High CRI options

BugoutBoys

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Oct 22, 2015
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Colorado
I recently bought a batch of different Olights because I love their user interface, charging method, etc.. But what really gets me is the low CRI cool white emitters. Having a high CRI HDS has ruined my ability to enjoy lights that aren't high CRI.

So I'm wondering if someone could list off some good manufacturers that have some High CRI lights that still have good output! <3
 

jon_slider

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Mar 31, 2015
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> high CRI HDS

which LED is in your light?


> manufacturers that have some High CRI lights

here are a few that offer AAA, AA, 16340, 18350, 18650...

ReyLight
Maratac
Frelux
Lumintop FW3A, FW3T etc
Emissar D4
Noctigon K1
Malkoff
McGizmo
Oveready
Sigma customs
Sofirn
Zebralight
...

and some other lights (not Olight) can be modded to replace the LED
skylumen.com offers that service commercially,
you will also find several offerings in my signature, plus I occasionally offer a Stepless Rotary modded to High CRI.. PM me for details


> that still have good output!

try to define your lumen goals
that will help narrow down your battery size requirements, and the number of LEDs

I personally prefer single LED lights.. I have not adopted the high lumen, multi LED habit
 
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der_horst

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Nov 27, 2017
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Skilhunt has many highcri flashlights, the m150 and the m200 for example.
 

parametrek

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Apr 3, 2013
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578
There are 269 high CRI models in my database. If you are only interested in the brands with high CRI lights though:

  • Acebeam (15)
  • Armytek (1)
  • Barbolight (1)
  • Eagletac (11)
  • El Speleo (1)
  • Fenix (2)
  • Foursevens (5)
  • HDS (1)
  • INTL Outdoor (9)
  • Jetbeam (3)
  • Klarus (3)
  • Lumintop (21)
  • Maglite (2)
  • Malkoff (2)
  • Manker (20)
  • Maratac (2)
  • Marble Mountain (1)
  • Milwaukee (36)
  • Nextorch (5)
  • Nitecore (21)
  • Pelican (6)
  • Rovyvon (19)
  • Scurion (5)
  • Skilhunt (12)
  • Sofirn (9)
  • Streamlight (4)
  • Sunwayman (1)
  • Terralux (3)
  • Viltrox (22)
  • Zebralight (21)
 

Ev148

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Dec 3, 2020
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I have the Maratac AAA with the Nichia 219 LED. Lovely hi CRI, great run times and tiny size. Surprisingly bright for a AAA.
 

ecallahan

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Jun 5, 2008
Messages
288
If you really like the Olight, you can have many of the models retrofitted with a high cri led by Skylumen/Vinh. It will cost you extra, but it is an alternative. I have a few Olight and Fenix models I really love modded with higher CRI emitters by him.

EDIT - should have read the thread better, someone already suggested this.
 

BugoutBoys

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Oct 22, 2015
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511
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Colorado
Holy moly thank you all! I will look into all of these tonight!

Update:
I definitely like single LED. For Lumen range I would LOVE something upwards of 500lm.

I have the HDS SS40 4000k and the SS50 5000k. I like the 4000k better
 

jon_slider

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Mar 31, 2015
Messages
5,110
I definitely like single LED. For Lumen range I would LOVE something upwards of 500lm.

FW1A is single LED and has an SST-20 4000k option that reaches 700 lumens

fwiw, HDS naming munges the original item, so their SS40 is actually SST-20 4000k and their SS50 is actually LH351d 5000k iirc
 
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diggy64

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Aug 7, 2012
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Vihn at SkyLumens modified a Emisar D18vn for me with 6 SST20 3000K and the rest SST20 4000K all 95CRI and the tint and color rendering is absolutely amazing. The light has plenty of punch and a great UI if you can handle the Anduril. Just a thought.
 

Vemice

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Jun 18, 2017
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Vihn at SkyLumens modified a Emisar D18vn for me with 6 SST20 3000K and the rest SST20 4000K all 95CRI and the tint and color rendering is absolutely amazing. The light has plenty of punch and a great UI if you can handle the Anduril. Just a thought.

Agree. Vinh did this titanium clicky Tool that runs on 10440 IMRs and fully programmable. I had a Nichia 219b 4500k installed. Don't even know what the output is but it is crazy bright. I rarely use even half the output but it needed, it's there. A bit pricey but very well done.
IT8PF3zl.jpg
 

bpbpoo

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Oct 18, 2020
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91
There are so many Nichia 219c options available right now. My HDS rotary with ss40 is my favorite but for the money the Nichia Reylights really can't be beat! He has the 219b 4500k option on most models right now, which is probably the perfect tint. Go preorder that Ti pineapple!
 

bykfixer

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Dust in the Wind
To me those high CRI lights put out a more pleasing tint. Yet the 6200 kelvin emitter helps me ID things faster.

Case in point was at 4:30 this morning I walked past the clothes I set out last night to wear today. I shined a new light to light my path and noticed my shirt for today was brown. "Brown? Wait, I do not own a brown t-shirt" my foggy brain thought. This must not be a high CRI light I thought. So I went back to my night stand and grabbed one stated to be 90+ CRI and shined it on the 'brown' shirt, which again looked brown.

Thinking "well this one makes colors pop" my brain was perplexed. So I went back and grabbed a different light that is also a high CRI rated number. And again the shirt looked brown. Well that's strange. Let me go grab one I know is 6200 kelvin and……tadah. It's my gray Va Ready Mix Concrete shirt. It's the light I carry in my pocket every day.

Now to be fair it is an odd shade of gray with a hint of brown. And I knew that the first time I looked at it this morning. It's a "clay" color. But it confirmed my belief that at least to my eyes those neutral and warm high CRI lights are not as good at casting a tint of light that my eyes can be peruaded to correctly identify some things as well as the 6200 kelvin light I carry with me every day. Those that bias reds or yellows just do not work for me. Nor does the incan beam.

268-AF6-F9-9619-4856-A660-4-C60-F34-EC73-C.jpg

Here's the shirt under incan room lighting.
I used this photo because this is what the shirt looked like to me at 4:30 am lit by a high CRI flashlight.

FEB263-C9-1324-4708-932-A-317-DE66729-DD.jpg

This is what it looks like in daylight.

Not saying anybody is right or wrong here. Just that lights with a high CRI value while more pleasing to my eyes they just don't identify colors to my eyeballs as the mid-daylight mimicing LED's do.
 
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LeanBurn

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Feb 3, 2010
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Alberta
Everyone's eyes are unique in interacting with how we perceive color, that is for sure. Incandescent is supposed to be the benchmark at 100 CRI , while some high CRI lights have a green/yellow hues at various outputs they can be inconsistent. My 3400K Yugi powered Sofirn C01 reproduces color the best of all my lights, and rate it the same or even better than my incan at sub 10L levels.
 
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