1A vs. 3D vs. 5A

Hi, I’m new to this forum, and was looking to buy a few of the BLF A6 flashlights. They looked and read to be a pretty good light for the buck. I was wondering if anybody had a quick explanation as to the differences or recommendations between the 1A, 3D, and 5A

Thank you,

Randy

i use 90% the 3D

asking people how they see a tint you will get more different answers than # of people you asked :wink:

there are a lot beamshots and color comparison pictures made which can help cyou get an idea…
but be warned: every Display and Camera changes the tint also a bit…

flashaholics Pro tip:
but one of each tint and see which one fits your need
then buy more of that
give away th ones yo like the least
buy more lights to fill the empty spot on the shelf

:smiley:

It is the color temperature of the led.

1A is more blue, 3D more neutral, 5A more yellow.

Tungsten lighting is even more yellow than 5A.

I think 5200K is daylight, somewhere around there. Less than that is yellower, more than 5200, bluer.

When I’m doing side-by-side comparisons I definitely like the 3D over the other tints but I really don’t notice much difference in actually usage. However it all depends on outdoor/indoor/etc settings and people’s eyes, at least in my opinion.

Those who spend more time outdoors tend to favor warmer tints.

flashaholics Pro tip:
buy one of each tint and see which one fits your need
then buy more of that
give away the ones you like the least
buy more lights to fill the empty spot on the shelf

:smiley:
[/quote]

… this is genius!

As it is said, the difference is the color temperature.

Recomendations? it is a matter of taste, look at the pictures in this threat and choose the one you like the most: https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/35447

I would personally describe the A6 tints as follows:

1A: White with a slight hint of purple/blue
3D: Golden
5A: Rosy (pink-ish) orange

I think 3D is by far the most versatile and is the most popular. I have to say I love all 3 tints. I don’t usually like 1A tints, but I really like this one for some reason.

However the 1A that came with my bare A6 is very very different than the 1A from the first batch of balck A6 units. To me it looks more like a 1D (white with a slight hint of green).

Good Day 10eighty,

Have a look at the BLF A6 Beamshots for the 1A, 3D, & 5A tints here:

41. BLF A6 XP-L A1 cool white

42. BLF A6 XP-L 3D neutral white

43. BLF A6 XP-L 5A warm white

607 Beamshots mit Lampenbildern (BEAMSHOTS) | TaschenlampenForum

I have all 3 tints, & my favourite is the 5A, followed by the 3D

As M4D M4X wisely said, buy one of each tint & ENJOY.

Best Regards,

George

This is the standard chart:
Click it for full size.

This shows that A and D tints are less green than B and C tints. How you see the chart depends on your monitor and other things, but it is at least a relative guide.

Independently I decided to do almost exactly what was suggested here (then found this when I wanted to post my findings), except I didn’t buy a 5A. I figured that if I liked the 3D I could always buy a 5A. But I knew that at some point I needed to try a NW tint to see what all the fuss was about. I must be strange… either I’m immune or I’ve worked in man made caves with artificial lighting for too long.

Comparing the A1 and 3D I find that I prefer the cool white A1. Both are good lights, but the tint of the 3D just reminds me so much of the anemic flashlights of years past and the A1 appears to render things “sharper” to me. Yeah, I know, the light is far from those old lights with glowing filaments and D cells, but that’s what the light reminds me of. The A1 tint went back into my EDC pack. Could I use the 3D? Of course; it’s still a very nice light. But I don’t think that I would like the 5A at all. I like firelight/candlelight, but not in a flashlight, and I have no doubt that’s what I would be reminded of with 5A tint.

What’s it prove? Not much, except that one really needs to experience the various tints. But in my case I found that what I’d been buying all along is what I like best. What does that mean for you? Absolutely nothing, except that you need to try the tints for yourself. There, I wrote it twice. :slight_smile:

3D is barely a neutral tint. Once one gets into the 4’s things start to get interesting. I personally love 4C, 5A1 and the Nichia 219B SW40 (4000K). The anemic flashlights of years past, I think are what drives my personal tint preferences. They are just not anemic now! As the Kelvin light temperature goes down the brightness will fall. But, for me that is not a concern when I do not have to deal with the horrible bluish glare of the 6500-5000K of the cool whites.

Tint is definitely a personal preference kinda thing, but those around 3D are by far my favorite.

+1 It is considered to be the cooler side of neutral. But, I couldn’t stand anything more “neutral” than 3D for long. It would be too warm! i do prefer slightly warmer lights in my house, though. I guess, like BrianK, it might be because it’s what I’m accustomed to. The cooler tints are too industrial/artificial for lighting a place that is supposed to be comforting/inviting.

Randy’s post was almost a year ago… Guess he got scared away by the buy one of each tint post.

Anyways. I have a use for all but the super blueish tints.

Rather than reply to one specific post, I just want to share my own experience with tints.

I despise Angry Blue or Angry Purple tints in cheap lights, period. Any sickly shade of green is a close second.

I got to like “daylight” tints (~5000K-5500K) as being neutral, and tried some 4300K LEDs. At first it was kinda “warm” and a bit yellow for me, but I got to like it more and more as I used it more and more. After getting a “4C” that’s really warm (ie, one or the other’s definitely in the wrong bin!), I like the almost orange incandescent warmth of the “4C”, but now the 4300K seems nice and bright white.

Everything’s relative.

Point being, when you encounter something new, it’s “different”, and pushing the envelope of what you’re used to. Once you do get used to it, you might like it, and other things that weren’t so different after all, you get a better appreciation for them.

So just trying a WW led and saying, “I hate it!” is doing yourself a disservice. Buying one of each and using them equally gets you used to the whole spectrum of colors and tints. Using a WW light makes your warm-side-of-NW look brighter and whiter.

Has anyone ever tried scotch or bourbon for the very first time and actually said, “Mmmmmm, that’s yummy!”? :smiley:

fwiw, 1A is 6500K, 3D is 5000K, 5A is about 4000K

here are 3 Color Temperatures I accumulated while exploring my preferences in brief day to day personal use around the house.

same 3 lights on a piece of deerskin, you can see the 4500k makes the golden yellow deerskin look most realistic

I never use the 6000k, Im a CRI snob.
I currently carry the 4500k the most, I like it indoors and out, both daytime and evening.
I prefer the 3000k when waking up late at night in the dark for a bathroom run, but its too orange when Im wide awake.

I’d say those pix are pretty accurate as to what I’ve got.

My cheap little bobofett light is pretty much exactly that shade of blue as in the 6500K light, my 4300K XP-E2s really close to your 4500K, and my “T6-4C” S2+ just as orange as your 3000K.

(I just knew 4C wasn’t that orange…)

Now you got me itchin’ to reflow my 5Ds and put together a nice nighttime mule, or at least wide-angle TIR.