The good folks at amaran let me take the brand new Ace 25x for a spin, and I must say that I’m thoroughly impressed by this pocket light. While it’s certainly being marketed towards creators (garnering an absurd amount of views in their YouTube Commercial), I can see this light being extremely popular on independent film sets. Let’s dive in.

The amaran Ace 25x and Ace 25c are amaran’s latest innovations in portable LED lighting, offering reliable and affordable options for creators seeking high-quality illumination. With their compact design, versatile control features, and professional-grade color accuracy, these lights are ideal tools for amateur and professional videographers and photographers. Let’s dive into the specifications, features, and how these lights compare with other popular options in the market, like the Aputure MC Pro and DMG Dash.

The amaran Ace 25x is a bi-color LED panel light designed for flexibility and ease of use. Here’s a breakdown of its main specifications:

– CCT Range: The Ace 25x offers a color temperature range from 2,700K (warm tungsten) to 6,500K (cool daylight), allowing users to match indoor or outdoor lighting conditions easily. This range offers flexibility for various creative environments and scene settings.

– Color Rendering: With a Color Rendering Index (CRI) of 95+ and Television Lighting Consistency Index (TLCI) of 97+, the Ace 25x provides accurate color representation, essential for professional-grade video or photography work.

– Output: The Ace 25x boasts a high output, with 1140Lux at 1m @ 5600K. When compared to Aputure’s MC Pro, this figure is closer to 400Lux. Not to mention in boost mode, the Ace 25x will get even a touch brighter for spurts of time.

– Portability and Power Options: This light is powered via USB-C, a convenient and increasingly universal standard. The Ace 25x’s lightweight design and USB power option make it ideal for on-the-go shooting setups.

– Control Options: The Ace 25x can be controlled manually on the device or remotely using Aputure’s Sidus Link app on mobile, or the amaran app on computer or mobile.

The Amaran Ace 25c steps up from the 25x by offering RGBWW capabilities, making it highly versatile for creators needing a broader color palette. Here’s what makes the 25c stand out:

– Full RGBWW Color Control: The Ace 25c includes red, green, blue, warm white, and cool white LEDs, allowing users to achieve virtually any color within the RGB spectrum. This model supports creative lighting, from adding mood-specific colors to mimicking ambient light effects.

– Color Accuracy: Like the Ace 25x, the 25c boasts a CRI of 95+ and TLCI of 97+, maintaining Amaran’s high standards for color fidelity. This ensures that subjects are lit with realistic tones, preserving skin tones and other color-critical elements in a scene.

– Customizable Lighting Effects: With its RGBWW setup, the 25c includes built-in effects like color cycles, flashes, and other dynamic effects, which can be controlled via the Sidus Link and amaran apps. This feature is ideal for adding creative lighting effects without needing additional gear.

– Both lights have a new proprietary Ace Lock System.

Comparison with Competitors: Aputure MC Pro and DMG Dash

The Amaran Ace series is designed to be competitive in quality and price, particularly when compared to popular alternatives like the Aputure MC Pro and DMG Dash.

– Aputure MC Pro: Aputure’s MC Pro is a robust competitor in the RGBWW LED category, with a higher price point (typically around $199). It offers full RGBWW control and is compatible with Aputure’s Sidus Link app, similar to the Ace 25c. However, the Ace 25c offers comparable features, like RGB control and portability, at a slightly more affordable price, making it attractive to budget-conscious creators. They both have similar accessories available. The Ace is clearly targeting a creator audience with the Ace Lock, giving users less professional mounting options, and lacking in DMX control ability. The Ace also lacks an IP rating.

– DMG Dash: The DMG Dash is another premium portable LED with RGB functionality, often favored for its build quality and light intensity. With the Dash being priced around $269, the Ace is certainly the “budget” option, but for good reason. The Dash has incredible color reproduction and great control options + accessories. With all this said, the Ace is brighter than all of its competitors in this form factor.

Nitpicks:

There were a couple of small things that bugged me when playing with this light hands-on. As to be expected, the feel is pretty plastic. My biggest concern in using this on set is the magnet. I tried to stick it to a C-Stand like I normally would with an MC or MC Pro, but it didn’t mount well. The decision to put the magnet only on one side will be to the detriment of mounting, but I’m sure there are good design reasons for it.

The Ace does have a quarter-twenty on top, but I’m not a huge fan of the Ace lock and don’t see myself buying into this ecosystem. It doesn’t have a clear “click” for when it’s in place, and even though it feels relatively sturdy, to only roll it out with a mini-tripod and cold shoe adapter feels underwhelming. Folks will want to be mounting this onto stands right away, so not having a good baby pin adapter feels like a bit of a miss from the jump.

The output mode charged an Android phone pretty slowly but was not able to charge a USB-C or Thunderbolt iPhone. I’m curious how necessary this feature was and how often folx will use it. The boost mode seemed pretty impressive at first, but after further review of photometrics and in-person use, it doesn’t seem entirely necessary.

Price Point and Value

The Amaran Ace series is designed to provide creators with high-quality lighting solutions at an affordable price. The Ace 25x is retailing for $69 for the “single” package which includes the light itself, the dome diffuser, the Ace lock to cold shoe adapter, a hex wrench, and a charging cord. For an additional $26 ($95 total) you can get the “kit” with the previously listed items plus the light control grid, Ace Lock Mini Tripod, and Carrying Case. Similarly for the Ace 25c, it’s $99 for the “single” or $125 for the “kit.”