Inova X1 Spot - White

Please see Inova X1 Spot Blue for my previous comparison -

This X1 Spot White was a "win-win" trade with CPF member Lee1959 - who got this out to me about as fast as humanly possible on Friday 3/24 - when we discussed it,
and it was in my mailbox on Monday 3/27 - Lee, and USPS be praised........

Size


Heads


Shining this white spot X1 around during the daylight - I was somewhat disappointed - it just didn't seem as bright as my experience with the Blue Spot.

Well it kind of stands to reason -
first, the blue is a very noticable color, it provides color contrast - so that one can mostly see it even in lit conditions - whereas a "white" will often not be as visible.

Also my understanding is that "white" LEDs start as blue and use phosphor to transform/re-emit the light as "white" - so all things being equal a blue LED would be unhindered and therefore brighter.......

OK getting over my initial disappointment, and realizing my over-expectations - how does this white spot X1 do?

vs. River Rock 1.5w 2AA Spot

The River Rock 1.5w 2AA is easily brighter as can be seen in the beamshots -
again because both these lights were just spots without any significant side-spill, a close 9" beamshot did not make sense - so I backed up the lights to ~1.2metres (~4ft) from the paper target surface.

Here's a color DEsaturated version of the -2 stops underexposed beamshot for direct comparison with the Inova X1 Spot Blue -


vs. Dorcy 1AAA gen3 Spot

The X1 white Spot has a significantly more intense and concentrated spot than the Dorcy 1AAA gen3 spot. The difference was about the same as the difference between the X1 white Spot vs. River Rock 1.5w 2AA spot.

This shows that the X1 Spot White's performance is still pretty respectable/impressive.

I think it was just my over-expectation that led to my initial disappointment - afterall this is just a humble single 5mm white LED.........

So let's get right back to the over-expectation lane -

vs. Fenix L1 v2.5

obviously not as bright as a good reflectored 1watt Luxeon -
again this beamshot is at ~1.2m/4ft so really only showing the hotspot of the Fenix. The Fenix L1 obviously has a lot of side-spill not shown by this comparison - again this shows the X1 Spot White does acquit itself reasonably well - just not as well as the Blue Spot........

Back to reality -
the X1 Spot white obviously does not rival a 1.5watt Spot or 1watt reflector - com'on what did I expect?

But it is comparable to the hotspot of a good 1/2watt -

vs Nuwai 0.5w 1AAA (TM-310H)

The concentration/focussing/collimation of the light into a spot does rival the hotspot of a good 1/2watt. The Nuwai TM-310H 0.5w 1AAA does have a very intense (blue tinted) hotspot and this X1 spot white does rival this kind of level.

Here's also a color DEsaturated version of the -2 stops underexposed beamshot to show that the hotspots are comparable -


OK - realistically the Inova X1 Spot White does well for a 5mm White LED - it does concentrate/focus/collimate the light into a relatively intense spot - which at first sight seems a bit brown/yellow/pink/red in tint/hue - there is a characteristic blue ring - that seems common to all the lens spot lights I have (albeit limited - River Rock 1.5w 2AA and 2C; Dorcy 1AAA gen3 Spot and this Inova X1 Spot White).

The light within the spot is very even - which leads to me seeing very well - almost like a "high-definition" light. Shine any of these lights on to a fine pattern surface (wallpaper) and compare directly with almost any reflectored light and the pattern inside the spot just seems much better defined to my eyes.

Don't get me wrong, the reflector light(s) will show the pattern - but because of the inherent differences in the brightness levels - even (or especially) in the hot spot(s) the pattern is just not seen as well - I am almost certain it's not just my eyes.

However having said all that - a reflector light is almost always going to much more generally useful - as they have much wider coverage and one does not have to constantly pan the light around to see.

The Inova X1 Spot White is definitely a compromise - but it's done about as good a job as the limits allow.

For example I like the much wider spot of the Dorcy 1AAA gen3 - but because the light is spread out more - it generally looks dim - so for general use it doesn't quite make it. For closer tasks it actually is pretty good as I am finding out.

The X1 Spot White has a much more concentrated spot - and its brightness over longer normal distances is only just acceptable - but the beam is just way too narrow for real general usage - and for closer tasks it is just too bright (for my eyes) - so kind of a "worse of both worlds" - one can understand why this version was so UNpopular.

Whereas the 1.5w River Rocks are about the right sort of level for the (longer) normal distance usage..........

So in conclusion - I like the the X1 Spot White - because it is "different" - but also realize because of being a spot it is of limited real use for me - it is not as spectacular as the Blue LED - but again white is much more generally useful - for me.

The new reflector X1 - would be much more generally useful - but I already have lots of 5mm white LED lights using single AA or AAA that are just as good, or better in some ways for me -
the new reflector X1 shows no overall advantage, and it is over-priced at $20.

Whereas the seemingly unpopular X1 Spot White still manages to do something for me - despite (or maybe because of) its eccentricity and I know it's supposed to be "inferior" to the reflector version........

For jobs where the x1 is required, it is the perfect light. The lack of sidespill makes it less glaring and the beam is more defined, features I desire in my lights. That's why I started browsing CPF, to find out more info about the x1.

Greenlight is right on the money. The X1 is extreme enough that it is not only just a matter of if you need what it can do -- it's about how few really need how far the X1 goes in this direction.

Great review VT, I like the litle X1 in boths its old and new guises. I now have thanks to you a blue model and a white old style and love them both . The new X1 is my daily pocket carry too, so I have uses for all of them .

got my x1 for $17... shop around...

(and I don't think a mention of run TIMES would be out of line, do you?)

I can't do runtimes - however Inova's own advert/specs claim over 10 hours' burntime - and this is one of the major attractions of the X1 series.

My current draw reading from the tailcap gives somewhere between 0.17 to 0.18A - so this kind of bears out the claim since AA alkaline batteries are nominally about 2,850mAh.

But one has to bear in mind that although good - this is nothing really extraordinary - as the old CMG Infinity Ultra (and Ultra-G) all tested to run over 10 hours to 50% on a single AA alkaline - since we are talking only of a single 5mm white LED.

I have found from use that a single 5mm white LED gives about the right level of light for most personal tasks - and is about as good (a compromise) as one can get for a single level EDC light - hence my EDC for years of a humble Dorcy 1AAA - the Dorcy gives about 4hours tested runtime to 50% - but this is on AAA alkaline - which are nominally 1,250mAh - so the energy consumption performance is right in line.

UnknownVT wrote: "The X1 white Spot has a significantly more intense and concentrated spot than the Dorcy 1AAA gen3 spot."

Well, dUh!......

Both these lights are using single 5mm white LEDs and single alkaline batteries with step-up circuits - so it would stand to reason that these should be similar in total output.

But as described the X1 spot focusses/concentrates its light into a smaller tighter spot than the Dorcy 1AAA gen3 spot - which seems to spread its light out a lot more.

For close tasks I am finding despite the initial negativity about its spot beam the Dorcy 1AAA gen3 Spot seems very usable - especially considering the light in the spot is very even - so things are lit well and evenly - and almost seem "high definition". The Dorcy 1AAA gen3 Spot however does seems DIM in comparison with the Inova X1 Spot and even the reflector Dorcy 1AAA gen1 & 2.

I tried this ad-hoc experiment to see if the Dorcy was really "dim" or is it generating the same amount of light - just spread out more.......

First, some measurements of angles -

At 12" - the lights had a beam(spot) diameter of -

Inova X1 Spot = ~1.75"
- gives ~8.3deg - about 300mm lens (long telephoto on 35mm camera)

Dorcy 1AAA gen3 Spot = ~5"
- gives ~23.5deg - about 104mm lens (short portrait telephoto)

I set up the Inova X1 Spot White at about 4ft from the target surface to get a good sized beam-spot. Then by eye tried to match the Dorcy 1AAA gen3 Spot beam to the same size -

When the diameters/size of the two beams are the same one can see that the brightness levels are about the same - perhaps with the Dorcy 1AAA just a shade brighter - but in practice this is not going to make any significant difference........

The Dorcy 1AAA distance was approx 22".

Now here's a thought it would be great if one could vary the focus of a lens to get the wider spot for closer work and narrow it for more distance work......

It's probable that the manufacturers chose the optimum focal length for the optics.

greenlight wrote: "It's probable that the manufacturers chose the optimum focal length for the optics."

I'm sure you're right on this.

However the 5mm LEDs in the Inova X1 and the Dorcy 1AAA can't be that different - yet the resulting beam/spots are vastly different in size/angle - by a magnitude of almost 3x.

Let's just do a commonsense sanity check - let's assume one of the LEDs was 20deg - pretty common - then the other has to be either about 60deg or 7deg - which sounds pretty UNcommon to me.......

So the focal length of the lens(es) chosen may well be what the manufacturer considers the optimum for the beam they want to produce - it's just that Inova chose to focus their beam into a much tighter spot than Dorcy who opted for a wider beam with more coverage.

It seems to me Inova have gone for the most intense light they could - so that the X1 (old Spot version) - as pointed out previously - becomes a specialist tool - whereas Dorcy seems to be still aiming at a generalist type light - but from the sheer fact that it lacks side-spill, and because of spreading the light evenly over a larger spot - it appears to be dim........

Optics - a single lens has a single focal length - therefore there can only be a single point of focus - so the beam/spot size is kind of pre-determined by the chosen focal length.

However using a second lens allows one to vary the combined focal length by movement of one lens relative to another - therefore a change in the size of the beam-spot - ie: a focussing ability.

However the big drawbacks are the likely big losses in light from using two separate lenses dues to both light absorption and reflections from the multiple lenses and surfaces, and the physical additional length/space required to change focus and maintain the correct lens to LED distance.

I tested this when I first took my x1 apart. I wondered if the lens was placed optimally, or if I could get a tighter spot by increasing the distance between the led and the lens. What I learned was that placing the lens in a position other than its original position scatters a lot of the light. Maybe some of the light gets trapped in the lens edges, since there is no claim of internal reflection. Placing the led at the focal point transmits the most amount of light through the lens, which is the desired effect anyway.

The difference is probably in the aspherical lenses.

greenlight wrote: "I tested this when I first took my x1 apart. I wondered if the lens was placed optimally, or if I could get a tighter spot by increasing the distance between the led and the lens. What I learned was that placing the lens in a position other than its original position scatters a lot of the light."

This is correct -

A single lens has a single focal length - therefore only a single (or optimum) point of focus - I already agreed with that - and there was never any argument about that.

However a designer can choose a different focal length and get a different size of beam/spot - as evidenced quite dramatically by the difference between the Inova X1 Spot and the Dorcy 1AAA gen3 Spot -
like I said their 5mm LEDs can't be that dramatically different - it has to be the focal length of the lens(es) chosen for the lights.......

Just like different focal lengths of camera lenses give different sizes of the image - so does th chosen focal length of the lens on a flashlight (with the LED at the correct focal point for the optimum beam/image).

My thoughts were about a zoom lens - which we know varies the focal length therefore ethe size of the image for a camera -
a simple zoomable lens system on a flashlight should give variable size of beam-spots.

Here's my standardized Stairs "Practical" Beamshots for the Inova X1 Spot white


Camera settings - Standard 0.6sec f/2.8 ISO100 daylight white balance lens at 28mm equiv.
and an extra shot at +2 1/3 Stops (5x) More Exposure

compared to Dorcy 1AAA gen3 Spot and River Rock 1.5w 2AA Spot

The RR2AA may be brighter and have the same beam characteristics, but the Inova is more pocketable, and easier to activate. The X1 puts out enough light for my needs, and is my #1 choice for work. I require that my light has a momentary option, and abhor the reverse clickie.

greenlight wrote: "The RR2AA may be brighter and have the same beam characteristics, but the Inova is more pocketable, and easier to activate. The X1 puts out enough light for my needs, and is my #1 choice for work."

I would generally agree.

Brighter does NOT always = better
- as the case made by greenlight.
(even if brighter is more impressive)

Just from size, ergonomics the River Rock 1.5w 2AA Spot is a very different light for me - I tend to use it more as a longer range and outdoors light....

I put it in this review because it's one of the very few spot type light I have.

Generally I find brightness around the typical 1watt Lux level a really awkward in-between-y level for my usage - they're way too bright for closer typical handheld tasks (like reading), and not really bright enough for serious outdoors work. Although I do find the River Rock 1.5w 2AA Spot seems to do quite well outdoors for mid-range distances.

I have to agree completely, the old X1 is in my pocket when going to movies, and for using when I do not want to bother others, or where an excess amount of flood light is more irrating than useful.

The RRAA is brighter, but considerably larger and not what I would consider a constant personal carry light, but like you both say is better suited to outdoors where you need something with more distance, I keep one hanging on a nail by my back door for checking out the back of my yard when the dogs make a racket.