Aputure announced two new NOVA light fixtures, the Aputure NOVA 9° 2×1 and Aputure NOVA II 1×1 panels. The company also revealed a new NOVA 3-panel array as well as new modifiers and accessories for the NOVA ecosystem.
BLAIR light engine
Aputure’s new extended BLAIR light engine offers an expanded CCT range of 1,800 K to 20,000 K, with full ASC MITC range +/- Green adjustment. It features Blue, Lime, Amber, Indigo, Red, Cyan and Green light emitters to create high-quality tunable white light. The Indigo emitters in the Extended BLAIR engine also enhance the colors of naturally fluorescing materials, just like sunlight. And, the Extended Red emitters enrich skin tones.
NOVA 9° 2×1 panel
The original NOVA II 2×1 panel features a 35-degree native beam angle. As the name suggests the new NOVA 9° 2×1 panel has a much more focused output with a beam angle of 9 degrees. If you use the included flat diffuser, the modified beam angle is 80 degrees. The NOVA 9° 2×1 panel shares the same dimensions as the NOVA II 2×1. It measures 27.2 inches (69.1 cm) by 15.3 inches (38.8 cm) by 5.4 inches (13.6 cm) and can use all the same modifiers and accessories. However, the NOVA 9° 2×1 panel is over 2 pounds heavier at 38.03 pounds (17.25 kg) for the lamp head without the yoke. Aputure has also designed a 3-Light Kit which utilizes three NOVA 9° 2×1 panels in a single yoke. This hyper narrow beam panel array creates bright, directional, white light with pleasing shadow quality to replicate natural sunlight.
NOVA II 1×1 panel
The NOVA II 1×1 panel delivers all of the features of the NOVA II but in a smaller 1×1 form factor. It measures 15.4 inches (39.1 cm) by 16.0 inches (40.8 cm) by 5.6 inches (14.3 cm) and weighs 21.05 pounds (9.55 kg) for the lamp head without the yoke. Aputure has also produced a new range of modifiers and accessories for the NOVA 1×1. These include a softbox with fabric control grid, a heavy frost dome diffuser, barn doors, and a rolling hard case.
Photometrics
The Aputure NOVA 9° 2×1 and NOVA II 1×1 panels both feature highly color accurate light with a CRI and TLCI greater than 95. In terms of output, the NOVA 9° 2×1 delivers a bare bulb output of 66,200 lux at 3 meters set to a color temperature of 5,600 K. When you use the included flat diffusion panel that drops down to 2,423 lux, however. For comparison, the smaller NOVA II 1×1 panel gives you 13,300 lux with the bare bulbs and 2,466 lux with the included flat diffusion panel. Again, both of these measurements are at 3 meters and with the light set to 5,600 K.
Other features
As you would expect for professional lights, the Aputure NOVA 9° 2×1 and NOVA II 1×1 panels offer a range of control options. These include Sidus Link, Sidus Link Pro, DMX, CRMX, Art-Net/sACN and 16-bit 5-Pin DMX512 in and out ports. The fixtures are also designed to stand up to the rigors of life on location with IP65 weather resistance. Both lights feature Smart, High, Medium, Silent (DMX controllable) fan modes as well as Linear, Exponential, Logarithmic, and S-shaped dimming curves. In addition, the NOVA 9° 2×1 and NOVA II 1×1 both give you 15 built-in light effects and 10 savable presets.
“With the new NOVAs, Aputure has reinvented the panel light,” explains Mitch Gross, Aputure’s Global Director of Marketing. “Last year, we introduced the NOVA II 2×1, the most powerful 2×1 panel with the greatest range of color, and the ability to be powerful in both narrow and wide beams. Now the NOVA II 1×1 offers the same color performance in a more portable form factor with more output than most 2×1 panels. And the NOVA 9° 2×1 is a completely new concept, with a hyper narrow beam powerful enough to replicate direct sunlight over long throws. Stack three of them in our new 3-Light yoke, and you can even use it outside in daylight, all while running off a single household circuit.”
What we think
Aputure began as a budget lighting manufacturer for indie filmmakers and enthusiasts. However, the company is now focused on professional lighting fixtures. The new NOVA 9° 2×1 and NOVA II 1×1 panels expand the NOVA family with two very versatile lights. With its focused beam angle, at 5 meters the NOVA 9° 2×1 is twice as bright as a 5,000 W tungsten fresnel at full spot. You can also use the 3-Light Kit array to create a fixture with an output greater than a 12,000 W tungsten lamp at full spot at 10 meters.
Plus, the NOVA II 1×1 brings the excellent BLAIR-CG light engine to the popular 1×1 light panel format. The NOVA 9° 2×1 and NOVA II 1×1 have a lot to offer and will no doubt be as popular as Apture’s previous lighting products.
Pricing and availability
The Aputure NOVA 9° 2×1 costs $3,690 for a single panel and $11,590 for the 3-light kit and yoke system. If you want the smaller NOVA II 1×1 panel, that retails at $1,899. Accessories for the 1×1 panel start at $35 for the Fabric Control Grid, up to $239 for the Rolling Hard Case.
