what is a "washlight"

[litemog]

At the risk of sounding a complete idiot.... I've been asked for my opinion on a lighting tech spec for a new theatre space for an organisation I do freelance work for. In addition to profiles, fresnels and floods, the consultant's spec also includes a number of focusable 25-45 degree "washlights". I've always considered washlight to be a fairly generic term covering a range of lantern types (fresnel, PC etc) so I am at a bit of a loss to understand exactly what they are asking for, or has washlight come to mean something a bit more specific recently. (they certainly don't mean moving lights).

[Judge]

I have seen the term applied to LED fixtures that are neither fish nor fowl, certainly not fresnels - but do have a washy kind of beam. If a consultant is speccing this stuff then they ought to be a bit more accurate in terms of what they want. Apart from beam angle that is.

[gnomatron]

Are you sure they're not moving lights of some sort, maybe led ones? That's the only context I've heard the term used in, or maybe non-moving intelligent lights.

[Stu]

The beam angle of 25-45º and calling it a washlight sounds suspiciously like a ETC S4 Parnel to me...

[maeterlinck]

Sounds exactly like a parnel. Is this a little bit of specifying that only has one product solution?

 

I normally read washlights as a non-specific way of terming a unit that has a soft edge with some control. As said usually applied to moving lights.

 

As an aside, your list of unit types doesn't include parcans.

[litemog]

Given that they also speced the washlight at 750w I suspect it is very much a S4 parnel, in the same way that the control desk they've detailed is obviously an ETC Gio without actually saying it.. Not ever used a parnel. What are their advantages/disadvantages over a conventional fresnel (or par can come to that). I've used S4 Pars in the past, but wasn't overly impressed, they certainly didn't come close to the punch of a conventional CP60/61.

[Ashley R]

Parnels - or MultiPAR's

 

I see them as PAR cans with replaceable lenses. instead of replacing the entire lamp to change the beam angle between VNSP, NSP, MFL, WFL, you only swap the lens out.

 

With a 575 or 750w lamp behind it.

 

I normally see then in banks of 4, with the colour backlight/top light/ front light depending on the venue.

 

 

 

Make sure you end up putting the lenses in "backwards" (curved inwards) as per the ETC instructions, as it makes getting the lens out tonnes easier. Also a multipar lens removing tool is handy,I shipped in half a dozen from 10outof10 UK

[timsabre]

Parnels - or MultiPAR's

I see them as PAR cans with replaceable lenses. instead of replacing the entire lamp to change the beam angle between VNSP, NSP, MFL, WFL, you only swap the lens out.

 

Isn't that just a source 4 par, a Parnel has a focus adjustment on it allowing you to adjust the beam angle without changing the lens.

[Glyn Edwards]

Haven't ETC discontinued the Parnel?

[Tomo]

No! Absolutely not!

 

The Parnel is still a fully active product.

There are no plans whatsoever to discontinue any variety of HPL Source Four, tungsten is still the best way to light in many situations.

 

- You can also get the Parnel fitted with the new S4 Dimmer, which gives you the increased brightness and efficacy of the 115V lamp.

[TomHoward]

As an aside we have PARnels as our white cover, have 18 of them that get used day in day out. They are fine on their widest setting and give a reasonably even cover like a 45deg fresnel, but they are useless at the 25deg end, they don't get tighter, they just get peaky.