Pawel
New User
Oct 2, 2004, 1:09 AM
Post #3 of 4
(2191 views)
Shortcut
|
Re: [sjspeck] Cinema Quality Video Lights
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
Really?
Right from Amphibico's website:
Amphibico 2 x Variable 35 Watt, 12 Volt Arc lamps & Arms, 1 x Ultra Pro Power Pack, 2 x Swit NP 14.4 Volts Batteries USD $5.3K
With my lights you get 6, not 2 NP1 batteries, 300W, instead of 70W, and the amount of light produced is going to be approximately 5 times more! Also, the Amphibicam HIDs have CRI about, what? 60%, maybe 65% at best? This means 40% of colours will be missing compared to my lights.
Then comes the technology. I use titanium, which will look as new after 50 years of use, where your HID toy will turn to dust after a few seazons.
Cost of running: Xenophot lamp costs $12. Have you checked the replacement cost of HID lamp?
Then, the charger. Amphibico charger is 2 x Sequential, which means you have to wait for the first battery to recharge before charging the second one. It costs and ADDITIONAL US $600. My charger is 4 x Simultanous! The charger itself is worth more than AUD $2000. In my package, it is included.
Then there is burn time. Most HIDs can not be hot restarted, which means that you have to run it continuously or wait until it cools down. Then when uou switch HID you have to wait until it warms up. Perhaps the fish will wait, but the runtime will be greatly compromised. What a waste! And, did you know that about 30% of power in HIDs is wasted in ballast? That's right, they are produce (at best) 50-60 lm/W and waste 30% of that on heat. Xenophot produces 43 lm/W, which means more light at less power!
The reason I posted here is because it is a bargain. Lights like this usualy rent at about $1k per day.
BTW, the heads are reated down to 2000m (6,000 ft) if you like to put them on a sub or ROV. They can take up to 1000W lamps (where most other brands would melt into an unrecognisable mess). The titanium heads are available at about AUD $2.5k - less than a 35W aluminium HID head from Amphibicam! Even with 300W lamp, my light head gives almost 10 times more light than 35W HID, and light that has 100% CRI (all the colours), not 60% of colours.
Also, HIDs have high colour temp. Unless you are shooting at night, you need low colour temp in your lights to COMPLEMENT the ambient light, which is missing reds. HIDs are pretty poor at this and have little low frequency spectrum.
Now, if HID gimmick still sounds like a good buy to you, go and waste your money. I personally think they are rubbish, unless you want to use HMIs with more than 20KW (that is 20,000W), like on the Titanic. FYI, they weren't using the same type of HID rubbish that derives from automotive lamps that is simply not suitable for film! But, Amphibicam (and others) won't addmit this to you. They will say HIDs are the best invention since sliced bread because they can justify sucking your hard earned money.
I only have 1 set and I can supply up to 5 titanium heads all up. That's it. I manufactured more than I need for myself to make it economical and I offer the excess for sale at a very low price.
Cheers  ,
Pawel
www.AliensOfTheSea.com/HDTV
|
IMG_1706 small.jpg
