LED Lenser (Coast) P7 REVIEW With Beamshots/Lux/Overall Output Readings

adirondackdestroyer

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***If one of the mods could move this to the Review section that would be great!***

For the longest time I thought that everything made by Coast was overpriced and of relatively low quality, especially when factoring in the price. I didn't even consider buying one until recently when I saw some positive reviews of the P7/P14. I hope this review will help improve the poor reputation that Coast seems to have on CPF. Now onto to review:

Build:
The Coast P7 (P7 from now on) is made out of machined aluminum. It is most likely type II anodized, so it will scratch easier than flashlights that are type III hard anodized. It has some non aggressive knurling on the middle of the body and on the tailcap, which improves the grip of the light slightly. The P7 uses a three stage forward clickie which is located on the end of the light. It also has a small hole in the tailcap so that you can attach a lanyard. It uses a 4xAAA battery carrier, that is permanently attached to the tailcap. The P7 has 24k gold contacts on the battery carrier to minimize the energy lost at the contact points.

IMG_2290small.jpg

Coast P7

Head:
The P7 uses an optic which can be focused down to a spot, or defocused so that there is no hotspot at all and the beam is all flood. This is the first light I've seen that has a useful focusing system. Focusing or defocusing the light is done by sliding the head back and forth. When the head is all the way down it is defocused, and when you push the head forward it focuses. My only gripe with this method is that you can accidentally focus the light if you push forward too hard on the head. I would personally prefer that the head twisted to focus/defocus the beam. There are also holes near the head of the light to help with heat sinking. These holes mean that the light is NOT dunkable! Coast claims that it is only splash proof. Inside the head of the light is a Cree Q4 bin LED.

Size/Weight:

The P7 is 5.5" long and weighs 6.8oz with batteries installed.

IMG_2285small.jpg

Maglite 2AA Minimag Compared To Coast P7

Beam:
The P7's beam is the most impressive I've ever seen from a flashlight! It can be focused down to a spot to give incredible throw, or defocused so that it is 100% flood. Here are some beamshots to illustrate this:

IMG_2281small.jpg

Coast P7 Spot

IMG_2280small.jpg

Coast P7 Flood

Function:
The P7 has a three stage forward clickie. If you press the light momentarily it turns on in boost mode, which drives the LED at 130%. Once you click the switch fully it turns on in low mode (15%). A second click turns the light to high mode (100%), and your third click turns the light off. When in either low or high mode if you press the switch it gives you boost mode momentarily. I've found this very useful when in low mode and wanting more light for a short period of time. It's not quite as useful when in high mode, because the difference in brightness isn't that much to the human eye.

Output:
There has been some discussion about how my overall output numbers might be a bit high for this specific light. Because of this I removed them and will only leave the lux at 1 meter. I'll add the lux at 1 meter for low and high later on tonight. However, I'm sure that this light puts at least what the manufacturer claims on the front the package (167 lumens).

Boost:
13,980 Lux


Runtime:
I personally have no way of testing this, so I can't say for sure. A member of another flashlight forum tested this light with NIMH cells and it ran for slightly over 1 hour on high. Coast rates the runtime of their lights to the point it takes for the light to completely shut off. Because of this the runtimes they list on their packaging need to be taken with a grain of salt. This is also one of the main reasons why they have received a bad reputation among flashlight collectors.

Pros:
The best beam I have ever seen!!!
HUGE output for such a small light
Forward clickie
Great user interface
Lanyard attachment

Cons:
Not fully waterproof (only splash proof)
Poor regulation

Conclusion:
Overall I think this is a great flashlight. The beam is a real work of art and has yet to be duplicated by any other manufacturer. The entire light has a really nice hefty feel to it, and you can tell it is not a cheap flashlight the second you pick it up. In the last year Coast has really improved the overall quality of their flashlights and should be noticed for doing so. This light might not be for everyone, but if you're looking for a pocketable high output focusing flashlight, there isn't a better light on the market.
 
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MrGman

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I agree its a great little flashlight and has a very good adjustable beam. Better than I have seen on several other flashlights in regards to spot to flood adjust.

However, lightbox or not, I don't believe you can say it puts out 182 lumens based on your higher lux readings in the lightbox and referencing their original lumens values then calculating percentage differences, or just using your own conversion factor. It just doesn't work that way. I would just post the lux values in the standard 1 meter test at the 3 different power levels with both spot and flood focus mode and leave it at that.

Except for posting the "lumens" readings, I think this is an otherwise very good post and the pictures of the flashlight and beamshots are very useful. G
 

HitecDrftr

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Impressive beam adjustments. Nice pictures. :thumbsup: Can you post some outdoor shots relative to one or more other lights?

For such a relatively expensive light ($120) I don't like their "lifetime guarantee", which does not cover normal wear and tear. I guess this means worn out switches and spent LEDS are not covered. What is the point of a lifetime guarantee then?

-Hitec-
 

phantom23

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https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/214238
Last outdoor set. 'The Sun' added LL T7 (which is basically the same as P7) for comparison.

I don't want to argue, maybe it doesn't have those 182 lumens but it really is very bright, compared to my other tested (by you or someone else) flashlights it has at least 150-160 lumens. LedLenser overrates runtime but not output.

Runtime graph is in post #12. Runs more than 1 hour...
 
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Gunner12

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Now if only they would add good regulation(and more suitable batteries for high power LEDs) and keep the price the same.

Thanks for the Review!
 

juplin

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It seems that the intensity distribution in the beam pattern of Coast P7 Flood is not uniform, especially in the central region.
Can you shot a beam pattern of Coast P7 Flood on a white wall?
Thanks!
 

SureAddicted

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Good job adirondackdestroyer, you can never get tired from looking at them beamshots. For around $90 (AUD, thats how much they cost here) I doubt you can buy better. Having said that, I'd pick up the P14 for extra runtime. Great review. :thumbsup:
 

MonkRX

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What LED?

Sorry, for asking... but what LED does the Coast P7 use? Does it use a Cree XR-E? (I think one of the links say its a Cree XR-E Q5 bin..). I was reading through the review (ignorantly) assuming that this flashlight used a Seoul P7 :p, then I read the "estimated" lumen ratings and was confused about what LED was in this flashlight.
 

adirondackdestroyer

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I agree its a great little flashlight and has a very good adjustable beam. Better than I have seen on several other flashlights in regards to spot to flood adjust.

However, lightbox or not, I don't believe you can say it puts out 182 lumens based on your higher lux readings in the lightbox and referencing their original lumens values then calculating percentage differences, or just using your own conversion factor. It just doesn't work that way. I would just post the lux values in the standard 1 meter test at the 3 different power levels with both spot and flood focus mode and leave it at that.

Except for posting the "lumens" readings, I think this is an otherwise very good post and the pictures of the flashlight and beamshots are very useful. G

I don't know if it means anything, but I've tested two of the same lights that you have (Fenix T1,Fenix L2DQ5) and in both cases you tested them to be brighter than I did by a small margin.
I can take the lumen readings out of the review, but I'm pretty confident that they are within a very percent either way of the true out the front lumens that you would get if you tested it in your IS.

Impressive beam adjustments. Nice pictures. :thumbsup: Can you post some outdoor shots relative to one or more other lights?

For such a relatively expensive light ($120) I don't like their "lifetime guarantee", which does not cover normal wear and tear. I guess this means worn out switches and spent LEDS are not covered. What is the point of a lifetime guarantee then?

-Hitec-

I had a 10% off coupon and paid $76 shipped from a seller on Ebay. I can try to take some outdoor beamshots tomorrow night as long as the weather permits.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/214238
Last outdoor set. 'The Sun' added LL T7 (which is basically the same as P7) for comparison.

I don't want to argue, maybe it doesn't have those 182 lumens but it really is very brught, compared to my other tested (by you or someone else) flashlights it has at least 150-160 lumens. LedLenser overrates runtime but not output.

Runtime graph is in post #12. Runs more than 1 hour...

Keep in mind the 182 lumen reading was done with rather fresh cells. I let the light run roughly 2 minutes when I took that reading.
 

adirondackdestroyer

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Now if only they would add good regulation(and more suitable batteries for high power LEDs) and keep the price the same.

Thanks for the Review!

If they added regulation and removed the holes in the head of the light, I would consider it to be nearly the perfect flashlight.

It seems that the intensity distribution in the beam pattern of Coast P7 Flood is not uniform, especially in the central region.
Can you shot a beam pattern of Coast P7 Flood on a white wall?
Thanks!

The beam is VERY smooth, but not 100% perfect. I'll take a white wall beamshot tonight so you can get a better look.

Good job adirondackdestroyer, you can never get tired from looking at them beamshots. For around $90 (AUD, thats how much they cost here) I doubt you can buy better. Having said that, I'd pick up the P14 for extra runtime. Great review. :thumbsup:

Thanks! I'm glad you like the review. I actually had a really hard time deciding between the P7 and the P14. I think I made the right choice, but I still really want to check out the P14. Not only does it have better runtime, but also quite a bit more throw.

Sorry, for asking... but what LED does the Coast P7 use? Does it use a Cree XR-E? (I think one of the links say its a Cree XR-E Q5 bin..). I was reading through the review (ignorantly) assuming that this flashlight used a Seoul P7 :p, then I read the "estimated" lumen ratings and was confused about what LED was in this flashlight.

It uses a Cree Q4 bin. I must have forgotten to add that to my review. I'll update it now.
 

phantom23

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Spot

and flood

compared to Romisen RC-N3. Not perfect indeed. P14 has nicer beam (especially 'flood').
 

Art

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Nice review!

Im using 1000mah Nimh on my P7 and you get nearlly 2h to 50%.. its not regulated but works great!

For throw I think its the best in its size... I actually have here(at the forum) my review with a movie..

Regards,
 

juplin

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I woulk like to post the beam patterns of my two focusable lens flashlights for comparison.

Unit #1 (left) is Cree P4 modded to Cree Q2_5A, Push-pull to adjust focus, powered by 3AAA, priced at $25
Unit #2 (right) is Non-branded 1W LED, twist to adjust focus, powered by 3AAA, priced at $13
01-Test_Flights6.jpg


All beam patterns were shot under the same conditions of 100% brightness of flashlights, WB = Daylight, EV = 0, and 1 meter to the white wall.

Control Shot -- Fenix P2D
02-P2D.jpg


Unit #1 Flood
03-1_Flood.jpg


Unit #1 Focus
04-1_Focus.jpg


Unit #2 Flood
05-2-Flood.jpg


Unit #2 Focus
06-2--_focus.jpg
 

adirondackdestroyer

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The beam on mine looks pretty much the same as Phantom's.

The beam of your second model looks pretty sweet! The quality of both of those looks to be less than average, but you can't expect much at that price point.
 

Turbo DV8

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For such a relatively expensive light ($120) I don't like their "lifetime guarantee", which does not cover normal wear and tear. I guess this means worn out switches and spent LEDS are not covered. What is the point of a lifetime guarantee then?

COAST guarantees its COAST knives, tools and COAST LED Lenser Lights to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for the life of the original purchaser. This guarantee does not cover normal wear and tear, nor damage resulting from misuse or neglect.

Notice Coast's Lifetime Guarantee statement is all-encompassing over a range of products, covering their knives, tools, and lights. My experience with Coast LED Lenser suggests that the "normal wear and tear" exclusion pertains to things such as dull blades on knives, tools that have lost that crisp edge, or knurling on a light that has the anodization worn off. Don't fret over your fear that Coast might hide behind the "normal wear and tear" clause if your switch or LED goes bad. I had two lower-end (Ok, crap) early-model Coast lights that both had the switches go bad. Coast replaced both lights with much nicer (and expensive) lights which had gold plated contacts, whereas the originals were not.
 
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pulstar

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Yes, i got my (ex) LL P5 from one of the first batches... And it turned out to be very poor designed, compared to the newer series of the same model. Build quality of the newer lensers is improving with every month. (i recently bought LL P7 for my cousin's birthday-he's not a flashlight junkie, so P7 was a decent option for him, and more, here in Slovenia Led Lensers are relatively cheap (P7 was 75€, but prices of 3d MagLed varies around 40-50:eek:) (** both expensive as hell:mad:)

I compared it (before i gave it to my cousin i needed to make a small test, to see if it workslovecpf) to my LX2, and i expected that P7 will eat my LX2 in throw "district". Well, that wasn't exactly true. It throwed further, but only by a very small margin. And NO side-spill. However, defocused had very wide, uniform beam with only one pretty noticable ring. Good job on that!. Build quality seemed very good to me but comapred to Surefire...well, Lenseres are type-II annodized... It was the new, 200lumen version, but still a bit dimmer than LX2 (ceiling bounce).
If you look for a flashlight with adjustable beam, get one from LL P-series. They aren't perfect, but more than good enough for average user, who will be astonished with high output, focusable beam and good build quality.
 
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SuperTrouper

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The beamshots of rooms lit up by the flood on a Led Lenser light always impresses me. This one is no exception, it looks like a great light when you want to be able to see a lot of the surroundings.

People on these forums scared me off from going for a Lenser though, I wish someone like Fenix made a torch with that kind of a flood, that's all hotspot in such a compact light.

Maybe with some more positive reviews from people who buy Lensers and tell us how they're getting on with them down the line they might re-assure people enough to go for them.

Thanks for the great review and the tempting beamshots!
 

pulstar

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Hey, don't get scared off because other people's opinions. we all have our own preferences. The only drawback i see in this light is 4xAAA configuration. If you use rechargeables(i don't see ANY problems with that, I were using one in my P5) you can't expect very high runtimes (each cell has onlly 800-1100mah capacity). If you look for all around(not EDC) light, Led lenser P14 would be much better choice.
Led lensers are very nice light. Some say that the lack of regulation kills every interest for the light in them, but hey, if you want regulation, look elsewhere:poke:. With ni-mh the light gets pretty linear discharge curve. (semi-regulated). LL warn from using rechargeables, but i don't see any problems with that, especially if you won't use it on high for extremely long periods of time.

Give it a try, in UK u guys have pretty decent prices for them.
Doc from GG made some good reviews...

Sorry for my language mistakes(i'm always embarrased when i reply to a native english speaker:eek:)
 

SuperTrouper

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Led lenser P14 would be much better choice.
Led lensers are very nice light.

I was actually considering a P14 because of the AA advantage. I guess seeing people saying things like; "you'll be happy with it for a few months and then want something better" along with other posts about quality concerns made me think I should perhaps go with a more mainstream/premium brand. Mind you, over here Lenser are pretty mainstream, I think our Police use them if Lenser's site is to be believed.

Sorry for my language mistakes(i'm always embarrased when i reply to a native english speaker:eek:)

Your English is a heck of a lot better than my Slovene!
 
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