Surefire KL1 and Inova X5?

How do the Surefire KL1 and Inova X5 compare in terms of brightness, color, and sidespill? Anyone have any beam pics?

Sorry i don't have any beamshots, but you might find some around in the reviews section. Since no one else has commented, i'll try and help. The KL1 has a more intense flood compared to the X5 (both are more flood than throw type of lights).
In terms of colour, it depends on your luck, really, or rather the 'Luxeon lottery' (for the KL1) as its called around here. Some may get a violet tint, others a bluish or even greenish tint, while some lucky ones might get a nice white one. Same goes for the tint on the 5mm Leds on the X5.

Sidespill-wise, i'd say the X5 has a more even flood, only because the KL1 has a brighter hotspot. Both are equally good for walking or general purpose round the house lights, don't expect too much in terms of throw though. Comparing the 2, the KL1 runs about 1 hr as compared to 3-4 hrs for the X5. Hope this helps...

The KL1 is much brighter than the X5T. The KL1 also has brighter spill light, but the X5T might have a slightly wider beam. The X5Ts advantage is that it's much cheaper than a E1e/Kl1 or a E2e/KL1. My KL1s have more purple in the beam than the X5T, but I think the new KL1s have a high dome with a whiter beam.

I'm out of CR123A cells, otherwise I'd take a comparison photograph of the two and post it in this thread. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jpshakehead.gif

Got Both. KL1 is brighter with a slightly purple tint. The KL1 has a tighter hotspot than the X5T. The X5T has a more floodlike beam and longer runtime. The beam color of the X5T is more blue-white compared to the KL1. Both are great lights. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Found some batteries...let's load them both up and get a picture...


The KL1 is on the left; that pitiful bluish tinge on the right is the X5.
The photograph is of the beams approximately 6 feet from a wall.

Thanks LEDMuseum:

That answered a question that popped into my mind just tonight. I'm trying to decide on getting a KL1 in red, or a red LED X5T. Do you suppose about the same comparison would hold between the two, considering apparently the X5T in red is supposed to use only one CR123 cell?

I've never used or seen either flashlight in red, so I'm rather ill-prepared to say how they will compare with one another.
Sorry about that. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jpshakehead.gif

Sotto, if you find a KL1 in red, please PM me or post where you found it. I looked a bit, but could only find white! Thanks. . .