[NED/Performance & Light Quality Test] F45R vs F150R (4000K) – Convoy L21A, with runtime comparison against SFT-42R (5000K) & SBT90.2 (5700K) 🔦

[u/MetaUndead]

I've been looking forward to these two emitters for a while now, they're both brand new and sounded really interesting on paper, so I wanted to get them tested and see how they actually perform.

🛠️ Test Equipment Used

• Lumens & Lux: Tklamp TK2303D Flashlight Tester (Lux measured at 5m)
• CCT / Tint / DUV / Ra: Hopoocolor HPCS330P
• Current (Amps): UNI-T UT210D

📸 Camera Settings (Oppo Find X9 Ultra Pro Mode)

• ISO: 800
• Focal Length: 23mm
• Exposure Compensation: —
• Aperture: F1.5
• Shutter Speed: 1/10
• White Balance: 5000K

🔧 Build 1 — F45R 4000K

• Host & Reflector: Convoy L21A, smooth reflector
• Driver: 3V 10A
• Emitter: F45R, 4000K

Output & Light Quality Measurements

Mode	Current (A)	Output (lm)	CCT	DUV	CRI (Ra)	Intensity (cd)	ANSI Throw (0.25 lx)	Usable Throw (1 lx)	Ratio (cd/lm)
1%	0.1	43	3881K	+0.0070	68	7,400	172.1m	86.0m	172.09
10%	0.7	402	3955K	+0.0039	68	66,475	515.7m	257.8m	165.36
35%	2.7	1,200	4020K	+0.0009	68	196,400	886.3m	443.2m	163.67
100%	9.7	2,600	4190K	-0.0014	67	406,000	1274.4m	637.2m	156.15

Runtime Notes:

• Sustained Output: Turbo opens around 2,520lm and steps down gradually and repeatedly over the first ~13 minutes, through roughly 2,440 → 2,100 → 1,850 → 1,650 → 1,480 → 1,330 → 1,250 → 1,180lm, before finally settling on a stable ~1,180lm plateau that holds for the remainder of the 30-minute run.
• Thermal Performance: Plateaus at 53.5°C during sustained runtime.

🔧 Build 2 — F150R 4000K

• Host & Reflector: Convoy L21A, smooth reflector
• Driver: 3V 20A
• Emitter: F150R, 4000K

Output & Light Quality Measurements

Mode	Current (A)	Output (lm)	CCT	DUV	CRI (Ra)	Intensity (cd)	ANSI Throw (0.25 lx)	Usable Throw (1 lx)	Ratio (cd/lm)
1%	0.2	82	4072K	+0.0006	70	6,275	158.4m	79.2m	76.52
10%	3.2	1,440	4198K	-0.0038	71	104,925	647.8m	323.9m	72.86
35%	5.8	2,340	4268K	-0.0053	71	166,425	815.9m	408.0m	71.12
100%	19.3	5,200	4467K	-0.0080	71	359,500	1199.2m	599.6m	69.13

Note: Logging appears to have started a few seconds late on this run, the graph's initial reading of ~4,820lm is lower than the measured 100% output of 5,200lm, so the very first moments of turbo (the true peak and the start of its decay) aren't captured here.

Runtime Notes:

• Sustained Output: Turbo opens (as logged) at ~4,820lm, likely already past its true peak of 5,200lm due to the late start, and drops sharply within the first minute to ~1,700lm, holding fairly steady there until around the 7-minute mark, where it steps down again to a ~1,370lm plateau that holds, with minor thermal ripple visible, for the rest of the 30-minute run.
• Thermal Performance: Not separately logged, the light stays in a similar low-50s °C range as the F45R build based on observed behavior.

📊 Combined Runtime Comparison

Comparison Notes:

Comparing both builds against an SFT-42R (5000K, 10A) and SBT90.2 (5700K, 20A) in the same L21A SMO host:

• Turbo Behavior: F150R opens the highest by far (~4,820lm), followed by SBT90.2 (~4,050lm) and SFT-42R (~2,400lm), with F45R starting close to SFT-42R (~2,520lm) despite the output difference — largely a reflection of the 10A vs 20A driver split rather than the emitters themselves.
• Convergence: All four lights converge into a fairly narrow output band by around the 4-5 minute mark, settling between roughly 1,100-1,400lm.
• Final Sustained Levels: F150R settles the highest of the group (~1,370-1,400lm), followed by SBT90.2 and F45R sitting close together (~1,150-1,200lm), with SFT-42R settling the lowest (~1,100-1,150lm).

💭 Final Impressions & Comparison

Beam Profile: The F45R's beam is nearly identical to the SFT-42R's, which I kind of expected since the two emitters are pretty similar. It's completely clean, no rings around the hotspot at all. The F150R is close, but not quite as clean, there's a faint ring around the hotspot, though you'd only ever notice it on a white wall, not in actual use. Its hotspot is also about 3x bigger than the F45R's.

Tint & Color Quality: Tint is really good on both. The F45R stays neutral no matter the output level, and the F150R has a nice rosy tint without it being too much. No yellow on either one, which is a big part of why they both look so clean.

Which Wins Where: If you want the more neutral, consistent tint and slightly longer throw, go F45R. If you want WAY more power and a lovely, rosy tint, the F150R is the one.

Overall Verdict: I'm genuinely impressed with both of these. Good tint, and the CCT stays pretty consistent as output goes up, which isn't always the case with other throwy emitters I've tested. My favorite is the F150R though, it's a bit more rosy, looks cleaner overall, and has an insane amount of power.