ALEPH BEAMSHOTS post HERE

beamshots if taken properly, could serve as a great aid for reference to the different possible ALEPH set-ups.
so i am encouraging ALEPH owners to share with us the results of your individual configurations.
in order to keep a common reference, i suggest the ff.

1. a customary "white wall" shot for beam shape & quality.

2. a shot of an object at a distance would great for throw capabilities. please be creative & indicate the distance.

keep file size at a minimum.
any suggestions are welcome.

don, being the host, maybe you want to do the honor of putting up the 1st post.

thanks,

joe

Joe,
Good idea. For the Aleph 1, you can consider any beam shots using the PR or PR-T to be the same. Bernhard has a great thread somewhere where he has a couple PR's mixed in with other lights for some instructive beam shots. If someone could link to them, cool!

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleye11.gifNow I'm in the right place.
Here is one.
Here is another one.

mut /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

don
glad you appreciate the idea.

mut
excellent links!!!
B R A V O to bernhard..great work!!!

my observations & comments on the beamshots:

i am a minority here since i still actually prefer incans.
the links above re-enforces this even more...why???
i seem to see more from the incans shots.
although the LEDS are getting there especially those with tight focus beams.
but this makes it less versatile.
i think getting a set-up that could intensify the corona would help.
as far as indoors are concerned, i think LEDS has already conquered it.

joe

Joe, the coronas in these shootouts appear too weak to be captured by my crappy camera but are usable for the human eye, although overpowered by the hotspot of course.

Here is another comparison of some high-end lights including various PR-lights, so17xa lights and the FireFlyII as well as an ArcLS and ArcAAA as reference units.

Thanx for your nice words /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

bernhard /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/au.gif

Joe,
the incans have the advantage of bringing more red into the picture; especially at the far end of the LED's "reach". Beyond that, they do typically have considerably more tint than the LED's and other bands of color can be better rendered, IMHO, with a "white" LED. If you love the hot wire, you need to chedk out a SF A2! Now there's a beam that may be the best of both worlds!

having very little knowledge on LEDS, i rely heavily on what i see(beamshots) & whatever i can comprehend on the reviews. i know that to best judge it is to have one. however, with the cost at the high end, it would be painful to jump on 1 & be disappointed.

as to the new link, again, excellent work bernhard!
basing solely on the beamshots, i like the MCLUX PR/T 5W head's beam.
i totally agree w/ you that it is the best compromise of flood/spot, which i think is an ideal & practical set-up.
as for the previous link, i like the GOLDEN DRAGON w/ PR head.
i also realized that my choices seem to favor the 5Ws.

bernhard & don
which would be more doable:
get a 5W to throw further yet retain some of its flood?
or get a 3W to spread out and get a brighter corona?

don
my 1st SF will be your L4/L1 mod, i already have fallen in love with it.
LED is a new technology and i want to have a taste of it.
the 5W & ALEPH 3 would be an interesting combo.
i wouldn't know what driver will be appropriate.
will i be able to run it w/ the 1x17500 body if ever?

thanks to both of you.

joe

joe,
It is always easier to spread or diverge the light as opposed to collimate it. To tighten a beam of a 5W requires a large diameter optic or reflector. I have a new 20 mm reflector with good orange peel surface and relatively deep that does a nice job of opening the beam angle as well as tightening the spill angle and concentrating a good amount of light in it. I have yet to try it with a 5W but expect it to be similar to the KL4 but possibly tighter and brighter in both center spot as well as spill.

I amnot clear on what the L4/L1 mod is so I can't comment. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

Joe ...

a LuxIII in a so17xa reflector (IMS) has a very nice near perfect beam that is roughly similar to the 5W/PR combo but much smaller, it is a 17mm reflector. The beam is a nice compromise of throw and flood, a medium-throw.
For a true almost-flood beam you can use a 5W with a so17xa, but there throw is really really limited.

for the LuxIII HD you get:
PR or McR-27: super throw, huge corona, blinding hotspot in close-up
so17xa: medium throw, nice flood for close-up, allrounder
McFlood (beadblasted when used with HD): pure flood

for the LuxV:
PR or McR-27: mediunm flood with reasonable throw
so17xa: almost pure flood
McFlood: ?

Still missing:
- McR-38
- McR-20

The Aleph3 should be /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif for the 5W for throw, but that is Don's pleasure to post since I don't have one (yet)

The problem is that if you want a 5W with throw the reflector size and depth will increase making the light less portable ... think L5, L6 or U2 (Surefire, that is).
For me personally the 5W / PR combo is the best compromise with a good yet not the perfect beam.

There once was a heavily stippled Pelican Reflector which is now replaced with the smoother versions. the old one had a better beam but supposedly more loss in total output:


old PR (more orange peel)


new PR (less orange peel)

Both are underexposed shots of the hotspot, both use an X3T 5W driven at 750 mA.


If you want a real flood, you can go with a beadblasted McFlood reflector and a LuxIII, it will give you this:


McLux-TK (LuxI Q-bin LD BB400 McFlood) vs. Golden Dragon McLux (LuxI R2H HD DB700 beadblasted McFlood)

Sorry for the OT.

bernhard

i'm learning a lot...great!!!!
all the input is helping me to zero in to the set-up that i think is ideal.
i'll wait for the ALEPH 2&3 to be available & take it from there.

bernhard
i'm afraid i'll tend to stray from this thread and get a spanking...ouch!!!
i'll send you a PM for a few more queries.

don
i'll clarify the L4/L1 mod when i can afford one, thanks.
the 20mm reflector you're referring to is for the ALEPH 2 head right???

again, thank you both.

joe