EIB Beam Problem, pics inside

Hello, I purchased a new Surefire E1B from a local dealer near me recently (after buying a used one on the forums and liking it to much, i needed another). After checking the beam pattern of it there is something distorting the beam. I cleaned off the lense and the bezel with water and a q-tip just to see if it was something external. Nothing in the beam changed after the "cleaning" attempt. Is this beam flaw something surefire warrants? Id rather not live with a beam that looks like this and im not ready to start modding my lights just yet. please check the pics inside.the 1st and 2nd i put the "distortion" at 12 O'clock and in the 3rd it is just about at 3O'clock. any advice or ideas would help. thanks
CHRISTOPHER

http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?act=module&module=gallery&cmd=si&img=541451

http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?act=module&module=gallery&cmd=si&img=541452

http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?act=module&module=gallery&cmd=si&img=541453

anyone have any suggestions?

I had a similiar problem see this thread https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/197042

My E1B, E1L and my daughters E1L all have what your picture shows only in a longer partial circle. It isn't a distortion. It's a characteristic of the optic. I would imagine how much is shows depends on the placement of the LED in relation to the optic.

Its not an easy task to get the LED centered in an optic - some are perfectly centered, some are a little off.

Optics are not known for perfect, flawless beams.

Get a light with a textured reflector if you're worried about how the beam looks on the wall...

But in their catalogue, SF says that they offer "absolutely, the perfect beam..." (something like that).

Well... I think he´s got the right to complain about it!

lumenal said:

Its not an easy task to get the LED centered in an optic - some are perfectly centered, some are a little off.

Optics are not known for perfect, flawless beams.

Get a light with a textured reflector if you're worried about how the beam looks on the wall...

Click to expand...

many people consider malkoff's beams flawless......and i have to agree

seen left here very close to the wall compared to MOP P1d Q5
http://s253.photobucket.com/albums/hh56/tricker50/?action=view&current=100_0290.jpg

tricker said:

many people consider malkoff's beams flawless......and i have to agree

seen left here very close to the wall compared to MOP P1d Q5
http://s253.photobucket.com/albums/hh56/tricker50/?action=view&current=100_0290.jpg

Click to expand...

I have 2 Malkoffs and do agree, they are nice well balanced beams.

But we're talking hand-built premium dropins built by Gene, not mass produced lights coming off a machine that are built in runs numbering in the thousands.

Have you ever used an Inova with their old TIROS optic? The spill looks like the rings of Saturn.

Or an older SureFire L1? The optic produces a square beam...

My E1B has a similar beam pattern as the OP's - doesn't bother me or affect the ton of output this light has.

These next-generation optics are much nicer than optics of a year or two ago.

i was just commenting that optics can be good, as to not create a stigma that all are bad....and i figured the E1b's would be good since it was introduced recently, after gene's drop in was....again this may be wrong but i think i'm right???....i'm actually a fan of optics and have looked at the E1b for a while, but i may need a CREEmator instead:devil:

Maybe I'm not looking correctly, but it looks like a typical TIR optics beam to me. How close are you holding the light against the wall? Personally, I don't notice it when I'm using my light. There may be other options, but the only one I could think of is contact MilkySpit and see if he could change the TIR optics to reflector. That's of course assuming you really like your E1B and are willing to spend some money just to fix it.

You cannot judge a optics light by shining it on a white wall at 10 feet. To appreciate the E1B, go where it's pretty dark and shine the light on something 30 yards away. The spot opens up into a beautiful beam pattern. If it doesn't then you may have a problem light, but you surely can't know that shining it on something two feet away.



Bill