SF M3T vs. LED Throwers Question

[Kato]

How does the Surefire M3T (with an MN-15 or a LF HO-M3T) compare with Cree Q5 equipped LED throwers (A8/A9, DBS, MRV) in terms of brightness, throw, and spill?

I have the opportunity to get an M3T for a good price, but I don't want to spend the money if it isn't noticeably different in performance than my Q5 MRV.

Thanks in advance!

 

[EV_007]

I have the M3T myself. If you have an opportunity to acquire one at a good price, don't hesitate. It is one heck of a thrower with the large reflector and the multiple bulb and battery options makes it a very versatile incan.

It won't have the runtime of the LEDs, but using rechargeables should suffice.

Although I don't own any of the LEDs you've mentioned, I bet the M3T will give them a run for their money in terms of throw as well as overall light output. If you use the HOLA then I know it will be hard to surpass in terms of shear output.

 

[mdocod]

The MN15 and a good bin cree actually put out about the same lumens at the source. The incan looses a little more through the back hole in the reflector, the M3T has a textured reflector and a larger point source of light than the cree. but the LED throwers have slightly smaller reflectors as I understand.

The Cree throwers should generate more Lux and punch a thin beam down farther, I've heard reports that the modern LED throwers are out-doing TL-3s which throw about as well as a M3T. If you drop in a MN16 it will have nearly double the overall lumens, but will loose even more throw on account of the larger filament, so it's a tradeoff.

 

[Gunner12]

As you can see from this thread, the LED throwers can out throw the TL-3, but the Incans seem to make the tree look more natural and less greyish.

 

[EV_007]

I was looking at my reflector on the M3T CB compared to my M6 and noticed that the M3T has a less aggressive texturing to it. Funny thing is, my M3T on 2x17670s actually out throws my M6 by a hair.

The beam is a bit narrower compared to the HOLA of the M6, but it does seem to have a more intense hotspot. Anyone else notice this? Maybe I lucked out.

 

[LukeA]

As you can see from this thread, the LED throwers can out throw the TL-3, but the Incans seem to make the tree look more natural and less greyish.

I wouldn't go that far. The LEDs look grey and the incans look brown.

 

[Kato]

Thanks for the replies!

I might just have to pull the trigger and get it. This is CPF, after all.