Does my new ARC AAA LE have the wrong LED?

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Helo everybody, I've been reading this board for a few months but this is my first post.

I just received my new AAA LE yesterday and really like it but I am troubled by the color of the light. The beam has a very blue center. I know that white LEDs normally will have slightly blue output but I thought that the LE uses a different rank of LED than most flashlights. The LE beam looks like a slightly brighter version of my white Photon 3. From the reviews I read, I thought that the LED should produce a more greenish/yellow tint rather than blue. Here is a picture of the LE output from a review on Thelightsite: Thelightsite. The output of my unit looks nothing like that.

I've emailed my concern to Peter Gransee but he hasn't responded yet. Do you CPFers think that I have a problem with my LE or should I accept this as within normal production tolerance?

Thanks!

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

UCH; my LE looks and sounds identical to yours.
It has a blue center but damn I love this
little light!!!

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Peter, can you hit on the upgrades coming on the newer ARC AAA's?
Thanks

 

[Badbeams3]

Welcome UCH, many, from what I have heard, have a blue touch in the center...does the surround beam tend to the yellow-green. If it`s brighter than your Photon with new batts you may want to hold on to it one way or another...the Photons are brighter usually for a few minutes than the Arc...but if you are not happy with the color I would not worry, as you must have read the Arc co. has always worked to make the customer happy.

 

[Darell]

my first order of Arc AAAs included three standaeds and three LEs. I first lit up an LE, an had the same thought you did - it was a bit purple/blue in the middle. Only after I fired up one of the standards did I realize what folks were talking about. The LE is definitely more toward the yellow/green in the corona, but the center spot is a bit blue/purple in both of them. The difference is that the entire beam of the standard is bluer, while the LE is greener - making it actually appear to be "whiter."

Not to worry - all is as it should be!

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I love this little light too, Scott S!

I've compared the LE to the Photon 3 again. Describing the quality of the output is difficult so please bear with me.

The bright central beam of light from the LE is about 50% larger than the P3. The central area of blue light from the LE is dimmer and smaller than the P3. It looks like overall the LE produces a larger cone of brighter, whiter light than the P3. I don't know if any of my description makes sense.

I was concerned that there was an issue with my LE because I thought that the B1 rank Nichia LEDs used in the LE would give better quality light output. Maybe I expected to much from an LED.

Hmmm, it looks like the link I posted to the picture of the LE ouput from the review doesn't work. The URL for the review is:Thelightsite review of the LE. The picture of the output is third one down on the left.

Thanks for everybody's comments. Keep em coming!

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I just looked again at the picture of the LE output from the review I quoted. The central area is white with green/yellow surronding it.

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I forgot to mention on thing, Ken B. My LE is quite a bit brighter than the P3. And the beam of light that it emits is wider than the P3. I would assume that is due to the LE's reflector. It's a good little light!

 

[Gransee]

Hello UCH, sorry I didn't get to your email sooner. I just replied to your message. I was about 30 hours behind on my email.

The variation is going to be slight. It is easier to notice when you compare it to a regular LED flashlight. The tint rank is a half step warmer than the normal color ranking.

Normally the variation is most noticable in the corona. The center spot will still be blueish since that is where the blue die is strongest.

Usally pictures don't always do the beam justice because the camera has difficulty with some colors.

Peter Gransee

 

[Sean]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by UCH:
I just looked again at the picture of the LE output from the review I quoted. The central area is white with green/yellow surronding it.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

What you are seeing is normal. The reason you see pictures of the LE beam that look more white is because of the way the camera that is taking the picture records the light.

To see exactly what I am tlking about go to my review of the Inova X5 Here
Look at the Beam shot comparing it to the Photon II. The X5's beam looks completely white! But that's not how I see it in real life, it has a very blue center (hot-spot). Scroll down farther on the same page and look at other beam shots I have taken (especially against the LX) and you will see the blue in it.

So the bottom line is that we can photograph the light but that doesn't mean the camera won't do some color correction on it's own and throw off the true color of the beam in the picture.

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

My LE kicks the $&@! out of my Photon II, bluish-green color or not!!

 

[papasan]

it's called white balance, it is desinged purposely into the camera to give 'true white' color temperature under different lighting conditions...all the digital cameras i have played with (not very many but of very differing designs and uses) have white balance...alot of cameras will alow you to set it manually to one setting or temperature...try setting it to 'sunlight mode' white balance and take the picture...

 

[vcal]

May not be too helpful, but I definitely have a Photon 2 with the "S" Nichia in it,-along with the Arc-LE, and comparing both beams on a flat white wall, the colors on both are absolutely identical.
Virtually ALL of my other white LED flashlights (including another white Photon 2) are more "purplish" compared to those two.

-Make any sense?

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Thanks for the responses everybody!

I appreciate your emails Peter. In my first post, I wasn't complaining that I hadn't gotten a response. You must be very busy with your growing flashlight empire! I noticed that your last email was sent somewhat late at night. Are you adopting the suggestion that from another thread to avoid time wasting sleep?

Several responses mentioned automatic white balance adjustment. Would it be possible to include a standard color swatch when taking pictures with these cameras? Shouldn't that allow viewers to see the color changes caused by the camera?

Well, it appears that my LE is normal. I really do like it. It's a great product!

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

my photon 2 has that blue in its center, and the Unsorted whites i have worked with most of them have some blue spot in the center,and depending on how long or how HIGH they were burnt it changes.
i have proof that the whole array starts turning blue like a kid holding its breath when they heat up and are at peak voltages.
course that is right before the weak ones DIE

i would bet if there was more phosphors on top the light from them would be more normal looking but then it would also be more diffuse.
if anybody happens to find a whole batch that are like that let me know

 

[Quickbeam]

UCH -

The Arc-AAA-LE used for the picture on my site actually does have a slightly bluish center. From what I've seen, this is normal. It doesn't show well in the picture, but it's there. In use, it really isn't noticable - only when shown on a white surface.

Papasan is correct - the reason it appears so white is the white balance on the camera. If I take the picture in "sunlight" mode, LEDs appear white. If it take them in "indoor" mode, they appear blue. (that may be backwards.... I don't have the camera handy). I try to take the pics so the LED appears as white as possible, since as your eyes get used to the light, this is how it will appear.

Thank you for visiting my site. Enjoy your light!