Welcome to the wonderful world of ARC lightning. The film does actually affect the beam to an extent. If you have a pouch for it or are planning on carrying it in a way that protects the lens I would go ahead and take the film off. However, if you will be carrying it in your pocket or in a way that might get it scratched I would leave it on. I took it off my recently purchased LSL-S and it did seem to increase the brighness and smoothness of the beam. So it's up to you. Hope you enjoy your recent purchase!