ETC PROFILE LIGHTS

[J Pearce]

The real fun is when the whole bar rotates, so if you start at one end by the time you've got to the other the first end is now all 6' further downstage. That was a hard and boring focus session....

[Ynot]

I've been using S4 zooms for many years and would state as follows:

 

 

15/30 too nose heavy, double clutched variants with balance yoke are the only alternative. Even then, a scroller on the front of the unit wants to make it drop. No problem with balnced yoke, though obviously a scroller will throw out the balance of anything it's attached to hence variants like Scroller Cans instead of oridnary Par 64s.

 

15/30's with balance yoke attachments cannot do all positions, i.e. any thing from about 30-0 degrees from vertical. Not tried them, but taking the Scroller cans as an example then that's just to do with how they work - it's a design compromise that has to be made

 

Focus mechanism not easy for a lot of people to understand. Once you get used to it (takes about 2 minutes) it's very easy and utterly ingenious. To be able to focus both lenses at the same time with one hand is a work of genius for those of us who remember what it was like before that system was invented.

 

Focus mechanism can jam easily and then destroy itself. Never known one jam. Harmonies and Sil 30s were often jamming though!

 

Lenses fall out of lens tube with little provocation. Never known it.

 

Not as bright compared angle for angle with fixed beam variants. Er, obviously, as with all zooms there are 2 bits of glass to hold back the light instead of one.

 

Dont get me wrong, I don't think that there has been anything in the last twenty years that has come close to the Source 4, it's just that I would much rather use a fixed beam unit, rather than a zoom. As there are nine lens tube variants, that can all fit onto the standard lamp house, is there any need for a zoom? Yes. Venues that have one-day or one-week shows in don't have time to be constantly changing lenses. We find that we're using 575w lamps on our FOH units so we don't need that extra brightness you'd get from a fixed angle unit. Thus, a zoom can be a 15deg lantern today and a 30deg lantern tomorrow without anything other than a quick refocus. So for us, they're perfect.

 

We used to use fixed beam profiles, just like the Yanks, but after, I think, the Patt. 264, Strand went to manufacturing zoom profiles, and we lost that type of unit.

 

So, basically, used properly, they're a cracking tool in the box...!!

Can't fault anything that JSB has responded with.

[jonathanhill]

I would still choose a fixed beam variant over a zoom variant, any day.

 

I have been using the entire Source 4 range, fixed and zooms, since they came on the scene.

[timsabre]

I would still choose a fixed beam variant over a zoom variant, any day.

 

I have been using the entire Source 4 range, fixed and zooms, since they came on the scene.

 

If you're in a large enough organisation that you can stock a range of lens tubes, then that's a different situation. For a small outfit zooms are a lot more useful.

[Shez]

And if this little lot hasn't scared off the OP, nothing will!

[Young Johnstone]

All our 25/50's and 15/30's (actually, nearly all our fixtures) have trigger clamps on! I've never really had an issue with them nodding, even with scrollers on if you tighten them up properly.

I did a little test last October on a festival. I rigged them horizontally on a ground support and you know how they can bounce when your bumping motors- they didn't budge.

 

Also never had an issue with brightness and disagree about them being less bright because of two lenses... fixed 36deg's have two lenses....

 

IMO your arguement against zooms is totally invalid.

[paulears]

He's not been back to the forum since he posted - so I guess his need wasn't urgent.

[alistermorton]

I would still choose a fixed beam variant over a zoom variant, any day.

 

I have been using the entire Source 4 range, fixed and zooms, since they came on the scene.

 

Given a free choice, I'd agree. But not everyone has that freedom of choice, especially in smaller places.

[rich_lambe]

IMHO clutch slipping and problems with the focus are due to poor maintenance and lazy focusing.

I have lost count of the number of times I have come across a double clutch with only one side locked, this puts excess pressure on the side that is locked and ruins the threads on the bolt.

Anything with moving parts will wear and loosen over time

[mediaforgod]

I am recording church sermons with PMW F3K and PMW EX3 using ETC profile source four zoom Lights. This is my recording setup, for this I need your suggestion to fix the lights in which angles and which gel will give skintone pink shade of object ? Recording in PAL.

 

Thanks

Louis.

[Shez]

I wouldn't worry too much about gels. As long as you set the camera to tungsten white balance (3200K) and the lanterns are not dimmed, the colours will come out naturally. The only gels you might consider are neutral densities (ND) which will let you change the intensity of the lanterns without dimming them (which shifts their colour).

 

Whilst I do do a bit of lighting for video, I couldn't tell you any actual angles - I always do my setups by eye, placing shadows where I want them. If you have a search for "three point lighting", that should give you the basics of a standard set up. And use plenty of backlight - video loves backlight.

[Gerry]

 

Whilst I do do a bit of lighting for video, I couldn't tell you any actual angles - I always do my setups by eye,

Going back to Louis original post I think the question was about beam angles, I.e beam spread.

Cheers

Gerry

[Tomo]

Unfortunately we simply cannot answer your quesion, MediaForGod.

 

We can give you a little guidance:

The classic lighting for TV is three angles - Key, Fill and Back.

 

The Key and Fill are in front of the subject.

The Key lights the face, the Fill fills in shadows so they aren't too dark.

Backlight ensures they don't look like they are painted into the background.

 

However, deciding where to put those and how many lights are needed - well, that's designing the lighting.

 

We cannot design your lighting for you, for two very important reasons:

 

1) It depends entirely on the specifics of the venue and the event.

Where you can physically put the lights, where the subject is, what the subject matter is, how many people in shot, the background, the other items that must be lit (or not), whether there is a live audience, how much the camera moves and a myriad more details.

 

2) The right lighting is the lighting that looks right.

We're not there, so we can't see it.

 

It takes a lot of experience and background knowledge to put the right lights in the right places first time.

You can either pay somebody to come to your venue and design the lighting for you, or you can figure it out yourself by reading some books on the subject and then some trial and error.

_{(Put them somewhere, try it out and see whether it works, then change as needed. Repeat until it's "right".)}

 

I would however suggest asking the congregation for help, you may be surprised!

[p.k.roberts]

I am recording church sermons with PMW F3K and PMW EX3 using ETC profile source four zoom Lights. This is my recording setup, for this I need your suggestion to fix the lights in which angles

 

 

There is a simple series of videos here which outline the principles of three point lighting; you might find them a useful starting point.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/collegeofproduction/videos/tv/three_point_lighting_introduction_tv

[Louis sullivan NLS]

The only issues I've had with S4's is a bit of a halo on the beam when trying to soften the edge on fixed angle units- here frosts become essential! other issue is lamp sockets seem to burn out quicker than other fixtures. Otherwise great bit of kit!