Page 1 of 3 >>
Elation Power Spot 700
Things are heating up in the automated lighting industry. A great deal has occurred since Vari-Lite was the only flavor in the store. Since the early 1980s, Martin, Coemar, High End Systems, and countless others have joined the competition. When American DJ created its Elation subsidiary, some people in the industry doubted the prospect of success for yet another player in the already crowded and increasingly competitive moving light industry.
Well, Elation’s products that have been introduced over these past few years clearly demonstrate its worthiness to compete. This is most evident with the new Power Spot 700 moving light.
We were fortunate to recently test the Power Spot 700 in our light lab and theatres at California State University Long Beach in Long Beach, California. It was serendipitous that at the same time we had several other moving lights being tested and reviewed, so a direct comparison could be made between these fixtures. I will not tell you which fixtures were included, but suffice it to say that they included some of the most popular moving lights used in the profession.
Inside the Power Spot 700
The Elation Power Spot 700 is a moving yoke fixture that combines both excellent spot and wash characteristics. The fixture is housed in a sleek black enclosure that is both unobtrusive and relatively small in size. This is a welcome design from its much larger (and heavier) competitors’ models.
The fixture is controlled via DMX-512 in 16-bit resolution. Twenty one control channels are used to maneuver and control the fixture’s numerous features. All you need is a three-pin XLR cable to hook up the Power Spot 700 to your lighting console. An easy to read, three-light LED screen allows the user to run diagnostics and to set the fixture’s DMX address. We found the blue LEDs much less distracting than the red (from an audience point of view).
What really shines about the Power Spot 700 is its superior optics. The optical design includes a high output, luminous dichroic glass reflector with a lens system that permits a 14- to 32- degree linear zoom. Although it would be nice to have a wider range of beam size, the 14- to 32-degree range is most useful for throws of 20 to 40 feet. We found the entire zoom range to be highly malleable, including the ability to easily sharpen and soften the beam while maintaining consistent focus of patterns and colors.
The fixture uses a 700-watt Philips MSR 700/2 lamp. This lamp is rated at 7,500 degrees Kelvin (which is a very bright, daylight white-colored light). Coupled with the fixture’s excellent optics, this lamp proves to be exceptionally efficient.
How can this be? Well, you will have to ask the designers at Elation how they pulled this rabbit out of their hat.
Bells and Whistles
Regarding color, the Power Spot 700 utilizes dual color wheels that work in combination to mix colors. The color filters overlap so combination of colors can be created. All these filters are interchangeable, so custom dichroic color filters could be added. Although the standard colors offer the designer many useful combinations, we would prefer a CMY color mixing system. However, by the time you read this, Elation will be offering an optional CMY color module with an animation wheel. We are very excited with this development.
Page 1 of 3 next page >>
David Martin Jacques is a professional lighting designer and consultant. He has designed hundreds of productions in the United States and throughout the world. David also consults on new worship facilities and renovations. He serves as Head of Stage Design for California State University Long Beach. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Post a Comment
ADD NEW COMMENT