Look Back at Lighting ------ Optikinetics (now Opti)

November 1970 is when it all started for Optikinetics, formed by Keith Canadine, Neil Rice and Philip Brunker. Around 1973 they were rapidly growing and apart from lighting, also sold sound gear. A quick search on the net will give lots of info on the history, so here are a few pics to get you started.

Early Days at Optikinetics				Photographs by Brian Davies?
1973 Otikinetics showroom		1980 Phil Brunker & Neil Rice	Margaret Devan filling oil wheels	Kevin Whooley (graphics) & Jenny Hayward (UK sales)
1973 Studio showing HiStand, note the Tutor II		The Solar 250 production line at Luton (1980)	The 'Patternlite' projector, with 6" wheel and 3" cassette options. A modified Czech projector made from cast metal parts (later version has a steel cover)
Ok so it's mid seventies now and Opti have a range of effects lighting and accessories, check these out.
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Above are two leaflets showing effects from the 70's				.Original Patternlite pre 73.......typical 3"pattern wheel
Solar 12v skt Accessory power outlet	Solar 12v Plg Accessory power plug	Modern Splodascope	Panoramic Rotator
				Above is the 'Discorator' an early projector
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Dynagraph set (Instructions here)		Rotagraph set	3" cassette motor	6" wheel motor(left), advert for P Brunker mod proj
The very effective bubble making machine Opti at 38 Cromwell Road Cassette version.Note the outer casing is now different to the first Czech units. Still selling. Note the outer casing is now different to the first Czech units. Dynagraph & Rotagraph Early Solar type 100A   The Opti projectors of the day. Note the aux connectors on these early types were Bulgin 3 Pin, supplying 240v to the motors! This did not last long and these were rapidly changed to 12v. Some idiots tried plugging the later 12v motors into these early units which gave a whole new light show-- followed by darkness.... Strobes were used frequently. Most of us went for the Super Strobe Above is the model 575 projector using an MSI lamp much larger than the 250 and very very bright Solar 250 setup instruction includes using effects, lenses mounting etc Click here for crystal pulse instruction sheet Possibly Rare example from Optikinetics titled "Glamour" from 1970's Above - the crystal pulse. This has to be seen working to appreciate it. The Later effects catalogue (R Click on it to save as complete)16mb file as a pdf Article on Opti from Dec issue 1985 (p33) Opti Advert   Shown above:- On Left. 1999 - 32 pages, inc cover. This catalogue was updated several times but the wheel pages remained unchanged until at least 2003. A few years after this printed sales literature gave way to downloadable on-line information. To the left of this is a modern catalogue of units effects and attachments. Far left is an advertisement page 1993 Front Cover 12 Pages. Top row centre pic is the Optic Nerve, the rights to manufacture and market this we acquired from kinetic light artist Paul Friedlander. Shaking strands of side emitting fibre optic with coloured light being pulsed through it. Perfect for the Ozric’s wasI thought. It made it into the catalogue, as opti were tight going to press pre the PLASA exhibition that year. However it didn’t make it off the drawing board or out of Graham Hitchcock’s photographic studio,he rang us to say he’d managed to capture the effect on film but his studio floor was covered in broken fibres. And opti never found a durable replacement fibre. Shown Above some of the first 3" cassettes, note the race used as this was a metal type used in the aircraft industry. Opti later had the race produced in a plastic material as numbers of the aviation part were limited(a few thousand) and costly. Cat Cover Quasar xe900 projector Opti 'Stripper' Pricelist 2011 circular mirror linear mirror goboprojector DMX manual GS6007 clock adaptor Window Sticker advert New Owners Badge FOL Brackets for accy (mirrors etc) 6" Stripe effect wheel   Shown above, some of opti original artwork stored at the factory and the 'Gobo' drawer. Images thanks to Neil Rice.         Instructions here Polarising "Poly" wheel         Opti Gobo 40 projector
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