Some confusion on the Soraa website on the system... says 2" for small and 4" dia. for large lens systems. 2" is easily MR-16 lamps, but 4" has to be either PAR 30 or PAR 36 lamps (I think PAR 36 lamps - but not defined in what lamps they go with.) Not a great website for explaining on Soraa or Bulbrite.
Http://www.soraa.com/products/snap_system
Overall concept is magnetic centers to the various lenses allow the lens train, louvers, added gels & dichroics, or CTB boosting filters to stick to their mostly (system working with) 10 degree lamps and even stack together for lens combinations, but there is also other lenses that apparently don’t need the 10 degree lamp. Not certain about the 4" “Large” version of this system, but think it to the PAR 36 lamps. On the other hand could also be their AR 111 lamp system.
Warning past experience with early Halco LED PAR 36 lamps has shown the LED lamps won’t fit “correctly” into an audience blinder and many other PAR 36 fixture types - some modification needed. Might or might not be the case with these PAR 36 lamps. There also has been problems with the Soraa MR-16 lamps in fitting properly into standard MR-16 fixtures from the ETC Micro Leko, thru various trac lighting fixtures - especially the gimball ring types. See also below on output.
Lots of different beam angle options available for each type of lamp added lens accessory from 10x 60 degree oval - and other sizes in oval, to 60 up to degree circle, in very wide and other beam spreads in common beam angles. Than there is the variable lens train that goes from 0 degree to 20 degree beam angle dependant on how you rotate the lens train. Imagine a LED ray light kit for a PAR 36 or MR-16 which is low wattage and won’t need a lamp change..
Now imagine the 1/4, ½, and 3/4 CTB = color temperature boost filters for the lamps available in many different color temperatures - boosting them to dial in your color temperature. So If Soraa only goes up to 4,000̊K in color temperature lamps.... add a 3/4 CTB color booster to it, you now have the color temperature of a xenon follow spot.
Combine a few lens trains and you can say get a LED 0 degree beam spread, 7,000̊K lamp with 95 CRI and louvers on the lamp. Or a 60 degree or 36 degree or 24 degree etc. down in beam spread. Can focus the light from the beam down to wide/narrow wash thru almost what ever diameter you want.
That’s the good stuff and concepts. Soraa lamps are good and have been problematic up to them to getting to generation 3 in getting there in supply. But a quick MR-16 LED comparison to luminous output of a Bulbrite somewhat similar lamp at 5,000̊K as compared to the Soraa lamp at 4,000K, the Bulbrite lamp was only in the 80's of CRI, but was by far more in luminous output.
Luminous output of Soraa lamps might not be as much as expected at times given the CRI, and especially after adding and stacking filters, light output will be lessened further. You can't stack filters on the Bulbrite lamp.
Great concepts in options, and certainly ideas that come up with me for use, but actual output intent might be less than imagined say for a 7,000̊K color temperature beam at zero beam spread... Laser beam. Yet to try the concept but keeping in mind this is a concept of accessories on my mind for future use. Before I buy, I think I’ll look into other sampling options. Interesting concepts though that I'm keeping in mind for stuff I do.
Http://www.soraa.com/products/snap_system
Overall concept is magnetic centers to the various lenses allow the lens train, louvers, added gels & dichroics, or CTB boosting filters to stick to their mostly (system working with) 10 degree lamps and even stack together for lens combinations, but there is also other lenses that apparently don’t need the 10 degree lamp. Not certain about the 4" “Large” version of this system, but think it to the PAR 36 lamps. On the other hand could also be their AR 111 lamp system.
Warning past experience with early Halco LED PAR 36 lamps has shown the LED lamps won’t fit “correctly” into an audience blinder and many other PAR 36 fixture types - some modification needed. Might or might not be the case with these PAR 36 lamps. There also has been problems with the Soraa MR-16 lamps in fitting properly into standard MR-16 fixtures from the ETC Micro Leko, thru various trac lighting fixtures - especially the gimball ring types. See also below on output.
Lots of different beam angle options available for each type of lamp added lens accessory from 10x 60 degree oval - and other sizes in oval, to 60 up to degree circle, in very wide and other beam spreads in common beam angles. Than there is the variable lens train that goes from 0 degree to 20 degree beam angle dependant on how you rotate the lens train. Imagine a LED ray light kit for a PAR 36 or MR-16 which is low wattage and won’t need a lamp change..
Now imagine the 1/4, ½, and 3/4 CTB = color temperature boost filters for the lamps available in many different color temperatures - boosting them to dial in your color temperature. So If Soraa only goes up to 4,000̊K in color temperature lamps.... add a 3/4 CTB color booster to it, you now have the color temperature of a xenon follow spot.
Combine a few lens trains and you can say get a LED 0 degree beam spread, 7,000̊K lamp with 95 CRI and louvers on the lamp. Or a 60 degree or 36 degree or 24 degree etc. down in beam spread. Can focus the light from the beam down to wide/narrow wash thru almost what ever diameter you want.
That’s the good stuff and concepts. Soraa lamps are good and have been problematic up to them to getting to generation 3 in getting there in supply. But a quick MR-16 LED comparison to luminous output of a Bulbrite somewhat similar lamp at 5,000̊K as compared to the Soraa lamp at 4,000K, the Bulbrite lamp was only in the 80's of CRI, but was by far more in luminous output.
Luminous output of Soraa lamps might not be as much as expected at times given the CRI, and especially after adding and stacking filters, light output will be lessened further. You can't stack filters on the Bulbrite lamp.
Great concepts in options, and certainly ideas that come up with me for use, but actual output intent might be less than imagined say for a 7,000̊K color temperature beam at zero beam spread... Laser beam. Yet to try the concept but keeping in mind this is a concept of accessories on my mind for future use. Before I buy, I think I’ll look into other sampling options. Interesting concepts though that I'm keeping in mind for stuff I do.
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