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Lightronics FXLE1232W LED Profile Fixture
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Chauvet Ovation E-190WW LED Profile Fixture
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Prism Projection RevEAL Profile Junior
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Robert Juliat ZEP 644SXWW
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Phillips Selecon PLprofile4 LED Profile Fixture
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Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC) Source Four LED Tungsten
LED lighting fixtures have been on the market in wash configurations for some years now, but relatively new to the market are profile fixtures that utilize an LED light source. Designed to mimic as close to possible the traditional ellipsoidal reflector spotlight, the nature of LED fixtures using a matrix of LEDs as a light source prevents an exact ERS design. Instead of a small light source positioned at one of the focal points of an ellipse, the LED light source replaces that point source and the reflector with the matrix of LED emitters. This change from using a point source and ellipsoidal reflector causes some interesting optic changes from an ERS, which we'll see as we talk about the fixtures we are reviewing.
In this review, we're looking at five brands of LED profile fixtures: ETC, Robert Juliat, Lightronics, Prism Projection, Phillips Selecon, and Chauvet Lighting.
As LED fixtures are significantly more expensive than their traditional Tungsten counterparts, few churches would be able to afford replacing their entire existing Tungsten rig with LED fixtures. Therefore, we asked for evaluation units that would best blend with Tungsten fixtures, as churches would likely migrate to LED over time. We kept a beam of light from a 650-watt Arri Tungsten Fresnel fixture near the beam from the LED fixture to subjectively evaluate the color temperature match.
There were no perfect fixtures—each has its strengths and weaknesses. All, however, were impressive and worth consideration. As is ultimately true with any equipment selection decision, you need to evaluate your needs and budget and pick a fixture that best meets those needs.
All fixtures were evaluated by projecting a 65-inch diameter circle of light at full intensity.
And lastly, I'd like to thanks Larry Leake, technical director of Crossroads Fellowship Church in Raleigh, NC for his participation in the evaluation of these fixtures, as well as Atlas Stageworks Lighting in Raleigh, NC for their generous provision of a lens tube for fixtures that did not ship with one.
Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC) Source Four LED Tungsten
The Source Four LED, weighing in at 18 pounds (8.3 kgs) and with an MSRP of $2,240, provided a warm light that very closely matched the color temperature of the Tungsten fixture – just a tad bit warmer. The fixture has a manufacturer-stated CRI (color rendering index) of 86. It runs on 120 volt power, and draws 1.35 amps for a power consumption of 157 watts. We evaluates a 19-degtree fixtures, but the full range of ETC Source Four lens tubes are available, as well as an LED-only 50-degree version. ETC also has daylight and color versions of the Source Four LED available.
At the center of the beam we measured 150 foot-candles (fc) for brightness; at the extreme edge we measured 77 fc. The beam intensity dropped to 50% of the maximum (i.e., the transition from the beam diameter to field diameter) 1/2- inch from the edge of the beam, making the beam diameter almost the same as the overall field diameter.
When set to a sharp focus, the beam edge is nice and crisp. There are some minor color aberrations at the edge of the beam, presenting very thin rings of teal and violet. Shutters also project a nice, sharp edge with minimal beam artifacts.
Shadows cast by objects in the beam have a soft edge to them, with no other artifacts present.
Gobo projection is fairly crisp [IMG_6398.jpg], with a little haloing around the edges of the image. [img_6399.jpg]
When set to a soft focus, the beam looks good with some slight banding appearing in the projected light near the edges of the beam (caused by the array of LED emitters). ETC includes a diffusion gel to be used in the pattern/effect slot when the fixture is defocused, and this diffusion gel eliminated the slight banding artifacts completely.
When taken completely out of focus, the edges of the end of the 19-degree lens barrel came into focus, and notches appeared around the edge of the projected beam [ IMG_6400.jpg ].
This fixture is very quiet, with only a small amount of fan noise noticeable even when running at full intensity. The fade curve of the fixture worked well with tungsten fixtures.
The fixture uses three DMX addresses—one for intensity, one for strobe, and one for fan control.
The dimming curve matched Tungsten dimming well, and the projected light looked great on video at all intensities as well as in fading up and down, and at all shutter speeds tested (1/30, 1/34, 1/40, 1/48, 1/60).
Robert Juliat ZEP 644SXWW
The ZEP 644SXWW is a hefty fixture, weighing in at a bit over 40 pounds (18 kgs), and with an MSRP of $3,600. This unit is a zoom fixture, with a field angle range from 16 degrees to 35 degrees (28-54 and 11-26 degree zoom ranges are also available). We found the fixture to be a tad cooler in color temperature than our Tungsten fixture, maybe by a couple hundred degrees. The fixture has a manufacturer-stated CRI of 82. It runs on 120-volt power, draws 1.5 amps, and has a maximum power consumption of 185 watts.
At the center of the beam we measured 285 fc for brightness; at the extreme edge we measured 100 fc. The beam dropped to 50% brightness at about seven inches in from the edge.
When set to a sharp focus, the beam had a nice hard edge to it. Shutters also had a nice sharp edge. While our unit came equipped with four shutters, the unit can also be configured with eight shutters, giving you more options for cropping the light in to a specific shape.
Shadows cast by objects in the beam produced soft, banded shadows. [ img_6394 ]
Gobo projection produced reasonable image, with some haloing around the gobo edge. [ IMG_6389 ] However, Robert Juliat includes a set of donuts with the fixture that when placed in the internal filter holder reduces the haloing effect.
When softening the focus of the beam, some chromatic artifacts would appear around the end of the beam, and some banding would also appear. [ img_6391 ]
"...churches would likely migrate to LED over time."
The fixture faded very smoothly, matched tungsten dimming curves well, and looked great on video at all tested shutter speeds. The fixture includes a variety of dimming and response settings that can be selected via the menu system to adjust to your needs.
One of this fixtures strengths is the noise level. The LED emitter module has a huge heat sink on it (probably where some of the weight comes from), making the need for forced airflow small, and resulting in a fixture that's pretty much silent. If a quiet sanctuary is a priority for you, this fixture would be an excellent choice.
The fixture has four different DMX modes available, taking up to a maximum of four addresses (16-bit intensity, 8-bit strobe and 8-bit master).
Lightronics FXLE1232W LED Profile Fixture
The FXLE1232W fixture from Lightronics boasts a low MSRP of $1,850, making it one of the easier entry points in LED profile fixtures. At 12 pounds (5.4 kgs), it is also one of the easier to lug around. We evaluated a fixture with a beam angle of 19 degrees, but 26, 36 and 50-degree options are also available. It runs on 120v power, and consumes a maximum of 150 watts (1.25 amps).
The color temperature of the fixture was extremely close to our tungsten reference light. At the center of the beam we measured a very bright 349 fc; at the extreme edge we measures 105 fc. The 50% drop-off point was about 2” in from the edge of projected circle of light, giving it a nice wide beam width with a quick drop-off at the edge.
When set to a sharp focus, the edges of the beam were very crisp. The shutters also had a reasonably crisp edge to them, with some amount of color artifacts on them but no other artifacts present.
With a gobo installed, the projected image had color spectrum haloing around the edges with the gobo in focus, making the image rather soft. [img_6402] The center of the image tended towards blue color artifacts; the edges went more towards a full rainbow spectrum at the edges of the gobo pattern.
Shadows of objects placed in the beam were soft with no banding artifacts, and looked nice.
Fading up and down was smooth through most of the dimming range, but tended to jump at both the start of a fade-up, and end of a fade-down. Flickering of the beam was also noticeable at the lower-intensity ranges of the fades (but only while fading). Interestingly, though, this flicker was mostly not apparent on video at all, and the light looked good on video at all shutter speeds.
This fixture has quite a bit of fan noise – it's definitely noticeable. Not as loud as many intelligent fixtures can be, but you'll definitely know it's there and running.
The fixture uses two DMX addresses for control: The first is an eight-bit intensity setting; the second is an eight-bit strobe setting.
Phillips Selecon PLprofile4 LED Profile Fixture
The PLprofile4 from Phillips Selecon (MSRP of $3,580 as tested) is a little different from the other fixtures we're reviewing in that it's a full color-changing fixture. Phillips does not appear to publish a CRI number for this fixture, stating that CRI isn't an acceptable measurement for LED fixtures. They state they prefer to use the Color Quality Scale (CQS) value, however, that value was also not available. Using the Warm White preset for the fixture, we found that the light was close to our tungsten reference fixture, but tinted slightly pink.
We evaluated the 19-degree fixture, but the PLprofile4 also comes in 14, 26, 36, and 50-degree fixed beam versions, and 15-35 and 25-50 zoom versions. The LED engine without a lens tube is also available. The version we tested weighed about 26 pounds with the lens tube attached.
The fixture can run on power from 100v through 240v, requiring 600 watts (five amps at 120v). The fixture has a separate interface box into which you run power and DMX, and one cable runs from the interface box to the fixture.
It has four 120-watt RGBW LED modules in a two by two matrix.
When set to our closest representation of tungsten, we measured 166fc at the center, and 51 fc at the extreme edge. The intensity dropped to 50% of what was measured at the center at about 10 inches in from the extreme edge of the beam.
The edges of the beam were sharp, with a thin cyan/violet colored halo around it. [img_6406] Shutter edges were also crisp, but with a slight cyan color band on the edge.
When soft-focusing the beam, the edges of the beam looked nice, and there were no banding or color artifacts within the beam.
Pattern projection was rather soft, with lots of color artifacts. [IMG_6407] When putting a pattern into a soft focus, you got teal color artifacts on one end of a soft focus, and an orange-red color artifacts on the other side of soft-focus.
The fixture has some noticeable fan noise, but it's not too loud. Fan speeds can be controlled by the user to some extent.
The fixture has a variety of DMX modes it can operate in, from a basic three-channel RGB mode with intensity, color preset and timing modes; an eight-bit mode with intensity, red, green, blue, white, timing, control, to a 16-bit fine-control mode with intensity, red, green, blue, white, color present, intensity timing, color timing, and control functions.
The fixture dims with no noticeable flicker in the beam. On video, the light looked great at all tested shutter speeds.
For color, the fixture produces excellent saturated colors. If you want other options besides white light in your profile fixtures, this would give you some great color.
Additionally, the PLprofile4 can be equipped for wireless DMX, eliminating the need to run DMX cable to all the fixtures.
Chauvet Ovation E-190WW LED Profile Fixture
The E-190WW fixture from Chauvet's professional line (MSRP $1,949.99 as equipped with lens tube), weighing in at 20.5 pounds (9.75 kg), is another fixture that's more accessible from the price standpoint. The fixture is a Tungsten compatible white-light fixture, with lens available at 19, 26 and 34-degre beam angles. It runs on both 100 and 240 volt circuits, and draws a maximum of 208 watts (1.7A at 120V).
The color temperature of the fixture was extremely close to my Tungsten reference fixture. At the center of the beam we measured a nice bright 420 fc; at the extreme edge of the beam we measured 70 fc. The beam fell off to 50% of center at about eight-inches from the edge.
At its sharpest focus, the edges were very crisp, and a paper-thin rainbow halo that was only noticeable up close. Leaving the focus at its crispest for the beam edge and bringing in the shutters, the shutter edges were rather soft [IMG_6423]. If you re-focused for the shutters, the unshuttered beam edges were a little soft.
Gobos projected reasonably with a slight rainbow haloing around the edges, and a slightly soft image. No other beam artifacts were present.
The shadows cast by objects in the beam were soft, with no banding or other artifacts present.
Fading of the fixture was quite smooth, with no flickering or other artifacts present. On video, the beam looked very good, with no flickering at any of the tested shutter speeds.
Like all the fixtures being reviewed, this fixture has a cooling fan, but the fan noise was very quiet and only notable if you were reasonably close to the fixture.
The fixture has three different DMX modes, consuming a maximum of three DMX addresses. The mode I used provided for a 16-bit dimming channel and an eight-bit strobe channel.
Prism Projection RevEAL Profile Junior
Prism Projection, founded in 2008, has been focused on producing LED lighting technologies and fixtures since its inception, all built in the USA. The RevEAL Profile Jr comes in tungsten, daylight and variable color temperature varieties; we evaluated the fixed Tungsten model of this fixture.
Prism Projection manufacturers the Profile Junior “light engine” or back end and it has been designed to accept industry standard lens assemblies. The Profile Junior weighs in at 27 pounds (12.24 kg) with a 19-degree ETC Source Four EDLT lens tube attached, and the fixture's MSRP is $2,600. The fixture runs on any AC power source from 85 to 264 VAC, 50/60 Hz, and draws no more than two amps at 120 volts. The only DMX attribute of the fixture is an eight-bit intensity value, and DMX input and pass-through is standard on the fixture, with an Ethernet port for ArtNet control optionally available. The Profile Junior has a manual rotary knob at the back of the fixture that can be used to set the intensity in stand-alone mode, which is a really nice feature.
Color temperature of the fixture was very close to my Tungsten reference fixture; perhaps a tad warmer. The center of the beam at full intensity I measured at 307 fc; the edge came in at 120 fc; and the 50% drop-off point from center (i.e. the edge of the beam width) was three inches in from the edge of the projected field. At its sharpest focus, the edges were nice and crisp, with just a narrow rainbow halo effect only noticeable when viewed very close. With the shutters brought in and the lens tube refocused for the shutter edges, those were also sharp with minimal teal-to-violet haloing. [IMG_7638] No other beam artifacts were present.
Gobos projected very nicely, with similar color gradient artifacts at the edges of the pattern. [IMG_7636] No other artifacts were present.
Shadows cast by objects in the beam were nice and soft, with no beam artifacts present at all.
With the refresh parameter of the fixture set to high, the projected light looked great on video at all shutter speeds. The refresh rate is user-adjustable from high to low, and at lower settings there was some moving darker bands that scrolled through the light field when viewed on video at 1/34, 1/48 and 1/90 shutter speeds, but these were not present when the refresh rate is set to high or at other shutter speeds.
The fade curves of the fixture were excellent, with perfect smoothness, no sudden drop off, and no flickering.
The LED components of the fixture are actually liquid cooled, eliminating the need for a noisy fan to keep the system cool. There is one small fan at the bottom for cooling the CPU in the system, and makes no noticeable noise. You have to be right next to the fixture to hear any noise at all.
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