edit: Two months have passed. i've concluded that the greenish tint at lower outputs is just a natural effect of runnng an X-ML emitter at low voltages. There's really no fault with the flashlight or the emitter, and I'm quite happy with them both. (End of edit.)
First off, I'm a flashlight newbie, and this is primarily a question about consumer etiquette.
Yesterday, I got my first light with a price tag above $20, the Quark X 123^2 (regular) cool white, for use as a primary EDC light. I've carried it for about 24 hours, using it for various around-the-home tasks (and a little white wall hunting).
The build, output, and UI all leave me perfectly satisfied; the tint, however, does not. It's noticeably green, especially on lower output levels. It's such an irksome thing that I have found myself reaching for the Streamlight Stylus Pro as often as the quark, just to use the light with the better tint.
On the other hand, many members have posted in other threads that the manufacturers don't really have that much control over the less-than-ideal greenish and purplish tints. Some have suggested that it is simply a matter of lottery, and consumers must simply live with their undesirably tinted lights.
I have a hard time accepting that a $70 "cool white" light should arrive green and that I must simply deal with it. But, I don't want to be unfair to a reputable manufacturer either. So, I will leave it up to the advice of the experts. Do I return the unpleasantly tinted Quark? Or, do I suck it up and keep it?
First off, I'm a flashlight newbie, and this is primarily a question about consumer etiquette.
Yesterday, I got my first light with a price tag above $20, the Quark X 123^2 (regular) cool white, for use as a primary EDC light. I've carried it for about 24 hours, using it for various around-the-home tasks (and a little white wall hunting).
The build, output, and UI all leave me perfectly satisfied; the tint, however, does not. It's noticeably green, especially on lower output levels. It's such an irksome thing that I have found myself reaching for the Streamlight Stylus Pro as often as the quark, just to use the light with the better tint.
On the other hand, many members have posted in other threads that the manufacturers don't really have that much control over the less-than-ideal greenish and purplish tints. Some have suggested that it is simply a matter of lottery, and consumers must simply live with their undesirably tinted lights.
I have a hard time accepting that a $70 "cool white" light should arrive green and that I must simply deal with it. But, I don't want to be unfair to a reputable manufacturer either. So, I will leave it up to the advice of the experts. Do I return the unpleasantly tinted Quark? Or, do I suck it up and keep it?
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