XML.... Holy.... Wow!

So after 3-4 years of using dereelight Q5 and R2 dropins, I decided to try some XML lights.

1) T5 4500k nailbender dropin... Wow bright and GREAT tint! My new fav dropin!

2) UF cheap T6 XML lights, also very bright but cool blueish.

I compared these to my Z2 running a Q5 and a DBS running a R2, makes them look sooooooo weak. Almost as if batteries are low! I am amazed that light output is literally double to my eyes!

Yeah, I've been seeing some XM-L lights coming through my site lately. Very nice stuff to be sure. Bright and floody generally.

If there will be some High CRI XM-Ls I will replace my High CRI XP-G drop-in with an XM-L drop-in with the same current values. In my environment I prefer flood over throw.

IcantC said:

I compared these to my Z2 running a Q5 and a DBS running a R2, makes them look sooooooo weak. Almost as if batteries are low! I am amazed that light output is literally double to my eyes!

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How is the XM-L throw compared to your Q5 and R2?
If the XM-L throw is diminished, is that just a little, moderately, or a lot???

The XML can still throw pretty good if it is in the right reflector. I have the Fenix TK41 and it throws pretty darn good. There are other manufacturers that have good throwing XML based LED lights too.

The Q5 throws more, however you just notice the beam far away. Hard to make of what it is lighting up. The XML on the other hand has more useful range of output. All my XML lights have OP reflectors as opposed to the Q5 with smo.

In a proportionately larger reflector, the XM-L throws as well as any other emitter eg Thrunite Catapult, or Jetbeam M1xm etc etc.
However, isn't it enteresting how, for a given limited size reflector constraint, all the old less powerful Q5's and R2's out throw the new bigger XM-L emitter.

So if we have reflector size constraints, then all these new XM-L's are just flooders?
And flooding is actually more practical too, unless you're attaching to a rifle, and hunting for rabbits..

I think after a certain distance some lights loose "useful" throw.... At least to me. Yes the beam may hit over a few hundred yards but our eyes can't always "spot" what's there.

I totally agree with you...I keep reading where people want their lights to throw a mile, but how can you really see that far unless you are using binoculars, or a scope.

IcantC said:

I think after a certain distance some lights loose "useful" throw.... At least to me. Yes the beam may hit over a few hundred yards but our eyes can't always "spot" what's there.

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quite some time ago, when I used my then "show around" lights - 9N and 9NT,
I always did the following example:

both lights, open field, some object to illuminate about 100-200 meters away:
the focused beam showed more detail but the 9N also reached there.

in the woods, brush around, standing on a forest road:
the 9N lights up the near area, while just a few meters alongside the road one cant see nothing
(because the bright "flood" and spill had the eyes react to that),
the turbo head on the other side started to illuminate everything within some distance, where the normal beam did not even reached.

... special beams for special occasions ...

FlashKat said:

I totally agree with you...I keep reading where people want their lights to throw a mile, but how can you really see that far unless you are using binoculars, or a scope.

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Haha...yep that is true. I do use a 7 x 50mm bino though on a tripod.