Who This Checklist Is For

If you're running a small production company, a solo YouTube channel that's outgrown softboxes from Amazon, or a photography studio adding video capability, this is for you. You've got a budget—probably tighter than you'd like—and you need to light a space. Not "eventually." Now.

I've been managing procurement for a 12-person production company for about five years now—handling everything from our quarterly gear orders to annual consumables. When we moved from a mix of borrowed ARRI gear and cheap LED panels to a primarily Aputure-based kit, I built a checklist for the process. This is that checklist, updated for 2025.

There are five steps. Do them in order. Skip step two at your own risk.

Step 1: Map Your Power and Space Constraints Before You Look at Lumens

Here's the mistake I made on my first studio build: I started looking at the LS 1200d Pro because I wanted that big, daylight-balanced punch. It's a sexy light. But my studio is a converted retail space with one 15-amp breaker for the entire back half. The 1200d Pro pulls about 10 amps at full draw. One light, half my circuit. Plus, it's heavy—you need a decent stand and you will need sandbags.

What I should have done—and what I do now—is this: grab a piece of paper, sketch your space, and write down:

  • Amps available per circuit (go flip your breaker panel and count)
  • Ceiling height (dictates stand and modifier choice)
  • Distance from subject to light (how much output do you actually need?)
  • Is this a permanent setup or will you pack it up weekly? (impacts weight and case requirements)

For our space, the math said two Aputure 600d Pros on separate circuits, and a couple of Amaran 200d S units for fills. That gave us the output we needed without tripping breakers. The 1200d Pro wasn't wrong—it was just wrong for us.

Step 2: Crunch the TCO—Not Just the Light Price

This is the step everyone rushes through. Lights are the sexy part. The accessories are where the budget disappears. I'm talking from experience here.

When we spec'd out our first Aputure COB 60x kit, the light itself was reasonable (and honestly, still a fantastic entry point). But we needed:

  • A softbox (the Light Dome Mini is great, but adds cost)
  • A grid for it (you'll want one for control)
  • A stand (unless you own one)
  • An extra V-mount battery or two (if you want location flex)
  • A case to carry it all

Suddenly that $350 light was a $700 kit. Which is still a good value, but if you're budgeting $2,000 for lights and need two key lights, a fill, and a hair light, you run out of money fast if you forget the stands.

Here's my rule: before adding anything to cart, list every accessory you'll need for that light to function in your primary use case. Include stands, modifiers, mounting hardware, batteries, and a case if you travel. Then add 15% for the stuff you didn't think of (I call this the "why is this adapter so expensive" tax). That's your true cost for that light.

A Quick Word on the Spotlight Mount

If you need hard shadows or projection effects, the Aputure Spotlight Mount is incredible. But here's the kicker: the mount itself is one cost. Then you probably want at least the 19° and 36° lenses. Then you realize you need a gobo holder for your custom gobos. The full setup can easily run you $1,000+ on top of the light. For a small studio testing the waters, this is a big swing. I'd recommend renting a Spotlight Mount for a weekend before buying it. We did, and realized we only needed it for two setups per year—made more sense to rent.

Step 3: Decide on Your Control Surface (And Don't Overcomplicate It)

I get excited about tech. But when I started researching control systems for our Aputure kit, I went down a rabbit hole. DMX? CRMX? LumenRadio? What about DALI? (Spoiler: DALI is awesome for architectural lighting—think ceiling-mounted fixtures in a conference room—but it's overkill for a film studio where you're moving lights between setups every 30 minutes. We don't use it and you almost certainly don't need it.)

Most small studios don't need an full DMX setup. The Aputure Sidus Link app is genuinely good. We control our entire grid via an iPad with Sidus Link, and it just works. Blues, reds, even the color mixing on the MC and MC Pro units. It's all in the app, it's fast, and it doesn't require a paid consultant to set up.

When do you need DMX? When you have a lighting director who needs physical faders, or when you're doing a multi-day shoot with a gaffer who's used to a console. But for a two-person team doing talking heads and product shoots? Save the $800 and the headache. Sidus Link is your friend.

"Over the past 4 years of tracking every invoice in our system, I found that 22% of our 'budget overruns' on studio builds came from control systems that were never fully utilized. We implemented a 'start simple' policy and cut that overrun by over 60%."

Step 4: Choose Your First Multi-Light Kit Strategically

If I had a dollar for every time a small creator bought one big light (like a 300d II) and then found they couldn't do two-point lighting without buying a second one... well, I'd be writing this from a nicer chair.

The most common setup for a small interview or talking head studio is three lights: a key, a fill, and a hair/backlight. You don't need three identical lights. In fact, you probably shouldn't get three identical lights. Here's what I'd spec for a small start-up studio, roughly in priority order:

  1. Key light: An Aputure 300d or 300x (the 300x gives you bi-color flexibility which is worth it for mixed lighting scenarios)
  2. Fill light: An Amaran 200d S (more than enough for fill, cheaper, and still in the Sidus ecosystem)
  3. Hair/backlight: An Amaran 60d or 60x (compact, easy to rig, and you probably already have a boom arm for it)

This gives you a functional three-light kit for about the price of one 1200d Pro. And you'll actually use all three lights. The 1200d Pro is a tool for specific problems (big diffusion frames, daylight exteriors from windows, or just raw power). The three-light kit solves the problems you solve every single day.

The One Place Small Clients Get Burned: Tube Lights

Aputure has the MT Pro and the MC line—the tube lights. They look incredible in product shots and as practicals. But I've seen small creators blow their budget on a kit of four MT Pros, only to realize they still needed key lights. Tube lights are accent lights. They're great for lighting a white background for product photography, or for color accent in a music video. But as your primary source? They're frustrating. Low output, tricky to control without modifiers. Buy them as the last piece of your kit, not the first.

Step 5: Evaluate Your Vendor Relationship (This Matters More Than You Think)

When I started out, I bought everything from the cheapest online vendor. I saved maybe $50 on a light. Then I needed a replacement power cable. The vendor ghosted me for two weeks. I ended up buying a new cable from a different shop at retail price—plus rush shipping. Saving $50 cost me $25 in the rush fee and a week of stress.

Now I have a relationship with a distributor who treats my orders seriously, even when they're small. I'm not naming names here—you should find your own—but there are vendors who specialize in serving small-to-medium production companies. They're not the cheapest, but they answer the phone, they stock common accessories, and they know what a Spotlight Mount 36° lens is without asking me to spell it out.

For your first order, place a small one ($200-400) with a prospective vendor. Test their response time, their shipping accuracy, and their pre-sales knowledge. If they treat your $300 order well, they'll treat your $3,000 order well. That's a green flag.

Common Mistakes That'll Burn Your Budget

  • Forgetting about power distribution. One circuit, two 600-class lights = a bad time. Rent a distro box or know your breaker panel before you order.
  • Buying modifiers before you understand your space. A large softbox is great in a 12-foot ceiling studio. In an 8-foot bedroom? It's basically a lampshade you can't stand under.
  • Ignoring color consistency claims. All LED lights drift in color over time, but Aputure's high-end units are rigorously tested for color consistency. If you're mixing lights, pay attention to this spec. The cheaper units (Amaran line) are good for fill/gel use but I wouldn't mix a warm Amaran with a key Aputure for a critical interview without testing first.
  • Assuming "future expansion." Buy for the studio you have today, not the one you'll have in two years. The industry changes too fast. By the time you outgrow a 300d, a new generation of fixtures will probably be out.