Hi! This does not relate necessarily to video, so I hope it's ok to post. At any rate, I need help.

First, does anyone know a longer lasting alternative to the BCA B1 bulb (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/19239-REG/General_Brand__BCA_Lamp_250W_120V.html)? I use these bulbs a lot at my job and they're great - except that they only have an average life of 3 hrs. I'd like to find a bulb like that that lasts longer, if such a thing exists.

Second, how would I clean the flocked background that comes with photo tents (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/310575-REG/Impact__Digital_Small_Lighthouse_Kit.html)? The label said not to wash and my dry cleaner wont try to clean it because he doesn't know what the backing is made out of (it's some kind of plastic-type material). Are there cleaning solutions out there for this kind of thing?

Thanks a lot,

Dale

No replies. I really need help, guys!

Dale,

I have got something similar to your photo tent and the backgrounds are made of velvet like material which is a terror to keep dust free and wrinkle free. I have thrown them all out since day one and have resorted to using stiff coloured cardboard that has worked really well. Since the background should really be blurred, there is no issue with the cardboards at all.

As for a white sweep, I just use a ream of white paper or Lee 216 diffusion.

Cheers

WeeHan

Thanks a lot. My problem is I'm forced to use a Kodak EasyShare (a point-and-shoot camera) - not the best thing for blurring backgrounds. I would suppose that the Lee 216 is a bit transparent since it is diffusion? Do you think there would be any problems with the tent showing through?

Thanks.

An idea for the bulb (just an idea, you'd have to try it).

Get a halogen lamp with e27 socket (in Germany they have these 250 Watt Osram called "Halolux Ceram" I guess overseas they just have a different name for it).
Use a 1/2 CTB gel with it and it should be roughly 4800-5000K.
The only problem would be to fix the ctb gel somewhere away from the lamp so that it won't fade to white from the heat. Well, maybe it wasn't such a perfect idea, but the 250W halogen e27 lights are versatile and they definitely last longer than 3 hours, so it's worth a try :)