LED test / short review - Luminus SFT-70 3000 K 95 CRI

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
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LED test / short review


Luminus SFT-70 3000 K 95 CRI


2024-05-24


Link to original test: Klick

  • Bin: unknown
  • Color group: unknown (3000 K)
  • CRI: 95

Attention: Data sheet not available as of 24.05.2024.


The emitter was purchased from Kaidomain in May 2024.

The most striking feature compared to the already tested cool white SFT-70 is the significantly more orange luminous surface, which is typical of warm white LEDs (especially those with a high CRI). The design and footprint are otherwise identical to the cool white variant and require no further explanation.





  • at 7000 mA (official maximum current): 2183 lm @ 6.99 V
  • Power at official maximum: 49.0 W
  • Efficiency at 7000 mA: 44.6 lm/W
  • Maximum reached at 9.6 A, at this point 2389 lm @ 7.48 V
  • Power at maximum 71.8 W
  • Efficiency at maximum 33.3 lm/W



Data for 25 °C Tsp (at 85 °C the luminance values are around 13 % lower).


As with the cool white version, the achievable increase in luminous flux above the official maximum flux is low. In the absence of a data sheet for the warm white SFT-70, the official maximum luminous flux of the cool white version is assumed here. As with the warm white SFT-40, the efficiency of the maximum possible luminous flux is very low and corresponds to that of an overcurrent halogen lamp.

Nevertheless, this LED offers a higher output than the SFT-40 can deliver, and the luminance is high enough for throwers. The LED tested here was not damaged after running at maximum current for over 5 minutes.

The beam corresponds to that of the cool white SFT-70 and there are no disturbing artefacts or rings. If an SFT-70 in cold white offers a good beam in a given optic (reflector or lens), a 1:1 emitter swap is easily possible.



The light quality is simply perfect. There is no annoying tint, apart from a slight reddish tint (‘rosy’), which is hardly noticeable due to the warm CCT and makes this light even better. The colour quality is very good, the high colour rendering value is particularly evident when compared to other 70 CRI LEDs with the same CCT.


  • Ra: 94
  • R9: 89
  • CCT: 3114 K
  • duv: -0.0032

Luminus can do warm white. The SFT-70 3000 K 95 CRI provides a very beautiful light, can be replaced directly with 6 V-XHP50 LEDs or other SFT-70 emitters thanks to the 5050 footprint and has a higher output than the SFT-40 in the same CCT.


Thank you for reading this short test. :slight_smile:

Greetings, Dominik


v1.0.0
26 Thanks
2

Thank you for all of your hard work. It is really valuable to get hard numbers for all of these emitters!

4 Thanks
3

Thanks for the review!

This and the SFT-40 is great for straight drop-in LED replacements on 5050 emitter lights - no need for the hassle to change MCPCB footprint.

This just feels like a 3000K SFT-40 but with more dies. (Im)patiently waiting for 4000K…

1 Thank
4

Does anybody know if there will in fact be a SFT-70 4000k released this year? Based on the recently released SFT-40 4000k, and the correspondence in tint between SFT-40 and SFT-70 3000k, I might guess that the 4000k might be both an lumen and throw increase over the 3000k, while still being high CRI and neutral tint? Could be a awesome 6v XHP50.3 HI replacement.

4 Thanks
5

Is there much tint shift throughout the beam profile? I have some XHP50.3 hi 3000K, I don’t recall the bin right now, that looks nice but has the “Cree rainbow” to some extent.

Thanks for the review!

6

Very little tint shift in the SFT-70 3000k. Nothing comparable to the Cree rainbow of an XHP50.3 HI 3000k, and a much nicer 3000k tint to begin with.

1 Thank
7

Tbf, for XHP50.3/70.3 HI I never saw this “Cree rainbow” as extreme as with older Cree (XP-G3, -L2, XHP50.2). This effect depends also on the reflector used.

1 Thank
8

Thank you Dominik!

9

Does anybody know if this SFT70 shifts to green at lower current?

10

I have some G1-HA3 bin and it’s not green at all level. It looks better than my unknown bin sft40 3000k.

1 Thank
11

Overlooked this post :face_with_peeking_eye:

My samples are perfectly warm white, without any disturbing tint or weird tint-shift. No green or yellow.

This supports the theory that these ugly tint-shifts for cool white CCT for these ‘Luminus’ LEDs is due to the phosphor mixture Sanan is using.

12

Quick PSA: do not run SFT70 5000K at 8A.
It will be less bright than the 6500K at 5A (both in Convoy M21B hosts).
I did not observe any damage, but something is off.

1 Thank
13

Thank you for the warning. It seems something seems different with the phosphor mix of 5000 K Luminus LEDs, the SFT-40 5000 K had the same issue, but was also heavily burned in a light flux test.

14

Yes, same goes for SFT40 5000K: do not drive at more than 8A.
I tried a Convoy 12A driver, but it turned angry blue (>7500K) so I swapped it for a 6500K which seems just fine.

1 Thank
15

It’s a bummer, because I much prefer a 5000K-5700K thrower.
I wonder whether this is also the same for the 5700K variants, and if SFT25R will have the same issue.

1 Thank