Fifteen years ago, Sharpy revolutionised the world of lighting, bringing to the stage sharp beams that could spin at breakneck speed. It was a worldwide success, perhaps the biggest of the 2010s, thanks to its small size (40 cm), its dynamic response and the incredible energy of the Philips Platinum 5R short-arc lamp, delivered through patented Claypaky optics.
A decade and a half later, the selection criteria for designers and lighting companies have changed. And even though the Sharpy is certainly still present in some lighting kits, it’s difficult to integrate a fixture into a rig that doesn’t have a CMY mixing and an IP65 rating. The Sharpy Ultimo, launched today on the eve of the World Music Day, returns with a range of additional features.
While still compact and lightweight, Sharpy Ultimo is even more agile. It incorporates all the features that have made it a success, but is now IP65-rated, has CMY colour mixing and is more powerful, thanks to its new 250 W UHP lamp, custom designed by Philips.
This source is coupled with optimised optics to generate a sharp beam with a divergence of 2° to deliver high illuminance over long distances: 100,000 lux at 20 m! The UHP (Ultra High Performance) is a very high-pressure mercury discharge lamp with a very short arc, very high efficacy (between 80 and 100 lm/W) and a service life of 6,000 hours.
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Sharpy Ultimo features unlimited panning rotation. With respect to the original model, it adds CMY colour mixing, but also includes the same 14-colour wheel so it can be integrated into an existing installation.
It also uses the same aerial gobo wheel. A Sharpy emulation mode can be selected via the functions channel to reproduce the speed and behaviour of the original Sharpy.
Two prisms on two focal planes (one more than the original) and a frost filter greatly enhance the creative possibilities.
One of the most significant improvements over the original Sharpy is the smoothness of the dimming.
Sharpy Ultimo keeps its compact size (53 cm) and weighs in at just 19 kg.
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Features and specs
- Light source: custom 250 W Ultra-High Performance short arc lamp
- Lamp life: up to 6,000 hours
- Output: 100,000 lux @ 20 m
- Colour Temperature: 7200 K
- CRI: 74
- 140 mm diameter front lens
- Aperture: 2° beam angle with focus lens
- True CMY colour mixing system (wheel-based for faster transitions)
- Original 14-colour fixed color wheel
- Original high-contrast gobo wheel (17 gobos + open)
- Dual, independently-rotating prisms
- Integrated 10° frost filter
- Ultra-smooth electronic dimming with high-resolution fades
- High-speed tilt (270°) and infinite pan rotation
- Pan and Tilt lock, SunSafe protection innovation, and Tilt brake
- Sharpy Emulation Mode for plug-and-play legacy compatibility
- Input Voltage: 100-240 V
- Power Consumption: 450 VA
- Control options: DMX 5-pin XLR IN/OUT, TRUE1 powerCON IN/OUT, RJ45 EtherCON IN/OUT
- Wireless DMX built-in
- IP66-rated for outdoor use
- CloudIO-ready for remote diagnostics and firmware updates
- Weight: 19.5 kg
- Size (L×W×H): 253 × 358 × 534 mm
More information on the Claypaky website
