Navck
Enlightened
Can anyone explain why some lights use optics and others use reflectors? What are the advantanges of each anyways?
Reflector vs Optics?
- Thread starter Navck
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yaesumofo
Flashlight Enthusiast
It all depends on what you want to do with the light. Optics were used on early Luxeon lights because there were no suitable reflectors. Now we have many choices. and Optics have become much better. If you want to see a light with a cool looking optic have a look at the Surefire KL3 head.
I personally prefer REFLECTORS. But I love the new heads containing optics like the Surefire KL3.
Surefire has flashlights with both.
the KL1 has an optic and the KL4 has a reflector. Go get your self a pair of these heads and a sure fire e body, and play. Total buy in for a body and 2 heads is well under $200.00 You will certainly come to your own conclusions.
Generally reflectors create a beam which is wider image with a larger hotspot and good side spill.
Optics can create a beam with no side spill and only a hotspot.
Do a search here on the CPF you will find a lot of information on the topic.
Yaesumofo
I personally prefer REFLECTORS. But I love the new heads containing optics like the Surefire KL3.
Surefire has flashlights with both.
the KL1 has an optic and the KL4 has a reflector. Go get your self a pair of these heads and a sure fire e body, and play. Total buy in for a body and 2 heads is well under $200.00 You will certainly come to your own conclusions.
Generally reflectors create a beam which is wider image with a larger hotspot and good side spill.
Optics can create a beam with no side spill and only a hotspot.
Do a search here on the CPF you will find a lot of information on the topic.
Yaesumofo
Navck said:
Planterz
Flashlight Enthusiast
They both have their uses. If you need a tight spot with a lot of throw, optics. If you want a wider beam with a useable flood, a reflector.
DonShock
Flashlight Enthusiast
I have lights with both reflectors and optics for different purposes. Yaesumofo hit on the main difference, spot & spill, but I'll mention the differences I've noticed and my conclusions.
1. Reflectors produce much tighter spots and are better for throw.
2. Optics produce a more even spot, nice gradual transition from center to edges, good for close work.
3. Overall, you seem to get more light from a reflector since it is only passing through the relatively thin front lens, not the full mass of the optic.
4. Optics seldom have noticable artifacts in the beam, reflectors often need textures to eliminate beam artifacts.
5. Reflectors are generally more protected from damage by a seperate lens in front. Optics are more prone to damage since, generally, they ARE the front lens.
6. Optics usually have no focusablility, reflectors do.
7. Reflectors often have to be relatively large in diameter or depth to get the desired effect. Optics tend to be relatively compact and still perform well.
8. Reflectors seem to allow for a larger "misalignment" between bulb and reflector and still provide a usable beam. Moving an optic out of proper alignment with it's bulb and the beam quickly becomes too dim to use or develops other objectionable properties.
9. Virtually all flashlight optics will be plastic and are susceptable to heat. Hotwire incandescants will require a metal reflector.
1. Reflectors produce much tighter spots and are better for throw.
2. Optics produce a more even spot, nice gradual transition from center to edges, good for close work.
3. Overall, you seem to get more light from a reflector since it is only passing through the relatively thin front lens, not the full mass of the optic.
4. Optics seldom have noticable artifacts in the beam, reflectors often need textures to eliminate beam artifacts.
5. Reflectors are generally more protected from damage by a seperate lens in front. Optics are more prone to damage since, generally, they ARE the front lens.
6. Optics usually have no focusablility, reflectors do.
7. Reflectors often have to be relatively large in diameter or depth to get the desired effect. Optics tend to be relatively compact and still perform well.
8. Reflectors seem to allow for a larger "misalignment" between bulb and reflector and still provide a usable beam. Moving an optic out of proper alignment with it's bulb and the beam quickly becomes too dim to use or develops other objectionable properties.
9. Virtually all flashlight optics will be plastic and are susceptable to heat. Hotwire incandescants will require a metal reflector.
The way I sees it:
Optics generally gives you a BIGGER and more pronouced hotspot, and good medium range ability. With most of the TIROS type optics (Inova X0, X03, etc) beam quality is sacrificed greatly in order for a large bright hotspot (most of the light goes into the hotspot)--the coronas are usually an afterthought of ugly rings and other artifacts. It seems the optics MAGNIFY and bring the worst of out artifacts. Optics will often light up more area with the hotspot than a reflector due to larger hotspot size--and I feel excel at medium range.
Other types of optics can deliver other results, my LEDXTREME Predator produces a laser-thin like beam that goes FAR...but for the most part most optics I have are more tuned for larger hotspots.
A large reflector can give you more throw, as it focuses the light into a smaller and more intense hotspot, yet it also provides more sidespill. So a quality reflector light has the potential for both long and close range. Also, beam quality is usually superior with QUALITY reflectors my opinion says...you get a nice hotspot AND an even corona. I typically angle the light and use the corona to navigate at short range with a reflector, and then use the hotspot to hit far range.
The typical smaller reflectors like the SF L2 and L4 uses create a massive semi-flood beam....where the hotspot and the corona tend to blend together. I find the L2 and L4 beams excellent for close and medium range.
So, typically I find optics tend to do well at medium range for me, while reflectors do well at long and short range for me. This is why I sometimes carry one of each type. There are a lot of exceptions though on both sides.
Optics generally gives you a BIGGER and more pronouced hotspot, and good medium range ability. With most of the TIROS type optics (Inova X0, X03, etc) beam quality is sacrificed greatly in order for a large bright hotspot (most of the light goes into the hotspot)--the coronas are usually an afterthought of ugly rings and other artifacts. It seems the optics MAGNIFY and bring the worst of out artifacts. Optics will often light up more area with the hotspot than a reflector due to larger hotspot size--and I feel excel at medium range.
Other types of optics can deliver other results, my LEDXTREME Predator produces a laser-thin like beam that goes FAR...but for the most part most optics I have are more tuned for larger hotspots.
A large reflector can give you more throw, as it focuses the light into a smaller and more intense hotspot, yet it also provides more sidespill. So a quality reflector light has the potential for both long and close range. Also, beam quality is usually superior with QUALITY reflectors my opinion says...you get a nice hotspot AND an even corona. I typically angle the light and use the corona to navigate at short range with a reflector, and then use the hotspot to hit far range.
The typical smaller reflectors like the SF L2 and L4 uses create a massive semi-flood beam....where the hotspot and the corona tend to blend together. I find the L2 and L4 beams excellent for close and medium range.
So, typically I find optics tend to do well at medium range for me, while reflectors do well at long and short range for me. This is why I sometimes carry one of each type. There are a lot of exceptions though on both sides.
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tvodrd
*Flashaholic* ,
Overall beam preferance is a subjective thing! The big-stink lights I have posted here over the last couple years used cut-down NX05 optics. I discovered I much prefer the *beam* with the right reflector. (Oh, the humiliation! 
) The McR20 reflector profile cut-down to any length, does a better job at photon management than my efforts with the NX-05 or -01!
(Don't let you-know-who hear about it, or I won't hear the end of it! ) (He's in route to SHOT, and I ain't leaving until tomorrow am.)
Larry
) The McR20 reflector profile cut-down to any length, does a better job at photon management than my efforts with the NX-05 or -01!(Don't let you-know-who hear about it, or I won't hear the end of it!
) (He's in route to SHOT, and I ain't leaving until tomorrow am.)Larry
At the risk of sounding ambiguous, from my limited experience of about a dozen flashlights, I'd have to say that it depends on the overall design, engineering and "mission" of the flashlight.
The three different luxeon flashlights that I've have, the Inova XO3, SL Jr. Lux, and a Gerber LX 3.0, each of which use a lens, have very different beams. The Inova X03 with its Tiros lens is all spot, tight up close but spread out at the medium distances that it was designed to throw. The SL Jr. Lux with a broader spot and a touch of spill is, presumably, designed for task work - a good EDC type of beam. The Gerber LX3, a flashlight that I and others have spoken highly of in prior posts, has a fairly tight spot with a broader diamond shaped secondary spot and surprisingly bright and useful spill. While the spill from the 50 lumens of the LX3 does not have the width of, say, a MAG, it's brighter than the spill from my 150 lumen MAG118.
Reflectors too, again, from my limited experience, seem to vary just as much as lenses with their various parabolic shapes, sizes, width, depth, focal points, textures etc. as well as the position and type of emitter.
73
dim
The three different luxeon flashlights that I've have, the Inova XO3, SL Jr. Lux, and a Gerber LX 3.0, each of which use a lens, have very different beams. The Inova X03 with its Tiros lens is all spot, tight up close but spread out at the medium distances that it was designed to throw. The SL Jr. Lux with a broader spot and a touch of spill is, presumably, designed for task work - a good EDC type of beam. The Gerber LX3, a flashlight that I and others have spoken highly of in prior posts, has a fairly tight spot with a broader diamond shaped secondary spot and surprisingly bright and useful spill. While the spill from the 50 lumens of the LX3 does not have the width of, say, a MAG, it's brighter than the spill from my 150 lumen MAG118.
Reflectors too, again, from my limited experience, seem to vary just as much as lenses with their various parabolic shapes, sizes, width, depth, focal points, textures etc. as well as the position and type of emitter.
73
dim
cratz2
Flashlight Enthusiast
I tend to largely prefer reflectors, but I can see a use for each... In my opinion, optics are useful when you need something of small diameter that gives good throw, esp if you don't need/want a spillbeam. For example, the KL1 head on a single cell has, in my opinion, remarkable throw. Having said that, usually in a light that size, I'd rather have a nice balance of throw and spill.
I have two of the 2xAA Costco lights that originally came with optics and for a while I had an RW0H star in each of them, one with the stock optic and one with an IMS27mm reflector (actually, I think it was the knock off IMS reflectors Emilion was selling for a while) and the difference was AMAZING! The reflector, once cut down and focused properly gave what I consider to be just about a perfect beam... Reasoonably large hotspot, wide spillbeam... exactly what I usually want in a light that size. The optic gave a larger hotspot that was less defined and less smooth than the reflector, and the spillbeam, while useful, was ringy and inconsistant in brightness.
This is only one example, of course but using gross generalities, that's what I've found in general. Reflectors are generally best for general use, optics are often better for some specific uses.
I have two of the 2xAA Costco lights that originally came with optics and for a while I had an RW0H star in each of them, one with the stock optic and one with an IMS27mm reflector (actually, I think it was the knock off IMS reflectors Emilion was selling for a while) and the difference was AMAZING! The reflector, once cut down and focused properly gave what I consider to be just about a perfect beam... Reasoonably large hotspot, wide spillbeam... exactly what I usually want in a light that size. The optic gave a larger hotspot that was less defined and less smooth than the reflector, and the spillbeam, while useful, was ringy and inconsistant in brightness.
This is only one example, of course but using gross generalities, that's what I've found in general. Reflectors are generally best for general use, optics are often better for some specific uses.
cratz2
Flashlight Enthusiast
Here are two Costco 2AA lights, one with the stock 30mm optic and the other with has Emilions 27mm reflector which is very similar to the IMS27mm. In the beamshot here, the reflectored one has a QX1J and the optic one has a QV1J. In all honesty, without any reflector or optic, the QV1J looks brighter to my eyes. As I said above, at one point, I had the same lights with RW0Hs but have since used those stars in another project.
(Note that in the pic of the lights, the reflector is on the right and the optic is on the left, but in the beamshot, I reversed them so the reflector is on the left and the optic on the right.
)
If you look at the beamshot, the hotspots look 'about' the same as far as brightness goes, but compare the spill beam! I mean, the reflector has this glorious spill and the optic has icky rings. And the diameter of the spill beam with the reflector is HUGE compared to the ring size of the optic.
Granted, this is only one example (and a poor one at that) but generally is about what I've see comparing optics to reflectors in decent size heads. Again, if you want lots of throw with a small 20mm head, then an optic might be just what you are looking for.
(Note that in the pic of the lights, the reflector is on the right and the optic is on the left, but in the beamshot, I reversed them so the reflector is on the left and the optic on the right.
If you look at the beamshot, the hotspots look 'about' the same as far as brightness goes, but compare the spill beam! I mean, the reflector has this glorious spill and the optic has icky rings. And the diameter of the spill beam with the reflector is HUGE compared to the ring size of the optic.
Granted, this is only one example (and a poor one at that) but generally is about what I've see comparing optics to reflectors in decent size heads. Again, if you want lots of throw with a small 20mm head, then an optic might be just what you are looking for.
