Ollie Posted March 1, 2007 Author Share Posted March 1, 2007 Hopefully with a bit of luck we'll be able to use a couple of RJ Super Korrigans at our panto next year. I had a go with one at PLASA and my mate, who is the theatre technician at a local school, has sorced a couple for the new theatre build that's happening over the summer. One thing though. Although I have a basic understanding, what are the details about the optics in a followspot and what's the main difference in cheap and expensive spots? What makes companies such as RJ, Lycian, Strong that much better than the competition?? Ta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 For those of us who started out followspotting (and still get to do it from time to time) there quite a few issues. Some are benefits to the op, some are simply performance issues. From the ops point of view.Stability - does it pan and tilt with the same input effort? Some are really good side to side with ball races in the stand, but the up and down movement is different - maybe friction, maybe just the amount of effort to start it moving. Balance. Does it move when you let go? Ergonomics - can you sit/stand how you want to and still reach the controls? Are the controls in a convenient places? Temperature - do the bits you touch stay cool? Aiming - can you predict where the centre of the beam will be when the shutter/dimmer is closed? Some will love sights, others hate them) Noise - is there a fan humming away right next to your ear? Colour change - how quick to go from one to another? How quick is a lamp change? How many burns will you get doing it? Does it have useful features like colour temperature adjustment, or frosts built in rather tahn waste a colour slot? Does it match the one sitting next to it? From other people perspective What is the beam quality like? What are the running costs? What is the life expectancy? That's a few things to consider, I guess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnhuson Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 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. Interesting, we found that there was no noticeable difference but when we did a shootout both had brand new lamps and both had their lamps correctly optimised, this might explain the difference. The electronic ballast on the Buxie also makes a huge difference to the weight of a kit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ollie Posted March 2, 2007 Author Share Posted March 2, 2007 As a novice followspot op myself, I haven't had a great range of spots to play with. As I said I have used foxies for the first two years and then got landed with a Strand SOLO CSI/CID 1000w. This was not a pleasant experience in such a confined space. I have been using a Teclumen Arena 1200w for the past two years. They seem to be alright, the only gripe I have with them is that the tilt movement on them seems to be a bit stiff even with the release handle right off. I couldn't really comment on the performance as I have never seen them next to the Foxie or Solo but I would have thought they would be a fair bit brighter due to the higher wattage, has anyone had any experience with them? As I said in my previous post, I am hoping to be able to use a RJ Super Korrigan next year as they will be easily accessible, again anyone with experience with these? Another thing, does anyone know of any sites that explain the workings of a followspot in detail. Things such as how the optics and reflectors work and why some are better than others as well as how magnetic and electronic ballasts work? Cheers for any info provided Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 A followspot optics are just a large profile - in terms of components. The iris sits at the same point in the optics path as the gate in a convenional profile where you insert gobos. The only real differences are in convenience - easy finger tip control of colour, iris size, blackout shutters - but in essence, it is just a big, narrow profile. So when you do your research, it will be better to look at developments in optics in profiles, don't look for follow spots data - not a lot of it around. The manufacturers don't really pay them much attention as venues only buy a small number and only replace them when worn out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ollie Posted March 2, 2007 Author Share Posted March 2, 2007 Cheers, thanks for that paulears. I will bear that in mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liquid Nik Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 Hopefully with a bit of luck we'll be able to use a couple of RJ Super Korrigans at our panto next year. I had a go with one at PLASA and my mate, who is the theatre technician at a local school, has sorced a couple for the new theatre build that's happening over the summer. One thing though. Although I have a basic understanding, what are the details about the optics in a followspot and what's the main difference in cheap and expensive spots? What makes companies such as RJ, Lycian, Strong that much better than the competition?? Ta I'd say go with the Korrigans. We have had two of them for the past six years, they've had a lot of use and no problems and good optics throughout. A good thing as we have to get them into position over the roof! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieR Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 I've got to say that although I find the RJ spots excellent in their performance, the one thing I find annoying with models like the Foxie was the Iris handle being on the top. I always prefer this on the side. Other have said they were happy with it there so this is purely a personal preference. At the end of the day we purchased some of the Selecon Pacific FS's which, although not as sleek physically as the Foxie/Buxie, have good optics and handle pretty well. The option of the interchangable lamp bases also make them fairly flexible. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkfold Posted March 4, 2007 Share Posted March 4, 2007 I've played with the RJ Ivanhoe's, really really impressed with them. Very solid colour changer, every control just where you want it and a decent balance point. (Boomerangs for me any day) Having the douser on a knob right at you fingertips is also nice. Probably the most important to me is how easily I can hold the spot in balance. I dont want to be wandering around the place trying to keep the beam on a stationary target, just makes you look like a drunkard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwig Posted March 5, 2007 Share Posted March 5, 2007 I've got to say that although I find the RJ spots excellent in their performance, the one thing I find annoying with models like the Foxie was the Iris handle being on the top. I always prefer this on the side. Other have said they were happy with it there so this is purely a personal preference. At the end of the day we purchased some of the Selecon Pacific FS's which, although not as sleek physically as the Foxie/Buxie, have good optics and handle pretty well. The option of the interchangable lamp bases also make them fairly flexible. Steve The good trick to know: Foxie (700MSR cold strike), Buxie (575MSD hot restrike) and Cricket (1000W/1200W tungsten) have the same body, the lampe bases can be swapped... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tecSAM Posted April 2, 2007 Share Posted April 2, 2007 We have just got two new Robert Juliat followspots. They are really really nice. I can tell you the specifics later on (eg. type) after I get back from followspotting tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbuckley Posted April 3, 2007 Share Posted April 3, 2007 About the Selecon Pacific f/s - regulars will know I'm a bit of a fan of Pacifics, as they (a) are fine optical tools, and (b) fly the flag for New Zealand, but the Pacific f/s is something else. A society of my aquaintence got a couple of these, with the 575W MSR lamphouses (with a really neat, tiny, lightweight electronic ballast), and I'm hugely impressed with their light output and focus and lack of color fringing, they seem brighter than the 1200W MSRs of dubious Italian manufacture I've used in the same venue. But, the instruction book contains this gem:BLACKOUT IRISYour Followspot is fitted with an adjustable iris diaphragm to mask the beam size to the required diameter, and finally black the light out. IMPORTANT NOTE - Do not leave the Iris closed while the lamp is on. As soon as you have blacked out the light turn / dim the lamp off. Failure to do this will cause the iris to fail due to excessive heat and will void your warranty.This means that they have one of the colour positions with black wrap in it, so as soon as the spot is doused, the black wrap colour in popped in, and the iris opened. Alternatively, you've gotta turn the lamp off, which is a bit impracticable given that discharge lamps take a while till they can be restruck, and then take time to come up to full brilliance. Am I alone in thinking this is odd...? I've never otherwise used a f/s requiring the iris to be not used to keep the lamp out, but then again, I think this is the first time I've actually read a followspot instruction manual... (I find it even odder given that the Pacifics go to some trouble to keep lamp heat out of the light path) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.elsbury Posted April 3, 2007 Share Posted April 3, 2007 Am I alone in thinking this is odd...? I've never otherwise used a f/s requiring the iris to be not used to keep the lamp out, but then again, I think this is the first time I've actually read a followspot instruction manual...Well... you are not alone. The other Selecon models suffer from this as well- the Performer 1200 and Performer MSR also require the blackwrap in the first gel boomerang. Can't comment on the new Selecons (Chorus?) though. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tecSAM Posted April 3, 2007 Share Posted April 3, 2007 We are using the SUPER KORRIGAN model... really really nice.. I should also mention that we do have laser sights... which makes spotting a lot easier! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danjshelton Posted April 3, 2007 Share Posted April 3, 2007 Alternatively, you've gotta turn the lamp off, which is a bit impracticable given that discharge lamps take a while till they can be restruck, and then take time to come up to full brilliance. A company that I work for has some RJ Buxies (As discussed in this thread, newer version of a foxie), these have MSD 575 HR lamps in them, with the HR standing for Hot Restrike. Quite handy if the spot does get turned off, then it can be re-struck straight away without having to wait for lamps to cool. Although I think that it also needs a different sort of ballast/ignitor for a hot restrike lamp, so not sure if this is of any use to you. Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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