Smooth vs Orange Peel - efficiency

[moses]

Are smooth and OP reflectors equally efficient in putting light out there with the OP just having a bit lest throw but brighter spill - OR does the smooth really reflect more lumens out?

In particular, I'm thinking about Fenix reflectors.

Thanks!

 

[leeleefocus]

I'm sure i read somewhere that the orange peel reflectors are less efficient but only by a very small margin although i have not verified this for myself.

 

[chevrofreak]

When I compared the original smooth reflector for the Huntlight FT01 XR-E to the replacement textured one I only measured about a 4% drop in output in my home-made integrating sphere.

Worth it IMO because it makes the beam much nicer and more useful.

 

[Saiga]

there's another thread close by here where someone demonstrated that the tiablo A9 lost over a third of its throw with the OP reflector.

 

[Marduke]

there's another thread close by here where someone demonstrated that the tiablo A9 lost over a third of its throw with the OP reflector.

Throw yes, but that's not an OP reflector is for. What about total output out the front??

 

[robo21]

Are smooth and OP reflectors equally efficient in putting light out there with the OP just having a bit lest throw but brighter spill - OR does the smooth really reflect more lumens out?

In particular, I'm thinking about Fenix reflectors.

Thanks!

Actually, Nitro just did some measurements using his Tiablo A9 with both the OP and Smooth reflectors. I believe he said there was a 39% increase in lux using the smooth reflector. :thumbsup:

That's a significant increase, and has assisted me in my decision to purchase a smooth reflector for my A9. Heck, it's a major upgrade in output for $20.

 

[LukeA]

Actually, Nitro just did some measurements using his Tiablo A9 with both the OP and Smooth reflectors. I believe he said there was a 39% increase in lux using the smooth reflector. :thumbsup:

That's a significant increase, and has assisted me in my decision to purchase a smooth reflector for my A9. Heck, it's a major upgrade in output for $20.

It's a major increase in throw, not in output.

 

[THE_dAY]

moses asked a very good question, how much overall lumen output is lost from an orange peel compared to a smooth reflector.

as LukeA stated, only a little is lost in overall lumens since the overall light output is moved from the hotspot area to the surrounding spill area.

chevrofreak mentioned above that he has measured a ~4% decrease in overall lumen output with an orange peel compared to a smooth reflector.

yes, one will lose a nice amount of throw with the orange peel but only a little amount of overall output.

 

[ElectronGuru]

There are also different levels of peel:

LOP (light - least loss)
MOP (medium)
HOP (heavy - most loss)

 

[Brozneo]

Smooth reflectors have the best efficiently - OP or stippled reflectors lose efficiently because of the light bouncing off the surface more, I know this because I have L1's set up the same, the only difference is the reflectors - smooth looks 10%ish brighter than the OP/stippled reflector, not sure about exact numbers tho...

 

[moses]

If efficiency is within 4%, then I'll take the OP as I prefer a bit more spill. however, if it's over 10%, then I'd prefer the smooth. I want to max out the lumens....

Does anyone have MEASURED data on the Fenix?

moses

 

[fluke]

Hmm that is interesting.
Can you get smooth reflector dropins for Surfires and similar ???
I had a look on DX but can't see any.

 

[orbital]

+

Diffuse vs. Specular reflection

There will be a certain % of Lux loss in stippled(OP) compared to smooth.
Speaking for myself, I'll take a slight loss in Lux and gain a refined beam anyday... loose the artifacts*.

Pure throwers in a separate category.

*Analogy: listening to music in a hard walled room compared to hearing it in sound studio, day and night difference~ loud vs. clean

 

[fluke]

+

Diffuse vs. Specular reflection

There will be a certain % of Lux loss in stippled(OP) compared to smooth.
Speaking for myself, I'll take a slight loss in Lux and gain a refined beam anyday... loose the artifacts*.

Pure throwers in a separate category.

*Analogy: listening to music in a hard walled room compared to hearing it in sound studio, day and night difference~ loud vs. clean

Yep must agree.
But I only need throw

 

[MikeSalt]

*Analogy: listening to music in a hard walled room compared to hearing it in sound studio, day and night difference~ loud vs. clean

Superb analogy. Couldn't have put it better myself.

Typically, you should lose no more than 4% total output (lumens). To those that do, do not confuse total output (lumens) against throw (lux).

 

[GarageBoy]

Really, are artifacts that major?

 

[robo21]

Really, are artifacts that major?

Only if you are white wall hunting. In real world applications they don't bother me. But that's a subjective matter.

 

[Marduke]

The correctly textured reflector is enough to totally remove the donut hole in the wide focus of a MagLite.
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