Aputure Releases More Accurate Storm 1200x Light for Pro Filmmakers

Sep 10, 2024

Close-up of an Aputure STORM 1200x light fixture with a bright, illuminated circular front. The light is mounted on a stand against a warm, softly blurred background, highlighting the sleek design and branding on the equipment.

Aputure’s new Storm 1200x light features a brand new design and a BLAIR color engine — the first in a new series for Aputure.

Aputure unveiled the brand new Storm 1200x light, which is the first in a line of COB lights that introduces a new lighting engine. The BLAIR engine (which stands for Blue/Lime/Amber/Indigo/Red) uses five color emitters instead of the traditional bi-color warm and cool LEDs, which Aputure claims should create more accurate whites and a fuller color spectrum.

According to Aputure, the new indigo color emitters in the BLAIR engine should compensate for the slightly yellow color shift that occurs in photos due to the lack of ultraviolet light in traditional light fixtures. This allows the Storm 1200x to better conform to both Blackbody and CIE Daylight white light standards.

As a result of this new engine, the Storm 1200x is brighter than the solid daylight-colored Aputure LightStorm 1200d, and is more consistent in its brightness and color-accuracy across both the color temperature scale from 2500 Kelvin to 10,000 Kelvin; as well as the green/magenta scale from +1.0 Green to -1.0 Green.

A powerful studio light, labeled "Aputure STORM 1200X," is illuminated and shown in a close-up shot against a dark background. The light is wet, covered with droplets of water, suggesting it is weather-resistant or in use during rain.

In traditional bi-color COB lights, the brightest setting is usually somewhere in the middle of the spectrum because all the LEDs on the chip are activated at once. Dialing the settings to either end of the color temperature scale would cause the opposite-colored LEDs to turn off and only display the desired color, resulting in dimmer light.

The architecture of the BLAIR engine appears to mitigate that issue, which could make the 1200x a significant advancement over previous fixtures. Aputure has also added an XY-coordinate graph control system for more precise control over settings.

Additionally, Aputure touts the 1200x’s color accuracy in low-end dimming as well. The new light can use PWM dimming to maintain color accuracy down to 0.1%, approximately 9 lux, without color shifts or drop-off.

Close-up of a person adjusting a control knob on a black Aputure Storm 1200X professional studio light. The light features a sleek, modern design with visible branding and technical details. The image highlights the interaction with the equipment.

The fixture is IP56-rated and fully sealed throughout the system, control box, and cables. It offers CRMX, DMX, and Bluetooth connectivity, and it also features a new positive-locking Bowens mount for a more secure accessory attachment point.

Aputure says new accessories for the 1200x will be coming soon, including a newly redesigned Fresnel kit.

The Aputure Storm 1200x is available to preorder now for $2,990. It is expected to ship at the end of this month.

Image credits: Aputure