The Fresnel and the profile spot may be the most emblematic luminaires for theatre and opera. It was only natural that France, with its rich cultural heritage, gave birth to one of the leading manufacturers of theater lighting, the timeless Robert Juliat.

Nearly 100 years after its birth, this company has remained true to its iconic classicism, at least as far as aesthetics are concerned. Following the introduction of the fully outfitted Tibo range, it was time to modernize its sacrosanct Fresnel projector, in an LED version. Join me in a tour around this high-tech fixture.

Previously, in SoundLightUp…

If you click in the right column on the title “Tibo 533”, you will find the results of my test of the Tibo LED profile. The article is very poetically subtitled “Un Tibo, deux Tibo, plein de Tibo doudou” so that, first of all, you will get the background on Robert Juliat LED fixtures and, as a bonus, without realizing it, you will begin singing the little tune in the title.

If the Tibo range was intended as a break from tradition to offer new customers diversity and a more affordable price, ZEP, instead, fits right into the continuity and know-how of Robert Juliat, following the risky gamble of proposing LED sources in a rather conservative environment.

One recognizes the body of a halogen fixture, a precision assembly of steel and aluminum under black epoxy, a functional and classic look yet packed with features. Something with which to renew one’s lighting kit without upsetting old habits. Only its DMX base and a simple display give away its type. This control panel is now common to all the Robert Juliat LED projectors.

The choice of a high-efficiency 150 W LED light source addresses several issues.
The first of these is staying within a price using a proven technology and, secondly, offering the equivalent of a 1000 W halogen source with the warm white LED version or of a 2 kW source “cooled” by a color corrector – like a Lee201 – for the cool white version.

The Cast

Two models of Fresnel are available under the 340LF reference, only the color temperature of the LEDs differs. The WW model (for Warm White) is rated at 3200 K and has a beam angle variable from 11° to 68°. The CW (Cool White) model, at 6500 K, claims an output 40% higher than that of the warm white model, which sort of changes everything as we shall see later.

The fixutres are delivered in their original shipping carton with their instructions, PowerCon TRUE1 power cable, a filter holder and a Wi-Fi DMX antenna, if you purchased this option.