# NiteCore EZ AA-W (Warm tint) Comparison Review



## UnknownVT (Jun 2, 2009)

Once again through the kind courtesy of 4Sevens I have this NiteCore EZaaW (Warm tint) to look at.

It is basically the NiteCore EZaa but with a warm tint emitter.

But I felt it merited its own review.

Size -





no surprise here it is physically the same as the regular EZaa - if one looks carefully - there is a W designation after the EZ AA

Head -




hmmmm... perhaps the W version shows a bit of brown tint?

Comparison beamshots - using recently charged NiMH (Kodak Pre-Charged)

vs. NiteCore EZ-AA both High NiMH







obvious tint difference - but the brightness looks about the same. The Warm tint is a kind of yellow'ish pale tobacco tint....

vs Fenix L1D-RB100 (my favorite white tint) both high/turbo NiMH







the warm tint makes the RB100 tint look cool in comparison - the EZaaW is brighter.

vs. Streamlight Scorpion Xenon incand 2x CR123







the Scorpion incand is yellower - the EZaaW is obviously brighter - it ought to be, rated at 130 lumens vs. the Scorpion's 60 lumens

The EZaaW on Low -

vs. NiteCore EZ-AA both Low NiMH 







again obvious tint difference - but similar brightness levels.

vs. Fenix L1Drb100 both Low NiMH







again obvious tint difference - but similar brightness levels.

vs. Streamlight Scorpion xenon 2x CR123







The Scorpion is brighter - as one would expect - even at this comparison it is still more yellow.

vs. S1801 1w Luxeon 1xCR123 (one of my early favorite tints)








How does the Warmer tint affect color rendition?

Macbeth color rendition chart -


















The Warm tint shows up the reds and purples much better - yet still shows the blues well - the RB100 is surprisingly good in this photo comparison.

Please also see:

Puny LED flashlights (Not!) + COLOR RENDITION Comparison

*INDEX* to Follow-Up Parts -

Foliage beamshot comparison - Post #*20* 

Compaison with LED light filtered through Serengeti Driver sunglasses - Post #*26* 

Discussion of how the eye may prefer warmer tints at lower light levels - Post #*33* 

Standardized Stairway beamshot comparison - Post #*34*

Color removed by deSaturation comparison between the EZaaW and regular cool white EZaa - Post #*40*

EZaaW uses mainly the Q3 5B - with illustration of the binning - Post #*41*


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## f22shift (Jun 2, 2009)

great info here. 1st reply!


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## Woods Walker (Jun 2, 2009)

I like the warm tint. Great review. :twothumbs


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## Kilovolt (Jun 2, 2009)

Very interesting, thanks. 

To the naked eye is the beam as brownish/greenish as it appears in the pics?


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## UnknownVT (Jun 2, 2009)

Kilovolt said:


> To the naked eye is the beam as brownish/greenish as it appears in the pics?


 
It is brownish - as I called it yellow'ish pale tobacco tint.

I don't see green either in the flesh or on my CRT monitor.


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## Kilovolt (Jun 2, 2009)

I'm using an LCD monitor of a laptop, maybe the greenish hue comes from it, that's why I asked.


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## Moonshadow (Jun 2, 2009)

Still not convinced. The regular EZAA chart seems a better match to the daylight chart than the "warm" one with its exaggerated yellows and reds.

I'm sorry, but I still can't see what all the fuss is about. The so-called "warm" tints look just horrible in these beamshots - all yellow and brown. Do they really look as awful in real life, or have the photographs over-emphasised the colour differences ?


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## Wade (Jun 2, 2009)

Well as one who does graphics work all day long the EEZw looks to be closer to real life.. 

As one who runs trails at night I think the warmer tint will make for better definition of roots, rocks, and other such things that go bump in the night. WW.


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## Crenshaw (Jun 2, 2009)

The reason alot of us prefer Warm tinted lights, because it is garunteed to be at least as warm as we need, rather then a non warm emittor, which give a certain amount of randomness.

Crenshaw


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## UnknownVT (Jun 2, 2009)

Moonshadow said:


> Still not convinced. The regular EZAA chart seems a better match to the daylight chart than the "warm" one with its exaggerated yellows and reds.
> 
> I'm sorry, but I still can't see what all the fuss is about. The so-called "warm" tints look just horrible in these beamshots - all yellow and brown. Do they really look as awful in real life, or have the photographs over-emphasised the colour differences ?


 
This is fair enough, tints are somewhat of a personal thing.

I wasn't that convinced either - 
but there is a scientific explanation why warmer tints are useful at lower light levels -

ref: Wikipedia on fluorescent lamp:

" _High CCT lighting generally requires higher light levels. At dimmer illumination levels, the human eye perceives lower color temperatures as more natural, as related through the __Kruithof curve__. So, a dim 2700K incandescent lamp appears natural, and a bright 5000K lamp also appears natural, but a dim 5000K fluorescent lamp appears too pale. Daylight-type fluorescents look natural only if they are very bright._ "

Specifically please read - 
Kruithof curve 

The Color of White

" _The traditional response to the question of the optimum light source for viewing art has been to use the same type of light in which the object was either created or intended to be seen by the artist. Prior to the use of modern high color temperature sources like fluorescent lamps, this would have been either natural light (preferably northern light which has a very high color temperature), or sources such as a candle, gas light or an incandescent lamp which have very low color temperatures. Based on the fact that many artists preferred to work in daylight, it has been assumed that daylight is the best illumination source for viewing art. Many museums have spent enormous sums of money on systems that incorporate high color temperature natural light, especially for galleries where oil paintings are exhibited. Is this assumption about using high color temperature natural light valid? According to research published over half a century ago, the answer is an unequivocal "no"._ "


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## HKJ (Jun 2, 2009)

Moonshadow said:


> Still not convinced. The regular EZAA chart seems a better match to the daylight chart than the "warm" one with its exaggerated yellows and reds.
> 
> I'm sorry, but I still can't see what all the fuss is about. The so-called "warm" tints look just horrible in these beamshots - all yellow and brown. Do they really look as awful in real life, or have the photographs over-emphasised the colour differences ?



You can try looking at some beamshoots I did outside here, it is not with the EZ, but some bigger lights. It is very easy to see what lights has a warm emitter.


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## fixitman (Jun 2, 2009)

The neutral/warm tints are NOT going to win white wall hunting contests, that's for sure. But in my personal testing, look MUCH better than cool tints when outdoors, especially if there is a lot of reds and browns.
My best example is spotting a rabbit with an eagletac P10A2. I had both the cool and the neutral with me. With the cool tint, rabbit looked gray, and was a bit hard to see against the green and beige of the grass he was sitting in. With the neutral tint, he was definitely brown, and easily seen against the grass.

I just received my EZAAw the other day. The tint is a little bit pinker than the P10A2w's tint, but is acceptable. I just wish this light was a little shorter, maybe a bit floodier, and came with a pocket clip. Other than that, I think it will replace my old LODce as my EDC.


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## BigBluefish (Jun 2, 2009)

I think know I'm going to have get one of these little lights. I've been muddling over this, the LD01 and the Connexion X2...all small two or three level lights to be dropped in a pocket. But with the cool white emitters...ah, any of them were just another LED light....

The warm tint is what is now selling me on the EZAAW (oh, yeah, and fixing the circuitry!) I spent a good deal of time the last week out in the woods with my new SureFire E1E (I know, an incan, ...) and outdoors, I really prefer it's tint to any of my LEDs. Pity it only has 90 minutes of runtime. :shakehead

So now, I think I'm going to stick to getting warm-tinted LEDs exclusively (um except for the SureFires....now if they'd put some good warm tint emitters in the E1L or E2L & LX1, these outdoorsman's lights would really be great for use, well, outdoors!)


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## DM51 (Jun 2, 2009)

That's a very striking contrast between the warm and regular tint. It looks quite tobacco-colored, as you have noted, and that may be too much for some people, but it is far less yellow than the Streamlight incan, and is a fair compromise between the two.

What is also interesting is the effect on the color chart. The reds and oranges are rendered much better.


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## clg0159 (Jun 2, 2009)

Thanks for the comparison! I also like the option of the warmer tint in the EZ AA. It does indeed appear to render the closest to the daylight control.


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## dealgrabber2002 (Jun 2, 2009)

I remembered someone told me that incan is much better in foggy situation. Is it because of it's tint? If so, would a warm led be as good in foggy situations? Thanks.

-E


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## UnknownVT (Jun 2, 2009)

dealgrabber2002 said:


> I remembered someone told me that incan is much better in foggy situation. Is it because of it's tint? If so, would a warm led be as good in foggy situations?


 
For years car fog lights were amber yellow - both to see and to be seen by.

Some believe it was a myth - but they were used for too many years by too many people to be totally unfounded. In France for example selective yellow fog lamps were mandatory until 1933.....

Selective Yellow at Wikipedia

Amber yellow is supposed to increase contrast at low light levels - 
another example is shooting glasses in yellow. 
I personally have EDC'd a Yellow Photon 2 light on my keyring for over 10 years..... 
and my favorite sunglasses are Senegeti Drivers which have that tobacco tint and seems to enhance definition and contrast for me.
So although this warm tint does look "brown" to me - colors seem to stand out (pop) more......


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## Axion (Jun 2, 2009)

For those that are wondering, I think the beam shots exagerate how warm the tint really is by quite a bit. To my eyes there is a warm tint, a bit more so than my warm Malkoffs, but nothing like those pictures show.

In use the warm tint is very natural to me, whereas cool tint LEDs make everything look so flat and lifeless.


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## Bonky (Jun 3, 2009)

I believe that the red wavelength, being longer, tends to penetrate and "wrap around" objects better, just as HF radio signals will wrap around the earth and propagate far whereas VHF and UHF freqs are strictly line-of-sight.


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## UnknownVT (Jun 4, 2009)

most people believe the main benefits of warmer tint are outdoors on foliage etc. (similar to the LED vs. incand debate)

So I took some pictures of leaves illuminated by the EZaaW and the regular EZaa cool white tint (exposures were identical).









even though the eye response is not the same as a camera - 
in this case the photos seem to reflect quite well what I saw with my eyes.

The regular cool white tint seemed to look kind of grey-blue, whereas the warm tint - not surprisingly was warmer - more sunlight like.

Note: although there appears to be higher contrast between the top and underside of the leaves in the cool white tint, overall I think the warm tint seems to have it, especially away from the hotspot center.


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## Bonky (Jun 4, 2009)

more pics please!


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## kaichu dento (Jun 4, 2009)

I just got mine and the only improvement I can think of for the EZAAw is to have 4 levels instead of 2, with the first one being a true low and the present low being level 3. Just got it, already love it!


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## elugelab (Jun 4, 2009)

Are these still available?
Can't see any option for the warm version on 4sevens...


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## StandardBattery (Jun 4, 2009)

elugelab said:


> Are these still available?
> Can't see any option for the warm version on 4sevens...


 
As of a couple days ago they were still available. You have to just note warm-tint in the comments on your order. If they don't have it they will let you know, I'm sure.


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## selfbuilt (Jun 4, 2009)

Nice comparison Vincent, as always! :thumbsup:

I particularly appreciate the detailed tint color comparisons. I've found even small tint differences can make a difference in distinguishing related colors (i.e. "warm" tinted cool white emitters are better than "cool" tinted cool white for earth-tones). I personally still prefer a warm-tint cool white myself for general use - but I can't quite get used to these warmed "neutral" white tints. 

And I would point out my wife loves her cool-tint cool white Rebel RB080 Fenix L2T V2 - she uses it to match black socks in her sock drawer every morning. :laughing: I've had her try my warm-tint cool white Rebel RB100 Fenix L2D, and it is nowhere near as good - the difference is that noticeable. Needless to say, these neutral white tints are definitely not suited for that task. 

FYI, for those interested, I did a quick comparison of various emitters and tints under roughly standardized conditions in my color and tint comparison review here. I still need to pick up one of those color charts like Vincent uses, but the "recognizable" objects should you give a general idea. 

P.S.: NiteCore informs me that the revised EZ AA now supports Li-ion. Was there any mention of that in the packaging from your sample Vincent? I will be doing 14500 runtimes when mine arrives.


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## UnknownVT (Jun 4, 2009)

selfbuilt said:


> I personally still prefer a warm-tint cool white myself for general use - but I can't quite get used to these warmed "neutral" white tints.


 
Many thanks for the input and comments.

I tend to agree with you (for now) - 
my favorite tint is still that L2D-RB100 head on the Fenix L1D body.

But this warm tinted EZaaW is very interesting and I am admittedly infatuated with it (for now  )



selfbuilt said:


> And I would point out my wife loves her cool-tint cool white Rebel RB080 Fenix L2T V2 - she uses it to match black socks in her sock drawer every morning. :laughing: I've had her try my warm-tint cool white Rebel RB100 Fenix L2D, and it is nowhere near as good - the difference is that noticeable. Needless to say, these neutral white tints are definitely not suited for that task.


 
Has she/you tried the warm tinted LEDs? - 
The tint of this EZaaW seems almost like the shot I took of the LED through Serengeti Drivers sunglasses - 















which seem to enhance vision for me at the cost of some color rendition inaccuracy - but our eye/brain combination seems to compensate for this - hence the enhanced vision. eg: BluBlocker sunglasses (which I personally don't like) seem to do this well - but at a much more obvious yellow bias (to me) - whereas the Serengeti's seem not to have this obvious yellow bias.

I was really surpised by how well blues are still rendered with the EZaaW - perhaps the sharp peak in blue is just evened out as opposed to being merely blocked?



selfbuilt said:


> P.S.: NiteCore informs me that the revised EZ AA now supports Li-ion. Was there any mention of that in the packaging from your sample Vincent? I will be doing 14500 runtimes when mine arrives.


 
I checked both the packaging and enclosed instruction sheets - although they say New User Guide - there is no mention of 14500 or any specs for the acceptable operating voltage range.

I'd be very interested to know if these are spec'd to take Li-Ion 14500 safely.


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## NoFair (Jun 4, 2009)

Nice review:twothumbs

I strongly prefer the warm tint outside since it makes greens and browns easier to differentiate. The difference is bigger further away where brightness is lower. 

Inside cool white is just as good.

The 5A Crees I have look pretty close to mid day direct sunshine as far as color is concerned. 

Sverre


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## selfbuilt (Jun 4, 2009)

UnknownVT said:


> which seem to enhance vision for me at the cost of some color rendition inaccuracy - but our eye/brain combination seems to compensate for this - hence the enhanced vision. eg: BluBlocker sunglasses (which I personally don't like) seem to do this well - but at a much more obvious yellow bias (to me) - whereas the Serengeti's seem not to have this obvious yellow bias.
> 
> I was really surpised by how well blues are still rendered with the EZaaW - perhaps the sharp peak in blue is just evened out as opposed to being merely blocked?


Hmm, in the interest of science, I just tried my "neutral" tint Fenix TK20 (likely Q2, 5A tint) in my wife's sock drawer, and it wasn't too bad. The browns of course were easy to tell apart, but surprisingly so were the blues (as you noticed). The blacks are still rendered best by my wife's cool-tint RB080 L2T V2, though.

Of course, the ability to discriminate whether someone is wearing matching socks in the wild is of limited usefulness to most (even among flashaholics). :laughing: I'm always curious to hear more stories of actual use outdoors.


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## BackBlast (Jun 16, 2009)

selfbuilt said:


> I personally still prefer a warm-tint cool white myself for general use - but I can't quite get used to these warmed "neutral" white tints.



This is where I find myself as well. I prefer a warm binned cool white LED.



> Note: although there appears to be higher contrast between the top and underside of the leaves in the cool white tint


The warm tints bring the yellows and reds out more outside. But I notice the contrast is decreased relative to cool tints as you mention here, looking at trees, leaves, etc, I prefer the extra contrast the cool tints provide to more reds and yellows present in total. And I tried to love the warm tints, I assumed they would be better outside and I just plain find cool more useful, contrast > color accuracy for me.


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## UnknownVT (Jun 16, 2009)

BackBlast said:


> This is where I find myself as well. I prefer a warm binned cool white LED.


 
The jury is still out for me too....
I go between the warm'ish/pink'ish White Rebel RB100 and this EZaa-W.

Under photos the Rebel "wins" - 
BUT our eyes do _NOT_ behave like cameras/photos - 
they adapt to light levels -
There have been numerous studies that show our eyes tend to see warmer tones at lower light levels as (neutral) "white" - please click on and read about the Kruithof curve - this was a revelation to many on CPF.

I think the warm tint of this EZaa-W is actually very well chosen - 
but the problem with a flashlight is that it can be both lower light level or pretty high light level.

eg: all 130 lumens handheld and shining on the opposite hand - that's a _LOT_ of light - and a cooler truer white would be "better" - 
but shining at any practical distance and especially using the low to least disturb others - then we are talking lower light levels where the warmer tint comes into play.

Since I am a confirmed flashaholic - I like the warm tint - just so I can have variety (all my other LED lights are cool whites) 
- and even at "ridiculously" high light levels - a warmer tint is kinder to the eyes and causes less dazzle than a blue-white......

Just my personal take on the matter - 
I like having this EZaa-W - 
it's _NOT_ going to replace everything else - 
but I do look forward to more lights with Warm tints.


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## Splunk_Au (Jun 17, 2009)

Now looking as these color chart photos, all those who say that warm color improves color rendition doesn't seem to reason. Looking at the warm EZAA and regular EZAA side by side, the regular "cool" one seems to render color more accurately.

So where does this thing about warm led giving beter color rendition come from anyway?


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## NoFair (Jun 17, 2009)

Splunk_Au said:


> Now looking as these color chart photos, all those who say that warm color improves color rendition doesn't seem to reason. Looking at the warm EZAA and regular EZAA side by side, the regular "cool" one seems to render color more accurately.
> 
> So where does this thing about warm led giving beter color rendition come from anyway?


 
I looks very different outside, bigger difference when looking at things further away. Mostly it makes greens and browns stand out more. 

Sverre


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## UnknownVT (Jun 17, 2009)

Splunk_Au said:


> So where does this thing about warm led giving beter color rendition come from anyway?


 
Our eyes/brain behave differently from a camera.

Cameras can only have a single white balance - and its behavior is relatively set/predictable.

Our eyes/brain adapt to the conditons/lighting levels - 
at lower light levels we tend to see better under yellow-red tints - 
this is through evolution/conditioning - 
eg: sunset and sunrise, seeing by fire and candle light. 

As mentioned before, there have been accredited scientific studies of this pheonmena - 
*please* click on and read about the *Kruithof curve* -

" _The __colour__ sensation of a given light mixture may vary with absolute luminosity, because both rods and cones are active at once in the eye, with each having different colour curves, and __rods__ taking over gradually from __cones__ as the brightness of the scene is reduced. This means, for example, that light with a colour temperature of 6000 __K__ may appear white under high __luminance__, but appear bluish under low luminance. Under the same low luminance conditions, the colour temperature may need to be adjusted to, say, 4700 K, to appear white. This effect leads to a change in __colour rendition__ with absolute illumination levels that can be summarised in the __empirical__ *Kruithof curve*.[3]_
_As the brightness of the scene decreases, the brightness of red colours decreases more rapidly than those of blue colours, this being the so-called __Purkinje effect__._ "


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## UnknownVT (Jul 5, 2009)

Standardized Stairway beamshot comparison -


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## windstrings (Jul 30, 2009)

Thanks Vincent, your posts were exactly what I needed to find!

I appreciate your analytical approach so I know I'm not just imagining things!

Even in the picture above, the warm seems less intense but you can see the plaque and read it on the wall much better.

When I view the outside shots, the cool seems harsh and artificial. While everything is crisp and bright, I can't get into the picture and live there... I can't "warm up" to it! 

The warm shots do seem better with these relatively low output lights.. on the higher settings however.. like you say, the cooler kelvins seems to show colors better and bring things to life.
I'm used to playing with HID lights and I love the 4300Kelvin because it turns night into day, but at lower light levels that frequency starts looking fake, but when dealing under 100 lumens or so, I now appreciate the effect that the warmer tints bring.
This post was most enlightening:


> " _High CCT lighting generally requires higher light levels. At dimmer illumination levels, *the human eye perceives lower color temperatures as more natural*, as related through the __Kruithof curve__. *So, a dim 2700K incandescent lamp appears natural, and a bright 5000K lamp also appears natural,* but a dim 5000K fluorescent lamp appears too pale. Daylight-type fluorescents look natural only if they are very bright._ "



The warmer tint "to me" looks like I'm peering into the woods in the evening when the suns light is tinted a bit warmer and its very comfortable and pleasing to my eyes.. even on the computer monitor. It makes me feel like "I'm there" rather than looking with a light that my eyes normally never encounter in the natural environment.

I"ve heard allot of comments about how many folks in the LED world like the warmer colors for outdoors but no one really spelled out why.. all they know is that they like it.

Thanks for your homework and sharing on the subject!


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## UnknownVT (Jul 30, 2009)

windstrings said:


> I"ve heard allot of comments about how many folks in the LED world like the warmer colors for outdoors but no one really spelled out why.. all they know is that they like it.



Thank you very much for the feedback.

As I said with flashlights - it's a very personal thing - after all we are on CPF! :duh2:

However it's nice to see the psychological explanation.

Another "difficulty" with flashlights is the possible range of usage and brightness levels - 100 lumens with a close handheld task is very bright - so a blue'ish white is "better" - but 100 lumens shone at a distant object is "dim" - where a warmer tint may well be more pleasing/"better".

I personally like to use lights at lower levels - not just because I don't like to waste batteries (I use rechargeable LSDs - so that's not really an issue) - but because I am always aware I may have to turn the light off and be able to continue to see in the dark - hence my enthusiam for lights that can reach low levels. 

That's why I started to find out more about why people liked warmer tints outdoors. In this LONG thread -
Puny LED flashlights (Not!) + COLOR RENDITION Comparison
which only started to point out LED flashlights had started to overtake even the "ultra bright" xenon CR123 lights (the SureFires and Scorpions of this world) - the discussion quickly turned to incandescent being better outdoors, and color rendition was not widely understood (eg: CRI being quoted) so I did a lot of finding out and discovered the Kruithof curve - see my reply to milkyspit in Post #*123* and subsequent discussion.
(there's a kind of index in the first post of that thread)


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## windstrings (Jul 30, 2009)

UnknownVT said:


> Another "difficulty" with flashlights is the possible range of usage and brightness levels - 100 lumens with a close handheld task is very bright - so a blue'ish white is "better" - but 100 lumens shone at a distant object is "dim" - where a warmer tint may well be more pleasing/"better".
> 
> - but because I am always aware I may have to turn the light off and be able to continue to see in the dark - hence my enthusiam for lights that can reach low levels.



Yes, while in my boat, I'll fish in the dark and watch the stars etc and "hide from the bugs!", but when I catch one, I'll put on my light.. or when I need to do some tedious work like retying a line. 
Maintaining night vision is good if possible. And having what you see look natural is even better!

When doing close work, I won't need or want intense blinding light and while looking at the distance I will.. in both case the warm tint will excel!


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## UnknownVT (Jul 30, 2009)

windstrings said:


> When doing close work, I won't need or want intense blinding light and while looking at the distance I will.. in both case the warm tint will excel!



There you go!

That's the same reason I like warmer tinted LED lights.

I find incandescent too yellow for my tastes - regular cool white LEDs are well.. too cool :duh2: and I have warmed up to warmer tints - they seem to have the just the right compromise for my usage.


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## combinatorix (Aug 25, 2009)

Hope its OK bumping this thread.

I was just wondering, is there any difference in runtime, brightness, or heating on high mode between the two versions of the light? 

thanks


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## UnknownVT (Aug 25, 2009)

combinatorix said:


> Hope its OK bumping this thread.
> I was just wondering, is there any difference in runtime, brightness, or heating on high mode between the two versions of the light?



No problems bumping this thread - do it all you want....

My understanding is that if the electronics are the same, and as long as the LED emitters are not drastically different in electrical characteristics - the runtime normally will be basically the same. 

As for brightness I had a direct side-by-side comparison beamshot between the EZaaW and the regular cool white EZaa - I'll paste it here:
EZaaW vs. NiteCore EZ-AA both High NiMH







visually and in the beamshots they look pretty close in brightness.

However the very different tints makes the comparison/judgment difficult - 
so I removed the color from the photos by deSaturation -







these show that the regular cool white is a just marginally brighter than the warm version - but not by much and probably would not make that much practical difference - whereas the tint can make a lot of difference in the ability to see well.

The light does get warm on high - but then I normally don't have the light on high for long periods of time, so I can't really comment on how "hot" it might or might not get - 
the fact the EZaa uses brass parts in its head probably will help dissipate the heat on a small flashlight. you might want to ask selfbuilt this question since he has done runtimes on high so would have observed if it gets hot or not. 

As for any difference between the Warm and cool white versions I would guess, and it is only a guess, that there probably would not be that much difference in heat......


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## UnknownVT (Aug 25, 2009)

I wrote to NiteCore to ask which bin they used for the EZaaW - 
their reply was mainly Q3 5B.

The 5B is designated by Cree a Neutral White - 
its tint is in the color temperature range 4,000-4,300 degK - 
but it is just on the green side of the Planckian Locus 
- whereas the 5A is on the red side.

Here's the crop from Cree's pdf on the XR-E bins -






The color representation of the CIE 1931 Color space:


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## KarstGhost (Dec 6, 2009)

Does anyone know if this light is available to order? I can't seem to find the warm version anywhere online. Thank you!


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## UnknownVT (Dec 7, 2009)

KarstGhost said:


> Does anyone know if this light is available to order? I can't seem to find the warm version anywhere online. Thank you!



It is available at 4Sevens.com they call it Neutral-White - 
which is actually the correct name/tint 
- but it is the same model [N.EZAAW].


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## B0wz3r (Dec 11, 2009)

KarstGhost said:


> Does anyone know if this light is available to order? I can't seem to find the warm version anywhere online. Thank you!



Ordered one from 4sevens a couple days ago. Got the shipping notification yesterday. Last time I checked they still had them in stock.

Update: Just got it in the mail this afternoon. Tiny little bugger! I know it's longer than the Quark Mini AA but I like the longer, slimmer profile. Came with a short lanyard, a clip and split ring, and a couple extra o-rings. Threads need some lube, but otherwise very nicely built. Walls of the battery tube are thin, but once the battery is in it feels solid and well built. Projects a beam pattern; very distinct hotspot but a narrower cone of light than my Quark and the spill is more intense. I put the lanyard on it and slipped it in my pocket; seems right at home.

With respect to the color; NICE! :grin: Looks much more natural than my Quark. I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm now one of the Gang of Neutrals, as I can go either way and still be happy. But, for my intended use for this light, it will be nice to have the neutral color.


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## tk40 (Feb 20, 2010)

UnknownVT said:


> Our eyes/brain behave differently from a camera.
> 
> Cameras can only have a single white balance - and its behavior is relatively set/predictable.



That is not the end of the story, I'm afraid. Two facts


Digital cameras behave differently from film cameras
Film has been developed to render colors as accurately as the human eye can perceive
Speaking of contemporary digital cameras, they suffer from two shortcomings that most films don't


Tonality: this is a measure of how many "shades" are visible/available/captured by digital sensors
Dynamic range: measure of how wide a difference in brightness and darkness can be captured in the same scene
Our eyes can look at a bridge brightly lit in the sun and can make out details in both the dark undersides of the bridge as well as in sunny bright areas.

The bottom line is, when you post digital pictures of an outdoor scene lit by a bright flashlight, the digital sensor is working overtime and due to limitations of current technology ends up showing high contrast images. :thumbsdow


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## UnknownVT (Feb 21, 2010)

tk40 said:


> Film has been developed to render colors as accurately as the human eye can perceive



That may be so.....

But film is only balanced for a single or narrow range of color temperature.
So if a scene under tungsten light is taken with a daylight balanced color film 
- would this really render colors as accurately as the human eye can perceive?

If the film were that accurate why then the "difference" in rendering between say Kodchrome 25 which is well known for very rich saturated colors and Fujichrome - known for its clean colors?

Then there's the whole world of color print film - as anyone who used to have their film developed and printed will attest that most of the time prints do not come out as expected.....

Sorry, film even though has had great research and technology over many, many years - 
has as many failings as digital.

It's kind of like saying analog sound recording is better than digital - 
the answer is both yes and no - depending on one's tastes.

Film is no more accurate than digital - after all both big film makers Kodak and Fuji have digital cameras and I am sure they have applied their film knowledge to digital to try to gain an advantage for better market share - 
but their digicams are no more accurate than those from the traditional camera makers such as Canon, Nikon etc.

In fact "Popular Photography" magazine have their lab measurements of color accuracy - and for some years now the better digital cameras have measured higher in color accuracy than any film.


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## BlueMarble (Mar 15, 2010)

Great information. I found this post very interesting. I'm really starting to search more and more for neutral lights. Thanks for posting!


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## UnknownVT (Mar 15, 2010)

BlueMarble said:


> Great information. I found this post very interesting. I'm really starting to search more and more for neutral lights. Thanks for posting!



Welcome, and glad to be of some help.

I thought it was infatuation with neutral white LEDs initially - 
but I find I like the NW tints - my eyes seem much more tolerant - as I seem very sensitive to tiny amounts of off-white in cool-white LEDs - I have always preferred warmer white tints and although neutral whites do seem more than just "warmer" cool-white (oxymoron ) my eyes seem to accept them as "white" - I have also found that neutral white LEDs do not seem to lose the ability to show blues and yellows which is a real advantage.

I now carry neutral white flashlights as my EDC (EveryDay Carry) both at home and when I am out of the house - 
I use a Neutral White 4Sevens Quark AA at home 
and carry a 4Sevens Q-MiNi AA Titanium Neutral White when I go out 
(links to reviews).


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## smithman (Mar 29, 2010)

Hi, I have two questions ?

01. Is the low mode also usable in real world scenarios... like building a computer etc. ?
Or would you just say that the low mode is not high enough for using for anything.

02. Do you still use your EZ-AA as your primary EDC or did you replace it by anything else..?


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## UnknownVT (Mar 29, 2010)

smithman said:


> 01. Is the low mode also usable in real world scenarios... like building a computer etc. ?
> Or would you just say that the low mode is not high enough for using for anything.
> 02. Do you still use your EZ-AA as your primary EDC or did you replace it by anything else..?



The low is a generally useful level - if anything, sometimes I think it is a bit high for closer tasks (handheld). I hardly ever use the high - but then I tend to use flashlight more indoors than outdoors.

My at home EDC currently is Neutral White 4Sevens Quark AA - just because the low is very low - often I tap to the next level up (lvl 2) and occasionally to the next up (lvl 3)

Quark AA NW level 3 is just a bit brighter than the low of the EzAA-W.


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## kaichu dento (Mar 30, 2010)

smithman said:


> Is the low mode also usable in real world scenarios... like building a computer etc. ?
> Or would you just say that the low mode is not high enough for using for anything.
> 
> Do you still use your EZ-AA as your primary EDC or did you replace it by anything else..?


The two levels are very well chosen, and although I would have liked a lower low if the light had three levels, I'm very pleased with them.
As for building a computer, I'd say absolutely, the low is just fine.

To your second question, I never used mine as my primary, except for daylight usage when searching for something in an area with a lot of light around the dark area I need to search, and that is when the punchy beam of the EZ series comes through. For night I usually prefer a floodier beam, but when I want some throw then I reach for the EZAAw.


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## smithman (Mar 30, 2010)

UnknownVT said:


> The low is a generally useful level - if anything, sometimes I think it is a bit high for closer tasks (handheld). I hardly ever use the high - but then I tend to use flashlight more indoors than outdoors.
> 
> My at home EDC currently is Neutral White 4Sevens Quark AA - just because the low is very low - often I tap to the next level up (lvl 2) and occasionally to the next up (lvl 3)
> 
> Quark AA NW level 3 is just a bit brighter than the low of the EzAA-W.





kaichu dento said:


> The two levels are very well chosen, and although I would have liked a lower low if the light had three levels, I'm very pleased with them.
> As for building a computer, I'd say absolutely, the low is just fine.
> 
> To your second question, I never used mine as my primary, except for daylight usage when searching for something in an area with a lot of light around the dark area I need to search, and that is when the punchy beam of the EZ series comes through. For night I usually prefer a floodier beam, but when I want some throw then I reach for the EZAAw.


BIG THX to both of you ! :twothumbs

This will be my FIRST LED FLASHLIGHT. :naughty:

Previously I used a Non-LED MagLite Mini AA (2 cells). 
Would you say that the low of the EZ-AA could be enough to replace my old Mag ?

As I mentioned this will be my first flashlight (beside the mag) and I want to make a wise decision. Maybe I will be also a Flashaholic after this... 

_BTW: You mentioned also the Quark AA, does it still have the 'preflash' problem. I've heard about this sometimes.

_


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## UnknownVT (Mar 30, 2010)

smithman said:


> _BTW: You mentioned also the Quark AA, does it still have the 'preflash' problem. I've heard about this sometimes._



The Quarks that I have at hand all have a very fast pre-flash - hardly noticeable unless one is looking for it.

With one exception if the light was used in the high level or max level modes last then switching on in minimum (the very low low) then the pre-flash seems more noticeable - I think this diminishes if the light is left off for a longer period of time.


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## smithman (Mar 30, 2010)

I have to choose betwen the quark aa tactical or the ez-aa. 
I am not sure if they will handle the problem of the pre-flash, because I've also read that the pre-flash on the tactical-series is more noticeable. 

However, I am still not sure... 

Would you say that Nitecore is going to release a new version of the EZ-AA in the near future ?  :candle:


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## UnknownVT (Mar 30, 2010)

smithman said:


> I am not sure if they will handle the problem of the pre-flash, because I've also read that the pre-flash on the tactical-series is more noticeable.



Seems to me a lot has blown way out of proportion on this pre-flash on Quarks - 
I wouldn't have even noticed it until it was mentioned to me and I started to look for it and experiment to see if I could actually make it worse. 

So my observations are quite deliberate and premeditated -

In all practical use since it is my EDC I had forgotten all about it - until you brought it up again - the pre-flash is *not* a blinding flash of light - it is mostly something that one may notice and say didn't the light come on a bit brighter?

I am not trying minimize or diminish the effect - it's just not that bad to me, and hardly noticeable .....

But then of course you may be much more sensitive to it than me, 
so as always YMMV.


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## kaichu dento (Mar 30, 2010)

smithman said:


> Previously I used a Non-LED MagLite Mini AA (2 cells).
> Would you say that the low of the EZ-AA could be enough to replace my old Mag ?
> 
> _BTW: You mentioned also the Quark AA, does it still have the 'preflash' problem. I've heard about this sometimes._


It's been a while since I even turned on a Maglite Mini AA but I'm pretty sure you'll be happy when you see the smooth beam coming out of whichever of these lights you choose.

I've never had one of the tactical Quarks but my regular Quark has no pre-flash, nor do I recall any of them that I've given away having it.


smithman said:


> I have to choose between the quark aa tactical or the ez-aa.
> 
> Would you say that Nitecore is going to release a new version of the EZ-AA in the near future ?  :candle:


This seems like a really odd pairing to choose between since the Quark is pretty large and has a button operation, compared to the EZAA single twist. The Quark MiNi would be a more even comparison, with it's twisty UI and compact dimensions.


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## kaichu dento (Mar 31, 2010)

Internet troubles!


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## kaichu dento (Mar 31, 2010)

Same as above


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## smithman (Apr 4, 2010)

Another question, 

*with which other flashlight could be the 130 LM of the EZ-AAw be compared ?*

I mean are the 130 Lm really a good value for this class and may it be possible that this value is also good for competing with flashlights of higher classes (like bigger edc's).

What about the 'WOW-Effect', Is there one, for example if I show it to anyone who is a non-flashaholic ?? :candle:


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## LEDninja (Apr 5, 2010)

The Nitecore EZAA*w* is NOT good for WOWing non-flashaholics.
The tint is a dirty brown. Ugly when compared to a pure white regular LED but lacks the warmth of an incandescent.
The warmer tint of the neutral LED seems less bright than the cool tints of regular LEDs. The EZAAw is not impressive despite its brightness on high while my EZAA (the older Q5 version) is bright. This has its advantages. I can read menus in dark restaurants comfortably with the 10 lumens of the EZAAw but a L0P SE (ye olde Luxeon 1W) low of 5 lumens produces too much glare.

To impress go with a CR-123A light. The Quark Mini 123 R5 189 OTF lumens, The Quark 123 R5 206 OTF lumens.

Remember non-flashaholics buy at DX too. MP3 players, earphones etc. They could have easily stumbled across a Tank007 E07 (1AA 120 lumens) for $14.05 or a TrustFire XP-EF23 (150-Lumen 1*AAA/1*10440) for $13.61 or the big pile of P7, MCE, SST-50 lights at less than $50. So you may not impress them.
Ditto eBay.


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## smithman (Apr 5, 2010)

hmm...

okay If we would stay on AA's in a very compact size (like the EZs size)
Which could be recommend to get such a 'WoW-Effect' ?

Furthermore If we would stay on warm LED, which lights are available under these criterias ?


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## kaichu dento (Apr 6, 2010)

smithman said:


> hmm...
> 
> okay If we would stay on AA's in a very compact size (like the EZs size)
> Which could be recommend to get such a 'WoW-Effect' ?
> ...


There are two basic categories of wow. One is for flashaholics and one is for the general public and the EZAAw is definitely capable of eliciting astonishment from the latter group and when you look at this tiny sliver of a light that at first and second glance both, appears to be a AAA sized light, it still blows me away. 

When I show it to someone they always note how bright it is, at which point I turn it to high!


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## smithman (Apr 6, 2010)

Thanks kaichu dento, 

btw, is this the only lamp with a tripod hole ?


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## kaichu dento (Apr 7, 2010)

smithman said:


> Thanks kaichu dento,
> 
> btw, is this the only lamp with a tripod hole ?


All of the EZ series has them and there is also a light by PhotonFanatic? that first came with the threaded hole. 

The two EZ's I have are the AAw and the CR2w. Though not really extravagant, they do what they do to perfection and for me the 5B tint is a large part of what I like about them, in addition to the super slim body.


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## smithman (Apr 7, 2010)

Thanks kaichu dento, I have ordered one. 
Your wise advises help me a lot. :thumbsup:
I will send a picture when I got it.

I think its a a good start to buy a nitecore product as my first light.

BTW, I needed the tripod-hole for maintaining my PC while the flashlight is mounted on a tripod.

lovecpf


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## smithman (Apr 8, 2010)

So here's my new flashlight. 
I like it very much, Its very compact and good for using it as an EDC.
The fact that its a little thrower is also very cool. 
Just a pocketrocket, as I needed. :candle:












*I have a few question regarding this light:
*
1. Is the battery physically removed from the light electronics, when twisting it to off, or will it still consume power? 

2. Comparing it to my old Mini-Mag AA (Non-LED) the EZ-AAw seems to have a very cool tint, is this normal ?

3. Is there anywhere (at CPF) a Diffusor-Mod available for this light ?

4. Is the tripod-hole good enough for daily-usage (what about the color in the hole, will it get off) ? 

5. What are these two rings for ?






Thanks in Advance...


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## kaichu dento (Apr 8, 2010)

smithman said:


> So here's my new flashlight.
> I like it very much, Its very compact and good for using it as an EDC.
> The fact that its a little thrower is also very cool.
> Just a pocketrocket, as I needed. :candle:
> ...


Smithman,

Thanks for letting us participate in your choice and I've got to say I'm relieved to hear we didn't steer you wrong! :thumbsup:
By the way, I just checked the dimensions of your first shot, and at 2592 x 1944, if it's not the biggest I've ever seen here, I think it's at least in the top 10!
Can you re-size to the max allowed 800 x 800? 

The battery has no parasitic drain when the light is off.

Even a warm tinted LED will look cool compared to incan unless you get up into the 6x or 7x ranges.

Not sure what anyone else is using for a diffuser, but most of the time people will experiment with different container caps until they find one that fits well.

The threaded adapter will last a long time, but you should expect chips in the anodization to start showing up, although it is a very durable finish.

And lastly, you've got spare o-rings!


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## UnknownVT (Apr 8, 2010)

smithman said:


> So here's my new flashlight.


Thank you for posting your pics -
BUT they are huge - way too big - and causes unnecessary horizontal scrolling.

Can you please edit your post and resize them to no more than 800 pixels width?



smithman said:


> 1. Is the battery physically removed from the light electronics, when twisting it to off, or will it still consume power?
> 2. Comparing it to my old Mini-Mag AA (Non-LED) the EZ-AAw seems to have a very cool tint, is this normal ?
> 3. Is there anywhere (at CPF) a Diffusor-Mod available for this light ?
> 4. Is the tripod-hole good enough for daily-usage (what about the color in the hole, will it get off) ?
> 5. What are these two rings for ?



1) as far as I know there is no power drain when the light is off.

2) the LED is a Neutral White Cree XR-E Q3 5B color temperature = 4300K - this is cooler/bluer than a standard incandescent which is closer to 2700K (US daylight is 6500K) - this is mostly a good thing since incandescent normally is too yellow/amber and has difficulties distinguishing navy from black and seeing yellow on white. The Neutral White does not have that problem.

4) the tripod hole is still all metal and the anodizing is HA-3 which is as hard and durable as one can get for anodized aluminum - but it really depends on how much you use the tripod hole to its wear.

5) those are spare o-rings to help seal the flashlight from moisture and water ingress.

Please resize those over-sized pics.


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## smithman (Apr 8, 2010)

I came from outside and took some photos.

First of all, here are my beamshots. 
(Tried my best using the same high ISO-Level w. Night-Mode)

*MiniMag AA (Non-LED) vs. Nitecore EZ-AAw (low mode)*






*MiniMag AA (Non-LED) vs. Nitecore EZ-AAw (high mode)*







*Random Gallery Paint* *MiniMag AA *






*Random Gallery Paint* *Nitecore EZ-AAw (low)*






*Outside Nature Shot MiniMag AA*






*Outside Nature Shot Nitecore EZ-AAw* *(low-mode)*






*Outside Nature Shot Nitecore EZ-AAw* *(high-mode)*






*Nitecore EZ-AAw mounted on a regular Tripod *






Outside shots: 
(Attention: I modified only these two photos to match the real experience)

*Nightcore EZ-AAw outside house distance-shot* *(high-mode)
*






*Nightcore EZ-AAw outside tree distance shot* *(high-mode)*









kaichu dento said:


> Smithman,
> ...By the way, I just checked the dimensions of your first shot, and at 2592 x 1944, if it's not the biggest I've ever seen here, I think it's at least in the top 10!



I'll take this as a compliment. :twothumbs



UnknownVT said:


> Please resize those over-sized pics.



Resized them. 



UnknownVT said:


> ...
> 5) those are spare o-rings to help seal the flashlight from moisture and water ingress...



How can I use them ? Do I need them right now or is this just an extra thing ? Sorry for the noobie-question.



UnknownVT said:


> ...
> 2) the LED is a Neutral White Cree XR-E Q3 5B color temperature = 4300K - this is cooler/bluer than a standard incandescent which is closer to 2700K (US daylight is 6500K) - this is mostly a good thing since incandescent normally is too yellow/amber and has difficulties distinguishing navy from black and seeing yellow on white. The Neutral White does not have that problem....



Thanks for this Information. Somebody pointed out earlier that the flashlight has a ugly brown tint. I dont think so. :thinking:
It is very fresh and bright, well-made for all kinds of general-usage.

In the end I want to say that I searched over a year for a flashlight, and now I am very very happy.


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## UnknownVT (Apr 8, 2010)

smithman said:


> First of all, here are my beamshots.
> (Tried my best using the same high ISO-Level w. Night-Mode)



Did you have your camera on AWB (Auto White Balance)?

If so, try taking the pics with Daylight/Sunny white balance - 
that way it will show how yellow/amber the incandescent MiniMag is and the NiteCore EZaaW should show a yellow/brown color. (Using Daylight/Sunny white balance shows how the beams deviates/compares with natural daylight).



smithman said:


> How can I use them ? Do I need them right now or is this just an extra thing ? Sorry for the noobie-question.



Both kaichu dento and I said those were _*spare*_ o-rings -



smithman said:


> Somebody pointed out earlier that the flashlight has a ugly brown tint. I dont think so. :thinking:
> It is very fresh and bright, well-made for all kinds of general-usage.



Glad you're pleased with the tint/color - 
you should always trust your own eyes - 
and that is the reason I post comparison beamshots as in the opening post - and I take care over the white balance - did those look dirty brown?


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## smithman (Apr 8, 2010)

UnknownVT said:


> Did you have your camera on AWB (Auto White Balance)?
> 
> If so, try taking the pics with Daylight/Sunny white balance -
> that way it will show how yellow/amber the incandescent MiniMag is and the NiteCore EZaaW should show a yellow/brown color. (Using Daylight/Sunny white balance shows how the beams deviates/compares with natural daylight).



I'll will try to post them again with Sunlight Settings.



UnknownVT said:


> Both kaichu dento and I said those were _*spare*_ o-rings -



Ok, but I still dont know the usage of this. :shrug:




UnknownVT said:


> Glad you're pleased with the tint/color -
> you should always trust your own eyes -
> and that is the reason I post comparison beamshots as in the opening post - and I take care over the white balance - did those look dirty brown?



No, it dont look dirty. However, your pictures look different from what I seems to see, but I dont know why...


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## UnknownVT (Apr 8, 2010)

smithman said:


> Ok, but I still dont know the usage of this. :shrug:



OK if you unscrew the head - like when you put in a battery can you see an o-ring in place at the (top) end of the threads?

You have two spare ones for if, and when, that one wears out



smithman said:


> No, it dont look dirty. However, your pictures look different from what I seems to see, but I dont know why...



Our eyes behave differently at different light levels and in different comparative environments.

Does the EZaaW look almost pure white (if not a tiny bit blue when compared to the MiniMag or near a standard soft white household light bulb? That's because our eyes see differences and are influenced by our environment.

Now try the same on a sheet of white paper out in the noon-day sun (but watch the dazzle) - does the EZaaW still look white (even slightly blue-ish)? - it's more likely to look slightly yellow/brown possibly similar to my beamshots.

My beamshots in theory should be like comparing the flashlight beam to the noon daylight. Notice how the cool-white LEDs sometimes have slight variations toward blue or even green - the camera can be more revealing as it does not automatically adjust like our eye/brain combination (unless one is using AWB) - 
how we see tints of white is a whole debate/subject matter. 

Perhaps you'd like to check out the long thread I referenced in the opening post:

Puny LED flashlights (Not!) + COLOR RENDITION Comparison

do come back and ask more, or post in that thread - 
but I suggest after you have read that entire thread please, 
and understood the Kruithof curve and The Color of White


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## ninemm (Apr 8, 2010)

I might have missed it in the recent posts, but where did you order the EZAAw from? I haven't been able to find it on any vendors webpages. Thanks for the help!


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## smithman (Apr 9, 2010)

Sent a PM


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## UnknownVT (Apr 9, 2010)

smithman said:


> Sent a PM



Good man :thumbsup:, that's what I was hoping you would do.


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## ninemm (Apr 9, 2010)

Thanks for the help guys. Unfortunately the conversion rate kills the price for me. I did however find a seller with some stock on the Marketplace. Now just to convince myself I need the EZAA. :devil:


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## smithman (Apr 10, 2010)

*@ninemm:* Yeah the conversion rate is very extreme, especially if you're ordering from the US. 

*@ALL:* I've these questions: 

*1.* I've heard that I can also use some special (protected) batteries with the EZ-AA, would you recommend such rechargeable 14500 Li-ion batteries ? Is it worth the extra power, or should I stay on Eneloops ?

*2.* In this Video there is someone who shows three output modes on a EZ-AA, how is this possible ?!, is this a mod which I can use ?

*3.* I'm looking for a holster (little thing like a bag), where can I get such a holster, or is there a selfmade around at CPF ?

*4.* I am still wondering if anybody found out a nice way to make a diffusor mod, :huh: ?

_Thanks in Advance. _

I am currently trying to make a headband mod because their is only a official headband for the D10 (Maybe I can buy a original and use it, should be not so difficult, what do you think ?

*BTW:* @Vincent: Thanks for the nice article (I mean the link you posted).
To be honest, I think that I've to read the whole text twice, to get all the scientific informations :shrug: , but I'll try to solve the puzzle (which you gave me). 

So far, I can just say that I got with my order also a little keychain LED-light (Maybe as a gift ?!). 
Compared to my EZ-AAw, the keychain-light has very blue & colder tint. Maybe the reason is a lower K-Value, as you mentioned in your post. 
The EZ-AAw looked (for the first time) for me like a warm LED light. Compared to my Mag-Lite I didn't notice that effect.

I dont know what kind of battery is inside or which kind of LED is used, but I was very excited to see such a decent amount of light from such a little thing.
Here is a picture:






Greetings 
Smithman


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## UnknownVT (Apr 10, 2010)

smithman said:


> *1.* I've heard that I can also use some special (protected) batteries with the EZ-AA, would you recommend such rechargeable 14500 Li-ion batteries ? Is it worth the extra power, or should I stay on Eneloops ?



I believe that the EZaaW can support a 3.7V Li-Ion Rechargeable 14500 - and it probably will give more output - 

but I still wonder if the circuit is truly a Buck/Boost - boost to bring the voltage up to the Vf of the LED - Buck to safely regulate the voltage down to Vf - I doubt it.

So I think one runs the risk of gradually deteriorating the LED over the long term - 

Whether any gains in brightness overcomes the slight risk of deterioration can only be the user's decision.



> *3.* I'm looking for a holster (little thing like a bag), where can I get such a holster, or is there a selfmade around at CPF ?


Look for a holster for another flashlight - I think the ones for the Innova X1 might be OK. But probably better to try make one for yourself.

There are also Sack-Ups the 4" ones for knives probably be a good fit.
Sack-Ups 805







> Thanks for the nice article (I mean the link you posted).
> To be honest, I think that I've to read the whole text twice, to get all the scientific informations :shrug: , but I'll try to solve the puzzle (which you gave me).


The important aspect is the understanding that we see differently at different light levels the two main articles that help this understanding are:
Kruithof curve and The Color of White




> So far, I can just say that I got with my order also a little keychain LED-light (Maybe as a gift ?!).
> Compared to my EZ-AAw, the keychain-light has very blue & colder tint. Maybe the reason is a lower K-Value, as you mentioned in your post.
> The EZ-AAw looked (for the first time) for me like a warm LED light. Compared to my Mag-Lite I didn't notice that effect.


There you go - direct personal experience - where you can easily see the yellow/brown tint of the Neutral white LED when compared to a more Blue-White LED - 

so which tint is right? 
mostly white when you compared it with the MagLite 
or mostly yellow/brown when you compared it with the little white LED flashlight?

It obviously depends on the ambient conditions and any other light sources one could compare to.

Like I said my beamshots attempt to show how any light looks when compared to sunny daylight - and for the neutral white LED I compare them to the regular "cool-white" LEDs so that one can easily see the yellow/brown tint.



> I dont know what kind of battery is inside or which kind of LED is used, but I was very excited to see such a decent amount of light from such a little thing.


these normally have 2x CR2016 (3V) lithium coin cell batteries -
they are what we fondly call Fauxtons (nicknamed/cloned from Photon the most famous and originators of the microlight).

They really are great value for money and so tiny that they could ride on one's keyring almost "not there" so they become a supplemental/back up light. 

However because of how they are carried they probably end up getting used more - so the "main" flashlight - our pride and joy - really then becomes the supplemental light!


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