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Opti Solar 250 opinions

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AM55 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AM55 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Opti Solar 250 opinions
    Posted: 06 September 2020 at 11:03am

I am thinking of getting a couple but I am wondering what the real would experience of using them will be like, specifically what kind of output should I expect or if anyone has any advice on them?

Would these be 250 or 575 versions in the picture below?


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bams Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 September 2020 at 12:00pm
The opti solar 250 is an amazing piece of kit but cannot hold itself against a modern lighting rig, colourtemperature as well as output are quite a bit lower. I have an 150w hti equivalent a d even that is too dim. Lots of lumens are lost on the effect wheel and 50-year old optic path. 575hmi versions are laaaaaarge. Look up marco broeders/co2ro on facebook, he uses loads of opti kit in real life situations.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote monkeypuzzle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 September 2020 at 1:51pm
As someone who owns four but no fx or lenses as they all got stolen, these days a cheap projector and a micro computer would be brighter and more flexible. The price you’d pay for a 575 with lens set and a good amount of effect units is eye watering even if you could find someone to part with it. 

I use mine when I can blag some lenses and wheels just for house parties with mates or a gig in a pub that I’ve just been asked to bring some lights to. No effort on my part and hey presto, some atmosphere. As mentioned before, they just don’t cut it In terms of brightness and leak loads of light out of the top and base.
blah blah blah blah blah......
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Digbethdave Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 September 2020 at 2:46pm
There is a 575 available on a fb group I'm on. He wants £1000.
Expect to spend around £300 for a 250 with some effects. 
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AM55 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AM55 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 September 2020 at 9:17pm
Originally posted by Digbethdave Digbethdave wrote:

There is a 575 available on a fb group I'm on. He wants £1000. 

I should imagine he will have told hold out a while for that, seems expensive for such an old, niche fixture no?

Originally posted by monkeypuzzle monkeypuzzle wrote:

a micro computer would be brighter and more flexible.

Looks like I will be going down a projector route then. For 2 units some oil wheels and some rotators I'd probably be looking at £300 plus so I 'll see what I can get projector wise for that even if it's on the bigger and older side.


Edited by AM55 - 08 September 2020 at 9:21pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote monkeypuzzle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 September 2020 at 9:37pm
Yep, I have a few of the Sanyo XP / Eiki LC projectors and they still hold their own. Quite a few lens options which can be found for good money if you're patient. Coupled with an old laptop and a few long VGA cables and away you go...
blah blah blah blah blah......
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote monkeypuzzle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 September 2020 at 9:46pm
oh and look for Source Magma Projectors. There are also lots of small lower powered oil effects that are regularly used within the special needs and sensory room worlds. A clutch of these may fit the bill if the rest isn't to bright and they aren't very expensive..
blah blah blah blah blah......
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote monkeypuzzle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 September 2020 at 9:49pm
oh and while we're at it... don't forget the original method of an Over Head Projector (OHP), a fish tank full of water, some coloured oils and someone on fist full of microdots happily playing with it all night long....Tongue
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Digbethdave Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 September 2020 at 11:57pm
I've got some solar 250 if you want to try them out. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Digbethdave Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 September 2020 at 11:59pm
Originally posted by AM55 AM55 wrote:

[QUOTE=Digbethdave]There is a 575 available on a fb group I'm on. He wants £1000. 

I should imagine he will have told hold out a while for that, seems expensive for such an old, niche fixture no?

[QUOTE]
Yeah, but he reckons he has ten. 
The K series and gobo Pro are worth looking at.

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AM55 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AM55 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 September 2020 at 7:54pm
Originally posted by Digbethdave Digbethdave wrote:

I've got some solar 250 if you want to try them out. 


Thanks for the offer Dave but I think monkeypuzzle has sold me on the projector/laptop idea. Maybe me wanting some Opti kit is based more on old school nostalgia than practicality.


Originally posted by monkeypuzzle monkeypuzzle wrote:

Yep, I have a few of the Sanyo XP / Eiki LC projectors


I have just had a look on ebay and they seem very reasonable Thumbs Up
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote norty303 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 September 2020 at 1:31pm
Originally posted by DigbethDave DigbethDave wrote:

I should imagine he will have told hold out a while for that, seems expensive for such an old, niche fixture no?


They are a tradable commodity still. Not much else does what they do, and they are in short supply. Most quantities held by a few people who specialise in that sort of thing.

One thing that I would say about the 250's is they are massively improved by use of alternative lenses to the stock Opti ones. So look at Kodak, Docter, etc. I have some Docter zoom lenses and the light output difference is incredible.

One thing in the favour of the Opti stuff is it's a self contained unit, you can throw them up somewhere with just some power and let them do their analogue thing.
Video projectors are good (I've just bought some - Epson 6k's) but need a bit more infrastructure to do their thing (including content distribution systems like Datapath).
I'm currently trying to find money for new cable stocks, particularly where you might need long cable runs, so you're into HDBaseT or SDI, so adaptors for older projectors too. Its another expense rabbit hole.

Simple things like lenses are a good example. I can get a long throw zoom lens for an Opti for £40-80.
An equivalent lens for one of my projectors is at least £800.
And the Opti doesn't suffer the contrast issues of a video projector (assuming you aren't with deep pockets for laser based projectors)
Try taking a dark room and putting up a single 250.
Then do the same with a video projector and see if the grey rectangle is acceptable.
My laser stuff: Frikkin Lasers
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