Source Four 14°, 70°, and 90° fixture impressions

Lightingguy32

Active Member
Hello, I am wondering if any one has used the new 14, 70 or 90 degree source four fixtures yet. If you have I am wondering what your opinion is about either of these 3 degree fields and if you would recommend buying lens tubes of these degree fields or just buying the fixture with that degree field lenstube installed.
 
I just got a couple of the 14 degree ones and it was just what you would expect from a source four. It has a nice clean light that is easy to focus and has a nice sharp focus when you need it to be nice and sharp. I bought the whole instrument. I don't know what just the barrel would cost but I would imagine that it is like all of the other source fours and the barrels are easily swapped in and out.
 
the question to devote an entire fixture to it... it really depends on your space. If you are going to buy just 1 or 2 90 deg tubes to throw in for that tight backlight shot, go with the tubes, if you are going to buy 10 of each, get the entire instrument. With the 70 and 90', its kinda hard to get a perfectly sharp projection out of them due to the huge degree angle. If you get the center sharp, the edge will be a bit out of focus. This is not an issue with the instrument itself, the selecons do the same thing. Its a simple matter of physics.
 
We have the 14˚ units in our inventory. They are the perfect field angle for our FOH positions for area frontlight. They look nice. We keep them lamped at 750w. Also of note, the 14˚, 70˚, and 90˚ lenses feature the EDLT lens technology by default.
 
Just a note to know -

all of the three lens tube angles that you mention are EDLT's by default. (Enhanced Definition Lens Tube's).
 
Show's what I get for not reading your post thoroughly. Sorry about that!

;-)
 
Show's what I get for not reading your post thoroughly. Sorry about that!
;-)

I think it is kinda funny that without reading my post you managed to almost quote what I said. Kudos! and no apology needed.
 
I guess I am going to have to use the old, "Great minds think alike" response here....

or something like that
 
I saw one at a show i went to

does the number 750 on a source 4 mean anything
 
Does the number 750 on a source 4 mean anything

750 means that it can use a 750W HPL lamp. The first gen source four fixtures couldn't use anything above a 575W HPL. The newer source fours (with 750 on them) can use 750W HPL lamps.
 
750 means that it can use a 750W HPL lamp. The first gen source four fixtures couldn't use anything above a 575W HPL. The newer source fours (with 750 on them) can use 750W HPL lamps.

Also its good to make sure that the rest of the body is also able to handle the 750W HPL lamp. Otherwise the extra heat can damage the reflector.
 
The fixtures that have 750 printed on them have all the necessary modifications to the whole body to use 750W lamps.
 
The fixtures that have 750 printed on them have all the necessary modifications to the whole body to use 750W lamps.

Yes, this is true, however the body's for the older 575w models can fit the basecap for the 750w. Thats what you need to look out for. Its something that can be easily overlooked when working on a show and have a base go out on a focused light and you have both types of basecaps in your inventory.
 
I've got one 90° fixture that we use for a rear silhouette shot behind a muslin drop with limited upstage space. Good, sharp image of the shadow from edge to edge of the drop. Had to extend the focus of the lens tube beyond the traditional fixture housing -- the retaining screw is just beyond the end of the fixture. All in all, I'm happy with the whole setup.
 
We just got some 14's and 70's. We had a designer try to put top hats in the 70's. Yeah, doesn't work. The beam is so wide coming out that the top hat cut the beam down to about a 36. It was one of those slap yourself in the forehead moments. But the fixtures themselfs are great so far.
 

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