C-Mac
Well-known member
So, I have a Coollights CL-LED1200 1200 LED Bi-Color Panel and my feelings are a bit mixed. I don't use the light as a key light, but I do use it frequently as a hair/back/background light as I like the ability to quickly adjust the color temperature and it's pretty light. The light itself is pretty well constructed, but I find the small connection & electric parts to be the fail point. I have had 3 wing knobs (part: http://www.coollights.biz/wing-knob-p-46.html ) begin to spin freely (the plastic inside does not support tightening them more than a gentle tighten). This can be a problem when they get tightened and they spin freely when trying to remove from the stand. Coollights is replacing again and so I'll be on my 4th. The first time they sent me 2 replacement knobs. Also the cables that plug into the unit seem like inexpensive house hold style cables, not durable at all. My grips & gaffers have all made comments about the quality of these parts. My cable has already fallen apart at the wire end of the plastic cone shaped support on the power supply unit. The unit looks mint, but the wire is now showing both inner copper cables and is a hazard to plug in. ( part: http://www.coollights.biz/clps188a-1200-18vdc-power-supply-p-151.html ) I really wish coollights would just use better quality cables like kino & arri, even if it is not needed to make the unit run. I feel like I am going to need to buy one of these power supplies ever year just to keep using my unit 50-80 times per year.
Richard over at coollights says of the wing knobs, "Overtightening can be an issue though and is something that has to be watched." Ouch! We've had 3 of them and we have learned after 1 and 2 to be delicate, but when you are on a set and trying to get things done, safely and quickly, you don't want to worry about delicate and it's hard to get crew to do the same. I have never had this issue with any other brand... Kino uses metal wing knobs on their stand adapters, arri's fresnel wing nuts don't spin freely with the same tightening and they are plastic.
Richard mentions that there have been no know issues with the power supply cables. Ours looks mint, so I find this somewhat hard to believe.... unless most of the people don't use their fixture much at all or it is permanently mounted in a studio setting.....
With this said, I am happy with the unit itself. It feels durable enough and like it will last, so it would be nice if I felt the same about the connections & cables.
I have posed to Richard, that I would have been happy to pay the added price on the fixture to have stronger better quality parts around the fixture, but he does not seem to think there is any issue. Does anyone else share my thoughts. Can it really be that much more expensive to have a metal wing knob & a more durable cable fixed too the power supply? I am saying I'm willing to pay more to feel better about my equipments durability on set. I will likely end up buying some metal wing nuts from another compnay, but the power supply is more of a special item.
Also, I have been strongly considering buying a Coollights HMI 1200w Par, but I am a little concerned with the on location quality of the Coolights. On the other hand, it is a significant cost saves over an Arri 1200w Par. So, it's more the difference of me continuing to rent the arri unit vs buy the Coolights unit. At some point driving to the rental house to pick up one light just starts to not make sense.
Anyhow, I would love to see Coollights upgrade their quality a bit and am willing to pay more for it. I know cost is often a factor for people, but I would hope most would pay another $50 even a 100 on a $1200 unit to have more durability. I'd love to hear if others are having similar issues and would hope they would speak up as Richard does not feel there is a quality issue here... If he did maybe they would update these things.
Thank you,
Best Regards,
Chris McGuinness
PulseCinema.com
Richard over at coollights says of the wing knobs, "Overtightening can be an issue though and is something that has to be watched." Ouch! We've had 3 of them and we have learned after 1 and 2 to be delicate, but when you are on a set and trying to get things done, safely and quickly, you don't want to worry about delicate and it's hard to get crew to do the same. I have never had this issue with any other brand... Kino uses metal wing knobs on their stand adapters, arri's fresnel wing nuts don't spin freely with the same tightening and they are plastic.
Richard mentions that there have been no know issues with the power supply cables. Ours looks mint, so I find this somewhat hard to believe.... unless most of the people don't use their fixture much at all or it is permanently mounted in a studio setting.....
With this said, I am happy with the unit itself. It feels durable enough and like it will last, so it would be nice if I felt the same about the connections & cables.
I have posed to Richard, that I would have been happy to pay the added price on the fixture to have stronger better quality parts around the fixture, but he does not seem to think there is any issue. Does anyone else share my thoughts. Can it really be that much more expensive to have a metal wing knob & a more durable cable fixed too the power supply? I am saying I'm willing to pay more to feel better about my equipments durability on set. I will likely end up buying some metal wing nuts from another compnay, but the power supply is more of a special item.
Also, I have been strongly considering buying a Coollights HMI 1200w Par, but I am a little concerned with the on location quality of the Coolights. On the other hand, it is a significant cost saves over an Arri 1200w Par. So, it's more the difference of me continuing to rent the arri unit vs buy the Coolights unit. At some point driving to the rental house to pick up one light just starts to not make sense.
Anyhow, I would love to see Coollights upgrade their quality a bit and am willing to pay more for it. I know cost is often a factor for people, but I would hope most would pay another $50 even a 100 on a $1200 unit to have more durability. I'd love to hear if others are having similar issues and would hope they would speak up as Richard does not feel there is a quality issue here... If he did maybe they would update these things.
Thank you,
Best Regards,
Chris McGuinness
PulseCinema.com
