The Pacific is made up of three components: the case, the light module and the lens. The case is made from a modern type of plastic so it is strong yet lightweight. The light’s Active Heat Management System effectively removes heat from the light beam, delivering a cool beam onto the actors and the set area, while managing the heat away from the operational controls and critical components, such as the lamp, wiring and cabling. The HMI lamp module is what sets this light apart from the tungsten Pacific models. The power of the Pacific MSR allows projection over distances previously unobtainable with tungsten bulbs –– it’s kind of like a Dedolight on steroids. Using the Universal Mount adapter from Rosco Labs, you can project a gobo onto a wall from across a room, creating a nice background on the plain wall. The cool thing about the Pacific is that if you already own a tungsten model, you can add the MSR power system with the universal electronic flicker-free ballast, integral igniter and lamp module for a fully functional HMI.

There are three HMI bulbs available for the Pacific: the 575W MSR 575-HR (with 750 hrs. average life and 49,000 lumens @ 6000K), the 575W MSR575/2 (with 700 hrs. average life and 49,000 lumens @ 5600K) and the 575W MSD 575 (with 2000 hrs. average life and 46,000 lumens @ 5600K). So, as you can see, you have your choice of 5600K or 6000K, with an average bulb life of 700 to 2,000 hours. I think that having a choice of bulbs a good thing.

Another thing I like about this light is that the ballast mounts to the side of the light, eliminating any problems with the cable. If you want to raise the light 15 feet in the air, you don’t have to worry if the cable is long enough, or if you’ll have to mount the ballast to the light stand to make the cable reach the light. If you’re old-school and actually want to leave your ballast on the floor, you can do this by running the optional 16.5-foot extension cable from the ballast up to the light. And if you plan to use a dimmer with this unit, it’s important to note that you’ll need to use the Selecon Pacific Dowser, which has been specifically designed for this purpose.

The lenses on these lights are really awesome, and there is a huge range of beam angles available for the Pacific –– it offers a wide choice of Zoomspots (5.5-13 degrees, 12-28 degrees, 14-35 degrees, 23-50 degrees and 45-75 degrees) and Fixed Beams (5 degrees HE, 20 degrees, 30 degrees, 40 degrees, 50 degrees and 90 degrees). The Pacific 90-degree Fixed Beam is the widest fixed-beam ellipsoidal available, with a beam that’s wider than a Fresnel. I found it great for small rooms and gobo projections; it just makes a great all-around lens for video production. This lens has a set of four built-in shutters that work like barn doors to cut and shape the light. In addition, it also has an option for two movable lenses. I used one of the lens sliders to adjust the size of the light beam, from spot to wide angle, and the other lens slider to adjust the softness of the beam edge. In the room I was in, I could get anything from a 16-foot-wide beam to a 3-foot spotlight, all with a hard or soft edge.

Having a large light source is helpful for on-location video production. Using my F.J. Wescott Scrim Jim frame and a silk, I got a room full of 5600K soft light without taking up too much room. With the 90-degree lens, I was able to fill the 8x8-foot silk from only 3 or 4 feet away, leaving plenty of room for the actors in the condo set where we were shooting. I also tested a mountable softbox with the Pacific light. Chimera sent me a speed ring to mount on the front of the lens, which allowed me to attach one of their medium-sized Quartz Plus units. This allowed me to get a beautiful, soft light that could easily be moved around the shooting area. To avoid hot spots and achieve even light coverage over the entire front silk of the Chimera, I simply moved both sliders toward the end of the lens.

There are two pattern mounting slots at the end of the 360° rotatable-lens barrel, and the difference between the tungsten and HMI model Pacific light becomes apparent when you want to use slides or colored media. The Active Heat Management System delivers a cooler, whiter beam, so the light coming out of the barrel is cool and the controls stay touchable during use. The difference is in what happens to the media that you drop into the pattern slot located in the gate area near the lamp.

While a tungsten Pacific light can run for hours without frying the colored media, the heat from the HMI makes the gate area pretty toasty. To use the Rosco ImagePro with plastic slides or glass gobos, you’ll need to turn the dial on the bottom of the light in a counter-clockwise direction. This will turn down the light and keep the media from burning. If you need more level, the Universal Mount adaptor from Rosco Labs, works well at full brightness with metal gobos. This system allowed me to get a lasting background projection that looked great. Did I mention that the two sliders also control the size and focus of your projected image?

Other uses for this lens system include creating a Spotlight effect, bouncing a thin beam of light off a silk mounted over an external window, and emulating moonlight. (I picked up that last trick on the set of “Burn Notice.”)

The Pacific light fits well in a Pelican iM3075 Storm Case with cubed foam. The Pelican Storm Case is lightweight yet strong –– the Chimera, Speed Ring and Pacific light can be easily rolled around from job to job as the Case protects your investment. Overall, I found the Pacific HMI to be a solid and versatile light for video production. It works great for gobo projection, as a key light or as a fill light to balance daylight from a window. The lens system also gives you more versatility than a Fresnel or Par. If you can only afford one HMI, this just might be the light you’ve been looking for.

Selecon Pacific HMI light
Contact: www.seleconlight.com
MSRP: Pacific HMI with 90-degree barrel  $2,160

Medium Chimera Quartz Plus
Contact: www.chimeralighting.com
MSRP: Varies with type of rods and speed ring

Pelican Storm Case
Contact: www.pelican.com or www.stormcase.com
800.542.7344
MSRP: $485.10

Rosco Labs ImagePro and Universal Mount Adaptor
Contact: www.rosco.com
MSRP: Varies with unit, slides and gobo

Chimera
www.chimeralighting.com

F.J. Wescott
http://www.fjwestcott.com/

NAB
www.nabshow.com

Pelican
http://www.pelican.com

Rosco Labs
www.rosco.com

Selecon
http://www.seleconlight.com/