Sorry, I only have one KR1 so can’t do a fair comparison. I don’t know what flux bins Hank uses but that would be a good way to estimate the output differences between the CCTs. My hunch would be the 5000k has less output but not visually noticeable.
I’ll try to get a side-by-side pic of the 5000k and one of my other SFT40 6500k lights.
Here’s a pic. On the left is KR1 SFT40 5000k, on the right is Wurkkos TS11 SFT40 6500k (I believe). The former has a reflector and the latter a TIR. White balance is locked at 5000k. Both lights are around mid-ramp.
In real life, side-by-side the 6500k makes the 5000k look rosy. On it’s own, the 5000k is very close to pure white without any tint. Maybe I won the tint lottery but I think the 5000k is fantastic.
My experience is pretty much the same… On its own when I first turned on my D1K SFT40 5000K, I thought it was essentially a normal SFT40. Compared it to a D1V2 SFT40 6500K, a T1R and an S11 with the same and the 5000K is quite pleasant.
Less glaring, slightly rosy to neutral… I’m quite happy with it!
Looks terrific. I’m won on the SFT-40 5000k. Thanks, James!
I measured my D1V2 with SFT40 6500k by app. 2300lm and 5000k by 2100lm … i am curious about the 3000k version 
Here’s a test of the 3000k. Unfortunately the output is much lower than the 6500k. But even at half the lumens, it visually won’t appear all that much different. The good news is the tint is reported to be great. So it’s a tradeoff of output for tint/ CRI.
He will test the 5000k soon. I’m guessing that will be a nice middle ground (and your test seems to show that). If the output of the 5000k is even 80% of the 6500k, I’d be happy never seeing an ugly green 6500k again.
The 5000 K SFT-40 should have the same output as the 6500 K variant, at least according to the product description at Kaidomain. The flux binning of the 5000 K is the same as for 6500 K.
The CRI is of course much worse with 70.
And whether the tint of the 5000 K variant is really always good and has no green tint is anything but certain and above all always depends on what exactly is ordered from Luminus (the risk of ‘vomit green’ is just as high with 5000 K as with 6500 K, at least if a broad color grouping is ordered).
Is the color grouping the “bin kit” in their datasheet? KD lists the 5000k as the DA tint bin, which looking at the datasheet has a great chance of being on the bbl. But I do see the bin kits listed, which appear to be groups of individual bins.
So is the DA that kaidomain lists potentially not accurate?
Don’t know. That’s up to KD. We have to trust them, since there are no pictures of the reel and order code.
I think that it is possible to order very specific bins for tint, for much higher cost and longer shipping time. And yes, “bin kit” means the chromaticity/color grouping binning for tint.
The SFT40 I measured were both from intl-outdoor in D1v2-flashlights, not LED from KD …
I buy from Kaido 10 times and always is arrived perfect like I read in the product web page except for 2 orders.
Especially for the LEDs I don’t trust in their description because they are not accurate and in some LEDs there are not reel description so you don’t know what you buy.
Sometimes they sell a led with specific description but what they sell is not what you receive.
In my case I order 2 times XPL-HI 3000K T5 7C1
90Cri and probably I never received the correct item. From LM3 one is 3000k 84CRI and is beautiful but is not 90 CRI and one is 2750k 90Cri and is yellowish.
Will the E17A Azure emitters return to flashlights that have the E17A 9050 1850K option?
From searching through this thread and the Intl-Outdoor website, it sounds like the E17A Azure emitters were a limited run. The Emisar D4K listing still has the E17A Azure option, but the other flashlights I checked (including the Noctigon KR4, the one I was hoping for) only have E17A in 1850K.
EDIT 2023-11-9: Since I needed to email Hank anyways to ask for a backlit button on a single-channel D4SV2, I’ve asked about E17A Azure availability, too. I’ll edit my post here when I get a reply.
EDIT 2 on 2023-11-9: Hank has responded affirming that the E17A Azure is still available, just order the E21A option and share the order number.
(I’ve heard that E17A LEDs have an even lower max. current than E21A LEDs, so this might be limited to quad lights.)
I recently asked Hank if the color XP-E LEDs can be requested in the single channel D4K and DT8K and the answer was yes.
I recently got some custom boards made to experiment with. Both 5050 and B35AM. Built a few lights with them to test, with surprisingly good results. Will post white wall beamshots later, if I remember.
Beamshots included now, the color isn’t perfect but I tried my best to make it look like how my eye saw it. Beam profile is more important, I set the exposure so that none of the beam was overexposed. Rings in the beam are mostly camera artifacts, the only noticeable rings in the beam are the division between the spill, outer corona(on some), inner corona, and hotspot.
B35AM 6500k (2S 2P board)
Needs the frosted optic, otherwise has beam artifacts.
I was very surprised by how good the colors looked, brain wasn’t expecting 6500k light to also be R9080, I think everyone should experience it because of how unique it feels.
Haven’t measured output or intensity, but the beam profile is a nice floody-thrower, and I’d expect around 2000 lumens on turbo. Very high sustained output with the boost driver.
SFT40 5000k (5050 4P)
Very throwy beam, managed to squeeze 93kcd out of it on turbo, using one of the magic lishens, and 90kcd with P45B. Probably around 7000-8000 lumens as well, it is impressively bright.
Almost as intense as W2 I think, but a lot more output makes it usable other than as a pure thrower. It is very power hungry though, it barely managed 70kcd with my 26650 cells (kind of old)
XHP50.3 HI 3V 5700k (5050 4P)
Aproximately 53.7kcd with a Lishen 21700 cell (LR2170LH) in a 26800 tube, and tested to be over 14k lumens. Unexpectedly works fine with smooth optic, no donut hole at all. Feels similar to the SFN60 D1K with an obviously much higher thermal mass.
W5050SQ3 tint mix 3000/6500k (5050)
Nice low-cri alternative to SFT40 3000k with much higher intensity and neutral tint (DUV +0.0003)
This mix lands between 4000k and 4500k (some ramp variability, CCT increases with power slightly), R70 right on the dot, and with a special Lishen acheives 102kcd. With my regular 26650 it was still outthrowing SFT40, with a max intensity of around 90kcd. I would estimate around 3000lm with this emitter, but I don’t really know for sure, it just feels brighter than SST20 5000k.
SST-20 5000k beamshot for comparison, using my original Emisar D4S v1:
Possible future builds:
Incredible work! I wouldn’t have thought the D4Sv2 to be so flexible a host! I’m specially interested in the SFT40 5000K beamshots. I have a single one of the 6000Ks on my FC13 and I’m really curious about the 5000K specially it being 4 of them and using a non-reflector optic.
The 3000K version you’ve mentioned for future builds, OTOH, I’ve heard is pretty disappointing in terms of brightness/throw.
One question: why are 3 of the 4 main LEDs “unaligned” (ie, not parallel to the imaginary line crossing the center of the screw holes/heads)? And the “unalignment” changes from the B35AM to the other 2 boards. Not really important and of course doesn’t detract from the overall perfection, but it just tickled my OCD and got me curious…
The slight angling of the LED’s helps hiding beam artifacts a bit
It’s a way that use also Hank.
It’s done that way to hide beam artifacts that show up as a result of the LES being square, Hank does it the same way.
B35AM is because of the 2s2p arrangement making it more convenient to change the arrangement slightly.
It’s not like you’d ever see it when they’re assembled 
Looks awesome dude. The 50.3 HI is interesting for sure. I’m hoping they make some in warmer cct. Also I’m hoping Luminus follows suit with their sft70, as that would be an amazing 6v throwing led in warm and NW and hi cri.
I have some of these 5050 boards from jlh, a Sft40 d4s is coming as well. Thanks for the info!
Up until recently they were only available in 6500k, Convoy got them made in 5700k. It should be possible for them to be made in 4000/5000k as well, it probably just takes a large-enough order.
I would prefer if they made a 3v version of it, even if it’s just because hank’s boost driver isn’t powerful enough to get >SFT40 performance from the SFT70.
I also wonder how well the 4P 5050 driver might work with a 6v boost driver and regular XHP50.3HI, maybe one of those 42W drivers that thefreeman has built.
