Now that we are seeing 5000K flash lights in ≥ 80 CRI, would you still stick with NW?

Now that we are seeing 5000K flash lights in ≥ 80 CRI, would you still stick with NW?

Normally I am a hard core high CRI/ neutral/warm white guy, and used to see only high CRI in NW and WW, but now I am seeing cool (or day) white (5000K) lights as ≥80 CRI. For those who are like me but also tried the day white high CRI lights what is your opinion? Have you fully embraced the 5000K lights?

The reason why I asking this is that I am trying to to decide between the D (5000k) or the C (4000K) lights that Zebralights and other manufactures now have. I also trying to avoid buying both and having to decide.

Re: Now that we are seeing 5000K flash lights in ≥ 80 CRI, would you still stick with

Warmer light is typically more pleasing to the eye than higher color temps as intensity falls off. For most flashlight use I prefer moderate color temps between 3300k and 4400k.

Case in point. I have a Zebra H502D...5000k 85CRI emitter with a fairly white (blackbody) tint. It renders objects up to a couple yards away to appear quite naturally, but objects beyond that range (trees, brush) generally look pale and appear less natural. My 75CRI 4000k Armytek headlamp at about the same intensity makes those same "distant" bushes and trees appear more pleasing to the eye.

Just what I've noticed.

Re: Now that we are seeing 5000K flash lights in ≥ 80 CRI, would you still stick with

Zebralight used the Luxeon T which was 4k and 5k with 80+ cri respectively for a while too. It's not really a new trend. Seems as though they found that they could push a little more lumens with the Cree Easy White than the Luxeon T though. Their new methodology of measuring each light for minimal tint variance might lead to less of a green tint as well.

The Luxeon T at 5k isn't really that cool of a light. It's pretty much dead on white, or at least closer to that mark than a 4500k Nichia. However, the Luxeon T showed slight green in its corona, and slight blue in its spill. If the new Cree easy whites are better in that regard remains to be seen.

As my opinion on 5k 80+ cri lights, I preferred the 5k Luxeon T to any other light I had experience with for outdoor usage, and that includes vs other LEDs like cool white XML2s and 4500k Nichias. The 5k Luxeon T isn't quite as high a color temperature as direct midday sunlight, but itapproaches the appearance of the sun a little better than a Nichia or XML2.

For indoor usage and whitewall hunting, the Nichia has been the best in my view.


If what Zebralight says is true about their minimal tint variations, and the Cree Easy Whites have less green and blue shift than the Luxeon T at 5k, then it truly is the king of all tints IMO.

Re: Now that we are seeing 5000K flash lights in ≥ 80 CRI, would you still stick with

insanefred said:

Normally I am a hard core high CRI/ neutral/warm white guy, and used to see only high CRI in NW and WW, but now I am seeing cool (or day) white (5000K) lights as ≥80 CRI. For those who are like me but also tried the day white high CRI lights what is your opinion? Have you fully embraced the 5000K lights? The reason why I asking this is that I am trying to to decide between the D (5000k) or the C (4000K) lights that Zebralights and other manufactures now have. I also trying to avoid buying both and having to decide.

Click to expand...

5000K is neutral.

Re: Now that we are seeing 5000K flash lights in ≥ 80 CRI, would you still stick with

18650 said:

5000K is neutral.

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Exactly. In fact, with current LED technology, it seems to be THE most neutral temp.

Re: Now that we are seeing 5000K flash lights in ≥ 80 CRI, would you still stick with

18650 said:

5000K is neutral.

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When I was studying photography, we always had a loose range we treated as "neutral" Typically, that was about 5000K to 5600K. I tended to prefer 5000K, myself.

Coming to flashlights confused me at first. I was surprised to hear people say that 4000K-4400K was neutral. I looked at the beam shots of the 4500K Nichia 219B, and found myself thinking, "That doesn't look white!" If I printed my photographs color-balanced for 4500K, most would show an unacceptable color shift. Don't get me wrong, I often cheat a little to the warm side (and add just the tiniest bit of saturation), but 4000K-4500K is more of a "special effect" than a "standard setting" for me.

Now I am hearing about some nice 5000K emitters such as the ones discussed in this thread. I have a another, a 5000K MT-G2, that is seemingly tint-free. Things are getting back to normal.

I've got a few of the SingFire BLF-348 flashlights on order. That's a 1x AAA model that uses a 90-CRI Nichia 219B emitter with a CCT of 5000K. This is not the Nichia 219B we see most often.

I can't wait to try them out.

Re: Now that we are seeing 5000K flash lights in ≥ 80 CRI, would you still stick with

Speaking of high CRI emitters, I have never understood why the XM-L2 T4 5B1 emitter has never been used in any flashlights. This emitter is probably a couple of years old. But swapping this emitter into an old Defiant Armormax 3D was a REAL eye opener. With a REALLY nice warm/neutral (4150-4250K) tint that is even across the beam and 80+ CRI, this emitter is about as close as you can get to a high output Nichia 219. Yet this REALLY nice emitter seems to be cast aside in favor of nasty cool whites and less pleasing neutrals. I would actually LOVE to have this emitter in all of my XM-L2 lights.

Re: Now that we are seeing 5000K flash lights in ≥ 80 CRI, would you still stick with

I prefer a somewhat yellowish or rosy tint over pure white. The XP-L 5000k emitter in my C22Cvn is pure white but loses depth and contrast compared to my NW XM-L emitters.

Re: Now that we are seeing 5000K flash lights in ≥ 80 CRI, would you still stick with

CRI isn't everything. Tint and colour temperature is more important. You won't be able to tell the difference between 75 CRI (typical of XML neutral white) or 80 CRI. But, you'll notice a difference in how objects appear at 4000K vs 5000K.

Do you want reds, oranges, browns, yellows, and greens to pop more and be more easily distinguishable? Then choose something on the warmer side of neutral, say 4000K-4500K. 5000K may give you a more "natural look", but warmer hues will appear more washed out. Blues will be nicer, though.

For outdoor use, I'd definitely recommend a somewhat warm tint. For indoor use, perhaps neutral is better. Though if you use a flashlight for mood lighting (watching a movie or whatever), then warmer tints are nicer.

Re: Now that we are seeing 5000K flash lights in ≥ 80 CRI, would you still stick with

This kind of took my by surprise. I would call 5000K neutral.


I believe 5000K is the absolute best compromise and the perfect temp for a flashlight. There may be a few exceptions/applications, but in general I would be happy if 5000K was the only available CCT.

Re: Now that we are seeing 5000K flash lights in ≥ 80 CRI, would you still stick with

5000K with a CRI approaching 100 would be perfection.

Re: Now that we are seeing 5000K flash lights in ≥ 80 CRI, would you still stick with

markr6 said:

I believe 5000K is the absolute best compromise and the perfect temp for a flashlight. There may be a few exceptions/applications, but in general I would be happy if 5000K was the only available CCT.

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It would certainly be better than crappy cool-whites that most manufacturers exclusively use now. But 5000K is a little cool, IMO. It's all personal-preference. I like 4000K-4500K best, but I'm happy with 3500K-5000K too. Even a "perfect tint" cool white, around 6000K-6500K I could be okay with, but you won't get that with standard Cree cool-whites.

I'd be interested in trying the Zebralight's with the XM-L2 EasyWhite LED. 5000K with those looks promising.

Re: Now that we are seeing 5000K flash lights in ≥ 80 CRI, would you still stick with

RobertM said:

5000K with a CRI approaching 100 would be perfection.

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I had a Noctigon M43vn for a short time with 5000K 92CRI (90 min). Absolute perfection!! Starting to wish I kept that one.

Re: Now that we are seeing 5000K flash lights in ≥ 80 CRI, would you still stick with

I love 5000k.

Re: Now that we are seeing 5000K flash lights in ≥ 80 CRI, would you still stick with

Agreement with twistedraven.
What are you planning to use this light for? What lights have you had that you liked, or disliked? Hopefully we will be seeing more emitters that enhance, and not detract from night-time illumination.

Re: Now that we are seeing 5000K flash lights in ≥ 80 CRI, would you still stick with

I'm still, and probably always will be, a warm white fan. Higher cri the better but I still like that incan/halogen color better than the cw & nw tints.
May be an "old school" throwback issue but when it comes to edc or everyday/average use, I like warm tints.
In my main work area in my lab, I have high cri 100w MH as my main light source.... It's on the top end of warm (4k-ish) but color is Damn near perfect and doesn't irritate my eyes after +6hrs. however, I tend to use the warm white LED array for casual lighting.

Re: Now that we are seeing 5000K flash lights in ≥ 80 CRI, would you still stick with

In some ways I'm starting to like cool white lights just as much as neutral white (4000k) lights because of the higher cri. The "cool white" lights are not using the highly blue-ish/purple tinted emitters of 4-10 years ago. While overall I like the idea of high CRI neutral emitters best I do find that somehow there is just more visual contrast and depth with really good cool white emitter. If you want to see "true" colors of foliage though at night you are better off with a good neutral emitter. If neutral emitters keep getting higher and higher CRI then that is probably where I'll like things best though still. Around 4000k with really good color rendering across all colors.

Re: Now that we are seeing 5000K flash lights in ≥ 80 CRI, would you still stick with

I am kind of neutral about it. I like both and use them based on the situations which will be put to me. Generally I find more comfort with warmer tints in the outdoors than I would with cooler tints. But for general day to day EDC, 5000K is hard to beat. I would say 5000K is more of an any situation kind of tint. Good for indoors as well as outdoors. But if I were to choose a light purely for outdoors it will definitely be a warmer tint. One of my all time favorite for outdoors use is still the 3700K 120 lumen HCRI HDS rotary.

Lately I got myself a Fenix PD35 TAC. It is cool white XP-L but there seems to be a slight magenta tinge in it (some would call it slight purplish) and I love it very much. Tried trekking in the outdoors and it served the purpose well. The slight magenta tinge helps bring out the colors better than a conventional cool white tint, or maybe I should say creamy white tint. I was surprised by this, and although the color reproductions in nature is not as nice as those from a neutral or warm white, it is by far the best I have ever seen coming from a cool white light. The PD35 TAC is here to stay.

Re: Now that we are seeing 5000K flash lights in ≥ 80 CRI, would you still stick with

I love my ~4400K Zebralights for nighttime backpacking. 5000K would be fine with me too. But this 'standard' 6500K stuff HAS TO GO. I don't want that any time.