Been working on these mid-70's 2Kw Mole Richardson Lekos Molelipsols of late. Almost a week now in working on three of them - takes three to four hours just re-assemble one of them once taken apart. Going out on a video shoot rental of them. First time in about the last ten years they are seeing use - this I remember because last time they were used I had to manufacture parts to a few of them as with now in total tear down and re-doing I didn’t do last time. Overt missing parts last time like gel frame clips and lens train keyway slides. This time in really looking at and cleaning and painting them, also getting rid of the asbestos wiring, cleaning lenses, re-surfacing the bases, replacing a few screws and fabricating some gate baffles. This plus I found the drop in iris’s for the fixtures which will need a bit of work also. (Past pyro dust seemingly as what was baked onto the front lenses don’t come off in the dish washer and needed further attention.)
So within a few hours in the morning I’ll be all set to bench focus the things which no doubt won’t be fun. Have to remove the rear handle from the fixture to access the third bench focus screw and than it’s all about a large filament, large hole in the reflector, some play in how both reflector and lenses are installed, if the third gate baffle I found on one I made for the others was supposted to be there (not easy to remove) etc. and in general three screw bench focus while good for accuracy - takes patience and on a 2K lamp not easy to be handling.
Question on the other hand comes up for me in only today checking the specifications of the BWA lamps these fixtures were lamped with that in finding two bad and only having in stock one used spare that was good, I now have two used lamps and two new lamps going on a video shoot. This as opposed to a cabinet full of the the less lamp life but more output CYX 2Kw lamps normally used on a 2Kw Studio Fresnel in bulk with us.
My supplier had to special order the BWA lamps for me and they after over a week still are not here yet, yet in the late morning I’ll be ready to bench focus but have to wait in hoping what’s above in question is correct. Luckily I have until the end of the month before the rental picks up the fixtures, but also other things to be getting done. Given this special order and two fixtures with used and one with a new lamp also the main question, how will this used verses old lamp question play on video once even bench focused? No idea on how old beyond having been on the shelf for about ten years how old the used lamps are - could be origional in being like 25 years old but still with unknown amount of hours. This verses the spare and third fixture with a new lamp, how will this play on video?
Should I just play it safe and in having already ordered the BWA lamps eat them in going readily available CYX lamp - all new if important to match up? Hear the rental per fixture is $75.00 each which don’t nearly match up to the parts and labor I have already put into the fixtures but its video. Should I after all this work into bringing them to factory specification also lamp them all new or not worry about for video two used lamps matching up with a used lamp of the long life type in general?
So within a few hours in the morning I’ll be all set to bench focus the things which no doubt won’t be fun. Have to remove the rear handle from the fixture to access the third bench focus screw and than it’s all about a large filament, large hole in the reflector, some play in how both reflector and lenses are installed, if the third gate baffle I found on one I made for the others was supposted to be there (not easy to remove) etc. and in general three screw bench focus while good for accuracy - takes patience and on a 2K lamp not easy to be handling.
Question on the other hand comes up for me in only today checking the specifications of the BWA lamps these fixtures were lamped with that in finding two bad and only having in stock one used spare that was good, I now have two used lamps and two new lamps going on a video shoot. This as opposed to a cabinet full of the the less lamp life but more output CYX 2Kw lamps normally used on a 2Kw Studio Fresnel in bulk with us.
My supplier had to special order the BWA lamps for me and they after over a week still are not here yet, yet in the late morning I’ll be ready to bench focus but have to wait in hoping what’s above in question is correct. Luckily I have until the end of the month before the rental picks up the fixtures, but also other things to be getting done. Given this special order and two fixtures with used and one with a new lamp also the main question, how will this used verses old lamp question play on video once even bench focused? No idea on how old beyond having been on the shelf for about ten years how old the used lamps are - could be origional in being like 25 years old but still with unknown amount of hours. This verses the spare and third fixture with a new lamp, how will this play on video?
Should I just play it safe and in having already ordered the BWA lamps eat them in going readily available CYX lamp - all new if important to match up? Hear the rental per fixture is $75.00 each which don’t nearly match up to the parts and labor I have already put into the fixtures but its video. Should I after all this work into bringing them to factory specification also lamp them all new or not worry about for video two used lamps matching up with a used lamp of the long life type in general?