Regrettably, Convoy lights are not suitable as there is no technical specification available (apparently) for these lights for me to verify light data.
Similarly, Emisar lights are also not suitable due to lack of technical specification. Some information is available but is very limited; not enough information is provided.
Lights for consideration MUST have manufacturer specifications to be available with at least the Lumens, Candelas and runtimes to be quoted. Light throws are also useful, but can be calculated if that information is not available.
I've edited my first post to clarify my requirements.
Thanks for the suggestion, but this light has only a beam angle of 15°. This is a tight spot beam which is not suitable for my purposes. The light I'm after should have a beam angle of close to or greater than 50°.
Manufacturer specifications are important to get an idea of how the light performs. The quoted specifications may not be always correct, but it gives a fairly good idea of what lights are capable of.
Lights that do not have specifications available are a lottery. There is really very little or no idea of how they perform, and I'm not buying lights that I do not have at least some idea of expected performance. Otherwise it would most likely be a waste of money and time buying and trying different lights based on little or no specifications.
I have particular requirements for the light I'm after for use in certain circumstances. I have very limited income and time available to waste. So I have to be careful about which light I choose.
Manufacturers specifications are notoriously inflated in almost all cases. I think you would be far better off by finding a few reviews on any light that you are considering. If you read three or four (or more) of them, you will have a much better understanding of real world performance (including beam shots and comparisons) versus just looking at the spec sheet from the maker.
Manufacturer specifications are usually just another form of advertising. There is zero transparency or testing methodology shared with the consumer. They aren’t good information to base a purchasing decision on, because you have no idea how they got that number (if they did any testing at all.)
You know what gives a fairly good idea what lights are actually capable of? Real-world testing and reviews, and the more the better for consistency.
There are no specs that are going to show you how much of the light is in the spot versus in the spill. So your criteria is flawed from the very start. Do you want to actually be able to see clearly out to 30m or do you want the specs to show 30m? Again same question, in the spot or in the spill? Again specs are not going to specify spill throw distance so again your criteria is flawed from the beginning. There are so many good lights that you are not even going to consider because of your flawed criteria. Spell out exactly what you want here and people will respond. Do you not want a hotspot at all?
Manufacturer specifications are a starting point. As already mentioned, their specifications are not entirely accurate, but usually fairly close to actual operating conditions, at least for the main or reputable manufacturers.
Of course I look at reviews where and when available for lights of interest. The problem is that sometimes reviewers do not include outputs (Lumens) and associated runtimes for lower levels of brightness settings. They tend to test only for turbo, high and medium modes and leave out tests for the lower outputs.
The light I'm interested in must be principally a flood type but with a bit of throw as well. So I don't really want a light with a (noticeable) hotspot.
Actually it is possible to get an idea of beam and spill by calculating the beam angle and field angle respectively, provided all the data is available without testing. Beam angle is (relatively) easily calculated, but field angle is not so easy to calculate (for me) at the moment to determine the amount of spill (field) light.
Looking at Wild Trail WT3M light for the moment, thanks.
The Sofirn SP35 has a fairly narrow beam (hotspot) at around 17°. So this is not really suitable as it stands. I avoid having to add extra diffusion whether home made or a manufacturer optional accessory. It is something that could be lost at any time, plus there is usually a (slight) loss of light output. So I prefer a light that has a "natural" floody beam without the use of extra diffusion.
Maybe take a look at the Convoy S21D with 4 519A LEDs . High CRI. Several choices for optics from 60 degree flood to 10 degree. Several color temps. I think it ticks most of your boxes.
If you ask, Simon would probably send you a selection of the optics for relatively cheap.
He doesn’t publish much as far a specs, but there are a few good reviews out there.
I have no idea what the lumen levels are on my Convoy M21B with GTFC40, but comparing it to all my other lights, it is WAY brighter than any of them, is pretty floody and even with a not too defined hot spot, yet reaches impressively far.
Typically I will carry two lights. A flooder and a thrower. But when I only want to carry one light, the M21B/GTFC40 is my go to single light that can do everything I need. (Except reach dedicated thrower distances.)
I think I even prefer it to my dual channel Emisar D4SV2 with LH351D/W1. Which was my original solution to carrying one light but still having two beam styles. The UI is just so much faster and inuitive for me to have exactly the light I want on my target with no fuss.
>Regrettably, Convoy lights are not suitable as there is no technical specification available (apparently) for these lights for me to verify light data.
Many of the published specs from the manufactures are false or at least a bit exaggerated. There are a lot of reviews of Convoy lights out on the web and youtube where you could get specifications.
Yeah… I forgot he said that. Even though real world testing by trusted reviewers is much more likely to reflect the true capabilities of the light.
But, OK, I give up. the OP is imposing limitations that will result in him missing some really great lights. But, Hey. It is what it is. His money….
Seems like I'll have to spend more time finding suitable lights myself rather than relying on folks here. It means more time searching light manufacturers light offerings and then finding (where available) reviews of interesting lights.
Anyway, I've found three lights so far which appear to meet my requirements. Neither are Convoy nor Emisar.
