4Sevens Quark RGB - A Layman's Perspective

AardvarkSagus

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4Sevens Quark RGB

Full-flood, wide angle beam, 4 individual color dies(dice?), 8 modes, 32 possible different outputs. 4Sevens has created an incredibly unique light with their Quark RGB model. I am not certain there is anything out there that can genuinely be considered to be a competitor.

RGB-1-500x375.jpg

4Sevens Quark RGB

Meat and Potatoes

The shallow reflector of the Quark RGB can hardly be assisting to focus the light at all, merely serving to redirect the odd stray photon back to a roughly forward emission since its beam more closely resembles that which has come to be known in the flashlight community as a mule head. A completely unfocused, hot-spot free, pure flood beam intended for short range illumination and a wide field of view. The 150 lumen top end of this light at first had me curious as to where they had pulled such a number until I forcibly reminded myself about how a lumen is about total quantity of light rather than brightness. The profile of such a beam alters how the light is perceived by spreading the brightness over a larger area.
The smooth wide spread of light coming from the Quark RGB is actually incredibly useful for nocturnal navigation and short range work even on lower settings. The lack of any form of hotspot removes the tunnel-vision induced by most flashlight beams giving back much more peripheral vision than you normally expect to have at night. The resultant lack of head-knocks or bad footfalls is readily apparent. Utilizing it to light up under the desk or inside the computer casing works quite well also since it will reveal the entire area rather than just the single spot where you are directing it, making the task of finding that lost case screw that much easier.

The Quark RGB's true glory however comes from the fact that it is, as far as I am aware, the first mass produced torch to use Cree's multi-colored MC-E diode. This fact quadruples the existing 8 modes (5 brightness and 3 "blinkeys") giving redundancy in each of the 3 single color (red, green, and blue) modes as well. Want a super low red-only moonlight mode as the ultimate night-adapted vision preserver to help you navigate that barbed wire fence on your way to the deer stand or read that star chart in astronomy class? Got it. Want to leave a green beacon flashing at the end of your dock to guide you back from a nocturnal catfishing expedition? It's got you covered. Want to easily switch back to turbo full white light in a hurry to check if that noise was a raccoon or a bear? No problem, this light remembers a different setting for the white light from what is being used in the colors. This is quite possibly the most versatile light I have run across yet.

RGB-3-500x375.jpg

Cree MC-E RGBW

Constructive Criticism

With all of that versatility comes the unfortunate side effect of complexity. Yes this light can be set to give you virtually any output in any color you might want, but it comes at a price. There are simply too many parallel options on this light to quickly find your way to the mode you are looking for. With 8 modes in each option, and without a guaranteed brightness level when you first activate the light, it requires starting over from the lowest output and takes a concentrated effort to count which mode you are currently in to make sure you wind up where you want to be. Also, since the 3 additional colors are alternated by entering the secondary, "bezel-loosened" mode, I constantly find myself cycling through colors to get back to the one I was really wanting. I believe that this light would benefit from something a bit different in the UI. There should be some way to pre-program both the output levels and specific color selected and "lock" it in to avoid such frequent shuffling through so many options.

The Quark RGB's use of only one die at a time from a multi-die LED means that the lit die will inherently be drastically off center in the reflector. This naturally produces the side effect of having a lopsided beam pattern as well. The decision to use such a shallow floodlight reflector was no doubt to help mitigate the effects of this, and the lack of a defined hotspot does reduce its appearance. The fact remains however that there is some slight migration to one side within the beam and several unilateral artifacts in each of the 4 spectrums. Unfortunately without the use of a highly complex (and therefor expensive and likely to fail) cam system re-centering the LED each time the die is changed, I don't see a way to avoid these slight issues. In reality, these differences will not affect real-world use much in the least, but they will be readily apparent to the urban white wall hunter.

RGB-2-500x375.jpg

4Sevens Quark RGB

Conclusions

The Quark RGB is, for lack of a better description, the most versatile, specialized light I have ever used. That dichotomy makes it incredibly unique and very well loved. The bonus is how darn useful the thing is at the same time!

Provided for the duration of the review by 4Sevens.com
 
Last edited:

B0wz3r

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Criminy... I just bought a Quark AA for Christmas with a prism attachment and filters for my wife for backyard astronomy and geocaching. KWKwarth recommended an RGB but I thought the interface and 123s were too much of a drawback... Guess I have to rethink that decision now... :sick2:
 

applevision

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Nice write up as always, Aardvark, but it kind of leaves me with the impression that it's almost more of a "gimmick" light. I am a HUGE 4sevens fan and mean no disrespect--I am just still trying to figure out how to "use" this light best. I do find it incredibly intriguing and kind of want to order one like Xe54--"just for fun".

But what do you think: are there some good uses for it? Could you post a few beamshots if possible?

Many thanks!:popcorn:
 

Rexlion

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I would just add a couple of thoughts to your review. First, you mention there is no "guaranteed brightness level when you first activate the light." This might give someone the false idea that there's no way to tell at what level the light will turn on. But if one simply remembers where he set it, I think we can just about guarantee that it will come back on at that level. ;)

Second, I'd like to point out for everyone that all of the 3 colors are tied together in this way: say you set green for moonlight mode; when you switch to red it will also be in moonlight mode, and the same for blue. The only one that's independent is the cool or warm white die; it will be at whatever setting you last left it at. I personally am very glad for this, because I would find it tedious and irritating to have to set every single colored die separately. If I want to cycle through the colors, I want them to be on the same mode, which is the mode I want to begin with. Maybe some folks will feel differently.

I don't mean this as any criticism of the review but rather as an addition of information. :)

As for whether the RGB comes across as a "gimmick" light, well, doesn't every flashlight have a gimmick of some sort? The shortest, the smallest, the brightest, the most modes, the most throw, the most versatile, whatever. But the various lights are mostly very useable and useful. Same with the RGB. It has its uses, at which it is very very good, and there are some things it's no darn good at (you will not light up something 100' away with it).

Personally, I just can't stop playing with it. I keep rotating through the colors every night, every time I walk into a darkened room, and admire the pretty colors. I use the RGB instead of the wall switch because the room light is boring and the RGB is fun! Time will tell how long the fascination will last, but for now I am carrying it everywhere and using it at every turn. If it's a gimmick light, I hope someone makes more lights this gimmicky for me to buy.
 

carrot

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I've decided that even if I can't immediately think of a use for this, that I want it badly. Think I'll pick one up after SHOT Show... or during.
 

kaichu dento

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The Quark RGB's use of only one die at a time from a multi-die LED means that the lit die will inherently be drastically off center in the reflector. This naturally produces the side effect of having a lopsided beam pattern as well. The decision to use such a shallow floodlight reflector was no doubt to help mitigate the effects of this, and the lack of a defined hotspot does reduce its appearance. The fact remains however that there is some slight migration to one side within the beam and several unilateral artifacts in each of the 4 spectrums. Unfortunately without the use of a highly complex (and therefor expensive and likely to fail) cam system re-centering the LED each time the die is changed, I don't see a way to avoid these slight issues. In reality, these differences will not affect real-world use much in the least, but they will be readily apparent to the urban white wall hunter.
I think the best way to tackle the beam pattern issue would be to kill two birds with one stone. Have a rotating ring like the U2 that would turn the reflector, which would be slightly off center so that as the hole in the reflector centered over one of the four emitters it would come on, and be in perfect focus. The head rotation could still act as it already does.
 

Mike V

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I'd be interested in something like this if you could mix the colours somehow to vary the colour temp and possibly even the CRI of the output.

Maybe it could have setting such as 3200 degrees K, 5600 degrees K, a maximum CRI possible at whatever colour temp that might be etc. etc.

Otherwise maybe it could have some memories and you could use a colour meter to mix your own settings.
 

Moonshadow

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I'm afraid that wouldn't work.

What you have here is a white emitter plus three monochromatic emitters.

So by mixing the dies, you'd just get the white spectrum (either warm or cool, depending on which one you chose) with single-wavelength emission lines superimposed on it from the red green and blue dies.

What you are after is a continuous white spectrum with a variable colour temperature. Not the same thing at all. Probably not very easy to do with LEDs either, but this certainly isn't the way to do it.
 

tucolino

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thanks for the review!!
i ordered mine last week,can´t wait for it to arrive
 

mwaldron

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Nice write up as always, Aardvark, but it kind of leaves me with the impression that it's almost more of a "gimmick" light.

I agree, it's not useful for most people, but when has that ever stopped us?

The red and white variable output might be useful to me, but the green and blue are useless for me.

I ordered one because I have been drooling over it for 2 months just because it's a unique piece of technology. It's a lot like the Kroma or the A2 in that it does something that is somewhat strange and unique. And of course, it comes in neutral white.

Is it a good tool for me? Probably not, but time will tell and I have many other fine illumination tools. Will I play with it for hours just going Oooo and Ahhhhh? Yeah, probably. So this one is a toy...

I like to support the development of weird stuff when I can, otherwise innovation dies.

I've decided that even if I can't immediately think of a use for this, that I want it badly.

+1 Carrot!
 

AardvarkSagus

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Thanks for the kind words everyone, and thanks Rexlion for that clarification. Yes, you are able to leave the light on a certain level and have it always come on there, but after a day or two of setting it down, I no longer remember what setting I left it in. That was what I was getting at.

Also, I have not been able to yet guarantee whether it will be on the same color or the next color in line when I activate that mode, I still am deciphering when the color advancement occurs and how to better predict that to get what I want.

No this light isn't probably for everyone and for some it will be a gimmick, but for those who may actually have an excellent use for it, it is unbeatable. For the rest, it's still fun!
 

applevision

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I agree, it's not useful for most people, but when has that ever stopped us?

The red and white variable output might be useful to me, but the green and blue are useless for me.

I ordered one because I have been drooling over it for 2 months just because it's a unique piece of technology. It's a lot like the Kroma or the A2 in that it does something that is somewhat strange and unique. And of course, it comes in neutral white.

Is it a good tool for me? Probably not, but time will tell and I have many other fine illumination tools. Will I play with it for hours just going Oooo and Ahhhhh? Yeah, probably. So this one is a toy...

I like to support the development of weird stuff when I can, otherwise innovation dies.



+1 Carrot!

Nice! That's why I love this place!
 

Cataract

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Great review.
I personally could have done without any of the flashling modes, or hide them somehow, to have less modes to go through ... +1 on that point

Although I find the memory mode extremely usefull with the only *small* shortcoming that if you want to use only one color for, let's say a single hike, but still need to turn the white mode for noisy bushes, don't forget to turn off the light before switching back to color, or you'll have to go through all the colors before you're back where you started.

I love mine and I can't wait to install that on my headband for camping next summer. Who knows, I'll probably go out snowshoeing just to test it...
 

Rexlion

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Hey Cataract, thanks for writing that. I had not yet caught on to the fact that if I have it on blue and tighten the head to get white, then shut it off and loosen the head, it will be blue when I turn it on again. I just assumed it would advance to the next color, like it does when it's on... that's a nice shortcut to know about!
 

Nyctophiliac

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AardvarkSagus - super review - I hope you continue to get on with your light. One question - what is that red cloth in the pix? Looks very Sci-Fi.

Cataract, that is a fantastic tip!!

Another bit of info or two. When I first got my RGB I took off the clip. A simple matter of removing the tailcap and then the ring that holds the clip on. The two are then put back on the light and snugged tight - voila, instant clip gone! One slight drawback is if the retainer ring gets loose then the tailcap may not work until it is tightened again - I thought I had broken mine.

Also mine has been working fine on a protected 1600 mAh 17670 which is great, especially as CR123A cells are very expensive over here in the UK.


I really like this light.

Snowing here in London.

Brrrr!
 

AardvarkSagus

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AardvarkSagus - super review - I hope you continue to get on with your light. One question - what is that red cloth in the pix? Looks very Sci-Fi.
Thanks! That actually is the cloth cover for my son's brand new Christmas present Bean bag chair. Weather outside wasn't very conducive to pictures, so I grabbed something interesting from the living room!
 

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