Why don't all lights have uneven reflectors?

I see so many flashlights with mirror finish reflectors. I have been reading that an uneven reflector smooths out imperfections in the beam and is a good thing.

If this is true why don't all lights have it? Is it expensive to produce?

You're sacrificing throw for a more even beam. I'm not sure about the cost aspect but I'd imagine it adds a few bucks.

Besides, most people don't even think twice about what the beam looks like. People in general don't go white wall hunting

And a well-focused smooth reflector won't have many imperfections at all, either. I can think of a few good mirrored reflectors that have very nice beams, but you're looking at a higher cost factor there AND you're not going to be able to focus the beam. It's all dependant on what you want from your light..

flashlightreviewshas a pretty good reflector section in the faq section.

Basically, a polished reflector will refect more of the light, meaning a tighter beam (compared to a faceted or orange peel reflector of the same geometry), giving more throw and maybe slightly more lumens, but might have artifacts in the beam, especially with incandensants (caused by the filament and bulb). IMO an LED doesn't really need stippling/faceting/texturing. The HDS and Fenix lights have smooth reflectors and are quite clean from artifacts, unless you're inspecting closely looking at a white wall (and even then it's hardly bad).

Originally Posted by Planterz:
IMO an LED doesn't really need stippling/faceting/texturing. The HDS and Fenix lights have smooth reflectors and are quite clean from artifacts

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Ditto that. A good LED emitter will produce an almost perfect beam in a quality smooth reflector. Textured reflectors were originally intended to even out the beam of incandescent torches. Incans have a filament that projects a filament image in the beam. That's why a MagLite has an ugly, artifacty beam even though it has a gorgeous reflector.

Bernie