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9 replies

LED Can-type fixture shootout request

S studio42Member
I know, this is an ongoing thing for me. I'm feeling I'll be "in the money" fairly soon for what will be a relatively large lighting purchase for me. 8 RGB can fixtures.

I'm largely settled on the Opti Tri Par, mainly due to some previous conversations. It also has the advantage of using the same DMX traits as the American DJ 64 LED Pro. For me, this is ideal because it serves as a drop-in replacement for the American DJ 64 LED Pros, which the new lights will actually be replacing what I've been using those for, with the ADJ fixtures then being re-deployed to cover a different area in the show I am working on.

I have been using the ADJ 64 LED Pros in 7 channel mode. Those channels are:
R,G,B respectively 1,2,3
4 is color macro
5 is strobing/macro speed.
6 is a a channel where it has some interesting features I'm not really using, outside of sound active.
7 is dimming.

So, the price point is roughly around the price of the Opti Tri Par.

I'll only be using these in DMX mode, most likely using software only DMX applications. Features I want is of course a dedicated dimming channel, R,G & B channels as well. I do need strobing, and I'd appreciate a color macro feature as well, maybe with speed. Sound active in DMX mode would also be highly desired but not totally necessary. I also want to stick with a Par64 size-type fixture. One of my biggest issues is brightness, as the ADJ 64 LED Pros are just not bright enough for how I often need to use them.(have to be back a bit for throw/spread and sight light issues).

Would it be possible to set up a series of tests with picture or pictures comparing the lights. Say, a 20-foot throw with 100% RGB and dimming? Could an ADJ 64 LED Pro be brought in for comparison?

Since I am going to have to reprogram the entire show from the ground up after the may 22 performance(I'm redoing my addressing scheme and MyDMX won't let me move fixtures around), I am fine going wiht something other than the Opti Tri Par. Other lights I've considered are the ELED RGB Zoom. I'll also gladly consider other fixtures as long as they are Elation LED fixtures.

I think many buyers can benefit from this. Numbers and photometric charts can only go so far. For me at least, I need to see it to really get it.

Worse case scenario is I go with 8 Opti Tri Pars. But if I can get brighter for the money and the features I need... might be the way to go.
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S serraavaMember
Well, I don't have P64 LEDs, Pro or otherwise. Smallest LED fixtures I have are Opti 30 RGBs. However, I am using some Opti Tri's on a show right now and they are completely out shining and overpowering 500w 6" Fresnels. Can't even tell the Fresnels are one when the Tri's are. I should probably grab some more of those myself lol.
S studio42Member
I think that's giving me some more definitive answers. Isn't a typical P64 a 500-watt fixture? And if the Opti Tri Par is outperforming a 500-watt can-type fixture, then I think I'm looking at the right fixture for my application.

Too bad finances just took a downward tumble again. This back and forth stuff is driving me nuts. My jobs giveth, my wife taketh away!
S serraavaMember
P64's can be lamped at 500w. I am use to seeing them at 1000w. Keep in mind that the optics on a par are better then those on a Fresnel. So a 500w par will throw more light then a 500w Fresnel.

However, with the difference in brightness between the Fresnel and the Opti Tri's, I think I can say that it would beat a 500w par and rival that of a 575w S4 par. When I did the uplight comparison, the Opti Tri was on the heels of a 750w S4 ParNel. ParNel's loose some light due to the zoom train over pars, but you get the idea.
S studio42Member
Well, just did some interesting reading.

The Fresnel bit was rather interesting. Short throw from lamp to lens, and the lense controls and directs the light. After I go through the stuff about lighthouses(which was very helpful), it started to make sense.

The parnel, as I take it, uses the distane between the lamp and the lense to "focus" the light. The concept sounds similar to the ELED RGB Zoom.

Frensel is more hard edged and somewhat spot-light like while parnels are more of a soft-edge/wash oriented fixture, if I understood properly.

Interesting stuff. While I understand better, I also understand that I am definately wise to go with the Opti Tri Pars. The comparisons were defintely helpful.
S serraavaMember
The S4 ParNel zoom's by this weird glass arrangement. Looking at it vs a S4 Par however, there is clearly more glass and more texture to the glass on the ParNel. More glass and texture, less light gets through. Same deal with a fixed angle light vs a light with a zoom. That extra piece of glass eats up light.

Fresnels zoom a different way. The whole lamp assembly moves backwards and forwards. So zooming on a Fresnel really causes no loss of light. It does cost a bit however do to the fact that there is only a mirror behind the lamp of the Fresnel vs surrounded on a par. Par is short for parabolic refractor. Since the lamp is surrounded and mirror setup to throw the light out in one direction, much better optically. So, point being, when the lamp is moved all the way back in a Fresnel, more light is being wasted hitting the inside of the fixture vs the lens.

As for types of light, Frensels are considered wash light. They also produce some of the most even fields of light. This is one of the reasons while moving wash fixtures have Fresnel lenses on them. Nice, big, even field of light that you need in a wash light. It is also why film industry uses them for everything.

ParNel's are also wash, but don't tend to be as even as Fresnels in their output across the field. I still love ParNel's though. At 750w, they can keep up with 2k Fresnels. So that was a huge saving on power. Lamps for Fresnels are also more expensive and not universal (S4 Par lamp is same as ParNel which is same as S4 leko).

I use ParNels for overhead down light all the time vs regular pars or S4 pars. I still use pars for back light, high side light, and side light however. The oval shape is easier to control from those angles and more advantageous. Also use pars for ACL effects and anything smaller then 25 degree angle. ParNels zoom from 25-45 degrees vs the 10-12 degree angle of narrow and very narrow lenses in pars.

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