Whats your opinion on micra lenses and reflectors?

What do you think about the stock lens and optic on the micra compared to the other available options? I know that lots of it has to do with personal preference, but what do you prefer? Also does it make a difference in output to replace the lens with a glass one or is that done more for cosmetic reasons?
Thanks alot

I can say without reservation that I like mine much better with reflector and UCL than with the stock optic and lens. While it MAY have cut down the throw a slight bit, the reflector made a huge difference in the beam quality- Smooth and artifact free. I don't know how much the lens helps with output, but it's more rugged and easier to clean without worrying about scratches. For the price of the upgrade, it's hard to beat.

Re: Whats your opinion on micra lenses and reflect

I think most people prefer reflectors. I tend to prefer optics that are smoothed out.

I tried the 17mm reflector in my Micra, and it's nice, but I prefer the large hotspot with gradually diminishing beam all the way out to a very wide cone. I also tried UCL with both optic and reflector. There's no question that the UCL does improve output. It's that noticable.

Right now I'm running the Carclo with a piece of picture frame material I cut for it that smooths it out. It's not the best quality stuff, so I ordered some acrylite lenses from Otokoyama. I'll report back when I get them.

One other thing. The stock optic with UCL gives respectable throw. It's the farthest throwing optic of its size I've seen. It also has significant artifacts. The 17mm reflector also appears to put out more total light, but it's hard to judge, since the optic spreads the beam over a larger area. Either way, though, you can't lose.

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can say without reservation that I like mine much better with reflector and UCL than with the stock optic and lens. While it MAY have cut down the throw a slight bit, the reflector made a huge difference in the beam quality- Smooth and artifact free. I don't know how much the lens helps with output, but it's more rugged and easier to clean without worrying about scratches. For the price of the upgrade, it's hard to beat.

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Ditto for me. My only irritation is that with the UCL and the reflector, the bezel doesn't screw down all the way.

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can say without reservation that I like mine much better with reflector and UCL than with the stock optic and lens. While it MAY have cut down the throw a slight bit, the reflector made a huge difference in the beam quality- Smooth and artifact free. I don't know how much the lens helps with output, but it's more rugged and easier to clean without worrying about scratches. For the price of the upgrade, it's hard to beat.
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My only irritation is that with the UCL and the reflector, the bezel doesn't screw down all the way.


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Ditto, ditto.

My preference is for the UCL lens and stock optic. The optic has some artifacts, but its combination of throw and smooth transition from center hotspot to the broad parts of the beam are nice.

I also have the reflector, but I could not find any configuration of of UCL + oring + reflector that was satisfactory to me. The thick oring for the UCL prevents the bezel from screwing down all the way (unacceptable). The thin stock oring gets crunched into the gap around the reflector. Also, the reflector is slight undersized in width. As a result, some oring combinations allow the reflector to rattle and exhibit a visible gap.

Just my two cents.

Re: Whats your opinion on micra lenses and reflect

I'm wondering if the 20.5mm reflector might fit. I tried to put in a minimag reflector, and it wasn't long enough to seat on the emitter. I know the 20.5mm is longer, but I don't have exact specs.

One of the things I didn't like about the 17mm was the wide focus. If I'm going to use a reflector, it's going to be for the "one light does it all" approach, in which case I want more throw. Otherwise, I use two lights with different optics (including 30mm).

Re: Whats your opinion on micra lenses and reflect

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Skyline said:
My preference is for the UCL lens and stock optic. The optic has some artifacts, but its combination of throw and smooth transition from center hotspot to the broad parts of the beam are nice.

I also have the reflector, but I could not find any configuration of of UCL + oring + reflector that was satisfactory to me. The thick oring for the UCL prevents the bezel from screwing down all the way (unacceptable). The thin stock oring gets crunched into the gap around the reflector. Also, the reflector is slight undersized in width. As a result, some oring combinations allow the reflector to rattle and exhibit a visible gap.

Just my two cents.

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About the gap between the bezel and head:

One thing you can do is widen it and add a beefy o-ring to the gap. For example, you can add UCL, put orings in front and back of it, and add one to the gap (I also added one to the groove in the battery tube).

This way, the UCL (or any lens you want) is recessed more, suspended between orings (which probably helps keep the edge from flaking), and the light is much more grippy. It really helps when using both twist and pushbutton mode, and it also helps in removing the head for area light mode.

This light just continues to amaze me at how flexible it is.

Re: Whats your opinion on micra lenses and reflect

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One thing you can do is widen it and add a beefy o-ring to the gap.

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I like this idea. Where can one lay their hands on an assortment of suitably sized O-rings? Hardware store?

Re: Whats your opinion on micra lenses and reflect

Home Depot has an assortment in the plumbing section. You can buy only one o-ring if you want. Lowes makes you buy ten packs.

Re: Whats your opinion on micra lenses and reflect

I've found that when using the reflector and the UCL, the best setup is to use the stock o-ring in the "stock" position. This not only creates the water tight seal, but it also fits right outside the reflector to help center it perfectly. The o-ring that I provide with the LB lens will work perfectly to fill that gap between the bezel and body. It fits so good, it looks like a stock setup.

On the gap.... The way we look at it is that the gap is actually good. It's reassuring to know that the o-ring is being compressed as much as possible before the bezel bottoms out on the body. This ensures an excellent water tight seal.

Re: Whats your opinion on micra lenses and reflect

By now I've been through a few batteries, and one thing I neglected in my comparison was what happens when the output goes down.

I've found the spill from the Carclo adequate at full power (especially if it's dark), but it lacks when the light level drops. In fact, it becomes almost unusable. The reflector does a hands down better job at low power. I'm eventually hoping to get some sort of dual stage switch, so that's how I'd usually be running it.

I think I'm going to put the reflector back in for now. It gives an excellent general purpose beam. It doesn't have the wide spill beam of an optic, and it doesn't quite cut it for long throw, but by supplementing it you can cover all that. I'm thinking a headlamp with a wide beam optic and another light with a 30mm pencil beam would do the trick (for me atleast).

flashlightlens,

Do you happen to know the size of the stock oring? I think it was a #13, but I'm not sure, and I lost the original by now. No biggie, though. I'm sure I can figure it out when I go to Home Depot tomorrow. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Re: Whats your opinion on micra lenses and reflect

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The o-ring that I provide with the LB lens will work perfectly to fill that gap between the bezel and body. It fits so good, it looks like a stock setup.

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I finally got around to trying this, and it looks great! No more worries about the gap. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Re: Whats your opinion on micra lenses and reflect

I have two Micras now. One with stock configuration, one modded with the IMS reflector plus a regular UCL.

I read of better throw with the stock optics, but I think otherwise after I did a side by side comparision with both Micras, this early morning about 5am, when it was raining heavily, and just then, about 11pm, and found that the following:

First lets divide the distance to three parts, short range, mid range and long range. Although the stock configuration has SLIGHTLY better throw, the hotspot is so small that at that "long range" you probably won't see much with that pathetic spot of light anyway. In other words, the beam throws far, but illuminates little, so it does not help a lot at long distance anyway, even thought it does throw far. Remember, its still a LED beam, so penetration through "obstacles" like foliage, fog, rain, etc is weak. At close to mid range, it lost out to the modded Micra, which has a better spill and bigger hotspot.

In contrast, the modded Micra has a more PRACTICAL beam. Yes, it loses out in the throw, but the hotspot is so much bigger at mid range so you get a bigger beam and the side spill is so much better for short range, so you get more general illumination at short range. Hence at short to mid range, it beats the stock configuration hands down. At long range, I keep my Micra and switch to an Xenon light for that purpose.

Before:
1)The stock optic gave uneven colours, there were bluish perimeter rings around and a slight greenish tone spill at the square shape of the beam. The X and square shape beam looks strange too.
2)Some Micras have the hotspot off centre.
3)In general the spill isn't good, its more of a "throw" type of beam.

After:
The IMS SO17XA reflector rectified these problems by
1) Being a reflector it gives a better distribution of colours, taking away the rings and greenish tones.
2) Giving a very nice circular spill with a concentrated hotspot in the centre instead of off center hotspots
3) Good spill for close area illumination.

With the UCL lens added, the enhancement in output is noticable, my modded micra throws as far, or perhaps better than the Micra with stock configuration.