SPY005 - the license to style

[Christoph]

Spy keeper.

[cave dave]

I agree with brightnorm on this one. I prefer the wider hotspot with a smooth transition to spill like on the HDS. The tight hotspot on the McR18 may be better for spoting wildlife and white wall hunting, but its utility for terrain identification while hiking is not as good.

To sum it up, it depends on your use:
Standing still and spotting things: Tight hotspot, dim spill
Moving around trying not to trip over things: Wide hotspot, smooth transition to wide bright spill.

[twl]

Very unusual light.

I'm sure that some other people will find it to be just their cup of tea.

But, I think it is great that designers are going into other worlds of design that is outside the normal appearance.

[Miciobigio]

Great review Bernie .


What are the chances to see in the future a Spy 005Watt ??

It seems a good host for a 5 Watt and i like more (like others said) wider hotspot with a smooth transition to spill .

[Kiessling]

This is my only disagreement with your first-rate review. I find that the relatively narrow spot and fairly weak surround cause some discomfort when walking/hiking in rough or unfamiliar terrain. Although the beam is excellent for medium distance spotlighting, I find that the wider beams of lights like the HDS 60xr and Amilite Neo T3 permit quicker ID of surroundings and also preserve night vision, while still providing a bright spot. In fact, the HDS lights project a very superior spot that is the equal of any light.

I have re-evaluated my criteria about beams in general over the last few months ... and IMHO corona management is at least as important as the hotspot. It would be ideal to have a hot hotspot that is large and gently fades into a corona that is also quite bright in order to reduce the dynamic range and make it easier on the eyes while at the same time increasing the illuminated area.

Now ... everything is a compromise ... and with the McR-18, the corona is too wide, and not the spot too hot. You need the spot to overcome ambient light and have some throwing capacity ... making it broader wouldn't make the SPY a more useful light for general purpose lighting.
You'd need a more concentrated corona to improve performace ... but this is physically impossible for a reflector of this size, or at least we don't have one that can do it.

Lights like the L5 or U2 as well as the 27L reflector (McGizmo) excel at this point ... but are considerably larger.

bernie

[cave dave]

***EDIT *** Lets take reflector design to a new thread, I started a thread here:
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/show...99#post1474599
***EDIT ***

I think Brightnorm isn't talking about a "general purpose" beam. He is describing a specific task. One of walking at night, I would assume this is a common task for flashlight use.

The Spy reflector is good and an excellent overall performer, but maybe not the best for path walking. This is not a knock against Don's design, I think he understands this. When the Joker LED's came out, Don actually liked the wider beam, but he came out with a joker specific reflector because CPFers demands tight bright spots that perform well on white walls.

[Kiessling]

Oh ... don't worry, I do not see any knock against anyone here ... I was just babbling about my thought about reflectors and beams and compromises ... and the importance of corona, where I thought the emphasize lies too much on the spot.

We are here to discuss things ... and if brightnorm doen't like the beam of the McR-18 he can not-like it as long as he wants ... while I don't like the McR-27 that much. Gustos are different, just as opinions and needs.