Beam Patterns

BehindTheSight

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What do you guy consider to be the best beam pattern?

Some FL's have a very focused hot spot that has a long throw but I seem to prefer a more even beam throughout. Just curious what you consider to be best.
 

StarHalo

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Nearly all my flashlight use is indoors and not at a great distance, so a broad beam works best for me. Typical XM-L non-thrower lights and Foursevens Minis have excellent broad beams that cover at least 99% of my needs.
 

archimedes

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....Some FL's have a very focused hot spot that has a long throw but I seem to prefer a more even beam throughout. Just curious what you consider to be best.

The "best" beam pattern will vary, depending upon the specific task or purpose for the light .... If you are wanting a very even beam, without any hotspot, might want to check out a Mule (no reflector, no optic) torch - :)

I find a Mule to be rather specialized, however. For general "all-around use" (whatever that means), many here prefer the beam pattern of the McGizmo Haiku (or similar), which has been described as "punchy flood" (with credit to PSM, IIRC).
 
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Jash

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Only one flashlight eh? Well, I'd have to go with a thrower (probably the TK41), as you can always make a diffuser for it and make it floody. You can't turn a floody light into a thrower.
 

twl

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For most of my uses, a relatively floody beam that is powerful enough to have some good reach, is my preference.
This is exemplified by the Malkoff Wildcat.
It is a relatively floody triple-emitter light that has a fairly broad beam. But that beam is controlled sufficiently to also reach out to about 150 yards distance. This gives me a good combination of width and distance that meets my needs very well. It is very unusual that I actually need any beam to reach more than 150 yards in my uses. If I do need that, I have a different light which I would take if I planned to encounter any long distance needs.
As for really long distance lights, I find that I only need enough throw for the distances that I can actually see detail with the naked eye. I don't plan to use binoculars at night to see where my light beam is illuminating. Typically 250-300 yards is all I will ever use a flashlight for, in terms of distance, unless I was on a boat looking for a shoreline or something like that. And for that, we have radar.
 

kengps

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I would agree with twl....250-300 yards is all I ever need for a thrower. Therefore I have stopped the Maximum Lux race at 30,000 or so. Now I look for a light with 30,000 lux and the most lumens after that for broadest possible hot spot and side spill. My Sunwayman T60CS meets those requirements at 35,000 and 2400 lumens. Then I only need a close range light with a 150 meters of throw, and good runtime. That is used 90% of the time for me. A P60 drop-in type is fine for that with an XML driven at 2.8A, and a 20% low mode. I figure in a few years technology will have the P60 sized lights replacing the Triple XML too. A Surefire C2 or Z2 body is the max size for most pocket carry. Then you need an EDC. Something really small that you don't notice clipped inside a pocket. Zebralight's H31 fits that requirement for me. So if I had to have only one light? The Surefire C2 would have to be the choice. The throw/output just keeps getting better and better. Maybe eventually my little Zebralight will be throwing out to 250 meters?? Then I will truly be down to one light. But we're not there yet. I'm just happy to be down from 6 lights to 3 now.
 

davyro

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I have different tastes in the beam department depending on what I need a light for but i guess my favourite beam if i had to go with one is a beam with a well defined hotspot that gives a punchy throw but i like a bit of spill as well.I'm not talking a laser like throw just a good throw for an EDC size light but also a decent spill i reckon the new XPG 2 will be perfect if it's in the right light set up.I carry an EDC light with me always & my 170T (HDS) with the GDP LED was very good for me also i have an Twisty with a P4 LED & that has a great beam profile.I've got a Surefire E1B in the post & I'm looking forward to see what it's like.If i don't like the beam on it i might try & get it modded with an XRE R2 i think that would be an interesting set up.
 

nbp

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Have a few lights with really good beam patterns, actually, but I have been enamored with the beam on my Tri EDC ever since I got it. I love the beam on this light! Big fuzzy hotspot, very even and smooth, plenty of flood, touch of throw.
 

kaichu dento

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I think you'll find that most here have a strong preference for a close to mid-range light, with a wide enough pattern that allows a bit of peripheral vision, but also gives enough throw to see down the trail, or punch through in daytime when looking into shaded areas under shelves or non-lighted areas.
 

nbp

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Did you get your Tri EDC Pete? You enjoying thr beam on that bad boy?
 

yliu

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Most people are going to like a smooth and floody beam pattern for EDC as it can illuminate a larger area and will not cause a 'tunnel vision'.

But it really depends on what you need. Someone who needs max throw for longer distances, they will prefer a tightly focused beam. While there are lights that are complete flood.
 

kaichu dento

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Most people are going to like a smooth and floody beam pattern for EDC...
As long as it has enough of a hotspot to prevent if from being a one-purpose-wonder. All flood and no throw, or all throw and no flood are specialty lights and a good reason for the 007 being more flexible than either of the extremes on the Tri-V would be on their own.
A good EDC needs to cover all bases.
 

tam17

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For short distances it's directional flood (e.g. Fenix E05) and for medium distances it's soft and broad XM-L-ish hotspot & wide spill. I have only one XR-E throwy drop-in and I don't use it much.

Cheers
 

moldyoldy

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I think you'll find that most here have a strong preference for a close to mid-range light, with a wide enough pattern that allows a bit of peripheral vision, but also gives enough throw to see down the trail, or punch through in daytime when looking into shaded areas under shelves or non-lighted areas.

+1

If I had to choose a single beam example that is useful for most of my lighting needs, then the SC600 is a good choice.

Otherwise for a more conventional beam with some reach, the TK35 has a nice usable balance of spot vs spill. meaning a large spot and with still enough spill so that I can scan with my eyes, not with the beam. The throw of the TK35 reaches about as far as I can recognize what kind of a critter at that distance, not just that there is a critter out there or that I can see the eyes.

The very popular TK41 is an example of too much throw and too little spill for me. Putting a diffuser on that light would reduce the useful distance to far less than an SC600. I had two TK41s at different times and returned both of them. Not for me.

However the Fenix E11 offers a different beam style. The TIR focuses nearly all of the light in to a large "spot" with a very narrow and dim spill. The result is that that large spot is brighter than other lights using reflectors with theoretically more lumens, but that spread their lumens into larger % of spill.
 
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