Unique beam!

I can never get beam shots to turn out well so I’m not going to start now but I’ll describe it and you can try it yourself if you’re interested! Literally it’s just a lightly diffused aspheric.



I have a single AA 23mm cylinder type of single mode light that I took the reflector out of and replaced with the aspheric from a Sipik SK68. So basically it’s just a cleaner looking Sipik in throw mode.



I use it just for spotting purposes when I need a little more throw usually when I’m hiking with a headlamp. It does the job but I never really liked the effect in such a small light. The beam had some artifacts and for some reason it just bothered me more than it does when I use a larger aspheric.



So, I tried the mildest diffusion film I could find. I happen to have a book of filters so I used one from there but you could do it with anything you have around the house.



I just put it behind the aspheric against the flat side. It doesn’t throw as far of course but it still has a collimated beam. It just looks like a “light saber” through gauze! I also adjusted the focus so that it is a little out of focus and the diffusion material adds to that a bit as well.



Now you don’t see the lines in the emitter and the shape is a little closer to a circle. The entire light beam also is a little more like a light shining through light fog.



It’s a nice effect for shorter distance spotting. Some of you might like it or have a use for it. Many will not like it of course. The real key or difficulty in experimenting with it if you don’t have a book of filters is just to find a very mild diffusion film using material from around the house. To use it is nothing more than cutting a circle out of it and dropping it behind the aspheric in a Sipik which many of you have.



To test material just shine the light through it and if it completely diffuses the emitter shape it’s too much. Find something with a lighter effect. Scotch Tape is too much. Maybe just a cellophane bag or wrapper that looks clear but that adds a bit of haze would work.



Anyway I like this light a lot better now for the way I happen to use it. If I’m looking for serious throw I have a much better aspheric that I will not be diffusing of course!



Think of this one though as walking the dog with a floody headlamp on low or medium and every now and then you need to follow the dog off leach but don’t want to draw attention to yourself or bother the neighbors so you spot the dog with the diffused aspheric.



I’ve also starting using my larger aspheric a little more often in a slightly out of focus manner as long as that throws as far as I need it to. The beam is a little bigger and looks better. When it’s not enough I just tighten the head a bit and it’s back in focus.

and i've learned here that a very light coat of hairspray works very well on smooth reflectors, so it make work here as well