amaran Halo Isn't 600 Watts. Here's What They Aren't Telling You
Bindra Productions
19,570 views
GEAR IN THIS VIDEO:
USB-C PD power adapter for Halo 100X and Ray 120c: https://amzn.to/3UJLr8T
USB-C PD power cable for Halo 100X and Ray 120c: https://amzn.to/4A4vvOH
amaran Halo 600X: https://amzn.to/4d2JsTm
amaran Halo 100X: https://amzn.to/4xKwrWO
amaran Ray 660C: https://amzn.to/3STOsTy
amaran Ray 120C: https://amzn.to/4xFmBFG
amaran 300C: https://amzn.to/4xKBHtF
Aputure Storm 700X: https://amzn.to/4hgvQX0
Aputure Storm 400X: https://amzn.to/4gJ7Yex
Aputure Storm 80C: https://amzn.to/4xabRy1
Aputure LS 600X Pro: https://amzn.to/3Vjf40S
amaran Octa Dome 120: https://amzn.to/4xiH9mC
amaran Spotlight SE: https://amzn.to/4xiHaqG
amaran Mini Fresnel for Halo 100X and Ray 120c: https://amzn.to/4gUtXxN
amaran Fresnel for Halo 600X and Ray 660c: https://amzn.to/3V3xu5H
CREDITS Huge thanks to David Morefield for lending me the Halo 100X and 600X. He is an incredible DP and filmmaker. Go subscribe: @davidmorefield
Is the amaran Halo 600X really a 600 watt light? No. And it still beat the Aputure 700X in my brightness test. Here is the full story nobody who got these lights for free is telling you.
I put the amaran Halo 100X and Halo 600X up against the amaran Ray 120C and Ray 660C, the amaran 300C, and the full Aputure lineup: Storm 80C, Storm 400X, Storm 700X, and the LS 600X Pro. Every light in this video was bought with real money. No affiliate deal. No sponsorship. No free gear from amaran.
The Halo 600X is $469 and it is shockingly bright. In an Octabox 120 with double diffusion it out-pushed lights that cost three times as much. But there is a catch. Actually, several. The "600" in the name is wall power, not the light engine (it is really a 545 watt engine). The bi-color engine only goes 2700K to 6500K. There is no green/magenta correction. The power connector does not lock. The body is plastic and the knobs already fell off in travel.
So who should buy the Halo, and who should spend a couple hundred more on the Ray? I break it down from a working professional's point of view: studio creators vs. on-location corporate, commercial, and narrative shooters.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
Why the Halo is so cheap, and exactly what amaran cut to get there
The tech ladder explained: Bi-color (Halo) vs. Omnicolor (Ray) vs. BLAIR engine (Storm)
The naming trick: why the Halo 600X should really be called a 550X
Real brightness data: Halo 600X vs. Ray 660C vs. Storm 700X vs. LS 600X Pro
Where the Halo wins (soft, wide light) and where it loses (spotlight and fresnel)
The two features pros cannot live without: green/magenta correction and extended CCT range
Build quality, locking connectors, and whether these survive real production
Halo 100X: USB-C PD power, built-in tilt bracket, and Spotlight SE results
My final buy recommendation, including the hybrid kit I would build
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro: Halo vs. Ray vs. the whole Aputure lineup
00:37 Why this review took so long (and why it is unbiased)
01:38 How amaran keeps the Halo price so low
02:42 Bi-color vs. Omnicolor vs. BLAIR: the tech ladder
04:23 The Halo "600" is not a 600 watt light
05:55 The full Halo lineup: 60X, 100X, 200X, 300X, 600X
06:29 Brightness test: Octabox 120 results
07:50 Green/magenta shift through amaran and Aputure modifiers
08:01 Where the Halo loses: spotlight and fresnel
08:24 Non-locking power connector
09:03 Build quality: plastic body and missing knobs
10:26 Why pros still need the Ray: color and CCT range
11:26 Why pros still need the Ray: green/magenta correction
12:37 Halo 100X: the compact studio key light
13:50 Final verdict: who should buy the Halo vs. the Ray
15:56 What amaran got right
16:54 Coming next: Ray 120C and Ray 660C review
NEXT VIDEO The amaran Ray 120C and Ray 660C deep dive is coming. I go deeper on the Omnicolor engine, compare it head to head with the Storm series, and show how I fit three Ray 120C lights into one bag. Subscribe so you do not miss it.
ABOUT BINDRA: Bindra is Orlando's premier video production company, producing commercials, brand videos, and documentaries for brands and agencies nationwide. I am Vipul Bindra, founder and CEO. Over 15 years I have built a 120+ person team and over $1 million in owned gear, so every light in this video gets judged by whether it survives a real set.
Website: https://bindraproductions.com
Instagram: Instagram: bindraproductions
Disclosure: No lights in this video were provided by amaran or Aputure. Every light was purchased with our own money or David's. Some links above may be affiliate links, which cost you nothing and help support the channel.
#amaranHalo #amaranRay #Aputure #VideoLighting #LEDLight #Filmmaking #Videography #LightingReview #amaranHalo600X #AputureStorm
20 Comments
A friend of mine got the Ray 660 and I was really impressed with the build quality of it. A very good balance between size and durability.
The price / value for Halo series is unbeatable. I paid for my Aputure 600D more than 1kUSD few years ago, and Halo 600x seems to be a better light (in terms of performance).
amaran Halo Isn't 600 Watts. Here's What They Aren't Telling You
Bindra Productions
19,570 views
GEAR IN THIS VIDEO:
USB-C PD power adapter for Halo 100X and Ray 120c: https://amzn.to/3UJLr8T
USB-C PD power cable for Halo 100X and Ray 120c: https://amzn.to/4A4vvOH
amaran Halo 600X: https://amzn.to/4d2JsTm
amaran Halo 100X: https://amzn.to/4xKwrWO
amaran Ray 660C: https://amzn.to/3STOsTy
amaran Ray 120C: https://amzn.to/4xFmBFG
amaran 300C: https://amzn.to/4xKBHtF
Aputure Storm 700X: https://amzn.to/4hgvQX0
Aputure Storm 400X: https://amzn.to/4gJ7Yex
Aputure Storm 80C: https://amzn.to/4xabRy1
Aputure LS 600X Pro: https://amzn.to/3Vjf40S
amaran Octa Dome 120: https://amzn.to/4xiH9mC
amaran Spotlight SE: https://amzn.to/4xiHaqG
amaran Mini Fresnel for Halo 100X and Ray 120c: https://amzn.to/4gUtXxN
amaran Fresnel for Halo 600X and Ray 660c: https://amzn.to/3V3xu5H
CREDITS Huge thanks to David Morefield for lending me the Halo 100X and 600X. He is an incredible DP and filmmaker. Go subscribe: @davidmorefield
Is the amaran Halo 600X really a 600 watt light? No. And it still beat the Aputure 700X in my brightness test. Here is the full story nobody who got these lights for free is telling you.
I put the amaran Halo 100X and Halo 600X up against the amaran Ray 120C and Ray 660C, the amaran 300C, and the full Aputure lineup: Storm 80C, Storm 400X, Storm 700X, and the LS 600X Pro. Every light in this video was bought with real money. No affiliate deal. No sponsorship. No free gear from amaran.
The Halo 600X is $469 and it is shockingly bright. In an Octabox 120 with double diffusion it out-pushed lights that cost three times as much. But there is a catch. Actually, several. The "600" in the name is wall power, not the light engine (it is really a 545 watt engine). The bi-color engine only goes 2700K to 6500K. There is no green/magenta correction. The power connector does not lock. The body is plastic and the knobs already fell off in travel.
So who should buy the Halo, and who should spend a couple hundred more on the Ray? I break it down from a working professional's point of view: studio creators vs. on-location corporate, commercial, and narrative shooters.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
Why the Halo is so cheap, and exactly what amaran cut to get there
The tech ladder explained: Bi-color (Halo) vs. Omnicolor (Ray) vs. BLAIR engine (Storm)
The naming trick: why the Halo 600X should really be called a 550X
Real brightness data: Halo 600X vs. Ray 660C vs. Storm 700X vs. LS 600X Pro
Where the Halo wins (soft, wide light) and where it loses (spotlight and fresnel)
The two features pros cannot live without: green/magenta correction and extended CCT range
Build quality, locking connectors, and whether these survive real production
Halo 100X: USB-C PD power, built-in tilt bracket, and Spotlight SE results
My final buy recommendation, including the hybrid kit I would build
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro: Halo vs. Ray vs. the whole Aputure lineup
00:37 Why this review took so long (and why it is unbiased)
01:38 How amaran keeps the Halo price so low
02:42 Bi-color vs. Omnicolor vs. BLAIR: the tech ladder
04:23 The Halo "600" is not a 600 watt light
05:55 The full Halo lineup: 60X, 100X, 200X, 300X, 600X
06:29 Brightness test: Octabox 120 results
07:50 Green/magenta shift through amaran and Aputure modifiers
08:01 Where the Halo loses: spotlight and fresnel
08:24 Non-locking power connector
09:03 Build quality: plastic body and missing knobs
10:26 Why pros still need the Ray: color and CCT range
11:26 Why pros still need the Ray: green/magenta correction
12:37 Halo 100X: the compact studio key light
13:50 Final verdict: who should buy the Halo vs. the Ray
15:56 What amaran got right
16:54 Coming next: Ray 120C and Ray 660C review
NEXT VIDEO The amaran Ray 120C and Ray 660C deep dive is coming. I go deeper on the Omnicolor engine, compare it head to head with the Storm series, and show how I fit three Ray 120C lights into one bag. Subscribe so you do not miss it.
ABOUT BINDRA: Bindra is Orlando's premier video production company, producing commercials, brand videos, and documentaries for brands and agencies nationwide. I am Vipul Bindra, founder and CEO. Over 15 years I have built a 120+ person team and over $1 million in owned gear, so every light in this video gets judged by whether it survives a real set.
Website: https://bindraproductions.com
Instagram: Instagram: bindraproductions
Disclosure: No lights in this video were provided by amaran or Aputure. Every light was purchased with our own money or David's. Some links above may be affiliate links, which cost you nothing and help support the channel.
#amaranHalo #amaranRay #Aputure #VideoLighting #LEDLight #Filmmaking #Videography #LightingReview #amaranHalo600X #AputureStorm
I swear it must be in the terms of service - that anyone taking product review sponsorships never compares apples to apples.
For the longest time companies have been getting narrower and narrower beam angles to boost their "output" readings.
And zero reviewers are willing to do double diffused softboxes (aka how most people use these lights).
You are like the first I've seen compare them this way and itS AMAZING.