Cheap chinese HMI lighting. and some reviews.

[paul kosmala]

Okay - So I recently made a plunge into HMI lighting - Some name brand and some cheap Chinese clones.

I bought a 200 dollar 150w 'HMI' 100 of shipping.
File video continuous - or stellar lighting, as it was branded, It had a built in ballast - and weighted about 5 pounds.

First impressions:
not poorly built - but cheaply, It works as intended and looks like it can sustain some abuse - it's no tank, but it's not cheap plastic either...
It advertizes as being a fresnel - but it is clearly not. It is a par can with a frost 'uv protecting' plate in front of it. It came with an adapter plug for american outlets and will accept 3rd party plugs of a semi common type.
Striking it for the first time - it took a minute or two to warm up - having a large green cast all the while making me think I made a huge mistake. thankfully once it is fully powered up, it has a surprisingly balanced color output. to my dismay I found it had a high pitch wining coming from the back end of it. It is currently on about 4 feet behind me and at my mac mini I can't hear it, but in anything quieter it is noticeable.

After some fooling around with it I found it to be an acceptable source of light for my applications. It isn't par hard... nor is it fresnel soft - It's in a sweet spot in the middle.
After some more fooling around, taking bits of it apart I am unable to identify the globe inside, Nor does it look like it will last long (a strange white crust has formed in the center inside the globe), I will likely get it replaced soon after I figure out what it is exactly.

PROS:
cheap
has a nice color of light
not heavy
bright as hell
uv protection

CONS:
it is not hot restrike.
The mechnism holding the barn doors on is a screw with a spring. feels like an afterthought.
it makes a high pitch (quiet) whining.
The included female mounting plug is not well designed, but works as intended... it is also easily replaceable.



China's 1,200w hmi arri light clone.

Long story short: make sure you have a new bulb for it. maybe a 1200w ballast with the correct adapter head cable if you don't like the supplied ballast's fan noise - it is somewhat noticeable.

The barn doors may need to be lightly hammered to fit perfectly... but other than that a bargain for what your getting.

 

[Kwan Khan]

China's 1,200w hmi arri light clone.

Long story short: make sure you have a new bulb for it. maybe a 1200w ballast with the correct adapter head cable if you don't like the supplied ballast's fan noise - it is somewhat noticeable.

The barn doors may need to be lightly hammered to fit perfectly... but other than that a bargain for what your getting.

Its total sh$t, unless you are electrician and willing to spend time on it. Its sitting in my studio (Burnt within first 2 minutes) for last few months.

 

[Nick Gardner]

Its total sh$t, unless you are electrician and willing to spend time on it. Its sitting in my studio (Burnt within first 2 minutes) for last few months.

I concur. I have been through 3 different ballasts. They all work for about a day and then go zap and shit the bed.

Nick

 

[Mark K.]

Buy once, cry once. That's my motto these days - makes life much easier.

 

[Robert Hart]

There's cheap and now more cheaper in the choice of Chinese ARRI clones. The lamp/electronic ballast sets in the US$3,000 class may be a hetter bet. The lamphouses are likely very similar. The added cost will be in the ballast. I am into a second bulb in a "Steven Studio" 1.2K HMI lamp which has the heavier fanless electronic ballast type, not the cheaper sheet-metal fan-cooled ballast. It does not have a Hobbs meter so I cannot say how many actual hours it has up now. Thus far, except for a loose frequency selector knob and regular checks and maintenance before each outing, it has been trouble-free. I don't think it is as resistant to heavier wear tear and abuse that a genuine ARRI is. Mind you they go bang the same way with all the same consequences when some clown hangs a toe in a cable and pulls one over.

 

[Abo Jassin]

Paul, regarding the "File video continuous" HMIs, did you replace the globe yet? How´s it working now? And is the built-in ballast flicker free?
thanks