How many of you still use incans over LED's?

[Brian321]

Ok well i bought my first incan other than maglites(SF A2 Aviator). I am thinking about using it for EDC but im not sure if incan is up to par with all the new technology. What do you guys think? Is it worth haveing extra bulbs around for when you drop it or it burns out? Or should i just stick to LED.

 

[cl0123]

You may not want to limit yourself to just one type of bulb or *format. A2 is a great light that is especially useful in non-city and outdoor situations. Certain types of environments, like forests, are more incan friendly than LEDs. Just my experiences.

*Don't forget headlamps, lanterns, all the goodies!

 

[don.gwapo]

Well, just around our house. My parents still prepare to use the incans over ther the leds even though I gave them my X2000. Don't know but it works for them.

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

I still use several incands as MAIN lights, especially outdoors. And even inside my apartment, I keep an E1e loaded with a rechargeable 16340 IMR cell and a Lumens Factory lamp assembly for general indoor tasks.

Use your A2 like it was meant to be used, it is an extremely reliable tool. I have never had an A2 bulb failing on me, but had several LED lights which just died for no reason...

 

[Locoboy5150]

I use (and love) icandescent spotlights. When it comes time to throw a beam of light an extremely far distance, LEDs just aren't as cost effective, generally speaking.

 

[Brian321]

You may not want to limit yourself to just one type of bulb or *format. A2 is a great light that is especially useful in non-city and outdoor situations. Certain types of environments, like forests, are more incan friendly than LEDs. Just my experiences.

*Don't forget headlamps, lanterns, all the goodies!

What are the different bulb types i can get for the A2? Are incans more outdoor friendly than neutral warm LED's?( Ill be using for camping/hiking mostly).

 

[Brigadier]

Just rekindled the incan love with a Seraph SP-9 and D36 mini turbohead and 380 lum incan drop ins.

A very bright light, and vegetation doesn't wash out like with the LED's.

 

[DaveG]

I also just bought a A-2 with green leds,that I am going to try night fishing this year.As a back up for my headlight.

 

[Yucca Patrol]

Not an incan in the house anymore. . . .

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

What are the different bulb types i can get for the A2? Are incans more outdoor friendly than neutral warm LED's?( Ill be using for camping/hiking mostly).

Lumens Factory HO-A2 or Streamlight Strion bulb (but you need the Fivemega adapter for that one, which is sold-out).

Yes, a lot more friendly, incands achieve maximum Color Rendering Index, which is 100. Warm LEDs just have a different tint, measured in Kelvin, this is not related to CRI. Also, there is the advantage of higher contrast, depth perception and the ability to cut through fog/haze and to overcome ambient light.

 

[nfetterly]

The A2 I bought has the FM strion bulb holder / upgrade.

I have many of my incan 6P, "12P" off for coating - I use the FM / Carley 1794 with 2 x 18650s & in the 6P a P91 with 2 imr 16340s, a leef 3 x 1865 with WA1185. All three have a AW 3 level "push" tailcap (doesn't "click").

At work in the mill I generally EDC either a Haiku or a 6P with a moddoo triple. But on shutdowns the leef comes out.

WHen I'm home I use the leef 3 x 18650 for walking the dogs.

 

[Databyter]

I use several LED lights daily/nightly for specific purposes, but the light I use the most is my MagMod (incandescent).

I like the color and the power and I've yet to pop a bulb, when I do I have spares in the tail.

These overdrive bulbs seem to do very well life wise, better than the stock mag bulbs driven for intended loads even.

This isn't scientific, it's just that I can remember replacing alot of stock bulbs in my career, and after months of playing around with various overdrive bulbs recommended in this forum, I've yet to pop one (knock on wood).

So don't assume that you'd be changing bulbs nightly.

I do use a soft start and I don't let them burn for 20 minutes (usually) I'm a guy that gets things done quickly and I like to keep my night vision when I'm not performing a task, so I usually use my lights only for a minute at a time, maybe that's why I'm so lucky, /shrug.

 

[Dude Dudeson]

I haven't used an incan in nearly ten years.

Can't really imagine going back either, but then again I've never yet tried a truly impressive incan - and if/when money permits I do think I'll experiment with some type of Mag mod.

EDIT: I take that back, my friends E2E I do find to be impressive, but that form factor is not for me with incan.

 

[vali]

I use incans almost nothing right now. Yes, the colour rendering is better, but I realy like the runtime a LED gives you and the size and weight of new lights -> from Multi-D or hard to find 4.5 volt batteries to 2xAA or 1xAA (or even 1xAAA).

A neutral white LED, AA powered, is a good compromise between boths worlds (but not perfect, of course).

 

[dano]

I'm currently using a 6P w/P61 as my back-up light when I'm working.

LED's are nice for runtime, but are poor for target acquisition, illuminated details, ambient light usage and ambient light washout.

No LED I've seen does well in ambient light or hazy (foggy) conditions.

 

[saabgoblin]

I use Incans in addition to LEDS and I am trying to hold off on buying any LEDS that don't come with a warmer tint option that is closer to the light quality of an Incan bulb.

LEDS are great for efficency but for color rendition I feel that Incans are hard to beat but LEDS are getting much better.

 

[kramer5150]

both equally... different tools for different jobs.

 

[RobertM]

both equally... different tools for different jobs.

+1

About half of my lights are incands and the other half LED. I use both, but for different purposes.

 

[hoongern]

+1

About half of my lights are incands and the other half LED. I use both, but for different purposes.

When I'm going out for a walk in non-urban areas, the incan (Currently favor a WA1111 or TL-3 in a P60 compatible host - Seraph SP-9) is always my first choice. Even warm LEDs _don't_ even come close, even if they have the same CCT. To me, incans make everything look real, while warm LEDs just make everything look a flat yucky brown.

However, when I'm indoors, I still use my LEDs the most. Both have their uses!

EDIT: I should have mentioned - by warm LEDs I meant the neutral Crees (4C, 5A) as those are the only ones I've used. I've pretty sure a high-CRI emitter would do better.

 

[maxspeeds]

I only EDC LED lights. I find steady state lighting so much more reliable. No glass envelopes to break and no brittle filaments. The beam shapes from LEDs also tend to have much more light in the spill. I find this extremely useful for up close tasks.

With that said, I still love my incans. I have a M3T always loaded with a MN15 and 2x18500 IMR cells. I also have a wa1185 in a KT2 and leef 3x18650 body just for kicks. These lights are great for outdoors and I will always bring these as a primary thrower when I'm gonna be outdoors.