Chimera Birdcage

[Yannick Hagman]

Stumbled upon an interesting softlight from Chimera. It's called birdcage:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/503950-REG/Chimera_1810E_Birdcage_Lantern_Light_Bank.html

Has anyone worked with one? Does it work with a halogen bulb?

[Cedric_Akins]

Does it work with a halogen bulb?
yes. It says it in the specifications tab.

[Yannick Hagman]

So it's in fact visible 2000w output like with dedolight-halogens?

A 150w dedolight is comparable with 600w, but it's directional light so I don't know.

[Erik Bien]

Probably not comparable to a dedo, Source4 or other instrument with a lens: I imagine it has a much broader, softer throw like a softbox or pancake lantern.

[Yannick Hagman]

I propably will try one of them. They seem good for thungsten softlight in smaller shots and are not as expensive as a pancake.

[Erik Bien]

Still not as cheap as a paper lantern, though ... :rolleyes2:

[Yannick Hagman]

I have calculated the paper lantern thing, it's also not as cheap as I thought. A 150W bulb costs around 50-60 $ here I would need two of them and a multi-plug connector. If you add a lanternlock (and only this would be comparable to the birdcage) I will run up to around 250 $ also and can't use it for a lifetime.

[Yannick Hagman]

Just wanted to say, that I actually ordered one and will test what this lamp is capable of.

[Peter Majtan]

Please share Your experience - I for one can't wait! :D

[Yannick Hagman]

It may take a while till these Chimerafreaks ship it. In the meantime:

http://g.virbcdn.com/cdnImages/noResize/Image-88952-1324195-20080705_0111.jpg

[Erik Bien]

LOL

If you need me to go yell at someone from Chimera, just let me know ... they're right up the turnpike in Boulder ...

[Yannick Hagman]

:) Any possibilities to rent free lights for your projects, Erik?

[Yannick Hagman]

Received it today. This is the 500W halogen bulb (2900 kelvin). It uses a E40 (mogulbase) socket in my 230V-europe-version. The birdcage comes with an adapter, which fits into this E40 socket and allows ordinary householdlamps. I will look around if I find a big fluro-daylight with high wattage.

[Yannick Hagman]

Okay, I've done a first still shot with my canon eos 10d by using the birdcage light, it's dimmed down quite a bit. Also the dedolights are dimmed down. The worklight outside is covered with an orange sheet.

[Yannick Hagman]

I shot this back light shot (which makes the birdcage look really dark) to show you guys the size. I use an Intuos A5 and an 24"-iMac.

The second image shows, what I don't like about their design. In this angle it has some direct spill, this could have been avoidable. It doesn't matter for ordinary filming, but if you place it right next to a wall or something it shows an ugly light stroke. It's only on one side on top of the bulb on the other side the angle is okay (because of the bulb socket). Of course that doesn't matter for using it as a softbox, like you probably will.

The birdcage is not as hot as I thought from a 500w thungsten halogen bulb. my 150w dedolight surely gets hotter.

I found a 125w 220v flurobulb in England, which puts out over 600w 5400k daylight. I will order one. People from the USA can actually order a coolligts 200w 110v bulb from Richard (generating over 800w 5400k daylight). I get 5500k from my dedolights with dichronic filters. So that's okay.

[Pietro Impagliazzo]

Okay, I've done a first still shot with my canon eos 10d by using the birdcage light, it's dimmed down quite a bit. Also the dedolights are dimmed down. The worklight outside is covered with an orange sheet.

Yannick, that's looking GOOD man!

:thumbsup:

[Yannick Hagman]

Thanks Impagliazzo ;)

If someone buys this light make sure you also buy the single-axis-stand adapter
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/503982-REG/Chimera_3860_Single_Axis_Stand_Adapter.html

All in all this is a very versatile light!

[Cedric_Akins]

How does it look on the inside of the light without that diffusion on it?

[Yannick Hagman]

Hi Cedric

Got a picture for you.

[Cedric_Akins]

Thanks Yannick. I am considering one of these for my work. I just wish they came in 1K models. I think those would yield much more light.

[Pietro Impagliazzo]

Yannick, can you take a picture of your dedolights?
I have no idea how they are.

I'm curious, they are PAR right? And the conversion filter is screw in?

[Yannick Hagman]

Cedric, that's true, although it would make the housing even bigger. Coollights has also a 200w (over 800w thungsten) 3200 fluro-bulb:

http://www.coollights.biz/-c-26_33.html

[Cedric_Akins]

are those same type of sockets?

[Yannick Hagman]

Impagliazzo I can, later. But here is a catalogue picture:

http://www.dedolight.com/www/assets/images/uploads/zoom_CDC.jpg

It's sort of a focusable halogen par, yes.

The daylight filter only works in narrow focus position and you can't dim the light if you use it (light loss 1 stop which means half the light, 300w instead of 600w thungsten). It isn't screw in. Move the upper clamp in the front upwards, put the filter in the fitting. You don't need something else, than the light and the filter. There are two rills. One for the barndoor and one for filters.

This is the dimmable balast (DT24-1):
http://www.dedolight.com/www/assets/images/uploads/zoom_DT24-1Hand_02-02a.jpg

They are cheaper than the big 3 dedolight balast, which doesn't dim and they are more versatile because you can use the nearest current socket for the light.

[Pietro Impagliazzo]

Looks top notch.

[Yannick Hagman]

Cedric, yes. Its a E39 mogul base (E40 in Europe). The birdcage also comes with an adapter for E26 (household) bulbs (in Europe E27).

Impagliazzo, they are indeed very solid built. The housing must be made of steel or something. The knob on the right is used for making the light smaller or bigger (focusing). I have done another photographic tale this weekend which uses the dedos. I wish I had two more for it. :) But that's the flipside, they are made in Germany and therefore damn expensive!

[Stefan Christou]

Yannick what do you think of the birdcage now you've been using it for a while?

[Yannick Hagman]

I can't really compare to a kinoflo divalite or any other light, because I haven't got one. I only can recommend it for thungsten shooting. But for that I think it's great. For daylight situations I feel that you need a 330w (Coollights biggest fluro 6x55) for interior shots.

For the price the birdcage is not a bad deal I think. Color rendering on skin will be better than what thungsten-fluros would create. It's certainly faster as a softbox to use. The only thing I criticise are the parts on the edge where the light travels through the air circualtion on one side a bit.

I hope that I achieve the same result (softlight) with LED's someday. Sadly that costs currently. I guestimate about six 10x10 panels.