That looks amazingā¦ Donāt know what oils your hands are giving off but mine hasnāt developed patina that fast.
I like it. Yes, itās very warm, and it does make things look a bit unnatural. Itās not a light for outdoors. Itās a light for a incandescent-like mood light for indoors. Watching TV, etc.
It might be better if it was high-CRI. I think the Emissar D4v2 offers 3000K in a high-CRI SST-20 LED.
My FW3A has 3000K 90 CRI SST-20ās in it. And my FW3C is 7A XP-L HI. Personally, I find both the warm tints very good indoors, or around the house. Obviously out in the field or bush a more neutral tint will perform better. Itās like mad things wants a warm tint, and natural things wants a neutral tint.
Is your 7A significantly brighter than your SST-20?
To my eyes, about 20% brighter. But the the SST-20ās has a narrower beam and a bit more throw as expected.
Iām not sure how I feel about this, but donāt forget about the outdoor glamour shot!
@ KevinZA, that sounds reasonable. Are you using the same optic?
Yeah, I even swapped optics to confirm that the optics are the same. Lumen junkies will complain about the SST-20ās.
Yep. Guilty as charged. It is definitely not as bright. Iām going to try different optics to see what works best.
But the 4000k SST20 looks amazing outside in the dark walking around either a veggie garden or flower bed. The colors just pop and I can give up a few lumens for that. The heat on the other hand is insane with the SST20ās.
Yeah, but the 4000K is not what I would call warmā¦ Neutral, yes. Iām waiting for the funky colored FW3A lights to be released then Iāll order that emitter combo.
I do like the tint a lot. Hotter, and less bright though, not so much.
You may be noticing the Purkinje effect, combined with the relatively low output of red from the 80CRI emitter.
I havenāt done any rigorous testing, but I tend to assume high CRI should be particularly helpful for maintaining color discrimination in the red range as intensity is decreased, although even that would not completely counter the Purkinje effect.
Do you have other 3000K lights youāre comparing it to?
And is this when itās fully dark? Iāve got a 3000K XM-L2 light that seems comparatively very orange if Iām using it around what is often called the āblue hour,ā which occurs after sunset but before it is fully dark.
I donāt like such warm color temperatures for that kind of situation. On the other hand, indoors, where my last light exposure was likely a 2700-3000K bulb, or around a campfire after itās totally dark, 3000K is great.
My SST-20 4000K came today. The emitters are great but the new switch is terrible compared to the first run one. Metal-on-metal squeaky and not nearly as solid feeling 
hm that sounds bad? i have same on its way, i thought the switch is better compared to the first run ?
Mine does not squeak at all. Solid click sound. The only way I can get a metal on metal sound is by spinning the switch, which you would expect that sound at that point.
Really happy with mine except I wish it didnāt activate so easily on the edge. I am currently doing the switch lockout with the head. Itās really not bad doing it that way since the threads are so smooth it turns like butter with one hand. Plus it keeps your memory since you keep power to the driver. I am considering changing the internal switch like some have, I just donāt know what they used. I am considering trying some foam too since some have said that worked well.
The first run switches were great. You could not make it any better.
Your probably thinking of the 2nd run, not the 1st.
I have 5 SST-20 4000Kās - no squeak and more solid feel than the first run light that I received. Maybe you just got a dud?
This gives me some hope for the SST-20ās that should be arriving today. Thanks.