Ocean Optics other products, and other Seachanger ramblings

[gafftapegreenia]

Check it out, Ocean Optics does a bunch of cool things, including the gel analyzer and color identifier we've always wanted!

http://www.oceanoptics.com/Products/sea-series.asp

Also, some things I've "discovered" about the Seachanger. The unit is so durn heavy because of the complex optical train. There are at least 3 lenses in there. The weight of the low voltage transformer is negligible when compared to the weight of the optical train. Thus, that answers the question of why they are so heavy.

Also, if they make a Seachanger wash that uses the reflector of the source 4, but a Fresnel lens, why hasn't anyone made a Fresnel style lens tube for the Source 4 body? Obviously, it can be done. If there was a lens tube that let people get the soft flood of a Fresnel lens, but still use the shutters, I'd bet people would jump on it.

[gafftaper]

Originally Posted by gafftapegreenia

Check it out, Ocean Optics does a bunch of cool things, including the gel analyzer and color identifier we've always wanted!
http://www.oceanoptics.com/Products/sea-series.asp
Also, some things I've "discovered" about the Seachanger. The unit is so durn heavy because of the complex optical train. There are at least 3 lenses in there. The weight of the low voltage transformer is negligible when compared to the weight of the optical train. Thus, that answers the question of why they are so heavy.
Also, if they make a Seachanger wash that uses the reflector of the source 4, but a Fresnel lens, why hasn't anyone made a Fresnel style lens tube for the Source 4 body? Obviously, it can be done. If there was a lens tube that let people get the soft flood of a Fresnel lens, but still use the shutters, I'd bet people would jump on it.

The price on those Seachanger color analyzers is outrageous. Your better off using Kelite's gel kit... plus there's free GUM! It's cool, I saw it at LDI last year but nothing that really got me excited. The primary purpose of it is to be able to slide a gel into the reader and have it instantly send the values to the seachanger to match it. But there are also charts available with the matching values so in my book it's not a trick worth well over a grand... seems like the thing runs around $1500+ if I remember right.

As for why ETC never put a fresnel lens on a S4 that's an interesting question that I haven't heard a good answer too. You wouldn't have to do a lot of modification to the reflector to make it work fairly well. Or there could certainly be an after market product that does it for you... it would probably be too expensive though. The truth is ETC probably said we aren't going to make a Frensel unless we do it right from the ground up... no attachments that only sort of work.

As for the shutters and the fresnel lens I don't think that would work. I think the light would scatter so much that the shutter would be useless.
I'm waiting for the truck with my Seachangers to arrive. I'll report back just as soon as I get them working.

[David Ashton]

Strand made a profile with a fresnel lens, the pattern 263, it was cheap and relatively effective for 40 years ago.

[gafftapegreenia]

http://www.strandarchive.co.uk/lanterns/p263.html

[tomed101]

As for the weight of the Seachangers, they in fact have four lenses. The seachangers have CMYG mixing. The green filter helps with the greens and blues. The green wheel can also be swapped out for a dimming wheel.

[gafftapegreenia]

Tomed101, I think you're a little confused .Yes, they have 4 dichroic color wheels. These are sheets of glass with a graduated dichroic coating on them. Their weight is a small part of a Seachanger. Seachangers have a large optical train of lenses, at least 3 lenses that were visible, possibly another one contained within. There is alot of high grade optical glass in those units

[tomed101]

Originally Posted by gafftapegreenia

Tomed101, I think you're a little confused .Yes, they have 4 dichroic color wheels. These are sheets of glass with a graduated dichroic coating on them. Their weight is a small part of a Seachanger. Seachangers have a large optical train of lenses, at least 3 lenses that were visible, possibly another one contained within. There is alot of high grade optical glass in those units

Sorry, my mistake. It did seem odd that such a small disk would be so heavy

[Logos]

Originally Posted by allthingstheatre

Strand made a profile with a fresnel lens, the pattern 263, it was cheap and relatively effective for 40 years ago.

The 23N was also available with either a Fresnel lens or a step lens.

[gafftapegreenia]

http://www.strandarchive.co.uk/lanterns/p23nii.html

[Logos]

Interesting isn't it. It doesn't mention the alternate lensing in the archive but I actually own one of each of the lantern with the fresnel and step.