HighlanderNorth
Flashlight Enthusiast
About 5-6 weeks ago I had posted a thread here asking for opinions on the Lumapower D Mini EX-2, as I couldnt find any good reviews anywhere, and the only 3 videos reviews on Youtube were in German! But I had previously bought a light that didnt have lots of reviews, and it turned out to be really nice, so I decided to enquire here, but I got no real responses.
So I turned to my 2nd choice and bought the Zebralight SC600, which is a very good light, but I do have some issues with it, such as it's less than stellar throw on most modes, so I started wondering "what could've been", as the Luma D-Mini ex-2 is supposedly a good thrower with it's larger diameter reflector. So I bought it last week, and got it in today. Here's how THAT went:
Well, I bought it from Illuminationgear, because they sold it with the optional battery extension tube that allows it to be used with 1-18650, as the standard battery tube only allows 1-CR123(or RCR123). I paid $105 with the optional extension tube.
When I opened the package and broke it out, it looked like a nice light, but that all changed quickly! It has many screw on parts, and every single screw on part has threads that are MUCH too loose, so there is LOTS of play as you try to screw these parts together. Getting the parts together without stripping the threads was actually a bit of a chore, and aluminum is a soft metal so it strips easily if not careful. There was -zero- lube on the threads too.
To change the battery tubes, you had to actually unscrew the cheap, insubstantial pill that housed the XML on top, and the threads on that small cylindrical piece of aluminum were even worse, and had already seen some strip damage. Not a single part with threads would actually become rigid til you tightened it up against the part you were screwing it onto. Sloppy, Sloppy!
Next, the light didnt work with the longer battery tube. It took me a little while to figure out what was wrong, but then I noticed a little spring on the floor by my feet that had fallen out of the plastic bag the tube came in, which wasnt properly sealed from the get-go, so this weak little spring wasnt actually firmly attached to the interior of the extension tube. It just drops in and out, which means losing it later! That spring is necessary for a proper connection with the 18650 battery, and there is no spare.
When I turned the light on, whether using a Panasonic CR123 or an Eagletac 3100mah 18650, I notices 2 new problems. First, the beam is sloppy! It had circles and lines all through it. Its the worst I've seen on ANY light, regardless of price!
Secondly, the tint of the "alleged" XM-L LED inside was almost pure blue! Ever seen those cheap, $4 LED flashlights at drug stores that have 8 little 5mm LED's in the front, and their beam is blue? Well, the color tint of the LED in this light was almost as bad! I thought my XP-G R5 in My Jetbeam light was a little cool on the color scale, but the LED in this light made it look like the warmest LED ever made! I'm not really exaggerating too much here either. It was blue.
Plus it wasnt very bright, even on the highest setting. My $52 Solarforce L2P with Thrunite 3 mode XM-L is brighter on high.
The switch didnt seem to work too well either. A few times when I clicked the rear clicky to change modes, it just didnt change.
The battery tubes were very thin walled. For $105, you'd think a light would be built more substantially. This light looked good from the outside, but this is a perfect example of how "Beauty is only skin deep." This thing was UGLY on the inside!
So, I had it repackaged and dropped back off at the post office for return/exchange only about 3 hours after the mail man dropped it off! Illuminationgear fortunately has a light that costs about the same that I want to exchange this light for. It's the Eagletac G25 C2. I only wish I wouldve taken a closer look at it from the beginning, but I already had a P60 type light, so I wanted something different, which is why I made the mistake of buying the Lumapower D Mini EX-2.
So I turned to my 2nd choice and bought the Zebralight SC600, which is a very good light, but I do have some issues with it, such as it's less than stellar throw on most modes, so I started wondering "what could've been", as the Luma D-Mini ex-2 is supposedly a good thrower with it's larger diameter reflector. So I bought it last week, and got it in today. Here's how THAT went:
Well, I bought it from Illuminationgear, because they sold it with the optional battery extension tube that allows it to be used with 1-18650, as the standard battery tube only allows 1-CR123(or RCR123). I paid $105 with the optional extension tube.
When I opened the package and broke it out, it looked like a nice light, but that all changed quickly! It has many screw on parts, and every single screw on part has threads that are MUCH too loose, so there is LOTS of play as you try to screw these parts together. Getting the parts together without stripping the threads was actually a bit of a chore, and aluminum is a soft metal so it strips easily if not careful. There was -zero- lube on the threads too.
To change the battery tubes, you had to actually unscrew the cheap, insubstantial pill that housed the XML on top, and the threads on that small cylindrical piece of aluminum were even worse, and had already seen some strip damage. Not a single part with threads would actually become rigid til you tightened it up against the part you were screwing it onto. Sloppy, Sloppy!
Next, the light didnt work with the longer battery tube. It took me a little while to figure out what was wrong, but then I noticed a little spring on the floor by my feet that had fallen out of the plastic bag the tube came in, which wasnt properly sealed from the get-go, so this weak little spring wasnt actually firmly attached to the interior of the extension tube. It just drops in and out, which means losing it later! That spring is necessary for a proper connection with the 18650 battery, and there is no spare.
When I turned the light on, whether using a Panasonic CR123 or an Eagletac 3100mah 18650, I notices 2 new problems. First, the beam is sloppy! It had circles and lines all through it. Its the worst I've seen on ANY light, regardless of price!
Secondly, the tint of the "alleged" XM-L LED inside was almost pure blue! Ever seen those cheap, $4 LED flashlights at drug stores that have 8 little 5mm LED's in the front, and their beam is blue? Well, the color tint of the LED in this light was almost as bad! I thought my XP-G R5 in My Jetbeam light was a little cool on the color scale, but the LED in this light made it look like the warmest LED ever made! I'm not really exaggerating too much here either. It was blue.
Plus it wasnt very bright, even on the highest setting. My $52 Solarforce L2P with Thrunite 3 mode XM-L is brighter on high.
The switch didnt seem to work too well either. A few times when I clicked the rear clicky to change modes, it just didnt change.
The battery tubes were very thin walled. For $105, you'd think a light would be built more substantially. This light looked good from the outside, but this is a perfect example of how "Beauty is only skin deep." This thing was UGLY on the inside!
So, I had it repackaged and dropped back off at the post office for return/exchange only about 3 hours after the mail man dropped it off! Illuminationgear fortunately has a light that costs about the same that I want to exchange this light for. It's the Eagletac G25 C2. I only wish I wouldve taken a closer look at it from the beginning, but I already had a P60 type light, so I wanted something different, which is why I made the mistake of buying the Lumapower D Mini EX-2.