445nm Lens Comparisons!

Update: New AixiZ 445 lens is good. Full length threaded metal nut. Same power as AixiZ 405. (within a couple of mW's)

See lens comparisons for other wavelengths here:
http://laserpointerforums.com/f49/power-comparisons-different-lenses-red-blu-ray-33965.html



This new 445 diode is nothing short of awesome!

It's better than I hoped for!


I just set my first one with a conservative setting of 475mA's using my 18650 build kit with a copper (press fit) heatsink design for the lens comparisons. (Micro BoostDrive)




* Micro BoostDrive
* 475mA's
* 545mA's battery current draw
* Diode voltage at this current - 3.91... Hmmm... Well, the Micro BoostDrive is still working fine. Very stable. So I guess it's fine even though it is a little lower voltage than a fully charged 18650 at this current... (I would expect the forward voltage to be higher at higher currents though)




The stock projector lens is 6mm... This is the same size as the AixiZ glass lens. Which is smaller in diameter than the 405-G-1. It has a short focal length somewhere between 4.2 and 4.5mm. (guessing)






6 Lenses Compared: (pictures below)

I was expecting more power at this current from what I read others were getting, but very happy none the less!

For those who do not know, the lens that LarryDFW sells is the exact same optic as my 405-G-1. The difference between our lenses, is that his is glued into the lens nut, and mine is fit with a machined sleeve/retainer assembly...

@ 475mA...

* Stock projector lens: 352mW's - Wide spreading thin wings... not desirable.
* 405-G-1: 360mW's - Not too bad... Most power, but same side splash that is much more noticeable than with blu-ray because of the visibility of the 445... (a good lens choice)
* New AixiZ 445 lens - Nearly the same as AixiZ 405 (within a few mW's - about 5% less)
* AixiZ 405 glass: 315mW's - This is the one for me! Very nice clean dot! (better than I had hoped for anyway) Still fairly good power.
Edit: I added a couple of more lens power comparisons. (no pictures for these two)
* Normal AixiZ glass lens (red): 272mW's... The dot and beam looks the same as AixiZ 405 glass. I believe it is the same optics but with a different coating...
* AixiZ acrylic (back opened) gave 293mW's. But I don't think acrylic is an option because it will most likely degrade quickly. But just to show the power comparison...
* Update: 405-G-1 with custom 'small aperture sleeve/retainer' - 7% better than AixiZ 405 glass. (see 'Update 2' below)



Update:

Turned up the power to make it a class 4 hand held...

* 640mA's
* 405-G-1 glass lens - 608mW's
* AixiZ 405 glass lens - 530mW's
* Forward voltage - 4.03
* Battery current draw using a Micro BoostDrive, and AW 18650 - 812mA's

This driver is using extra current even though it is not having to boost voltage... Not sure why yet. (I asked drlava though) I doubt that the initial voltage would sag that much...

That said, it is a very stable driver.




Custom Focus Knob, or EzFocus Adapters fit for AixiZ 405 glass lenses: (two different styles)
http://laserpointerforums.com/f64/fs-445-custom-focus-knob-aixiz-glass-lenses-51727.html



* 405-G-1 glass lens assembly - $55
* AixiZ 445 lens with AixiZ focus ring - $11
(plus shipping)




The dot comparisons are at about 7' distance...

Note: My camera picks up the color as kind of violet, but it is probably because of the brightness and the white wall or something...

The 445 diode is a very nice blue! Pretty close to the look of 473nm, but bluer!...








Update2 !

Hey I tested the 405-G-1 with my custom 'small aperture sleeve/retainer' and it is better than the AixiZ 405 glass lens... (IMHO)
Edit: After further testing, I still like the AixiZ 405 glass lens better for this diode...

Here's some initial pictures and results. I'll do some more comparison's later in the dark.

But it also seems to burn better at close distance with you focus it as best as possible.





At close distance, the 405-G-1 with small aperture sleeve, is very nice, and a super burner. But at distance, you can tell that the 405-G-1 shows more of the 'line' that the diode produces.

For some reason, this 'line' is shortened with the AixiZ 405 glass lens. So it's a tough call which lens I like better with this diode...

* AixiZ 405 glass lens - cleaner dot at distance.
* 405-G-1 'small aperture' - 7% more power. Still nice dot. But a little longer 'line' at distance. (noticeable at 40')

The custom 'small aperture sleeve/retainer' for the 405-G-1 cleans up the splash a lot, but in my honest opinion, I still like the look of the AixiZ 405 glass lens better with this diode...

The small aperture sleeve is great for blu-ray though!

Dave (daguin) tested this small aperture 405-G-1 and got the exact same results as I did. See here:
http://laserpointerforums.com/f65/445nm-a130-lens-comparisons-51456-8.html#post716994



This short video shows how the beam and dot look from 8' distance (on the ceiling), to 35' distance to the far wall... (it's way brighter and bluer to the eye)

315mW's - AixiZ 405 glass lens...



The video does not do justice to the brightness. (or how blue it is)

I can't believe how bright this wavelength is even at 315mW's...

I don't even have a desire to have more power. Honestly! That's how bright it is!


The only problem is that these AixiZ 405 glass lenses are mounted in a nut that has only half of the nut threaded. So I will be re-mounting the optics from this lens assembly into a nut with full length threads so that I can use the AixiZ focus ring...

Also, I tested the AixiZ 405 glass lens for how it looked at a distance of 70', and it can be focused to a decent dot. (slightly elongated) I think that for best all around pointing, I would say that best visual dot at 40 feet or so, will give a good all around dot. It will be slightly elongated at close distance, and a little more at longer distance, but not too bad really... (IMO)

Edit: I glued on an Aixiz focus ring to my (half threaded) AixiZ 405 glass lens and it is not too bad at all like this...

So I'm thinking that this is good enough. (for now at least)

And I still think AixiZ can send them in the full length threaded nuts just like their normal AixiZ glass lenses...





Divergence:

Wearing eye protection, you can see that this diode (using the AixiZ 405 glass lens) still produces a line, not a dot. But pointing out into the night sky, and just normal pointing like we do normally, it looks pretty good for a cheap way to collimate this diode.

I measured the 'dot/line' at 20' best focus. At this focus, I measured the dot/line at 20', and also at 2" distance...

* 2": 2.3mm X 5.4mm
* 20': 2.2mm X 16mm





In conclusion:

You will get the most power output with the 405-G-1 as shown above.

However, I recommended what I honestly thought was the best set up for this diode.

If it's max power your after, the 405-G-1 is a decent beam and dot. Just not as clean as the AixiZ 405 glass lens...

I like the AixiZ 405 glass lens best.

I have not tried to measure exact losses with the lens comparisons...

Just doing power comparisons. I do know that the AixiZ 405 lens assembly is a multiple element configuration. I would just guess that the coatings are within the 445 range, but that it's lower output in comparison to the 405-G-1 is mostly due to the way it 'clips' the wings and gives a cleaner output. (plus having to pass through more than one optic)

The AixiZ 405 glass lens is not a bad lens choice at all considering that this diode is multimode, and the lens is available right off the shelf for cheap, and it just threads right into an AixiZ module! Getting absolute perfection from this diode will probably mean a combination of optics that will not just thread into an AixiZ module... (most likely)

It gives about 7% more power vs AixiZ acrylic (back opened) with this 445nm diode... (but acrylic is not really a consideration - just a power comparison)

No, it's not absolutely perfect. But try it out, and see if you agree that 'all things considered'... It's good enough!

Of course we'll all be keeping our eyes out for other possible options. There will be much testing from lots of people in the coming days! So please let me know if you find something better!




P.S. Before buying, you guys should get a few more opinions about lenses... But then again, the AixiZ 405 glass lenses are cheap enough...

If you test one, please post and let me know if you agree with my findings!

I would hate to have pointed people the wrong direction with this lens. (I only tested the three main candidates that I had)...

And it's just that there are many people testing different options still!





Here's another video...



* 445nm A130 diode
* 640mA's
* 405-G-1 glass lens - 608mA's
* AixiZ 405 glass lens - 530mW's




My second build is a lower efficiency diode...

I have it set at 448mA's with a V5 FlexDrive in a polished SS CR2 host:




Using my new custom 'small aperture sleeve/retainer' with a 405-G-1, it gives 262mW's.

* 448mA's
* 262mW's
* Battery current draw - 480mA's (RCR2 rechargeable)

I tested it's power with an AixiZ 405 glass lens as well, and it was 7% or 8% lower in power than my 'small aperture' 405-G-1.

I guess I'll be happy with that.... 260mW's isn't too bad for such a small little host!




Here it is with an AixiZ 405 glass lens installed...

Re: 445nm A130 Lens Comparisons!

Jay, any chance you'll be providing these rethreaded aixiz 405's? I'd be interested (for obvious reasons, seeing as I'm about to start a build 445 build )

Re: 445nm A130 Lens Comparisons!

aryntha said:

Jay, any chance you'll be providing these rethreaded aixiz 405's? I'd be interested (for obvious reasons, seeing as I'm about to start a build 445 build )

Click to expand...

I would also be interested in such

Re: 445nm A130 Lens Comparisons!

Edti: Yes, I will have the lenses available with a custom focus knob shown here:
http://laserpointerforums.com/f64/fs-445-custom-focus-knob-aixiz-glass-lenses-51727.html




Yes I can do that, but I have to order from AixiZ because I only have the one on hand...

But maybe... just maybe, they will have an option to get the lenses already mounted in a full length threaded nut! I don't see why they can't do that... I'll inquire of them...

Otherwise, I still need to re-mount the optics in the full length threaded nut and make sure I can come up with the perfect mount that allows the focus ring and good lens position inside the module.

Edit: I glued on an Aixiz focus ring to my (half threaded) AixiZ 405 glass lens and it is not too bad at all like this...

So I'm thinking that this is good enough. (for now at least)

And I still think AixiZ can send them in the full length threaded nuts just like their normal AixiZ glass lenses...
Pictures of the dot comparisons are in the first post now...

Re: 445nm A130 Lens Comparisons!

Will you mind to ship me an aixiz glass 405nm lense for few $$$?


edit: oh well i think i will get a 2nd 445nm pointer with that aixiz lense in the following weeks.

Re: 445nm A130 Lens Comparisons!

Very nice Jay!, Those images look much more violet than any of the other images of this wavelength I've seen. Would you consider these to be close to what you see in person?

Re: 445nm A130 Lens Comparisons!

Good question, I'll make a note in the first post that it's just my camera... And the white back ground wall I guess...

The diode is a very nice blue! Pretty close to the look of 473nm, but just a little bluer...

Re: 445nm A130 Lens Comparisons!

yobresal said:

Very nice Jay!, Those images look much more violet than any of the other images of this wavelength I've seen. Would you consider these to be close to what you see in person?

Click to expand...

The camera of mariomaster take it violet too

Re: 445nm A130 Lens Comparisons!

It's interesting that 405s will often look blue to a camera, and 445s will look violet, heh.

Anyways, yeah; I ordered my 18650 host with a 405-G-1, but, later on should be easy enough to change out the lens down the road. (That and if my first build goes OK, i'ev got a second diode coming where I can maybe do more power and another build.) Definitely will be watching this thread to see if the full-threaded option is available. Beam does look a lot cleaner, with not much power sacrifice.

Re: 445nm A130 Lens Comparisons!

Hey Jay, are you gonna try raising the current anymore? I'm curious what you get around the 550mA range.. in the "post your mA and mW" thread, kevinmassey posted the graph showing that rangedunits got 275mW at 500mA, but spyderfire managed to achieve 600mW at 550mA???

Re: 445nm A130 Lens Comparisons!

Looks real nice Jay! Since your glass 405 makes such a nice dot...I was just wondering how good these things can burn No one has yet to make a video of these lasers 'in action' Maybe you could be the first?

Hopefully you can get some longer threads for the 405 and eventually sell them

aryntha, I also plan to get the 18650 host Mario told me these diodes are running about 600mA in the projectors...He runs his at 720mA, But he thought 500-600mA is a good set.

Re: 445nm A130 Lens Comparisons!

jbtm said:

Looks real nice Jay! Since your glass 405 makes such a nice dot...I was just wondering how good these things can burn No one has yet to make a video of these lasers 'in action' Maybe you could be the first?

Hopefully you can get some longer threads for the 405 and eventually sell them

aryntha, I also plan to get the 18650

Click to expand...

Yeah there's not even too much multimedia on these yet..

I wonder how fast it will light a cigarette (no I don't smoke lol, but I've lit employee's cigarettes at my work lawl)

I wonder if 600mW+ can light a candle?

Re: 445nm A130 Lens Comparisons!

Never know. Maybe if Jay has any free time (I dont know if he has a youtube or anything...) he could do some media to show off the powers of a 445nm laser. I think it would be cool

Re: 445nm A130 Lens Comparisons!

At 300mW's it's going to burn if you have it focused...

I just lit a match really easily just to test it...

I'm going to keep my first one at this power for now. But I have 4 more coming!

Re: 445nm A130 Lens Comparisons!

Laser Diode Collimator 3 Element Glass Lens AR Coated - eBay (item 250640284648 end time Jun-27-10 09:30:06 PDT)

Wonder how well the dot would be with this lens.

It would be between the 405g1 and aixiz standard glass lens

Re: 445nm A130 Lens Comparisons!

jayrob said:

Also, I tested the AixiZ 405 glass lens for how it looked at a distance of 70', and it can be focused to a nice dot.

Click to expand...

Jay, so you did not get a long oval dot? Multimode dot @ that distance?