Preferred followspot

[Ollie]

Hey guys, have been doing some research into followspots for my local panto and am a bit stuck.

 

I have, for the past 3 years, stuck with the Robert Juliat Foxie as I have found this to be the best I have come across as it is small and very easy to use, am looking for a change though just for a bit of variety. Was looking at the Robert Juliat Manon for a bit of an upgrade but was wondering if you guys could recommend any other spots that are equally as good or even better than the Robert Juliat range.

 

Ollie

[gareth]

IMO, you'll not get better followspots than the Juliat range. Large or small, they really can't be beat. If you've used RJs before and are happy with them, stick with them because I doubt you'll find better.

[Stu]

Other than trying the other larger RJ followspots, I'd stick with the Foxies - they are very nice little spots, and the whole range is far much better than most other bits of kit out there.

 

Cheers,

Stu

 

Curses to you Gareth!

[peter]

I used a 2kW RJ tungsten followspot a while back, which was the equivilant brightness of a Foxie, but at tungsten temperature. Very impressed. Can't remember the name of the model, but I'm sure a quick google would turn it up.

[Stu]

I used a 2kW RJ tungsten followspot a while back, which was the equivilant brightness of a Foxie, but at tungsten temperature.

The Ginger or Alex (long throw version) I presume.

 

BTW, can you actually still get Foxies? I was on RJs site the other day and the 700w Foxie seems to have been replaced by a 575w MSD Buxie. The Buxie looks the same as the Foxie so I presume perhaps lamps are now hard to come by or something?! :huh:

 

Stu

[TallPaul]

A theatre I work at is in the process of spec-ing for new followspots. We're particularly looking at the RJ range, in particular the Topaze (1200w MSR). As standard, it seems to come with a 6-way Boomerang colour magazine, but can optionally come with a 6-way push-pull magazine instead. Does anyone who's used them have any idea what the advantage of each type is? And which would you recommend?

 

Thanks

 

Paul

[spylux]

Personal tastes left apart, you have to know that push-pull systems are particularly recommended when the f/s is used as a truss spot (overhead) because the boomerang system will reduce the bending angle (the colour magazine metal bonnet will bump into the yoke)

[johnhuson]

I'll just add to the other comments, in my opinion Robert Juliat followspots are the best on the market that I've seen.

 

BTW, can you actually still get Foxies? I was on RJs site the other day and the 700w Foxie seems to have been replaced by a 575w MSD Buxie. The Buxie looks the same as the Foxie so I presume perhaps lamps are now hard to come by or something?! :)

 

Stu

 

The Foxie is no longer available and was replaced by the Buxie, not sure of the reasons why though. I've done a side by side shoot out between a Foxie and a Buxie and to the naked eye there is no noticeable difference in light output.

[teachur]

I'll just add to the other comments, in my opinion Robert Juliat followspots are the best on the market that I've seen.

 

BTW, can you actually still get Foxies? I was on RJs site the other day and the 700w Foxie seems to have been replaced by a 575w MSD Buxie. The Buxie looks the same as the Foxie so I presume perhaps lamps are now hard to come by or something?! :)

 

Stu

 

The Foxie is no longer available and was replaced by the Buxie, not sure of the reasons why though. I've done a side by side shoot out between a Foxie and a Buxie and to the naked eye there is no noticeable difference in light output.

 

 

Forgive me for being a bit stupid...but isn't the difference that the Buxie runs on 575w whereas the Foxie ran on 700w? Doesn't that make the Buxie more efficient?

[Ynot]

I'll just add to the other comments, in my opinion Robert Juliat followspots are the best on the market that I've seen.

Hear hear - our RJ Marius (1200W) spots are fab!

[johnhuson]

Forgive me for being a bit stupid...but isn't the difference that the Buxie runs on 575w whereas the Foxie ran on 700w? Doesn't that make the Buxie more efficient?

 

Not quite seeing your point. Yes the Buxie uses less power, that is granted, but my point was that generally a lower wattage lamp means lower output where as visually the two are the same with what I believe are very similar optics.

[JMC]

... Therefore, as teachur said, the optics in the Buxie must be slightly improved (more efficient), allowing for a use of a lower wattage lamp without compromising light output...

 

PS. I too would go for the RJ range for small to medium spots... Anything larger, I have other choices :) - http://www.xenonspot.com/e/ehighend.htm for example...

[J Pearce]

Or the lamp is more efficient, or the associated ballast is running at a different voltage/frequency which achieves more lumens/watt.

[Graham Threader]

We run Foxies in our hire stock. When we heard they were discontinued we tried a Buxie in a shootout with a Foxie. It was the feeling of all that the Buxie was clearly less bright than the Foxie.

 

We have subsequently bought some Canto 1200 MSR follow spots. Only slightly longer than the Foxie, but with same general arrangement, the Canto has proved popular with all who have tried it.

 

With background lighting levels rising it makes sense to go up in power and not down. You'll also be surprised at how cheap the Canto 1200 is to purchase.

[son of lx dad]

To Tall Paul

I would say the differences were:

push pull is a quieter system if your spot is near audiences during shows

push pull is better for doing single colour roll changes at slow speeds

 

boomerang is much better for snap colour changes with gravity to help

boomerang is easier to do multipul colour changes, with push pull you would tend to push the spot as well as the frames in enthusiastic attempts to get the speed.

 

son of lx dad