Head-to-head beam and thermal comparison of the Convoy 3X21C in two emitter configurations: the punchy, long-throw SFT-42R 5000K vs. the floody, wall-of-light LHP531 5000K.
My new Convoy 3X21C with the 7x SFT-42R 5000K emitters finally arrived! Having owned the impressive 7x LHP531 5000K version of this exact host earlier, I was dying to see how this new configuration stacks up.
Note: Moonlight mode is excluded from this comparison test.
To make this a true head-to-head battle, I captured full measurements across all primary output modes. While the LHP531 is famous for producing a mind-boggling, overwhelming wall of pure flood, this new SFT-42R variant shifts the profile completely, swapping out some of that raw close-range spill for an intensely punchy, massive hotspot that reaches significantly further downfield.
📏 Physical Specifications
🛠️ Test Equipment
📷 Camera Settings
📸 Beamshots
🔧 Measurement Setup
📊 Output, Tint, Throw & Beam Profile
| Mode | Current (A) | Output (lm) | CCT | DUV | CRI (Ra) | R9 | R12 | Intensity (cd) | ANSI Throw | Usable Throw | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFT-42R 1/4 | 227 | 5205K | 0.0006 | 73 | — | — | 3750 | 122m | 16.5 | ||
| LHP531 1/4 | 223 | 5189K | -0.0021 | 72 | — | — | 2350 | 97m | 10.5 | ||
| --- | K | — | — | ||||||||
| SFT-42R 2/4 | 680 | 5263K | -0.0003 | 73 | — | — | 17500 | 265m | 25.7 | ||
| LHP531 2/4 | 685 | 5196K | -0.0027 | 72 | — | — | 7250 | 170m | 10.6 | ||
| --- | K | — | — | ||||||||
| SFT-42R 3/4 | 3100 | 5387K | -0.0023 | 73 | — | — | 73500 | 542m | 23.7 | ||
| LHP531 3/4 | 3200 | 5304K | -0.0048 | 72 | — | — | 33775 | 368m | 10.6 | ||
| --- | K | — | — | ||||||||
| SFT-42R 4/4 | 8800 | 5601K | -0.0043 | 72 | — | — | 203575 | 902m | 23.1 | ||
| LHP531 4/4 | 9700 | 5390K | -0.0064 | 72 | — | — | 93625 | 612m | 9.7 | ||
| --- | K | — | — | ||||||||
| SFT-42R Turbo | 19000 | 5912K | -0.0063 | 72 | — | — | 437750 | 1323m | 23 | ||
| LHP531 Turbo | 30500 | 5869K | -0.0108 | 73 | — | — | 265000 | 1030m | 8.7 |
📈 Runtime & Thermal Analysis
Turbo & Step-down: Tested from Step 4 (High), not Turbo - pushing Turbo lumens made the light too hot to hold, and the 2-click-hold Turbo shortcut isn't meant for sustained use. SFT-42R: output starts at 8,800 lumens on High (4/4) and holds above 8,500 lumens for the first 1.5+ minutes, stepping down around the 1:40 mark, then a smooth linear decline over the next 3.5 minutes down to its sustained baseline. LHP531 (for comparison): started slightly higher, 9,700 down to 9,400 lumens for the first 1.5 minutes, but with a steeper step-down from its greater thermal load.
Sustained Output: SFT-42R settles into thermal equilibrium at 5:10, holding a flat 3,600 lumens for the rest of the 30-minute test. Step 3 (3,100 lumens) is fully sustainable from the start with no step-down needed. The LHP531 sustains a nearly identical 3,700 lumens for comparison.
Thermal Performance: SFT-42R: temperature climbs rapidly during the initial burst, crossing 50°C during the main step-down, then levels off and caps out at 64°C max - slightly cooler than the LHP531's 66°C max.