Nichia 219 edc?

[Sledgestone]

I've been eyeing the Eagletac d25a 2015 nichia 219 for awhile now. However I'm a bit worried about the blue corona that many a talking about.

Is there any other good Nichia 219 options out there that I should look into?

 

[bykfixer]

I've been eyeing the Eagletac d25a 2015 nichia 219 for awhile now. However I'm a bit worried about the blue corona that many a talking about.

Is there any other good Nichia 219 options out there that I should look into?

Does a blue corona cause birth defects or something?
If you like that light, buy it.

 

[Sledgestone]

Well it causes the tint to become cooler, which kind of defeats the purpose of a nichia..

 

[akhyar]

If you willing to go the custom route, you can order Sinner triple 219b or 219c from Sulman.
If the price is too step, how about triple 219c from Reylight which starts from US$89?

 

[Brasso]

It is a lot cooler than I personally like, but it's not bad. I'll probably have mine modded to a 219b 4000k emitter.

 

[Sledgestone]

Yeah, the Sinner is too expensive. But the Reylight looks amazing! Do you have any beamshots to share?

 

[sticktodrum]

I have the ReyLight Tool Ti that's still available on the group buy. It's a wonderful warmer neutral tint. Totally worth it, it's a great light.

There is also the D25AAA with Nichia, and it uses a TIR optic instead of reflector. There aren't any tint shifts across the beam.

Frankly, I have many lights with Nichia emitters and none of them have blue coronas. That includes a D25c Ti as well as other reflector designs, and none have what I'd call a blue corona or a cool white tint. The coolest I have is what looks to be at most 5000k.

 

[Thetasigma]

The blue corona is more a white wall hunter problem, in use it really isn't noticed except close up.
I like my D25A Ti but I find I carry my triples more often.

 

[ronniepudding]

The blue corona on D25A is not specific to the Nichia models... I believe it's a consequence of the AR coating which Eagtac uses on their lenses. At very close distances (< 2 feet) when shone on a wall, there's a ring of blue tint to the outside of the spill. The beam isn't ideally focused for distances that short, but that's true of other lights using reflectors as well. After a few feet of distance, the blue corona is unnoticeable unless you're specifically looking for it. I read a negative review of a 2014 model wherein someone made a big deal about this artifact. I don't find it to be a problem at all, and I never notice it during 'normal' use.

Well it causes the tint to become cooler, which kind of defeats the purpose of a nichia..

This isn't the case with the D25A in my experience. I believe we read the same review. Don't be put off by it... I think that reviewer got a lemon.

(If you intend to use your light predominantly for distances less than 3 feet, I'd get a mule.)

 

[tops2]

How about the BLF 348? It's very inexpensive. I have 2 and the tint though is slightly different. One is a bit rosy and one is a bit green when comparing side by side. Otherwise I love these as they aren't too warm for my taste.

I'm actually considering buying a few more in case these break or I lose them since they're so cheap.

 

[Wendee]

I've ordered a ReyLight Lumintop Tool Ti with Nichia (for EDC pocket) and I was looking for an AA flashlight with Nichia to EDC in my purse. All I could find (in my price range) was the D25 and the L3 Illumination L11C.

After what happened to me this morning, I won't be using the D25 or the L11c as my EDC (I'd still like to own one though!).

This morning I was out in my garage with my black aluminum AAA Lumintop on high (electric lights out, of course) and poof...I found myself in total darkness with no warning. I assume it's because of Lumintop's "High-efficiency digitally regulated circuit to maintain a constant brightness as battery life diminishes" because when I put a fresh battery in (another Eneloop Pro) the flashlight worked with no issues.

I've decided it's better for me to EDC a flashlight that has step down when the battery is low (high to med, med to low) so that I'm not caught in the dark without warning. Neither the D25 or L11C have stepdown (at least I haven't read that anywhere).

I guess I won't be carrying a AA flashlight with Nichia as my primary EDC. :mecry:

I'm new to "good" flashlights so if I'm mistaken about something, please feel free to let me know. Thanks.

 

[sticktodrum]

I have a D25A Ti, and it loses the high modes when the battery is low. It bumps from low to medium, then a slightly lower medium. I'd consider that a step down of sorts. It doesn't just cut off when the battery is low.

 

[Crazyeddiethefirst]

My D25A and my D25C's all step down, but I only use Lithium rechargeables, never eneloop's. I do use the eneloop pro's in a few other lights but I guess I swap out the batteries before they ever get low enough to go dark...
Have you considered looking for one of the older Four Seven's light with a Nichia 219b like the Ti Preon II or the Mini(Cr123 or AA) with the NW led? I know they are not made anymore but I bought most of mine used from CPF for pretty reasonable prices...

 

[bykfixer]

Now if it looks like this? Yeah that's bad.

That is actually built into the LED Lenser P2 BM (for blue moon)
Otherwise you get this.....


With the BM version...

I somehow doubt the Nichia looks like that though.
Like others said, in regular use it's probably not an issue.
A good AR coating is a beautiful thing in real world situations but does tend to place (generally un-noticable) purple or blue along the fringes.

It sounds like a really nice lens, actually.

 

[AVService]

My D25A and my D25C's all step down, but I only use Lithium rechargeables, never eneloop's. I do use the eneloop pro's in a few other lights but I guess I swap out the batteries before they ever get low enough to go dark...
Have you considered looking for one of the older Four Seven's light with a Nichia 219b like the Ti Preon II or the Mini(Cr123 or AA) with the NW led? I know they are not made anymore but I bought most of mine used from CPF for pretty reasonable prices...

I recently got the Atom AO special version that has a Nichia emitter and though it is a Mule it is a really nice little EDC light!
I have several Mule lights and somehow this one puts more usable light forward than almost all of them yet it is by far the tiniest too?

I use the Low mode all the time when my eyes are dark adjusted and on high it makes a very nice small wall of light,great on the keychain for me.

Although not Nichia the Thrunite T10 in NW is pretty amazing and of course so are the NW Zebra offerings.

I am finding I prefer the NW in general to the actual Nichia for my uses.

And the ZL are great in AA as is the Thrunite T10.

 

[brted]

The Astrolux A01 is a AAA powered twisty with 3 modes using a 219B with 4000K and 90 CRI. Available in 7 colors and with discounts is less than $10. There is a copper special edition coming out for around $20. I bought it in black and liked it enough that when they came out with green and orange I bought one of each. I don't know if I like it enough for the copper edition. The low is a little too low and I'm not crazy about twisties in general, but it makes it really compact. Measured at 87 lumens on NiMH; doesn't get along with li-ion. Nichia 219 is so nice.

 

[Wendee]

Good to know that the D25A steps down! Thank you for posting that gentlemen. Eagletac should clearly identify that on their website (maybe I missed seeing it?). That's a pretty important feature.

I couldn't find anything about "step down" for the L3 Illumination L11C but an owner of the "L10" (still available) version posted this "Regulation is dead-flat. Brightness literally constant until the battery is dead. Selfbuilt has been able to confirm this".

So of the two (and only) AA flashlights with Nichia that I can find (in my price range), I would have to pick the D25A over the L11C, main reason being the step down when the battery gets low rather than just shutting off and leaving me in the dark with no warning. It could be that the newer L11C does step down but I can't find any information on that and I wouldn't chance it, myself.

@Sledgestone: Good luck with your search . I'll keep an eye on this thread because I'm curious to see if anyone posts a model (AA) that I missed during my search.

 

[Sledgestone]

How about the BLF 348? It's very inexpensive. I have 2 and the tint though is slightly different. One is a bit rosy and one is a bit green when comparing side by side. Otherwise I love these as they aren't too warm for my taste.

I'm actually considering buying a few more in case these break or I lose them since they're so cheap.

I've already got five of those Two of those have a lovely rosy tint while the other three are a bit too much yellow for my taste.

 

[Sledgestone]

Thanks Wendee Right now I'm leaning towards buying both the d25a and the Reylight.

 

[jon_slider]

After what happened to me this morning, I won't be using the D25 or the L11c as my EDC
...
This morning I was out in my garage with my black aluminum AAA Lumintop on high (electric lights out, of course) and poof...I found myself in total darkness with no warning.

your AAA lumintop died from the battery being drained, so now you fear buying the AA lights?
I suggest you start monitoring your battery voltage, so you know before they die. It also helps to carry a spare battery, or spare light..
curious, does your AAA Lumintop have PWM or not, (they changed to no PWM around October 2015.)

fwiw, eagletac uses pulses, while the L11c has NoPWM, the latest versions of the AAA Lumintop are also NoPWM, but earlier models used PWM.. I do not use lights with PWM, so I recommend the L11c over the D25a

fwiw, the N219b in the L11c is 4500K, noticeably cooler than the Lumintop Tool and Worm that use a 219b @ 4000k
also the high on the L11c is higher than on the D25a, and the first 3 modes of the L11c are lower than the D25a

left to right: I have an L11c, as well as the Lumintop Tool (ReyLight version), both in Nichia.. the third light is a copper Maratac (personal favorite after LED swap).. here is a size comparison..

bear in mind both the L11c and the ReyLight Tool start on Low first. That means that I have to advance to a more useful mode in most situations… Also the aluminum and copper Tool wont tailstand, if that matters to you.. The TiTool will tailstand

IF you want a light that starts on Medium first, the stock Lumintop Tool starts on Medium, which imo is more practical since the first click gives useful light (only the ReyLight version starts on low)… The low on the L11c is so low, you might not even know its on, unless you shine it on your hand (really close) first.

The high on the AA L11c with Nichia is 140 lumens, the AAA Nichia Tool maxes out at 80 lumens… and fwiw, I like the switch on the L11c and the TiTool.. I dislike the switch on the copper and aluminum tool as it sticks out too far, allowing it to turn on by accident if dropped in a pocket… also, the clip on the Tool leaves too much of the light sticking up out of the pocket imo

otoh, the Tool pocket clip can be reversed to fit on a hat, but it also pops off easily (so I superglued mine). the pocket clip on the L11c is screwed on, very sturdy, and the light rides low in pocket when clipped...

personally, I edc an AAA Maratac, with the Nichia head from a copper Tool, or the Nichia head from a copper Worm

fwiw, the Maratac head will light on the Tool also:

but the Maratac head will not work on the Worm (I dont like the weight of the Worm body, and I dont like the cool white Maratac LED)

I prefer to carry my Maratac twisty, over the Tool or Worm (Im not a clicky fan)

here are the swapped head combinations: (3 out of 4 work, the worm body/maratac head does not)

btw, the TiTool Head does not fit any of the others, it is threaded totally differently and only works on the TiTool (click the pick for a review)


fwiw, the L11c weighs 55 grams with AA eneloop battery installed (I usually carry it in a bag, jacket, or car)
the copper Tool weighs 45 grams with AAA eneloop (not suitable to drop in pocket due to protruding switch)
the copper Maratac weighs 40 grams with AAA eneloop installed (I pocket carry it)
the TiTool weighs 35 grams also with AAA eneloop (can be pocket carried as the switch is flush)

I do not carry a light clipped to my pants, I prefer to drop it fully in pocket. I leave pocket clips installed to prevent the light from rolling off a table.. and to clip to a hat

did I mention I Love Copper?;-)