-
Alzo HMI lights
I just got back from NAB and saw the Alzo HMI lights and was quite impressed on price and value. I did some internet research and found the same lights on https://www.videolighting.com even cheaper and sold under the manufacturers name rather than the Alzo name. I called the Video Lighting Inc. guys and they told me they are the same lights as Alzo and they have been direct importers for several years selling them for photography lighting but recently with improvement in the lights and bulbs have they have begun selling them specifically for video lighting with excellent experience for video, dv film etc. I’ve been researching the internet and many positive reviews of the old version of the lights but nothing lately as to improvements in the light head and bulb making them an even better value for video. They seem perfect for my budget and situation and I want to buy them and get the best deal. Any info on the new version?
-
6 Replies
-
Not saying they are a bad product, but just keep in mind that these are not true HMI cine instruments, rather they are sodium vapor HID bulbs. Basically, they are growlights that are being marketed as photographic lighting.
Not that it’s a bad thing, especially for the price… but note that the CRI is not going to be nearly has high as a real HMI, and ergo some of them have very noticable green spikes that must be dealt with.
Also, read the “fine print” very carefully… because both of these dealers tend to be a bit purposely fuzzy with their wattage specs. For example, they might say it’s an “800 watt HMI.” It’s not. It’s an HMI (well, sort of) that has the equivalent output of 800w of tungsten light. In actuality, it’s really just a 150w instrument.
If that’s what you need, fine and good… just don’t think it’s the same output as, say, an 800w Joker-Bug. It’s going to be about a fifth of that.
Actually I did buy one of the Alzo ballast/bulb combinations last year. I really just bought it because it was cheap, and to see what it was all about. I never use the bulb, but I do make use of the ballast… I gutted an old fresnel instrument that I have and turned it into a little 150w HMI (a real one, not sodium), and I use the Alzo ballast to power it. Works well (and actually the output is quite a bit greater with the 150w Osram HMI globe than with the Alzo sodium HID bulb)… the only downside is that it isn’t hot re-strike, you have to wait a good 10 minutes or so. On the upside, because the wattage is so low the instrument doesn’t require a separate ignitor in the head to strike it.
Also, if you do use the bulbs that come with it… be careful. I only had the one here on for a few minutes to test it, and I could definitely tell my eyeballs were getting more UV than one would hope. A UV shield of some kind would be most recommended.
T2
__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
-
Hello Todd! its been a while I´ve been looking to serious info on Alzo lights… I own them and i feel they output bad quality light with tons of UV, and barely a CRI 70. I came across this article in which you mention the orsam globes working well with the Alzo ballast… so id like you to please share me what is the actual bulb/part number, since the Alzo ballast doesnt have any clear specs on voltage and wattage. I understand its a 150w flow but the tension is unclear. If you can also share where i can purchase it, it would be nice.
-
Hi Christian…
This was a couple or more years ago, so I don’t really remember where I bought the parts I used.
The globe was just a regular Osram 150w HMI bulb, should be available anywhere that sells HMI globes for photographic use. I know Richard at CoolLights sells a 150w HMI globe, but they are available many other places as well…
https://www.coollights.biz/cl15060-150w-5400k-quartz-metal-halide-single-bulb-p-74.html
I also had to buy a socket for the globe of course. That takes a G12 ceramic socket. I don’t remember where I bought it, I got it on line somewhere but it was not hard to find.
I’m not really using that instrument anymore, I need to get a new ballast for it. I won’t say the Alzo ballast is a piece of junk, but you know they are dirt cheap and you tend to get what you pay for. Ours crapped out once and had to be returned to Alzo for repair, and the last time we went to use it the socket in the side literally fell out, so we either need to fix it or just chunk it. I’ll probably just chunk it and get a better one. There are lots of 150w ballasts made for grow lights that are likely much better quality.
If you go the DIY route remember these globes put out a lot of UV, so never build a “bare bulb” fixture or you’ll be killing peoples’ eyes and causing sunburns left and right. They need to be at least in an enclosed fixture with a UV shield of some kind. The fixture I built is a fresnel, so the fresnel lens blocks the UV.
T2
__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
-
Thank you Todd, appreciate your quick reply, im concerned about the UV, i have adapted the alzo to an ARRI T2 Fresnel, yet i find the light green spiking, was hoping for a change, what I have found an Orsam Globe but it says its 24V and i cant figure out the voltage from the ballast. Thanks!
-
Yeah those HID globes that Alzo claims are “HMIs” are really just industrial HID lamps. They practically hemorrhage UV, and the color is just terrible. Chunk them.
I think that Osram globe you’ve found is for a portable DC-powered instrument, hence the 24v.
T2
__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
-
Thank you! Appreciate your kind help! tons of products that are just junk!
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up