Some different LEDs and their tints

Time to talk about LEDs and their varying tints. FYI, I'm no expert on the matter, but I know enough to talk about it.

Early power LEDs put into various flashlights had a definite blue tinge to them. The beams were ugly, cold, sterile, and had horrible color rendition (some still do).

But things have gotten worlds better. CREE has, for several years now, been releasing neutral and warm tint versions of their flagship LEDs. These boast higher CRI numbers and are a lot easier on the eyes.

I don't have any lights with a neutral LED, but I have a warm one. Even with the so called "cool white" versions (which come out before the neutral and warm versions), tints can vary. Why? No idea, ask CREE.

How do you make an LED warmer? Short, simplistic answer: pile more phosphor onto the LED die. Essentially "white" LEDs are just blue (or sometimes ultraviolet) LEDs with phosphor on top which fluoresces white light (somewhat similar—in theory of creating white light, not operation—to a fluorescent light). The more phosphor is on the LED die, the warmer the tint.

The drawback? The more phosphor no the die, the less light gets out—28% less for warm white and 7% less for neutral, according to 4Sevens.

That difference, at least with my warm white 4Sevens Quark, is barely noticeable.

Now, on the Candle Power Forums lately there has been a big stink raised over CREE's new XP-G S2 and S3 LEDs, their tint in particular. People immediately began complaining (and rightfully so) about the LEDs' green tint. After a month or so, I ordered a Quark with the S2 LED. When I turned it on I was struck by the... green tint. And yeah, it's green.

Let's get to the pictures.




FYI: The warm white Quark has an XP-G, Q5 bin. The Turbo also has an XP-G (S2 bin, obviously). The Olight has an older (and now quite ubiquitous) XR-E (Q5)