Help Understanding LED Lingo (beginner question)

[BlindFarmer]

Ok, lets type about basic beginner LED information. There are many brands and then models within those brands. From what I can tell, in the flashlight world, Cree seems to be the benchmark. I notice Malkoff uses Cree and many Chinese lights do not. I notice if you look at a Convoy brand light, you can pick what LED you want. Makes flashlight buying confusing. LOL I know 2700k is warmer and 6500k is cooler light color. I notice that brands like Malkoff, Modlite, and Surefire keep their lights basic and simple. Nitecore and Olight of budget brands like Convoy have all these modes and a fancy UI, why? Thanks for the help.

 

[jonc2]

I prefer to trade with smaller, American owned family businesses, the type that pick up the phone when you call them.

For those reasons, I recommend Malkoff. Simplicity equals reliability.

If your wanting something simple for around the home, I would get this light with the "Neutral White (4000K) 95 CRI Luminous SST-20" option which for me is easy on the eyes. It is out of stock right now but it's popular and restocks often.

MDC 1AA Flashlight

Hard Anodized Black MDC (Malkoff Daily Carry) 115 Lumen, 1AA Flashlight. This is a multimode light. Modes are LowLow-Low-High. It always comes on in LowLow. Choose Cool color tint or Neutral color tint from the drop down menu above. These are Black Type III Hard Anodized finish. They are fully...

malkoffdevices.com

Batteries:

Energizer® Ultimate Lithium - North America

25-Year Shelf Life* Watch Video Peak Performance Watch Video Leak Resistant Construction Watch Video Lightweight Watch Video Performs in Extreme Temperatures** Watch Video Everyday and High-tech electronics Nothing outlasts Energizer® Ultimate Lithium AA batteries. The Energizer® Ultimate...

energizer.com

Sounds like you got the lingo down.

 

[Bazar]

I notice if you look at a Convoy brand light, you can pick what LED you want. Makes flashlight buying confusing. LOL I know 2700k is warmer and 6500k is cooler light color. I notice that brands like Malkoff, Modlite, and Surefire keep their lights basic and simple. Nitecore and Olight of budget brands like Convoy have all these modes and a fancy UI, why? Thanks for the help.

Ok so basically there are 2 different types of LEDs and then there are different colors and tints and CRI or color rendering index or, how accurate the full range of color is.

So hi cri means more like sunlight, accurate colors. Fact is unless you're female or a photographer you dont need this. And it makes being an electrician harder because bright colors actually are tougher to tell the difference. Many people get the CRI lights and darker tints like 2700k confused, the deeper tint looks more pleasing it doesn't mean jack for the CRI and optic balance matters more for color anyway.

The other type is whether or not the LED will have more intensity or more throw. The "long and the short of it" is that smaller leds with the same lumens have more intensity in the surface. This allows for a more concentrated beam IN EXACTLY THE SAME OPTIC if The optic is actually centered correctly.

Typically this is explained in the brightness charts and measurements in the pics of the flashlight. They will tell you which is which.

If not just double check one from the other to see typically what the led is known for.

I can tell you right now the most fun thing is throw, but the most useful is higher power (lumens. )

People will ask for sources for the CRI nonsense I spouted. I dont care. Provide your own. LEDs are supposed to be efficient with light, hi CRI goes backwards IMHO. And most people won't use it properly.

 

[troutpool]

Remember the question "Why do men climb mountains?" And the answer "Because they are there." Well, flashlight innovators create complex UI's because they can. It is possible to program a flashlight to do much more than is required for basic operation. Just look at a flow chart for the Anduril 2 UI sometime. Basically, I like what jonc2 said in post #2. If you want to explore, by all means explore, but for quality and reliability you can't go wrong with Malkoff, or HDS Systems' Rotary lights.

 

[PaladinNO]

I notice if you look at a Convoy brand light, you can pick what LED you want. Makes flashlight buying confusing. I notice that brands like Malkoff, Modlite, and Surefire keep their lights basic and simple. Nitecore and Olight of budget brands like Convoy have all these modes and a fancy UI, why? Thanks for the help.

To keep it simple, with all these options there is something for everyone. And I can definitely vouch for the confusion - I've had flashlights as a hobby for years now, and I only recently (as in, this year) learned terms like "CCT", and I think I got a grasp on "DUV" and "BBL" now (which both technically describes the tint colour, as I understand it).

Same reason for the "fancy UI" - some people want more options, and once you got a dual-channel, or even triple-channel, light with different LEDs, all operated with a single button, you need a complex interface underneath. But now we are well into enthusiast levels of flashlighting - nothing the average, or even above average, Joe, Jim, Jill or Jane needs to care about.

For me, it all comes down to the usage. For a flashlight right next to me or in the bathroom, in case of a blackout, I just want a light - simple On / Off will do, and is actually preferred. However, if I need to do something specific at my own pace, I am always picking a more complicated light, with carefully selected LEDs at a specific CCT-range (Kelvin / K value). But that is the kind of flashlight snobbery many of us do here at CPF. :)

Point is, you get a light - preferably many lights, as we are enablers here - for whatever task you need to do. If you just want a light, pretty much anything from a dollar bin will do, and you'll likely be happy with it. As @Bazar says, hCRI (high colour rendering) is wasted for most people, but I have come to enjoy it for my work. A hCRI light is also easier for the eyes in dark environments for prolonged times, but that may just be me and my very sensitive eyes.

As far as controls go, I will say I do miss the older Fenix flashlights. I miss having dual-button operation - tail button for On / Off + side button for mode cycling.

If you want something "simple", get any Convoy with a 519A 4000K LED and with a "4 modes" operation. Click button for On / Off, and half-press and release to cycle through modes. Just get one, and please come back with a report on it, because I am pretty certain you will be happy with it.

P.s.
I am told everyone should own a Convoy S2+, so that's a great place to start your journey (I recommend you include a Molicel M35A battery with the light):

Convoy S2+, red ,18650 flashlight - Convoy flashlight

Convoy S2+, red ,18650 flashlight

convoylight.com