Showtec Shark Zoom Wash One

I've now got 4 of these, used for AmDram/Musical Theatre on a moderately small stage. I also have a pair of the non-zoom and combi spot sharks.

External build quality is nothing special of course, but I have confidence in the Showtec brand (recommended by a pro-supplier I trust, over some of the other budget box shifters).

This is quite a small unit but light output is good. The internal fan is not the quietest (fixed speed) and when there are a few of them rigged, the noise is easily picked up by stage mics (well if you have some decent Sennheiser's anyway).

I also have a pair of the non-zoom washes and a pair of the combi spots. I would say these zooms are my favourite. They have a good usable zoom range from quite narrow to a decent wash, so can be employed in a number of scenarios. I use them on a mid-stage backlight bar for backlight washes and for zoomed specials. Having bought the non-zooms first, I wish I'd gone straight for this zoom version. Opening the head up, whilst the shell is nothing special and quite cheaply moulded plastic, the inner lamp bulkhead and zoom mechanism is a nicely constructed metal affair which gives me more confidence.

So overall, if you treat these gently they are a good little unit for the non-pros amongst us on a small to medium stage.

Pretty much the same unit is badged by others. This Showtec has IEC input whereas others have PowerCon. I would have preferred PowerCon but trust Showtec to test stock before distribution whereas I don't trust the others. Unfounded trust? Maybe, but I have quite a range of Showtec kit (not all the cheap stuff) and it's served me pretty well so far (unlike some of the other budget brands).

Don't expect miracles for this price, but otherwise recommended.