Expensive but the video is very impressive (like all of them!)

Has anyone experience of using these lights and whether thay are any good?

Ive seen them in a nightclub and for what they cost i wasnt impressed


alan

They're nice but in my mind they're too expensive.

Agreed. Crazy prices for a barrel lighting effect. Even well used ones in poorish condition make £350. Must just be the Martin name!

Well, they're not up to the usual martin quality, they're big bulky things, but they give out some nice effects if you have a proper DMX controller...the sound to light programmes are boring. They're bright and crisp and have some nice colours.

http://prolight.co.uk/item/ishid06/

practically the same effect
although the 3 videos listed are shocking, 1 isnt even the same light!!

ive used a pair of these, they are outstanding and a fraction of the price

Which is exactly why I got rid of the four I had!

No idea about the wizzards, but don't mistake the I solution kit as an alternative to Martin. IMHO, a poor second!

If you are interested in Martin effects, try haveing a chat with Quinney, he's the Martin king around here - not sure exactly what he has now, but certainly a pair of EFX500's and some EFX scanners. I do believe he paid a reletively low price from good old Ebay for at least one of his EFX500's. I can also vouch for them as have seen them in action a number of times - stunning effect!

Hmm i've changed my mind now. No longer interested in Martin

Personally, I like them, they are bright, room filling lights that can produce a variety of effects under dmx control, set on automatic, they can get a bit boring, especially if you only have a few lights. On the downside they are a bit on the 'big and heavy' side, and the bracket could have been designed better, but the build quality IS up to Martin standards IMO. So in my opinion it's all down to price, at £900+ new I think your money could be better spent. BUT, these lamps can now be picked up on eBay at sensible prices, you can find nice examples of Wizards for around £250 and Wizard Extremes for around £350, and at that price they're a bargain and highly recommended by me at least. If you are near the Derby area I could always hire you one for the night for £15 to try before you splash the cash.

revelation, are we talking about the same lights here?

Im not talking about the I Rock barrels
these are I SHOW Barrels, with a HID 150 lamp and is a totally different effect

I used a pair in conjunction with 4 x I Rock 5S Scanners and 2 x imove 5 moving heads and they destroyed them!

The Acme barrells there are very nice, but they have the problem of the HID150 lamp, which is essentially an ELC reflector fitted with a discharge capsule. They often explode violently when they fail, the glass goes with such force that it can get embedded in plastic parts of the fixture and often shatters the reflector as well. Most of the ones I've seen 'go' have been in relatively new equipment..suggesting they dont last too long...though I'd be happy to learn otherwise.






One of the units you might like to consider is the now discontinued (but very available) NJD Raptor. They are devastating. Dont confuse them with the Martin light of the same name! They are halogen but have a very efficient lamp-life saving circuit (fully controlled with digital adjustable lamp volts) and the same superb optics as the Predator and Quasar.

I have 2 x EFX500. DMX'd they are a decent effect. I wish they had a seperate shutter for strobe though.

Oh yes, I had four of the I-Show's, exactly the same as yours - best sale I ever made - have minimacs and datamoons now - far, far better than the I-Show's!



How come?

Cost and weight and value for money.

Mmmm, but surely cost is the only part of that sentance that actually applies to Martin kit and if you're scouring the fleebay pages there are a lot of bargain.

I think the key with Martin kit is to discount the older kit - back in the day, there was some huge and heavy martin stuff kicking about, but the newer gear like the EFX range, the mania stuff and so on are no heavier than other kit on the market, but I do think you get a much better product. I've had years of buying Acme, Prolight, Skytec and other cheaper brands and have never been anything other than dissapointed.

Currently running a pair of minimacs - OK a little heavy, but I love them, a pair of T-Rex - superb effect and great optics and a mixture of Datamoons and EVL spins. All bought because of there improved optics.

Don't discount Martin gear yet Robin!

Yes great quality gear. I like the Martin Raptor, great light.

I'm a big fan of Martin lights too, they're well built, able to withstand the odd knock, and most important for me, they're easily repairable due to the ready availability of spares. You can still find bits for the early fittings, and Martin, unlike many other suppliers, maintain a web library of manuals and associated technical info for all their current, and most of their long discontinued models. Acme, Abstract, EVL etc don't even bother to do this even for their current models.

From what I've seen of the Wizard and the efx 500 and 600, I think one of any of these units would compare to a set of 2/4 of most other scan/barrall effects in terms of output. They really do throw a huge number of patterns around a room.

If you have a controller the Wizard can do a great mirror-ball type effect.

They are the type of unit that for most halls/venues a pair would be OTT. If you want a light show that can spread a lot of gobos around a room but don't want/can't carry a lot of fixtures the martins are worth checking out.

If any of you at some point can afford to spend on one of the above the one thing I would remind you of is to buy a strong stand that will be able to lift the light over the crowd safely,

John