Beam Patterns

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BehindTheSight

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Evergreen, CO
What do you guy consider to be the best beam pattern?

Some FL's have a very focused hot spot that has a long throw but I seem to prefer a more even beam throughout. Just curious what you consider to be best.
 
Try the Malkoff M91 series it has a smooth flood beam pattern.
 
Nearly all my flashlight use is indoors and not at a great distance, so a broad beam works best for me. Typical XM-L non-thrower lights and Foursevens Minis have excellent broad beams that cover at least 99% of my needs.
 
BehindTheSight said:
....Some FL's have a very focused hot spot that has a long throw but I seem to prefer a more even beam throughout. Just curious what you consider to be best.
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The "best" beam pattern will vary, depending upon the specific task or purpose for the light .... If you are wanting a very even beam, without any hotspot, might want to check out a Mule (no reflector, no optic) torch - :)

I find a Mule to be rather specialized, however. For general "all-around use" (whatever that means), many here prefer the beam pattern of the McGizmo Haiku (or similar), which has been described as "punchy flood" (with credit to PSM, IIRC).
 
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Only one flashlight eh? Well, I'd have to go with a thrower (probably the TK41), as you can always make a diffuser for it and make it floody. You can't turn a floody light into a thrower.
 
For most of my uses, a relatively floody beam that is powerful enough to have some good reach, is my preference.
This is exemplified by the Malkoff Wildcat.
It is a relatively floody triple-emitter light that has a fairly broad beam. But that beam is controlled sufficiently to also reach out to about 150 yards distance. This gives me a good combination of width and distance that meets my needs very well. It is very unusual that I actually need any beam to reach more than 150 yards in my uses. If I do need that, I have a different light which I would take if I planned to encounter any long distance needs.
As for really long distance lights, I find that I only need enough throw for the distances that I can actually see detail with the naked eye. I don't plan to use binoculars at night to see where my light beam is illuminating. Typically 250-300 yards is all I will ever use a flashlight for, in terms of distance, unless I was on a boat looking for a shoreline or something like that. And for that, we have radar.
 
I would agree with twl....250-300 yards is all I ever need for a thrower. Therefore I have stopped the Maximum Lux race at 30,000 or so. Now I look for a light with 30,000 lux and the most lumens after that for broadest possible hot spot and side spill. My Sunwayman T60CS meets those requirements at 35,000 and 2400 lumens. Then I only need a close range light with a 150 meters of throw, and good runtime. That is used 90% of the time for me. A P60 drop-in type is fine for that with an XML driven at 2.8A, and a 20% low mode. I figure in a few years technology will have the P60 sized lights replacing the Triple XML too. A Surefire C2 or Z2 body is the max size for most pocket carry. Then you need an EDC. Something really small that you don't notice clipped inside a pocket. Zebralight's H31 fits that requirement for me. So if I had to have only one light? The Surefire C2 would have to be the choice. The throw/output just keeps getting better and better. Maybe eventually my little Zebralight will be throwing out to 250 meters?? Then I will truly be down to one light. But we're not there yet. I'm just happy to be down from 6 lights to 3 now.
 
I have different tastes in the beam department depending on what I need a light for but i guess my favourite beam if i had to go with one is a beam with a well defined hotspot that gives a punchy throw but i like a bit of spill as well.I'm not talking a laser like throw just a good throw for an EDC size light but also a decent spill i reckon the new XPG 2 will be perfect if it's in the right light set up.I carry an EDC light with me always & my 170T (HDS) with the GDP LED was very good for me also i have an Twisty with a P4 LED & that has a great beam profile.I've got a Surefire E1B in the post & I'm looking forward to see what it's like.If i don't like the beam on it i might try & get it modded with an XRE R2 i think that would be an interesting set up.
 
Have a few lights with really good beam patterns, actually, but I have been enamored with the beam on my Tri EDC ever since I got it. I love the beam on this light! Big fuzzy hotspot, very even and smooth, plenty of flood, touch of throw.
 
I think you'll find that most here have a strong preference for a close to mid-range light, with a wide enough pattern that allows a bit of peripheral vision, but also gives enough throw to see down the trail, or punch through in daytime when looking into shaded areas under shelves or non-lighted areas.
 
Most people are going to like a smooth and floody beam pattern for EDC as it can illuminate a larger area and will not cause a 'tunnel vision'.

But it really depends on what you need. Someone who needs max throw for longer distances, they will prefer a tightly focused beam. While there are lights that are complete flood.
 
yliu said:
Most people are going to like a smooth and floody beam pattern for EDC...
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As long as it has enough of a hotspot to prevent if from being a one-purpose-wonder. All flood and no throw, or all throw and no flood are specialty lights and a good reason for the 007 being more flexible than either of the extremes on the Tri-V would be on their own.
A good EDC needs to cover all bases.
 
For short distances it's directional flood (e.g. Fenix E05) and for medium distances it's soft and broad XM-L-ish hotspot & wide spill. I have only one XR-E throwy drop-in and I don't use it much.

Cheers
 
kaichu dento said:
I think you'll find that most here have a strong preference for a close to mid-range light, with a wide enough pattern that allows a bit of peripheral vision, but also gives enough throw to see down the trail, or punch through in daytime when looking into shaded areas under shelves or non-lighted areas.
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+1

If I had to choose a single beam example that is useful for most of my lighting needs, then the SC600 is a good choice.

Otherwise for a more conventional beam with some reach, the TK35 has a nice usable balance of spot vs spill. meaning a large spot and with still enough spill so that I can scan with my eyes, not with the beam. The throw of the TK35 reaches about as far as I can recognize what kind of a critter at that distance, not just that there is a critter out there or that I can see the eyes.

The very popular TK41 is an example of too much throw and too little spill for me. Putting a diffuser on that light would reduce the useful distance to far less than an SC600. I had two TK41s at different times and returned both of them. Not for me.

However the Fenix E11 offers a different beam style. The TIR focuses nearly all of the light in to a large "spot" with a very narrow and dim spill. The result is that that large spot is brighter than other lights using reflectors with theoretically more lumens, but that spread their lumens into larger % of spill.
 
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