Tiffen Lowel Tota-light User Manual

Lowel Tota-light Instructions

TOTA-LIGHT

T

OTA-BRELLA

TOTA-FRAME

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General Warnings

The Lowel Tota-light® is a professional
lighting fixture. Read these
instructions and lamp manufacturer’s
warnings before operating.

n Not for household use,

use only for film, video or imaging purposes.

n Do not leave lit fixture unattended.
n Unplug lights when unattended or

when relamping.

n Make certain that lamp voltage
matches power source voltage.

The units use lamps of different voltages
(example: never connect a 120 volt lamp to
a 220/240 volt source).

n Units such as this emit considerable
light and heat and, if not properly used,

could be dangerous.

n The Protective Screen must be used

to protect people and property in the unlikely
event of a defective lamp exploding, which
can cause small fragments of hot glass &
filament to be scattered about.

n Tota-light should never be operated
with doors either closed or beyond the
below shown “safety stop” position.

n Open faced lights should not be

positioned extremely close to people.
Ultraviolet light ray emissions can cause dam­age to the eyes and reddening of the skin. The
likelihood of either occurring is increased with
length of exposure, focus intensity and prox­imity. As a result, lights should be kept away
from people. Bounce illumination also elimi­nates this problem.

n Avoid aiming the light at,

or placing close to, people, delicate objects
or flammable materials.

n Do not interfere with ventilation

by covering the lights in any way.

n Never touch hot parts.
n Do not use near standing water.
n Lights should be operated with

lamp filament horizontal.

Yes

n Avoid mounting lights directly

over people unless secured with a safety
cord or cable.

Tota-light

360°
Constant
tension
no-yoke
tilting

3” (7.6 cm)

Flexi-shaft locks
into mount to hold
flags and flectors

Adjustable

reflector can

actually

light behind

itself

4.5” (11.4 cm)

2” (5 cm)

Technical Data

Size closed: 2" x 3" x 11"
(5 x 7.6 x 27.9 cm)

Weight less cable: 1.3 lbs (595 g)
With 16' cable: 2.25 lbs (1.02 kg)
Max. wattage: 750w at 120v,

800w at 220/240v

Max. amperage: 6.25 at 120v
Beam control: door angle provides

vertical beam control

Fits on: studs 5/8" (1.59 cm) or smaller
Materials: primarily aluminum alloy
Cable: 16' (4.88 m) #18/3 wire
Switch: in-line
U.S. Patent: 3852582

Large cool
knob for
360° tilting

Safety stop/
reflector handle

Gull-wing
reflector produces
wide, smooth
light pattern

11” (29.9 cm)

Slot for
umbrella and
gel-frame

Lock for
umbrella and
gel-frame

A second
Tota stacks
on and locks
in place

Lamp/Beam Data Performance

Lowel F. C. at 10' (3 m)
Code Volts Watts °K Avg Life doors norm doors 180°

EHZ 120 300 2900 2000 hr 14 (149) 11 (122)
FDN 120 500 3200 400 hr 27 (295) 22 (235)
FCZ 120 500 3000 2600 hr 26 (280) 19 (200)
FCM/HIR* 120 650 3200 400 hr 60 (640) 45 (485)
(FWM)
EMD 120 750 3200 400 hr 41 (445) 34 (365)
EMF 220/240 800 3200 250 hr 45 (480) 34 (365)

• 750W max @ 120V.

• 800W max @ 220/240V.

• Tota and V-light lamps are not
interchangeable.

• Tota lamps are frosted except FCM/HIR

• *G.E. Watt Miser™, also known as FWM,
has virtually same output as 1000W lamp
(see manufacturers specifications).

With 120v, 750w, 3200°K, EMD lamp

Beam angles-points at which intensity drops
to 50% of maximum

Tota Operations

Tota Lamps Replacement

Warning: Always unplug unit
before relamping.

n Lamps must be operated at their
rated voltage. Avoid touching
“glass” with bare fingers,
use tissue or hand­kerchief. Skin oil
on lamp glass
will focus heat
unevenly and
cause premature
lamp failure.

No

n Insert lamp carefully, to avoid breaking
porcelain ends.

n The tension springs of the Tota sockets A
are very stiff, remove and install lamps care­fully with 2 hands to avoid damaging lamp.
The porcelain contact of the socket may occa­sionally stick in its protective metal housing.
The contact can be freed by pushing against it
with a pencil or other suitable object.

A

n Due to inconsistencies in lamp (bulb) pro­duction, an individual lamp may function for
less than avg. rated life. Some lamp manufac­tures are of better quality than others and may
provide longer life and better performance.

See Lowel Catalog or www.lowel.com
for complete technical data.

A

Attaching Tota
Protective Screen

Warning: Never operate light without
supplied Protective Screen.

After opening Tota-light reflector doors, push
long open edges of screen into slots between
open doors of
Tota-light. When storing
the screen protect from
bending which will
effect the proper fit.

Tota Door
Operating Positions

Tota-light must be operated with
doors open.

Operating fixture with doors closed or partially
closed will cause serious damage to the
fixture and possible personal hazard.
A Maximum light intensity (total door angle
of 90°). Door handles will help prevent
doors from closing beyond the safe operating
position.

B Maximum vertical spread.
C Compensates for light fall-off when illumi-

nating a wall or cyc from below (opposite
door configuration when lighting from above).

AB

C

TOTA-LIGHT

TOTA-BRELLA

TOTA-FRAME

Lowel Tota-light Instructions

Storing Tota Tota Light Controls

To Store Tota

When fixture is cool to the touch, disconnect
plug on rear of Tota-light. Remove
Protective Screen, spring out door
handles slightly until open end
can slip between double walls
and close doors. Store Protective
Screen “over” folded light. When
storing the screen, protect from
bending which will effect the
proper fit.

Tota/Omni Shared Light Control Accessories

The following components are shared by both the
Tota and Omni-lights. Their attachment may differ
slightly between Tota and Omni, as described below.

Umbrellas

Photographic umbrellas
convert relatively hard
light sources, such as
spotlights, into relatively
soft sources that provide
soft shadows and high­lights. Although not
appropriate for every
subject or mood, the
quality of light can be very beautiful. There are two Umbrellas
designed for use with the Tota lights, a woven, soft silver
Tota-brella (T1-25) and a softer white Tota-brella (T1-26) that
produces a softer light and also may be used as a large dif­fuser. The larger Lowel DP Umbrellas (Silver D2-25, White
D2-26) may also be used with the Tota-lights (see below).

Warning:

When lights with umbrellas are extended very high, or used on
undersized stands or in areas of heavy “traffic”, it is advisable
to add weight (such as the Lowel weight) to the base of the
stand. This reduces the chance of lights falling over which
could damage the umbrella, the lamp, and possibly cause
personal injury.

Using Umbrellas with Tota

Insert umbrella through hole until shaft
appears through opposite hole. Lock with
knob. When the umbrella is in place, the
gel frame cannot be used. Tota-shades and
gels should be used for daylight correction.
The use of clear instead of frosted lamps
will increase the light output by approximately 15%. When
using the DP Umbrella, the tilt tension of the light may have to
be increased. This can be done easily by tightening the nut
located on the stand fitting with a 7/16" wrench.

Do not over tighten!

Tota-shade

Codes: T1-21 (1)
T1-24 (set of 4)

Top/ Bottom Shades.

Attach Tota-shade panel to the top or bottom reflector door
with black clips facing in to
lock over the door's ribs.

Side Shades can be used
only when top and bottom
panels are attached. Turn
each black clip 45° and
attach one each to the bent
rod ends of the top and bot­tom panels. Reflector doors
must be held tightly against
their 45° angle stops while
doing this.

Tota-frame

Code: T1-20

Unfold frame, extending frame bar and insert
through front accessory mounting hole
until shaft appears through opposite
hole. Lock with knob.

Tota/Omni Gels

Gels are secured to the frame with
corner spring clips. Gels should not
be doubled up. Precut, tough, fade
resistant Lowel gels are available in
daylight blue, frost diffusion, and
neutral density. Gels can be cut
into various shapes to cover only
part of the frame and subject.
(See gel instruction sheet.)

Tota-flag & Tota-flector

Codes: T1-52 & T1-54

Tota flags can be used separately, or
snapped together end to end or side to
side. Flags can be attached to the light
with a flexi-shaft. Flags block or “feather”
light off background, subject, or camera
lens. Tota-flectors can be attached in the
same way and used to redirect some of
the light. It can also provide close-up fill
illumination from the sun or other source
over a small area. Slight convex bowing
of the surface will reduce the intensity
and increase the area illumination.
Avoid mounting flags or reflectors directly
over people unless secured with a safety
cord or cable.

Flexi-shaft

Code: T1-50 (set of 2)

A flexible arm positions Tota-flags and Tota-flec­tors. The fixed end of the Flexi-shaft snaps into a
female connector on the Tota & Omni-lights, Tota-clamp and a
few other Tota components. The rotating end snaps on to the
flag, flector etc. Avoid overstressing connectors while bending
and twisting. Insert the non-rotating end into the light.

Panels become extremely hot; do not touch
with bare fingers. Do not close Tota-shade
when lamp is on.

Tota-tatch

Code: T1-34

Spring clamp attaches Tota-flags and
Tota-flectors with or without Flexi-shafts,
to stands, pipes, and flat surfaces.
The snap-in fitting rotates to help
position flags. Tota-tatch may also be
used to hold and position black & white
cards, cue cards, gels, etc.

Lampaks

Lampaks provide transparent, semi rigid
foam filled storage for spare lamps.
Always remove lamps from fixture
& store in Lampak if the kit will be
travelling for an extended period
(example: flights or cargo).

Never put hot lamps in
Lampak.

Tota Lampak

Code: T1-61

Stores 6 Tota lamps in foam filled
plastic case. (lamps not included)

Tota/Omni Lampak

Code: TO-61

Stores 2 Tota & 4 Omni lamps in foam
filled plastic case. (lamps not included)

2