[Available again! - BLF special edition light] new Sofirn AAA twisty high CRI 5mm LED

List updated through post 362 (JustMyName). Currently the count is up to 267. I am enjoying watching the interest grow.

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Interested in two five 3200K lights, thanks!

After checking, the story may be a bit less exciting than Barry told me earlier, but here it is:

Sofirn purchased 1000x3200K and 1000x5600K 5mm Yuji leds, and Barry told me first that Yuji told Sofirn that after this sale they were out of stock of the 5600K version and there was just one batch left of the 3200K version. And that Yuji had discontinued their 5mm leds :open_mouth: .

Then I checked the Yuji store and the website let me put all types of 5mm leds in the shopping basket no problem. So I asked Barry about that and he said that then maybe they did not get the last ones but there were not many left. And that Yuji may have told Sofirn of the last batches to induce sales.

So the information, as often, is fuzzy and we will not know what is really happening over there. I just hope that the notice that the high CRI 5mm leds are discontinued is not true.

One other thing that I noticed when visiting the Yuji website, is that the 5mm leds come with two emission angles: 45 degrees and 60 degrees (like the colour temperature, you can choose with a button which type to get). I must have noticed that before when I bought my stashes years ago but forgot about it. I think that the 45 degrees version would be preferred for this flashlight so I asked Barry which type they had bought. Today he answered that they had not noticed the two angles ( :person_facepalming: ) , so he looked it up and it was the 60 degrees version (without adding further comments if they agree that the 45 degrees version would be preferred).
In case Sofirn has decided to continue with the 60 degrees leds (so even floodier lights), I wonder what you guys think about that?

I too think that a diffuser could be attractive for this light. For me the 3200K version would be a neat all-night light for my son (he is afraid to sleep in total dark). I doubt if it can be included considering the 6 dollar price goal but I can always ask for it :slight_smile: . Maybe as a separate option for 50 or so cents extra.

I think 45 degree will suit this light much better. At 60deg I think we maybe should up the power to keep an useable intensity.

The 45° would have been better, but the 3200K in 45° is sold out anyway (and has been for a while).

On the website you can find the following info: "45° and 60° emission angle, others available by request" and in the datasheet there is even mention of 30° (this would of course have been even better). Perhaps 30° used to be available? Or it can be custom ordered? (but if these LEDs a really out of production, perhaps this isn't possible any more, not sure).

While it is nice to see the eagerness of Sofirn, they have perhaps been a bit overeager with the LED purchase .

djozz, if it isn't too much trouble, could you check with Barry what exact Bins they got? According to the datasheet there are 4 different chromaticity bins for each CCT, 2 above and 2 below the BBL (it could of course also be that they didn't get one single bin, but a mix with all 4 of them).

There are also 4 different voltage bins. Looking at your test again it seems that your 3200K and 5600K have different voltage bins (5600K is in the V28 (2,8-2,9 V) range while the 3200K is in the V29 (2,9-3,0 V) range).

I think that the 3200K leds that I have is not a different bin but a different design (the curves in the chart really are of different shape). I purchased them in Januari 2015 not long after Yuji started the webshop and they may be an early make.

I will ask Barry for the tint bins, they probably have no idea, and my guess would be that they have no choice about which one they got (or will get if they change the order).

They are OOS now, but they were showing in stock a day or so ago. I checked because I was under the impression that they were sold out. I was just waiting for Friday. Bummer.

interested

One of each CCT thanks.

Really? That is strange. They were always out of stock the last few times I checked in the last couple of weeks and months (I did check today, but the last time bevor that was maybe 3 weeks or so ago). Perhaps they were in stock intermittently when I wasn't looking .

Of course, that is also very possible, improvements and refinements throughout the years of production are not uncommon.

That is probably the most likely scenario sadly.

That extra option would be good for me :wink: Not to be included in the main “package” but having an extra like that would be good :wink:

About the angles…Well, 45º would be nicer, but I have no problems with 60º degrees :wink:

I guess with this low power light, it will be used at such close range that the difference of 45º versus 60º, although sounding huge, wouldn’t actually be that big of a deal. Still, 45º would be better, of course.

I just thought about the coating and the intended purpose of this light. Wouldn’t it make sense to make it a little bit more expensive and make the body out of stainless steel? Aluminium keychain lights tend to look ugly after a while.

SS doesn’t tend to play nicely with twisty lights.

Brass on the other hand makes for ultra-smooth threads :sunglasses:

I’m in for at least one 3200K and one 5600K.
More depending on available colors (of flashlight).

They have said this before over a year ago (link), gone out of stock, and apparently changed their mind. I suppose at some point it will actually prove true. If they do stop offering them in the web store, then it would probably take committing to an entire production batch (I don’t know how many, but definitely more than 1000).

Currently, the 3200K, 45 degree version can not be added to the cart. The others can.

My first preference is 45 degrees, just because I’m familiar with this beam and know it’s amply floody. The useful light extends well beyond 45 degrees, that’s just roughly the angle it drops to half of the peak value. I expect the 60 degree version will only be a little bit wider than the 45 degree already is.

For what it’s worth, Don “McGizmo’s” customers talked him into offering Yuji’s in his Sapphire (basically a really well-made titanium Arc AAA), which he was reluctant to do because I gather he spent years trying different LED’s before finding one he was really happy with.

He uses the 60 degree, and is quite happy with it.

I asked Yuji in the past about options listed on their datasheets but not in the web store. The web store is only a limited selection of their products for small volume purchasers. It sounds like if a 30 degree were desired, it would have to be quoted as a commercial order, and probably would require a very large minimum quantity.

Customers aren't able to specify which bin they want, but in the past, I know it has been listed on the package.

The last warm Yuji's I got in a group buy were their F5-1 bin, which is above the BBL, but still looks excellent to me. I wouldn't call them green at all. More golden than anything.

In comparison, I have another light with a high CRI Cree XM-L2 at 3000K that looks slightly yellowish. I think of the Yuji's as "cream flavored" and the Cree as "lemon flavored."

This makes sense if you look at a chromaticity diagram. You'll see the tints above and below vary depending on the color temperature:

Below ~4000K: yellow above, orange below

~4000 to ~7000K: green above, pink below

Over ~7000K: cyan above, magenta below

All that said, try not to overthink this. All the Yuji's I've seen: from two separate batches of 3200K and one of 5600K in the 5mm, and one of 3200K in their 10W COB look excellent. I don't have the equipment to do the really nice measurements Maukka does, but I'm confident that their deviations from the BBL are fairly small, and there is minimal variation in tint across the width of the beam.

I'm in for 4

two 3200K

and

two 5600K