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Flashlight Enthusiast
Hi guys,
Just got my warm/neutral Quark MiNi 123 and I'm delighted! I am here to compare it with the Quark MiNi 123 cool/regular light for your viewing pleasure.
Note: I bought and paid for these babies myself and get nothing for this review except CPF love.
Let's let the photos do the talking. All the photos (except for the picture of the emitters) were taken with a Canon Eos Rebel, locked f-stop, ISO and exposure.
First, the comparison between the emitters (warm on the left):
You can see the smaller, more ochre-colored emitter in the warm light (that's the CREE Q35A3 XP-E emitter vs. the XP-G in the cool white).
Now, let's look at pudding, here is a ceiling bounce test, first is the cool then the warm:
As you can see here, the trade off between that gorgeous warm color is the loss of some of the light--but we have to remember, this is not a direct comparison since the emitters are also different (it's not just the warm version of the XP-G which does not yet exist as of this review).
But, there is a positive side to this trade and it is that the warm emitter is actually smaller and thus has a tighter hotspot. And so, despite the decreased output, it is actually a better thrower than the cool version!
Now let's compare some side-by-sides on low, medium then high. The lights are about 5 feet away from the ceiling and the first shot gives you orientation (warm on the left in all shots):
Now for some subjective thoughts...
First the fit and finish are outstanding and identical to the regular MiNi 123. It's clearly the same shell with only a different emitter. FWIW, the threads seem smoother on my warm and do not seem to skip like my cool does. Also, the split ring is actually smaller by about 2mm which is kind of nice.
As for using the lights, there are pluses and minuses. I'm not a warm "purist" but I do appreciate how nice everything looks with light closer to that of the sun's spectrum. And this light delivers! You can see in that shot above, the painting and the plants in the frame: look at how the colors come to life with the warm! It's even better in real life I would say.
Now the downside is three-fold:
1) You are getting less light overall with the warm
2) You are geting less light for your energy consumed (less efficiency) with this older emitter
3) The tighter hotspot is awesome if you want this, but as I've gotten more sophisticated as a flashaholic, I've come to prefer more floody lights for the tasks for which I use my keychain light. YMMV, of course, but especially for photography (which is something I had in mind for this light), it will be harder with the strong spot now... Hmmm... but this can really go both ways. I do love that it can throw and I can't wait until tonight to try it outside.
Verdict: This is a kick-@$$ little buddy, on par with the exceptional cool version in every way. The gorgeous warm, incandescent-like color is a huge boon for the warm-o-philes, and the increased throw is a nice feature, but the price paid is less overall output and a more defined spot which may be less than ideal for close, indoor work. Great job, 4sevens... you keep making them and I'll keep buying them!
Happy New Year to all!
Just got my warm/neutral Quark MiNi 123 and I'm delighted! I am here to compare it with the Quark MiNi 123 cool/regular light for your viewing pleasure.
Note: I bought and paid for these babies myself and get nothing for this review except CPF love.
Let's let the photos do the talking. All the photos (except for the picture of the emitters) were taken with a Canon Eos Rebel, locked f-stop, ISO and exposure.
First, the comparison between the emitters (warm on the left):
You can see the smaller, more ochre-colored emitter in the warm light (that's the CREE Q35A3 XP-E emitter vs. the XP-G in the cool white).
Now, let's look at pudding, here is a ceiling bounce test, first is the cool then the warm:
As you can see here, the trade off between that gorgeous warm color is the loss of some of the light--but we have to remember, this is not a direct comparison since the emitters are also different (it's not just the warm version of the XP-G which does not yet exist as of this review).
But, there is a positive side to this trade and it is that the warm emitter is actually smaller and thus has a tighter hotspot. And so, despite the decreased output, it is actually a better thrower than the cool version!
Now let's compare some side-by-sides on low, medium then high. The lights are about 5 feet away from the ceiling and the first shot gives you orientation (warm on the left in all shots):
Now for some subjective thoughts...
First the fit and finish are outstanding and identical to the regular MiNi 123. It's clearly the same shell with only a different emitter. FWIW, the threads seem smoother on my warm and do not seem to skip like my cool does. Also, the split ring is actually smaller by about 2mm which is kind of nice.
As for using the lights, there are pluses and minuses. I'm not a warm "purist" but I do appreciate how nice everything looks with light closer to that of the sun's spectrum. And this light delivers! You can see in that shot above, the painting and the plants in the frame: look at how the colors come to life with the warm! It's even better in real life I would say.
Now the downside is three-fold:
1) You are getting less light overall with the warm
2) You are geting less light for your energy consumed (less efficiency) with this older emitter
3) The tighter hotspot is awesome if you want this, but as I've gotten more sophisticated as a flashaholic, I've come to prefer more floody lights for the tasks for which I use my keychain light. YMMV, of course, but especially for photography (which is something I had in mind for this light), it will be harder with the strong spot now... Hmmm... but this can really go both ways. I do love that it can throw and I can't wait until tonight to try it outside.
Verdict: This is a kick-@$$ little buddy, on par with the exceptional cool version in every way. The gorgeous warm, incandescent-like color is a huge boon for the warm-o-philes, and the increased throw is a nice feature, but the price paid is less overall output and a more defined spot which may be less than ideal for close, indoor work. Great job, 4sevens... you keep making them and I'll keep buying them!
Happy New Year to all!
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