Zebralight H31Fw or H31w + Diffused film

Hello Guys, after last camping with my H502d and witness how a incan light makes meat look so good on grill... I wanted a warm light
I am heading for another camping trip again and thinking to get H31 warm series. Here is my dilemma why I cannot decide...

I sort of know, I prefer Flood light over all.
I have read one member's opinion on he prefer not to waste a LED behind frosted lens and would go H31w + diffuse film. (i think, hmm....so true)
I have read another member's opinion that he bought both H31 and H31Fw and prefer flood most of time. the H31 always has a tape on and rare takes off. (i think, hmm....it could happen)

Decision, decision....this isn't a new question but why it bother the mind so much when you try to make one.....
Which would you go for?

For me the H31w (with DC Fix when needed) is the way to go. This gives you the option of having some throw in a pinch if needed.

Either way this is my favorite headlamp paired with my H502d.

I have to agree. I'd personally go for the clear lens especially since you already have a h502 flood.
I too had this dilemma before the H502 arrived, I was torn between frosted vs non frosted glass. I have an old PrincetonTec EOS that has a narrow optic. I simply put scotch tape over it and it improved its useability inside or close up tasks. There are times when I need it to throw outdoors so I simply remove the tape when I need it.

Now the question is how does the beam compare to a stock frosted lens vs diffused filter?

zebralight warm tints are more neutral than warm. i would rather go for their High CRI versions.

ive had a H51w which has a neutral XP-G, it was a nice neutral, no signs of green, but it was still too cool for my liking. (i like 2700-3000k tiints)
i also had a H31w with XP-E, the tint on the XP-E was more yellow, but the beam was too narrow. i stuck on a piece of diffusor film and used it like that.
i sold both lights because i just wasnt happy with them.

i now have a minimus vision, and i dont see myself buying anymore zebralights.

anyone else has opinion about this?

I'd just get the F version. I don't like the beam produced by frosted tape or DC Fix or any other adhesive diffusing material I've tried. 3M Scotch frosted tape creates a slight polarizing effect and you have to use two layers perpendicular to each other to get an even beam profile. This reduces output too much IMO. DC Fix doesn't diffuse enough to produce a smooth beam. It doubles the size of the hotspot and kind of blends the hotspot with the spill, but the transition isn't that smooth. Also, artifacts are created in the beam which are visible during up close use.

You'll probably use the diffused beam 99% of the time anyway. If you get a non-F version, you'll have to settle for less than optimum performance 99% of the time just to have the option of using a spot plus spill beam 1% of the time. Unless weight is extremely important to you, it's better to get the F version and just carry a second flashlight, like a Quark Mini ML or something similar. Those things are tiny and weigh next to nothing.

Zebralight quotes a 5% loss in output due to frosted lens.
I don't think any externally applied film will be as efficient.

The diffusion film being sold in the marketplace (DC-fix) is supposed to only have 3.2% output drop. I'm trying to find the thread where someone tested the output difference (found this thread).

Zebralight might also be conservative in their ratings.

This is tightest Poll ever. Must be Win-Win situation.

It's a personal thing I think. I have the H51f and H51 to which I've added tape. I never use the H51 without tape and I generally use the H51f so my vote obviously was to go the frosted version.

It's not like the non-frosted version has a lot of throw anyway. It's just got an annoying cutoff going from the outer spill to complete darkness that is bothersome to see moving around while you are trying to walk/hike.

If you use it to work on your car maybe that's not an issue.