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That is the only one on the market that I know of. The Platinum 5R lamp is up there in lumen per watt, but don't think it matches a plasma source. It certainly doesn't have the lamp life or CRI as a plasma. But by my math, 5R beats an LED source. Cost wise, 5R destroys an LED source, even with replacements over time. I did the math out to like 10 years or something like that.

LEDs have too many issues for my blood. I use them for uplighting and wash lighting, that's where it ends. I will stick with arc and plasma for moving head spots.

Here is a good article on plasma's. And its on Treehugger, so you know it must be efficient Wink.
Interesting article but I'd like more information. Especially on the 5R stuff.

What I find interesting with the plasma is the lack of physical connection, using an RF signal passed through the bulb to activate the reaction. 1 Watt of RF power at that sort of distance is significant. Fixtures will need RF shielding to keep OUT both unwanted RF, and to keep IN needed RF. There are many ways to do this, even in very compact environments. Overall, it probably won't affect the physical sizes or weights for fixtures that choose the Plasma route. I bet with some sort of transformer or ballast, these could even be made into replacement bulbs that could replace our CFL's.

Even what little I can find on the 5R's, it sounds impressive and is good. Relatively low wattage(under 200 watts) with extremely high output.

I can't say I totally agree or disagree with Serra Ava on the applications though. I definately to agree with LED's best applicatio being wash and fill being well suited for LED applications. I would still like to get a pair of the X-Move LED Plus to try against my existing movers.

I wonder if comparitive costs could be discussed with real numbers here, Incandescent/Halogen vs LED vS 5R vs Plasma.

I am enjoying my LED purchases and have more planned. And yes, currently they are all being used for wash applications.
What got me excited about plasma, in addition to efficacy, is dimming capability (20-100%). A high-output fixture which can be scaled down for smaller applications is ideal for me. While led is dimmable, it sounds as though plasma is going to usurp led's position at least for high-output spot fixtures. And so I'm hesitant to invest anything more into current led movers. Not to mention the high-end models (i.e. Vari-lite) are miles out of my budget.

If the Robe is the only plasma currently out there, then the Elation 5R's seem like the smart choice for now; seeing as how I can always use ND filters to scale down output as I mentioned in another post. It's also the limit of what I can spend per fixture.

Thanks to both for your input...
I think it's a cost issue at the moment.

I don't think plasma is bleeding edge anymore, based on the amount of time it's been out. I'm sure the product needs more refinement for use in an enttainment-type environment. Then again, maybe its taken care of already.

Who is to say who is right or wrong as to when plasma be the way to go. I definately see the limitations for LED for specific applications, which I think includes many high-output spot-type functions. Any of the more conventional lamps serve this function much better, which include halogens. With the specs I saw on those 5R bulbs via a PDF, the output for the wattage was really good. In my case, I don't need such high-output power fixtures yet.

I think within the next 10 years we're going to see a lot of really cool things. Maybe it can include plasma, and maybe they can be affordable.

One thing I do like is unless everything is just out of my budget, I can pretty much find everything I need between ADJ and Elation. In my case, I'm in a similar position. My budget is aimed at some specific fixtures right now. I'd like to spend some funds to replace my existing moving head fixtures though. The Vizi-Spot 5R's look like a great replacement and the power draw is almost a dead match for my current movers. Unfortunately, way, way WAY outside my budget. Now that I've read the manual, I want a pair, but alas, the funds need to go somewhere else.

Good stuff has a price. Maybe my luck can change and I fall into some money.

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