Astrolux MF04 vs Astrolux MF04s ?

Seeing that you already have a XHP-70 led flashlight in that Thorfire, then get a XHP-35 so get the MF04 in neutral white to reach farther, or if you want to see the laser like beam in the air then the cool white would be best, what tint beam does your friend has? do you like the way his beam looks?

Sounds like you got yourself in lot a longest d/(& contest.
If you buy the MF04S now and they then buy the MF04 to beat you, how would you feel then?
With either choice, they can always say you bought a torch the size of a toaster oven just to beat them, how would you feel then?
If you’re indecisive it’s cuz you know you don’t really want or need either. Put the same exact money into a Reylight TI LAN Winter Frost with 16 trits and you can take that mofo anywhere and it’ll make your buddy jealous too. Win win.

Olight have 5500k (not CW not NW) :smiley:

NW it’s better for long distance ? But i like CW (i prefer white-blue), but I would choose what is stronger on a larger distance (NW). :slight_smile:

@nokooff: Yes, It’s kind of a championship. I want to be better as my friends :slight_smile:

I have both the MF04 and the MF04s, MF04 all of the way. The hotspot just isn’t large enough at a distance to make a huge difference (for me) and I appreciate the more concentrated beam. On top of that it uses less power so you have longer run time, and it takes longer to heat up so you can comfortably run it on turbo even longer.

Really though it depends on the distances you plan on using it. At close distances <100 feet, the hotspot size isn’t big enough to make a difference. At medium distances <1000 feet, you might appreciate the MF04S more, at long distances >1000 feet, the increased beam intensity means the target will end up brighter with the MF04 anyways so while the MF04S will have a bigger hotspot, it won’t be illuminated as brightly.

If throw is at biggest priority, I think MF04 is better, because it uses significantly less power for the same throw distance.

XHP70.2 is not the best, because for a good throw, it uses too much power, so the flashlight host gets hot in a relatively short time, then the driver will step back, and thus, throw will be reduced as well with the output.

For people, who want more light output, but still great throw, XHP50.2 could be considered as well.

Regarding color temperature, a neutral white around 4000K will throw much better over longer distances, as violet/blue/cyan/green light gets scattered significantly more in the air, than yellow/orange/red (based on a few physics facts). So the NW flashlight will actually illuminate the target better, instead of making a ‘laser beam’.

I think, for long distance throwers, high CRI 3500K or 3000K CCT emitters could be even better (for me, the sweet spot could be at 3500K).

EDIT: as DB Custom says, I told falsely, that NW/WW emitters will throw better. NW/WW emitters have usually slightly lower performance bin. I still think/experience, that perceived contrast can be noticeably better, when air conditions are suboptimal.

I will tell you I have both. I like both but the MS04S was awesome. Given the distance the human eye can actually make out an object is less than what these lights are capable of. The MF04S would be the one I would pick (Personal preference/opinion). A neutral white will not wash out the objects as much either. You will not be disappointed with whichever you choose.

Agreeed…

I have both versions in Cool White and both are very impressive. If you want specialized throw, the XHP35 is awesome. If you want great throw with awesome output and generally just a wider area lit up at range, get the 04S.
Of course this is important: The 04 in XHP35 lasts much longer on Turbo and the other run times as well.

It is argued that the Warm White is better for less diffraction in humidity, I personally do not follow that argument as I have photographed lights hitting subjects at almost 2 miles and the Cool White light worked better even in a light rain. I even had my wife run the two lights and I traveled closer to the subject, took the photo’s from a few hundred yards away and off the line of light… the Cool White visibly put more light on the target. In spite of a light rain. So I know from personal experience that the folks shouting hurrah’s for the warmer tints are just opinionated. :slight_smile:

Cool White makes more lumens, throws farther, glad to have resolved that debate for you. :smiley:

Carry on.

Edit: Oh, yeah, you probably want to see for yourself… The lights were 1.9 miles from this tower, shining in from my left about 60-70 yds away from me (the beam line was that far to my left) I was about 300 yds from the water tower taking these pictures.

these are a …bit throwier than the GT/GT70…?

YES…they have to be, as the reflector is bigger and deeper then BLF GT…

Just saw this…Astrolux MF04 vs. BLF GT long range comparison 4K - YouTube

It’s strange that mf04 has a larger hotspot and gives more range

I would go with mf04… mf04s xhp70.2 have a bit green tint.

As a matter of fact, my mf04s died… i think its the driver, carrier, or led… all of them…

The photographs you show for comparison were made during a clear night (there are stars in the sky background of the picture). If same models were used for comparison just with emitter CCT differences, these photos are truly convincing for clear sky/air conditions.

However, you could show photographs showing these beams hitting targets through light to moderate fog as well.

My personal experience, that when I use flashlights in mist/light to moderate fog, cooler CCT flashlights are casting a more disturbing beam into the air, making unnecessary glare, and reducing perceived contrast at the illuminated target.

Probably I need to experience with this topic for myself more, but I do find warmer tints useful in those cases. (I edited/corrected my previous post)

With maximum respect to your knowledge and experience, I feel these above a little bit offensive and unnecessarily arrogant.

Pretty sure he was just using hyperbole and speaking anecdotally there. It’s common for people in the states to have an acerbic, satirical, sarcastic wit however they usually mean nothing offensive by it. Just see it for what it is.

I havent email yet… i sent two email about my broken imalent ms12… ( with the video proof ). i never got any email…

I am sending email to banggood about the mf04s now.

Adam, facetious is the word… I put the big smiling smiley face to show I was saying that tongue-in-cheek. We all have our opinions based on our individual needs and preferences of course.

And it was indeed a misty high humidity night when I took those pictures, the misty cold rain I was standing in had me somewhat worried about the 60 mph traffic on the road right behind me. The cloud cover broke just to the North of my position which is why the stars are visible in the background. I was using a 200mm lens to bring the water tower closer as I was parked in an entry driveway and set up at a barbed wire fence several hundred yards away, the starry sky is also pulled in closer in appearance than it actually was.

We get a lot of weird weather, once I was driving into town in sunlight and literally in the middle of train tracks I had to cross it was raining heavily, the tracks divided a blue sky day from a bleary rainy day. From where we are I can usually see a storm system rolling in from 30 miles away in 3 directions.

Believe me, when I take a $5,000 plus camera out in the rain for pictures of a flashlight beam I do Not take it lightly!

That’s right. Maybe I am a bit too obsessed with non-CW flashlights - but not for nothing :slight_smile:

I believe you now :slight_smile: