Not Gonna Buy Cool White Again! [Join Club Here]

[ToNIX]

I've always been using cool, untill 1 year ago when I got my first neutral.

I have the M61W (neutral one) and I have yet to try the M61HCri... if I decide to buy one. I'm afraid it'll be too warm for my tastes.

One thing that's sure, never again I'll go cool.

[EngrPaul]

I just made an interesting choice. I bought some XM-L T6's at the cool end of the neutral band (4900-5000K) for upgrading some XR-E lights. I think they are a good compromise for flux vs. tint.

I was thinking of my ability to re-sell some of the lights I upgrade. It seems by the comments people don't want to go too deep toward warm if it sacrifices output.

So no, I didn't fall off the bandwagon. But I did consider some of the comments I've been reading.

The main reason for going XM-L is that most of the XR-E lights I have throw a spot and don't have enough spill.

[pertinax]

I won't promise to never buy a cool white again, but I'll never buy one for any important use. They're crap. Green tint (4Sevens S2)? Reminds me of 2005...

I'll go a step further though-- I'll never buy another light that requires 123 batteries. AA or 18650 for small; D's for large. Nothing else. And with a strong preference for AAs over 18650.

Pertinax

[ryguy24000]

I like warm colors, but I'll remain neutral in this matter!

[kyhunter1]

Even though I prefer neutral tints, tonight I was in a situation where a cool tint was better. It got dark while we were putting up vynl siding on my out-building and needed to get a few more peices up to finish the side we were working on. I went and got my instant daylight maker. It is a extended 2x18500 6p host with a Malkoff M91 inside. The huge flood beam and extra lumens offered by the cool tint was nice to have in a situation where color rendering was not important. The beam lit up the whole side of the building and was plenty bright for us to get the job done. Most of my purchases these days are in neutral/warm tints, but I do keep some really "cool" lights around.

[Flying Turtle]

I'll not likely be buying anything cooler than neutral again. Sure glad our options are increasing. I'd really like to find a warm 1AAA.

Geoff

[Ti²C]

Due to the lack of choice of tints I only buy edc lights that are easy to swap to neutral (5a/c) or warm.. Nitecores and quarks are great for that !

[KenAnderson]

Have to admit I've been switching to 4500k for each of my new lights. Have 3 so far and am planning on upgrading my cool keepers to warm or neutral. Color rendition is so much better. Just a matter of time before the public catches on as well.

[Fireclaw18]

I've been trying a 90+ CRI xpg as my EDC for the last few days. The warmth is nice. Looks just like an incandescent. But I feel like I can actually see stuff better with cool and neutral white. I think the 90 CRI is just too warm for my tastes. I prefer neutral tint, but cool white as long as it's not too cold works well.

[mvyrmnd]

I'm having the emitter in my Ti Quark AA upgraded to the 90 CRI XP-G. I can't wait! I'm pretty sure it'll be a while before anything replaces it as my EDC after that.

[hoongern]

I've been trying a 90+ CRI xpg as my EDC for the last few days. The warmth is nice. Looks just like an incandescent. But I feel like I can actually see stuff better with cool and neutral white. I think the 90 CRI is just too warm for my tastes. I prefer neutral tint, but cool white as long as it's not too cold works well.

Just for accuracy, CRI* has nothing to do with tint - you can have a 90 CRI cool or warm emitter, just as you can have a 40CRI cool or warm emitter.

*As used by LED manufacturers (I.e. Cree, Nichia, Luminus, Seoul, etc.)

[B0wz3r]

Just for accuracy, CRI has nothing to do with tint - you can have a 90 CRI cool or warm emitter, just as you can have a 40CRI cool or warm emitter.

Can we PLEASE not get into that again?

[hoongern]

Can we PLEASE not get into that again?

PM'ed you. Perhaps we could keep that (our discussion/argument) out of this thread as it's not exactly relevant?

EDIT: Also, what I meant to do when correcting that was to make sure that people didn't go and buy a "90 CRI" emitter thinking it automatically meant a warm tint.

[edc3]

...I'd really like to find a warm 1AAA.

Geoff

+1

[flashy bazook]

Well, it's nice to remind people of the CRI vs warm issue.

I have a very excellent quality high CRI light, and it puts out a less "warm" (ie, yellow) light than a neutral "W" LED, also of an excellent manufacture.

If you go to the nichia website, you can download a brochure of their various LEDs and you can see a chart there mapping the sunlight measured on two axes (and helpfully colored appopriately) against their LEDs. Then you can have an accurate idea of what you really like and, at least for nichia products, what you would be getting exactly.

On the topic as initiated by the OP, I don't think we have to get one or the other, we can have multiple choices. It is true I have gotten a few more "warm" or "high CRI" lights recently, exactly because good ones have started coming out.

Let's remember that until quite recently, the sacrifice in terms of lumens/efficiency (so, runtime) was quite significant when avoiding the "cool" (most efficient) LEDs. Now finally the lumen/runtime numbers are becoming acceptable.

So, for a Malkoff M31 vs. M31W, you give up just 20 lumens to get a significantly warmer tint. If you can live with the runtime of this product, and you prefer warmer tints, there is indeed no reason not to get it!

[Schuey2002]

The updated Streamlight Stylus Pro that I have inbound comes with a cool white beam stock.

So there is nothing that I can do about it, not unless I want to crack it open and swap out its emitter...

[CheepSteal]

Count me in. After discovering warmer and neutral tints, I don't want to go back to cool white, especially because it's winter here in Aus. The warmer lights just give me a nicer feeling...
I wish I knew how to modify my previous lights, I would SO put some warm/HCRI XPG's in them. Never cool white again! (unless there's no choice )

[Phaserburn]

+1

Eagletac makes a neutral single AAA.

[edc3]

Eagletac makes a neutral single AAA.

Thanks. That looks like it might be something. What's really got me interested is a Peak Eiger with a neutral emitter and the QTC.

[B0wz3r]

(unless there's no choice )

If there's no choice, I don't buy. As per my sig, I don't really buy cool tint lights. I'm a big ZL fan too, and I am passing on the new SC600 until they do a neutral version.

Right now there are only two cool tint lights I'm even considering: the jetbeam BA40 and PA40; the BA because of it's excellent value, and PA because it would be a great light for BOB stock.

[kramer5150]

Long answer:
I definitely prefer neutral tints around 5000k, but not enough to completely bail out on the pale whites.

Warm tints that copy incan don't appeal to me enough to bail out on the pales. I personally don't think incan color is the ideal color to model after. Its the CRI that should be replicated, not the tint. The ideal color should be natural mid-day sunlight, which to me appears around 5000k, and is considerably more pale than incans or any of the warm products I have seen. There are some exceptions though, some warm MCE designs are really nice paired with the ledil boom... but these are typically custom builds and $$$.

The other thing to keep in mind too is that the emitter companies always release pale whites first, warmer tints always follow months later. And (often times) by the time warm tints are readily available to the volume manufacturers the pale whites have jumped up a flux BIN or two. So if you are a collector, you are always going to be collecting something $$$ (custom/boutique where the builder can get the warm tints before the volume manufacturers), or dim and not as bright as a pale white.

Short answer:
I'm keeping my options open

[DHart]

The other thing to keep in mind too is that the emitter companies always release pale whites first, warmer tints always follow months later. And (often times) by the time warm tints are readily available to the volume manufacturers the pale whites have jumped up a flux BIN or two. So if you are a collector, you are always going to be collecting something $$$ (custom/boutique where the builder can get the warm tints before the volume manufacturers), or dim and not as bright as a pale white.

Yep - cool tints come first, dang it!

Many of us here have far more lights than we can really use, but we like having them for their various unique attributes. As such, we are flashaholics and prone to keep buying more lights even though we don't need them. When a new light or a great new emitter comes out, it is so tempting to buy one even though the neutral editions won't be available for a period of time. Finally, I've been able to wait on adding a new light until the neutral edition comes out and then, I don't care if the flux bin has edged up a notch... it's the tint and CRI that really matter - after all, most of todays best lights have virtually all the output we really need anyway.

The exception for me is with the TK35, which just so blows me away with it's capabilities, size, and features that I had to have one even with the slightly greenish tinge (which I only see on a white wall - never outdoors). If and when the TK35 becomes available with a neutral XM-L, I will be sure to get one. But I would not have wanted to be without a TK35 for the interim period, because it's that great of a light.

As a Quark fan, I've been turned away from them for a while as 4Sevens doesn't seem motivated to provide neutral tints on them. I would have bought several neutral tint XM-L Quarks if they were available, but instead I bought Thrunight 1A neutral XM-L and I'm absolutely thrilled with the light.

As a Zebralight fan myself, mine are all neutral tint and I'm waiting for the SC600 to come out with a neutral tint as well.

[bodhran]

Very well put DHart. Though I prefer a neutral or warm light, I love my Tk35 also. I was a Quark fan but haven't had any desire to purchase their products since the last neutral, warm offering. Since they've gone big time it seems that they've forgotten or ignore their loyal customers who were there in the beginning. Sad....

[Chrisdm]

I'm in. I just did a mass selloff of all my cool whites.

[luceat lux vestra]

I don't own any warm/neutral lights,my XP-G R5 is all I need.
Why are you people so happy about giving up led efficiency?
Maybe I missed something.

[Helmut.G]

I have some posts in this thread already but have not stated so until now: count me in.

[Helmut.G]

I don't own any warm/neutral lights,my XP-G R5 is all I need.
Why are you people so happy about giving up led efficiency?
Maybe I missed something.

I like the neutral color more. It renders red and green colors much better compared to a cool white LED, while blue colors loose dominance. I perceive this behaviour as an advantage most of the time. I also like a lower color temperature, but not too low.
It's down to personal preference, some people have tried neutral tints and stated they don't like it.

For me some 10 to 15% less lumens don't matter, and I'm happy to trade them for a more pleasant color.

[bodhran]

Nothing wrong with perfering cool white, but it seems that many who don't like the neutral and warms state that they don't own any neutral or warm lights. Most all who prefer neutral or warm state that they have or have had numerous cool whites. For a long time I only bought cool and the brighter the better. It wasn't until out of curiousity I purchased my first neutral and then warm, and actually gave them a chance, that I realized how much better they are. I have a Tk35 and 40 because there are times when you need a lot of light but most of the time 100 lumens or less is plenty. We live in a world of color and even at night, I like to see those colors, maybe not perfect but close enough.

[Helmut.G]

I bought my first neutral white after comparing the impressive outdoor beamshots. I never missed those additional 100 lumens or whatever the cool white version was rated at.

[kyhunter1]

Something else to think about is that neutral tints are easier on the eyes. Cool tints seem to strain my eyes more with extended use especially with brighter lights. To me, less glare and eye strain is more important than just color rendering alone. 4500K is just about right. Im not into extremely warm or high CRI tints.