P1D CE, anyone got it yet?

[NewBie]

Oh and btw, just want to confirm that the ring does NOT come from the emitter ring. I tried to paint the thing with Glow paint and it does absolutely nothing to the beamshot. I also tried to close the lower part of the reflector to eliminate any effect of the emitter ring toward the beamshot, and again, the ring is still there.

Try your light meter thing at a greater distance to get more resolution.

 

[matrixshaman]

Anyone who hasn't seen Newbie's newly posted thread 'Hot Spot halo' really needs to check it out if he hasn't already mentioned it here. Mach bands and other illusion effects he has linked to in that thread truly tell the story I believe of what is going on with any Cree 'rings' and dark bands. Good work Newbie :thumbsup:

 

[yaesumofo]

I think that things change with different reflectors.
Call me crazy. I don't know optics well. Maybe a pinhole image would show us something.
I am probably wrong about this but something about a reflective circle right at the focal point, points me in the direction I have gone in with my thinking with these circles which I think are reflections of the emitter lens bezel. One is the 27mm reflector from the xr27c the other reflector where I am seeing this effect is the 20 mm PD reflector. Both expose the emitter lens bezel at or close to the reflector focal point.
Has anybody played with the cree optics designed for these emitters yet? I wonder if they exhibit the same circular artifacts.
Yaesumofo

agree jar, I would choose the cree ring over the donut hole

But thing is, one can correct the donut hole by placing some spacer between the lux and the reflector (albeit with side effect of losing some lumens). While for this cree, I tried to do many thing to eliminate the dark ring but not succeeded.

I also tried to quantify using the light meter to prove to myself that the dark ring is there, but the reading seems to confirm that it was an optical illusion. I still am not convinced though. I think the central hotspot is what helps the dark ring to have higher reading on the light meter, compared to the brighter ring outside it. It does not make a lot of sense, but the ring looks very real that I dont want to regard it as an illusion.

Oh and BTW, just want to confirm that the ring does NOT come from the emitter ring. I tried to paint the thing with Glow paint and it does absolutely nothing to the beamshot. I also tried to close the lower part of the reflector to eliminate any effect of the emitter ring toward the beamshot, and again, the ring is still there.

 

[Martini]

Just by playing with the beamshots that have been posted already, I am convinced that the ring is at least mostly an optical illusion. I think there may be a minute difference in the color temperature of the light in that region. It seems to be slightly warmer than the rest of the spill. If this is the case, the only thing that could be called a fault is a slightly bluish outer ring inherent to the LED. Knowing how thin the XR-E phosphor layer is, it would not surprise me to see this in such an early production piece. And it would be hard to blame Fenix's reflector; note how hard it is to eliminate the blue rings in 5mm lights.

Seriously, with any of those beamshots, all one needs to do is to cover up the hotspot, blink, and look again. I would much rather be using a lux meter than toying with images in GIMP, but the differences I've observed are staggering. The radiation pattern of the Cree just seems to promote a very sharply defined hotspot. To my eyes, the hotspot looks like it's coming out of an optic and the spill looks like it's coming off a reflector. I expect that in real use (as opposed to wall-hunting), this setup will come to be recognized as the best of both worlds. In truth, only time will tell. I'm only 2 hours from Atlanta, so I should have my P1D-CE in hand very soon.

 

[NewBie]

You might go look at all the different CREE XR-E lights that McGizmo (Don), has made, and all the beamshots, those are looking pretty darn good.

 

[lexina]

In a review of McGizmo's Cree light there is mention of a "dark zone between the corona and spill", they say that they see it when they "concentrate on it" but that they can't measure it with any instrument. They say that it might be an optical illusion. Here is the link. http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=143226

see also Newbie's thread on this phoenomenon :-
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/143722

 

[UnknownVT]

Please don't yell at me - I do know about the optical illusion - and I did see the dark halo/ring in Newbie's examples -
but unfortunately, please take my word as someone who has a Fenix P1D-CE at hand,
and been scrutinizing it meticulously over the past few days -
the dark halo/ring is there - it does show up in the beamshots under certain conditions -
here's an example - taken out of Fenix P1D-CE comparison Review

That is definitely not an optical illusion.

Mine is also slightly asymmetrical/off-center and I can rotate the light and see the change/asymmetry.

The dark halo/ring can be a bit more obvious in the flesh than my beamshots show - but for me it was/is not of any real serious consequence, I did make note of it in my review I did NOT try to minimize it - but neither did I try to make an issue of it.

I could, I suppose, enhance or manipulate my photos to better show (or even exaggerate) the dark halo/ring to make an issue of it - but I don't want to.

Personally, I think people should be aware of the dark halo, since I know it's real, and they should judge for themselves whether it is of consequence for themselves.

 

[Boomerang]

Mine is also slightly asymmetrical/off-center and I can rotate the light and see the change/asymmetry.

Off center lens with the collimating optic.

I've seen this with the LEDLogic Striker VG Luxeon with collimating optic.

Off center spill beam and partial halo, no doubt compounded by the beam being partially scattered as it passes through the pillow of the optic?

Andy


Andy

 

[Bimmerboy]

Rings, no rings, it could have feathers and 3 beaks, Light comes out of it HARD.

Well said.

 

[Martini]

That is definitely not an optical illusion.

I'll have to take your word for it, because I spent all of 2 seconds looking at it with my finger over the hotspot, and there went the ring. I need this light in my hands!

 

[josean]

If you're bummed about the 'ringiness' of the P1D beam, buy an E1 at the same time - it'll look perfect next to that! :lolsign:

Yes, and even thought it has a ringy beamshot, the E1 is one of my favourite lights: Small, bright and with a more than decent runtime . I use it almost daily and I do not see the rings in real situations (I mostly use it in an underground parking), but rings are perfectly visible when you point to a wall.

I agree that rings are not so important when you are using the light just because you need light.

 

[ezboy]

This is my XR-E mod AmiLite NeoT3 with modified McR20 reflector.

Beam shot of P1D CE (high) and XRE mod AmiLite NeoT3 (P3 bin)

current draw from CR123A

NeoT3 : 1.01A ( 650mA to emitter )
P1D CE (high) : 1.41A ( Iled : not checked )


XRE mod Neo T3 have ring, too.
But the size is ....

 

[UnknownVT]

It's there on my sample of one too -

But you do have to look carefully at the beamshots - it's not obvious -

NO, I am NOT talking about the P1D-CE where it can be seen -
BUT the Cree XR-E mod L1T/L2T -
now you think I am being nitpicky (and I am....

)

P1D-CE on Low vs. the Cree XR-E in Fenix L1/2T mod on Low - both on primary CR123A

Here are the heads for comparison -

Images taken from -

Fenix P1D-CE comparison Review

The point for me is that the dark halo/ring is there - and I don't think it is mere optical illusion -
of course you may question my sanity or stupidity -
BUT both ezboy and I actually have the P1D-CE to look at the beam.

I personally don't think it's a major issue for me -
but it is there - and people should be aware of it.

Let's look at it this way - even IF it were an optical illusion -
if people see the dark halo/ring consistently - enough to think it's real, and I mean consistently even when told it's an optical illusion - then it is "real" to them.

Therefore people should be made aware of the fact they may see a dark halo/ring (even if it might be an optical illusion).

Please reserve judgement, until actually seeing the beam -

It's there, but I personally don't think it's an issue, and up to now I have not made any issue out of it. Even if it is a mere optical illusion - people should be aware they may well see a dark halo/ring - and it may be asymmetrical to make them think it is REAL.

Of course as always YMMV -
and you may think I'm stupid too.

 

[EV_007]

Where are the outdoor comparison beamshots? I bet that would silence the ring theory, or not.

 

[UnknownVT]

EV_007 wrote: "Where are the outdoor comparison beamshots? I bet that would silence the ring theory, or not."

Please look at Post #28 (link) in this thread -

Hot Spot halo

where the poster Pinter said his measurements says it's an illusion,
but also said:

"The halo is also seen in real life usage, despite all measurements."

supported with outdoor photos.

 

[EV_007]

I was wondering about the Fenix version.

His seems to be a XR-E with a modified IMS 17 reflector.

 

[Whitelitee]

Yea Im sure most of us would enjoy outdoor beamshots. Not saying vt should take some since you all ready outdid your self but somebody needs too.

 

[PB92]

TooManygizmos, I could not agree with you more!!!!! That reflector quality is in the toilet. Would not a company like Fenix do better?? I think so. My order is on HOLD until they get that issue squared away. Fenix, are you reading this!!

 

[TooManyGizmos]

:naughty:

*

This is how I judge the functionality of a flashlight .

Does it light my path without distracting artifacts and shadows ???

That's whats important to me .


.................. TooManyGizmos/
.

 

[hivoltage]

My order# is 6373 and I have never gotten an email saying my light has shipped? Plus I cant log into the 7777 website!!!!!! Hopefully he will answer me on here!!!!!