Parcans

LED par cans do the bulk of the colour work on most rigs, and this section covers the full spread: slim pars, workhorse cans, battery uplighters, production washes with zoom, and exterior-rated fixtures, from LEDJ, Chauvet DJ, Chauvet Professional, ADJ, Equinox and Elumen8.

The LED engine is the first decision and the one that shows on camera. RGB mixes saturated colour economically and is fine for club and disco work. Quad-colour engines, RGBW or RGBA, add usable whites and pastels, which is what most function and wedding work actually needs. Hex engines fold in amber and UV for warmer skin tones and deeper blues, and they are worth the difference wherever people are being photographed.

Beam angle against throw distance comes next. A narrow fixture at close range lights a spot on the wall; a wide one at distance lights everything but the thing you wanted. Zoom fixtures cover several jobs from one stock item, which suits hire companies more than fixed rigs. For uplighting a room where cables cannot cross a floor, battery units solve the problem that no amount of fixture quality will, and run time at the colour you plan to use is the specification to check rather than the headline figure.

Exterior work needs an IP rating and honest expectations about how it is achieved: a rated fixture with an unrated connection is not weatherproof, so plan the cable ends as carefully as the fixture choice.

Every flown par needs a clamp and an independent safety bond, and both are in the lighting accessories section. Ordering them with the fixtures avoids the familiar situation of a rig on the floor and a crew waiting on hardware.

The battens, PARs and uplighters guide compares the formats and colour systems in detail, and the DMX guide covers addressing and cabling once the fixtures are up.

Par Can FAQs

RGB, RGBW or RGBA? RGB mixes saturated colour cheaply and suits club looks. Quad-colour (RGBW/RGBA) adds usable whites and pastels, what function and wedding work actually needs. The engine choice shows on camera more than the brand does; more in the battens, pars and uplighters guide.

What about uplighting without power runs? Battery uplighters exist for exactly that, venue perimeters and marquees with no sockets in sight.

Indoor or outdoor fixtures? Exterior-rated (IP65) pars for anything weather-exposed; standard fixtures die outdoors and their warranty with them.