OP
For beam as it’s a primary and not a video light anywhere 8-12 degrees is fine. As it’s not for deco long dives the burn time can be less.
Primary light recommendations....
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@decompression the problem with looking at shorter burn times is it means the battery is smaller. Smaller battery means less capability to drive the emitter, so you won't get a 2500 lumen light that burns for an hour or less because the battery isn't strong enough to do it.
I think your best bet is to pay up for the HP50/find a used one, or sacrifice some of the total output and look at the ~1000-1500 lumen lights
I think your best bet is to pay up for the HP50/find a used one, or sacrifice some of the total output and look at the ~1000-1500 lumen lights
Also, a 1600 lumen light with an 8 degree beam might work just as well as a 2000+ lumen light with a 10 or 12 degree beam. Maybe? Just something to ponder.
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OP
So I’ve come up with a couple of contenders; Tovatec 1500 and the Finnsub 1300. I’ve dropped the lumens as I’ll just use my canister primaries when I need that much light.
So, Tovatec pros are price, availability and good lumens
Cons are it’s long for a Goodman handle
And the Finnsub pros are comes with good Goodman handle, decent lumens
Cons are price and limited availability
Any one with first hand experience with these? Cheers.
So, Tovatec pros are price, availability and good lumens
Cons are it’s long for a Goodman handle
And the Finnsub pros are comes with good Goodman handle, decent lumens
Cons are price and limited availability
Any one with first hand experience with these? Cheers.
I had never seen the Finn lights before. Just looked.
Any idea what LED emitter is in that light? Or what kind of battery it uses?
Disappointing that I can't find the answer to either question on their website.
Their 3600 says it has 3 Cree XM-L emitters and puts out 3600 lumens. My suspicion is that the 1300 uses 1 of the same emitters. And, 1200 - 1300 lumens from an XM-L is more than what the Cree specs say for an XM-L (to wit, 1040 lumens).
Their Goodman handle looks cool, though!
FWIW, the Xtar D26 1600 uses a Cree XHP35, which is actually spec'ed at 1700 lumens. And the XHP35 emitter is very small (3.5mm x 3.5), so it's very amenable to a tightly focused beam. The XM-L is 5mm x 5. The efficiency of both is right about the same (~160 lumens / watt - binning conditions - meaning net efficiency at 1000 lumens is higher for the XHP35, I believe). Meaning, all other electronics being equal, an XHP35 "turned down" (e.g. D26 running on Medium brightness) to only putting out 1000 lumens will last longer on the same battery, as compared to an XM-L putting out 1000 lumens.
XLamp XM-L LEDs | Cree Components
XLamp XHP35 LED | Cree Components
Apologies if I sound like a shill for the Xtar light. I really don't care what you buy. I just find the comparative analysis interesting.
Any idea what LED emitter is in that light? Or what kind of battery it uses?
Disappointing that I can't find the answer to either question on their website.
Their 3600 says it has 3 Cree XM-L emitters and puts out 3600 lumens. My suspicion is that the 1300 uses 1 of the same emitters. And, 1200 - 1300 lumens from an XM-L is more than what the Cree specs say for an XM-L (to wit, 1040 lumens).
Their Goodman handle looks cool, though!
FWIW, the Xtar D26 1600 uses a Cree XHP35, which is actually spec'ed at 1700 lumens. And the XHP35 emitter is very small (3.5mm x 3.5), so it's very amenable to a tightly focused beam. The XM-L is 5mm x 5. The efficiency of both is right about the same (~160 lumens / watt - binning conditions - meaning net efficiency at 1000 lumens is higher for the XHP35, I believe). Meaning, all other electronics being equal, an XHP35 "turned down" (e.g. D26 running on Medium brightness) to only putting out 1000 lumens will last longer on the same battery, as compared to an XM-L putting out 1000 lumens.
XLamp XM-L LEDs | Cree Components
XLamp XHP35 LED | Cree Components
Apologies if I sound like a shill for the Xtar light. I really don't care what you buy. I just find the comparative analysis interesting.
OP
No worries Stuart, I appreciate the info, this is not my strong suit.
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I would spend up and get a LX20. Bit bigger, but is a really great light and behaves well on a goodman handle. Also makes one helluva backup light
At that price, I think I would cough up the extra $200 for the HP50...
That said, right now, it seems like LED lighting is still on a somewhat steep technology curve. So, right now, today, I would not buy anything more than I really needed at the moment and I would stick to buying cheap, with the idea of replacing it in the not-too-distant future.
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