While I am waiting for my first high power light to come (TR J18) I noticed when I was looking I didnt see any lights (>2500 lumens) that you could focus from spot to flood. Did I miss them? Who makes them and what is the cost? Thanks.
JC
The J18 gets its tremendous output from 7 leds. Nobody really makes focusing optics for 7 separate leds.
Yeah, thanks. Looking some more in this forum it seems like around 1500 lumens is the biggest focusing light you can get.
JC
Those aren’t 1500 lumens if it’s only 1 xml.
Specs probably over rated then. I am finding out that most companies aggregate the lumens of their lights. I guess 1000 lumen light with focus can make it appear as bright as a much larger light which only has flood.
So my next mission is to find a nice pocket size light around 1000 lumen with focus and belt clip. That would be nice….
JC
The focus lens does the same thing more or less as an equivalent size reflector. xml’s are typically 500l or so. However, given the large size of the head on that J18 you bought * 7 leds compensates for larger spot with sheer power.
There ain't any 1000 lumen with focus... if you're lucky you find one with 600-700 lumens.
Might want to search for XM-L Flood to Throw and check out some reviews. Some of them burn up rather quick (i.e. SK98).
-Garry
This is probably the best one at a lower price: http://www.manafont.com/product_info.php/uniquefire-uft20-cree-xml-led-1200lumen-3mode-floodtothrow-memory-flashlight-black-18650-p-10770
>>>>>Some of them burn up rather quick (i.e. SK98).
The “real” sk98 sipik gets mighty warm mighty fast, but mine has yet to burn up. I read one BLF review where someone left a sipik 98 on and it toasted, but I think probably a high percentage of overpowered lights will also burn up if left on unattended in turbo for long periods of time.
The ultrafire sk98 +clones+ work fine, better than fine, like my EDC for the past 4-5 months. In fact, they work GREAT. The flood is brighter than the flood setting on the UniqueFire UF-T20. Although the zoom on the T20 is much brighter than the ultrafire sk98.
I bought mine from here, although there is no promise that the new clones are the same as the one I have. Someone on BLF said that the pills were no longer solid aluminum, but still worked fine.
You also might want to try the keygos m12. Love mine. a REALLY usable zoom light.
Sometimes they use a metal o-ring as the zoom tensioner, but changing it to a “real” o-ring takes a trip to Home Depot and about 5 minutes.
Hope this helps!
Led Lenser X21R but it’s pricey.
Although watch those Chinese lumen claims on other budget lights. As in reality I suspect there are actually few production lights over 2500 lumens. Let alone zooming ones.
You are going to have a tough time finding any single XML that puts out more the 800 lumens. And for flood-to-throw lights, you lose half the light output in throw mode.
Almost all zoomable lights are effectively projectors. In throw mode, they project an image of the LED surface. With multi-emtter lights, you would get a separate image of each LED, not all of them focused into a single spot.
My BIG zoomies… but not budget 
My FT-66 V2 Flood to Throw
XM-L T6 3C 5000K
Driven 3420mA
Pill = 3 times alu pill compared with 7G5-V2’s pill
5 modes + 2 disco = 100% 70% 50% 20% 2% Strobe SOS
Throw = about 120,000± lux ANSI
Flood = about 80 degrees 900± lux @ 1meter
Pok,
Beamshots? Those are sick!
They’ll more or less average out at a reasonable distance similarly to multi-emitter reflectors. A reflectored hotspot image is after all an integrated die image over the surface.
Nope, you’ll get an array of spots (this assumes the flood-to-throw is using an aspheric lens). I put an aspheric lens on a Bridgelux array (with LEDs spaced MUCH closer than something like an 6xXML light) and you get an image of lots of dots. A multi-XML would be an image of fewer, but bigger spots.
I thought you were discussing Chicken Drumstick’s post/image right above yours, not one huge ass optic over everything. We’re talking about different things. 
Was going to say LED lenser x21 but it’s already been pointed out :zipper_mouth_face:
I’ve been thinking about this and wondering about the possibility of a reflector that changes shape rather than moving the led in/out. Sort of an iris effect. To me, the ideal zoomie would go from spot to flood by growing the spot smoothly rather than merely going out of focus. Maybe something like a polarizing filter would be easier. Turn the bezel to increase/decrease diffusion.