New or little known multi-zone (Fresnel) zoom optics

LED Flashlights – General Info 26650 Flashlights
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It has been only POP lite, LED Lenser and Coast that have had Fresnel-like optics, and close inspection and bits of information found on Internet appear to reveal that they are really all the same product line with different marketing methods.

Duracell

I saw a 3xC cell Duracell branded light with two transparent zones, but the outer zone didn’t do much.

Fenix


Ray-Bow

Here is one externally so much like POP lite that it could just be a new brand name for them. It is called a Ray-Bow RB-501:


The most obvious difference between this and a POP lite T62, with an XP-E or similar LED, is how the box opens. POP and Lenser all come in the same black box, unless they are in blister packs. There are minor differences that are enough to avoid patent problems. The two zones don’t fully focus together, something like Coast. Probably there is enough difference in to optics, too, to claim Fresnel rather than POP as the source.

“Japanese”

This image looks like two zone optics:

WarSun

This WarSun seems to lack only beauty.

Fitech

This is not a zoomy, but,

So non-diving POP lites have been produced since the name was changed to Fitech. This light has both names.
But a search for “Fitech” on Taobao yields 13 diving lights and no non-diving lights.

“LEDCORE”

Apparently an LED Lenser imitator, it says:
“This product is a new upgraded version of LED lenser P7, P7 inherited all the fine qualities at the same time, compatible with 18650-type lithium battery with charger and significantly reduces the cost, and enhance the brightness of about 25% compared with P7.”
Many of the POP lite listings say that the optics, like the LED, is imported. This one says that the optics comes from Germany.
There is a P7 like model and a T7 like model.

Smiling Shark!

My favorite brand, before I found POP lite. But I don’t see the Shark logo or a legible brand name in the pictures.

Gentos Nexera Nex 907D

The description says that this is a used expensive Japanese import. The page shows other dual zone Gentos models also.

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Ray Bow — Inside and Modification

Inside

I have an example of the Ray Bow RB 501 now, see the pictures above. It is similar to a POP/Lenser/Coast but not from the same factory. I like it, but not quite as well as most POP lites and Lensers. It has two zone optics with the aspheric zone too weak to focus at the same time as the TIR zone, similar to a Coast. That gives a two zone focus and a very wide flood. It has a (real ?) XP-E on a very small (probably not direct) star sitting in a depression on the end of the pillar extending up from the pill into the cylindrical hole in the optics, secured by rubbery thermal compound. It draws 0.66 A from the included 18650 cell, charged to 4.04 V. The bezel and pill were not glued, like a POP lite, or very tightly torqued, like a Lenser.
It is from here: Taobao, raybow Rui Leopard outdoor flagship store: https://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?id=15302013715&toSite=main&skuId=57727356140, by way of the agent YoyBuy.


No visible wires, so this star is two sided.
The driver had next mode memory, proving that the low price is no fluke. Penciling the yellow capacitor fixed it. Changing LED – to the other pad might up the current, or it might overload the single IC.

It slides on two o-rings. The slide was very stiff until I put oil on it.

It would be nice if we could get some store like FastTech or BangGood to make them easier for non-Chinese speaking people to get, at a price below that of a POP lite T62, or with a bigger LED and higher current driver. It cost me $18.20, mostly shipping, with included cell and charger.

The star is not a two sided MCPCB, it is a very thin fiberglass board.

There is a rim around the top of the pillar of the pill about 1 mm. high, holding the star in place. The flat top of the pill is only about 1 mm. thick.

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Modification

I started with a 17mm FET+1 BLF A6 built from a kit and an XP-G on 16 mm. Noctigon filed to 8 mm. It worked at first, then had various problems, including the light going out when the optics touched the LED’s dome. The driver was also malfunctioning, either because of my build or because there may not be enough clear ground ring around it to fit the pill.
I changed to a Qlite driver, added a 2nd o-ring spacer, and did a partial de-dome with file. It worked, but was not as bright as it should be for the current it was drawing.
I am changing LEDs, this one may be damaged: Nichia 219C 5000k LED, less solder between LED and star, can’t file the pillar, as it is too thin. Partial de-dome again. It will still need o-ring spacers.

See: What did you mod today? - #1296 by Fritz_t_Cat .

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Conclusions

This still seems a very interesting light, because of its optics, its price and its build quality. More experience has shown details I don’t like. For use as is, it appears to be a very useful and probably trouble free light. It focuses a lot of its light, and it is light weight and compact for the battery size. It appears and feels very rugged, as well as comfortable.
In stock form, the things I don’t like are relatively low output and a plastic star. That is a (thin) fiberglass mounting board for the LED, instead of a metal core printed circuit board (MCPCB).
What I don’t like to modify is that the floor of the tower in which the LED sits is only 1 mm. thick. This is OK if you want a light weight model, but it doesn’t give room to put in a 1.5 mm. direct thermal copper MCPCB to get high performance. And it is another way that heat transfer could be improved in the stock light.

There might be other performance limitations that I haven’t recognized, or other features I don’t appreciate yet.

3

Nice survey of LED Lenser style otpics Fritz!

I really like these optics. Too bad more lights don’t use them.

4

You can see the tented vias on that mcpcb. Nice thread, a bit of history and continuity.

5

The main point is that the efficiency of budget flashlight optics has taken a step forward. POP lites are not really budget lights, but these new ones are.

6

Excellent information. Very useful.

The optics on the LED Lenser .2 models are impressive.

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My Lenser P7.2 and POP lite T34 focus about the same way. The convex lens is not quite focused when the TIR zone is focused and makes a larger disc outside the reflected spot. Unlike with the Ray Bow, the zones are close enough that sliding the head a bit farther forward gives a slightly larger uniform sport with both elements nearly in focus. The optics of my Lenser P14 and P5.2 are similar. It is not surprising that they are similar, as the POP lite is described as having optics imported from Germany.
They all have a bright ring, rather than a uniform disk on intermediate slide. There may have been some progress, because the P7.2 and 5.2 are the only ones that are almost ringless at fool flood.

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It would be great to have some of those lenses, or that RB500 for a budget price.
I’m waiting for a POP Lite to arrive from DX, ordered it 9/20/2016.

9

Interesting. I once got a fake Led Lenser off ebay for dirt cheap but it was pretty crappy compared to the real thing.

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Love me some collimating lenses!

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Nextorch now also has Fresnel zoomies, though frankly I’m not impressed.

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We can add Klarus FX10 to the list.

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Lumintop Zoom1:

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This fake junk appears to have a TIR lens:

And it has frosted sides just like Lumintop Zoom1. Is it the same lens?…Probably not, this light has 6 mm larger head. Maybe a larger model from the same maker?

15

Just found this:

Magnetic charging?

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And another, JY-859:

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Here’s another, SME R218:
https://www.fasttech.com/products/1601/10020308/4344700-sme-sme-r218-led-flashlight-w-focus-zoom

ADDED: It can also be found under the name of Yaoming YM-8153.

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I think I’ve seen this one with a different name before…
BORUiT BC07

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Ultrafire UF-SET9:
https://www.fasttech.com/products/1601/10015804/9673610-authentic-ultrafire-uf-set9-led-flashlight-w

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Cross reference of a similar topic: