Color-coding Source 4 Lens Tubes

I don't think that there is any special paint that you have to use.  In the past I have used regular spray paint or a paint marker.

Not that it affects the type of paint, but out of curiosity, what color-code are you planning to use?

I'm trying to stay as close to ETC's lens color coding as possible, so a 19 would be red, 36 orange, and 50 yellow. For the 26's I'll probably go with blue since I can't really do black.

FYI,

Rental shops use either paint pens or paint sharpies.  Spray becomes messy and there is always a chance of spay on the lens.

P-

For what it's worth, (everyone has their preferences) I'm a big fan of only coloring the small patch inside of the color frame clip.  It's usually an easy place to find on the lens, and it's not usually visible from the audience.

Your idea sounds solid. Although have you considered just putting spike tape on the C clamp? or yoke?

That would be an easy way also it would not hurt the units if you tried to resell them later. Just a thought

In my time in Regional Theater, we had all our units (then Altman 360Q's) color coded on the color frame holders.  We painted them from the lense side and on the actual sides of the color frame holder.  This way it was easy to look up in the air with a flashlight to see what the fixture was and do a quick count when things went missing.  The color code we used:

Green = 50º

Red = 36º

Blue = 26º

White = 19º

I actually carried this over to other venues I have worked at and it really was an effective method.  You can't really do anything to the body of the unit as you swap lenses out so much.

A lot of venues I've worked at put e-tape on the gel clip - subtle enough that it doesn't distract even when the lamps are close to the audience, non-permanent (for those concerned with resale value - but who wants to get rid of their Source IVs?), and visible when the gel frame is in.

The colour coding I've used has been:

5º and 10º - no color, but easily distinguishable by size

15º - Blue

19º - no colour

26º - Red

36º - Fluorescent Orange

50º - Green

70º - Purple

90º - White

This is an interesting idea. The vast majority of venues colour-code their cables by length, so why not the lens tubes? There are enough large venues who have more lenses than they have bodies.

Last week, it took four of us about an hour to return only a few S4 bodies to their 'default' lens configuration. When dealing with a few meat-racks full of Source Fours, it can take some time to identify them all!

How do hire companies deal with this?

p.s. I am grateful that the S4 lenses are so easy to change. That in itself is a good selling point - let alone the optics!

While this thread is old, I have to say that my favorite lens tube marking system has been the dot system.  Specifically for traditional lens tubs.

Take your pic if you only want to put the dots on the bottom of the lens tube gel holder part, or all 3 sides.  I suggest white or silver paint pens.  It takes a test or two to get the perfect amount of paint onto the tube.  If you are doing this during maintenance time, have 1 person do all the dots so they look uniformed!  A small flashlight and you can shine it up into the rig and see the lens tube markings very easy, without it being distracting to the audience ever.

19 - 1 dot center

26 - 2 dots split center

36 - 3 dots evenly distributed

50 - 5 dots (some people do 4 dots, but I think 5 makes more sense to go with the lens tube degree).

My assumption is 5, 10, 14 degrees are clearly able to be differentiated in the area.

70 and 90s are rare lens tube and while looking similar are well notated

Example: Lens Tube Dot 36 Degree