ShiningBeam RC-C6 II - Impressions

My Romisen RC-C6 II finally arrived after more than one week delay due to a post strike.

Having tried some cheap DX "zoom" lights before, I was quite eager to put my hands on this little one, since Romisen would be a step up in quality.

So, onto the light.

As expected, build quality is quite good. The light feels solid, with no wobbling between head and body. The switch - forward clicky - has a good feel to it. There is one o-ring at the tail, one at the lens and one in the bezel.

The head is really firm on mine, so its impossible to zoom with just one hand. Even with two hands, it takes some effort, since the body tube has no knurling. I ended up loosening the tailcap a couple times trying to twist the head. On the bright side, it will stay where you set it until you decide otherwise.

It also works well with an RCR-123, even if the manufacturer doesn't recommend it. You even keep the two modes. :twothumbs That's nice: I can't conceive a flashlight not being able to take rechargeables these days.

Now the beam. Here is where I got disappointed. The Romisen was outshined by a cheap X2000 (1x18650) light from DX. When zoomed in (throw), the hotspot wasn't as tight nor as bright as the X2000's. Zoomed out (flood), the Romisen's beam went wider, giving more useful flood. The Romisen couldn't outthrow the X2000, even though it is equipped with a XR-E Q5 emitter, against the X2000's P4. Big letdown. :thumbsdow

I also found the body to be too short for my taste. I tend to prefer the general size of 1x18650 lights. But that's just me.

I'll try complement this with some pictures later on, since I'm writing this at night.

Re: ShiningBeam Romisen RC-C6 II - Impressions

Reserved for pictures.

From left to right, X2000 3xAAA, C78 (1xAA), x2000 (1x18650), Romisen RC-C6 II, at full zoom.

Aprox 3ft (90cm) from the wall, ISO 250, 1/125, f/5.6

Re: ShiningBeam Romisen RC-C6 II - Impressions

Beamshots added.

Re: ShiningBeam Romisen RC-C6 II - Impressions

Thanks for the write-up, as a newb, I find it kinda neat/funny that the beams are the shape of the led, good pic!

Re: ShiningBeam Romisen RC-C6 II - Impressions

I ordered this light on a whim a month ago, and I have to say I really like it. The aspheric lens had me intrigued. It's very well built - the body and finish are perfect. I mainly use it adjusted to full flood - don't care about throw on a light this small so much. It's very useful and plenty bright enough on the single CR123 for daily tasks. It creates a big round floodlight with the lens unfocused. The beam focused is also kinda fun as shown in the above pic - practically like a laser pointer. More than worth the $20 to me as an EDC type light with awesome flood. I bought the brighter WC tint Cree XRE Q5 from shiningbeam.

Re: ShiningBeam Romisen RC-C6 II - Impressions

That head will turn much easier if you get some lube down in there. Krytox seemed to do the job pretty well for mine.

I didn't care for the (lack of) length either, so mine's wearing a N3 tube and running 2-AAs.

Frankly, the light hasn't grown on me (other than growing longer, of course!). Nothing really wrong with it, but it doesn't get me excited. And zooming is easier with the DX push-pull design.

Re: ShiningBeam Romisen RC-C6 II - Impressions

Couple things to keep in mind...
Aspheric-lens designs are only going to emit those lumens that reach the backside of the lens. The lumens that spill onto the inside walls of the bezel are lost and never make it out the front. So designs that use a smaller aspheric lens are at a disadvantage (wasted Lumens). Just because the LED is a Q5, doesn't mean it will outshine a lesser flux-BIN. From the looks of the pictures on DX, the RC-C6 lens looks significantly smaller than the x2000-18650.

18650 cells are much more capable of delivering full ~1.4A to the XR-E... compared to a 16340. So the difference in cell type could be a limiting factor.

Theres more to making a LOT of Lumens than the emitter flux BIN. Here is a ceiling bounce of an XR-E-Q2, in a home depot spotlight compared to a Malkoff M60. The Q2 is being direct driven off AA-NiMH cells, and only lasted ~1 month in this configuration. So, you can easily/cheaply direct drive an XR-E and easily get ~200+ Lumens out of it... if you drive it hard enough.

Re: ShiningBeam Romisen RC-C6 II - Impressions

kramer5150 said:

So designs that use a smaller aspheric lens are at a disadvantage (wasted Lumens). Just because the LED is a Q5, doesn't mean it will outshine a lesser flux-BIN. From the looks of the pictures on DX, the RC-C6 lens looks significantly smaller than the x2000-18650.

Click to expand...

I hadn't considered that. Thanks for enlightening me.

Rexlion said:

Frankly, the light hasn't grown on me (other than growing longer, of course!). Nothing really wrong with it, but it doesn't get me excited. And zooming is easier with the DX push-pull design.

Click to expand...

+1
A pity really, since I had high hopes for this one.

Re: ShiningBeam Romisen RC-C6 II - Impressions

Actually I think the lenses are the same size, near as I can tell. If there's a difference it's only a millimeter or something.

Re: ShiningBeam Romisen RC-C6 II - Impressions

I also just got one of these and I have to say it's a great little light for 20 bucks!

However, I do wish that it had a low/high setting instead of medium/high setting. I barely notice a difference between the medium and high. :thinking:

Re: ShiningBeam Romisen RC-C6 II - Impressions

There's no surprise that the RC-C6 II was clearly outhrown by the 18650 X2000 from DX.
Although both lights can use 3.7V cells the DX flashlight has a wider bezel and the focusing surface is larger , so it can provide a more focusable and narrower beam .

Re: ShiningBeam Romisen RC-C6 II - Impressions

kramer5150 said:

Click to expand...

Re: ShiningBeam Romisen RC-C6 II - Impressions

Could someone tell me exactly where to put the O-ring that goes near the lens? Is it underneath the lens, around the lens, or above the lens? The one around the front retaining ring is not the one I'm asking about, it's the O-ring past that one. I can't seem to get mine air-tight again, and I think that O-ring is not right on mine now. Thanks.

Re: ShiningBeam Romisen RC-C6 II - Impressions

liketotallyrandom said:

Could someone tell me exactly where to put the O-ring that goes near the lens? Is it underneath the lens, around the lens, or above the lens? ...

Click to expand...

Above the lens – between lens and the copper colored retaining ring.

I have changed the one in my RC-C6 II with DX SKU 3458:

tl

Re: ShiningBeam Romisen RC-C6 II - Impressions

OK. According to multiple people, that seems to be where it goes. However, mine is no longer sealed, even though it's there. I've tried re-seating it three times, and every time I take it apart, the o-ring looks OK, yet I'm not getting the sealing I did originally. Originally, when I zoomed the lens in or out, I would get inflation or deflation of the switch boot, indicating a good seal. Now it doesn't do that. Nothing else has changed, so far as I am aware.

Re: ShiningBeam Romisen RC-C6 II - Impressions

apontes said:

Reserved for pictures.

From left to right, X2000 3xAAA, C78 (1xAA), x2000 (1x18650), Romisen RC-C6 II, at full zoom.

Aprox 3ft (90cm) from the wall, ISO 250, 1/125, f/5.6

Click to expand...

All the money spent on those you could have gotten an A9 or DBS with a aspheric head.

Re: ShiningBeam Romisen RC-C6 II - Impressions

liketotallyrandom said:

OK. According to multiple people, that seems to be where it goes. However, mine is no longer sealed, even though it's there. I've tried re-seating it three times, and every time I take it apart, the o-ring looks OK, yet I'm not getting the sealing I did originally. Originally, when I zoomed the lens in or out, I would get inflation or deflation of the switch boot, indicating a good seal. Now it doesn't do that. Nothing else has changed, so far as I am aware.

Click to expand...

Try to unscrew (raise) the aluminium ring in witch the lens is sitting (the part in the middle
of the exploded view picture in this post) a little bit.

If this ring is sitting to deep in the head the retaining ring is not able to apply pressure
to the o-ring.

tl

Re: ShiningBeam Romisen RC-C6 II - Impressions

Painful Chafe said:

All the money spent on those you could have gotten an A9 or DBS with a aspheric head.

Click to expand...

I don't think an A9 or DBS with Aspheric head would fit my hand or pocket
like this little baby…

tl

Re: ShiningBeam Romisen RC-C6 II - Impressions

Thanks for the write up.
Ive been thinking about 1 of these the R2 version for a while.

Re: ShiningBeam Romisen RC-C6 II - Impressions

taschenlampe said:

Try to unscrew (raise) the aluminium ring in witch the lens is sitting (the part in the middle
of the exploded view picture in this post) a little bit.

If this ring is sitting to deep in the head the retaining ring is not able to apply pressure
to the o-ring.

tl

Click to expand...

Good observation. I tried it just now, and unfortunately that was not the problem. Perhaps I damaged an o-ring somewhere and just can't see it.