Review: Showtec LED Micro Spot

[revbobuk]

I expect this is a stupid question. The video shot of the internals seems to imply this is just one humungous white LED - so does that mean the colurs are all produced subtractively? If so, then aren't all the comparisons which give LEDs an advantage when using saturated colours invalid here, as this unit will have the same reduced efficiency when doing saturated colour? Would that explain the lack of really deep colours in the video - most of the colours shown are pastel / bright rather than very saturated primaries? Or have I misunderstood?

[lichtwicht]

I expect this is a stupid question. The video shot of the internals seems to imply this is just one humungous white LED - so does that mean the colurs are all produced subtractively? If so, then aren't all the comparisons which give LEDs an advantage when using saturated colours invalid here, as this unit will have the same reduced efficiency when doing saturated colour? Would that explain the lack of really deep colours in the video - most of the colours shown are pastel / bright rather than very saturated primaries? Or have I misunderstood?

No, you're absolutely right: that's the trade-off when using LEDs in Spotlights.

Either you use an array of colored LEDs what means lots of losses due to the optical system that is needed to get a somewhat sharp projection but have the advantage of additive color mixing, or you go for white LEDs (which still have more or less the efficiency of discharge lamps) for having an easier optical construction but also the disadvantage of subtractive mixing.

I love my LED striplites, walls etc. but there are so many reason why the current LEDs are not really meant for projection fixtures: For an efficient optical design a point source is needed. White LEDs (colored are worse) have as said just the efficiency of discharge lamps therefore as long as single LEDs are beyond 150W power they will only be good for those small effect units - having the same compromises as discharge spotlights.