Where possible I try to go with or recommend the long life lamps. In my own case when given the choice for a new
beam projector using either a GLD, GLE or #6981P lamp, I went with and had no objections to the GLE long life lamp. When providing the 2K studio
Fresnel choice of me going to the Thorn HX-2400 CYX lamp, nobody as yet has complained about the common grade CYX lamp. In knowing about a higher
color temperature Mac 2K lamp - a
fixture type numbering in the mid 260's or more, no designers as yet requested the brighter 7.5K lamp yet so there was no reason to go with it over the 6K lamp. Nobody’s requested the 7.5K lamps in general other than for the
Mac 700. Not even a 150w G-12 based
fixture.
This
intensity and
color temperature on
stage is subjective not objective. Sure, there is cases where bang for the buck becomes important but in an overall sense did Tipton or even Jones make magik with a dark dim
stage or in general make magic with their art no matter what illumination
level even before
halogen was available?
I would think that designers want all the
intensity they can get as a general “more
power” type of concept. On the other
hand, if faced with a dark room and a single candle, it’s incredibly bright, yet faced in a bright room with a candle it’s very dim. All a question of atmosphere in general.
A theater I was raised at for the most part went from EHD/EHG to HX-600 than GLA without problems. Don’t know what they use in their S-4 fixtures but those fixtures are in a separate class for them at least in using the S-4 for some stuff and the
360Q’s for other. Didn’t adopt the BLH yet either in having a separate class for such fixtures also.
How to
switch over to what I think the other theaters in general are correct in buying. First is the customer wants and needs as a question. Do the customers note how much brighter your fixtures are than the other local places as a selling
point? Very important question beyond clean lenses and
bench focus.
Do the customers in getting this higher
intensity 1/5 the lamp life lamps for their shows pay extra for getting them?
If not = and high output lamps have a very specific pay back for those that can afford them, still if not a specific payback it’s not economical. Perhaps economically.
Now the next question is the feasibility of changing in or making a all one change in your inventory towards the more long life lamps and seeing if anyone notices. Is it feasible to re-lamp the entire
Leko inventory to long life lamps? If given that change over during a dark period does the next few designers really note the difference given they dim and or work from a dark
stage for the most part than light it? Can they tell the difference in
color temperature and luminous output overall? Once the night eyes see in the dark, light on
stage is all a question of what
intensity and levels are present. Often one might expect a designer the prime mover for supporting your high output lamps wont note the difference. This plus a few $$$ in changing the rental cost might over rule the designer if it comes down to that given other local area options for the same types of lamps.
Energy efficient more so. A
bit less output and
color temperature yet I would be interested in a designer noting the difference often or mostly once an overall
switch of all not just a few fixtures was achieved.
Other wise should you want to start smaller this change over, one might leave the front of
house positions the same and change those on or over the
stage with a shorter
throw range. More risky but a way to change less than all option perhaps.
68K is not that bad in buys and with given a group you represent which is a really good buying
power in maximizing savings get you at least a discount factor or two, I’m up to the about 300K range now but in a different market also but still in the same concepts of both economics and what the designers require to light their
stage. Still much the same and fighting inflation concepts also. Years ago for the venerable 50 hr. Trackspot lamp some users went with the EYE brand JC24v250w-20H/G2 2,000hr lamp. They lost some in output as a given any time you trade wattage and
voltage that stayed the same for something as with any lamp no matter how much more efficient for the most part, but still the club owners that neither had to pay people to climb the ladder or replace the lamps never turned back in my own resale noting. Did those clubs suffer... perhaps a
bit, but not enough to be noticed in continued sales. Way too bad the pinspot #4515 in also going
halogen didn’t go long life instead of only marginally higher output since it’s the next most used club lamp.
Still I would recommend a looking at your own market in seeing why your venu makes its sales in consideration first in such a long life consideration. Is a part of why it does what it does because of the brighter lights or do you for the most part balance sales with the other places in your market that are long life? In my case and other than a few conditions, switching to long life is a no sale unfortunately and in a past show that required long life lamps and paid special for them, it caused pandemonium in our
system. Not that I didn’t have the long life lamps in
stock for resale which this became for me in lamps, more that should these lamps get stuck after the show into our
system we would have a
bug hunt in weeding them out - another situation to solve in any change over or switches.
Philips GLA lamps and I’m told in a re-design now on the market Osram GLA lamps on the other
hand should be a easier
switch. Just a question of the
HPL lamps playing nice with the high output verses long life versions for the most part. Can but thinking if doing a change, you would want to change all and save and
mark perhaps the if needed high output lamps for say gobos you don’t get a problem in mis match where you would tell the difference. In doing such a
switch, remove blocks of them and budget for perhaps that lifetime supply of “special”
fixture lamps that need to be brighter.
This all for a
house situation. For rental
stock.. Depends on your scale. The standard for the industry is still high output lamps. Believe me if my wife gets in a bunch of rental fixtures to prep for a show and she gets long life lamps she would go
thru the roof in all other fixtures for a standard rental being high output and her now in addition to having to prep - do a service
call to a rental
fixture, have to also change lamps to our own lamps, she would blow her top.
If rental
house and if especially renting to others that are supplementing their inventory one needs to ask on that rental which lamps to be supplying and perhaps
gauge rental price on the lamps in many ways. Rental Production
level fixtures are in my opinion still stuck on the high output lamps. This on the pro
level - a rock tour to your area needs fixtures, its expected it will be high output. Sure one could do the long life and without telling them even get away with it is likely, but get caught once or not match up with what is already on the tour and you supplement, or what you are supplementing another place with and you most likely will loose an account over.
For most rental
stock, high output is a standard and needs to be on the contract otherwise if not. Gotta run with the standards to the industry if rental company. This no matter if lesser
color temperature Mac 2K lamps if that's what is expected, instead of the higher
color temperature ones, or down to the S-4, the high output one if that's also expected and not on the contract as long life instead.
Figure out cost savings, put that discount on the contract in announcing it if change over is in plan. Good idea but depends on scale and use. Really hard to make the change. Congrats on the BTH lamp - A Control Booth idea in the industry. Unfortunately the same person that put that lamp under way in the industry also told me in the last week or so that the HPR lamp is TBA discontinued. That lamp was his concept and one I'm a fan of but didn't
take off. Hopefully at least the BTH will
take off while doubtful the BTH will have a long life version given what such a lamp would be in similarity to the BTL. Such a high color temp. and output lamp would become in similarity to matching up to the GLA or
HPL on the other
hand is really useful for the Fresnels short of requiring the
PARNel. Fascinating the business of lamps. Always options out there or at least at one time or another an option.