Convoy S21D w/ legendary Nichia 219b Review & comparison w/ Nichia 519a, E21a & high CRI LEDs. (Summary & measurements on P. 1) ALERT - M21H: The Emperor Has NEW CLOTHES! :)

EDIT: This post will be updated many, many times as I’ve decided to pin it to my signature and will update it whenever I have more measured data or more experience with other lights.

I love this kind of question because it forces me to think about what is most useful and what is most fun in this hobby for me. Two lights is not enough and life is short so I really need to have 4. And were I to start new today they would be as followed. (EDIT: please don’t be surprised if there are changes in this list. Mistakes discovered, knowledge improves, opinions change, etc.)

1a. Convoy S21D with Nichia 219b 4500K HERE. For me, the gold standard for objective CRI & R9 accuracy, and subjective color rendition that all other LED’s should be compared to. For those into photography, Nichia 219b 4500k is the LED that creates the most “pop” in pictures. Other than the fact this is a short range floody light (not a thrower), it is the first LED/light to buy in a collection if color accuracy is a priority. This floody beam is absolute perfection for work around the house (throw light is blinding for close up work). And the rosy tint is most beautifully appreciated in the even spread of a floody beam, so yes IMHO S21D is the perfect host for 219b. Note IMHO this is THE first light to buy for hobbyists who are OCD about color accuracy, but not necessarily muggles. Muggles who care more about output and throw will not appreciate this light. For those I think you would give 1b, Wurkkos TS30S.

1b. (tied with 1a) Convoy M21E or M21F with Getian GT-FC40 4500k HERE. The only bright medium-range thrower on the market with Nichia-like color quality, and perhaps more useful than similar size Nichia lights because of much better brightness and throw (324 m per my measurement). This is the all around every day light and the perfect gift light because it does so many things so well. Getian GT-FC40 has fantastic high CRI beam color that no doubt imitates Nichia in real life viewing. The tint is between 219a and 519a, but more towards 519a’s sunset yellow than 219b’s rosy tint. My own M21E sporting Duv of –0.0064, closer to the legendary Nichia than any other throwy LED in existence. The M21F has a smaller head (fits pocket easier) and has a balanced beam between flood and throw, whereas M21E has more throw (324m M21E vs 276m M21F) but less flood, and is slightly bigger. Either is a big winner with no competition as a walk light IMvHO :+1: .
Note: Tint lottery (variation of Duv) might be a problem with this LED. I have two M21E’s with identical GT-FC40 4500k LED, the first one bought in 3/2022 has perfect Duv and Nichia-like tint, the second one bought in 10/2024 has greenish tint, noticeably worse than the first one.

1c (tied with 1a & b) Wurkkos TS30S with SBT90.2 HERE. In some hobbies, car, photography, stereo, etc., once in a while a product, whether by luck (kidding) or by talent, hits that magical perfection level. This humble $60 light is such a unicorn and has proven to be a FORMIDABLE competitor to all the newer lights in my collection. The Wurkkos rocks my Opple meter by clocking 1 km throw (holy macaroni). The 4500 plus lm output means fantastic brightness, but more importantly, this brightness is well sustained once Tmax is properly set. That all of this is in a smallish form that fits jacket pocket is the magic of modern LED and flashlight technology. The beam profile is “balanced”: some super throwers have an extremely bright hotspot but little to no spill, resulting in a very narrow field of vision, the Wurkkos OTOH strikes a perfect balance between good-size hotspot (throw) and good-brightness spill (flood) click here. I use this light often during my evening walk and the beam is an absolute thing of beauty: a bright central beam piercing darkness like a light saber. The beam color at ~5100K is very nicely warm (as opposed to harsh flat blue) and has a green tint that I forgive in a thrower LED and, as OCD picky as I am, not a hindrance at all in actual use (vs white walling). Nothing on the market comes close, not at 60 bucks.

4. Budget “super-lights” - Wurkkos TS32 with 12 Nichia 519a and SFT40 HERE. The 15000 lumen of TS32 Nichia 519a goodness is UNLIKE anything I’ve ever seen. It has a golden creamy (meaning not too yellow) tone and is so very very bright and floody (why it’s often described as “wall of light”). Note that this 519a 5000k is most beautiful in Turbo mode; the lower brightness has some green tint and more positive Duv. In the context of comparing against these other 15000 lm super-lights, it has very clearly the most beautiful warm-colored wall-of-light, with the best color rendering as a result of its 98 CRI. 519a 5000k is less yellow than 519a 4500k, and I welcome this change. Combining twelve hot 519a’s with the throwy, cool, bright SST40 central LED is an ingenious move, a result of this light being born and bred in BLF by hobbyists. The 519a stepdowns very quickly so I would suggest to use light with SST40 throw on Turbo or high, and 519a only on medium, with occasional burst of Turbo for the ultimate OMG Nichia hit.

For more lights if you would like, I have a few to mention. Sorry I can’t narrow it down because I love all of them.
5. Nightwatch Super Valkyrie with Chinese LED SFP55.2 This is the brightest single LED single cell flashlight on the market. It’s a stupendously bright light and a “collector’s item” because nothing like it exists at this price and who knows how long it’s going to be in stock. Check my “review” because this thing has many odd behaviors, like you have to click button for it to begin charging. Unfortunately it’s available only on Neals Gadgets web site, with which I truly have a love-hate relationship :cold_face: :slightly_smiling_face: (51% love for offering unique lights, 49% hate for good-luck-you’ll-be-ignored if the item doesn’t work). My measurements: Output 13090 lm (!), throw 676 m, CRI 6700, CRI 71, Duv @ Turbo -0.0002, T-1 0.0011.
6. Lumintop D3v2 with Chinese LED SFN60 Fantastic 6500 lm when paired with Nealsgadgets’s mystery Lishen battery, and fit in a pocket. And Anduril. And inexpensive - what’s not to like? Small and pocketable, but not too small such that heat would kill the fun. If you are into high output small light, IMO this is the best of them all.
7. Convoy S21D with Nichia 519a 4500k or 219b 3500K. Tough choices between these two. The longer I play with flashlights, the more I enjoy a warmer tone. IMHO my flashlight adventure is NOT complete without a low CCT light. Although there are many 3500K LED’s, I would like Nichia 219b version because for me it has a most beautiful warm golden tone with rosy/reddish tint. It seems like the secret sauce that is Nichia 219b series has not been seen again, not in the Nichia’s I have, 219c, 519a, or E21a. 219b 3500k has a “saturated” warm tone that I sometimes prefer over the legendary 219b 4500k. 4500k has a colder, more sterile look by comparison.
519a is recommended because of how different its beam color is from 219b, and yet it still has spectacular CRI specs ( Ra 93.6, R9 82, R12 80, Duv 0.0009). While 219b has incredible and un-matched color rendering, sometimes the magenta tone of 219b might be too much for me :-), and 519a’s beautiful and relaxing golden tone provides a relief. I love having both because for me it’s like having different wines or food from different restaurants, all good yet different. I guess it’s called having fun with a hobby :innocent: .

PS Replace Convoy S21D with the beautiful Emisar D4V2 if you want a smaller form with 18650 battery that fits better inside hand, and has beautiful styling and knurling. Convoy S21D does maintain brightness longer than D4V2. All subjective and IMHO. Hope this helps.

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