I have seven of my own in the 3.5Q5 and 3.5Q6 series. I absolutely love them for short
throw small venu uses. As a designer, they supplement for my specials really well. They are the for runner to the mini
Leko ETC sells and the follow up to the 3.5Q Kliegl used to sell. Many other brands also sell someting in the 3.5Q
line.
Same
lamp cap as a
360Q thus in
lamp cap you can interchange caps with the others. Smaller
gel size saves money especially when you collect up the scrap
gel others just
throw out. Put in a request to your local lighting company for their waste
gel too small to use. Even burnt up
gel sometimes will result in it's four corners being of sufficient size for this
Leko. You will easily fill up a pre-cut
gel file sufficient for this equipment given some collecting of scrap.
The
fixture itself while the
360Q is reated for 750w, is only rated for 500w. I have been using HX-600 than FLK lamps in these fixtures - literally since Robert
Altman sent me a pre-market sample of the lamp. (Long story but I was the most cool kid in the college theater for about a week, or until someone else got his very own
laser.)
Due to the smaller cooling area, I would not put a 750w lamp in such a
fixture, but I have been using 575w lamps in these fixtures for over ten years now without any cooling or lamp
base problems. No melted down reflectors or anything else similar other than normal for the equipment. The maximum 500w
rating of the
fixture is a serious limitation at times for your application. This in addition to the beam of light coming from a smaller source as might show to become a
design factor.
These days I install the HPR lamp in my 3.5Q fixtures. The Osram HPR 575w/115v #54549 has the same basic specifications as the FLK and an internal
reflector inside the lamp which completes the ellipse of the
reflector. This adds 15 to 20% more output and refined beam of light to the lamp. In testing while dissimilar beam angles, a 3.5Q6 will easily out punch a thirty degree
ETC S-4
Leko even if the 3.5Q6 has a wider
beam angle. You can see the hard
edge of a HPR lamp inside the beam of a
HPL 575w/C lamped
Leko.
I have not tried such a lamp on smaller
beam angle equipment of the 3.5Q series but expect it to have similar results. As I remember it, the S-4 had a slightly more even beam of field (Hard to get rid of the
Altman 360Q series hole in it's center, but otherwise it was a very good and even beam of light and much more intense than that of the
ETC fixture.)
Recently I specified lighting for a low budget theater. I chose
360Q fixtures not the 3.5Q, tough them and the 10" scoops were if budget held out in the plans. The
360Q line while on a budget is still more normal to use and when used should be in the $95.00 each range in price. Go for the 4.5Q6.5 fixtures - they are very useful for wide angle throws. This with a on
stage inventory of a mixture of 6x9 and 6x12 is very useful. Been years since I have seen other than a wide
throw 3.5Q
fixture in use. Think my old college had some 3.5Q12's in the inventory but I don't remember designing with them.
Primary reasons for this 6"
Leko size was the standardized
fixture, and
gel frame size. This theater in also having 6" Fresnels could than use the same
top hat and
gel cuts. The 3.5Q
line is an acquired taste but more normal for short
throw and small working space use.
I'm not sure if used gear is on a budget if a 3.5 verses 6"
Leko would be less money. A few years ago I bought some 3.5Q5's from Bash (aka. these days Forth
Phase.) I believe they were the same amount of money with either size. Buying used gear from a company that uses the gear as part of it's living will often imply but not dictate professionally maintained gear. Inspect it, but my gear came with a fresh coat of paint and all in practicly new condition. Buying used gear from Ma and Pa who used until it's dead means you might have to complete service
call the gear.
Look really well at the lamp bases and shutters. You might save money at some
point if you
send back what Ma and Pa trashed and shopping elsewhere. Than again, you might be just fine.
In having given my own gear a recent service
call, also check the lenses. Them
lens retaining rings are murder on the lenses. Just got some replacement lenses in and I think I'm going to pad the
lens ring.
As for patterns, while you can cut down some A and B sizes for the much smaller 3.5 size, it is otherwise it's own size of
gobo. This means more money in the long run to supplement your inventory with what otherwise might be more universal
pattern size if normal 6" or
ETC size.
Good fixtures, but if shin busters and used, I would search first really hard for some 6"
360Q series
Leko.