Cameo Flat Pro Par Can 18 – Compact and bright – Product review by Tastenwelt magazine

With the Flat Pro Par Can 18 from the brand Cameo, Adam Hall offers a compact spotlight, which impresses in tests with robust workmanship, bright light, rich colours and an extensive range of functions. What more could you want?

The benchmarks have changed: These days a compact stage spotlight might have a bigger diameter than the PAR cans of the past, and seems big in this regard. On the other hand, modern LED technology allows particularly flat construction, which means the manufacturer and marketing department rightly advertises the compactness of the LED Cameo Flat Pro Par Can 18 spotlight we tested. The relatively large diameter is the result of 18 LEDs with 10 W each, which need to be usefully housed and practically arranged.

First impression: The casing of the LED spotlight is extremely robust, and definitely also suitable for more demanding jobs. The bracket is also very robust, and also serves as a floor stand without any additional help. As well as this, it can be easily tightened with two tommy screws, so that it doesn’t accidentally shift due to the spotlight’s own weight or accidental contact. The front is dominated by the large LEDs, which are secured with an additional glass cover.

The back is also not bad
Power is supplied via the Neutrik Powercon bushings, and a Powereon output is also provided to extend power to further devices. The DMX connections also leave nothing to be desired: The corresponding input and output sockets are available in three and five-pin designs. All the information can be read on a simple, clear display, and the settings are managed via four buttons. The latter are almost completely self-explanatory.

The cooling fins on the edges immediately catch your eye during unpacking. They ensure cooling of the spotlight, which means that it doesn’t need fans to lower the temperature, and therefore operates completely silently. This can be a decisive purchase criteria, especially for use on small and quiet stages – such as in theatres or piano bars. Another bonus for use during filming: The spotlight works at a frequency of 3,000 Hertz, and is therefore flicker-free.

This is particularly important in front of the camera, when the spotlight is used in dimmer mode, or when slow motion sequences are being  recorded. Nothing stands in the way of successful live video in this respect.

Features
The developers gave the Cameo Flat Pro Par Can 18 a wide range of operating mode options. This means that various pre-programmed  colours can be used, or colour mixtures can be created freely as required. There is also a range of programs with adjustable speeds, and of course it wouldn’t be complete without a music-controlled mode.

Last but not least, multiple spotlights can be connected together in master-slave mode, where the first device assumes control of the other devices – without an external controller.

For external control
There are also various options for controlling the Cameo Flat Pro Par Can 18 with DMX. The smallest DMX mode needs only two channels. One channel lets the overall brightness be adjusted, the other can select from 15 colour mixtures. The first three-channel mode also allows activation of the stroboscope. The user can freely define if and how fast the spotlight should flash.

The second 3-channel mode allows control of the red, green and blue colour components; white and amber are excluded in this mode. Complete control over all five colours is available in the five-channel mode. In the eight-channel mode, there is the option to call up the pre-programmed colours as well  as all the colour parameters. It also allows control of the brightness and the strobe mode. There should be nothing else that could be needed for practical use. Right?

Practice
The external assessment is followed by a practical test. The spotlight is ready after a short reset. The brightness immediately impresses. All the colours are incredibly rich and bright; even amber, which is often a little weak on many devices, is very strong. The dimming is also very good. However – as with most other LED spotlights – the dimming is not completely smooth, but in this case, the small gradations are only visible, if at all, when the light is dimmed extremely slowly.

Much more important is that the brightness doesn’t break off at the lowest point. Many spotlights simply stop at a brightness of around five percent, and then fall straight to zero. The Cameo Flat Pro Par Can 18 performs well here. The mixed colours are also impressive. Even  critical colours such as orange, pastels or various white tones can be generated very well.

One criticism of the colour mixtures is that the beams are not even. This is especially visible when blue is mixed with red or green. In this case, blue has a markedly wider beam, so that you have a nice pink or turquoise, but edged with a blue ring.

Conclusion:
With the Cameo Flat Pro Par Can 18, Adam Hall offers a modern alternative to the good old PAR cans, which scores points thanks to its compact dimensions and extensive functions. A crucial question: Where is the Cameo spotlight best used? Firstly, naturally anywhere that proper brightness and a wide range of colours are needed. With its absolutely silent operation and lack of flickering, the Cameo spotlight is also well-suited to television studios and theatres.

And if you look at its performance compared to its relatively affordable price, then it is also a good alternative for bands or even solo entertainers, who know the value of silently operating stage spotlights at small gigs. And if this spotlight is a little too big: There are also two smaller versions with seven or twelve LEDs, and weatherproof IP65 outdoor versions available.

Rating
Cameo Flat Pro Par Can 18 LED spotlight
+ High luminosity
+ Rich colours
+ Connections with 5-pin DMX and Powercon IlD
+ Excellent price-performance ratio
– Some colours have differing coverage

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Source: Tastenwelt magazine 1/2015, Germany: http://www.tastenwelt.de/
Author: Erik Schröder

All information about the Cameo Flat Pro Par Can 18, and the Cameo Flat Pro Par Can 18 IP65 can be found here:
http://www.cameolight.com/en/products/led-flat-par-cans/flat-pro-18-18-x-10-w-flat-led-rgbwa-par-light-in-black-housing/
http://www.cameolight.com/en/products/led-flat-par-cans/flat-pro-18-ip65-18-x-10-w-flat-led-outdoor-rgbwa-par-light-in-black-housing/