I am a herp guide and I have been using flashlight to look for wildlife (mainly snakes, frogs, and lizards) in the forest/jungle at night. I have been using both the Fenix FD41 and Mi Nextool but would like to find something brighter!
Fenix FD41 at 350lm, runtime 3h 50m, 18650 cell. Max 900lm
I just bought a Sofirn SC33 a couple of weeks ago and was very disappointed to find out that SC33 at 750lm was not brighter than the FD41 @350lm or the Mi Nextool @560lm.
So here are what I need in my next flashlight:
It must be brighter but still with decent runtime, say around 4hr
1x 21700 cell
similar (balanced?) beam profile. I don’t like tight beam!
Preferably cost less than US$50 but not set in stone
IPX7 as i often have to work in very wet condition.
Max brightness of 2000lm or higher. I need it to confirm if i am looking at a stick or a snake.
Do you mean the intensity (“throw”), or the overall lumens (“brightness”)? Assuming you’re using good cells, I find it hard to believe the SC33 had fewer lumens, it likely will be less “throwy” because of the more narrow diameter head and bigger LED.
I’m afraid you’ll not find anything substantially brighter with longish runtime that runs on a single cell. The advances in physics just aren’t sufficiently great to make a significantly noticeable difference…
If it’s just “throw” you want, a Convoy C8+ with SFT40 might do it?
The only one I can think of off hand that come close to what you’re looking for is Nitecore EC4S, but it’s not made anymore. It holds 2 cells and I have verified on my lumen tube.
High startup1045 lumen @ 100min it was still putting out 835 lumens, but the batteries were down to 3.35 (30Qs)
The first order of business is to stop looking at Zumiez.
The second order of business is to not take advice from the one in 12 men in the world that are color blind or partially color blind. Unless you are color blind. How are you going to know? If they are recommending 6500k lights that is a possible indication.
The third order of business is to look for lights that are somewhere in the 3000 to 4000k range with high Cri.
At what distance are you primarily searching? Depending on the distance, if you want to run medium modes you may need “more spot”. How much more? We don’t have a good baseline to start from to know.
What color are most of these targets and what color of vegetation and leaf litter are you primarily searching in?
Are you looking for green frogs on green leaves?
The best light will probably end up being some form of Convoy because they offer the most LED and color temperature and Cri choices.
Maybe not take advice from any of us. Just do like I did/do. Buy a bunch of lights, figure out what works.
Maybe he doesn’t want/like 3k-4k, If he’s not use to it, he’ll believe it’s not as bright.
Thanks for your comment, gravelmonkey! I mean the candela(?) I guess? I think this side by side, comparison pic will explain it better. I prefer the FD41, of coursre.
Left: Thrunite TN12 @ 435lm, Right: Fenix FD41 @350lm.
The one on the right shows a tight beam, something you said that you didn’t like in the OP.
If you do like a tight beam, with some usable spill, I suggest a flashlight with the SFT40 emitter.
In my opinion, the SFT40 is the most practical throwy emitter (that provides some usable spill.)
Whichever flashlight you choose, just know that the larger the diameter of the head of the flashlight, the more throw you should get.
Thanks for your comment! I tried and got myself a Sofirn SC33 a couple of weeks ago and got disappointed because when I compared it to my Mi Nextool side by side, SC33@750lm and Nextool @560lm, I get more intensity out of the Nextool.
I’ll just test out friend’s and or client’s flashlights until I find one that suits my budgets and requirements!
Thank you! The FD41 is a zoomie and I have it almost always in focused/zoomed in mode. The beam is tight but has some usable spill and that’s the way I like it. As long as it’s not as tight as like the Sofirn IF22A I guess? I have not seen the real thing yet, only beam profiles i see on youtube.
I have been looking at Convoy the past couple of days. A little confused by the many models though: L21A/B, M21A/B etc. I will focus more on the SFT40 emitter like you suggested.
Yea, for up to 50 bucks, convoy would be a good choice, but if you willing to spend more then Noctigon K1. You can chose different leds, and have a beam profile you desire, For what you are looking for I would suggest sft 40, 560000cd and 1800lm. That is very narrow and intense beam. highly customizable driver, Seems complicated at first, but once you get a hang of it, you wont want anything else.
I have 4 of Noctigon lights, I consider them a lexus of flashlights. Very well made.
For the runtime and brightness you require, you will need 2x 21700 cells, and use high cap cells like Vapcell F56, F58, F60, etc., or otherwise 3x 18650 cells. These formats will likely give you 4 hours runtime at the maximum heat capacity of the light.
Regarding the choice of LED, high CRI and 5000k CCT is the best choice for color recognition in my experience, but it isn’t the most “cozy” nighttime color temperature. Warmer temps such as 2700k, 3000k, 3500k and such are usually preferable.
Here in the tropic (Malaysia), it is usually green: the trees, the undergrowth, the bushes, with a bit of brown (dry leaves hanging on branches, leaf litter on the floor).
I am not sure why but I have been using 6500K light and I like it. The snakes/frogs/lizards can be any colors. Green on green is not a problem as their (the herps) green stand out when shone on. I just need good intensity to search, and then go full blast (2000lm) to confirm whether it is a stick or a snake!
The Sofirn IF22A has an SFT40 emitter, but it also has a TIR lens, and that’s why the beam is extra tight.
For throwers, many BLF members prefer a regular reflector (smooth or orange peel) over a TIR lens.
If the IF22A had a regular reflector, it would have more throw and more flood and thus the beam would not be as tight.
The reason I know this is because the Sofirn IF22 (notice it’s not the IF22A) has a regular reflector.
Good luck finding the IF22, though, because Sofirn discontinued it many months ago and it’s really tough to find now.
If you can live with less throw, the SFT70 emitter is a decent choice.
The SFT70 emitter doesn’t throw nearly as far as the SFT40, but it has quite a bit more flood, it’s a bit brighter, and it’s a bit more efficient.
The SFT70 emitter isn’t as popular as the SFT40, but many Convoy flashlights offer the SFT70.
When deciding between the SFT40 and SFT70, you have to determine if the SFT70 emitter throws far enough for you, and answering that question isn’t super easy.
If the SFT70 doesn’t throw as far as you like, then choose the SFT40.
From Convoy, M21G would meet your requirements. 5000k XHP70.3 HI R9050 or the GT FC40 5000k would be good LED choices for object identification purposes. 2x Vapcell F58 cells.
