It was Aputure's $299 Amaran HR672C [B&H|Amazon], an ipad-sized, bi-color LED panel with high color accuracy, wireless remote control, and dual Sony NP style batteries all tucked away in a small travel case that put the final nail in the coffin of my ARRI Softbank IV Fresnel Lighting kit. I kept pestering the guys at Aputure to bring out some light modifiers for it, which they subsequently did with their $49.95 EZ-Box and Grid combo [B&H|Amazon]. Now accessories manufacturer Kamerar further burnishes the Amaran line's reputation with their own dedicated versions of these modifiers for the same light, the $29.95 D-FUSE Soft box [B&H|Amazon] and $24.95 Grid [Amazon]. They're easier to set up and take down than Aputure's originals, but they're not without issue either.
Read moreLitepanels Astra Soft Bi-Color 1x1 LED Panel: Beautiful Light, Beautiful Design
Litepanels basically created the market for LED panels, but competition has grown fierce. Good thing they’ve updated their panel technology, added more sophisticated control (including smartphone app), amped up their industrial design, raised output, and lowered price. It will still be too expensive for some, but it will definitely be well worth it for others – especially those who intend to use them day-in/day-out both in studio and on location. The Astra 1x1 Soft Bi-Color adds to the Astra family the best built-in diffuser I've ever used.
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