Reflectors vs. optics

Hi All,

Basically the subj. Judging from my limited LED experience and nonexistent reflector/LED experience. Aren't reflectors more efficient than optics used currently? I guess it's not easy to build a reflector for something like Helios adapter, but for MMs it should be doable. Is it related to technical problems building reflectors or something else?

P.S. I just preordered Stramlight TL Luxeon, and that one does have a reflector and unless the data is incorrect it produces 35 lm. vs. 18 on most 1w leds I've seen so far. I understand it is partly related to LEDs, but I am assuming reflector is also an important factor, isn't it. That's only if the data(35lm) is correct /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Ive had a brief look at an ARC LS with lowdome emitter, both with the NX01 optics and the McFlood reflector. I would guess that the reflector is more efficient than the optics, but the reflectored LS doesnt "throw" very far at all.

Uh, the McFlood reflector is NOT meant to be a throw reflector... The Mc"Flood" is meant to "flood"...

Something like a Brinkmann Legend reflector that's cut up so it can fit around an LS can throw much better than a McFlood. And a side emitter or high dome LS inside a Maglite reflector produces an amazing throw...

If you compare a McFlood to an NX05, obviously, the NX05 will win out in throw...

I believe that the "optics" really are just reflectors. They use the same bit of physics that causes the surface of water to be reflective from underneath at some angles. The light is actually reflecting off the outside of the plastic cone as if it were a mirror. Borders in dissimilar materials and all that.

So it's passing through the plastic (or resin or whatever it is) but it's reflecting more than refracting the light. So in my book it doesn't really count as "optics".

Also, if you paint the inside cone of an optic you ruin the reflecting quality of it. It will still work, but with reduced transmission. So don't put that glow paint directly onto the optic!

The limitation on throw in the NX05 I think is more due to it's size than the fact that it is an "optic" vs a reflector. I would think that most reflectors of similar size and dimensions would give a similar beam. Check out Electrolumens 30mm optic which has a MUCH better throw even using the same technique because it's larger.

This is obviously not always true, I'm sure you can find much better designed reflectors of simiar size, but a simple cone of that size shouldn't be much better in a reflector than it is in the "optic"

At some point you'd reach a point of diminishing returns with optics because you're running the light through so much material that you'll loose some light. So beyond a certain size a reflector would be better.