Might placate some of the users wanting a lower low but probably not low enough for some. I kind of wished they had a Zebralight sort of UI where they had sub modes. Such are large range of output possibilities I feel.
Nitecore EA4 (XM-L U2, 4xAA) Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, VIDEO and more!
- Thread starter selfbuilt
- Start date
Help Support Candle Power Flashlight Forum
Might placate some of the users wanting a lower low but probably not low enough for some. I kind of wished they had a Zebralight sort of UI where they had sub modes. Such are large range of output possibilities I feel.
xevious
Flashlight Enthusiast
I wonder if Nitecore made a point of hand selecting an example for you to test, for the best beam pattern possible. While the beam pattern on mine has a hotspot that has definition similar to what yours shows as, I do see a rather prominent greenish ring around the perimeter of the hotspot zone. It's not really a concern when putting the light to use on non-white objects, but you can't help but notice it on a white wall. I'm just wondering if that ring got washed out in your photos, or if there are emitter variances in the production run. I've seen similar hotspot tint rings on other lights like the Olight M20, but the Surefire U2 and NovaTac 120P have extremely clean beams in comparison, at all levels.
I also agree that the lower beam should be down at least 50% less than what it is. There are 4 brightness levels, evenly spaced out in intensity, and it feels like I wouldn't bother with the mid level. I could see having 3 of those levels, with the 4th much lower as a kind of moonlight mode.
I also agree that the lower beam should be down at least 50% less than what it is. There are 4 brightness levels, evenly spaced out in intensity, and it feels like I wouldn't bother with the mid level. I could see having 3 of those levels, with the 4th much lower as a kind of moonlight mode.
Last edited:
I didn't notice anything particularly green on my sample, but it's possible the auto white balance in the photos has washed things out a bit.
In my experience, all XM-L lights tend to have a warmer corona (yellow-green) than the overall spill. I suspect this is a feature of the emitter design, when coupled with a reflector. Some samples are worse then others - either due to the emitter itself, or the reflector design/placement (i.e., some light models seem more greatly affected by this shift than others).
xevious
Flashlight Enthusiast
OK, thanks for letting me know selfbuilt. 
I'm probably making mine sound worse than it really is... it's not a deal breaker by any means. This is a terrific light, raising the bar to a new level, IMHO.
I'm probably making mine sound worse than it really is... it's not a deal breaker by any means. This is a terrific light, raising the bar to a new level, IMHO.Nitecore NDF 40 diffuser is now available at Fasttech for $4.94 delivered free world-wide. do not confuse this with the NFD 40 diffuser which is rubbish imo. dont forget your "cpf" discount code for 5% off.
https://www.fasttech.com/products/1630/10003970/1325112
https://www.fasttech.com/products/1630/10003970/1325112
Thanks. Just curious though - why don't you like the NFD 40 (flat frosted diffuser cover) over the NDF 40 (diffuser wand cover)? I typically prefer NFD flat-style diffusers for outdoor walking, etc (although the NDFwand-style can be useful for camping, etc.).
my wife keeps popping the lens out of the NFD diffuser lol ...also its just down to my personal preference really , so maybe i was being a little harsh by calling it rubbish. at the price Fasttech is charging for both the diffusers , purchase both would be my advice
and thanks for all the great reviews you do, much appreciated 
markr6
Flashaholic
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2012
- Messages
- 9,258
my wife keeps popping the lens out of the NFD diffuser lol ...also its just down to my personal preference really , so maybe i was being a little harsh by calling it rubbish. at the price Fasttech is charging for both the diffusers , purchase both would be my advice
No, "rubbish" is appropriate IMO. I hate the NFD filter so I use the Olight M21-X 40mm filter instead. The Nitecore lens is cheaper, blocks TOO much light, much bulkier, and yes the lens pops out very easily.
my wife keeps popping the lens out of the NFD diffuser lol ...also its just down to my personal preference really , so maybe i was being a little harsh by calling it rubbish. at the price Fasttech is charging for both the diffusers , purchase both would be my advice
Ah, I see, thanks. I was wondering how the quality compares to the roughly similar size Olight filter for the M21-X/M22 (which is also ~40mm, and which fits the EA4).
FYI, Fasttech appears to sell the Olight M22 filter as well, for a similar price. I say "appears" because it is labeled as the M20 diffuser - but the pictures and dimensions clearly show it is for the larger M22. I've found the various-sized Olight filters to work quite well (on a wide range of lights).
I've just ordered the NFD filter, and I'll test it myself to see how it compares to the Olight version. Remind me a few weeks if I forget to update this thread.
Last edited:
xevious
Flashlight Enthusiast
I find the Olight filter to be perfect, with just the right fit--fairly easy to remove but won't slip off by accident. Makes a great lens protector for travel, too. And it has a loop for securing a tether so you can clip it onto something for easy carrying. When it's not installed, I use the Streamlight anti-roll ring which also does a superb job of protecting the lens end.
First, thanks for all of the information you all have provided on this forum. This is all new to me and I'm glad to have found this great resource.
I plan to purchase either the EA4 or the EA4W. One of the many reasons for the purchase will be to use the light along with studio lights for photography. I have been trying to find the color temperature for these lights, but the best I have found is a broad range stated in a cree XM-L data sheet. It says the XM-L U2 used in the EA4 could be anywhere from 5000-8500 Kelvin and that the XM-L T5 in the EA4W is between 3700 and 5000K. Those are really big ranges. Does anybody know the color temperature of either model?
I may have found an answer. I just got an email from customer service at illumination supply. They reported these color temperatures: EA4 6500K, EA4W 5000K and their EA4 L2 6500K.
Now if I could just figure out the CRI for each...
I plan to purchase either the EA4 or the EA4W. One of the many reasons for the purchase will be to use the light along with studio lights for photography. I have been trying to find the color temperature for these lights, but the best I have found is a broad range stated in a cree XM-L data sheet. It says the XM-L U2 used in the EA4 could be anywhere from 5000-8500 Kelvin and that the XM-L T5 in the EA4W is between 3700 and 5000K. Those are really big ranges. Does anybody know the color temperature of either model?
I may have found an answer. I just got an email from customer service at illumination supply. They reported these color temperatures: EA4 6500K, EA4W 5000K and their EA4 L2 6500K.
Now if I could just figure out the CRI for each...
Last edited:
markr6
Flashaholic
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2012
- Messages
- 9,258
In the past I've purchased two or three of the exact same lights and always got upset to find the tints varied a lot. So while I cannot say for sure every EA4W will be the same, mine is very nice. I would say it's 5000K and matches the 5000K on my Fenix PD32UE exactly.
Good to know. I will buy from a vendor with a reasonable return policy just in case. 5000k should suit my needs well.
Im excited.
__philippe
Enlightened
Word of caution about Fasttech currently advertised Olight M20 Filters/Diffusers specs: the dimensions shown are WRONG (if it is indeed an M20) ; the M20 filter has an actual inner diameter of 35.5 mm. NOT the advertised 43.7mm...:shakehead
I pointed the discrepancy to FT a while ago; they promised to correct their data...
__philippe
If you keep scrolling through the XM-L datasheet, you'll see that Cree specifies that the typical CRI for Cool White (5000K - 8300K) is 65. The typical CRI for Neutral White (3700K - 5000K) is 75, and the typical CRI for Warm White (2600K - 3700K) is 80. They also sell higher minimim standard warm whites. So based on the specs, the EAW is in fact using a Neutral White emitter, with typical CRI of 75.
And :welcome:
Good to know. Of course, not only did they get the specs wrong, but they actually included a picture of the diffuser on the M22! :shakehead:
Thanks for the warm welcome and the hand holding.
I was a little thrown by the data sheet listing the T5 in both the neutral white and cool white categories. I'm just going to stop fretting and order an EA4W so that I can start enjoying it.
I may eventually try to find a higher CRI light and use colored filters (gels from my photo gear) to control the color temperature, but that is for another time.
Yes, and a nice fringe benefit is that you could always use a very light gel filter to fine-tune the tint to exactly your personal "white" preference.
As a general rule rule, CRIs go up (and output bins go down) as you move to warmer emitters, for any given class. The reason for this is that Cree simply adds more phosphor to the die, "warming" it up in tint and improving the relative color balance, but at the cost of reduced light transmission. Typically, there isn't much of an output hit for Neutral White (i.e., often just one output bin down from Cool White). I often find Neutrals to be the "sweet spot", personally.
__philippe
Enlightened
FT finally corrected their current Olight R G B Filters / White Diffuser products (previously mislabelled M20),
which are now properly identified as M22 models, but FT's published Dimensional specs are still woefully approximative...
(inappropriate Depth/Height/Width terminology used to specify Flashlights dimensional specs, stated 43.7mmm "Width" which is actually the outer M22 Filter diameter...)
Been arguing back and forth with FT's Customer Support for weeks on end about those inadequate descriptions, to no avail...:shakehead
BTW, I updated the "Olight Filters/Diffusers for all seasons" table with the M22 specs.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...iffusers-for-all-seasons&highlight=__philippe
You'll notice the 0.5mm difference between M21X and M22 inner diameter, but I guess this small deviation should not matter too much if one were trying to fit either model on the Nitecore EA4 ?
Besides, I'm ready to bet those Olight M21x and M22 Filters/Diffusers models on the worldwide market are actually just one and the same product, with two distinct SKU's reference # attached....
Cheers,
__philippe
Gene
Flashlight Enthusiast
Boy, I saw this great thread of the EA4 by selfbuilt, (great as always selfbuilt!), and fell in love with this light! 800+ lumens, side switch, and 4 AA power source. What's not to like?
I got an e-mail from Battery Junction about their 24 hour sale and got it for $56.00 with free shipping. Wish I would have known about Fasttech but through this thread I did!
Fasttech's everyday price is $48.29 with free shipping, (cool white). They have the absolute BEST prices on the internet! Oh well, at least you guys alerted me to them and for that I am very grateful.
At my age, (65), I can't discern much difference from cool white and natural white so I went with the cheaper cool white. Hope it doesn't have much blue or green in the tint but I can't wait to get it. Thanks for the "heads up" guys!
I got an e-mail from Battery Junction about their 24 hour sale and got it for $56.00 with free shipping. Wish I would have known about Fasttech but through this thread I did!
Fasttech's everyday price is $48.29 with free shipping, (cool white). They have the absolute BEST prices on the internet! Oh well, at least you guys alerted me to them and for that I am very grateful.
At my age, (65), I can't discern much difference from cool white and natural white so I went with the cheaper cool white. Hope it doesn't have much blue or green in the tint but I can't wait to get it. Thanks for the "heads up" guys!
