aputure MC, for instance. The tiny letters “CRMX” are seen above the LCD display screen and that’s only a trace of the wi-fi management potential for the MT Professional.
The MT Professional base package ships with an Aputure branded tiny tripod, USB charging cable and grid that every one match right into a tiny molded case that isn’t a lot bigger than a college lunch field. The case itself does the trick, however there isn’t a lot wiggle room for including further equipment. You would match a hefty magnetic 1/4″-20 mount like this one in there in a pinch in the event you have been searching for a heavier obligation magnet in contrast with the built-in choices.
Oddly, the MT Professional has an inside battery (100 – 120 minutes of battery life at full output), whereas the amaran tube sequence has person replaceable batteries. At any time when attainable, I would like to have person replaceable batteries so I don’t should ship your entire mild in for repairs.
The included package grid is superb and retains its form properly when mounted on the sunshine. Grids/LCDs are unusually a tricky accent to get proper and I are inclined to desire the DoPchoice variations versus any “package” grids. Here’s a uncommon exception – this grid doesn’t really feel like an afterthought in any respect.
As I alluded to in my introduction, the addition of the tiny tripod within the package is a bit perplexing. I’m a Union DP working primarily in Los Angeles, but additionally touring globally and I’ve not often had the event to make use of a tiny tripod like this – with the uncommon exception of zoom calls throughout the ongoing pandemic. To me, the introduction of Lumen Radio CRMX (one thing only a few house content material creators are going to wish) is a bit in battle with the small included tripod that house content material creators would possibly typically want.
All of this spells out that Aputure is perhaps a bit not sure of their audience for the MT Professional. I’m by no means going to complain in regards to the introduction of a “free” accent in a package, however I might need prompt leaving this accent out and knocking a couple of bucks off the record value, whereas making the tripod an a la carte choice for patrons.
Which leads me to…
The Good Person?
Who’s the Aputure MT Professional meant for and for what filming situations? Once more, as knowledgeable person within the TV, Movie and Digital area, I’m going to need and wish completely different options and please let me know within the feedback in the event you suppose I missed any use instances out of your perspective.
The MT Professional’s measurement (1-foot) and weight (0.86lbs) imply it’s the proper hallway or basic set sensible mild or the proper steadicam or gimbal-top fixture so as to add a little bit of fill on an extended shifting shot. Given how helpful I feel this explicit fixture is for sensible lighting, I’m hoping that Aputure will launch a package of 6, 10 and even 12 of those in an built-in charging onerous case. I might see myself utilizing a bunch of those in a single shot and given the CRMX wi-fi integration I might use a CRMX transmitter (my favorite these days is the Litepanels Apollo Bridge), set addresses on these lights and actually give myself a ton of management over these fixtures at a distance. Gaffers and lighting designers in every single place love the Lumen Radio CRMX protocol (over a decade previous at this level) and it’s simple to see why.
Given its many pixels, I may also see the MT Professional as being very helpful for course of automobile or results heavy productions that may need to lengthen a background from a given LED quantity.
The MT Professional provides us a glimpse at what a extra pro-aimed future is perhaps for the amaran T2c and T4c fixtures that not too long ago began transport. Whilst I’m simply diving into what the MT Professional has to supply, I’m already pondering how helpful this platform can be as a 2-foot, 4-foot and even 8-foot fixture. Think about the enjoyable you may have with 288 controllable pixels in a hypothetical 8-foot MT Professional! Be nonetheless my beating coronary heart.
For these customers who could by no means enter the large world of DMX there may be nonetheless the superb Sidus Hyperlink App, controllable over Bluetooth. And with a easy Bluetooth reset on most new Aputure fixtures, you’ll have the ability to join shortly and get to filming. The MT Professional, paired with the Sidus app, additionally particularly is sensible when used with the Music FX setting the place you may set completely different colours to match the beat of a given music. Loads of live performance or dwell occasion purposes open up there.
When you’re a content material creator merely searching for an at-home desk 3-light setup, then I’d argue you don’t want the benefits of wi-fi CRMX integration within the MT Professional or the pure up-charge that comes together with that function. Relying on how complicated your private home studio is, then you definately is perhaps simply effective with a couple of amaran T2c fixtures.
Output & Kelvin Dealing with in CCT Mode
I went forward and examined the output utilizing lux and coloration dealing with (utilizing Kelvin) of the Aputure MT Professional at a distance of three toes with my Sekonic C-700U Spectrometer. Listed below are my outcomes, every with a goal of 5600K with no equipment or modifiers connected.
A results of 5438K is near the 5600K goal and a great general consequence – notably this rating isn’t fairly pretty much as good because the recently-released Aputure LS 600C Professional. All through all my testing I landed at a CRI common of 96. I additionally double checked Aputure’s marketed output for the MT Professional (they examined at 1.5 toes) and their outcomes have been very per mine.
Now for a goal of 3200K:
A results of 3140K is even somewhat nearer to the goal of 3200K when in comparison with the outcomes on the daylight finish of the Kelvin vary. Lastly, let’s attempt a goal someplace within the center at 4700K:
One other good results of 4588K with the goal of 4700K and I even see a slight output spike at this kelvin in CCT mode of 414 lux and 38.4 foot candles when in comparison with the opposite two targets. No issues right here in my testing and it’s good to see my numbers lining up intently with the producer offered knowledge (not at all times the case within the business at giant).
Conclusion
The Aputure MT Professional appears like the beginning of one thing larger. Astounding pixel density combined with wi-fi CRMX and improbable output (when in comparison with the dimensions) all come collectively in a spot that makes me wanting extra. To be clear, I’d need each extra MT Professionals in a travel-friendly multi-unit rolling onerous case and extra size out of the MT Professional line within the type of a 4-footer and past.
My guess is that house content material creators might be greatest served with the amaran branded tube lights and that skilled full time filmmakers will need a number of MT Professionals of their package at minimal. The Aputure MT Professional is transport now and retails for $199.
What do you suppose? Will you be including the MT Professional to your lighting package? Tell us within the feedback under!
