Why aren't there more variable focus light?

With all of the frequently mentioned lines of lights why aren't there more/any variable focus lights?

I believe there is a Mag model and some DX flood to throw models but other than that I don't see any.

I suppose there is a reason...what is it?

Because there's no need.

LED-based lights usually have a good combination of a bright hotspot with a wide spillbeam, giving you the best of both worlds anyway.

LEDs also make it possible to have variable output and as you increase the brightness you'll see more in the spill, effectively widening your field of view. Not exactly the same as a variable focus, but it achieves a similar effect.

Incandescent lights like the good ol' Mag had to cope with the fact that the emitter was not a point source - the filament in a bulb has a finite size, making it difficult to get a smooth and uniform beam. The variable focus on the Mag was an attempt to cover up the crappy and very uneven beam. (If you haven't used one for a while, just pick one up and try it - you'll be shocked at how poor the beam is).

LEDs on the other hand, are much smaller - closer to a point source, making it possible to get a smooth beam. So there really is no need for a focusing or adjustable reflector.

Let me guess:

1: beam profile is by many considered as a bad compromise

2: such a function worsens the durability of the light

3: too expensive to produce such a light with adequate durability

You're forgetting that Led Lenser have a vast array of variable focus lights - very even flood and very long throw spots - their P series is great - longest throwing single AA torch I have is the P5. Also Fenix make one - I believe it is the E20 2AA light.

I think Maglite copyrighted the focus method on their lights, which is why it is rare to see other Led lights using a focusable reflector like that.

Personally I love a good focusable beam - the Led Lensers are superb.

Quite a few here http://www.ledlenserusa.com/products.php

Hum...good points, thanks!

I find that sometimes I'm not really into the look of the spill/hotspot kind of beam. It can be kind of distracting to use it for throw and then have a big halo of light wiggling around in the foreground under certain circumstances.

Particularly with a tight hotspot in a large spill beam. If it's a little spill with a large hotspot it's much better of course since it still seems somewhat directional and controllable.

With all of the choices out there in the higher priced/quality lights I just thought there would be a place for a good quality, brighter version of the cheaper flood to throw lights maybe something with ramping as well.

I'm sure the argument would be when you try to put everything into one package you get the best of no worlds but that's kind of what you have with spill and hotspot combined in one beam as well.

Edit: The two above posts occurred while I was typing!

Moonshadow said:

Because there's no need.

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I don't agree with that at all... I have throw lights like the A8 which sucks close up, and a flood light like an MTE P7 which sucks long range. I've yet to see a thrower that's good close up, and vice verser. I'd love my A8 even more of I could widen the beam to flood like my cheap MTE.

Jetbeam RRT-2

Nyctophiliac said:

I think Maglite copyrighted the focus method on their lights, which is why it is rare to see other Led lights using a focusable reflector like that.

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The focusing mechanism would be patented, not copyrighted. The original patent should be expired by now.

They are a lot more difficult to design. You can easily find off-the-shelf reflectors and/or optics to do the spot/spill thing. However, it is difficult (if not impossible) to accomplish what even the cheap DX flood-to-throw lights are capable of without going the custom (read expensive) route. See here https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/260573

The inexpensive, Maglite type solutions are a disaster, beam-profile-wise, and as a result nearly any good fixed-beam light will be more useful than these types of variable focus lights in practical use. Some of the more advanced variable-focus lights are ingenius and very very cool. I haven't taken the plunge because they invariable add a bunch of length to the light, and since my current fixed-focus lights are meeting my needs wonderfully in a shorter package, I haven't seen the need to move to variable-focus. But I wonder ... after I own my first well-designed variable focus, will I not want to go back???

Joe Talmadge said:

The inexpensive, Maglite type solutions are a disaster, beam-profile-wise, and as a result nearly any good fixed-beam light will be more useful than these types of variable focus lights in practical use. Some of the more advanced variable-focus lights are ingenius and very very cool. I haven't taken the plunge because they invariable add a bunch of length to the light, and since my current fixed-focus lights are meeting my needs wonderfully in a shorter package, I haven't seen the need to move to variable-focus. But I wonder ... after I own my first well-designed variable focus, will I not want to go back???

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That's what made we think about this in the first place. I got a cheap DX variable focus light thinking it would be a piece of crap but I wanted to take it apart and maybe learn something from it regarding using the same concepts in a dive light at some time in the future... and I find myself liking it.

The beam doesn't look great on the wall in the house but when I go outside lately at night I've grabbed it and it is useful and fun to be able to adjust the beam.

I'm wondering what it would be like to have a great light using this concept (better lens) more power, ramping etc.

swrdply400mrelay said:

Jetbeam RRT-2

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Do you have one? Everyone I've seen post here about it has said you can only defocus it a little when trying to change from throw to flood?

If it actually worked I'd buy one in a flash as I've had my eye on it as a replacement for my A8

I really love variable focus lights too! I can understand people's arguments for why they are unnecessary and why more of them aren't made, but I think for a lot of people, they are really great lights.

I really like the fenix E20, but my current favorite is the romisen rc-c6. If you have an rc-n3 you can turn it into a 2xaa light as well. You can buy just the extension tube from shiningbeam if you email bryan.

gcbryan said:

I find that sometimes I'm not really into the look of the spill/hotspot kind of beam. It can be kind of distracting to use it for throw and then have a big halo of light wiggling around in the foreground under certain circumstances.

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I agree wholeheartedly. The majority of my torch use is over distance and having the "spill" in the foreground and around the spot makes it harder for the eye to see objects at a distance when the torch is nearing the full extent of its range.

The common spot/spill arrangement also makes it very very hard to see distant objects when shining the torch through a gap between two closer bushes or trees, all you see is the wall of light from the spill on the closer trees and very little of the distant object because the eye is pulled to the brighter area.

I come close to hating the spot/spill arrangement of most of my LED torches and find my Led Lensers focussed to spot to be far more useful for distance work (which is mostly what I use torches for) as well being able to illuminate longer ranges using much less lumens than my Quarks and Fenixes etc.

PayBack said:

Do you have one? Everyone I've seen post here about it has said you can only defocus it a little when trying to change from throw to flood?

If it actually worked I'd buy one in a flash as I've had my eye on it as a replacement for my A8

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I don't call it a little, it's functional, I have used it in a dark warehouse and it makes a difference when searching low and high. Gives a better spill when defocus

I think flood to throw works better with optics than with reflectors as far as beam quality.

In most cases for close up work I think it looks better when the line between hotspot and spill isn't all that distinct and for spot as noted spill is just distracting.

Maybe a heavier OP or perhaps a slightly frosted lens would result in the kind of beam I prefer?

Nyctophiliac said:

You're forgetting that Led Lenser have a vast array of variable focus lights - very even flood and very long throw spots - their P series is great - longest throwing single AA torch I have is the P5. Also Fenix make one - I believe it is the E20 2AA light.

I think Maglite copyrighted the focus method on their lights, which is why it is rare to see other Led lights using a focusable reflector like that.

Personally I love a good focusable beam - the Led Lensers are superb.

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The first light I bought outside of Mags was an LED Lenser P14 last year, I really like this light, easy focusing, excellent build quality. I've only recently discovered CPF and now I've got a Romisen ordered, looking forward to trying that out as a more pocketable option. Interested to know of any other focusable lights too...

jefierro said:

I don't call it a little, it's functional, I have used it in a dark warehouse and it makes a difference when searching low and high. Gives a better spill when defocus

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Is that with a SMO or OP reflector?


I have the OP reflector, and it looks like less of a hotspot when focused and more spill when defocused than what is pictured.

It's a tick of the camera, actally I can see a larger spill with my eyes than in that pic, I ordered the smo but I got a very op like reflector I like it more I'm glad ther's no protuding rings in there.