Agreed, that discussion is much better than ask/answer.
Been chatting a lot over the years with various lamp manufacturers up to the head of photo optics
level in lamps with them. Be assured that developments are under way both on the
HPL and other lines of lamps, also that all brands have individual unique lamp concepts well under way coming soon. They tend to get earfulls from me once contacted - as if I would be any different in person.
Evidence of development is that while many manufacturers count the months or years until the patent runs out on the
HPL, an upgrade for it is TBA and under development, this much less that the
ANSI code GLD, which is a Thorn/GE HX-754 and Philips #6981P are while very similar in style, yet unique to themselves out of separate development. The GLC - Thorn/GE HX-603 or Osram HPR 575/115 are also very unique developments also, that in addition to what Ushio also comes up with and to market first or at times unique on. Just got instock two upgrade 1.2Kw FEL lamps for a
Altman 1000Q follow spot on my
desk. TBA what this most powerful lamp will do in the
fixture - unique to Ushio only lamp as with the 800w ray light lamp that caught quite a few other suppliers by surprise given they assumed that a 600w DYS ray light lamp was the tops.
In discussion, even the concept of radial
Leko lamps upgraded to 575w/115v standards has been discussed - but realistically one won’t see such a lamp - too small a market for the upgrade. The 120v upgrade EGE won’t get discontinued, but won’t get better than that due to
fixture efficiency. If one really wants to get beyond that,
jack up the lamp
base and retro fit it for a
axial say GLC lamp type.
Overall, depends upon the wattage of the S-4's and the application, much less lamp life verses high output intent. As always the HPR 575/115v keeps up if not out punches a
HPL 575/115w/C lamp for general output. A GLC might be sufficient or probably will not be equal in
pattern projection. For 750w, in high output, the #6981P is the best lamp out there but I have never tested in comparison. IN long life, the 575w Phillips GLA is best, and 575w GE GLE is best you can do and often sufficient enough though not S-4 I suppose.
Treat the fixtures as paint brushes and or number your priorities in color and use. Designate what’s most needed and important first, than relegate say for an amber
wash of light from one direction, do I really need the higher
color temperature? Could do this with say a EHD lamp instead and save more money yet. Even for a show when a whole series of lamps won’t get beyond say 60% lamp them with HX-400 or
HPL 375 lamps. This much less the EHD. Correct
color temperature and wattage/
voltage in addition to the
fixture type. Apply what works for a use to the situation over just one standard
fixture. Get the feel for different efficiencies and flavors of fixtures and you master some
element of the art. This especially once the 360's are mixed into the painting
pallet and one sees what they do for your art as a brush stroke across the
stage picture.
Wanting to make a
fixture appear to be another
fixture is one thing. Using a
fixture for what it is as a paint brush another thing. This beyond using a
fixture for what it can be as a completely different thing once lamped differently. Art with the fixtures you have - this both with how they are now and how they change when you change the lamps. Same way as a S-4 lamped with a 575w lamp is different than a S-4 with 750w lamp, you have lots to paint with.