Single led throw to flood lights...

[Tatjanamagic]

Why I have to buy 1 thrower light and 1 flood light?

Why they can not make all in one like old magcharger?

I know there is plenty of small throw to flood lights like this romisen RC-29

But why they don't want to do same with more powerful led flashlights like DBS, Tiablo, Feniks etc?...

Probably because people would not buying 2 flashlights(throw & flood) they would probably buy just one "beast" for all situations.

I think if there is someone that wants to start manufacture flashlights he/she could reconsider this option.

I would manufacture only throw to flood lights in different sizes and the future is in that lights...

What do U think dear CPF members?

 

[crizyal]

 

[Moonshadow]

Because it's better to have a reflector optimised for one or the other. An adjustable setup will always be less efficient.

Most tools are like that: an all-purpose adjustable tool may do the job adequately, but if you have a particular use in mind it's better to have one designed specifically for that purpose.

Besides - why buy just one light when you can have two ?

 

[Tatjanamagic]

Because it's better to have a reflector optimised for one or the other. An adjustable setup will always be less efficient.

Most tools are like that: an all-purpose adjustable tool may do the job adequately, but if you have a particular use in mind it's better to have one designed specifically for that purpose.

Besides - why buy just one light when you have two ? :E

I agree with U... Leatherman is good tool but U can not do serious business with it....

But U can not carry 2 flashlights all the time? Or U can?

It would be much nicer to have flood to throw based flashlight. When U want throw U have it also when U want flood U have it...

Today technology and engineers could easily invent that.

Why could not strong thrower like DBS with one turn of a hand could became good flood light? It is all possible...

 

[John_Galt]

Because LED's are such a small (generally speaking) point-source illumination, a reflector or optic can be more easily designed to provide a tight hotspot, and a good "corona" of additional side spill.

Realistically, the "focusing" ability of mag-lites, etc. was just to fool you into thinking you were getting a light that could do a good job for everything. Think about it. With a Mag, you get a tight, uneven hotspot, with absolutely no sidespill, or a crappy, ringy, hole-filled "flood". With most reflector based LED lights, you get both: a tight central hotspot, and a bright side-spill, thereby eliminating the need for focus. I have yet to see an incandescent based focusing light that can do that same thing.

When you change the focal point of the reflector/light source, you also lose a lot of overall light output. Most focusing incandescents were so crappy to begin with, that you don't really notice a loss in output depending upon focus. But attempting to change the focal point of a high output poit source light emitter, such as an LED can make you really notice a loss in output.

Also, not many high quality manufacturers out ther can make an LED light that has a good beam pattern when focused and unfocused. Coast/LEDLenser lights focus, but are lower quality in design/construction than mag, IMHO.

 

[jblackwood]

Why could not strong thrower like DBS with one turn of a hand could became good flood light? It is all possible...

Yeah . . . I've got three DBS's and two of them are set for throw. The third has an MC-E in it but it's not floody and that's because of the shape of the head. The reflector throws those 500+ lumens pretty far (for a quad-die LED) and the OP reflector is made to fit that large, wide head. I've got to agree with John_Galt, they're optimized for one or the other. If you don't believe me, do a search for elektrolumens and get his EDC-MCE. As far as floody lights, it blows the DBS out of the water. If you look at my comments on the thread, you'll see the shortcomings the DBS has. It's a very tight cone of light. It still gets those lumens out there, just not into your immediate vicinity.

 

[Tatjanamagic]

So Sir U really think it is not possible to make such flashlight? (excellent thrower and lets say good flood)

This romisen has Q5 emitter and as I can C it has good throw and good flood so why can not they copy it, get it larger with deeper and wider reflector, and stronger by better batteries?

I think it is not impossible...

 

[jblackwood]

You can get "good" flood on any thrower if you drive the LED hard enough or have a hybrid reflector, but that's not a true flood like you see on the low setting of the McGizmo LS20, or the Zebralights H30, H60, H501, etc. The hot spot ruins the ability to do up close work or get even illumination without having to wave the light back and forth.

Example: if I spot something in a tree from 50 feet away, I'm going to want a more throwy flashlight. If I get a little closer, that same hotspot is going to be too bright and mess up my peripheral and night vision, especially if said target moves very quickly out of the narrow cone of light all of my throwers have. Besides, that cone of light that's outside of the hot spot is rarely even in true throwers with a smooth reflector.

Just check out the EDC-MCE and you'll see what I mean about a true floody light. Most MCE's I've read about (I don't own any other besides the DBS-MC-E) have their reviews touting ability to throw. I've seen the screenshots too, they look very narrow.

AND . . . keep in mind if we all say it can't be done, there might be some evil genius who sets out to prove us wrong! :devil:

 

[Gunner12]

The Romisen your picture has uses a lens, not a reflector.

You can get a good throw and good flood with a lens or optic based light (LEDLenser has a nice flood to throw optic), but then you loose sidespill. So in throw mode, you won't be able to see what is around you, only what the small hotspot is pointed at.

I'm sure it's possible, but I think the mechanics to make a light that has spill, and also good focusing would be too complex. The reflector would have to be able to morph it's size and shape while keeping the correct geometry and a smooth surface. While we're at it, why not add variable texture too? Unless that can all be done for cheaply and reliably, I don't expect to see any focusable lights with good flood, good throw and good spill.

 

[Tatjanamagic]

Is it really necessary to have such flood as sscp7 and mc-e emitters have?

Would not be enough to make floody lights with r2 or q5 emitters? Of course they can never be bright as stronger emitters but for everyday use and for all kind situations like surviving in wildness where U need throw and flood as well...

I think that real survivors would like to have strong flood to throw flashlight as this romisen just few numbers bigger?

Edit: This is my 100 post so I am flashaholic now? LOL

What is Mr.Gunner12 with 8500 posts then? Turbo Flashaholic

 

[jupello]

There are lights that do that, just look into LedLensers.

 

[John_Galt]

So Sir U really think it is not possible to make such flashlight? (excellent thrower and lets say good flood)

This romisen has Q5 emitter and as I can C it has good throw and good flood so why can not they copy it, get it larger with deeper and wider reflector, and stronger by better batteries?

I think it is not impossible...

With a "larger, deeper and wider reflector," you have a larger surface area with which to focus the light emmitted by a light source. So with a larger reflector, you get a light with a tighter focus, and more throw. By defocusing that light far enough to get a "flood" (which, depending upon the design of the light head, might not be possible) you would be losing so much light from the non-optimal placement of the light source, it wouldn't be worthwhile.

Also, MC-E/P7 LED are generally floodier because they have four seperate dies, with a slight space between each die. Because of the mch larger size of the LED, as well as four seperate dies, these LED's tend to be very floody, even in applications with large reflectors.

 

[Tatjanamagic]

So I must get back to "old drawing board" ?.

I am sorry that I don't speak English so good so I can not explain U what I have on my mind to make such flashlight...

But it would be combination of SMO and OP reflector that would be adjustable so when U turn it on right side OP reflector comes out, when U put on left side SMO reflector comes out...

How should I say... Some kind of "spiral system"

 

[Gunner12]

A half and half reflector? Half op, half smooth? Well, that will give you a weird beam, since the spill and hotspot won't be symmetrical. Also, the same size reflector with a OP coating won't have too different a beam from the smooth reflector version. The hotspot will be more diffused, but it won't be much floodier.

Take a light with 3 LEDs and 3 optics. One optic for spill (or no optic at all), one optic for flood, or wider beam, and one for throw and a switch for each. If you want a throwy beam with no spill, just turn on the LED under the throwy optic. If you just want flood, turn on the LED without/with the flood optic. Any combination of the three could work to.

 

[Tatjanamagic]

Yes this is good idea too...

R2 emitter for throw, ssp7 and mce for flood and spill...

But they can not be in centre like classic 1 emitter? And driver must be something new to take them all?

I did not actually thought half op half smo reflecto rI though to put 2 reflector together to work as one... For example when turning flashlight head on right SMO reflector comes in front of OP with some kind of spiral system so it would be or OP or SMO reflector mode...

 

[DVN]

are aspheric lenses primarily used for throwers? I'm new here and have no idea. I would think that since it's a lens, you could use it for both flood and throw, since you can generally adjust it like my maglite? Is this right?

 

[zs&tas]

held an ledlenser the other day for the first time, it was just 85lumens but i was very impressed with the quick and accurate way it goes from flood to spot. i have my eyes on the 200 lumen t7 now

 

[Dances with Flashlight]

What Gunner12 and John Galt said.

+1

It boils down to the best compromise for the intended use.

 

[sol-leks]

I pretty much agree, a good throw to flood light works great for me and I love my fenix E20. I just wish that it had more than 1 mode and maybe had a neutral option.

 

[Egsise]

Why I have to buy 1 thrower light and 1 flood light?

I have Fenix TK20, a good workhorse but the beam is more a thrower, so if i need flood i use a diffuser.