Inova X5-T LED color?

Blisshead

Blisshead

Joined
Nov 25, 2002
Messages
255
I ordered one, the white LED was out of stock so I got blue. Should I return and just wait for white? I've seen some blue tinted LEDS that seem really bright and easier on the eyes, and I've seen some that are as useless as carrying a Christmas light around. Anybody have this flashlight in non-white LED?
 
ive got an x5t in blue. it is very bright, has more of a retina "pucker" than white and makes for a more interesting and unusual light. i bought mine to signal speeding cars of my presence when walking at night. i find myself using it all the time as a toy too.

that said, blue sucks for color rendition. it is almost impossible to identify anything that doesnt floresce or you dont already know the color of. if you are using this as an all-purpose light you will be better served w/ white LEDs.

the inova is one tough light. i was unable to break it but did make it leak in my torture test.
 
Originally posted by notos&w
ive got an x5t in blue. it is very bright, has more of a retina "pucker" than white and makes for a more interesting and unusual light. i bought mine to signal speeding cars of my presence when walking at night. i find myself using it all the time as a toy too.

that said, blue sucks for color rendition. it is almost impossible to identify anything that doesnt floresce or you dont already know the color of. if you are using this as an all-purpose light you will be better served w/ white LEDs.

the inova is one tough light. i was unable to break it but did make it leak in my torture test.
Click to expand...

How about contrast? Better or worse than white?
 
I have the Inova 5x in both blue and white. The blue Inova is a pretty cool light, and the LEDs seem brighter than the white Inova. However, as mentioned, the blue Inova distorts colors. My son recently took the blue Inova on a scout trip, and mentioned that he'd had a hard time distinguishing his knapsack from the others at the camp, because the blue light made all the packs seem the same color.

I originally bought the blue Inova because I thought that it would be useful for night - hiking, the idea being that the blue light would make the white blazes along the trails easier to see. I haven't had a chance to test this theory yet, though.
 
I like the blue a lot for walking at night. It's a kind of stealth light, in that it doesn't light up the periphery the way the white does, but it shows me any bumps or cracks in our dilapidated sidewalks, and it makes a great signal to oncoming traffic, without glareblinding them.

I also like the way it seems to have an ultraviolet effect, lighting up 'neon' colors like blaze orange and reflectorized signs.
 
[QUOTEHow about contrast? Better or worse than white? [/QUOTE]

worse. playing w/ the light last night on a cold evening walk, i shined it on the barren trees. i was amazed at how similar they looked under the blue light compared to a fresh snow. now of course the trees were blue and not white but the uniform color and smoothing of edges (b/c of reduced color difference) reminded me of snow. YMMV.
 
I like the white better than the blue myself seems to be a better all around light, I have not found any light that is blue very usefull other than maybe seeing the keys while trying to open a door at night. For a good all around light the white is best, it has a hint of blue in it anyway if you like that color better :)
 
Through a combo of buying/trading I now have three X5s in blue, green, and white. I used the blue at the range last night and had no problems. While they call them tactical lights, I wouldn't really use them as anything but a long lasting utility light, so I don't really think color matters. I guess if you consider it a backup or last ditch, then go with white.
 
If you haven't made up your mind yet, you might want to consider the green. Your eyes are most sensitive to the green end of the spectrum, and thus you get the most "bang for the buck" with green. Somewhere around here I have a link to an astronomy website that 'splains all this, but can't locate it at the moment.

Green also preserves your night vision the best, as it is more efficient than any other color, and therefore your eyes require less total light to define an object. It is the total amount of light your eyes absorb that is the defining factor in preserving night vision.

In addition, you will find that the contrast of the green light is superior to either the blue or white. It presents as a very "clean" light, with far less blurring at the edges, even at the very edge of the light pattern.

Of course, if color differentation is important, you will have to stick with white. But if not, you will find yourself pleasantly surprised with the green. All of my LED's are now in green (I've experimented with every color), with the exception of a white Innova I keep in the car for map reading.

Good luck with your choice,

James
 
Originally posted by Sierra1
If you haven't made up your mind yet, you might want to consider the green. Your eyes are most sensitive to the green end of the spectrum, and thus you get the most "bang for the buck" with green. Somewhere around here I have a link to an astronomy website that 'splains all this, but can't locate it at the moment.

Green also preserves your night vision the best, as it is more efficient than any other color, and therefore your eyes require less total light to define an object. It is the total amount of light your eyes absorb that is the defining factor in preserving night vision.

In addition, you will find that the contrast of the green light is superior to either the blue or white. It presents as a very "clean" light, with far less blurring at the edges, even at the very edge of the light pattern.

Of course, if color differentation is important, you will have to stick with white. But if not, you will find yourself pleasantly surprised with the green. All of my LED's are now in green (I've experimented with every color), with the exception of a white Innova I keep in the car for map reading.

Good luck with your choice,

James
Click to expand...

Interesting, I'll have to check out a green one.
 
Originally posted by Sierra1
If you haven't made up your mind yet, you might want to consider the green. Your eyes are most sensitive to the green end of the spectrum, and thus you get the most "bang for the buck" with green. Somewhere around here I have a link to an astronomy website that 'splains all this, but can't locate it at the moment.

Green also preserves your night vision the best, as it is more efficient than any other color, and therefore your eyes require less total light to define an object. It is the total amount of light your eyes absorb that is the defining factor in preserving night vision.

In addition, you will find that the contrast of the green light is superior to either the blue or white. It presents as a very "clean" light, with far less blurring at the edges, even at the very edge of the light pattern.

Of course, if color differentation is important, you will have to stick with white. But if not, you will find yourself pleasantly surprised with the green. All of my LED's are now in green (I've experimented with every color), with the exception of a white Innova I keep in the car for map reading.

Good luck with your choice,

James
Click to expand...


Damm, i just learned something...I however, do have the original Inova in Blue and carry it with me everywhere. Including camping where along with my Petzl Tikka was perfect for trail hiking at night:D
 
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