Are Source Fours over priced?

[SerraAva]

Just as the title says, do you think Source Fours are over priced? I was talking to a friend of mine a couple days ago and mentioned me picking up some more Source Fours, and he said don't, they are overpriced. My response was there isn't anything all that better out there, they last forever, etc.

So the second part of this question is, is there anything better out there? I did a small gig on Tuesday night, just some up lighting, and lighting for a tent so people could see under it. I also mentioned to him about picking up some more Source Fours, to which his response was, we could have did this with Opti Pars http://www.elationlighting.com/produ...age%20Lighting
I didn't bother responding to this, because I didn't want to dig myself a hole. However, if he ever did, I would strongly protest. So, I ask the vets, what are your thoughts so I am better armed for when these questions are thrown my way again.

[SteveB]

Originally Posted by SerraAva

Just as the title says, do you think Source Fours are over priced? I was talking to a friend of mine a couple days ago and mentioned me picking up some more Source Fours, and he said don't, they are overpriced. My response was there isn't anything all that better out there, they last forever, etc.
So the second part of this question is, is there anything better out there? I did a small gig on Tuesday night, just some up lighting, and lighting for a tent so people could see under it. I also mentioned to him about picking up some more Source Fours, to which his response was, we could have did this with Opti Pars http://www.elationlighting.com/produ...age%20Lighting
I didn't bother responding to this, because I didn't want to dig myself a hole. However, if he ever did, I would strongly protest. So, I ask the vets, what are your thoughts so I am better armed for when these questions are thrown my way again.

The S4 Par is about $150 with a lamp, vs. an Altman Par64 with 4 lamps at around the $160 or so ($72 for a can, $23 per lamp x 4 lamps to equal the 4 S4 lenses). S4 seems like a bargain as it's smaller, uses less wattage (@750w), easier to store lenses then lamps, etc...

S4 ellipsoidals, well no real competition except the Selecons, which are pricier and lack compatibility with a LOT of rental and in-house gear. And don't even think about a Shakespeare as competition to an S4.

So my answer, the S4's are cost effective and in my mind, not overpriced.

SB

[Hughesie]

i think you can buy two selecon pacfics for the price of one s4

[Pie4Weebl]

well if you are using them as just wash fixtures and not shooting gobos or hard edges sure you could use a par and do the job just as well. I wouldn't use an opti-par, or a starpar, etc is the way to go.

[STEVETERRY]

Originally Posted by Hughesie89

i think you can buy two selecon pacfics for the price of one s4

It might work out to the same LPD (Lumens per Dollar).

:-)

ST

[JustinPBrunei]

I was wondering --
what's the comparison with ETC S4 and Selecon?
I've never try Selecon before. Beside the durability, shape of S4.
Well, I have no idea how to put it into words.
It would be nice is someone can give me some technical brief on this one.

[Footer]

The opti-par is a knock off of the S4 par, of course its going to be cheaper. And if thats not a knock off... I don't know what is with exception of the mario 3000 (no really, it exist). ETC has the best product out there for the money, and you can not compare it to knock offs because your not going to get the quality and your not paying for the R&D.

[SerraAva]

Thats what I am kinda getting at. There really is nothing comparing S4s vs anything really. There is no data I can give to my boss saying S4s are this much brighter, this much more durable, etc. SteveB made a great point about the fact that par cans, 64s, 56s, 46s, 38s, etc all need different and more expensive lamps for different angles. Thats a hard number I can hand out, saying inventory and stock will go way up because of these. The one nice part about these pars however is they are now making LED caps for these pars to replace the lamps. It is cheaper then buying a brand new LED par like a Coemar. So how does something like that come into play?

What I am doing is basically explaining tech to a non tech person, just the person happens to be a sound guy not a light guy. I can talk about optics and lamp efficiency till I'm blue in the face, at the end of the day, my boss, like most bosses, want the most for the least amount of money to put on the best show possible. Sometimes quantity is better then quality, sometimes visa versa, sometimes a balance.

[Footer]

Originally Posted by SerraAva

Thats what I am kinda getting at. There really is nothing comparing S4s vs anything really. There is no data I can give to my boss saying S4s are this much brighter, this much more durable, etc. SteveB made a great point about the fact that par cans, 64s, 56s, 46s, 38s, etc all need different and more expensive lamps for different angles. Thats a hard number I can hand out, saying inventory and stock will go way up because of these. The one nice part about these pars however is they are now making LED caps for these pars to replace the lamps. It is cheaper then buying a brand new LED par like a Coemar. So how does something like that come into play?
What I am doing is basically explaining tech to a non tech person, just the person happens to be a sound guy not a light guy. I can talk about optics and lamp efficiency till I'm blue in the face, at the end of the day, my boss, like most bosses, want the most for the least amount of money to put on the best show possible. Sometimes quantity is better then quality, sometimes visa versa, sometimes a balance.

There is a footcandle output comparison chart out there, comparing all the major manufactuers. And with the LED par... don't buy coemar, ever. Its right up there with ADJ and Behringer in my opinion.

[SerraAva]

I remember Elation was going to release a leko, looked exactly like a S4 leko. ETC sued, no Elation leko. Why didn't ETC sue over the Opti-Par or Starpar even? The Opti-Par Zoom is a total knock off of a Parnel, lens and all.