What's in a name?

[propmonkey]

I use light, fixture and instrument often when descirbing such item. ill vary between the three with in the same sentence sometimes

[David A]

to me a fixture is something which does not move, an instrument is a thing muso's play,a lamp is what I have on my bedside table and a lantern is a little glass frame that you put candles in so to avoid confusion I call luminaires, luminaires.If someone uses one of the other terms I don't really care. All of these semantics are only relevent to a particular situation and who you are working with, the only criteria I use is how to minimize possible confusion.

[Paul Roberts]

When I'm just talking to non-technical types at my school (ie pupils/students who aren't interested, or staff) I refer to the stage lights as lanterns - mainly cos it sounds a bit more professional than lights (titter). If I'm talking to more technically minded people, whether it be pupils/students who take drama or the performing arts teachers, I try to refer to each lantern by it's type ie profile, fresnel, par can, flood etc or their designated code ie Patt 23, Patt 123, Par 56, Patt 137 etc etc.

 

It sounds long winded, but it seems to work.

[Johnno]

If you were talking to technically interested people and said "I use a tower when I'm rigging XXXXX" what would the word XXXXX be? You'd use a generic term. I'd say "lanterns" or perhaps just "lights". In your last sentence you used the word "lantern" talking to us technically minded types. So you've answered my question without realising it!

[jhaynes199]

I'm with Mumbles and Andy on this one. Fixture / unit for moving / DMXable light, light = any light, lamp = the actual bulb

[woody74]

I try to refer to each lantern by it's type ie profile, fresnel, par can, flood etc or their designated code ie Patt 23, Patt 123, Par 56, Patt 137 etc etc.

 

After answering on page one, I started paying attention to what I say, and I do the same thing, only I use leko for profiles (all manufacturers), PAR for both cans and Soure Four, and Fresnels are Fresnels. What's funny is that I have never even used a REAL Leko in my life. Silly ingrained vernacular...

 

-w

[dbuckley]

I tend to use the terminolgy whoever I'm working with uses. In my own world I'll use "light" or "lamp", but feel the need to move upmarket when I work with folks who have something else, like a fixture or a lantern. Never yet been asked to hand someone a luminaire.

 

Except.... I like to hang freznels not frennnnnnnels, which really p*sses some people off :D

[ojc123]

When I'm dealing with the students I tend to talk about a type of lantern (Fresnel, Profile, PARcan etc). I also tend to explain why I am using that lantern for that job.