Looking for the ideal flashlight

On the Nitecore website, regulation for similar models is mentioned, but that regulation kicks in after an hour or longer, which is very good. And that aligns perfectly with the graph you posted.
About the unregulated current, doesn’t nitecore state their lights are flicker free because they use current regulation?
Whatever the technicalities, the Nitecore stepdown is good. From what I’ve found Nitecore and Armytec are the only ones that state their lights stay at constant output for X minutes.
A little note on this, Armytec has two choices which are support describes as follows: If you need high unchanging brightness for as long as possible, then it’s better to take flashlights with FULL. If you need as long as possible operating mode (given that the brightness will gradually fall), it is better to take DIGITAL.
It looks like Nitecore uses their own version of ‘full’

HC33, HC50, HC65, HA20 all have a 100 degree beam. Quite floody I think. Other brands sell floody beams of 100 or even 120, but the upgrade you posted is still great, because the hotspot is gone. Very similar to the skilhunt with its ‘lens door’ perhaps?

/EDIT
A 60deg lens gives a 120deg beam. That would be great.

Please compare these two specs on the HC33
From the official site: http://flashlight.nitecore.com/Uploads/attached/image/20180119/20180119075238_14853.jpg
From a BLF review: https://civilgear.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/hc33_en_17-copy.jpg
The tables differ greatly. One table lists 1 battery type, the other 3.
Both tables are according to the FL1 standard.
Compare the second line under “NOTE”
“The runtime for Turbo or High mode is the testing result before starting temperature regulation”
vs
“Runtime for Turbo or High Mode is calculated based on theoretical arithmetic”

That last line is also true when the light steps down after a few seconds. When I spotted that difference I instantly feared Nitecore rephrased their specs so they look good. Shortly after that I found a runtime test that shows turbo lasts only a few seconds. Nitecore HC33 Headlamp Review – ZeroAir Reviews

Curious which 4 you ended up with? I also try to stay minimalistic like this.

The Zebralight in that review is a “D” variant. It has an older emitter (Cree XM-L2 EasyWhite) with a relatively high CRI value. This reduces efficiency.

It also has four XP-E2 sized (1mm^2) dies. The XHP-50 in the Olight and the Armytek has newer, larger XP-G2 sized dies (2mm^2). So at the same electrical input power the XHP-50 is driven at half the power density. This increases efficiency.

The Armytek is the light with bad efficiency (in the highest mode). Clemence has studied this in one of his threads. Generally though the problem with that graph is that the high modes don’t all necessarily use the same power.

Good catch, thanks, I didn’t get the pop up. My real interest is in the R1 and R3 though, hopefully they release NW versions of those as promised.

Found it. Dale did it on a MecArmy PT16 as part of an extensive modding project.
The USB charging components were removed to make room to go from a 16340 to an 18350 cell:

Apparently he initially was willing to retain the USB charging but ended up having to remove it to make room for the longer battery. But as I said it was just part of an extensive hot-rod rebuild for that light.

I don’t see where the tables differ greatly?

For the Li-ion specs the runtimes are nearly exactly the same in all 3 tables, there are two tables on the nitecore.com page you linked, the upper table is for IMR battery and the lower is with ICR, those two tables match the 1st two rows in the civilgear table. The only difference I see is for the Low (70lm) in the civilgear table for ICR is 15min less than what’s showing on the nitecore.com table.

.

In that review from what I can tell the stepdown is because the battery he used cannot deliver/sustain the current on turbo:

“I tested the light with only a Nitecore 18650”

I think that light needs a high current/high drain IMR cell or at least a 10A ICR cell such as the 18650GA. Maybe try to find some tests where they use a better cell. Pretty sure these don’t have any LVP so maybe a protected GA with 10A protection circuit would be best for some users.

.

The HC33 interests me but I’m out unless they release a NW version, same as your requirement I like good color rendering too.

I’ve read that the NW Olight (H2R) is a warmer neutral, that one really interests me, its brighter than the Nitecore, and has the diffused lens. I’m pretty sure the XHP35 in the Nitecore is better suited for throw, compared to the higher output XHP50 in the Olight.

Hi G43, welcome to BLF! :slight_smile:

I recommend the Convoy C8, but you really should start a new topic on this in the “LED Flashlights - General Info category” you will get a lot more response that way.

Forum Categories ~ LED Flashlights General Info ~ New Topic

:person_facepalming:

Now this is funny! LMAOff!! :smiley: :+1:

[quote=beam0]

Thanks for all your answers. I’m not going to reply to each of them because they all show the same thing: I’ve been comparing things that shouldn’t be compared.

Color rendering certainly has my interest. What’s best is always a preference, but still a few questions.
Two leds, same manufacturer, same generation, same cri, but a different tint.
I’ve been comparing many beam shots, both video and pictures.
One of the reasons I want good color rendering is that I can see more detail. More variations in color etc.
I’m wondering a warmer or cooler tint affect that. I’m like 90% sure I’ll buy a Zebralight. The ones I’m after only come in 4000K and 5000K.
I’ll be buying a mark IV but only found mark III beamshots.
1000+ beamshots: über 1.000 Beamshots mit Lampenbildern | Taschenlampen Forum
I must say I don’t hate any of them. If I had the choice I would go for 4500K. But that’s based on pictures that likely don’t show real life colors.

A guy that races downhill on his mountain bike wrote that the reacts quicker with warmer tints. So warm tints are safer for his purpose.
While that’s not my use it got me thinking, are there other benefits in color temp besides how natural they look?
Pitch dark basement with old junk in it.

- Faded label on bag.

- A machine with a serial number stamped into a metal label. No ink but engraved. Fairly shiny surface.

  • A label with not very contrasting colors.

Are certain tints better for that sort of use? Or is there no real difference (until I start using RGB)?
Is a frosted lens beneficial for the situations described above?

I have the 3200 version of that battery. It came with flashlight that’s cheaper than the battery itself.
That new battery has about the same power as batteries I got from a old laptop (that likely have lower specs)

https://www.fasttech.com/product/5641202-authentic-samsung-inr18650-35e-3-6v-3500mah
I think that’s a better choice. A little cheaper. And better. But a flat top….
A good place to compare batteries: Battery test-review 18650 comparator

G43, any cell showing more than 3600mAh is a fake.

HKJ took some cells like this apart, and the results were awful:

Link: Disassembly of some UltraFire batteries

.

G43, do you work for Gearbest?
Smells like a popular canned ham product. :disappointed:

@G43
THIS forum is verry well aware what the up today battery technology is.

People hock them up on a resistor and burn them empty, while logging the data.
They buy also the newest fancy, expensive LED emitter and drive them till it smokes.

If those people say there is no such thing with more than 3600mAh, believe them!

Please don’t feed…

Wow! Much knowledge! Scare baby! Very explaining! Feel safer now…