Where to get dimmer?

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dhffhd

Active member
This is so stupid, but I need a dimmer switch so I can slowly bring the lights up in a shot, but don't know where to get one. Thought Home Depot would have something I could insert in the power cord, but all they have is the wall mounted kind that replaces a light switch. Where do I get a dimmer? Thanks.

Dave Findley
 
Re: Where to get dimmer?

..you want an inline dimmer for a corded light? ive never even heard of one.. but im sure someone somewhere makes one.. but it just sounds dangerous..

if you cant fiond a dimmer to suit your needs, my suggestoin would be to just leave the lights on full, and slowly open the iris during shooting to the desired exposure, or you could just do it in post by fading in from black using an "ADD" overlay or other overlay to get the desired effect.
 
Re: Where to get dimmer?

You have to make sure that the dimmer you're using is appropriate for the strength of light you're using. Home Depot dimmers (that I've seen) are typically ungrounded 2-prong plugs, and handle maybe 300 watts. Plug a 650-watt light into them and you're looking at a fire hazard.

Make sure that whatever dimmer you get has 3 prong cords and is rated to handle the wattage you plan on running through it. There's a guy on ebay who sells dimmers relatively inexpensively, I don't remember his exact name but I think it's something like AaronSC or something, I've got two of his, one 600-watt and one 2000 watt. They're well-made and work well, never get warm and were relatively inexpensive... the 2000-watt dimmer was under $100 I think.
 
Re: Where to get dimmer?

I'll answer this question later, as I've made tons of inline high-capacity dimmers in my day...

gotta run to the store first though.
 
Re: Where to get dimmer?

Okay, for your desired shot, an inline dimmer won't really work. Inline dimmers are exactly that, in line between the power source and the light, thus they're individualy controlled.

If you want to bring up a bunch of lights at once, you need a theatrical dimmer board. They have channels for each light and a master for all circuits, as well as a couple of "scenes" depending on the dimmer. Also, while there are a couple of portable theatrical dimmers, typically they're a permenant install type of equipment because they require so many amps input into each dimmerpack.

Also, you should know that any homemade dimmer isn't likely to have a smooth fade up. They're typically used to dial in a light's wattage and then left alone. Also, you're going to have a lot of noise when your lights ramp up, as the individual filaments begin to vibrate. Finally, you're not going to have a smooth transition between darkness and full white light...you're going to have very warm lights at the begining.

For example, the picture below my member name off to the left is of a PAR 56 bulb dimmed to about 5-10% of max. It's very very orange and the light it casts is akin to campfire light.

You didn't say what your scene specifically requires, but if you'd like more information on how to build a dimmer...I could give you somewhat detailed plans and a parts list. If you wanted someone to build you some, I might be able to do it depending on your needs.
 
Re: Where to get dimmer?

Don't use that Impact d600 for lighting, it has no ground through the unit. You'd have to use a ground lift to plug in almost any piece of lighting equipment, and you never want to ground lift lights.

The dimmer construction in the link looks okay, but you can easily build something more robust and durable using a couple of different parts (all available at your local hardware store). The backs of dimmer switches aren't really designed to take any sort of stress on the leads, so if you use this type of homemade dimmer in production, it won'y likely make it to the next show.

I'll try and post details of how I've always made mine, and you should be able to get the parts yourself and make it in under 30 minutes.

BTW: there's nothing wrong with the dimmer Rogue Crew posted, it would work, but I'm saying you can also build something a little bit more durable.
 
Re: Where to get dimmer?

thanks for the help. J Barnes, I'd be interested in getting a couple of dimmers from you, need one 600 watt, one 1000 watt. email me with price. dhffhd@aol.com. thanks.
 
Re: Where to get dimmer?

I recently bought a couple 1k dimmers for $79 each from these guys:

http://cinegear.us/

They just arrived in the mail and I haven't had a chance to check them out, but they look solid and the price was lower then any other comparable units I was able to find.

They also put their products on eBay, so you might be able to do a bit better then $79.

I also picked up a french flag from them ... hard to beat at $39!
 
Re: Where to get dimmer?

I just checked out those dimmers, and knowing what the parts cost for dimmer...a 1k dimmer for 79 is certainly reasonable. 1k dimmers cost between 50 and 70 bucks alone, not including the other parts and labor. Their dimmer looks almost exactly like the ones I've made in the past as well, so if they're put together correctly, they should be very durable as well.

dhffhd, I'm going to email you with prices for building two dimmers. I'd like to build them and document the process so everyone else can make their own if they like.
 
Re: Where to get dimmer?

J_Barnes,

Yes, show us! I'd be very interested to see how this is done. I've read a few articles on building home-made dimmers, but I'd like to see your version. With your experience, I'm sure they'd be fantastic!

Thanks for offering! :)
 
Re: Where to get dimmer?

My version is almost exactly like the one on the cinegear.us site...but using cheaper housings, and thus lowering the price.

Don't worry guys, I'll share...
 
Re: Where to get dimmer?

Alright, dhffhd backed out and doesn't need the dimmers anymore. Anyone out there want a 600 watt dimmer?

I'd just build myself another one and write up the tutorial, but I've already got four extra 600 watt dimmers that I don't need.
 
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