Inova T4 2008 - first impressions

For some reason I can't post in the reviews section, so off the bat I apologize for posting here :ironic:.

Just got the new 2008 T4 after I was so pleased with the 2008 T1, and there are some pros and cons I can see right away.

First off, The pros. The 175 lumes appears accurate. It's almost twice as bright as the T1, and dwarfs a 2D Mag LED in brightness. Tint is very warm. Low mode looks like about 30 lumens.

Now the cons. Right off the bat, the LED is clearly off-centered, and I can't help but wonder how much throw is lost as a result. :hairpull:

Next, the switch is sort of weird, and is gonna take a while to get used to. It's not a mechanical click switch that locks into an on position. It's actually a digitally controlled button. You press and release the button for high, and press and release again for off once it has been on for more than 2 seconds. If you press and release in under 2 seconds from high the light goes to low mode. Press and release from low mode and it turns off. If you press and hold the button for longer than 1/2 a second, the light will turn off once you release it (this is the momentary mode). If you double press the button from any mode (off, high, or low) it enters strobe, and press and release from strobe to shut the light off. Until I use it in practice I won't be able to decide if it's a good thing or not, but initially I'm not wild about it.

Call me old-fashioned, but I live by the K.I.S.S. principle: Keep It Simple Stupid!
I'm not a fan of making things more complicated than they need to be, and a "traditional" switch design would have been better I think.

Anyway, thats my initial impression. Take it for what it's worth.

Re: (Brief) Inova T4 2008 review

Thank you for the (brief) review:thumbsup: i was looking for information on the inova T4 2008, could you post some pictures of the inova?

Abdelhay

Re: (Brief) Inova T4 2008 review

Interesting that the took the HDS approach with the switching. I haven't used the light yet, but I think I'd prefer this method over a reverse clickie.

Re: (Brief) Inova T4 2008 review

I too have a T1 and T4 2008. My T4 has a centered led. What did surprise me about the T4 was how floody it is. With the larger head and reflector, I was expecting at least P60 Cree drop in type throw. Instead, it's a very floody beam. I like it; the hot spot fades to spill, and it's terrific for vision. But, still, I thought it was going to be a thrower for LEOs, etc. Hmm.

My T4 has a much cooler tint than my T1, which is the very white incan color. I was hoping for the same tint on my T4 for color rendition, but didn't get it.

Re: (Brief) Inova T4 2008 review

I also own the new T4-MP. I like the light and the switch. I think the tint, and throw are also very good. I thoroughly tested this light, I found it very rugged. The only thing I found disappointing was the light is not very water resistant. A two minute dunk in 4 inches of water can cause problems and the warranty does not cover water damage.

All in all I love the light.

P.S. You must first post your review here and request for it to be placed in the review section by pm to a moderator or at the beginning of your review. See the sticky in the review section.

Bill

Re: (Brief) Inova T4 2008 review

Hitthespot said:

A two minute dunk in 4 inches of water can cause problems and the warranty does not cover water damage.

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This is disappointing. Did this happen to you? Did you contact Inova, or do they state somewhere that water damage is not covered?

Re: (Brief) Inova T4 2008 review

Modern_Major_General said:

Now the cons. Right off the bat, the LED is clearly off-centered, and I can't help but wonder how much throw is lost as a result. :hairpull:

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I have one T2-MP with an off-center emitter, and its throw is equal to an identical T2-MP with a well centered emitter. The centered emitter gives a smoother beam, however.

Re: (Brief) Inova T4 2008 review

The multi-mode switching was a deal killer for me. This is suppose to be geared towards the law enforcement. I wouldn't recommend a law enforcement officer doing a whole bunch of clicking, holding, counting to 2 seconds, etc. while holding a gun. I prefer- push button, light. Release button, dark. Pelican 7060 all the way.

Re: (Brief) Inova T4 2008 review

KeyGrip said:

This is disappointing. Did this happen to you? Did you contact Inova, or do they state somewhere that water damage is not covered?

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I was testing the T4 and could not find any water resistant rating. I called Inova customer service. They told me the T4 was splash resistant and would probably survive a quick splash in a puddle but that it was not submersible. They also stated water damage is not covered by the warranty.

Most people don't submerge their lights unless their diving and there are lights for that. I found the light to be everything I wanted and as long as it will survive a little rain, I'm happy.


Bill

I initially received a defective T4...it would not turn off completely and it would glow slightly at all times. My replacement light works fine.

I like the multi mode switch; I am a big fan of having a bright light for most contacts (the first press of the switch), and then having the ability to lower the light level for more administrative tasks like writing a citation. I am not the best with something like estimating lumens, but to me the low beam is more like 50-60 lumens. I would like the low mode to be about half of what it currently is, but overall I am extremely happy with the light. I had a Streamlight Stinger LED, and I think the T4 is a big improvement over the Stinger.

Re: (Brief) Inova T4 2008 review

Hitthespot said:

I found the light to be everything I wanted and as long as it will survive a little rain, I'm happy.

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Thanks. The reason for all the questions is I'm seriously considering buying a T4 for my brother. He currently works for the CA state park service, but he's looking at getting a job as an EMT and eventually a firefighter. I think as long as I warn him not to fully submerge the light for long, he should be fine.

Re: (Brief) Inova T4 2008 review

KeyGrip said:

Thanks. The reason for all the questions is I'm seriously considering buying a T4 for my brother. He currently works for the CA state park service, but he's looking at getting a job as an EMT and eventually a firefighter. I think as long as I warn him not to fully submerge the light for long, he should be fine.

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KeyGrip,

I'm sure he would be happy with this light. Another specification not listed is the run time on the lower mode. I turned the T4 on low at 11:30pm and at 11:30am the next day it was still going strong. 12 hours of run time with battery still left. I think the low mode is around 40-50 lumens but this is just a guess.

Bill

I have worked in wildland fire, various rescue capacities, and have been a flashlight nut my whole life. The last 11 years of ems have been my favorite job and abt three years ago the original T4 i bought from sharper image made it eaiser. Loved the light like a son, beat it when others needed it and lighted more scenes than i care to imagine. Had the silver bezel and tiros SP? optics (which i loved hated to see them go) and no complaints. One to many whacks or just plain wore out im stoked to get the new 08. I wish Inova would offer an option for he TIROS for those that want it. I would def reccomend for any medic or emt. my worthless two cents

I have worked in wildland fire, various rescue capacities, and have been a flashlight nut my whole life. The last 11 years of ems have been my favorite job and abt three years ago the original T4 i bought from sharper image made it eaiser. Loved the light like a son, beat it when others needed it and lighted more scenes than i care to imagine. Had the silver bezel and tiros SP? optics (which i loved hated to see them go) and no complaints. One to many whacks or just plain wore out im stoked to get the new 08. I wish Inova would offer an option for he TIROS for those that want it. I would def reccomend for any medic or emt. my worthless two cents

Used the T4-MP for the first time at work tonight. I have to say, that this light is very floody.

The throw of the T4-MP is no more than that of the Surefire P60L but the overall output is *much* higher (80 vs. 175 lumens). Despite the T4-MP's the deep reflector, the beam is very floody.

I contacted Inova to see if the off-centered emitter is covered by warranty, but it looks like I can expect a 3-4 week turn around :hairpull:. Haven't decided if I'm gonna bother with it yet.

The Inova MP series, with the exception of the T2-MP, seem to be focused to give a wider hotspot. However, you should still be getting a more intense hotspot than the P60L. My T3-MP definitely does.

asdalton said:

The Inova MP series, with the exception of the T2-MP, seem to be focused to give a wider hotspot. However, you should still be getting a more intense hotspot than the P60L. My T3-MP definitely does.

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I agree. I think it must be due to the off center emitter.

Bill