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DIY HMI continues

Started doing more research on a small HMI I can use for a hair light.  Looks like there are several 200W HMIs on the market- by Arri, Joker, Frezzi to name a few.  The Frezzi is $3500 for a hot-restrike unit that includes pelican case, soft box, filters, barn doors, and ballast.  Similar unit from Arri that also includes a DC ballast costs $5200.  Wow.  This is for a single 200W HMI (puts out about 600W worth of light compared to a tungsten) in a fresnel housing, with accessories- but wow!  That’s not cheap.

Turns out they all seem to use the same bulb- Phillips 200W MSR HR HMI bulb.  Bulbs cost around $120 from Barndoor Lighting. The bulb has a GZY 9.5 base, and is 80mm (3.2″) tall.

Further research lead me to find only 1 compatible ballast for this bulb-  made in Germany.  Schiederwerk EVG 2-20 ballast  roughly - $380, then you also need an ignitor - HZG 8-25 (Hot Restrike!), part number 32 058 1000. Ignitor - $95.  The US distributor is Jeffrey Van Etten @ Professional Lamps jfsales@plilamps.com

So we’re at $600 for bulb, ballast, and ignitor.  You still need a fixture, a box for the ballast (it’s a circuit board) and cabling.  

If you can get away without hot-restrike, then things get a lot cheaper.  Coollights has CDM (similar tech to HMI) bulbs 150W in an Arri knockoff shell with a nice ballast and cable for $460 or so.  Takes 5 minutes to warm up, but is cheap, bright, and apparently well made.  

Food for thought.  Don’t know if a doubling in price is worth it for hot-restrike (one could get a similar arri knock off for $270, and replace the guts with an HMI and build a ballast box- but I bet you’re still near $1000 or more when done- but you’d have a pretty sweet 200W HMI for $1000, which isn’t all that bad.

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