Wesley_Wong
Active member
Re: Briteks crapped out today.
www.ianiro.com
bomb proof in film school. we just throw them around...
www.ianiro.com
bomb proof in film school. we just throw them around...
Briteks crapped out today.
- Thread starter TC
- Start date
G
Guest
Guest
Re: Briteks crapped out today.
I had a set of briteks that unexpectedly crapped out on me too. The first died after it's first hour of use. The second died after 4-5 shoots. I would not buy again. They were around $300, and not worth it at all. They were allways soft powered up, and never on more than 20-30 minutes at a time...
I had a set of briteks that unexpectedly crapped out on me too. The first died after it's first hour of use. The second died after 4-5 shoots. I would not buy again. They were around $300, and not worth it at all. They were allways soft powered up, and never on more than 20-30 minutes at a time...
Rogue Crew
Well-known member
Re: Briteks crapped out today.
[quote author=Bill Moore link=board=lighting;num=1101095939;start=15#21 date=12/01/04 at 10:21:20]I had a set of briteks that unexpectedly crapped out on me too. The first died after it's first hour of use. The second died after 4-5 shoots. I would not buy again. They were around $300, and not worth it at all. They were allways soft powered up, and never on more than 20-30 minutes at a time...[/quote]
Three quick questions:
- Was it the lamps (bulbs) that went, or something in the head?
- How soon after you turned them off, did you turn them back on?
- Did you handle the lamps with your fingers?
[quote author=Bill Moore link=board=lighting;num=1101095939;start=15#21 date=12/01/04 at 10:21:20]I had a set of briteks that unexpectedly crapped out on me too. The first died after it's first hour of use. The second died after 4-5 shoots. I would not buy again. They were around $300, and not worth it at all. They were allways soft powered up, and never on more than 20-30 minutes at a time...[/quote]
Three quick questions:
- Was it the lamps (bulbs) that went, or something in the head?
- How soon after you turned them off, did you turn them back on?
- Did you handle the lamps with your fingers?
TC
Resident Agitator
Re: Briteks crapped out today.
UPDATE:
I talked to Tom a few minutes ago. He told me that the problem with my speed ring was a defective batch from a few months back that they thought they had send entirely back to Britek, but alas, they missed one.
He's sending me a new speed ring and a new globe.
UPDATE:
I talked to Tom a few minutes ago. He told me that the problem with my speed ring was a defective batch from a few months back that they thought they had send entirely back to Britek, but alas, they missed one.
He's sending me a new speed ring and a new globe.
Re: Briteks crapped out today.
You get what you pay for - and you don't want to pay for being frugal when you've got 10 - 100 folks standing around waiting to get the shot. There are some lower cost alternatives out there, but in my opinion, you'll do better buying a 15 year old Mole fixture on eBay. The biggest problem you'll have with one of those is a) Replacing a scratched or dull reflector, or b) Reconditioning and aged lamp base for corrosion and arcing.
You might look into the following fixtures based on:
budget:
Altman and Strand - the Alts are sturdy fixtures, made primarily for the legitimate theatre. They are made to dead hang - in most instances - and remain in place for weeks or longer at a time. They are also made to burn for long sustained periods without failure. They don't possess the high-tech heat baffling present in high-end fixtures like an Arri or Mole, but those do hardly more than perforation and venting.
The Strand 650, 1k and hot 2k fresnels are very robust - and about 2/3 the price (if that) of a comparable Mole fixture.
For really lightweight situations, I've had good luck with Lowel DP kits - though control requires a decent grip kit. These are okay for quick 3-point lighting where light control isn't a huge issue. The fixtures are so small, that tricks like Blackwrap get super hot - be prepared with lots of c-stands and cutters if you want to reign their sloppy patterns in.
longevity:
Bardwell & McAllister http://www.bmlighting.com/ has produced fixtures since the old days - though they were bought and stopped making continuous stuff for a while. Their 1k, 2k and 5k fresnel lights are bulletproof and the focus mechanism rivals Moles (in my humble opinion). They make softlights and fays and all the other toys you'll convince yourself you need later.
I've got a couple of their 8" juniors from the 70s and they still look great.
Mole - There is a reason MR sells touch-up paint and complete reconditioning kits for their line of fixtures - they tend to outlive their owners in many instances. Who knows how many crusty old electricians have had their hands on my old Moles! Buy them new and they'll last forever, or buy them used and upgrade the wiring or whatever else is needed to get them safe and clean. You won't regret it!
Cheers,
e
You get what you pay for - and you don't want to pay for being frugal when you've got 10 - 100 folks standing around waiting to get the shot. There are some lower cost alternatives out there, but in my opinion, you'll do better buying a 15 year old Mole fixture on eBay. The biggest problem you'll have with one of those is a) Replacing a scratched or dull reflector, or b) Reconditioning and aged lamp base for corrosion and arcing.
You might look into the following fixtures based on:
budget:
Altman and Strand - the Alts are sturdy fixtures, made primarily for the legitimate theatre. They are made to dead hang - in most instances - and remain in place for weeks or longer at a time. They are also made to burn for long sustained periods without failure. They don't possess the high-tech heat baffling present in high-end fixtures like an Arri or Mole, but those do hardly more than perforation and venting.
The Strand 650, 1k and hot 2k fresnels are very robust - and about 2/3 the price (if that) of a comparable Mole fixture.
For really lightweight situations, I've had good luck with Lowel DP kits - though control requires a decent grip kit. These are okay for quick 3-point lighting where light control isn't a huge issue. The fixtures are so small, that tricks like Blackwrap get super hot - be prepared with lots of c-stands and cutters if you want to reign their sloppy patterns in.
longevity:
Bardwell & McAllister http://www.bmlighting.com/ has produced fixtures since the old days - though they were bought and stopped making continuous stuff for a while. Their 1k, 2k and 5k fresnel lights are bulletproof and the focus mechanism rivals Moles (in my humble opinion). They make softlights and fays and all the other toys you'll convince yourself you need later.
I've got a couple of their 8" juniors from the 70s and they still look great.
Mole - There is a reason MR sells touch-up paint and complete reconditioning kits for their line of fixtures - they tend to outlive their owners in many instances. Who knows how many crusty old electricians have had their hands on my old Moles! Buy them new and they'll last forever, or buy them used and upgrade the wiring or whatever else is needed to get them safe and clean. You won't regret it!
Cheers,
e
Scott_Spears
Well-known member
Re: Briteks crapped out today.
Any light can die. I have a fairly new Mole Tweenie that just had it's socket go bad. Moles are built like trucks, but they still can go bad.
Scott
Any light can die. I have a fairly new Mole Tweenie that just had it's socket go bad. Moles are built like trucks, but they still can go bad.
Scott