There are three areas I use a fresnel on a stand for the reception: bridal party entrance, speeches, and dance floor. I currently have a hot light but was looking at leds. They’re still expensive but I like that they’re cooler and can run off battery, allowing to be setup easier without the tripping hazard of cords and burns.

Anyone use leds?

I absolutely love my COB 120d II. I had 2 120Ds, now I have one and the II, and the latter is so much improved it's not even funny. The only downside I can anticipate for you is that it's daylight balanced. While there was a tungsten version of the first gen, there is currently not an option for the Mark II. Also, you do have to purchase the fresnel lens separately.

If you want a deal, I am going to sell my original daylight balanced model, and I'd throw in the fresnel with it since they also have updated the fresnel lens. Otherwise, I'd recommend the 120D II with a 2/3 or full CTO to give you an option and the updated fresnel lens.

As much as I love the Aputure offerings, I think you can save quite a bit by looking at some other brands. CAME-TV Boltzen lights are cheaper, smaller and often work on standard Sony NP-F series batteries. I recommend the 55w version, especially if you'll be correcting for tungsten. The throw is decent, almost comparable to a much more expensive Dedo 150. They are dimmable and even have a remote implementation (that I've never had great success with, but that's another story).
I did a direct comparison video a couple of years ago. https://youtu.be/zEEwtk_lPaQ

Other options are listed in the video, but my Boltzen (and my Dedo) are still part of every event kit.

Thanks I’ll have to check that out.

I love watching Matt Johnson’s wedding videos. The Practilite in this video has great features but is far beyond my budget .
https://youtu.be/FVlzW6yzHe4
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I absolutely love my COB 120d II. I had 2 120Ds, now I have one and the II, and the latter is so much improved it's not even funny. The only downside I can anticipate for you is that it's daylight balanced. While there was a tungsten version of the first gen, there is currently not an option for the Mark II. Also, you do have to purchase the fresnel lens separately.

If you want a deal, I am going to sell my original daylight balanced model, and I'd throw in the fresnel with it since they also have updated the fresnel lens. Otherwise, I'd recommend the 120D II with a 2/3 or full CTO to give you an option and the updated fresnel lens.
Thanks for the offer. I haven’t made any decisions yet I’m trying to weigh how much I want to spend. I only use lights for weddings and I only film for friends and acquaintances. This one is in September and I’m doing it for under a 1k so while want to improve my gear with each wedding I have to think carefully what I need vs what I want. COB look like quality lights although might be out of my price range and I don’t want to low ball you.

As far as color my uses would be in a reception hall which would most likely be indoor warm tungsten color (3200).

As far as color my uses would be in a reception hall which light which would be indoor tungsten (3200).

In that case, I'd definitely recommend the older COB120t model if you go with Aputure, as it's tungsten calibrated and you won't lose the intensity with having to use CTO to get the daylight models there.

I absolutely love my COB 120d II. I had 2 120Ds, now I have one and the II, and the latter is so much improved it's not even funny. The only downside I can anticipate for you is that it's daylight balanced. While there was a tungsten version of the first gen, there is currently not an option for the Mark II. Also, you do have to purchase the fresnel lens separately.

If you want a deal, I am going to sell my original daylight balanced model, and I'd throw in the fresnel with it since they also have updated the fresnel lens. Otherwise, I'd recommend the 120D II with a 2/3 or full CTO to give you an option and the updated fresnel lens.

In that case, I'd definitely recommend the older COB120t model if you go with Aputure, as it's tungsten calibrated and you won't lose the intensity with having to use CTO to get the daylight models there.
You can send me a private msg what you would like to sell it for and a link to the model your selling.

You mentioned that you could include a fresnel lens. Excuse my ignorance I don’t know much about lighting.
1. I thought lights are either fresnel or not. how does the lens get attached?
2. Is it dimable?
3. Is it difficult making it daylight? I assume that a blue colored gel is added? Down side it reduces the brightness?
4. Will these run on batteries?
5. Does it have a fan? If so how loud?

You can send me a private msg what you would like to sell it for and a link to the model your selling.

I can, just so you know, I only have the daylight balanced models, so it would take a gel.

I thought lights are either fresnel or not. how does the lens get attached?

The COB120d has a Bowens mount on the front. You mount the lens to it and turn it until it locks. The Fresnel lens is an additional add-on with this light.

Is it dimable?

Yes, you have a control box with a wheel on it, you dial in the amount of light you want.

Is it difficult making it daylight? I assume that a blue colored gel is added? Down side it reduces the brightness?

It's no more difficult than adding a gel to the front of the lens. The models I have are daylight balanced all ready, so it's an orange gel I use to make it tungsten when I need to (I'll be doing that for my COB120d Mark II as the room I'm using it in for my shoot next week in Vegas is tungsten).

Will these run on batteries?

Yes they do. Mine is a V-mount option. It also comes in AB mount. They are a little annoying in that you must use a V or AB mount battery that can allow for an 11amp draw, so make sure you double-check that. Most of them are 9-10.

Does it have a fan? If so how loud?

There is a fan, though I've never heard it when I have used it. Though I have heard the much larger 300D model has noticeable fan noise.

I'm a grumpy old git, and I really like LED equipment, BUT, and it's a HUGE but, Fresnels win because they have amazingly beautiful light that blends with others, has nice soft edges that don't make the shadows mega sharp, and people lit with them look nice.

Flat panel LEDs are nice and bright, but not attractive looking on people, apart from if you want a soft light. The LEDs that pretend to be Fresnels, use micro-Fresnel lenses, like they use on overhead projectors. Optically they're a decent sense, but the micro-rings don't provide the nice soft edges at all. I don't really treat them as Fresnels as a type, because they just don't replicate what things like Arri 650/1Ks actually do! I bought a Chinese 'Fresnel', and the lens isn't really a Fresnel at all - just a frosted PC.

Bit of a rant, because it's just something that's been a choice for 40 years for me, and now the magic word 'Fresnel' just means a spotlight, with a lens.

Fresnels win because they have amazingly beautiful light that blends with others, has nice soft edges that don't make the shadows mega sharp, and people lit with them look nice.

When I was first getting started many years ago, I would have clients ask me not to use lighting, but to use "natural light", then they would send me an example they liked, and it was always well lit. After a few instances of this happening, I came to realize that what they were actually asking for was to not use Fresnels (mostly in the form of the typical Arri light kits) because of the harsh shadowing. What they really meant was that they preferred Kinos and later softened 1x1s.

90% of my work is 1x1 LED panels, but you never know when you need to use a Fresnel. I was fortunate enough to come away from NAB in 2017 with my first COB120D, which I immediately put into use in the training series I was filming because I needed to light a second angle for a talent turn to second camera, in which there was a window behind him, but I also didn't want the light interfering with the main angle. This was tough to do with the Lightstorm 1x1s I was using, but once I put the COB in there with the Fresnel lens attachment, it was ridiculously easy to accomplish.

Recently, I shot some content for a client in which I used the COB120D II with the Lite Dome Mini II and it worked exceptionally well for most of the content, occasionally with a Lupo Super Panel 1x1 as fill along with selective flagging. Very impressed, so I'll probably incorporate more of that into my work going forward.