P3D vs. C-LE pictures

Here are some comparison shots of my P3D and C-LE. Both lights shot at 1 meter. f5.6 @ 15th second. The little anomaly at 8 o'clock on the inner beam is a defect in the wall, not the beam.

BTW. What are the optimal camera settings for taking beam shots on a white wall?


P3D Low 9 Lumens

P3D Med 40 Lumens

P3D High 90 Lumens

P3D Turbo 160 Lumens

C-LE Low 20 Lumens

C-LE Medium 40 Lumens

C-LE High 80 Lumens

Is it just me or is the 9 Lumen low, 40 lumen medium of the Fenix brighter then the 20 lumen low and the 40 lumen medium of then Jetbeam.

Nice beamshots

Comparing my JetBeam to other lights (Fenix) I'd have to say the lumen numbers are inflated. Instead of 20/40/80, mine is probably closer to 10/30/50, at least with NiMH batteries. Maybe those advertised values are for 14500 batts.

Geoff

I totally agree, my C-LE is nowhere near the claimed lumens output. Comparing it to actual lumens of tested lights, I would say 10/30/50 is a pretty accurate observation.

Good pics.

Locking the exposure and white balance is one of the most important things when making a comparison. The other is ensuring the hotspot does not oversaturate. That may mean changing the exposure for each brightness but ensuring it is the same for each light setting ( low, med, high).

What type of battery were you using in the C-LE?

The output is noticeably dimmer for the C-LE. However, the comparison is with a 2xCR123 flashlight. It looks like the C-LE performed pretty well considering its competition had a much larger "fuel tank". The C-LE likely sends *about* 1W to the emitter when using an alkaline/NiMH.

Paul

Hi chimo,

Thanks for the response. I use an e2 AA lithium in the C-LE. One thing I did notice is that the P3D high shot(90 lumen) and C-LE high shots(80 lumen) were were very similar. I wonder if the low and med shots look lower on the C-LE because of the PWM? Just a thought. Because in real life, the C-LE low and med settings look much better and comparable to the P3D low and medium.

P3D High 90 Lumens


C-LE High 80 Lumens

Hey Rob,

I think you've got a good point about the PWM affecting the beamshot. That would certainly explain the apparent dimness of the CL-E. Not sure what the best way to compensate for this would be.

Geoff

Flying Turtle said:

Hey Rob,

I think you've got a good point about the PWM affecting the beamshot. That would certainly explain the apparent dimness of the CL-E. Not sure what the best way to compensate for this would be.

Geoff

Click to expand...

Hey Geoff,

I think that has got to be what it is. The two high shots where the C-LE has no PWM are very similar. I have not found the answer to this yet or how to get decent beam shots on the lower modes of a PWM light. Anyone out there with the answer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

If you have full exposure control of your camera, you could increase the exposure time and decrease the aperture size. That way, the exposure time will span more PWM cycles and average them better (like our eyes do).

Paul

chimo said:

If you have full exposure control of your camera, you could increase the exposure time and decrease the aperture size. That way, the exposure time will span more PWM cycles and average them better (like our eyes do).

Paul

Click to expand...

Thanks again Paul. I will try that out and post back here to let you know how it goes.