Review: Aputure’s NOVA II

Posted on Apr 24, 2026 by Admin

Cinematographer Tim Cragg puts Aputure’s NOVA II through its paces on the shoot for an upcoming Netflix true-crime documentary

Reviewer: Tim Cragg

In Tim Cragg’s 30+ years in cinematography, he’s photographed 16 theatrical feature documentaries and many films for Netflix, HBO, BBC and Amazon. Starting out as an editor before moving into the camera department, he’s the proud recipient of a BAFTA as well as multiple BAFTA and Emmy nominations. One of his best known projects, Three Identical Strangers, has become one of the highest-grossing documentaries of all time at the UK box office.

timcragg.com

I had the opportunity to test the Aputure NOVA II on a forthcoming Netflix true-crime documentary. I came to the NOVA II having used the original NOVA P600c for several years, which itself had replaced my long-standing use of the ARRI SkyPanel S60. One of the major advantages of the original NOVA was its weight. Compared to the SkyPanel, it was significantly lighter – light enough that I could travel with it without exceeding airline weight limits, which makes a real difference when working internationally. The NOVA II is heavier than the P600c, but Aputure has cleverly integrated the ballast into the back of the unit. In practice, this makes for a cleaner and more efficient set-up, reducing cabling and simplifying rigging.

The project required a visual language that felt immediate and alive, and my approach was inspired by the kinetic, handheld energy associated with Paul Greengrass, director of the Bourne films. I shot with two ARRI Mini LFs paired with ARRI Signature Zoom lenses and ARRI Impression V back filters, allowing the camera to constantly reframe and rediscover the space as the scene unfolded. Much of the action takes place inside a police headquarters set, where around 20 actors operate within a busy environment monitoring crimes through multiple CCTV feeds.

To heighten the sense of activity, I worked closely with the production designer and Revolver, the company responsible for managing the digital screens on-set. The set itself contained numerous monitors, but I also asked for additional floating panes of glass that could sit in the foreground of the frame. Two large ‘on-the-fly’ TVs allowed Revolver to feed archival material, surveillance footage or electronic static that we could project onto the glass. By placing these panes anywhere in the frame, I was able to shoot through layers of moving imagery, creating the impression that the entire room was saturated with digital information.

The NOVA II played an important role in shaping the atmosphere of the space. In a corridor deep in the background of the set, I placed the fixture fitted with the Aputure NOVA II Dome Diffuser and used its pixel-mapping capabilities to create a subtle pulsing transition between green and blue tones. The idea was that somewhere off-screen there was a larger computer room powering the building. The slow colour shift allowed a soft electronic glow to bleed down the corridor, almost as if the building itself were breathing. My gaffer, Ben Bailey, and I found the pixel-mapping controls extremely intuitive. More broadly, Aputure’s menu system is one of its real strengths – clear, logical and quick to navigate. In practice, I’ve never needed to refer to a manual; the interface is self-explanatory, with a screen large enough to make adjustments confidently and quickly under pressure.

What truly sets the NOVA II apart is the quality of the light. This is the first panel I have used that employs Aputure’s BLAIR-CG light engine, and it feels like a genuine step forward. The quality of the white light in particular is something I haven’t seen before in an LED panel; clean, rich and natural in a way that sits beautifully within both controlled and mixed lighting environments. Combined with its 1000W output, it delivers an immense amount of usable light while also maintaining a softness and consistency that makes it incredibly versatile.

Additionally, the NOVA II proved extremely effective on a nighttime exterior sequence in which one police car slowly approaches another vehicle that has been the site of a shootout. Traditionally, I might create a large soft source by bouncing an HMI or multiple SkyPanels into a 12×12 frame of diffusion or Ultrabounce. On this occasion, I simply used the NOVA II fitted with the Aputure NOVA II Dome Diffuser. It produced a beautifully soft cyan-green wash that immediately suggested an urban night environment. With the addition of a few small tungsten sources to create isolated pools of light, the NOVA II was able to generate a convincing moonlit atmosphere without the need for large bounce frames or complex rigging, which saved both time and space on-set.

Another moment where the NOVA II proved to be invaluable was on a set recreating a fish and chip shop interior. The real location has a large pane of glass facing the street, but the sequence was filmed on a stage. I wanted the interior to feel as though it was lit by natural daylight entering through that unseen window. Using the NOVA II, again fitted with the Aputure NOVA II Dome Diffuser, I introduced extremely subtle pixel-mapped variations in intensity. These gentle shifts created the effect of clouds passing across the sun, giving the light a natural breathing quality that brought realism to the scene.

Across these different environments – electronic interiors, moonlit exteriors and daylight interiors – the NOVA II was a truly versatile fixture. It allowed us to create layered, atmospheric lighting quickly while maintaining a naturalistic visual language. Working alongside collaborators such as Revolver and my gaffer, it became an essential tool in shaping the immersive world of the film.