LED or VCSEL? 
Beam Brightness?
Or Beam Clarity & Battery Runtimes?
Z-BOLT® manufactures two types of infrared illuminators. LED (Light Emitting Diodes) or VCSEL (Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers). IR LED chips are common in illuminator only heads from Modlite, Malkoff, and the Surefire Vampire.  All use reflectors to focus the beam and provide "flood" or "spill".  They are fixed and cannot be adjusted. VCSEL laser illuminators are found in the BE Meyers KIJI & MAWL; Wilcox Raid; L3 Harris NGAL. But there's an LED illuminator in the DBAL-D2 . . . let's talk about that a bit. 

LED for the Win!
Unrestricted Beam Brightness . . . 
The Steiner SPIR & DBAL-D2 devices first shipped 12 years ago. Steiner Optics (formerly Laser Devices) has since migrated to lasers for their illuminators on the DBAL-A2, DBAL-A3, and DBAL-A4. None of these newer products come close to matching the LED illuminator on the D2 or SPIR. The D2 remains the King for civilian legal illuminator performance, and has developed a cult like following. Scores of reviews, like this one Why the DBAL D2 is Still the Best Civilian IR Laser tell the story. LED chips are low-speckle light sources, and are not lasers, so not regulated by the CDRH of the FDA. The 350mW chip can operate @ 100% of its designed output. Result? The beam output is superior to a Class 3R VCSEL. (the FDA regulates the power output of civilian VCSEL lasers)  LED infrared illuminators are not rated and the power output is unrestricted.

BLAZER I LED
Made in Taiwan 🇹🇼
Z-BOLT® entered this market in 2022, introducing the BLAZER LED Infrared Illuminator. Most LED infrared products have their chips mounted in a reflector head. Fixed beam fan angle; fixed flood; beam or flood non-adjustable.  Head size and thread pitch is fixed. The BLAZER I features variable zoom optics. The focusing lens travels on a carriage within the housing. Shorter 180° bezel travel (D2 & SPIR 360°) moves the beam spot/angle from 4° focused to 25° flood. 1000 meter beam throws! The BLAZER I ALSO operates on all common battery types. As well as all "Scout" flashlight and weapon light bodies.  Add our Surefire M300/M600 or Arisaka 300/600 light body adapter to run 1 or 2 pc CR123A lithium-metal; 1 or 2 pc CR123A rechargeable lithium-ion OR 1 pc 16650 lithium-ion rechargeable. Standard head threads onto Z-BOLT®, Modlite, and Arisaka 18350/18650, or Surefire M600DF/M640DF light bodies. Run 1 pc 18350; 1 pc 18650; 2 pc CR123A (Dual Fuel)  Environmental Rating = IP65.
BLAZER I Order Page Here

BLAZER II, LED
Made in the USA 🇺🇸
Superior Optics, IP68
The BLAZER II includes all the light body, tailcap, and battery compatibility features as the BLAZER I.  (all battery types; all "Scout" light bodies & tailcaps) Same 4° to 25° variable zoom, focus adjustable beam angle. Otherwise improved in every way! Additional diffuser and lens added to the optic assembly to smooth out the beam dot, eliminate the "hot spot" on the BLAZER I. A brass threaded insert makes for buttery smooth installation on all "Scout" type light bodies. Housing ruggedized for accidental knocks & firearm recoil vibration, with IP68 environmental protection. Requires minimal 75° bezel travel when transitioning from 4° focus to 25° flood (BLAZER I = 180°, DBAL-D2 = 360°)  The BLAZER II is engineered, designed, & manufactured by Americans - in America. Precision machined billet aluminum parts from California; mechanical assembly in Nevada; optical assembly & illuminator qualification in Vermont. Kitted, marketed, and shipped from Oregon.
BLAZER II LED Order Pages Here

BLAZER II, VCSEL
Made in the USA 🇺🇸
Superior Optics, IP68
LED illuminators are low-speckle, with the brightest civilian legal beam. FDA legal VCSEL illuminators, on the other hand, provide the highest level of optical beam clarity, offer better battery runtimes, and are speckle-free. Speckle-free illumination allows for sharper, clearer images, particularly when viewing or acquiring targets via night vision devices. The BLAZER II VCSEL includes all the light body, tailcap, and battery compatibility features as the BLAZER II LED.  Adjustable optics, IP68, 75° bezel travel, but different light engine. The FDA requires manufacturers to “throttle” the power output of VCSEL laser chips, so as to meet the Class 3R FDA laser safety classification. Laser power meter results for Class 3R illuminators must not exceed 1.95mW when the device is tested (fixed angle - directed at a 7mm sensor @ 10cm). The 500mW BLAZER II chip runs @ 15mW when fully focused (4°)and 95mW when at full flood (25°) FDA throttling limits the VCSEL beam in range & reach and maximum allowable brightness. BLAZER II VCSEL 3B have no such power restrictions and are SCREAMERS!!  See Military/LE link below.
BLAZER II VCSEL Order Pages Here

BLAZER I & II IR Illuminators - ALL Here
BLAZER II, Restricted Class 3B, Military & LE Here