Diffuser does help, to a degree. It still becomes too bright above certain output though. And… it does not require a mule. You can use any light with a diffuser, in this case optics of the light itself matter very little if at all.
I have v1 nov-mu 2000k and i do use it with diffuser as it leaves me no choice. Did not try DC fix, but i would expect it to work no better than a diffuser.
Practically indoors ceiling bounce with optics works whole lot better. But ultimately everything depends on your needs…
But it does not produce any hard cutoff at the spill edge. A little 4-petals pattern though.
Anyway be advised mule is good only for really close distance 3-5 meters. It gives uniform flood beam in all directions but with shortest possible range. I used mine only for handwork - mostly soldering and it’s great for this since it does not give any hotspot.
BTW: available to buy if you wish.
Technically there is also PL09MU, but given FF apparently are not going to make anything with 2000K/mixes anymore it does not help much.
Also PL47mu/pl09mu do have rather inefficient driver, resulting in limited sustained output, which is not amazing for a mule. If nov-mu is available it is a better choice…
By the way PL09MU Brass seems to still be available in 3800K mix, which is 2000K+4500K and is the rosiest thing ever…
Diffusion film with a floody light. Nice smooth beam, smooth cutoff (ie, not too jarring), and a gentle-enough hotspot so you can “guide” it to where you want lit.
Aspheric. Even blanket of light, very little variation across the field, but a jarring sharp cutoff, usually with a different-colored ring around the periphery.
Pure mule. Even-ish blanket light, highly dependent on the emitter itself, but light is so spread out that intensity vs an aspheric can be lots lots less. 1000lm will seem almost like candlelight: wide spread, very little intensity.
Take a hateful little G3. With no optix, you shine it near a wall and see the piss-yellow ring around the periphery fading into a blue hotspot directly in the center. Angular tint-shift is probably THE worst I’ve ever seen on any emitter.
Stick it behind diffusion film, and that’ll mix the colors well enough that it’s a passable beam. You’ll probably still have some tint-shift, but hopefully not enough to be noticeable. All my Luxpro lights have G3s but behind reflectors. Hideous beams when bone-stock, but behind DF, they’re actually quite nice as flooders.
Don’t recall seeing a G3 behind an aspheric, so can’t comment how that’d look.
But the difference between a mule and aspheric is stark. Take a zommie like a SK98 and make it full flood. Unscrew the front bezel and drop out the lens so that now it’s a mule. You’ll be asking “Where’d the light go??”, as it’ll be way more spread out and less intense.
The option wasn’t there a few days ago - I am currently checking the site regularly to find out when my order ships.
I pre-ordered early on, and at that time there were 3 options 4500K, 3500K mix and 2000K (I think it was 2000K, not 2700K, but not 100% sure). After a while, there was only 4500K and only in the last day or two has the 3500K come back. I guess the options available reflect the stock Jack has.
Not quite a mule, but the Convoy S21D and S21E with 60 degree TIRs have a lovely smooth floody beam.
Also, pocket LED panel lights perform very well as mules (and typically have variable CTT, and RGB with HSI), with many of the better examples outperforming the NOV-MU by miles, but they don’t have the form factor of flashlights.
I bought 3 NOV-MU. Two 2000K 95CRI version and a 4500k 95CRI version. It is the best mule in the world period. I’ve been using the 2000k every night for the past 4 years or so as room lighting. It mimics natural candle light better than anything else on the market and also brighter than any other mule in existence. Also comes with USB-C charge and very efficient LUME driver.
Normally you can ask FF to mix tint to get close to any tint including 2200k. Unfortunately the 2000k is discontinued due to very low demand. I was going to buy another 2000k a few months ago. I hope you guys can email FF and let them know you are interested in the ultra low candle light / camp fire temperatures. Also I use the NOV-MU when I go camping and it looks the same as campfire. You can enable the Anduril candle flicker mode too.
To me that sounds unbelievable. But may be i am just weird.
I mean 2000K Nov-Mu was truly unique product, something that is basically impossible to get otherwise. Partly because not very many emitters go that low and not many of those which do also have nice CRI and tint. Yes, there are some options from emisar with the same emitters, but those are inferior in every way possible apart from the fact that they are actually possible to buy.
4500K… i mean yeah, nice neutral light is good too, but there is a lot of stuff around this CCT and here, as good as this light is, it is nowhere as unique.
For me… 2000K is what made me buy (and regularly use) this light, 4500K is not interesting at all.
I totally agree, the Hank E21A products are no comparison to the NOV-MU. It is a pity FF decided to cancel it. I was going to buy one or even two more for room lighting and camping light.
Everyone interested in an ultra high CRI candle light / camp fire simulator, please contact FF to express your interest so they would reorder another batch of the E21A 2000k.
