What I’m meaning is, beam profile is dictated by the LED and reflector. And importantly the LED size to reflector size ratio.
For throw we all know bigger the reflector the better. But there are other beam types that can be very nice, and serve a different purpose or use.
For instance, I have two 14500 lights that have lovely beam profiles. The Klarus Mi7 with it’s XP-L HI and a Balder HD-1 with an XM-L in. The beams are nicer than any of my 18650 tube lights for close up or general purpose lighting pretty much.
The beams are they way they are because of the reflector being used.
The trouble is, 14500 lights suck at runtime
So why is there no 18650 tube lights that use these small reflectors?
I know on first sight it would seem odd and doesn’t make use of the ability to run a larger reflector. But a larger reflector just doesn’t give the same beam profile.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a light. Anyone know of any?
That whas the first thing that came up my mind as well, after reading the question.
I would say convoy S2+ which is even available with tube adapters to fit in 18350.
Note that there are several types available, so make sure what tint you would like and the amount of 7135’s drivers which generally speaking is allowing more luminous output, but higher battery drain
Yes I own loads of them. But they all use much larger reflectors than an AA/14500 light and don’t have the same beam profile
I guess my post is somewhat aimed at wanting an S2+ sized light, i.e. 18650 (or maybe 16650) body. But with a reflector from something like the Klarus Mi7.
Best of both worlds then, the beam profile, the runtime and the high output.
I think we maybe have a communication issue here….
Sorry, I’m not wanting a regular Convoy S Series, nor one with a TIR optic in (already have two of those). The beam profile is not the same as the small 14500 reflectors. Which is the thing I’m getting at.
Will take some pics later of what I mean and will post them up.
I agree with you that there generally is a correspondence between light size and reflector size, and this means you can’t easily get the wide beam profile you want in a larger light.
The wide TIR beams are not acceptable? You could always just put a small reflector in something like an S2+; you would just need an appropriate spacer, and it would look weird.
Not sure on the dimension, don’t have it with me. I agree it would maybe look ‘odd’, although a number of different ways to implement and design such a light.
We built something like this for a doctor last year. He wanted it to light something in surgery. It was an 18650 single cell light and if I recall the reflector was 18-20 mm something like that. It was a strange looking duck and it took a two piece head to make it all come together. I may have an image, if I can dig it up, I’ll post it.
I understand what you mean when you say you are not happy with the stock S2+ or ones with TIRs, as I was not either. However, I just finished building an S2+ with the same XP-L HI, and the beam profile is near identical to my Mi-7. The hotspot is the same size, and at the same approximate brightness mode on my s2+, (Only have AAs for my Mi7 currently) the intensity of the hotspot and the spill are the same as well, though the spill is a bit wider. I can try to get some beamshots for you if you are interested; but I don’t have a good camera.
What is this magical "14500 beam profile" that you say is so good?
Anyone have pics?
I don't get how a smaller reflector does anything differently from a larger reflector other than a larger hotspot?
There's really no point in making a large light and putting a small reflector in it, which is why they either have a large reflector or a multi-reflector with a bunch of smaller ones:
With a small reflector you have more ‘corona’(i think they call it), so it’s a more smooth transition from spot to flood.
Orange peel (like MI7) helps too, of course.
look at lights like the Skilhunt H03 Series it comes with reflector ior TIR lens
the light is one of the smallest I have seen run with a 18650 cell weights only 44g
its a headlight, but with magnetic tail you can use it as well as a urtility light
there is a coupon code availiable for the H03F for 41$ from mad max
Although it is definitely possible to put a larger die area LED into a light with a large reflector and get the same effect, or just design a different lens that isn't perfectly parabolic.
There are plenty of better ways to get that smooth transition between spill and hotspot than limiting a large light to a small reflector.
It just seems like there isn't a market, or manufacturers think there isn't a market for this.
Personally this is the first time I have ever heard of someone wanting a smooth transition from the center spot to where the spill ends too...
or 
