I’ve tried searching with no success….but I have a feeling this has been asked or discussed before. Can someone tell me what the comparison of beam,output etc between the XPL-HI version and the LHD version should be?
OR…can you link me to where that info might be?
I’m interested in one…maybe two lights….but curious about this.
Output:
The XP-L HI will have the highest output, but the LH351D 4000k 90CRI isn’t actually that far behind considering it’s a 90CRI emitter.
Beam:
The XP-L HI will be quite a bit throwier than the LH351D. The LH351D will be much floodier.
Tint:
Unless Lumintop/we find a golden way below BBL sample, the XP-L HI will have a better tint than the LH351D, especially if the XP-L HI comes in a 5D tint bin.
The LH351D is not bad, just not as good as the XP-L HI in terms of tint.
Color rendition:
The LH351D hands down. It crushes the XP-L HI if not counting for the tint, especially outdoors.
The OP states XPL HI 3D, though I prefer the XPL HI 5D from IOS/MtnE - the best tint I've seen - milky white, consistent thru the hot spot, corona and flood. Been using the 5D's is a few mods and loving them -- just my opinion of course
Ah, and therein lies the rub… anyone answering tint questions answers in a subjective manner in relation to their own perception and perspective. Take Blue Swords answer above as an example, I totally disagree and would immediately pull any 4000K emitters I got in a light and do so every time. 5D is way too warm for me as well. 3D is as low as I’d go, ever. So it’s completely in the eye of the beholder. The LH351D in W6 5000K is a nice white emitter, it doesn’t throw like the domeless HI but it’s hot spot is well defined and it doesn’t have the artifacts of a Cree emitter, HD or HI either one.
Y’all know I build a lot of lights. I get Cree emitters as needed and keep my fingers crossed. I order Samsung LH351D’s by the 20’s, 30’s, even 50’s. Just got 30 in a week or so ago. That’s my testament to the Samsung emitters… and of course just my opinion. The other glaring praise for the Samsungs for me is that I have them in my Titanium/Copper scratch made EDC Quad. The beam profile is a pleasure every time I use it, love em! As an 18500 sized quad, I don’t expect it to have a great amount of throw and that’s not how it’s used. I would think the FW3A would fit in the same category, an EDC close range light that is used nearly daily for the every day little drops and losses, nuts and bolts, keys, pocket change, the normal little things that make it worth having a light on hand all the time. But again, that’s my take and everyone else’s may diverge quite broadly….
We often use the terms loosely, but I’d argue that “tint” specifically refers to up/down movement away from the blackbody line. Pinkish and greenish are tints. You’re talking about CCT, which doesn’t have such a handy one-word descriptor, but is largely left-right movement along the blackbody line. Technically both are subjective, but there’s a lot more agreement about ideal tint than there is about ideal CCT. Indeed, 3D and 5D being both below the blackbody line, you seem to agree with Tom about tint.