Max tilt angle: Arri 650?

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Petrus

Well-known member
Just got two Arri 650 Plus fresnels, new but no manuals (?). Which end of the light do I point to the talent?

No, really...

Are there some limitations as to max tilt angles of these lights (lamp melting, housing getting too hot)?

Next I am getting some Chimera lightboxes for these. Any suggestions as to best sizes for mostly interviews.
 
Petrus said:
Are there some limitations as to max tilt angles of these lights (lamp melting, housing getting too hot)?
Click to expand...
Not that I'm aware of. Steep angles are definitely a problem on some lights (like HMI's and Dedo's, which should never be used upside down, for instance) but I've never heard of a 650W fresnel having the same issues.

Petrus said:
Next I am getting some Chimera lightboxes for these.
Click to expand...
That can cause a problem! The fixture will become improperly balanced (highly front-heavy) and the yoke will bend under the weight of the Chimera. Additionally, the wingnuts become worn out faster because of the additional stress.

Petrus said:
Any suggestions as to best sizes for mostly interviews.
Click to expand...
You want the diffusion surface to be larger than the subject area. Otherwise, it's not very soft. 24x32" is a popular size for interviews. I have one, it works alright. Would love to have something larger, though! Be sure to order an eggcrate.
 
Most any lamp will age faster when pointed straight down. Not recommend for the long run. Heat buildup is a killer over the long run for bulbs. I wouldn't go past 70 degrees.
 
If you get "Chimera" brand the XS (extra small) works well with the 650. But, I personally think the XS is too small for interviews. A S (small) is better, however you'll want an open faced 1K to fill the Small box up properly.
 
I'll second the 24x32 being a popular size for interviews... and I also want a larger box in addition to this one. The 24x32 is called a small by Chimera, but it's a medium by other companies... so just check. Also you'll find that there's a premium to be paid when you buy the Chimera brand. I have mixed feelings about this point... I work with Chimera and Westcott. For my money I have a hard time rationalizing the 70-100% price difference.

Photoflex has the best prices on grids... many of which fit other softboxes in a given size. In my opinion a softbox is nearly worthless without the grid (eggcrate)... ESPECIALLY for interviews, because you'll want to light the subject and background independently... and the grid is the only way to control spill.

I use totas for my softboxes. They're so cheap that you may want to just buy one when you buy a softbox... the Photoflex tota speedring is only $80 and you get the angle-adapter (like a manfrotto 2905) for free... and that's normally a $25-ish part. A tota can fill any softbox... you can never have too many lights... they're dirt cheap... and this saves your "precision" lights from being used in a non-precision job. For interviews you'll want to have one of those 650s gelled and shooting through a cookie or ficus tree... then the other may be used for a slash or rim on your talent. Unless you have more fresnels, it's easy to use up two of them on detail/specialty jobs... I'd hate to lose one of those lights to a simple job that can be done by a $100 light (more effectively).
 
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