I went to Canadian Tire today and bought the Dorcy LED flashlight, the only LED flashlight they carry.
I tried to stick various plastic lenses over the Dorcy, a red one from a bicycle reflector, red and orange ones from a box-type flashlight...but the patterns that are cast on the wall when I shine the flashlight through them are too hazy for my camera to lock focus on them.
Now that I have my LED flashlight, my search is now for the lens that will create such a pattern. Of course AF is a snap by just pointing the flashlight at my subject without such a lens, however, blinding ppl with a white light though an effective way to lock focus is not something any self-respecting photographer wants to do, it won't endear you to the ppl you're photographing.
Are there companies that manufacture these lenses that I'm thinking of?
As an aside, remember the Bat-Signal that Commissioner Gordon used in order to hail Batman? That kind of effect can't be created by simply painting the batman logo on a spot light, the result would be an indistinct greyish blob. It's anyone's guess what manner of superhero or supervillian would be conjured up.
I think what I've been sticking infront of my flashlight have been diffusers, when what I need is something that will focus the beam rather than scatter it.
Am I getting close, fellas?