Fenix AOD-L Diffuser on the TK41 and Nitecore TM11

SDM44

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May 26, 2011
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I'm sure most of you have seen the Fenix AOD-L diffuser that's good for the TK40, TK41, and TK60. I found one online for $9 shipped so I decided to get it and try it out. Since my TM11 head looks almost about the same diameter as the TK41, I figured it might work so I would give it a try.

Surprisingly, it's actually a very thick piece of plastic so I'm sure it can withstand some amount of heat to it over time.




Here's a closeup picture of the diffuser cap itself. I darkened up the image a little bit to show the contour of the top, as it's a concave shape.





The AOD-L diffuser is actually a very tight fit on the TK41. It snaps on there, but it almost seems like it will mar the finish when you keep taking the cap off over time. However, it looks natural on the TK41 like it belongs there.




With the TK41 lit, it emits a nice pure white light with no green or blue tones. It disperses the light evenly around a dark room. I'll get pictures later of it on and lighting up a dark room when I have some more time. On the highest setting, the light output was really good and the diffuser did not feel hot at all after a minute.






I next tried it out on the Nitecore TM11 to see how it would fit. Surprisingly, it goes on so much easier to the TM11 and onto the TK41. It doesn't 'snap' into place like it does on the TK41, but the knurling around the head keeps the diffuser in place as it grabs right there. Pretty good fitment and it'll work perfectly if I want to use it on the TM11.




Obviously the TM11 put out a lot more light than the TK41, even on the "low 3" settings. The light color was also a bright & pure white with no blue or green tones to the light. The light also dispersed evenly throughout the entire room (pics later of that) and the diffuser did not get hot at all with the 3 lower settings. It did start to feel warm when on the highest 2000 lumen max output, especially after 15 seconds. I left it on for a full minute and it was pretty warm, but not scorching hot to where the plastic would melt or warp. I wouldn't want to leave it on the max setting with the TM11, but OMG did it really light up the entire room as if I lit up a gas mantle lantern that I would use when I go camping.







Here are some beam shots of with the diffuser on each light.

Enclosed 11ft x 13ft room with a 9ft ceiling. The room has 2 sets of florescent light fixtures, with 2 x 4ft long tubes that light up the room. The lights were placed on a shelf that's approx 7.5 ft high. Camera was mounted 2 ft below the lights, set to manual with F2.8 and ISO 200 settings.



Control pics. One with the lights on and one with the lights off.





Here are a couple of shots with the Fenix TK41 on the MED mode at 108 lumens, and on the MAX mode of 800 lumens.





Here are a couple of shots with the Nitecore TM11 on HIGH mode at 1100 lumens, and on the MAX mode of 2000 lumens.




The TM11 is much brighter overall, and that was going to be expected. Both lights are too bright to hold in your hand as a wand, or to place the light with diffuser right next to you on the table. I expected the TK41 to perform better, and it did well and lit up the dark room just fine. But as soon as I turned on the TM11, then you knew right away there was no comparison. In the pictures, the room actually looks brighter with the TM11 than it did in the control pic, and it was brighter in man places in the room. However, the TM11 only lit up what you see, so behind my monitors was still very dark and hard to see. The ceiling lights aim the lights downward at a wide angle with the reflectors in the housing, so it lights up everything in the room. If I point the TM11 at the reflector, it does a pretty good job at replicating that amount of light in the room.


I'll try to test a side by side comparison shot with my dual mantle gas camping lantern and the TM11 w/diffuser to see how each performs. Going off of how each looks, it's going to be fairly close in performance.

Still, well worth the $9 I spent on it since I can use it on either light, and it works well on both lights.
 
Last edited:

SDM44

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May 26, 2011
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As an owner of a TK41, beamshots please.

I added some beam shots above.



I'd prefer a flat diffuser.

I have the EagleTac white diffuser lens on order, but IMO that's designed for a different duty. The diffuser cap makes the flashlight act like a lantern, so it disperses the light 360 degrees around it, and also to the front of it. The diffuser filter lens just disperses the light evening in front of the light, only where you have the light pointed.


I'm going to try a couple of different things to see how the lighting turns out on the TM11. One is to include a foil shield inside the diffuser cap so it's not so intense if the light is right next to me. The other is to make a poor man's lamp shade and completely cover the TM11, but allow the light to escape from above & below the lamp shade.
 

shelm

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Dec 8, 2011
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2,047
So will the Fenix diffuser fit on the TM15 too?
 

shelm

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Dec 8, 2011
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It should, also it WILL fit over the skyray king as well if anybody's wondering

all right, thanks then.
i ordered 1pc (Fenix AOD-L) from Wallbuys. they have it up for 3 bucks incl free shipping, nice!!
 

pebbles

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Oct 20, 2013
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Massachusetts
The diffuser fits the tk41, but it can feel like you are really forcing it on and off. It has four snap on points, two of which will have to be forced over the widest part. I took an exacto knife and shaved down two opposing snaps and now secure the two remaining on the narrower part. It's better but wish there was something a little more custom-fitting. However, it lit up my 10x16ish bedroom to where you could easily read a book anywhere with the setting on turbo. Looking directly at diffuser on this setting is not fun.
 
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