200W HMI

Overview

A "200W HMI" on a film set refers not to a specific manufacturer, but to a power class of HMI (Hydrargyrum Medium-arc Iodide) lights with a 200-watt lamp output. It is one of the smallest common HMI sizes and thus represents the entry into daylight discharge lighting. HMI lamps produce light via an arc between two electrodes in a bulb filled with gas and metal halides. The 200-watt head therefore always relies on a ballast, which ignites the arc and regulates the current.

Typical representatives of this class include the K5600 Joker 200 / Joker-Bug 200 (PAR), the Dedolight Sundance 200, the LTM Cinepar 200, the Arrisun 2, as well as heads from Bron Kobold and Mole-Richardson (e.g., DigiMole 200 / MolePar 200). Depending on their design, they are offered as PAR, Fresnel, or open-face fixtures.

Technical Specifications

General characteristics of the class:

• Lamp power: 200 W (discharge/metal halide lamp)
• Color temperature: approx. 5600 K (daylight)
• Lamp types: MSR or LCL bulbs with 200 W (e.g., OSRAM HMI Digital 200 W)
• Operation only with ballast (electronic with square wave for flicker-free operation, or magnetic)
• Luminous efficacy significantly higher than incandescent light of the same power

Since HMI is significantly more efficient than incandescent light, a 200-watt HMI head delivers an amount of light equivalent to that of a 750 to 1000-watt incandescent or quartz fixture. The K5600 Joker-Bug 200, for example, draws only a small mains current of around 3 amperes, allowing the lamp to be operated from a standard household outlet.

Set Usage

Due to their daylight color temperature, 200-watt HMIs are suitable for fill light and mixing with natural daylight, for small accents in interiors, and as compact, portable light sources for exterior shoots and documentaries. Their low power consumption allows operation without a generator and sometimes on battery power (AC/DC versions like the Joker-Bug).

It should be noted that electronic ballasts must be operated in flicker-free mode to avoid image flicker at varying frame rates, and that they can produce audible or measurable hum. PAR versions can be adjusted from a narrow spot to a wide flood using diffusion lenses.