Finally got a light with Nichia 519a.... extremely disappointed

LED Flashlights – General Info
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I’ve been trying out a variety of different high CRI lights recently. I already had an IF25A (SST20 4000K), SP36 BLF (LH351D 5000K) and a host of low CRI lights.

Today I got 4 lights in the mail from Convoy. A S11 FC40 5000K (awesome mid range throw, perfect for the yard), S21A B35AM (uncertain if 4500k or 5000k, there was no choice when ordering and my wife tossed the box), a S21D with 219b 4500k, and a S12 with 519a 4500k.

The 519a looks terrible compared to the 219b. It looks very comparable to my SST20 based IF25A, but it is green and warmer when compared to the 219b. Even my 10 year old son described it is “yuck” in side by side comparisons.

I thought it would be awesome, but the 519a was a total letdown. I suppose the upside to all of this is I don’t need to keep waiting for Hank to get them in stock.

I guess the S21D 519a that’s en route to me right now will go into the loaner bin.

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Can you post beamshots? You might as well dedome it, tell me how it looks after!

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It’s hard to judge an emitter on its own merits when you’re comparing with different reflectors/optics/lenses, and in this case relative outputs with the 3x vs 4x in a different emitter. If the reflector on the S12 were orange peel or if it used a plastic optic, it would change what your eye sees. Best way here would be to have two of the same host/driver/optics with those two different emitters, side by side. Since you have one on the way, check that out against your 219B when you get it. The way the light is shaped and blended in that optic will make it look different compared to the smooth shallow triple reflector in the S12.

If you can’t get over the current S12 then you might play with some dc-fix diffusion film or maybe some of the lee filter gels that can alter the tint some.

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As the old adage goes - this thread is useless without pics!

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Beam shots

Link to beamshots

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Oh, I was expecting it look bad.

It looks bang on neutral, damn.

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I should have a S21D with 519a in a few days. That will be an identical host to host comparison.

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I’ve never taken beamshots before. I used a Samsung phone in Pro mode with white balance set to 5000k.

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9

I still think that sw45k is a better option compared to 519a 4500K when driven under 2A. Better tint, similar intensity and less angular tint shift. However, a 519a 5700K dedomed behaves similar to sw45k, but it can takes way more current.

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Eh, I disagree. I’ll take the more neutral tint of the 519A.

Once you go neutral, better tint goes out of the window of objectivity and into the rosiness :smiley: :sunglasses: :smiley:

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This testing was purely subjective. In person, the 219b renders color beautifully and really looks dramatically better than the 519a, at least to the eyes of my son and me.

Granted, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

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The 4500K 519A will look a little green when compared to the 219B sw45k. Pretty much any LED that may be slightly above the BBL will look greenish compared to the sw45k!

The magic happens with the 519As when they are dedomed.

Hopefully you’re able to unscrew the bezel on the S12, remove the reflector, reach in there with a fingernail and remove one or all the domes. I did that with just one 4500K 519A in my triple S3 and it resulted in enough rosiness to no longer look green when compared to my triple sw45k. The combined CCT also dropped down to around 4000K.

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Agreed. I should have said “prettier” because beauty is subjective. But neutral tint does not mean similar to the standard illuminant, because it takes an increase of yellow-green to compensate for the blue bump. As both are far from the illuminant standard, I take the prettier.

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That’s a good point :smiley:

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There is quite a bit of tint shift/ prismatic separation going on in that beamshot. It looks like the led isn’t agreeing with the reflector. I saw someone suggested diffusing it and seeing what it looks like- i totally agree.

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I have S12 with 219B 4500K, SST20 4000K, 219C 4000K, LH351D 4000K, 519A 4500K…

I guess this will be best for my comparison. All running 6A except 519A 8A.

219B as most of us know, Rosy White.

I agreed with BlueSword and Correllux, 519A is the most neutral, and yes, a slight green if u r sensitive to green.

For the 219C, SST20, LH351D, they definitely has more green than the 519A. Not to mention comparing to 219B

To my eyes, the LH351D has the most green. follow by 219C then SST20.

I have the IF25A SST20 4000K too, I don’t like the shadowed hotspot, It looks weird and unpleasant. To my eyes, it’s weird that it looks more green then my S12 LH351D(which has the most green with SST20 n 219C).

Edit :

Add : Btw, agian, comparing S12 519A(Old AR lens) with S2+ 519A(New AR Lens) and C8+ 519A(New AR Lens). With the new lens, the slight green is removed and become more rosy. It looks close to a B35AM.

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When will we have UV-exciting(*) LEDs without cyan dip in standard sizes?

*) is this the correct word?

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For night photography give me a neutral 519A over a magenta 219B any day!

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Sound really easy, how does it affect the output/throw in the optic? Does it benefit from a more uniform slice?

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For many of us the neutral quality of the 519a is more desirable. Not everyone is mad about rosy. From those screenshots I really like the classic sst20 and the 519a. The fc40 is of course very nice for that particular white range but the 519a is great for that slightly warm NW.

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