Cheap HMI (I know, I know)

the price seems high, but there are things to consider, first of all the bulbs in the hives last FOREVER>>> seriously the company hasn't even had a bulb need to be replaced in like 3 years.. that's huge.. number 2, the company is in the US the customer service is great, and they are open to discounts, further more owning a NEW light has benefits also, if you compare the price of the HIVE to the arri equivalent new I think you will find a serious price gap
 
My Chinese 575w HMI works fine after a year of use. The supplied bulb makes noise but after you replace with a good one it's fine. I've never had issues with this light, and thought about buying a 2nd one as a spare if this does break somehow.

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nice 575w bulbs cost a lot of money @@ prob spend more on bulbs in 3 years than you will on the light @@ that is, if it's still working
 
starcentral said:
My Chinese 575w HMI works fine. The supplied bulb makes noise but after you replace with a good one it's fine. I've never had issues with this light, and thought about buying a 2nd one as a spare if this does break somehow.

575wHMI_zpsxcc9o0sl.jpg
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Not to be an ass but your unit doesn't show ANY wear and tear...
 
Yes this photo was from the day I unpacked it which was about a year and a half ago, and this was with the supplied bulb that squealed a bit unless I replaced it. It worked too loud if recording sound.

For bigger jobs if I'm lucky to get them, I've rented a grip truck with "real" HMI's but for solo jobs or low crew gigs I get throughout the year this light for has worked really great.

I guess time will tell? But when I received it I opened everything up and checked mounts, wires, and connectors for anything loose just incase and everything checked out fine. I know a lot of knock-off equipment uses lower grade components so this is one of those things where the better care you take of it the longer it really will last. At the time it cost me $800 which has more than paid for it in the rentals I would have had to pay for again for those smaller gigs.
 
Funny, my RDS 575w HMI's look like dog-poo. But then again they are right around 35 years old, and were used on Little House On The Prairie. They sold new back in 1980 for $2500 each.
 
starcentral said:
Yes this photo was from the day I unpacked it which was about a year and a half ago, and this was with the supplied bulb that squealed a bit unless I replaced it. It worked too loud if recording sound.

For bigger jobs if I'm lucky to get them, I've rented a grip truck with "real" HMI's but for solo jobs or low crew gigs I get throughout the year this light for has worked really great.

I guess time will tell? But when I received it I opened everything up and checked mounts, wires, and connectors for anything loose just incase and everything checked out fine. I know a lot of knock-off equipment uses lower grade components so this is one of those things where the better care you take of it the longer it really will last. At the time it cost me $800 which has more than paid for it in the rentals I would have had to pay for again for those smaller gigs.
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My bad then!
 
No sweat Patryk, you had every right to ask. I have to say admitingly that no I don't have 100% full trust to use it and not have a backup plan but over time I am getting to trust it more and more, and that's not to say I didn't get lucky with a "good" batch or something.

I mean don't use it on a big commercial shoot without a backup plan in place, or don't use it on a commercial shoot at all.

As for cosmetics, yeah I baby the crap out of my equipment generally.


Barry Green wrote about his experience with one 4 years ago, http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?237793-JieTu-HMI I think there was a bigger thread on it somewheres.
 
I've followed what reviews are out there regarding the chinese HMI's - I never bit because I prefer a par in most cases.

From here, reduser, etc., it seemed like they did up their game when they went from the stamped steel ballasts to the extruded;

Allow another $150 or so for a genuine name-brand globe;

Check for bad wiring, etc.

But yep, if it dies, it had better have paid for itself in rental savings - or hope that an HMI repair place (Galaxy?) will take a look. In fact, if you buy a Chinese HMI, you might check with repair places first and see if they touch 'em. Look at what you spend on rentals and decide if it's worth rolling the dice.

Or go used. eBay, and particularly Pyramid Films - they usually have some. Then you have to decide if a big old mag ballast will work for you (there are more and more every season and prices are lower than ever for a mag ballast). And you may still need repairs or new globes before long.

You really need to make sure there are affordable globes with any used unit - there's a ton of stuff with outdated globes that are scarce and expensive; though some repair places may adapt newer sockets, another thing to check.
 
Yeah the supplied bulb is noisy and I've used it for projects where there is no sound being recorded. But for sound jobs I swap in the "good" bulb which was in fact around $150.

I wonder if the poster will pull the trigger and take a small gamble?
 
Patryk already mentioned Joseph Finn Co. I bought a 1.2K Arri Par, a DeSisti 200 w, 2 4 banks and other stuff from their auctions at way less than the going used rate. Run don't walk. It's the best tip for used G&E gear you'll get. There's an auction going right now in Pittsburgh. Just make sure you can get there, shipping is 3rd party and expensive.
 
I have not had good luck with the chinese HMI's. I imagine some work fine but it's too much of a gamble. Maybe some enterprising person could start a chinese HMI repair facility in the US?

Any chance you could get away with a Minibrute or the like? 4 Parcans will make a cheap substitute.
 
forbyfiev said:
I have not had good luck with the chinese HMI's. I imagine some work fine but it's too much of a gamble. Maybe some enterprising person could start a chinese HMI repair facility in the US?

Any chance you could get away with a Minibrute or the like? 4 Parcans will make a cheap substitute.
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If you're in a studio, sure but otherwise I think most of us need HMIs is for shooting daylight stuff, besides the punch it is the color temperature of the light that makes them imperative.
 
yes the color temp needs to be dealt with, but for someone on a budget who needs footcandles right now, it might be an option. HMI's are the more useful instrument, but lots of footage has been shot under Brutes.

Maybe the OP could give a more specific idea what he needs to light.
 
Hey all,

I decided to pull the plug on the Photolight/Came-TV 1.2kw HMI. I figured since I was going cheap I'd go really cheap and got their $1,000 "economic" model. I think the difference is the ballast isn't dimmable and probably not PFC. Worst comes to worst, they have a return policy, I'll just eat the shipping charge and send it back. Will let you all know how it turns out.

I really wanted the light for outdoor stuff, both for punch in a daylight situation and for simulating moonlight in certain situations. I just can't do that with a tungsten, unless I'm getting a 2k+ which presents it's own problems. I don't imagine I'll be using the light that often, so assuming it works and isn't deadly I think it'll suit my needs just fine.

When it arrives I'll do a review and let you all know what I think.
 
tommygdawg said:
Hey all,

I decided to pull the plug on the Photolight/Came-TV 1.2kw HMI. I figured since I was going cheap I'd go really cheap and got their $1,000 "economic" model. I think the difference is the ballast isn't dimmable and probably not PFC. Worst comes to worst, they have a return policy, I'll just eat the shipping charge and send it back. Will let you all know how it turns out.

I really wanted the light for outdoor stuff, both for punch in a daylight situation and for simulating moonlight in certain situations. I just can't do that with a tungsten, unless I'm getting a 2k+ which presents it's own problems. I don't imagine I'll be using the light that often, so assuming it works and isn't deadly I think it'll suit my needs just fine.

When it arrives I'll do a review and let you all know what I think.
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Came makes some respected products, and they seem to want to be a player long-term, and have participated in some group buys. Hopefully they'll get it that service is huge in western markets. When you order, check with them about ballast cable lengths - some users have gotten longer cables for free to make up for fan noise.

Earlier chinese HMIs actually used Speakon cables - so longer cables might be available locally. Though I'd hope they've moved to Powercon!
 
David W. Jones said:
Funny, my RDS 575w HMI's look like dog-poo. But then again they are right around 35 years old, and were used on Little House On The Prairie. They sold new back in 1980 for $2500 each.
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Whenever I go to sell any of my lights they will become lights that were used on Mad Men. Or maybe Breaking Bad. :happy:

Just having a bit of fun, David. Recently I worked on a feature film that had a wind machine said to be used on The Wizard of Oz. I tend to buy it since the SFX Supervisor is the son of a guy who was on the crew back in 1938.
 
Hey all, got my light, and then promptly did this to the Chinese bulb...

hmi1.jpghmi2.jpg

This may be from my own ignorance (or that AND the knockoff bulb), I tried to do a hot restrike. New Osram globe is on the way. Will update when I have more. Before attempting to hot restrike though, it worked pretty solidly! Been shooting a lot of footage so I can do a full video review of the light.
 
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