Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Which bulb is better in a barco?

This is topic Which bulb is better in a barco? in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Jay Glaus (Member # 6011) on 03-21-2013, 11:55 AM:

Just curious what you guys think. My Barco 23B came with a 4K Osram short arc lamp, I believe the XBO DHP CL model but I'm not 100% certain until I check again. I've heard many different things about different lamps. I mainly used osram on 35mm, and an occasional Phillips. Never used Ushio, and I think I used Christie once. I've heard Phillips makes a good line of digital short arcs. I've also heard of 4200 and 4500 watt lamps, but I don't know if you could/should use them in a 23B.

My question is... What brand/model do you guys think would be the brightest, highest performing lamp I could have in my machine?

I know the more potent one is, the shorter the lifespan. Not that I want to change a bulb every month, but for the most part, even on 35mm, we kept up pretty well with changing them. When we got close to the end of the warranty hours, we typically we're pulling her out and popping in a new. I may have found an old xenon from 1981 when I was cleaning the booth out for digital, but she hasn't been in service for a long long time!

Anyways, I'm interested to see how you guys weigh in on the better bulb.
Thanks!
Jay

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-21-2013, 01:51 PM:

Ushio. Nothing else is worth bothering with.

Posted by John Roddy (Member # 7348) on 03-21-2013, 02:12 PM:

We started off using Osram bulbs when our site first opened. About a year later, we switched to Ushio and never looked back. It's been about four years since the switch, and we've only had one issue with a defective bulb. Ushio paid for it and the reflector we lost because of it, and everything has been hunky-dory ever since. Definitely go with Ushio if you can.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 03-21-2013, 04:56 PM:

USHIO DXL-40BAF for the 4k bulbs. 1000hr warranty.

Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 4784) on 03-21-2013, 06:13 PM:

My former tech manager told me a few weeks ago that because of upcoming new environemtal laws in Europe, Osram was about to stop manufacturing their Xenon lamps. Is this true?
We also switched to Ushio a while ago.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-21-2013, 08:58 PM:

If that is true, that is the best news of 2013 so far.

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 03-21-2013, 09:33 PM:

It is not true. Speciality lamps are not regulated. Commodity lamps are.

- Carsten