By Richard Olson
The legendary VL5 was the classic wash fixture — functional, yet sexy in a way no other fixture had been before or since. The color changing system came from a series of blue, amber, and magenta radial mounted dichroic colored blades, and the beam shot out of a reflector. Though limited to a certain range of colors, it was the size of a par can and emulated the shape as well. Over the years, Vari-Lite and its various owners offered several models of this fixture, going from arc light models to different color systems to an 80V Philips lamp. The original version was baseless and light enough that a tech could carry two in one hand.
The physical appearance of the fixture, with its sexy blades, is still so pleasing that companies have tried to copy the look and attempted to recreate this light — including Vari-Lite themselves, with their large-format 6000 series. With all of the darkness 2020 has placed on the globe, I’m here to tell you the VL5 LED is a lovely beacon of innovation that shines through. New innovations, additional eye candy, and an off-the-hook color system demand notice.
Read the full review at: https://plsn.com/articles/road-tests/vari-lite-vl5led-wash/
