I understand these models now come with a custom optic that produces more throw than initially. Can anyone comment on the tint shift of the three available emitter options in this optic?
Currently you can get NGT-50, SFT-70, and XHP 70.3 Hi.
From what I hear you want SFT-70 for throw, 70.3 Hi for pure output and NGT-50 for tint and color rendering. I’m really wondering about the tint shift though.
I am looking at 5000k currently if that helps. Also, 70CRI 70.3 emitters are on the table.
I don’t have an answer, since I’ve never used SFT-70 or XHP 70.3 HI.
However, it may be worth clarifying whether you’re talking about angular tint shift (chromatic aberration) or power-related shift (changing CCT with power level).
The latter is usually not very noticeable in practice. It shows up in measurements, but looks pretty natural by eye. The beam is a consistent color, but the entire beam may change color a bit when the power is turned up or down.
The former (angular shift) is usually quite noticeable, especially when the beam is focused. It makes a ringy rainbow beam, and requires frosted glass or DC-Fix or similar in order to blur the beam out and make it smoother.
As a general guideline, LEDs with domes are more prone to angular shift than flat LEDs. But it really depends. The XP-L HI (flat), for example, has a tendency to get a small “egg yolk” in the center of the hotspot when it is really precisely focused, but with a very small amount of defocusing, it looks fine. Meanwhile, the XP-L HD (domed) has more of a rainbow beam no matter whether it’s tightly or loosely focused.
For a pretty nasty example of angular shift, here’s a Thrunite TC20 with XHP 70.2 LED:
Flat LEDs don’t usually do this, and decent quality domed LEDs are usually fine too.
To minimize angular tint shift, I would take SFT70 3000K, which has been the least tint-shifty emitter I’ve ever encountered next to the LHP531 series.
The problem with the XHP and NTG emitters is that the phosphor or silicone extends past the blue die, which lets through some very yellowish light and generates a nasty yellow corona in a reflector. Also, the NTG50 will have a hole in the center of the beam if not diffused, due to the very large separation between the 4 dies. However, if you have a sufficiently diffusive optic, it should not matter very much.
This sounds like a case of either (1) large phosphor particle, also happens with the 519A, or (2) uneven phosphor distribution, which SFT25R 5000K is infamous for. Fortunately, (1) should be resolved as TIRs mix better than reflectors.
Least tint shift? SFT70 3000k.
Otherwise, just pick the NTG50.
+1 for sft70 (especially 3000k). It is a very nice and well balanced emitter.
I have a DA1K with the 4000K 70CRI XHP70.3. It has the initial, frosted optic and the light is beautiful, slightly rosy, I don’t notice any angular shift, high sustained brightness and max output to boot.
Additionally, along with my KR1AA, that’s supposed to arrive within a couple days, I ordered the new, throwier optic for the DA1K, so hopefully I can report in a bit how the XHP behaves under the current TIR
Angular tint shift is the thing I want to avoid if possible. I’m aware that certain emitters just look bad with the wrong optics/reflectors. For example, the X-PL Hi emitter is practically perfect in a D4Sv2 to my eye but doesn’t look as good in a D4V2.
As far as power-related tint shift, my Convoy L7 with SBT-90.2 has that bigtime but I forgive it because the tint is worst at low levels which I don’t really use.
I’m not against 3000k emitters but I was kind of hoping to go whiter for the DA1K. If you assume 5000k CCT, does the SFT-70 still have less tint shift than the 70.3 Hi and NGT50?
The DA1 series uses a TIR optic rather than a traditional reflector. Would you still expect to see that corona you mentioned with the NTG emitters?
That sounds like a promising test. I might hold off on ordering until you report back!
You can still expect less angular tint shift, but note that the 5000K variant is low CRI. Also, tint shift over drive current tends to be bad for SFT40/70 in 5000K.
I don’t own this combination, but my guess would be yes because the TIR has a clear finish and only a textured reflective back surface, which means it doesn’t diffuse as well as a beaded/frosted TIR. But it’s hard to say for sure.
I’ll try posting some whitewall beans when it finally arrives 
Package arrived, so beans as promised. Note that my Samsung absolutely murders color reproduction, the light is slightly rosy, nowhere near yellowish and there are no actual rings in the beams, that’s just some weird processing artifact. Photos taken in same spot, same distance, same ramp level, same locked WB, ISO and shutter speed.
First photo - old optics, second - new:
And here the same, 1-old, 2-new:
And side by side with the NTG50 4200K in the KR1AA (not brightness matched). Again, don’t look at the colors exactly just the difference how much rosier the NTG50 is than the XHP70.3 even though it’s the rosiest cree I’ve ever seen IRL and it’s really pretty by itself.
And the two lights themselves. I ordered the bronze parts for my DA1K and I must say they look dapper with the forest green ano, liking it a lot! And the KR1AA doesn’t have any apparent issues yet, so must have lucked out I guess. Maybe the button is a bit too light but not a deal breaker.
So overall seems the new TIR has a slightly wider and less intense hotspot, spill is similar, beam is less squarish (yup, the old TIR beam is actually slightly square, that’s not an illusion) than the old optics and it’s prettier IMO. Must check it outside if throw is still decent though as in the pictures it looks quite a bit less intense
Is your 70.3 Hi the low or high CRI version?
I thought the new optic was supposed to increase throw but maybe that’s wrong. Maybe the goal was just a more uniform beam and I’m misremembering. How do the different optics perform outdoors do you notice a difference at longer distances? Overall which optic do you think you’ll end up using and why?
Holy smokes that NTG50 in 4200k is so pink! Maybe too pink for me–I may opt for the 5000k which I think I heard is more neutral. Loving the beam profile on that KR1AA for a pocket light.
The green hosts and bronze do look amazing. There will definitely be at least one in my future.
Thanks very much for posting your pics and thoughts!
It’s the 70CRI 4000K XHP70.3 HI
I also thought it was supposed to be more throwy, it even says “clear throwy” or “frosted floody” on the product page (https://intl-outdoor.com/components/optic-lens/optic-for-da1k.html). But at least as far as I can see the hotspot is bigger and slightly less intense. Couldn’t test both optics outside but so far as my memory serves me the reach is pretty similar. And since the clear optic is prettier I’m gonna keep it
Don’t have any decent outdoor spots nearby so below, not-quite-dark shots from a football field will have to do. All photos at locked and identical settings, on turbo (unless the KR1AA has it disabled by default, didn’t set it up yet). Hope it’s visible - the DA1K reaches the backlit fence ~100m away easily, the KR1AA barely lights it up, but it needs to be noted that there is quite a lot of ambient light so it’s harder to see the actual beam.
Thanks for the beamshots! That 70.3 Hi is floodier than I expected but still not bad throw for a non-throwy option. You can definitely tell hte KR1AA is more of a pocket light from this comparison
