I just received a Novatac Spa with black bezel, and I really like it. Feels great in hand. The knurling is flat, smooth and comfortable. Very different than the first Novatac SPA I got, that has the bezel matching the body color.
Im having fun noticing differences, and similarities.
Both lights reach no more than 74 lumens on high (not 120 lumens), both have photographable interference lines on video. Both lights are on their 0.1 lumen lowest modes, the black bezel light shows the flicker a bit more than the anodized model.
the one with black bezel:
and the one with anodized bazel:
comparing anti reflective coating illuminated by daylight:
the black bezel has a Green AR coating, the anodized bezel has violet AR coating.
Illuminating the LED with UV
the black bezel light does not have rings in the reflector, and the LED glows green under UV. This model of the reflector has more throw and a tigheter hotspot. In this photo the LED is turned off and is under UV light.
The anodized bezel light, has the rings in the reflector, the LED does not react to UV in any color. This reflector produces a slightly diffused hotspot, with less throw. In this photo the LED is also turned off and is under UV light:
I wonder if the difference in UV response is related to the AR coating, or is due to them being different LED models, with different phosphors
comparing the two tints
the black bezel has a pink tint that I really like, and the anodize bezel has a green tint, that I dont like as much, my camera did not catch the difference as well as my eyes do:
and here compared to N219b 4500k 9080:
Here the two lights are turned on to the lowest mode, 0.1 lumens, to highlight the difference in the construction of the reflector: The reflector on the left of the light that has the black bezel, is more focused, and less fuzzy than the one on the right, constructed with rings around the reflector surface, in the light with the anodyzed bezel.
Led Closeups, theres a difference in the number of wires I think
I like just about everything about the black bezel light, better than the anodized bezel.
I have cracked both with the 250 click, and both are fully programmable, presently set to 120P defaults.
Im really enjoying the hand feel of the black bezel light, I can cigar grip, or hold any other way, without getting my delicate hands scratched or poked.
Im curious to find a pocket clip for the novatac, and one of the tritium bezels… accessories are fun… if anyone knows of some available, please PM me.
I also wonder if anyone has any information about what the two different LEDs might be. Maybe different batches of the LED with normal tint variation. The difference in the color of the AR coating may also play into it.