Cool Lights 150 CDM frenels - arrived!!

No progress at all since we're working on LEDs models mostly right now. I'm not sure how long it will be either as we have big expenses to get that into production.
 
Quick Question. So when cool lights first started it seemed to me to have a bit of a indy feel to it. It was how to make your own but if you didn't want to go down that path you could buy the lights already put together but still at a decent price. Now I can't falt anyone for trying to make some money and I love supporting the little guy but tell my what I should spend 3k on cool lights 1200 when I can get a arri or something of the sort for about that much?
 
UtahDPDude said:
Now I can't falt anyone for trying to make some money and I love supporting the little guy but tell my what I should spend 3k on cool lights 1200 when I can get a arri or something of the sort for about that much?
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Maybe a used, thrashed one? You obviously haven't priced out 1200 watt HMI PARs. I believe the Arri is about double the price as are the Mole, K5600 and most of the others.

Dan
 
UtahDPDude said:
Quick Question. So when cool lights first started it seemed to me to have a bit of a indy feel to it. It was how to make your own but if you didn't want to go down that path you could buy the lights already put together but still at a decent price. Now I can't falt anyone for trying to make some money and I love supporting the little guy but tell my what I should spend 3k on cool lights 1200 when I can get a arri or something of the sort for about that much?
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You know it is damn hard to please everyone isn't it?

Don't worry we still have an "indy feel" and I'm not little. And I field tons of questions every week from people asking about DIY this or that, low budget, etc. Its interesting you focus on that product and not on the other ground breaking stuff we are doing like the 150w CDM fresnel which is a great tool and nothing else like it in that price range. Most of the benefits of HMI are there too.

But, what price should the 1200w be in your estimation? And on what would you base that?

We ended up here for a reason--that was our study on the subject indicated that the low budget approaches simply wouldn't satisfy people and then a bunch of time and effort would have been wasted on that path. You shouldn't assume that every product we come out with will be affordable by every group. Some products will be more expensive than others and not because of a conspiracy but because they really were more expensive to make. And I'm not sure why I would be faulted for having different tiers of products from DIY to fully assembled killer products that attack certain sacred cows like HMIs. There are different tiers of cameras too--so what?

I suppose also I'm going to get the blame somehow for the falling dollar, rising gas prices, etc.????

Anyway, this 1200w is less than half the price of a new Arri--something like a 60% discount. How much more of a discount should it be? Who else is selling new HMIs of this size at this price point in the USA?

If you don't want to get one thats fine, but don't attack us for taking the first steps that no one else is. If I waited until everything was perfect and we could figure out how to do a $1000 (or whatever price you wanted it to be) 1200w HMI then we might never do anything at all. If you've got a suggestion on how to do it in the $1000 range I'm listening but I certainly haven't seen how to do it yet and I'll bet that I've thought and experimented a great deal more on that path than anyone else I can think of.
 
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It all depends on how important magnetic vs electronic is to you. If you dont care, then go mag. I got an LTM 1200w system with two header cables, four lenses, etc. for under $1700, used of course. I also got an awesome 2500w LTM HMI with 50' header cable, barndoors, 3 piece lense set, ballast, etc for under $1500.

but if you want/need electronic, Cool Lights is the only way to go.
 
Or if you want new too we're the way to go. Used may not be for everyone. Wouldn't you say you need some fair skills Shawn to keep that stuff going?
 
Not really. I've repeatedly heard that magnetic is far more reliable than electronic, but on one shoot my 2500w did go off after getting a bit wet. Would an electronic go bad too under the same circumstances? I dont know. I've heard that a mag ballast will survive a drop but that an electric will die and that electronics need to be serviced with regularity by someone that knows the brand but anyone can open up a mag and airblow it out. All hearse mind you. Personally, I'd love an electric 1200w & 575w Par, but I can't afford over $2k per one unless something changes in my finances. Your 1200w HMI for $3200 is a great deal, but outside my range since I presently dont have outside funds.
 
No argument that magnetic is more reliable than electronic. So much less in the way of parts there so it has to be the case. They both have their good and bad points.

As I've said before, I started out with high hopes for magnetic but it was hard to get around that flicker issue and also when I looked at the output of a magnetic next to an electronic, the electronic one blew the magnetic one away in intensity. I wouldn't be surprised though that we do come back and offer a magnetic option at some point as the line expands or if we discover other creative ways to alleviate the flicker or intensity issues.
 
I get around the flicker issue easily. I shoot on the Red with my mags with no problem, I can do any frame rate up to 60fps, i just have to set the right shutter.
 
Well, we'd need a much smaller fixture with less aluminum in it too--less molds to make, etc. This par weighs 50 lbs just as the Arri does as well. Its a pretty hefty fixture and thats costly. The fixture has to shrink but there's another price for that which most people don't know about--you still have to take into account that the fixture is really a heat sink for the bulb to keep it alive and working for at least close to its lifetime rating.

The smaller the fixture, the less heat dissipation and the less likely the bulb is to make it to its rated life. So, there is something to be said for the larger fixtures like this one but I know that people prefer the smaller ones and they would most likely cost less too.

You've also got the Veem connectors, the super expensive G38 hmi rated socket (can't believe how damn expensive that thing is), the ignitor, the hefty multiconductor cable. We did some discreet and informal testing of some different approaches early on with certain people and it seemed they didn't like the low budget approaches that brought cost down so, as always, seems like we end up back at an approach thats more bullet proof. People want a lower cost option until they actually see how it manifests itself and then they go back to saying, "well I wouldn't mind spending more on a better approach." That's exactly what led us to this point and what we have on offer now.
 
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how about a tungsten to hmi/cdm conversion kit?

after using your 150cdms I can't ever go back. They are so unbelievably cool in comparison that it blows my mind.

I have one of your 650w fresnel tungstens that I'm itching to convert somehow.
 
Well you realize that its a lot of work. I've actually done it myself and its not fun. First you've got to take the whole thing apart and need a special metal platform that attaches to the current sled and lowers the G12 socket somewhat so its point source is in the right spot in front of the mirror. Thats not easy. Then you take out the power cord and replace it with the HMI to ballast cable.

Also, I'm not sure how to support such efforts. What happens if someone blows it for instance? Do they blame me and expect some kind of service for us to fix it? I think if we were going to do that it would be totally people on their own coz it would be too hard to support.
 
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