What are the main differenes between a Nichia 219B and a 219C?

I am just starting to want to venture into flashlights using Nichia 219 LEDS.

I would like to know what the main differences are between the Nichia 219B and the 219C.

I am usually a cool white flashlight collector but I may be persuaded to go with a couple of good Nichia 219 EDC lights.

I know the 219 series gives you better CRI but I don't really know much more.

Those of you who have lights using the Nichia 219 LEDs could bring me up to speed on them and some lights using them.



CHEERS

There are those who can give a much more detailed answer than I can.

Superficially though, it appears to me that the 219B has 10% better CRI at the expense of the higher efficiency and therefore greater potential lumen output (at the same energy consumption) for the 219C.

I believe the 219C is rated at about 80CRI and the 219B at about 90.

+1
Too add the 219C is around 5000k, the 219B around 4500k although i believe some hi cri are around 4000k.......

A good cheap way is the sportac triple nichia 219B p60 and what ever host to house it in This for me is an excellent work use light , floody with a very nice 4500k tint! Some of the 219B's are up to 93cri that I have seen, the higher helps colour rendition..............

For thrower uses it does not bother me, for closer up and edc type uses then i do like the nichia 219B far more, and once you go the nichia way, i cant see you going back to the cool side:devil:

Lights wise off the top of my head, sportac triple nichia 2 mode in the L2T for work uses.




6p with nichia triple 4 mode




HDS rotary hi cri

What size light do you like to carry? Here is a starting list of nichia 219B lights

10180:

Astrolux M01: small USB rechargeable light and it is about 5000k

AAA:

Astrolux/Manker A01: you can get this in stainless/colors or copper and it is about 4000k

Lumintop tool: you can get this in stainless/colors, copper, or titanium and it is about 4500k

L3 Illuminations L08: stainless with a few colors and it is about 4500k

Promethus beta/Lumintop worm: stainless, colors, copper, and brass and it is about 4500k
AAA/10440

BLF-348/Singfire: cheap stainless light and it is about 5000k

AA:

L3 Illuminations L10: 4500k

L3 Iluminations L11C: same as above but clicky

Eagletac D25A2 4500k

AA/14500:

Eagletac D25A stainless and titanium 4500k

CR123A:

Eagletac D25C stainless and titanium 4500k

18350/18650:

Astrolux/Manker S41/E14 4500k


18650:

Jaxman E2 4000k and 5700k

Eagletac D25LC2 4500k

Eagletac M30LC2-C 4500k

Eagletac MX25LC3-C 4500k

Eagletac MX30L4-XC 4500k

Eagletac Dx30LC2-SR 4500k

P60 Format

Sportac triple 4500k

There is also some speculation as to whether Nichia will develop a 92 CRI version of the 219C. Some say that they have abandoned the idea. But their website still lists the high CRI 219C as 'under development'.

staticx57 said:

Here is a starting list of nichia 219B lights

Click to expand...

Major Respect for your effort compiling that

a few opinions and edits

Astrolux/Manker A01: you can get this in Aluminum/colors or copper and it is about 4000k
- I have not tried it because the low is below my needs, maukka has an awesome review

Lumintop tool: you can get this in Copper, or titanium and it is about 4500k
- I own copper, sold my titanium. I Love the Copper! Modes are MLH stock, and LMH in the ReyLight group buy. I own 3 ReyLights, if you want one PM me. I like the reversible pocket clip for hat use.

Lumintop worm: copper with NOPWM. Modes are MLH. There is no Pocket clip.
- it replaced the Prometheus Beta Copper. I use the head on my Maratac and Thrunite bodies. for my needs the worm body is too heavy

L3 Illuminations L08: Aluminum with a few colors and it is about 4500k
- I gave mine to a loved one because I wanted a Copper Tool . I really like the deep reflector, but not the bulging head profile

Promethus beta Copper. Pocket clip costs extra and is not reversible
- started my Love affair with Nichia. Sold it when I discovered the PWM interfered with my photos. imo too heavy for keychain but I love the smooth head, which also fit my Maratac and Thrunite bodies (essentially Nichia a drop in for low CRI cool white AAA lights). N219a, the quick release is very easy to use.

L3 Iluminations L11C: This is the light I recommend the most, in 4 mode Nichia
- I love everything about it including the light weight and low price, except the pocket clip is not reversible

Eagletac
- I avoid Eagletac because it has circuit noise, that some consider to be PWM, which I avoid. For my needs the AAA version does not have a low enough low. The main appeal is the spec allows LiIon, but I dont do LiIon, besides, the lights have no built in protections (charge, temperature) nor battery meter.

Here is my WormAttack (warning, the Cool White, Low CRI Maratac head does not work on the worm body)


and here are some of my Maratacs, TiTool, Copper Tools, and L11c (note the Maratac works with the Copper Tool Head, AND vice versa.. so now you know two ways to make a Maratac into a High CRI Nichia light)


on topic, the N219B is my top choice, slightly more efficient than the A, and similar or better CRI. The N219c is not ready for High CRI, its for people that are into (undeserved) Nichia bragging rights and actually dont mind Low CRI cause they are still in their Cool White phase ;-).

All the current offerings are N219b, only the Beta uses an N219a

my biases.. I love copper, High CRI, and NOPWM, with reversible pocket clip and I mostly use Low and Medium.. I hate cool white, and dont own any batteries other than AAA and AA Eneloop. Zero experience with CR123 or LiIon.

Oztorchfreak said:

I am just starting to want to venture into flashlights using Nichia 219 LEDS.

I would like to know what the main differences are between the Nichia 219B and the 219C.

I am usually a cool white flashlight collector but I may be persuaded to go with a couple of good Nichia 219 EDC lights.

I know the 219 series gives you better CRI but I don't really know much more.

Those of you who have lights using the Nichia 219 LEDs could bring me up to speed on them and some lights using them.



CHEERS

Click to expand...

Hey mate,

The 219B Hi Cri LEDs are the go. I have plenty of lights with 119 and 219 Hi Cri variants and they are my favourite LED because of their excellent even tints and CRI.
Like most Hi Cri LEDs you do however take a hit in efficiency which for me is well worth it. Once you get into these LEDs you won't settle for lesser quality tint and CRI for most lights anyway.
I have one light engine using the 219C which I installed myself and it's a great LED with a nice tint and above average CRI but for the most part the XPG2 pretty much does the same thing in an appropriate tint with similar efficiency and outputs. I really like the XPG2 saying that and the 219C is really good with the trade off being more output vs the 219B but at a reduced CRI also the 219C can be driven much harder.
Look into the 219B Hi Cri, you won't be disappointed. There isn't another LED that offers the combination of excellent tint and CRI quite like the Nichia 119/219 A/B.

@ jon slider.
I wouldn't say the 219C is purely for those into Nichia bragging rights.
My 219C has a beautiful neutral tint of around 4000-4500K (bought it as a 4000K but its probably a bit cooler). Also the CRI for its output and efficiency is very good especially compared to your average XPG2.
219C also have a very low vf and can be driven very hard for crazy outputs.
No, the 219C can't hit the CRI the 219B can but it can produce nice tints and good CRI with much higher efficiency.

219B:

• Pretty much the gold standard for high-CRI (color rendering) in flashlights. 90+ CRI.
• Beautiful neutral 4500K tint
• Much dimmer than 219C

219C:

• Most have cooler 5000K tint. Still neutral but not quite as warm as the typical 219B.
• Not high CRI, but for the output, CRI isn't that bad.
• Very bright for the size of emitter. MUCH brighter than 219B.
• Very low forward voltage. Basically, it will continue to run well without much dimming even on depleted cells. This also makes it a great choice of emitter for lights that use very small cells (10440, 16340)

Basically, go with 219B whenever you want maximum CRI. Go with 219C, XPG3 or XPL HI whenever you want a much brighter light. For smaller cell lights, go with 219C or XPG3 for the low forward voltage.

Fireclaw pretty well summed this up, I'll add a couple of different points though.
219 Hi Cri aren't limited to 4500K but that is pretty well where the colour temp is at and right in the sweet spot for me being the SW45 tint bin. I don't mind the SW40 either (4000K) but I do prefer the SW45.
I can get XPG3 with Hi Cri right up to 6000K which is interesting but that's another story and I haven't been tempted enough to try them yet. If the XPG3 in a 5000K Hi Cri looks as good as the 219C it might be worth a look over the 219C but as Fireclaw stated, the 219C is an excellent LED of which I'm very happy with the tint, CRI and performance of mine.

Is there a list of lights with 219C yet? I'm intrigued. I don't do electronics so excuse my ignorance...would the 219c work well if I swapped it into old 4sevens quarks keeping the existing driver? I know the XP-G had higher vf but I don't know how that mismatch would affect performance. I love my titanium Quarks but the sickly green R5 keeps them shelf queens.
If the Nichia is a bad choice I assume neutral XP-G2 would be ok?

recDNA said:

Is there a list of lights with 219C yet? I'm intrigued. I don't do electronics so excuse my ignorance...would the 219c work well if I swapped it into old 4sevens quarks keeping the existing driver? I know the XP-G had higher vf but I don't know how that mismatch would affect performance. I love my titanium Quarks but the sickly green R5 keeps them shelf queens.
If the Nichia is a bad choice I assume neutral XP-G2 would be ok?

Click to expand...

I saw a thread recently where someone swapped a 219c into one of the newer four sevens lights, so I think you are good to go. That would be a major upgrade over a green xp-g, lol.

recDNA said:

Is there a list of lights with 219C yet? I'm intrigued. I don't do electronics so excuse my ignorance...would the 219c work well if I swapped it into old 4sevens quarks keeping the existing driver? I know the XP-G had higher vf but I don't know how that mismatch would affect performance. I love my titanium Quarks but the sickly green R5 keeps them shelf queens.
If the Nichia is a bad choice I assume neutral XP-G2 would be ok?

Click to expand...

I know that Mountain Electronics sells both the M43 Meteor and Mega M6 with 12x N219C. But I'm not sure if anyone else actually sells a smaller light with the 219C. There are, however, some P60 modules available with this emitter. Mountain Electronics has a single 219C drop-in. It actually drives the 219C pretty decently at 3A, and produces fairly high output. It's also quite affordable at around $16-$17. Vinh also has some triples with the 219C which, naturally, produce pretty insane output. They are MUCH more expensive, though.

I'm pretty much out of P60 drop in hosts. I do have a Z2 but I'm happy with the triple 219b in it. I have a few Solarforce but I don't intend to use them any more. New flashlights have better ui than drop ins these days.

I pretty much rule out anything too big to pocket carry. My MH20GT is just a car carry and the manker e14 is back in its box sans battery.

I am with you, I am not really interested in P60 despite having a 6P.

staticx57 said:

I am with you, I am not really interested in P60 despite having a 6P.

Click to expand...

You guys are missing out, IMO. Check out Pflexpro, among others. P60 is alive and well in 2016.

jonnyfgroove said:

You guys are missing out, IMO. Check out Pflexpro, among others. P60 is alive and well in 2016.

Click to expand...

Not missing out. I was a P60-aholic for years. Just had enough. Magnetic infinite adjustment ui and digitally controlled ui (like Zebralight) are just so much for refined than soft pressing through modes. I've also never found a P60 host that was comfortable to pocket carry. I have enough big flashlights. They get zero use. I use the flashlight in my pocket or keyring. P60 format just cannot compete. I'm not advocating their demise. I simply have no further interest.