How many of you still use incans over LED's?

[bstrickler]

Around 10 years ago I had a Solitarie to my keychain. I then found this to be nice and pretty bright for it's size...
I cannot compare now, but have hard to believe that a Solitaire with fresh battery is dimmer than Quark AA2 on moonmode. The reason to that low brightness can be that the bulb to Solitaire (the same with Minimaglite bulb) after a while will be carbonised on inside and therefore lowers the output.

Regards, Patric

I didn't mean to put it down, but it is dim now, and I like its dimness.

I figured that its most likely due to an ancient bulb. I've had that light for almost 8-10 years, as well, and haven't replaced the bulb yet. Honestly, I love that its so dim, because it allows me to navigate around my house without harming my night vision at all, when getting up to get a drink or visit john.

I don't bother putting it on my keychain, because I EDC the AA^2 and my 6P with a LF 250-lumen P60 LED module in it. Between the two, I can see everything from a few feet away, to a few hundred feet away. Plus, I have 2 Lighthound LED keylights on my keychain, for when I don't want to use either of my good lights.

~Brian

 

[kaichu dento]

To me personally a 5000K, 85 CRI light source will hands down beat a 3000K, 100 CRI light source. The former just renders colors closer to how they would appear in sunlight, even if it's not perfect. However, if I have two lights sources which are both 5000K, then a CRI 96 source will handily beat the CRI 85 source.

So is this combination likely to be available soon, and if so, where should we watch for it to come from?

Honestly, I'm a bit tired of the views that "cool is better than warm", "warm is better than cool" (of course, within limits, I do think that a 2000K or 9000K light source is ridiculous), but I've found that it's mainly a personal preference. However, I would say that a HIGH color rendering source at the person's preferred tint is what is preferable.

Damn I'm glad to see someone so eloquent say that! Regardless of perceived benefits and negatives, it all boils down to personal preference!

I'm still not sure what my personal favorite would be but I suspect that both of you, Jtr1962 and Hoongern, are iterating what's been needing to be said and I look forward to more reasoned posts of this sort.

 

[paulr]

I didn't mean to put it [Solitaire] down, but it is dim now, and I like its dimness.

I figured that its most likely due to an ancient bulb. I've had that light for almost 8-10 years, as well, and haven't replaced the bulb yet. Honestly, I love that its so dim, because it allows me to navigate around my house without harming my night vision at all, when getting up to get a drink or visit john.

I sometimes use a light with a red or yellow led for this purpose. I have CMG Infinities in several colors, among other possibilities.

 

[bstrickler]

I sometimes use a light with a red or yellow led for this purpose. I have CMG Infinities in several colors, among other possibilities.

Good idea, but I need something to use up all these excess AAA's in my house. Might have to come up with a driver for using them with one of my extra XP-E's and a flood optic.

~Brian

 

[jefflrrp]

I don't have a very large EDC collection, but my incan Surefires get rotated along with all the rest. If I'm going outdoors, or in rainy or foggy conditions, I'll pack along an SF G2 or G3, sometimes even a (GASP) 3D maglite. I VASTLY prefer incan color rendition over LEDs, to the point where I use 3-4 pairs of CR123s a week on nightly trail runs (5k) with one of my G2s.

 

[bstrickler]

I just wanted to thank everyone for not turning this into a flame war of Incan vs LED. I'm glad everyone was able to keep it civil, because aren't you all glad that this is one of the few LED/incan threads that hasn't been locked?

:twothumbs to everyone for keeping it clean!

Everyone has their preferences, and beliefs, which you cannot always change, no matter how hard you want. For some people, Incan are better, and for others, LED are better, and others don't care either way. Don't expect to change someones desire/beliefs over the internet, ESPECIALLY if you are uncivil about it! That's the quickest way to get people to disregard your opinion/comments/ideas in the future.

~Brian

 

[BigHonu]

I am almost strictly an LED user because I like the efficiency that they provide over their incan counterpart.

Still, I like a hotwire when there is a ton of mist in the air as I prefer the lower percieved backscatter.

 

[curtispdx]

***WARNING this post is a bit graphic***

I've started drifting back towards incans about three months ago: We were sent to check the welfare on a guy that lived in an apartment. (The water has been running for hours and he hasn't answered the door.)

We got in (really SMALL apartment but VERY messy and junk is EVERYWHERE) and saw the bathroom sink running but the bathroom's empty. Shined my light into his living/bedroom scanning all the crap that I saw. I missed it on the first time but on the second pass I saw his leg. We had to climb over stuff to get to him. (Yeah, he was dead. Natural causes.)

I'm convinced that the light I was using at the time washed out the colors and that's why I missed his leg the first time. (That and I'm not so quick...)

I've had this happen to me before (I won't get into the details) so I've decided that I'll carry at least two lights: one high-power incan and the other a LED that I can get some decent runtime out of. (And extra batteries!)

Oh, and sometimes it's hard to distinguish dark colored cars at night with a LED: Was it black, dark blue or dark green?

I hope that this wasn't too graphic and if it's inappropriate (mods) please delete it.

 

[kaichu dento]

I am almost strictly an LED user because I like the efficiency that they provide over their incan counterpart.

Still, I like a hotwire when there is a ton of mist in the air as I prefer the lower percieved backscatter.

I tried doing some comparisons a couple times in the past and haven't been able to come up with much of a difference between my warmer tinted LED's and my E1e's. The cool LED lights do seem to be much more bothersome, but as strongly as some feel about the superiority of incan to LED makes me wonder if there is some scenario I can myself in other than around the hot springs at night that would make it easier for me to see the advantage to the incandescent light.

I've started drifting back towards incans about three months ago: We were sent to check the welfare on a guy that lived in an apartment. (The water has been running for hours and he hasn't answered the door.)

We got in (really SMALL apartment but VERY messy and junk is EVERYWHERE) and saw the bathroom sink running but the bathroom's empty. Shined my light into his living/bedroom scanning all the crap that I saw. I missed it on the first time but on the second pass I saw his leg. We had to climb over stuff to get to him. (Yeah, he was dead. Natural causes.)

I'm convinced that the light I was using at the time washed out the colors and that's why I missed his leg the first time. (That and I'm not so quick...)

I've had this happen to me before (I won't get into the details) so I've decided that I'll carry at least two lights: one high-power incan and the other a LED that I can get some decent runtime out of. (And extra batteries!)

Oh, and sometimes it's hard to distinguish dark colored cars at night with a LED: Was it black, dark blue or dark green?

I hope that this wasn't too graphic and if it's inappropriate (mods) please delete it.

Again, this situation I have an easier time imagining the deficiency with cooler tints than warm, neutral or high CRI emitters.

I didn't find your post graphic at all, especially since you kept the focus on the lights and simply mentioned the situation to illustrate your point. Good points and a good post I thought. This also points to why one of my first tests with any new light I get is to shine it at my hand or foot to see how it does in regards to naturalness of perception.

 

[ampdude]

One night last week we had EXTREMELY thick fog and my "warm" tinted high powered LED was all but useless. My xenon cut right through like a knife through warm butter.

 

[BigHonu]

kaichu dento,

I guess my eyes are not as affected by the warmer backscatter from the hotwire. There is no question though that I have less eyestrain from the incan in these situations. I guess the reduced eyestrain, allows me to see what I'm looking at with greater ease.

 

[kaichu dento]

One night last week we had EXTREMELY thick fog and my "warm" tinted high powered LED was all but useless. My xenon cut right through like a knife through warm butter.

When I've done my comparisons is it possible that I need a different bulb than my E1e has?

kaichu dento,

I guess my eyes are not as affected by the warmer backscatter from the hotwire. There is no question though that I have less eyestrain from the incan in these situations. I guess the reduced eyestrain, allows me to see what I'm looking at with greater ease.

I really want to see better through fog and steam, so, what are some lights that you think work particularly well? When I see references to hotwires I don't even know what it refers to. Is it just another way of referring to incan?

 

[BigHonu]

kd,

TO ME, there are no clear winners when it comes to penetrating haze/fog/mist. Very narrow beamed lights will always appear to punch through regardless of whether it is an incandescent or an LED.

IMO, everyone has a different reaction to the glare caused by the backscatter from fog, mist, salt spray, etc.

I use an E2 because it is the only decent incandescent light I have (and have had for awhile). Last time I remember using it was in 2003 when I was fishing off some cliffs on the Big Island. The waves were pounding the cliffs and throwing up salt spray all over the place. I don't remember which LED light I had, but it went back into the pack, and the E2 came out for the rest of the night. Since then, I haven't been in those conditions while the E2 was with me, but I do remember thinking that it would have been good to pack along.

BTW, don't get me wrong, I use LED based lights pretty much exclusively. However, I do feel that in this particular instance, the right tool for me is the incandescent aka hotwire.

 

[Mikey V]

I am mostly an LED guy, converting all my worthy old incan C&D Maglites (Malkoffs) and Mini-Mags (TerraLux 5EX/Nite-Ize) to LED, but I have lately come to see the virtues in big incans like my SF M3T and M4, with LF HO and EO lamps and rechargable cells, and of tiny incans, like the E series, when fitted with LF HO, EO and IMR lamps. 90 lumens from an E1E, 110 or 150 Lumens from an E2E, and of course, there's the IMR at 350. I grin every time I click on my E2E with IMR-E2 lamp. To see 350 lumens blasting out of that little light is just unmatched. It won't run for very long without a recharge, but while it runs, Oh Baby! I EDC an Olight I10 on my belt for run time and variable output utility, but the E2E with IMR lamp is in my jacket pocket for those special moments when you wish you had an M3 in your pocket. (And find you actually do!) Color wise, I agree that colors outdoors are richer with incans, but I don't find the disadvantage that significant for LED's. Each has its place.

 

[mrartillery]

Ive always preferred incans, due mainly to the fact of the tint and the huge massive output of the big super bulbs! But, as its been stated i dont limit myself to incans only, i have a few LED's such as my SST-50 and XPG that I love, but these are smaller carry lights that have on me from a day to day basis.

 

[Tempest UK]

I'm not sure if it's really indicative of my overall preference, but I've just gone back to the A2 as my EDC after trying out the A2L for a while.

Admittedly I did so because I snapped the clip off the A2L, but the regulated incandescent hasn't lost it's charm. I think I'll end up wearing out the rubber boot before I change to a different EDC for good.

Regards,
Tempest

 

[SmurfTacular]

How many of you still use incans over LED's?

NEVER

EVER

LED'S FOR LIFE

 

[photonwave]

I have incandescent lamps for a controlled heat source since I'm too cheap to buy an actual hot plate.

 

[american]

 

[curtispdx]

I have incandescent lamps for a controlled heat source since I'm too cheap to buy an actual hot plate.

I've actually done that before when I was at an outdoor crime scene in the winter. Every once and a while I'd light up the 5761 into my hands to warm them up. It worked great!