I'm curious as well :D
Hopefully I can share my observations soon
Ughh... just got around replacing the LEDs..(which was overdue)... and noticed that I likely got the wrong one(s).
The 4500K I ordered turned out to be measuring 4000K
The 5000K is spot on, around 5000K
The 5700K measures around 5100-5200K
Hmmm... so, the testing will take even longer :(
Do you prefer the 5000K 519A or rather the 5700 one ChibiM?
I don't know yet.. I only replaced them today.. and I'm not sure whether I got the correct ones.. my 5700K reads between 5100 and 5200.. so I assume that's not correct..
Hopefully I'll know more soon...
I will probably do another round of tests with just DC fix installed.. Last time I just added in front of the beam, but still tested most of them without for most of the time.
I think you did get the right ones. 4500K 519As are infamous for measuring way below the claimed CCT, I've seen at least one review that puts it under 4100 behind TIR optics. 5700K is known to measure lower than advertised as well, if you're getting 5200K you must have the right CCT because every other CCT will measure 5000 or below.
What is surprising is that the 5000K is spot-on; they usually measure 4700-4800.
The 5000K is actually spot on, for real. The other 2 aren't.
I'll wait for Simon's reply.
LEDs vary in CCT, even two LEDs side by side in the same roll are not identical.
LEDs get grouped in Bins that can include variations up to 10%, for example 5700K can include 5130K
LED CCT also varies depending on how bright the light is turned up…
here are 3 of my LEDs measured on my Opple, as you can see they all read lower than the nominal specification:
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Interesting.. but they could have just sold it as 4000K :)
Other brand that I tested (which aren't that many perhaps) were much closer to what they are advertised.
Okay, so I added DC Fix to all my Convoys, and went for an hour walk last night..
(that's probably the reason why I got a bit sick today)
Simon basically said that the lower CCT is likely because of the reflector.. strange.. why do I measure 4000K on a 4500K LED.. shouldn't that be just sold as 4000K? lol.
Some more observations I made.
Still, it's hard/impossible to say which LED I like.
Here's (probably) my last summary of thoughts.
- Testing 10+ lights at the same time is probably not a good idea..
- Whatever way you go: from cool CCT to neutral CCT, from low CRI to high CRI.. the differences are obvious. And that's the main thing you'll notice. At 1 point I said: Hey, I like this beam.. but then realized I noticed that I didn't like that beam too much when I compared it to another light a few minutes before. lol. Just let that sink in. And that happened a couple of times.. What you compare it to has a lot of influence whether you like something or not. Most of the time, if you have a nice beam, you can get used to it, even if it is not the perfect tint/CRI etc.
- My personal preference is definitely going towards the cooler lights, somewhere between 4500 and 5500K, and likely towards the 5000K+
- If I had to choose between a low CRI with a nice beam vs high CRI with a bad beam.. I'd choose the former.
- DC Fix really "fixes" many beams. Especially if you had some rings/tint shifts, this is the way to go. Get some from Boaz : https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/35838
- I'd rather prefer Low CRi with a nice neutral-cool white beam that high cri warm beam. (beam with DC fix, and a Nichia without DC fix in a convoy s2+ with smooth reflector.. not a good choice)
- I don't like Nichia 219B or 519A in a Convoy s2+ with smooth reflector for walking outdoors.
- Getting the right tint might be more important than high CRI
- There's just too many variations why a beam can be nice, and CRI is just one of them, and probably not the main one.
- I got 3 of the same LEDS (Nichia 219B 4500K) and all 3 are slightly different. So even if you say: you should get ABC because that's the nice LED out there (well, some people would just say: you should get High CRI..lol.) The person could actually receive a different tint, and think you are both talking about the same thing.. but 1 is not the same as the other.
- If I had to choose between a 'greenish or a pinkish' tint, I'd probably prefer the pinkish
- Get an Opple :D It's great to be able to measure the CCT (temperature) so you actually know whether the LED you got is actually producing the CCT you thought you would get. (That's why I like the Opple Light Master a lot!!! Greatest gadget for flashlight enthusiasts made in the last couple of years)
- But what I really noticed is that the beam shape/spot/spill is one of the most important factors for me, using it outdoors. Even with a greenish tint, a smooth and nice beam is so much nicer to walk with. Last time I didn't use DC FIX (lookalike), and each beam was so different, that it was even more difficult to compare I think. The beam shape influenced my perception of how I liked a light or not.
Great conclusion! I think it boils down to choice really, and what you prefer. There’s an LED/tint, RA/CRI/beam, for everyone really, from a rosy 219B sw45k R9080, kermit green YingDing, to a screaming cool xP-L2 with ugly beam. Don’t like the 4000k 219B? Swap it for a 519A, or a xp-l hi 2A 5D. Some are better for TIR, some for reflector, some for SMO, sowe for OP.
Yeah, so many variables.
It depends on the situation, type of light, and personal preferences.
So, it's a good idea to try different LEDs with different color temperatures, even if you think you found your favorite. There's just too many LEDs out there :D
And even if you think you like a certain LED, the next time you buy one, it may be a different tint than your last one.
Doing many reviews also helps broadening your view and preferences.
Hey Chibi
thanks for the plug and the link above to my want to sell thread for DC fix. I’ve gone back-and-forth as to whether to send you stuff or not . The problem is at one point I’m selling 14 different types of diffusers. DC fix
is great stuff but not my favorite and I’m being real picky here. But adding 14 different diffusers to 20 different flashlights is 400 options 4000 options ? Or 40 million I don’t know… Way too many
Kind of like how convoy got started…. 8 different straight tube flashlights S2 S3 S4 S5 s6 s7 s8 etc… 6 different driver options , and 11 different emitter choices>> I think the math is 700 million options. If I send you some stuff I don’t want you to do testing on it I want it to be for your private use because it’s just gonna be too complicated. Like you said it’s personal preference and when comparing any two lights against each other you’re gonna like one better than the other. You’re right about tint being way more important than people think it is. And the high color rendering it’s just a given do you want every color coming out the front. Let’s not forget minus green filters and the ability to start changing temp using filters 700 million more options. Thanks for doing this seems like a lot of fun .
Fun for you .. fun for the whole BLF family too
If you really want to find the keeper you need to decide on a emitter and then buy 10 of the same light /same emitter because no two are the same. Then pick your favorite. There is way too much variation in a reel / bin.
Some emitters have more than others (LH351D, SST-40), but they all have some variation from emitter to emitter. One of the most beautiful emitters I have ever seen - ok the most, and it's not even close - is a 5000k LH351D.
So if I don't like a light all that much I will swap out the emitter to something I have usually not caring what I just want to check out different emitters in the light to see what the beam looks like.
Here's the mistake I made. I had a Folomov 18650S laying around and a strip of LH351D 5000k from Simon. Decided I would see if I could swap it but it's not easy to do because the driver is in the tail so you have to swap the emitter through the copper contact on the back of the board. I get it done and am proud of myself and turn the light on and couldn't believe what I was looking at. I checked it with the Opple. I went back and counted emitters thinking I had to have put something else in there. Maybe I mixed 5700k and 5000k emitters. I tried it with a TIR from Convoy thinking maybe the Folomov reflector is magical. It didn't make any difference. Nothing I did made it look anything less than the most beautiful beam of light I have ever seen in my life. sw45k cannot even compare.
And to this day that emitter still sits in that light because it's such a pain in the ass to get it out. It's stored for safe keeping to protect the emitter for the one special light I find someday that deserves it.
It’s funny because I have considered starting a thread about epic emitters that got put in the wrong light.
I have a handful of 4A XPG2 emitters that RIC at cnqualitygoods was closing out for a buck .
One of the nicest tints in the world . I’ve kicked myself 1000 times for not buying more. I wouldn’t sell them for $10 apiece. And three or four are in really dumb flashlights. One in a two dollar zoomy and another in a FarkaF6 /Xeno light that makes the beautiful rosy tint look oddly green and adds artifacts … proving coated lenses and reflectors can dramatically change things.
also one in an AKOray that’s not doing it any justice either.
Out of the 14 that you stock, which is your favorite?
Of the ones you sent me awhile ago, my favorite was #3 which is non-adhesive and has less diffusion than d-c-fix. It keep a nice punchy hotspot but smooths out the hard cut-off of the spill. I put it under the glass of lights that I can (S2+ for example) and on my SC64w HI I just use a bit of silicone lube to stick it to the front of the glass.
And don’t forget reflector vs TIR lens.
The dreaded 4C Cree was/is an ugly-ass beam in a reflectored S2+. Too fried-eggy, piss-yellow hotspot, blue spill, overall CT of the hotspot looked waaaaaaaay too warm for a 4C, but there it was.
Stick it behind a TIR lens where the beam’s more thoroughly blended and uniform, and eliminates hotspot vs spill tint-shift issues, and it’s a beautiful “warm sunlight” beam. Literally. The 4C is a bit above the BBL, but so is real sunlight. All the 4C S2+es that I converted to TIRs were “Wow!” lights that were very much appreciated when I gifted ’em, and this was before CRI ever became “a thing”.
Agree!
Still have one (heavily used) on the shelf 
as Marco mentioned, a good beam is usually more important than the tint.
My opinion is that there are so many variations, due to the reflector, (dimension, size and depth, OP or SMO (OP is a must for a great beam! unless you want a thrower, but then again, you probably dont care about tint and CRI) AR coating, led dimensions, domed/dedomed, the drive current (many leds look bad on low current) etc, etc, that almost every flashlight is unique, even if they’re identical.
Currently, one of my favourite is the Sofirn SC21 Pro, with 4500K 519a (domed), its a very nice and even beam, very versatile, somehow that reflector is magnificent!
I also really like the SC21 Pro reflector. Works w both domed and dedomed 519a:
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today I ordered another SC21 Pro for myself, they are on sale on aliex 
it is a great little host, and also makes a good gift, since it has onboard charging. The tailmagnet adds utility, as does the hatclip and lighted switch.
I reflash to Anduril 2, thanks to hardware and help from gchart. PM me if you have questions or want help w a reflash.
And can vary with lumens too.
Here are quad Nichia 219B sw27 LEDs taken from the same roll right next to each other. It was only noticeable on moonlight, but I was surprised to see that 2 were brighter. It bugged me enough to take the 2 that matched (on the right) and pared them up with 2 sw30 LEDs.
I think the brightness variation on low current is probably due to different forward voltage curves, not lower output bins--some of my 519As run in parallel display the same behavior at moonlight level. If you crank it up to high or turbo, the variation in brightness disappears, and none of them is noticeably brighter or dimmer than others.