New Gear Questions

[OnWithTheShow]

I am thinking about expanding our lighting and effects inventory a bit. We just finished phasing out our old Altman Lekos for S-4s. We also just got a HES Dataflash strobe. I am going to get some more S-4's for the inventory and some more Par's. As far as PAR's go whats the opinion on the s-4 PAR versus the standard? Also what color scrollers/changers for you recommend for PARcans and S-4 Ellip. I was also thinking of getting a hazer. What hazer can you all recommend? We have rented one for the last three productions and could have purchased one for what we paid.

[Nephilim]

The thing I liked best about the S4 PAR is that it uses HPL lamps, and you can very easily change the lens, and rotate the lens, not the entire lamp unit.

[ship]

Did you say easily change the lens??? I guess that's the case most of the time. Still it's useful to carry a un-sharpened long pencil in your pocket for times they stick. Plus a small pry bar to get the lamps out once seated. We have even started the practice of using a pipe and rubber mallet to seat the new lamps into the base. Just something strange about new S-4 fixtures that has always been a problem. The lamp bases need to get warn in to work properly.

As for the PAR over the S-4, that's a judgement call. At one point we had at least 600 parcans in stock than we bought about a thousand S-4 fixtures when they came out and started selling off the normal parcans. In the past couple of months we got up to about 1,500 or more S-4 PARs but our normal PAR can stock grew back to about 600 again having personally wired about 300 new ones.

They both have their uses. I for instance prefer the longer snout on a PAR can than the flair off a S-4 fixture unless in wide lens for stage use. Granted there are barn doors and top hats, but the overall flair is different. Depends upon the range also in addition to what you are used to.

Plus with a PAR can fixture you can use ACL lamps and Raylights, much less boost the lamp up to 1,200 watts if you so desire. But there is something to be said about a standardized lamp and not needing to stock complete lamps for every beam spread.

By the way, I hope the Altmans did not just go into the trash or it will be a mortal sin upon the temple of the theater you took part in.

[Nephilim]

Originally Posted by ship

Did you say easily change the lens??? I guess that's the case most of the time. Still it's useful to carry a un-sharpened long pencil in your pocket for times they stick. Plus a small pry bar to get the lamps out once seated.

I'm guessing the difference here is that ours rarely moved from the pipe, let alone get toured around.

[OnWithTheShow]

They are all still here, gathering dust, probably this summer we will clean them and refurbish them all.