Originally Posted By: CamotruckJB-WI, how far can you see a coyote clearly with your t50 light? I have a t-20 light on my 4.5 RT and it barely over powers the onboard light.
Not all T20's are created equal, I've had good and bad when I was using red lights. When I switched to NV I had a T20 and a 50mm light. Each were modified by a friend, were driven the same and used the same IR emitter. The 50mm light was only slightly better. I had HTRN install a rheostat on the T20 thinking it would help with the washout. I was less than pleased with the adjust-ability of the T20 and sent it down the road. My 50mm light is slightly brighter but not enough to make worlds of difference in hunting situations.
My point to all this is when you back off a 38mm light or a 50mm light to fill the FOV of your scope their isn't much difference. It's more about the components in the light than the actual lens diameter unless you're running it fully focused. The intensity or brighness of the LED is derived from the driver and the LED. The lens just focuses the beam. A 50mm light is only brighter than a 38mm light because the beam can be focused tighter.