Wave of Makai 6V XM-L lights

[eala]

Any issue running a 6V Makai on a 2xAA pak with 14500 cells?

Thanks,
eala

 

[McGizmo]

Any issue running a 6V Makai on a 2xAA pak with 14500 cells?

Thanks,
eala

The Makai 6V can handle up top 9V in so no issue that I know of using a pair of Li-Ion cells. I have no experience with a pair of 14500's so I defer to those who do.

 

[fyrstormer]

14500s are 4.2V max, just like RCR123s, so it should be no problem.

 

[dlmorgan999]

I am very interested in buying a Makai. I was going to hold off for a month or so because I've been spending WAY too much money on lights lately. However, I read in another thread that you only have a few heads left. Can you tell me how many you have?

Also, I saw you mention that you could build a 1-cell XM-L version. Is that still possible to get right now? I haven't yet decided if I want XP-G or XM but it would be nice to have the option. Thanks for any information you can provide.

 

[McGizmo]

I am very interested in buying a Makai. I was going to hold off for a month or so because I've been spending WAY too much money on lights lately. However, I read in another thread that you only have a few heads left. Can you tell me how many you have?

Also, I saw you mention that you could build a 1-cell XM-L version. Is that still possible to get right now? I haven't yet decided if I want XP-G or XM but it would be nice to have the option. Thanks for any information you can provide.

I am down now to 4 Makai heads to work with and offer in lights. A 1 cell XM-L Makai is certainly a viable option. I am down to just a couple XP-G LED's and don't have more on order at the moment as I would also need to have another run of MCPCB's made for them and the demand has not been there since the XM-L LED came out.

 

[managermr]

Don,

I just sent you an email in order to purchase a Makai 6V XML 2x123.

I have been wanting one of these lights for some time.

Please let me know the mailing cost and I will send payment via PayPal promptly.

Thanks so much.

 

[managermr]

Don,

Thanks for the email.

Payment sent via PayPal.

I very much look forward to receiving the Makai.
It has been at the top of my want list for some time.

:twothumbs

 

[dlmorgan999]

I just got back from my vacation and I'm now enjoying some quality time with a quality light that arrived while I was gone. Here are a few pictures I took (although the pictures don't really do it justice - it looks stunning in person!).

 

[managermr]

Nice photos dlmorgan999.

Hopefully my Makai 2x123 will arrive via USPS tomorrow (7-09).

I am very anxious to receive it.

 

[McGizmo]

Hi guys, I am now out of the Makai heads. I will probably put some more on order but need to hold off at the moment until some vapor materializes.

 

[fyrstormer]

I nominate dlmorgan's photos to be the official product photos for the Makai. They're not the most scenic, but they do an excellent job of showing exactly what the light looks like from various angles.

That being said, I still think the Makai head looks best on a 2x123 Clicky Pak like grayhighh's pictures show. It just looks better-proportioned with the longer handle, and I'm sure it benefits from the extra power as well.

 

[dlmorgan999]

Gee, thanks! Now that I have the technical part figured out, I'm working on things to give the pictures more character. I just have to figure out how best to accomplish that.

I debated on a 1x123 vs. 2x123, but for me personally I like the compactness of the 1x123. I do agree that the proportions are a little different, but it appeals to me for some odd reason. I'm just glad I got one before they disappeared (at least for a while)!

 

[easilyled]

I nominate dlmorgan's photos to be the official product photos for the Makai............

Yes, I agree. The detail and clarity is quite amazing. :thumbsup:

 

[fyrstormer]

Gee, thanks! Now that I have the technical part figured out, I'm working on things to give the pictures more character. I just have to figure out how best to accomplish that.

3-point lighting helps a lot. They need to be different tints and different angles. I usually use my desk lamp, the room lamps in my study, and my Ti Mule Hi-CRI. If I can get some sunlight through the picture-window in my study, so much the better.

Pictures with scenic backgrounds are nice to look at, but the neutral backgrounds in your photos ensure that the light itself is the focus of attention, which is important in a product photo.

 

[dlmorgan999]

Pictures with scenic backgrounds are nice to look at, but the neutral backgrounds in your photos ensure that the light itself is the focus of attention, which is important in a product photo.

That's a good point - I hadn't thought about that. What I would like for some of my pictures is something to add a little warmth. I like the stones that some people use in their pictures. But it is good to keep the light at the center of attention.

The lighting is also a good point. I've been considering getting a light box. Amazon has some good inexpensive options for that. What's the reason for having different tints? I suppose if we're going to move this thread down a different path, we should probably open a new thread...

 

[fyrstormer]

The basic idea is, different-tinted lights at different angles causes different reflected colors to be emphasized at different points on the object's surface. That makes it easier for the viewer's brain to understand the 3D shape of the object from a 2D photo, and it also gives the viewer's brain more complete information about how the object appears in different conditions.

Vision is inherently 2D because the surface of the retina is 2D; while stereoscopy and depth-of-field help with rangefinding, the actual comprehension of objects in your vision is mostly the work of your imagination. Basically your brain has to assemble a 3D CAD model of each object you see and update each one several times per second, so getting more data in a single frame produces a more accurate understanding of the objects you're seeing. There's a reason there's an entire lobe of the brain dedicated just to processing visual input.

Your photos are useful because they have a non-distracting background, smooth ambient lighting, and a point light source that I can easily determine the location of, somewhere above and slightly to the left of the camera. That angle just happens to emphasize the curvature of the light, the ridges and groove, and the scallops cut into the side, so it's much easier for me to understand the 3D shape of the light without ever having seen one in-person. A second point light source with a slightly different tint and a significantly different angle would add more relief to the surface of the light.

Here's a good example of the technique, though using extremely different tints:

And here's one I did myself, using the light itself as one of the light sources:

Oh right, we were talking about the Makai... Feel free to move this to a new thread if it seems appropriate, but I'm done monologuing now.

 

[jag808808]

Sir! :mecry:

You are seriously going to leave us hanging with a picture like that?!?! Love the head on the left!

Aloha,

jag

 

[fyrstormer]

Heh. Sorry, didn't realize I was leaving anyone hanging.

My Ultimate P60 Host
My Ultimate P60 Host Just Got More Ultimate

Seriously though, this thread is getting pretty far off-topic now. To bring it back on track, I've been thinking lately that a 6V Makai would look pretty nice sitting next to my Ultimate P60 Hosts.

 

[jag808808]

Sir,

No worries! :twothumbs

Heh. Sorry, didn't realize I was leaving anyone hanging.

My Ultimate P60 Host
My Ultimate P60 Host Just Got More Ultimate

Seriously though, this thread is getting pretty far off-topic now. To bring it back on track, I've been thinking lately that a 6V Makai would look pretty nice sitting next to my Ultimate P60 Hosts.

Now to get this puppy back on topic...

I think your head may look pretty sexy on my body!

One more for prosperity...

Upgraded the 3V XP-G L.E. running 17670s to a 6V XM-L L.E. running two rcr123s. lovecpf

Aloha,

jag

 

[managermr]

Hi guys, I am now out of the Makai heads. I will probably put some more on order but need to hold off at the moment until some vapor materializes.

I am glad I received my Makai before Don sold out of them. It is a beautiful light and everything I hoped it would be.

Anyone have an idea what Don means by holding off ordering more Makai heads "until some vapor materializes".