Onsite demo/trial of moving heads?

[Young Johnstone]

Who do you normally hire from? Give them a call and pop over, I'm sure they'll be happy to get some fixtures out and let you have a look and a play. Its in their interest at the end of the day.

 

Where I used to work we'd always get fixtures out and let people have a look and help them as best they could.

 

See what companies have in stock then jump online and do a little research, there's plenty of promo stuff on most fixtures nowadays. YouTube's a good place to look.

[top-cat]

Using three specific models as an example, off the top of my head, I would expect a Robe 575 to be brighter than a Mac 500, which is twice as bright as a Mac 250 - but I'm sure I've learnt/read that I'm wrong? (Possibly bad example, but I'm sure you understand the scenario) Is there an parameter that will be present in all specs that I CAN compare brightnesses?

 

Then there's things like 'Entour vs Krypton' - until recently I assumed a Mac250 was a Mac250. I don't currently know the difference but will go away to research it - but does a Mac 350 Entour have the same features as a 250 Entour, just brighter? That's a rhetorical question indicating where I'm lost in the world of moving heads.

 

For a universal unit, yes - you can use the output in lumens. All the websites should give you this info. Although this is only one factor to consider, a sharpy gives you a huge light output from just 189W of lamp, but it's not suitable for even nearly all applications...

 

For mac250 vs 350, the 350 uses an LED chip instead of a discharge lamp, but still uses a very similar internal system with regards to colors gobos shutters etc.

 

I'm not being funny with you but all this is readily available information with a bit of googling. Most manufacturers websites also show 'in use' photos and videos and a lot of what you're asking to be handed to you on a plate is available with very basic internet search skills.

[Ashley R]

Realistically have a chat to your local hire co. Tell them what you want to do (The effects, throw distances, that your using MAC500's). and they should be able to provide you with something that will do the job from their hire stock.

 

For example, from the very vague details that have been given, and the simple fact that you are using MAC500's which could be a bit on the old side in terms of lamp life, from my own hire stock I would quite happily suggest either MAC 250 Entours or MAC 550's to roughly do what I guess you want them to do - Some additional specials, some nice gobo's here and there through haze, splash of colour here and there etc.

 

Then you just have to bite the bullet and say yes ill take 4x MAC 550's - look up their specs before hand though to confirm to yourself that they do what you need them to do (e.g. right gobo's/ colours/effects).

 

But as others have said you need to be certain of what you want the lights to do, then select the most appropriate tool for the job. (Or in this case it might be just easier to get the hire company to do this for you, it would be only a quick 5 min chat)

[CraigG]

Looking at Light the Way who you suggested you may use, they've got a pretty good range of fixtures there at some great prices! A logical progression up from the 500s and 600s would be their mac 700 spot and washes - a brighter lamp, CMY etc, and at £85/week that's pretty good.

 

But as we've said before it comes down to function. If you just want to wack in some colour wash or eye candy, the robin 600 LED washes are very nice lights, and would be kinder on your power and weight.

 

So essentially as said above, what do you want them to do and I'm sure the hire company could advise.

[howartp]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

 

As I implied in my last update, I spent several hours on Friday going through the spec sheets and manuals of (as a starting point) Light the Way's hire stock and creating a spreadsheet of the important features. (CMY? How many colour wheels? How many static/rotating gobo wheels? Lumens, beam-angle(s), iris, zoom, focus, prism... You get the picture)

 

As I neared the end of that, a large lighting company sent me a PM offering to do what I asked at the start of this thread, so I also added a number of their lights (in my price range) to the same spreadsheet.

 

Of the hire stock, the 700's are more suitable than the 250's so it will be comparing the hire of those versus purchase of some from the responding company.

 

For those who said I was too vague to help, and sent me to google, please consider that I didn't ask "which model is suitable for us", I asked about visits from companies. I wasn't afraid of doing my own research, once I knew what I was researching.

 

Top-Cat answered my query about how to compare lumens rather than lamp wattages - from an electrical point of view I always thought these were directly relative to each other, hence my confusion and questions. I would have immediately discounted a 189w Sharpy versus any 575w unit, yet I know Sharpy's are used on huge gigs so I had to be wrong somewhere!

 

Peter

[jono1]

If you have (and are happy with) Martin and the 500s then you have a Mac 700 as a logical progression. Which will give you better colour options animation stuff and so on.

 

Obviously others offer a 700 equiv fixt so then it would come to price / availability and making sure you like the features and gobos in them.

 

Compared to a mac 500 you'll be laughing and as quite an older fixture they shouldn't be expensive to hire.

Be warned your 500s won't do much against them.

 

You mentioned the mac 600 as well, these are a bit of a workhorse and will be fine against the 700s in your situation. (All above is dependant on lamp age).

 

Lamp wise check out photometric data to really have an exciting Easter break.