8mm Forum: Projector bulb prices

This is topic Projector bulb prices in forum General Yak at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Martin Jones (Member # 1163) on July 10, 2008, 10:52 AM:

Anyone seen prices for A1/231, A1/232, A1/271, here...

www.bluearan.co.uk/index.php?id=lama1271
Or, if youre suspicious about the quality....
www.blueaudiovisual.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=A1%2F231
Martin

[ July 10, 2008, 02:05 PM: Message edited by: Martin Jones ]

Posted by John Davis (Member # 1184) on July 10, 2008, 12:10 PM:

Hello Martin,
I have used Blue Arran to order LV lamps for LV light fittings in my office and they were fine. I do have a cautionary tale re bulbs however, I bought some A1/231 bulbs on eBay and their light output was to say the least dire. I suspect there is a little bit of overlap with same reference lamps sold for DJ equipment and they worked in a different, less one directional way.
One fairly good source I have used is Lorell photographics www.lorellphoto.co.uk where I bought Osram Xenophot lamps (Xenophot implies that these are specifically photographic and right for the task).
If you are looking for odder bulbs, look to the US, I have bought 150w 21v lamps for an Elmo for a fraction of the hyped prices we pay in the UK, even after factoring in postage

Posted by Simon McConway (Member # 219) on July 10, 2008, 01:05 PM:

Yes, lamps for disco lighting are made to offer a lower light output, so that they last longer. Lifespan is more important here that light output. In projector lamps, life isn't as vital as light output. 50 hours is plenty of time for a projector lamp to last, but in disco terms, this would be far too short! Xenophot (20% brighter than normal lamps) are the best and will always give a sparkling output. Steer clear of cheap lamps!

Posted by Martin Jones (Member # 1163) on July 10, 2008, 02:07 PM:

My second link on the first post may have been confusing.
I have edited it to go straight to A1/231's which are in fact Xenophots.

Martin

Posted by Sam J. Clarke (Member # 1157) on July 10, 2008, 02:32 PM:

I've bought some A1/231 from the 2nd link before and they were the right kind. I think they have good prices for bulbs, I'm planning to order some lamps for my 16mm projector from them soon. [Smile]

Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 549) on July 11, 2008, 07:04 PM:

I learnt the hard way some time ago about disco lamps. You need to be careful you are getting a projection lamp, the light is terrible otherwise. Some sites like Top Bulb have good information about lamp life etc Always use known cine brands too.

David

Posted by Mark Todd (Member # 96) on July 11, 2008, 07:23 PM:

Hi I recently bought 2 259`s 250 watt 16mm bulbs from ebay and yes they are crap, dim and fudgey if you will shapes on the wall sort of thing too. £6 posted for 2 but silly me, never again, only xenophot from now on 8 or 16mm if you can, whiter, brighter and less crap allround.
Best Mark.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on July 11, 2008, 11:39 PM:

Look guys, this is just an idea that has worked for me, and maybe for you as well.

Check the big electrical/plumbing warehouses in your local area, and you may find that they get a lot of marked down bulbs that were either discontinued or they bought as a wholesale lot for a penny or two ...

... they only sell them for a few pennies more!

At times I have been surprised at how low the prices are for these lamps that most people, (as a general rule), have no use for now.

It's just a thought!

Posted by Bart Smith (Member # 780) on July 12, 2008, 04:31 AM:

Well, I wrote the copy below for the description in the second link given, so I thought I would chime in one this one...

quote:
Not all A1/231 lamps are the same however. Many disco effect lights use the same fitting, but as precise colour temperature and performance is secondary to lamp-life in these applications, many manufacturers are these days producing cheap "long-life" versions of the A1/231 with inferior brightness and a duller, more yellow light output.

The lamps that we sell are superior quality Osram HLX Xenophots. Osram fill the capsules with xenon rather than the more ubiquitous krypton gas used in cheaper lamps. The xenon reduces the rate of tungsten vaporization and allows for a higher filament temperature, resulting in brighter, whiter light. The parabolic reflectors are engineered to much more precise tolerances than many cheaper bulbs, giving the required even light spread that good quality Super 8 projection requires. Xenophot lamps are typically 15-20% brighter than the Krypton-filled versions.

Just for the purposes of comparison, I tried several different types of A1/231 before I wrote that description. Broadely speaking you can divide A1/231 bulbs into 3 types.

1) Cheap unbranded bulbs. These are cheap to buy wholesale, but simply aren't that good when projected. The reflectors are often not that shiny, and they don't look that well engineered. I found that the light output was OK though not great, but sometimes with noticeable hot-spots and colour variations.

2) "Normal" bulbs made by respectable makes - Osram, Philips, GEC etc.- These all tend to be pretty good, and on close inspection tend to be obviously better made. Colour temperature is much more spot on an consistently bright. Of all the makes the Osram HLX/Xenophots are the best IMHO, though they are a bit more expensive wholesale. These bulbs cost something like 60-90% more to buy than the cheap unbranded ones from the suppliers that I use.

3) The long-life "Disco" type. They are no good for cine use, typically very yellow and dim. They may last for 500 Hours or whatever, but I would steer well clear of them as they will provide a very disappointing projected image. They cost wholesale nearly double what a reputable brand bulb costs.

It's common sense really - stick with reputable brands and if you're not sure buy from a specialist seller with experience in Cine products. There are plenty of good suppliers out there.

Posted by Claus Harding (Member # 702) on July 12, 2008, 06:36 PM:

Speaking from the Xenon side of things, if only someone could recommend a discount place for 350W short Xenons to feed my Eiki (wishful thinking, I am fairly certain.)

Seriously, does anyone besides Superior Quartz still make these lamps?

Claus.

Posted by Jeff Taylor (Member # 442) on July 23, 2008, 03:16 PM:

The Ushio original's are definitely still available. I'm sure many outlets can obtain them, but definitely know that ICECO in Miami has them. The last time I bought from them the price was +/-$315, but I've switched to using the Superior ones and find them to be great, in fact I loaned an unused Ushio Superior used to design theirs and they're great people!

Posted by Claus Harding (Member # 702) on July 23, 2008, 09:19 PM:

Jeff,

Thanks for that info; interesting to hear. My machine came with a good bulb, but the seller had no way to tell the hours, so I figure I'll keep hitting it as long as it fires up well.

I have a back-up from Superior, and they are nice, professional people to deal with, so I think that's where I'll keep going as I am on the East Coast.

Best,
Claus.

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