Conventional Fixtures Photometric Charts

[jmac]

Being a relative novice, I don't have enough experience to necessarily know off the top of my head what fixture to use for a certain throw distance.

I have found several beam calculators and the like on-line, but was looking for a handy chart comparing beam diameters and footcandles for different fixture beam angles, for various throws, all on one page. I didn't find what I was looking for (though I'm sure it's likely there somewhere..), so decided to make up a little spread sheet. The sample pdf file attached is for the ETC Source Four family, 575W, 90 thru 19 degrees.

The numbers at top give basic photometrics from the respective ETC cut sheets, and are used to calculate the diameters and FC's below. I think the numbers are fairly accurate, but I have not thoroughly checked yet.

The portions of each column shaded in yellow is what I thought might be a typical "useful range", and for this chart, is generally no less than 125 FC, and no more than 400FC, with beam diameter typically 9-15 feet. The numbers carry on a bit above and below this range. This could be adjusted/extended as deemed appropriate. Again, I am no expert.

I have worked up similar sheets for ETC S4-750W (90-19 degree), S4-Par 575W & 750W (all lenses), S4-ParNel (575W & 750W, Spot & Flood); Par-64 (500W & 1000W, WFL, MFL, NSP); Altman 360Q (500W & 750W, 4.5x6.5 thru 6x16), and Altman 6" fresnels (KAF-1000W, 65Q-500W & 750W, Spot & Flood). These being fixtures I have been using or think I may run into at some point...

Thought I would post here for comments, and to see if these might be useful to any fellow CB'ers. If so, I will try to post the spread sheet (may need a little time to clean up..). Hopefully, the attachment works here, and is legible enough to read or at least get the general idea (text might be on the small size).. Welcome your comments. Thanks.

 

[Grog12]

It seems to me someone around here did this once. Do a search and you might be able to save yourself some time on the spreadsheet.

 

[mrtrudeau23]

Also, if you are willing to spend a little money on it, the Photometrics Handbook is an absolutely wonderful resource for this and it has pretty much every conventional fixture/manufacturer out there. It can be picked up online. I think I paid between $20-$30 for mine.

 

[jmac]

I did search... Only found reference to Derek's website, where he has compiled fixture beam angles, multipliers and candlepowers for most if not all the popular fixtures, all very useful info. I might have missed others...

I do have the Photometric Handbook, which is also quite handy. That is where I got the data for the Par's and Altman's, to plug into the spread sheet.

Again, what I found I needed or found useful (beyond just the data needed to make the necessary calculations), was to have the beam diameters and footcandles all calculated and shown, for different fixture families at all the relevant throw distances, in a format that allows for easy and quick comparison of expected performance of different fixtures at various throws, w/o resorting to calculations (or common knowledge..).

 

[Grog12]

Now that I've had a chance to look at your attachment since I'm not browsing from my phone, I get where your going but its a little backwards from how I look at things. 1st it doesn't have beam spread as well as field spread, which is important to know when you're sectioning out a show. 2nd, as stupid as it sounds, on a sheet like this I want to know what a 19 degree is going to do at 5'.

Also it doesn't compare like instruments from different manufactures. If I'm using a sheet like this I need to know what the Shakespeare 19 degree, the Strand SL 19 degree, the S4 19 degree ect are going to do at 5'.

That's just my 2 cents. If this works for you excellent, that's half the battle in this buisness.

 

[xander]

Everyone has there own way of working and not any one way is "best." So I thought I would throw out this spreadsheet that a designer I have worked for made. I think it is a little more complicated than it needs to be, but it is a whole let less work than making it yourself.

Jeffrey E. Salzberg, Lighting Designer for Dance and Theatre
Click the "Photometrics Spreadsheet" to download the .xls

-Tim

 

[derekleffew]

... Only found reference to Derek's website, where he has compiled fixture beam angles, multipliers and candlepowers for most if not all the popular fixtures, all very useful info. ...

That to which jmac is referring can be found here: Conventional Photometrics, v7.xls.zip.

 

[RockyPneumonia]

Tim, in what way would you simplify it?

 

[RickR]

I suggest you try software like:
LD Calculator/

It's all been done before. ;-)