HDS Rotary decision point - XPG2 or N219

I have a few pretty nice lights but now want to graduate to an HDS Rotary. Would really like to hear from more experienced users than myself, the pros and cons of the Cree XPG2 vs Nichia 219. While I do not have any specific uses in mind for the light, it will really be a general use, high quality item for me. Thanks for your input.

I love love the tint on my Nichia 219 HDS 170. I don't know if you are fussy about tint but for me the tint of that one is worth the sacrifice of 80 lms vs the 250.

I have three hds (GDP, nichia a and xpg). The three have good beam and tint but I didn't bought them for raw power or lumen, I choose the nichia as the best option.

It's kinda like picking a paint color - very personal. Having said that (and owning both), if I was forced to choose only one I'd go with the 219. YMMV

I don't own an HDS, but I do have a light with a N219. It's the best LED for consistent, nice tint across the entire beam profile. The XPG2 can be nice, but it will not be as consistent (you often get greenish coronas or purplish spill), and of course not as high CRI.

The downside of the Nichia is it's only about half as efficient as the Cree. That means less output or shorter runtimes.

Since HDS lights are underpowered to begin with, you're probably not buying one for a pocket rocket. So, you may as well go for tint and get one with a Nichia 219.

I have an HDS tactical (version 2) purchased in late 2011. This was before I learned to appreciate higher CRI tints. That said, it is a lovely white, easy on the eyes, great hot spot with moderate throw and nice spill. I appreciate it every time I use it. I thought about selling it to buy a Nichia version, but not sure the beam profile would match. It is the only white I have kept.

Have you considered the 325 XPL? It'll have a larger more useful hotspot for close and medium task work, while still throwing reasonably well with the extra lumens.

reppans said:

Have you considered the 325 XPL? It'll have a larger more useful hotspot for close and medium task work, while still throwing reasonably well with the extra lumens.

Click to expand...

+1

WalkIntoTheLight said:

I don't own an HDS, but I do have a light with a N219. It's the best LED for consistent, nice tint across the entire beam profile..

Click to expand...

x1000

Its not always about the lumens.

I say go for the Neutral version. My 140N has to be the purest white out of all the lights I own.

All personal. But I would base that decision on what lights you already own. If you have a 219 light already then get the other and vice versa. Or do like me. Buy both, and sell the one you don't prefer. Chances are, you will keep both. lol

Str8stroke said:

All personal. But I would base that decision on what lights you already own. If you have a 219 light already then get the other and vice versa. Or do like me. Buy both, and sell the one you don't prefer. Chances are, you will keep both. lol

Click to expand...

Brilliant! I vote N219, quality over quantity.

If you have the funds, buy both, return the one you don't like. If you don't have the funds, wait. Light tint preference is very personal. Yes science and stuff indicates spectrum la la la, I know guys who love cool white, have $400 lights, with cool fuzzy bright lights and they love em.
Most of my friends can't even see a difference..
Nichia is natural to some, but one may prefer a certain XL-g2 whatever because that is what they like.

im still trying to decide my preference too .. Options are nice.
good luck.

reppans said:

Have you considered the 325 XPL? It'll have a larger more useful hotspot for close and medium task work, while still throwing reasonably well with the extra lumens.

Click to expand...

run4jc said:

+1

Click to expand...

+2

Color temp is quite neutral on my hotspot. I get a *hint* of purplish spill. The 250 & 325 essentially have the same amount of throw per Henry. The 325 spreads those lumens over a larger area.

If the XPL were the same price I'd be all over it. I don't see the reason it costs more.

recDNA said:

If the XPL were the same price I'd be all over it. I don't see the reason it costs more.

Click to expand...

Im sure there is more costs involved that we may not be aware of. We also have no idea how many were purchased and what cost he carries to be able to offer them. You also get an emitter that is brighter and a light that is more efficient, that adds value to the end product. Henrys lights aren't cheap, and there isn't a detail anywhere that haven't had hundreds, and in many cases Im sure thousands of brain hours behind them. I have had the pleasure of speaking to him in person at length. He is so knowledgable he's like a full functioning savant.... Every detail has been obsessed over and perfected. I even asked him about his lube and the dude actually started breaking down each spec and weighing the benefits of every characteristic like he was reading it off an MSDS sheet....... it was pretty amazing.


TLDR: Brighter / Inventory costs / Time

None of the HDSes are exceptionally bright, anyway (the 170 will be about as bright as a typical "300" emitter-lumen cheap Chinese light, however ), and the runtimes given seem to be worst-case (I get better runtimes with RCRs than are stated for primaries!), so the reduced brightness vs. runtime is not going to be worth worrying about. I almost exclusively buy 219 based lights, now, so my vote is the Nichia. It's not the color temperature, or apparent color of the tint (though every 219 I've seen has great-looking tint), but the contrast between different hues, so you can see depth and contrast that a low-CRI cool white simply cannot give, when looking at brown, gray, red, and yellow areas (such as walking outdoors, or in a crawlspace). It's like having 80-90% of an incandescent bulb's light quality, with all the other benefits of LED.

run4jc has a great point.

run4jc said:

It's kinda like picking a paint color - very personal. YMMV

Click to expand...

I don't' have a HDS, but I do have several NC D11.2 flashlights. Side by side, I enjoy the snowy white tint of the CREE XP-G (R5) over sickly tint of Nichia 219 (A). Again to quote run4jc, "YMMV".

LedTed said:

I enjoy the snowy white tint of the CREE XP-G (R5) over sickly tint of Nichia 219

Click to expand...

Could you please post a photo of the two beams at similar lumens, side by side

I actually prefer 219A pinkish tint to 219B snow white tint but 140 lumens is just not enough for me. I'd go with the 325 over either but I must admit I wish there were a neutral XP-L available with a CRI of 85 or more.

I don't have any HDS products, but I do have different lights in XPG2 and N219A. The N219A is by far my favorite to use for general tasks. I do not own any N219B.