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Posted: 1/19/2026 1:33:55 PM EDT
[Last Edit: a390st][Edited]
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I was curious how the pattern of a few lights that may be broadly classed as outdoor spotters might compare so I took a few pictures. One is focused on a point roughly 90 yards away while another is focused at a point about 30 yards away. The images aren't professional, and I make no claims about anything except that I tried my best to be as consistent as possible. The information in this post are just the observations of one person and are personal impressions rather than a definitive or scientifically measured evaluation. This is just something to compare the patterns of a few lights for my own curiosity that I thought others might find interesting. The differences aren't that great between several of the lights, but everything I saw pretty well tracked with the claimed output. Clearly different design choices do lead to different patterns, and you can see that plainly in some of the photos. Photos of beams at 90 and 30 yards for 5 lights The Surefire 6PX was more or less a control with two CR123 primaries. 600 lumens, 8,700 candela The Surefire 600 Scout with the KE2-A head is a common weapon light with two CR123 primaries. 500 lumens, 13,000 candela The Malkoff MDM4 M91T is a Surefire 961 body with the Malkoff head and drop-in with three CR123 Primaries. 800 lumens, 20,000 candela The Malkoff MDC HTL is a Malkoff head in an Arisaka 18650 body with a KeepPower 1835J 3500 mAh 18650 cell. 1050 lumens, 40,000 candela The Weltool LH8V2 is a Weltool head in an Arisaka 18650 body with a KeepPower 1835J 3500 mAh 18650 cell. 1,660 lumens, 128,000 candela The goal was to present the lights as they would be typically deployed, with fresh/fully charged batteries. The 6PX clearly lit both distances, but the 90 yard shot was difficult to pick out details in brush. It does have a fair amount of spill at 30 yards, and is an effective general purpose flashlight. The two cell Surefire with the KE2-A head was clearly brighter than the 6PX, but showed a somewhat similar overall pattern. It had a better defined hot spot and the spill was more useful. The light puts out 20% fewer lumens but 50% greater candela than the 6PX, and it is much better as a spotter at distance than the control. The three cell Malkoff MDM4 M91T didn't seem that much brighter than the Surefire KE2-A, but the difference was that the spill was brighter and the hot spot less defined. The KE2-A spill faded out much more than the M91T, which retained much of its brightness all the way out to the edge of the spill. The Malkoff MDC HTL is equal to the M91T in lumens, but with 50% greater candela. The hot spot was clearly brighter than the M91T at all distances, but the beam had a more defined hot spot. The M91T spill did seem a little brighter at closer range than the HTL, and given the lower candela rating, that may have been expected. The ad copy for the HTL describe it as maximum reach in a small format, and I can agree with that. This light has a TIR optic, which accounts for the tighter focus of the beam. However, it doesn't have as defined a hot spot and spill zone as the LH8V2. The Weltool LH8V2 is a different breed of head. It has almost a bimodal distribution of light. There is a clearly defined hot zone surrounded by a clearly defined spill zone. Everything is very black and white with this head. It you look at the Weltool webpage for Weltool LH8V2 , it shows pretty much what you see in the 30 yard picture. The specs for the head claim 50% greater lumens and 300% greater candela than the HTL. I would tend to believe that seemingly fantastic claim, given what I saw. I don't have any idea how long the head would last before cooking the LED, but it is extremely bright, and it does what it claims. If you have a good 18650 cell or two, this light would certainly be something to look at for long range spotting or hunting. FYI, I did not run an extended test to determine how long the lights maintained full or usable brightness. It was approximately 20 degrees F when the test was conducted and the heads didn't feel hot to the touch. Barely warm after 30 seconds or so was what I noted. I hope this comparison is interesting. I found all of the lights to be good quality items that would absolutely serve their intended role well. |
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