Ol' Arky wrote:
I'm kinda confused, Jack.. Are ya sayin' that more, directional and higher power LED's would not make any difference in the flash output if place at the same location as the camera

??????
First, I'm sorry I didn't answer your question previously. I must have missed it. I just ran across the post while searching for something else.
What I'm trying to say is this:
It takes a lot more power to produce the same level of flash at non-visible frequencies than it does to produce the equivalent flash with "red blob". The problem is non-linear (even with red blob). You need to produce a lot more light to get just a little more flash distance. The Reconyx RC60HO and BEC XIR are probably getting all the flash distance possible within practical limits of power. You quickly get to a point where it is impractical (no impossible) to provide enough power to increase flash distance much beyond what we are seeing now.
If you could place a flash physically closer to the subject, you get around this non-linear relationship. So, with current technology and power sources, you could improve flash distance by placing part of the flash (the camera resident LEDs) at the camera, and a slave flash (like the Xtender-B) closer to the subject. Using a cable between the slave flash and the camera is limiting, but it could provide a functional solution.
Thanks,
Jack