The Tint Snob Thread

Random Dan

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 30, 2012
Messages
1,371
I know there's a lot of us here so I was surprised that I couldn't find a dedicated thread.
This shall henceforth be a safe and supportive environment to discuss all things related to tint snob friendly emitters and the lights that house them.

My current favorite is my D25A with a Nichia 219C 4000k. I'm pretty well convinced that 4000k is my favorite color temp and the color rendering of the Nichia is excellent. My ZL SC600 mkIII HI and D25Cvn 4000k XP-L are close contenders but not on a level with the 219C. I'm stoked for the SC5c that has shown up on ZL's spreadsheet. I had an SC5Fc which I returned due to a driver issue, but I loved the tint and color rendering. The SC5c promises the same 4000k and 2-step macadam ellipse but with 93-95 CRI which sounds about perfect for me.

Seems like ZL and Eagletac are really leading the charge for good tint :thumbsup:

What's your favorite light for tint quality?
 

Tachead

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 3, 2015
Messages
3,872
Location
Northwestern Ontario, Canada
Well, I am not sure if it is my favorite but my cheap little Astrolux A01 with a Nichia 219B 4000K(SW40) R9050 is definitely up there. I also like my Zebralight H600Fc&d with the 4000 & 5000K Cree XM-L2 Easywhite. And, my Eagletac D25C with a Nichia 219A 4500K(SW45) is not bad either.
 
Last edited:

K2-bk-bl-rd

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 17, 2008
Messages
1,679
I happen to really like my Mcgizmo TerraRam, with a XPG2 4500K. The tint is golden white, and reminds me of a super white incandescent.
 

night.hoodie

Enlightened
Joined
Aug 6, 2014
Messages
717
Location
Lost City of Atlanta
I'm pretty well convinced that 4000k is my favorite color temp and the color rendering of the Nichia is excellent....

What's your favorite light for tint quality?

I don't have a 4000k LED, but my favorite LED I have is in the ReyLight Cu Tool, and I asked Rey for the exact name and bin of the LED (which I lost), but I do remember that it is a hi CRI 219b 4500k. I could go warmer, so... I am almost right there with you. This is at 1lm levels, to medium 40lm and 80lm. A close second is a hi CRI Nichia 219b 5200k Vinh whipped up for me on a Thrunite driver. The warmer tints I find better for nighttime, indoor or outdoor, but the cooler 5200k (IMO, this is "true neutral") is better, and specifially when powered very brightly, for the daytime when eyes are used to the brighter light of day and slow to adjust after stepping indoors, but it also is a big win for dark adapted eyes at sublumen levels... really magical at those levels.

OT, but during the night, neither of these come close nor can compare to a good-quality incan lamp, indoors or outdoors at any brightness or color temperature, afa tint and color rendition is concerned. Don't even try, there is no competition. If you disagree, you can leave your tint snob membership card at the security desk on your way out the door.
 

Dr Forinor

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 10, 2008
Messages
211
Location
Scotland, UK
I have the EagleTac D25C (2016 version), which has the Nichia 219B-V1 CRI-92 R9050 but at 5700k.

Not a big fan of the temperature, but in terms of colour reproduction I can't argue with it.
 
Last edited:

AVService

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 30, 2011
Messages
2,163
I prefer to thin of myself as a Tint Enthusiast!

As long as there are choices offered how is this snobbery exactly?

I work with wire and cables every day and anything that makes it easier to ID color coding gets my money.
 

YahFargo

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Apr 14, 2015
Messages
41
Well, I am not sure if it is my favorite but my cheap little Astrolux A01 with a Nichia 219B 4000K(SW40) R9050 is definitely up there. I also like my Zebralight H600Fc&d with the 4000 & 5000K Cree XM-L2 Easywhite. And, my Eagletac D25C with a Nichia 219A 4500K(SW45) is not bad either.

+1 for the A01. It's a thing of beauty.
 

camelight

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Apr 9, 2016
Messages
189
Location
israel
No doubt my amazing tactical zoom light from ebay is not just so powerful but also has a graet very blue tint i would say it 7500k

Just kidding, i also love my sc600 mk iii hi tint its
For me 4000k- 5000k is the best maybe even a litell less than 4000k but i haven't tried yet an led light like that
 

tech25

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 26, 2010
Messages
1,285
Location
Near the Big Apple
Good idea for a thread!

So far my favorite tint is my XP-L 4000k, in my okluma. I don't know what cri it is. I like a soft warm tint for my floody lights. Comparing it to an Incan surefire, I like both but the LED usually wins out for increased brightness.

I did have for a short time a 219B 5000k 92cri- while it was nice (the colors were just...there) - to me it seemed like the 4000k with its probably lower cri was nicer overall.

My other light I like is my Zebralight H51fw- xpg 4200k 75 cri- not as good as the okluma but if I am using it and not comparing it, it's an ok tint for me.
 

emarkd

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 16, 2014
Messages
1,193
Location
Georgia, USA
The problem with labeling a certain light has having better tint than another is that LEDs are mass-produced items with a defined range of tolerance - the infamous tint lottery. So one persons "perfect" SC600mk3 HI (and mine nearly is) will be another person's green bomb. The only way to avoid that is to only use tightly-binned emitters (low McAdams steps) or, even better, to hand-test and pick emitters as you customize your own lights. Very few manufacturers want to spend the extra for low-step emitters and no factory light is going to be hand-picked. So for me, as a tint-snob, I can say that I love the tint on my triple 219b sw45 d220 r90 Solarforce, or my triple 219c sw403 r9050 Sinner, or my 119AT-H1 sw45B10L McGizmo mule, but unfortunately, unless you hand-pick and test yourself as you build these things, ymmv.

Good luck tint snobs. Our affliction isn't easy to manage at times, and it certainly isn't cheap.
 

Alex1234

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 23, 2010
Messages
4,003
Location
Bear Delaware
I have a fenix fd41vn with a xpl hi 4000k led, vinh said this particular sample is very nice and right he is. Its not overly warm but warm enough to give a soft yet quite bright beam. at full flood its amazing. it makes the colors of anything i shine it at pop. Im bringing this light camping with me this summer
 

Lucky Duck

Enlightened
Joined
May 22, 2010
Messages
265
I've recently acquired a Ti D25c w/ XPL HI V3 Neutral. Compared to my 4000K M61N it seems to be a bit warmer, I'd say 35-3700K-ish. Outdoors it looks great, colours "jump". Seems higher CRI than the M61N which BTW is very nice itself. Both very much to my more (& more) tint snob liking!
 
Last edited:

Connor

Enlightened
Joined
Oct 2, 2002
Messages
729
Location
Germany
This thread needs
:kewlpics:

Favourite tint so far: Nitecore TIP CRI (2nd from right) - really nice and slightly rosy Nichia 219b, 5000 K-ish. Excellent colour rendering, pleasant skin tones.
I think I am partial to the rosy side of tints.

n42ZYdZiwqBQWRnAwuYgIW7BAwiZEkTeVc6sEtpyPGRxCZkRUlEC9d3qhA5vV0Pxo7BipvPjJ6050hIM-RDCqXGnaK52pGb0sb94O1K00PRxivPcWkbt6VilreHMw51yYA2oSLhkcZ8FGi2ebdLSvW9XyToHhe-MsCHebEmqUpCDJh_7n-ERru1M-L6glrE3oLqp_jkvNTbkSYlZS8rtx21s0iGDBe_fcLCaYDE1-lnF6_ZhXtXMSTOCaB5zkncyFncGsEktD3lM_uFLGSrbLKVITTAs4wb6jr9a5ZUUZvzIbul8IcKQQfToCN4nMZoDlqOEtmOes8sd3WD8Rkb99Y1dCqz1UjEBEQXQpb4GRy3EGClqaJK1su_IkGrsMAmKpQ9sEehuiaage2JJadhZmaHJoXrwGCCGwjWPHh2EAIYmQw2dFJUHWUUPFs9DPaFjWwWdp2n7mqn4daP0xDiIgMhDgtJZAkD5ggoCQa6huc_5PpCqfWeGJxCy2XwMLjlZsPA0pyZeHV2uFuIexXdJpXF6dFmlMekAjAW8_52LuKGbJGTwiYAlr3gt7HM02meMyS3aP3XHL-zr6NF7pwZQsnMgtBDqSrz27LQOoKQzoVOKOMtaUE0v=w1920-h1018-no
 
Last edited:

dhunley1

Enlightened
Joined
Jan 5, 2016
Messages
582
Location
Michigan
My favorite tint is from my M61L 219B V2 drop-in, that lives in a 6P. Runner up would be my Malkoff MDC 16650 neutral XP-G. The XP-G2 M61N and NL is also very nice, and I would argue that they have a nicer beam pattern than the 219 drop-ins.
 

LeanBurn

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 3, 2010
Messages
1,355
Location
Alberta
I have to apologize if this comes across as tint elitist, but the Yuji BC Series 3200K tint and 95 CRI is the cream of the crop. It is so close for tint and color rendering ability to incandescent, that it almost seems any further advancement in LED CRI would seem so minuscule, perhaps even undetectable to the human eye. I didn't want to believe it myself, but since I first powered it up, it is still undeniable.

The great thing about the Yuji is that the LED is so primitive that it is cheap and easy to mod into those devices that can use it. This is also its greatest weakness as its lower power output (less than 10L) and 5mm diode factor with 45 deg beam means that its perfect beam pattern is only usable for ~15m.

So definitely not for all applications like other lights might be.
 

NutSAK

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 20, 2006
Messages
1,773
Location
3rd stone from the Sun
The XP-G2 M61N and NL is also very nice, and I would argue that they have a nicer beam pattern than the 219 drop-ins.

I would agree. I have a XP-G M61W from the first run w/5000K temperature that is my favorite all-around tint. I used to be more of a snob but have recently realized that beam profile and efficiency are also very important to me. I'm looking forward trying out a a 219c to help on the efficiency front.
 

archimedes

Flashaholic
Joined
Nov 12, 2010
Messages
15,780
Location
CONUS, top left
I have to apologize if this comes across as tint elitist, but the Yuji BC Series 3200K tint and 95 CRI is the cream of the crop. It is so close for tint and color rendering ability to incandescent, that it almost seems any further advancement in LED CRI would seem so minuscule, perhaps even undetectable to the human eye. I didn't want to believe it myself, but since I first powered it up, it is still undeniable....

I wonder if there is any chance that Peak could reprise some of their vintage "showerhead" type designs with these Yuji emitters ...

0XRox3p.jpg


I have heard a lot about these emitters, and would really like to see them in use (but am not a modder)
 

K2-bk-bl-rd

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 17, 2008
Messages
1,679
I am currently modifying a SureFire helmet light with Yuji High CRI LED's. The three higher power will be 5600k, the lower output (use to be colored LED's) will be 3200k. It's really nice because there are 3 modes for each.
 
Top