SHOWPRO EC7 WASH

The ShowPro EC7 is a small to medium size LED moving head wash light with a big emphasis on brightness and optical quality. It has been built for the budget conscious buyer who is chasing value for money. The new EC7 has twice the output of its predecessor, all while maintaining the same power draw.

I was pleasantly surprised at how good this light is. What we have is a compact, lightweight fixture that outperforms expectations; it’s an overachiever! If you are after a small, bright, moving head wash light, you should be looking at this.

Construction

The EC7 sneaks in just under 10kg (9.7kg). It is a compact fixture with dimensions of 323mm (H) x 207mm (L) x 381mm (W).

The EC7 is a comfortable one person lift with a single clamp. The light can be hung at any orientation or popped on the floor. Personally, I am a fan of the more squared-off design. The ‘boxy’ look just seems to work for it. It doesn’t feel too chunky or clunky when you see it in person.

It is an IP20 rated fixture. I think that with a fixture whose main selling point is its brightness, there would definitely have been benefit in making it IP65 rated. Then again, I know there’s a big manufacturing cost difference between an IP20 and an IP65 rated fixture. Making it IP65 likely would have pushed it over the 10kg mark. I do feel like ShowPro made a conscious effort to keep this light under 10kg. That said, the light is robust enough to be part of a production company’s inventory.

Looking at two fixtures pound for pound in light output only, the EC7 stacks up really well with the Martin MAC Aura XIP, one of, if not the leader in the small to medium wash light category. Of course, this is in isolation and does not factor in all the other features of the light or the fact that the XIP is IP54 rated.

Optics, Colour and Brightness

The main selling point for the ShowPro EC7 has to be its relative brightness and the high quality of the light source. If you want output and optical quality in line with the top end of the small to medium wash light market and you don’t have the budget, this should be near, if not at the top of your list. The trade- off is the feature set and the overall level of refinement.

The fixture uses additive colour mixing with seven 50W RGBWW LEDs (WW is warm white). It has variable colour temperature control ranging from 2,800K all the way up to 10,000K.

It draws 400W of power, meaning you could comfortably fit five on a 10a circuit. Six would get you to 2400W, which puts you right on the edge, which is not recommended. It seems kind of thirsty for a smaller wash light, but when you consider that it gives you nearly 8,000 lumens, it’s quite a reasonable power figure.

Applications and Features

It has a very large zoom range going as small as 3.5° all the way out to 51°. It can pan 540° and has a tilt range of 247°. Both are very respectable numbers. Infinite pan and tilt would not have added much usability to the fixture, but still would have been cool.

It would suit a small to medium size venue and similar size shows. It is brighter than it looks. They work best overhead washing a stage or set pieces.

With a CRI of higher than 93 it would suit TV and film applications. It is a quiet light which will help it on set. It’s not the fastest light I’ve ever seen, but it could work in a nightclub simply due to how bright it is. It would work well in a theatre, indoor concert, or a corporate show.

It does not have all the bells and whistles, but if it has the features you need, you will be impressed.

Control and Programming

You can get individual control of each of the seven LEDs if you wanted to use it like that for effects, however, it works best as a wash light.

It is compatible with a number of different protocols such as DMX512, RDM, sACN, Art-Net, Bluetooth, APP and NFC. It can be controlled via 3 pin or 5 pin XLR in/out as well as Art-Net in/out

It has five DMX modes available including 16ch, 31ch, 34ch, 40ch, and 62 channels.

It is easy enough to control and program.

It has an onboard menu which is easy to navigate and allows for manual control; simple but effective.

Verdict

The mid-level moving light manufacturers are producing some exceptional lighting fixtures at the moment. You would be wise to look around and see what is on offer.

Pound for pound, the EC7 by ShowPro is brighter than the top end of the market. With a CRI of more than 93, it offers a high-quality light source. You get about 80% of the light for about 50% of the price. Value for money is exceptional with the ShowPro EC7.

For those who are hung up on brand name lighting fixtures, give this one a shot. It might just be enough to change your mind.

Product Info: www.showtech.com.au/product/ec7-wash/

Distributor Australia and New Zealand: www.showtech.com.au

The Specs

• Light source: 7 x 50W RGBWW
• LED Output: up to 7,700lm
• CRI>93
• Colour temperature: 2,800K – 10,000K
• Zoom range: 3.5° – 51°
• Pan 540°, tilt 247°
• Colour system: RGBWW
• Strobe: 1-30Hz