steve h Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 Following in from the Chinese lights thread I was wondering what people would go for You're running a show and money is tight...but you can get 2 chinese brand lights for every 1, same type, big brand fixture. What would you go for? Steve edit: I would like to point out this isnt meant to be a is it right or wrong...but just a simple would you do it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.elsbury Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 IMO this topic has no merit... as disussed in the other topic there are huge differences between the (chinese) products. For example, one person has pointed out that they have had no end of trouble with the FINE2000 fixtures, but their brand new LED fixtures by the same manufacturer have had no problems at all. Having purchased for an install and gotten the bad end of the stick regarding "inexpensive" chinese fixtures, looking back I would have been better off purchasing something a little more... standard. The quality of the manufacturing is inferior, on the lights and dimmers that I purchased.That's not to say all chinese products are inferior <_< So... it depends :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve h Posted February 25, 2008 Author Share Posted February 25, 2008 I know that it is similar to the previous topic, yet it does have its differences. I say I was hiring in equipment for a short run of a show then I would not have to worry as much about the problem with possibly inferior products. If something goes wrong I am not the one that will have to pay for the replacement. This is meant to be a simple case of whether a person would use them or not given the choice. What I did think about afterwards was to break the poll down a bit, to split it into categories for people to answer. For instance - do you work in a school...would you go chinese or big brand....do you work for a hire company...etc etc as this would give far more information about the market for such products Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ike Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 Maybe the question should be would you use a copied fixture. I would use a Chinese fixture. I probably wouldn't use a copied fixture be that Behringer, Chinese or otherwise. I say probably wouldn't as it depends on the circumstances, if it was a choice of using a copy or the show going tits up I'd almost certainly use the copy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harvey_51 Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 Hi, If I had a tight budget and the Chinese Fixtures were brand new and I didn’t have to use them again then I would use them. But if it was going to be used over and over again being taking round various venues then I would def go for the big brand fixture as these will last longer and it will be eaiser to source parts if something was to go wrong. Jordan EDIT: when I wrote the post I thought you ment to buy the fixture I now realise you ment hire. Can you actually hire chinese fixtures? Because all the hire companies I know of stock big brands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbo7744 Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 Stayed of out the threads until now.... But Chinese copies = problems and chances of the show going "tits up" are increased. Properly maintained big brand fixtures all the way. More back up, more support (not hearing, "they have never done that before" but rather, "just have a quick look at this bit" is a better answer on the phone), and a localised I.e European 24hr support number to call, and generally the experience people have of the fixtures that have been around for a while and when they have played up, have been backed up by support. Jimbo, been on too many jobs with cheap Chinese, badly made/copied movers/LED's/generics that just don't cut the mustard and cant have the expression that "it does what it says on the tin". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dosxuk Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 I think the question is a bit vague really. There is nothing to stop Chinese brands becoming big brands. If I'm putting on a big event, I don't want to hire gear which I'm not sure will be up to the job. I want it to arrive, get plugged up, work without issues and do exactly what I've planned, then to get packed away and taken home. Hire companies stock the stuff which people want to hire. I make my decisions on what's up to the job based on my experience with the gear and other peoples comments. Where it was made / designed doesn't matter one bit. 10 years ago, few hire companies stocked Robe fixtures, now they're one of the big brands. Why? They proved their gear was up to the rigours of hiring / touring and suffinging a MTBF similar to the existing big brands. Another few years back and the same thing happened with Martin (despite being labelled at the time as a disco gear company by much of the industry). I answered no to the poll, as I would almost always use stuff which I know about - big brands. Whether this is Chinese or not, I don't care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ83 Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 I think it depends a lot on how they will be used. If you are touring and they are going to be regularly rigged/de-rigged and transported then I would say no as they tend not to be as robust as the big brands.However, if they are to be rigged and left then IMO they are a feasible option for those on a small budget. You could possible buy 4 Chinese moving heads (plus a complete spare should one fail) for the cost of two of the big brands. But you get what you pay for, it has been said in the other threads that the quality can even vary between different batches of the same product. Personally I regularly use 6x EVL 1200 ProColour and 2x EVL ProSpot 575 moving heads. The ProColours live on the bars and just twisted round where needed and the ProSpots live on the floor or on stands. They are coming up to two years old now and I've had no problems since they were put into action and they have been a real asset. Would you class EVL as Chinese through? IIRC they are manufactured in China but designed and sold in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbo7744 Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 But Russ, This thread is about Chinese Brand/Designed/Copied products, not UK designed and Chinese manufactured. Jimbo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ83 Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 But Russ, This thread is about Chinese Brand/Designed/Copied products, not UK designed and Chinese manufactured. JimboSorry Jimbo. EVL is what I went for as an 'in-between' Chinese and big name brands. I still stand by what I said in the first half of my post regarding how they will be treated/used.In the past I've hired in Martin and Robe movers but I've also used Chinese equipment that was fitted in other venues. So far I've not had any problems but I will accept that I've just been lucky.The question is, if I go back to these venues this year will they still be working? Time will tell... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbo7744 Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 I think that until A brand of Chinese designed, and built Chinese movers or generics can prove itself to be reliable on tour and for hire, have a similar or comparative optical output, be backed up by a reputable UK based distributor, with support to the western market, they will be distrusted. Robe have managed to overcome that hurdle, and if the Chinese copies can, they will continue to penetrate the market, and rightly so, if they have an original product that isn't solely based upon someone else's design, and is up to the job. It's just Theft. Plain and Simple, if you take someone else's design and copy it, like for like. Installs can be funny one's. In a church they may be switched on 2 or three time's a week for the duration of a service. In a pub, they might be switched on from 11am-11pm (obviously not outputting any light so early), depending on who installed them and who controls them. Horse's for course's, but it all depends on who is gong to maintain them, duration of use, product support etc. Jimbo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trunker Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 On the subject of 'cheaper brands'. I am about to buy some moving heads. What are peoples views on the I-Solution MSD575s as apposed to martin 500. Baring in mind that they are £1000 cheaper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Cavill Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 Personal Opinion: Steer clear of anything made by the Chinese. It simply isnt reliable. Differences between items in the same batch such as colours and optics. Very difficult to get spares for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norty303 Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 Personal Opinion: Steer clear of anything made by the Chinese. It simply isnt reliable. Differences between items in the same batch such as colours and optics. Very difficult to get spares for. Steve, if you haven't already, have a read of the other 'chinese' thread. To blanket say that all chinese manufactured equipment is unreliable is unfair, and incorrect. A lot depends on whether it is a specific full time lighting brand doing the manufacture and how much money they put into QC, which has been a failing of Western companies doing their manufacture over their in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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