Why does the new fenix ld22 have such a low beam distance?

I have an older fenix e25, 187 lumen, 156m beam distance.

Currently looking for for a torch for a family member which consequently leads to being tempted to upgrade myself.

The fenix e20 2015 has a max of 265 lumens and 210 meters.

The ld22 g2 2015 (which would be my perfect upgrade) has a new higher output 300 lumen max but a beam distance of only 120 meters.

Obviously I would rather not loose 25 meters of beam distance when I upgrade. Does the lower beam distance with the ld22 mean it has a wider beam angle and is more of a flooder than the other two. Also do you think it will be a noticeable difference in real life?

enopteltca said:

I have an older fenix e25, 187 lumen, 156m beam distance.

Currently looking for for a torch for a family member which consequently leads to being tempted to upgrade myself.

The fenix e20 2015 has a max of 265 lumens and 210 meters.

The ld22 g2 2015 (which would be my perfect upgrade) has a new higher output 300 lumen max but a beam distance of only 120 meters.

Obviously I would rather not loose 25 meters of beam distance when I upgrade. Does the lower beam distance with the ld22 mean it has a wider beam angle and is more of a flooder than the other two. Also do you think it will be a noticeable difference in real life?

Click to expand...

I think you're correct in general.
On paper, based on what you provided, the e25 is 6,084 CD.
The e20, 11,025 CD.
The ld22 g2, 3,600 CD.
@ 120 m, the e25 will put 0.422 lux on target, compared to 0.25 lux of the ld22
@ 120 m, the e20 will put 0.766 lux on target, compared to 0.25 lux of the ld22
0.422/0.25 = 1.7, which is likely not noticeable.
0.766/0.25 = 3.064, which is likely noticeable.

Having said that, 0.25 lux is not very noticeable in the first place.
If you set 5 lux (approx. brightness of 5 candles distributed over 1 sq meter) as the minimum brightness you require on targe, then the corresponding "effective" ranges are:

e25: 35 m
e20: 47 m
ld22 g2: 27 m

The LD22 has a side switch which takes space in the head and probably resulted in a shorter reflector which might result in lower lux. I remember that when the different versions of the LD22 came out, the older LD20 still had slightly better throw despite of the older LED and fewer lumens.

Many of the older emitters tend to have higher intensity (lumens emitted per square mm of emitter). They don't produce much light, but what they do produce is quite intense. An intense pinpoint light source is easier to focus and throws better.

Most newer emitters are larger. They produce more overall light, but that light comes from a larger less focused surface area. These lights produce a wider hotspot with less throw. Total amount of light (measured in lumens) is higher, but the throw (measured in lux) is lower.

I suspect the LD22 is probably using one of these newer emitters.

Take a look at the TK22

ENOP. Apologies if I'm teaching you to suck eggs here.... it depends what you need from your light. Lumen output is only one factor that influences throw distance. The biggest influence on beam type is the reflector.
Generally a smaller reflector with a large emitter has large floody beam and lower throw. A large reflector with a small emitter will give best throw. A large, deep reflector relative to the emitter is more capable of gathering and focusing the light out the front of the torch. The depth of the reflector can also make a huge difference to the beam profile. So there are lots of influencing factors other then lumens.
An olight Sr mini with 2800 lumens will only throw 224 meters because it uses a TIR optic without any reflector. On the other hand a nitecore ea45s has 1000 lumens and 400 meters of throw because it's emitter is relatively small compared to the reflector.
I have lots of different lights varying from pure flooder to pure throwers and everything in between. Incidentally my throwers are around 1500 lumens and my flooders are around 2500-2800 lumens