Desisti anyone?

[Nick Norton]

Just wondering if anyone had any horror stories/ praise to throw at Desisti lamps.

 

 

Thinking of getting a 300/500/650 Desisti Magis fresnel.

 

 

Any reason i should spend more money and get an Arri? The only difference i see in the two lamps are that the Desisti has the following:

 

Socket (Lampholder)

Bi-post GY9

 

Lens (Condenser)

4.75" (120 mm) Fresnel

 

Reflector (Mirror)

Bi-metallic clad aluminum parabola

 

 

 

 

And the Arri is as follows:

 

Socket (Lampholder)

GY9.5, Prefocus, 2-pin ceramic

 

Lens (Condenser)

4.3" (110 mm) low expansion, borosillicate fresnel lens

 

Reflector (Mirror)

Spherical, specular, high purity reflector

 

 

 

How important/different are these elements between the two lamps?

 

 

Thanks-

 

Nicholas

[David Rakoczy]

Desisti Lights are 'generally' for Stage Use as they are in no as RUGGED a Light as Arri or esp. Mole Richardson. I would not invest in that Lamp unless it was going to hang 'undisturbed' in the perms... if it is for Location Shooting get something Durable!

Edited June 13, 2008 by David Rakoczy

[Frank Barrera]

I'll second all that has been said about Desisti in this and the other thread. The only thing i will add is that the last time I used them (which was about 10 years ago here in NYC) they had designed them with a plastic barn door lock down clamp on the top of the lamp. you know, the clamp that swings open so you can remove the doors or place or remove scrims? well i don't know if they still make it out of plastic but guess what- when you wrapped the head with black wrap to control a little light spill the heat would build up and literally MELT the clamp. We wound up unscrewing all of the clamps before use. We complained to Desisti about it but don't know if they ever changed that. Arri an Mole use a metal clamp.

 

That was the last time I saw a Desisti head on set in NYC.

 

How much will you save if you go with them instead of the Arri's?

[JD Hartman]

Don't take offense at this Nick, but from your posts, its sounds like the first thing you should buy is a good book on lighting. Harry Box's Set Technicians book (and others like it), will explain the differences in fixture types and how they are most often used.

[Ralph Keyser]

How important/different are these elements between the two lamps?

 

"Not very much" is the answer (as you may have guessed).

Desisti lights have been fine in my experience, but the other posters are correct. They are not built as ruggedly as Mole and Arri equipment. That makes them both cheaper and a tiny bit lighter, but I never see them at rental houses. You'll have to decide if you want to trade cost against durability.

[Nick Norton]

Don't take offense at this Nick, but from your posts, its sounds like the first thing you should buy is a good book on lighting. Harry Box's Set Technicians book (and others like it), will explain the differences in fixture types and how they are most often used.

 

 

I completely agree, however I somehow stumbled upon a producer and the need to create an entire video production crew ASAP.

 

So without the time to buy/read books at the moment, i come here for advice, and i really appreciate all the help.

 

 

Much thanks to all-

 

Nicholas

[Ralph Keyser]

I completely agree, however I somehow stumbled upon a producer and the need to create an entire video production crew ASAP.

 

So without the time to buy/read books at the moment, i come here for advice, and i really appreciate all the help.

 

One other thing to consider, Nick, is the buy vs. rent equation. Unless this is a long term project, it might make more sense to rent. Orlando has a bunch of grip/electric places along with video production companies. Many of them rent equipment (even small things like Arri tungsten kits). They can help you make good choices quickly since they have a lot of experience and a lot of things to choose from. My experience is that they are very helpful folks. Tell them what you are trying to do, what you've worked with before, and your budget level. Even if your budget is too small for them, they can help point you to smaller companies or individuals who may be more in your price range. An additional benefit of this is that you get to try equipment out, which will help you if you do decide to buy.