Classic profile designs

[gareth]

Bifocal shutters have appeared in a fair few Strand profiles over the years - starting with the 264, then the tungsten-halogen equivalent the 764 (and its narrow-angle friend the 774), then the T-spot range. Once you'd got the hang of them, they were pretty useful things to have - the ability to get one sharp-ish cut and one soft one on the same lantern came in surprisingly handy!

 

As for classic profiles ... well, that depends on the definition of 'classic'. If we're talking about 'best', then it's the Source4 hands-down (fixed angle, not zoom!). If, on the other hand, we're talking about 'classic' in terms of designs which were 'of their time' and stood out above the rest, then it has to be the Pattern 23, really, doesn't it? A pretty poor effort by the standards of today, but back in its time it was unbeatable.

[mac.calder]

Pacifics, SL's and Source 4's. My top three.

 

Whilst I agree, Cantatas are a great lantern, I find the excessive weight makes them barely worth the effort - the light output is far less than a lot of profiles, and there is a lot of wasted energy (heat). Cool beam all the way for me. The one advantage is that you can easily turn them into a followspot if necessary.

 

Patt 23s are on my list of lanterns I would like to blow up, my hate has been expressed many times before on these forums.

[Light Console]

Snip... is having to PAT the cable separately from the lantern, but I believe you can get round this by cable tying the cable to the handle at the back of the lantern...

I cable tie to the lantern and have a label saying "Lead for use with item XX" on the plug. I test them as if it was to a fixed lantern, but during the visual check, I make sure there is no damage to the plug and socket. If I have got this wrong, every PC and Monitor in Hampshire County Council's offices would require two tests each, doubling the cost!

 

I loved the soft focus option on the T-spots, and the two yoke mounting options...

 

1> S4, I once lit a set of piano keys as the opening state for a show. No spill, superb!

2> Selecon Acclaim, I like the way the lenses can be removed completely, without changing the focus, for cleaning at the bottom of a ladder. I also like the bent yoke, don't know why!

3> Patt. 23, from a certain Mr Bentham, who also gave us the Hook Clamp and the Light Console! This was the first mass produced lantern, first made in 1952, and my pair from that year, are still used more than my Preludes!

[sam.henderson]

T-spot range

Shudder!! This gets my vote for possibly the worst profile ever!

 

As for best, Fized angle Source 4s becuase they just work! And a new favourite the selecon pasific. It looks a had ugly but its a clever design and the fact it can take acetate prints as well as gobos makes it cost saving and versitile.

 

Sam

[P. Funk]

In my UK days I was a Sil boy, and I'm also a big fan of the Minuette Zoom profile.

 

The minuette profiles I've used (17/32 IIRC) were absolutely appalling. I used them pretty much from brand new about 4 years ago, and their light output only just out-did the poorly maintained T1 lamped 23s we were also using. Maybe the condensor versions are better. Anyone else find this?

[David Ripley]

Fave lanterns? Difficult

 

Prelude Zoom profiles, lovely clean beam

 

Patt 23 fantastic clean light, especially when relamped to TH, need TLC but often worth it in a tight spot

 

S4's had originally replaced my 264's with second hand Lekos, vast improvement but S4 beat that on a lower wattage lamp

 

Honourable mentions

 

Minuette Condensor Profile, extra lens internally to 'amplify' the light and a very respectable poke from a small unit. A nightmare to maintain though, undo a few screws and all you are left with is a pile of flat metal plates

 

Sils a classic in all their various guises

 

Dishonourable mentions

 

264's All that heat and no light output! The twin shutter idea was killed by the zooms of the Sils. I especially loathed the ones that had to be painted gold when used in certain London theatres. I once had a 264 explode and it produced a rather gratifying mushroom cloud through the rear vents.

 

ADB All that weight and no light output! Beatifully engineered doorstops

 

That's enough from me

 

David

 

PS if anyone is desperate and would like to know how to create a 264 wide angle, let me know. You get to spread no light over an even bigger area.

[gareth]

I think the title of this topic is important but is perhaps being misinterpreted - remember, it's all about what you consider to be a classic design of profile spot, not your favourite ...

[Andrew C]

Classic? Strand 23! Could have been a classic? Minuette; but the inability to last spoilt it.

[CornishLampie]

Patt 23 fantastic clean light, especially when relamped to TH, need TLC but often worth it in a tight spot

 

I have a Patt 23 and as a young technician I really don't get why the older technicians like them

 

The mac's are the way to go!

[Gilly]

The classic profile has got to be the Pat. 23 (or the 23N).

 

Every theatre in the land seems to have at least one kicking around. Even those which have only been built in the last few years. They don't build them like that now!

 

Having said that, the Source 4 is a damn good fixture.

[paulears]

The thing about the patt. 23 is that it was the turning point. All of a sudden, a small, lightweight lantern that could have gobos (and shutters in the later versions). Pretty good beam qualities and not too great a price tag. A huge step forward. sales of this beast were out of all proportion and it has the record as the most popular lantern ever. To compare it to a mac is daft, and misses the point. Best to consider something like cars. Why do people still collect and drive old cars. Me I'd rather have an old e-type jag than an audi - even if the jag doesn't have any feature that the audi doesn't do better. Do you see what I mean. The 23 has a fixed beam, focus, lamp twiddle and that's about it - but it does the job very well. I bet there won't be many macs about in 40-50 years time!

[gareth]

I have a Patt 23 and as a young technician I really don't get why the older technicians like them

Because, contrary to what you might believe, profile spots didn't start with the Source4! Back in the 1950's (yes, that's right, fifty years ago) when the Pattern 23 first appeared on the scene as the world's first mass-produced theatre lantern, it was pretty much the mutt's nuts.

 

The mac's are the way to go!

*sigh*

 

No, they're not - not in the context of this topic, anyway. The subject is profile spotlights. Not automated lighting. One day, you'll come to realise that Macs and other moving lights are simply not the "solution to all problems" that many budding electricians seem to believe them to be. They have their place, certainly - but when you need a profile spot, you need a profile, and not a waggly bucket!

[mac.calder]

but when you need a profile spot, you need a profile, and not a waggly bucket!

 

Sorry, but I am currently laughing my head off at that statement. :) I am a huge hater of people who shove in movers because they can. Most shows dont need them and too many LD's abuse them. It seems to me that if they cannot think of how to light a scene, they make their movers move so that people go "Oooooh look" (on principal, however with the prominant abuse of movers people are getting less and less impressed). Sound oped a show where the LD had a couple of movers and he spent half of the time marking positions on the stage so that he could use the movers as a follow spot. It looked crap, and the dome op spent most of her time bored out of her mind because she only spotted about a quarter of the spot cues.

[Light Console]

Snip

Every theatre in the land seems to have at least one [Patt.23] kicking around. Even those which have only been built in the last few years. They don't build them like that now!

Snip

One even appears in the video of Joseph, starring Donny Osmond.

 

Nodding Buckets and waggly mirrors are great for effects, but I don't use them much. I once managed to spell out the text "Welcome to the Cabaret Lounge" with 4 Claypaky Miniscan HPE's, using the various gobos. This type of thing got the wow factor.

 

So did this (the S4 mentioned in last post):

 

http://www.geocities.com/roxsafe/piano.jpg

 

How many melted screws have you found in a Patt.23? Damaged mirrors? They came from the time when things were built to last, and people wanted to pay for that. When I was called in to source why 4 brand new MAC250's were smoking, I found the plastic film that covers new sheet metal still in place on the gobo wheels!

Call me old fashioned (at 24), but give me a Patt.23, and I know it will do what I need it too time and time again. Plus they look the part!

[SceneMaster]

My best would be the Sil30, the first profile I ever did my own design work, the S4 because they are just great and yeah I seem to have a soft spot for the 264s. I mean by today’s standard they aren’t great but I used them for specials for a show a while back and they did the job. I got a picture somewhere where they were being used in a studio for a small drama to create an operating theatre type light effect, I’ll see if I can find it.

 

Edit:

 

This pic shows the two sets of shutters fairly well…

 

http://www.rucn.net/br_uploads/2641.jpg

 

This shows the reasonable power the light had for it’s time (well it was a FOH profile until about 8 years ago in a regional theatre)

 

http://www.rucn.net/br_uploads/2642.jpg

 

This shows the overall operating theatre effect (ignore the failed P56 attempt to light the cyc red, it was a last minuet thing)

 

http://www.rucn.net/br_uploads/2643.jpg