What are conventional lighting fixtures?

Conventional fixtures (also called non-automated or generic fixtures) are the foundational instruments of stage lighting. They include ellipsoidal reflector spotlights (ERS, commonly known by the brand name Source Four or Leko), PAR cans, Fresnels, and cyc lights. These fixtures produce a single beam of light that is manually focused, aimed, and colored with gel filters or barn doors.

Ellipsoidals (also called lekos) are the workhorse of theatrical and corporate front lighting because they produce a clean, shapeable beam with hard or soft edges and accept gobos and shutters. PARs produce a softer, more diffuse wash. Fresnels produce a smooth-edged, adjustable wash that blends well across multiple units. Conventional fixtures are still widely used alongside moving lights and LEDs, especially for key light, front light, and any application that needs consistent, reliable, high-quality white light.