UPDATES, May,18,2018:
- Did some Beam-pattern comparison shots tonight of the new V2 prototype against the original SRK-based V1 prototype, the BLF Q8 with the best diffuser i found (and have tested that fits perfectly) and compared it to the best & most used other modded LED lanterns i have, a modded survival multi-lantern, a modded Noma dual-LED lantern, and a modded Coleman LED.
Photo below shows them from left to right:
First up, is a collage of the lanterns placed against a white flat, smooth back-drop to show the beam patterns of the lanterns, with a flat-plane below them to simulate a table or counter surface. The Nikon D5100 DSLR settings were the same for all 6 photos, (F5.6, S-1/180,) and all lanterns were on low or medium modes set so they were all roughly the same output, ( averaging 250 ~ 300 lumens)
Now here is where the details of my findings are shown…
- photo #1 is the V2 BLF Lantern prototype, with two down-firing XP-L 3000K LEDs. As of right now this new head design has the smoothest, most even beam pattern of all my lanterns with the least artifacts and least tint shift. This is due to the moderately frosted main lens/globe, (with not second inner globe) and the use fo 2 or 4 LEDS & senter post instead of one LED and side post design. Also, the trick here to get this smoothness and higher beam angle from down-firing LEDs, is both the top surface & bottom surface painted with a clean-white “Flat” coating, (not gloss white, or chrome coating like 90 % of commercially available lanterns we see on the market today. Chrome plating or shiny surfaces just adds glare, hard-lighting, and artifacts. ( as seen on the #2 , #4, #5, and #6 photos. Flat-white surface form my past tests reflect the most light in a smoother flood-pattern than polished or shiny surfaces, and with the top & bottom surfaces of the head flat white, the reflecting back & forth also “amplifies” the light out the sides, increasing efficiency and flood angles. Notice in photo #1, where the V2 has the smoothest pattern, least tint shift, and most down firing light for table illumination, and also the least hard-light glare.
Image #2 is the V1 prototype, with a single down-firing XP-L 4000K LED, it only has a bottom flat-white surface, but the top surface around the LED is shiny. for some reason this increases the tint shift and hard lighting, (though better than the other lanterns, its not as good as the V2.
- Image #3 is a stock Q8 with the diffuser. As most flashlights with diffusers, there is almost no illumination downward on the table that it rests on, and most of the light
is directed upwards. While ok indoors, but outdoors its impractical and has the most glare on the eyes of all these lanterns when resting on a table below the eye line.
- Image #4 is a much larger Coleman modified LED lantern, with single down-firing XP-L 4000K. while it has good table illumination because of its much bigger size, its diffuser and single LED produces some hard-light artifacts in the beam.
- Image #5 is a Survival Lantern i modified with a single down-firing XM-L 3000K LED, While its tall lens/reflector adds to the beam angle, it has some artifacts due to the shiny bottom surface.
- Image #6 is a modified Noma dual-LED lantern. with two XP-G2 3000K LEDs, This lantern has both down-firing AND up-firing LEDs, and in between them is a diffuser “tube”. While this design does increase the overall beam output angle, the up-firing LED does produce more eye-glare, and the framed lens adds shadows & artifacts.
Next up below, i added the bottom tripod mount to the lantern as talked about earlier in the topic, ( in this case i added a 1/8” aluminum plate inside the bottom cap, then threaded it with the 1/4-20” standard tripod hole. then sealed in the inside to make it waterproof.
then here below showing the V2 BLF lantern prototype on a camera tripod. This would be a great option outdoors at a camping area, where it will illuminate a larger area.