From The Horse's Mouth

I was recently at LDI in Orlando and spent a lot of time showing our new LED fixtures that we were premiering there. Something that struck me was the amount of people that were caught up in the technical features of the lights but didn’t really look at the quality of the light that the fixtures produced. There are two things that seemed the most important, how bright the units were, and, of course, PRICE was a big issue. We had screens set up for the folks to look at the light but most people swung the light around and wanted to see the distance that the light would work efficiently. I find it curious that we are so caught up in comparing the standard shortcomings of LED technology but not how the light illuminates. We showed a 50 watt warm white LED Fresnel that had an amazing incandescent warm tone to the light. I had several people show surprise that it wasn’t an incandescent source. As a matter of fact, the LED version is brighter than it’s 250 watt incandescent sister. I think that it is great that the LED sources are getting to the point that they can rival the incandescent sources but we also need to think about the CRI and the warmth and quality of the light AND what it looks like as it illuminates the object that it is focused on. Yes, the process is important but the result is the priority!!!

On the Apollo website we now have the Spotlight photometric calculator. You can figure out throw distance, illuminance and field diameter. This calculator works with our Spotlight miniProfile, miniProfile Zoom, miniFresnel, and miniPAR. Check it out!

A visitor to the LDI Apollo booth was in search of a durable, bright gobo projector for the lobby of a hotel under construction. He found what he was looking for in the Spotlight miniProfile Zoom fixture, distributed in the USA by Apollo. During a recent product demonstration at this upscale hotel, the MSR250 discharge lamp provided 20,000 lumens output, enough to adequately punch through the natural sunlight within the spacious lobby area.  A crisp projection was rendered upon the opposite wall using an Apollo laser etched SuperResolution glass gobo.

The miniProfile Zoom, once permanently installed, will project the corporate logo upon a fixed mirror, redirecting the hotel logo to the opposite wall. This creative installation allows versatility in an otherwise tight alcove position.

A Smart Move gobo rotator has been customized for the miniProfile Zoom, allowing the user to add visual motion to seasonal patterns projected from additional lighting fixtures at this venue.

To view a video on the Spotlight mini line click here.

I spent last week at LDI in Las Vegas and it brought up a few questions. First, is $3000 an acceptable price for a LED framing spot? I was presenting a discussion on our laser cut gobos at a green technology session and there were several LED products shown there. When one manufacturer mentioned that the price of their light was in the neighborhood of $3,000, I was expecting to hear a groan or gasp but saw folks nodding or shrugging. I was intrigued that it seemed acceptable. As I looked out over the tradeshow floor, I saw a HUGE number of LED products and many were in the neighborhood of $2,000 to $3,000. We carry a few LED fixtures that retail for $440 and $695. Yes, these units are not as bright but have many of the same features as the more expensive units. We also showed a new product, the Spotlight Midi LED Zoom. This is a RGBW fixture with 25 watts per color output, which will retail in the neighborhood of $1,500 and has a cool feature of DMX zoom from 12 to 50 degrees. I think the price is pretty good but if you compare it to the cost of a 6″ Fresnel, it is way expensive. Mind you, it uses no gel and can be used on a Right Arm to give you even more versatility. Is it “affordable”? Well, yes, if you compare it to the other LED fixtures but NO if you use only incandescent fixtures. It just seems that all of the research and new products have shifted to LED technology completely and there isn’t going to be much in new gear for the theaters with medium to small budgets. Any thoughts?

If you were not at the New Product Breakfast at LDI, then you missed this video!
 

Augusto, the President of Spotlight, is seen here reviewing the new MIDI LED Zoom fixture that we will be distributing.  The light received a warm welcome at LDI. More information on the MIDI LED Zoom will be available on the website soon!

LED technology is changing almost weekly. As you look through the trade magazines, you will notice that there are many LED PARs out there. They all look the same but the features are very different. Some use 3 watt LEDs some use 1 watt LEDs. Some have an amber channel along with the RGB channels, some are only RGB. Some use separately mounted red, blue, and green single LEDs and some have RGB LED chipsets. So what is the difference?

1 watt versus 3 or more watts LED
If you are hoping to match the lumen output of a 1,000 watt PAR with an LED, you have some waiting to do. You will not find anything in the price range of an incandescent PAR can to match with LED fixtures. The 3 watt LED fixture is certainly brighter than the 1 watt fixture but will need bigger fans and in some cases will shorten the life of the LEDs by overdriving them. Remember when buying most LED fixtures, the entire fixture is thrown out at the end of its life cycle not just the lamp. Higher LED output does come with louder fans and releases more heat,  but in some larger facilities, club and rock venues, noise and heat is not an issue. As you look at higher wattage LED fixtures, the price goes up as would be expected. Some LED PAR fixtures are weighing in at $2,200 each. In my days in the biz, a PAR can was something that when it fell off the truck, you just threw it away because they only cost $60. They were really only metal road cases for the expensive PAR lamp.

Light distribution
When you place regular diffusion on an LED fixture, odd things happen. The fixture usually uses multiple light sources so you will not get the even light distribution that you would get with (continue reading…)

Just a note to those attending LDI in sunny Las Vegas Oct 22-24 that Apollo will be located in booth 1412.
Please be sure to stop by to say hello and while you’re there get a hands on demo of the Spotlight Architectural products and the Multiform LED fixtures.

Looking forward to seeing you at LDI!

Take a closer look at the Spotlight mini architectural luminaires with Rich Dale, our Lighting Design Representative. 

While doing client visits, KC stopped at one of our recent success stories with the Spotlight line, an installation at the Indianapolis Museum of Art.  Ten white miniProfile Zooms were installed 40′ in the air to project light onto sculptures in the lobby. Due to weight limitations, the Spotlight miniProfile Zoom was a perfect solution for this application.  The user is extremely happy with the results.