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Yes, I have converted old Totas with Led, it is even easier as the replacement bulbs are readily available. I did a video about a Pro conversion.

@@TheObsoletian I saw the pro conversion right after I commented. Thank you very much! 🙏

I like the usability of those old Lowels, they are really well built lights and thanks to the conversion I am using them again. Happy shooting!

@@TheObsoletian I was about to sell mine off before I found this.

Look for G8 LED lightbulb on Amazon, there's a large selection of them, even dimmable ones. Happy shooting!

Yes, but remember, when those lights were designed, they were meant for cameras way less sensitive than those we use today (like my BMPCC 6K). I normally shoot interiors between 400 and 1250 ISO and fast lenses, normally between f1.8 and f4. The output is just what I need for backlight and fill lights, if I had them with their original 500W output, I would need dimmers for them, plus a dedicated line for each light. Now I can connect 4 or more lights to a 10 amp breaker without blowing them off. They become more user friendly for small setups and way more controllable, they never get hot, so strike times are fast. I just used four of them for a commercial and matched them to existing 6000K lights on location. They basically saved my ass because I was shooting at a location with limited electric connections, I would have had to get a generator if dealing with tungsten. I'm serious, I just came back from said shoot when I saw your message. CRI has not been a problem so far either. The main thing is I USE them all the time, being so cheap, I have bought several sets of old Lowel lights and reconditioned them to LED and I don't have to worry about dropping them or dealing with finicky software nor electronic circuits like modern LEDs. I'm hoping in the future, more powerful LED lightbulbs are released that are also dimmable.

@@TheObsoletian ok I'll try, if works for me Thanks

I bought mine on Amazon. I think the link is bellow the video.

It all comes down to usability to me. I had those lights for a few years, left forgotten in a corner of my studio. Yes, the projected light beam is different from the tungsten version and also they are less powerful than the tungsten (2 f stops difference on average). They are not the same as the original, you'd have to adapt to them by using modifiers, diffusion, etc.. The bottom line for me though, is I use them now, a lot, they are my go to fixtures for many applications. They are cold, I can put them close to expensive objects and food without fear of the light melting them. I can connect 3 or 4 lamps to the same 10amp circuit. They are well made, sturdy, unlike some modern LEDs that die unexpectedly for unknown reasons. I'd say try it on one of your lamps, the conversion is very cheap and reversible if you don't like it. If you find them useful, well, awesome. I don't make any money from this, just an experiment that worked for me and wanted to share with my colleagues.

@@TheObsoletian Thank you, I suspected it. Maybe still a photo of the beam hitting an even wall. Just to show the 'artistic' new character? Thanks!

True, then you get into the conundrum of digital file conservation, a very complex can of worms in itself. I worked in tv for many years and I can tell you decades of videotape are lost forever and digital archives are also at risk of disappearing, they have to be copied ever so often and not everyone (the people with $$) sees value in them.

Agreed! I think that some years ago one TV program dedicated to this subject concluded that the longest lasting storage might be via B&W film. Yes, video tape sheds oxide, DVD printing ink can corrode the aluminum film etc, etc.@@TheObsoletian

Someone will replace the LED with a neutrino powered light source, no worries.

I don't see why It would not work on most projectors. Thanks for your comment. Good luck!

The distortion you are referring to is barely noticeable, the CRI of these LED bulbs is close to 90. In any case, most super 8 films are old (some are 50yo +) and have lost some of their original lustre, especially on the reds. This is not meant to work as a telecine. Thanks for your comment.

The conversion for Totas is the simplest of them all. You can find replacement bulbs for those at Home Depot or Amazon, not as bright as the 500W from a Tota though (100WLED equivalent). I have a couple Totas with daylight LED rs7 bulbs and also use them often.

No, the film is narrower than 16mm film, maybe closer to 8mm. I guess you can try to use super 8. Maybe I’ll try in a future video. Thanks for watching!

@@TheObsoletianOh, I guess I'm thinking of 110.

Thanks for your kind comments. I must say that I use these LED converted lights ( I have now 6 of them) very often. Check out the video i made about a similar conversion on a 1000W fresnel that I bought for $50. Spread the word, let's get those beautifully built lights out of the recycling bin!

Either would work, I used daylight balanced 6000K (cool white)

Gracias, esa era la idea!

Timeless

Thanks for watching, I'll probably revisit 35mm photography in the near future.

They are beautiful machines, thanks for watching!

It's a 6W, 60W equivalent, links are in the information below the video. Thanks for your comment!

Thanks for getting back to me. I am off to local hardware store, tomorrow hope I am successful if not Amazon.

Yes, these lightbulbs are rated for 120V, 3000K and are dimmable.

Sorry for the late response