But is it one we need? I think we do.
With the release of the Electro Storm XT26, Aputure has made a light that rivals the likes of HMI fixtures. But what if you don’t need 2600W of power? What if you need more than the LS 1200D Pro?
Alongside the XT2600, Aputure has revealed the Electro Storm CS15–a 1500W high-output full-color point-source LED fixture to be the companion to the XT26. Much like its bigger sibling, it’s packed with a feature set that filmmakers will really love to have on hand during production.
Let’s dive into the new light and see how it can benefit filmmakers.
Brightness and Color Accuracy
At the core of the Electro Storm CS15 is the 1500W power output, which makes it more powerful than the LS 1200D Pro and comparable to industry-standard 1800W HMIs.
This level of brightness is a must in the LED world, and it’s great to see Aputure finally tackling super bright fixtures.
The CS15 includes a dual-blue LED chipset, which Aputure claims will provide spectral reproduction that is nearly indistinguishable from actual tungsten sources. Will they make good on their claim? Probably. Unless you start doing the lighting equivalent of pixel peeping.
Much like the XT26, the Electro Storm CS15 has dual accessory mounts. With both the universal Bowens Mount and the all-new electronic A-Mount compatibility, the new light offers versatility that other lights in the Aputure range just don’t have.
The electronic A-Mount offers higher stability, durability, and optimization for heavy-duty modifiers while still allowing for our tried and true existing Bowens Mount accessories.
Full-Color Control and Connectivity
The CS15 has a proprietary RGBWW LED chipset that brings full-color functionality to our toolkit. We also get advanced HSI and white CCT control across a wide range of 2,000K to 10,000K, industry-standard xy, RGB, light source presets, gel presets, and full green-magenta adjustment.
Additionally, the light integrates into existing lighting workflows through its other connectivity options. From Sidus Link app control to wireless DMX via LumenRadio TimoTwo CRMX chipset, Art-net & sACN via etherCON, and 16-bit 5-Pin DMX512 In & Out, the CS15 doesn’t just rely on the Aputure ecosystem.
With an IP65 rating, the CS15 provides water resistance capabilities and protection against dust. But much like the XT26, don’t go dunking it underwater.
Is This Light for You?
The Aputure Electro Storm CS15 is going to be bright. With the XT26 alongside it, the new Electro Storm series from Aputure is really going to mix things up in the lighting game. The brightness, color quality, versatile accessory mounts, enhanced workflow efficiency, and connectivity options are really putting Aputure on a whole different level.
But, like its older sibling, we’ll have to wait on availability, which should come in Q4 of 2023. Pricing is also unclear at this time, but with how Aputure has priced its previous releases, it probably won’t break the bank for how much output you’re getting.
Is this the light you’ve been waiting for? Let us know in the comments!
