Opalec Newbeam in turquoise??

[Wim Hertog]

I just mailed the people at Opalec with the question if they also could make a turquoise Newbeam. Someone mailed back and was very interested in this topic, so I linked him to the candlepowerforums and started this thread. Opinions? Other ideas?
Write it down!!!

 

[Roy]

If they use the same TQ led that the ARC AAA uses, it would be a bright Mini Mag! I'd get one just because!

 

[mahoney]

I am giving a presentation on "LEDs and LED flashlights for backstage use" in a month at a theater conference and contacted Opalec about colored units. They just sent me one in blue (a traditional backstage light color) using 30 degree Nichias. I think it's just about the perfect flashlight for use backstage, bright but not too bright, even field, big hotspot, perfect for use up to 20 feet, and regulated too. That's just my opinion of course, but if any of the people attending my talk get as excited about the blue NewBeam as I am, Opalec may have some demand for colored units.

 

[txwest]

So, why is blue a good backstage light? I understand the need for turq & green, because of the brightness. Red is traditionally to preserve night vision. The only thing I heard about blue is it's use for reflective surfaces, like glass & water. TX

 

[mahoney]

I would not be the first to defend blue light as the best color light to be working under in "low level illumination" conditions. But it is the traditional backstage light color in many theaters. I'm not sure how the tradition started, perhaps at the same time as the "stage lit in blue light = moonlight" thing did. I never really understood that one either. Blue light is absorbed well by most black paints and black masking fabrics used in the theater, some blacks will glow red or brown under red light. I have only worked in a couple of theaters that used red light, and only in the control booth, probably for that reason. IMHO I think that low level green light is preferable to any other color, at least when it comes to color rendering and seeing detail. If I can find some good green LED flashlights, I'll try to change our backstage light color to green. It may not fly though, traditions can be slow to change in the theater.