SF Cree L1 beam question...

[bigfoot]

Just curious if anyone can comment about their new Surefire L1 Cree beam. Trying not to be an obsessive compulsive great white wall hunter here, but I noticed that the hotspot on mine is not exactly centered in the beam circle. (Particularly when shone on a flat surface from more than a couple of feet away.)

Is this pretty typical for the new Cree L1 and/or LEDs in general? Does it really matter as far as losing any 'punch' or throw to the light?

Thanks in advance!

(p.s. I blame CPF for my high flashlight perfection standards. )

 

[bondr006]

Before I got my L1 milky modded, I seem to remember that my beam was just slightly off center also. I don't know if this is normal or not, and I don't seem to recall anyone else here posting about it.

 

[Valpo Hawkeye]

I have two, and neither of them is off center.

 

[INFI]

Mine is centered pretty well. 98-99% centerage.

 

[2low]

Mine is dead center as well...No dis-respect to Surefire, but If I'm paying what I paid for mine ($135 US smackeroos), the darn thing better be centered or its going back...just my .02

 

[Kilovolt]

Also my L1 CREE's beam appears to be centered or nearly so. In any case I hadn't noticed anything wrong in it until I read your post.

 

[Brozneo]

My L1 Cree beam seems to be right on - no problems here!

 

[WildChild]

My E2L is greenish, slightly off-center and slightly ringy at close range... and its usefullness has never been affected by that. I learned over time not to bother anymore about beamshot and I don't notice anything with real world usage. 4sevens made a great post about how dealers can lose much time and money because of this lottery and it's not their fault! Please... stop crying about that! There are just too many threads talking about this same poop!

 

[2low]

My E2L is greenish, slightly off-center and slightly ringy at close range... and its usefullness has never been affected by that. I learned over time not to bother anymore about beamshot and I don't notice anything with real world usage. 4sevens made a great post about how dealers can lose much time and money because of this lottery and it's not their fault! Please... stop crying about that! There are just too many threads talking about this same poop!

Hey Bro, the tint, color of the beam may be a lottery, but centering, thats a different thing all together and one should expect it to be centered from a reputable flashlight maker such as Surefire whom pride themselves in putting out the best lights on the market! If you are happy with your less than perfect Surefire, so be it, but ease up on someone who isn't! Anyone buying a Surefire knows they aren't cheap and asking for a quailty product is not asking for too much IMHO.

 

[Numbers]

What 2Low said,
Even after getting over sticker shock and becoming a flashaholic SF lights are expensive and should be perfect for buyers who pay out of their own pocket. Send it back if you're not happy.

 

[bigfoot]

Thanks guys for all the responses! The light is being shipped back to Surefire, not for the beam, but lo and behold the L1 started flickering like mad last night on high after a few minutes. Looks like I got a lemon.

I should point out that I've been impressed by Surefire's customer service. I had a couple of other issues lately and they were very prompt and courteous. Their warranty is about the best of any company I have run into yet. (No crying in my beer here.)

For now I think I will wait a bit until the bugs get worked out. Also, a new store is being built nearby that will have a lot of the Surefire lineup for some easy brick & mortar shopping.

Again, thanks for the help!

 

[Siskik]

Everyone on CPF already has some degree of OCD, otherwise we wouldn't be here and we wouldn't demand and pay for the best. But, balance is always a good thing.
However, the beam being off center may indicate a small problem that may crop up later as a bigger one. Just my .02.

 

[light_emitting_dude]

My L1 cree beam in centered. So far the best smooth cree beam I have seen. Looks like surefire put alot of work into the L1. I am totally satisfied. Now I want the E1L cree.