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Howdy folks, lightbox purchase question...

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Howdy folks, lightbox purchase question...

How you guys doing? Hope you're all well. When I get paid, I can finally get myself a nice lightbox, probably from chromacolour, just wondering if anyone thinks a 12 field or a 15 field is better, or there really is not much difference?

squirrelpoop's picture
~Don't Give Up!~

~Don't Give Up!~

How you guys doing? Hope you're all well. When I get paid, I can finally get myself a nice lightbox, probably from chromacolour, just wondering if anyone thinks a 12 field or a 15 field is better, or there really is not much difference?

Overall, I'd recommend the portable desk made by Colin Johnson
http://www.animationdesks.com/ , but since you're in Europe the shipping from Canada will probably make it too expensive .

I'd go with the larger 16 Field (or 15 field) disc since you can use it for both 12 field and 16 field , whereas with 12 field you're stuck with only the smaller size .

Have you thought of a Magnabar Disc

Hello.

Have you thought of the Magnabar animation disc- it goes 12 field or flip the magnetic peg bar around for 16 field...then you have both.

Thanks.

ok cool...

Thanks for the advice!

~Don't Give Up!~

Have you thought of the Magnabar animation disc- it goes 12 field or flip the magnetic peg bar around for 16 field...then you have both.

Here's a couple of links to sources for the convertible 12/16 discs.
[URL=http://www.centraltool.com/products.html]
Central Tool Co.[/URL] (they manufacture these metal discs themselves and their prices are a bit less than what I've seen advertised on other sites.)
Currently listed for $595.00

Alan Gordon Ent. 12/16 Wooden Disc this is the same sort of combo 12/16 disc (by reversing the peg bars) but made of wood instead of metal (the peg bars are metal, but the disc itself is wood). Again, this comes straight from the manufacturer , so the price is better than what I've seen advertised on certain other websites which are selling this exact same type of disc. Currently listed for $285.00

Unless you need the metal sliding peg bars to plan out pan movements
(which most people do in the computer nowadays rather than manually figuring out camera moves on the disc) you are probably better off with a plexiglass disc . The traditonal style disc with the sliding peg bars is nice to have , but I find that I rarely use those sliding pegs anymore . If you go with the plexiglass disc then do invest in a nice tape-down metal peg bar to replace the plastic peg bar that comes with most of the plexiglass (perspex) discs. The metal bar will give you better registration. You can purchase the thin, metal tape-down bars from Chromacolour, Lightfoot, Cartoon Colour. The plexiglass discs are also available from those companies. I think the animation desk you were planning on getting from ChromaColour comes with a plexiglass disc included . I'd still say get the larger size if possible, so you have the option of working on larger size paper.

I've seen the plexiglass discs listed from as low as $49.00 (from Central Tool Co.), but usually between $65.00 to $89.00 , or in some cases as much as $100.00 . That's still less expensive compared to the metal or wood discs. A thin, metal tape-down peg bar will cost you another $20.00 . (the plastic pegs will work "ok", but in the long run you'll be glad if you get the metal peg bar)