Seen earlier at PLASA, but hotly anticipated in the US was the return of Vari-Lite's VL5 in its updated guise as the VL500. There are four versions: the VL500 has the option of a 1,000W or 1,200W lamp and uses a conventional dimmer circuit for intensity control. The VL500D has a built-in IGBT dimmer but is otherwise identical to the standard VL500 - right down to the 12.5-to 20° beam angle. The VL500A is the arc-source version, with the option of either a 575W or 700W source. The VL500A is significantly narrower than its tungsten cousins, at 7.5 to 16.5°, and uses an external ballast. The VL500 80V uses an 80V/1,200W incandescent lamp, an external dimmer, and has a beam angle of 11-16.5°.
