zespectre
Flashlight Enthusiast
Real World Review - The Single Cell Shootout
ZeSpectre's "Real World Reviews"
The Single Cell Flashlight Shootout
Written 0604.21
Before I begin I would like to thank C4LED, Walt175, CHC, and Onlinewarlord for their generosity. It is this kind of collaborative effort that makes the Candlepower Forums the real nexus of flashlight information!
The Lights: (all eight of them!)
(1xAA category)
Poor Man's IS Meter Reading(s) (uncalibrated sensor, these reading are just for comparison purposes).
Xnova 8 LED
Lowest: N/A
Highest: 8.25
Inova X1 v2.0
Lowest: N/A
Highest: 9.11
Triton P1
Lowest: N/A
Highest: 22.10
Fenix L1P
Lowest: N/A
Highest: 19.81
Nuwai Quantium III
Lowest: N/A
Highest: 18.92
Dorcy Super 1 Watt
Lowest: N/A
Highest: 19.51
HDS EDC 60 Basic
Lowest: 00.34
Highest: 44.80
McLux III "Piston Drive
Lowest: 2.81
Highest: 39.40
As you can see, the Xnova and the Inova are pretty close, the Triton, Fenix, QIII, and Dorcy are all nearly identical, then we have the HDS and McLux in the powerhouse category.
==============================================================
Real World (Evening Walk) Notes.
The evening walk takes place over a 2 mile loop. It begins on a well lit and well paved street, proceeds into a dimly lit neighborhood, then through an unlit trail (which is mostly cleared on one side but heavily overgrown on the other), back into another dimly lit neighborhood, and finally back to well lit streets/sidewalks. There isn't any location on our walk where I can see more than about 150 yards in a straight line but on a clear evening, with more or less dark adapted eyes, I have settled on a series of targets to judge performance.
#1) White 4x4 inch marker sign with red lettering from 10 yards away (through dense undergrowth).
#2) A light grey mailbox from 30 yards away.
#3) Light green phone company marker post with yellow lettering (4in wide by 3 ft tall) from 30 yards away (through dense undergrowth).
#4) Dark red brick chimney from 50 yards away. (Can I distinguish the top edge)
#5) Stand of brown tree-trunks from 65 yards away (Can I see all five trees)
#6) County storage shed from 100 yards away (trying to clearly light up the back wall).
Xnova 8 LED
With 8 individual LED emitters this light is purely a flooder (on the order of the Inova X5). It creates an extremely wide and even beam with almost no punch at all. Overall construction was cheap but solid (excepting weather resistance because I don't think there is any). The "twisty" endcap is really easy to turn and can easily self-activate in a pocket. Size and ergonomics are good. Beam quality is an even gentle flood with a nice white tint and just the faintest hint of blue. On the evening walk this light was great for seeing the immediate terrain but failed all of the distance tests. Indoors this light really showed its usefulness for moving around the house.
Inova X1 (v2.0)
Considering the differences (8 LED vs 1 LED) the Xnova and the Inova behaved in a remarkably similar fashion. The Inova X1 has higher construction quality and weather resistance and a switch much less likely to accidentally activate. Other than that, read the Xnova comments above.
Triton P1
This light feels remarkably solid and construction quality is much higher than I expected, even better than the Inova X1. The only issue I had with this light was the "mushy" feel of the clicky switch on the tailcap which provides no real feedback. However the switch is well recessed so accidental activation should not be an issue The surface is a little slick so retention could be an issue without a lanyard. Beam was a somewhat wide hotspot that transitions into a nice usable wide spill. Tint had just a hint of green but was well within the acceptable range for me. On the evening walk this light surprised me by being a perfectly acceptable trail light doing fine on #1 (although it wanted give some of the "bounce back" effect from the shrubbery), #2, and #3. As expected this light really didn't have enough punch to handle targets #4, #5, and #6. Indoors this light was very useful although is was actually a little too bright for unshaded use when my eyes were dark adapted.
Fenix L1P
This light feels remarkably solid and construction quality is every bit as high as I was expecting. The clickie switch has a nice tactile and audible CLICK when you operate it and is well recessed so accidental activation should not be an issue. Beam was an unexpectedly tight hotspot that transitions into decent medium spill. Tint was just plain white. On the evening walk this light demonstrated that it uses it's "photon allocation" quite differently from the Triton P1. Although both had similar total output readings, the Fenix focuses more of it's light into throw. The down side is this light gave a little of the "follow the bouncing ball effect". The Fenix did well with punching through the undergrowth on #1, and also handled #2-4 very well. It wasn't quite up to seeing all of the trees on #5 and although it did illuminate the entrance to the garage at #6 it wasn't quite enough to consider that a pass. Sill this is REMARKABLE performance for a light running from a SINGLE "AA" battery! Indoors I liked this light, but felt it was just a little too strong and concentrated for "zero range" tasks.
Nuwai Quantium III
We cross over into the CR123A based lights now. The QIII has a lovely feel in the hand and I am especially fond of the excellent clicky switch this sample had. Beam was a wider hotspot and a wide and very usable spill. The beam had a slight green tint but it was barely noticeable. The surprise with this light was that it was nearly identical to the Triton P1 in performance. Like the P1 this light did fine on the trail, although it wanted to do the "bounce back" effect from the shrubbery on #1. It handled #2, and #3 fine, however it really didn't have enough punch to handle targets #4, #5, and #6. Indoors this light was very useful although is was actually a little too bright for unshaded use when my eyes were dark adapted.
Dorcy Super 1 Watt
The performance of the Dorcy light was so identical to the Newai QIII that I'm not going to repeat myself, just go back and re-read the QIII notes above <grin>.
HDS EDC 60 Basic
Now we move into one of the two "powerhouses" of the group. I love holding the EDC in a "cigar" grip. I love the way it's constructed and the way it performs and it's still my favorite light out of this entire group. This is my Cadillac light! I would love the ability to do momentary signaling but I guess you have to have a trade off somewhere. Beam is a strong hotspot with a good sidespill and the tint on my sample is just plain white. This light handles all of the outdoor targets #1-#6 just fine. The hotspot is just tight enough to cause a little "follow the bouncing ball" effect but the sidespill is strong enough to moderate the effect. Indoors this light is also fully functional due to the availability of adjustable light levels. One note, this light is VERY touchy about batteries which is a pain in the ***. However if a battery passes the 1-min-on-high runtime test then you get a solid performance.
McGizmo McLux III PD (Chromie w/tritium vial)
The PD "Chromie", if any light has a cult following then this is it! You quickly realize this light was created by a flashaholic for other flashaholics. In a word, quality. Personally I had a little trouble with the ergonomics, the combination of shape and the chromie surface made the light very slippery for my hands so I really didn't enjoy the "piston drive" switch. I was already paranoid about handling this light so when I felt like it was slippery I stopped using the PD and just used the bezel twist to work the light. Other than that, what a marvelous light! Beam is a strong hotspot with a good sidespill. This light is more focused on throw than the HDS, for example. The tint on my sample had just the faintest hint of green but it was only noticeable in comparison to other lights and you don't see it by itself. This light handles all of the outdoor targets #1-#6 just fine. In fact I was quite surprised to discover that this light handles targets #5 and #6 almost exactly the same as my Inova T4. That's quite a compliment for the PD! However because of that focus on throw the hotspot is tight enough to cause a strong "follow the bouncing ball" effect while walking on the trail. Indoors this light is also fully functional due to the availability of dual light levels. This model also had a tritium tube in the Piston button which made it very easy to find on the nightstand.
==============================================================
Summary and final comments.
I had a few surprises on this one. For example, I never expected that the 1.5 volt Fenix L1P would so overwhelming out throw the 3volt Quantum III. I also never expected that the single cell McLux would throw like my Inova T4!
So, Xnova and Inova for close up or indoor work, moving out to the Triton P1 for more general "campsite" use then sliding up to the Nuwai QIII, Dorcy Super 1 watt, and then the Fenix for more power (medium range use) and finally our Cadillac (the HDS) and our Ferrari (the McLux PD).
McLux, QIII, P1, L1P, EDC60, XNova, Dorcy
McLux, QIII, P1, L1P, EDC60, XNova, Dorcy
McLux, QIII, P1, L1P, EDC60, (the Inova X1 and Xnova really looked just like the P1)
McLux, QIII, P1, L1P, EDC60, (the Inova X1 and Xnova really looked just like the P1)
ZeSpectre's "Real World Reviews"
The Single Cell Flashlight Shootout
Written 0604.21
Before I begin I would like to thank C4LED, Walt175, CHC, and Onlinewarlord for their generosity. It is this kind of collaborative effort that makes the Candlepower Forums the real nexus of flashlight information!
The Lights: (all eight of them!)
(1xAA category)
- Xnova 8 LED
- Inova X1 v2.0
- Triton P1
- Fenix L1P
- Nuwai Quantium III
- Dorcy Super 1 Watt
- HDS EDC 60 Basic
- McLux III "Piston Drive"
Poor Man's IS Meter Reading(s) (uncalibrated sensor, these reading are just for comparison purposes).
Xnova 8 LED
Lowest: N/A
Highest: 8.25
Inova X1 v2.0
Lowest: N/A
Highest: 9.11
Triton P1
Lowest: N/A
Highest: 22.10
Fenix L1P
Lowest: N/A
Highest: 19.81
Nuwai Quantium III
Lowest: N/A
Highest: 18.92
Dorcy Super 1 Watt
Lowest: N/A
Highest: 19.51
HDS EDC 60 Basic
Lowest: 00.34
Highest: 44.80
McLux III "Piston Drive
Lowest: 2.81
Highest: 39.40
As you can see, the Xnova and the Inova are pretty close, the Triton, Fenix, QIII, and Dorcy are all nearly identical, then we have the HDS and McLux in the powerhouse category.
==============================================================
Real World (Evening Walk) Notes.
The evening walk takes place over a 2 mile loop. It begins on a well lit and well paved street, proceeds into a dimly lit neighborhood, then through an unlit trail (which is mostly cleared on one side but heavily overgrown on the other), back into another dimly lit neighborhood, and finally back to well lit streets/sidewalks. There isn't any location on our walk where I can see more than about 150 yards in a straight line but on a clear evening, with more or less dark adapted eyes, I have settled on a series of targets to judge performance.
#1) White 4x4 inch marker sign with red lettering from 10 yards away (through dense undergrowth).
#2) A light grey mailbox from 30 yards away.
#3) Light green phone company marker post with yellow lettering (4in wide by 3 ft tall) from 30 yards away (through dense undergrowth).
#4) Dark red brick chimney from 50 yards away. (Can I distinguish the top edge)
#5) Stand of brown tree-trunks from 65 yards away (Can I see all five trees)
#6) County storage shed from 100 yards away (trying to clearly light up the back wall).
Xnova 8 LED
With 8 individual LED emitters this light is purely a flooder (on the order of the Inova X5). It creates an extremely wide and even beam with almost no punch at all. Overall construction was cheap but solid (excepting weather resistance because I don't think there is any). The "twisty" endcap is really easy to turn and can easily self-activate in a pocket. Size and ergonomics are good. Beam quality is an even gentle flood with a nice white tint and just the faintest hint of blue. On the evening walk this light was great for seeing the immediate terrain but failed all of the distance tests. Indoors this light really showed its usefulness for moving around the house.
Inova X1 (v2.0)
Considering the differences (8 LED vs 1 LED) the Xnova and the Inova behaved in a remarkably similar fashion. The Inova X1 has higher construction quality and weather resistance and a switch much less likely to accidentally activate. Other than that, read the Xnova comments above.
Triton P1
This light feels remarkably solid and construction quality is much higher than I expected, even better than the Inova X1. The only issue I had with this light was the "mushy" feel of the clicky switch on the tailcap which provides no real feedback. However the switch is well recessed so accidental activation should not be an issue The surface is a little slick so retention could be an issue without a lanyard. Beam was a somewhat wide hotspot that transitions into a nice usable wide spill. Tint had just a hint of green but was well within the acceptable range for me. On the evening walk this light surprised me by being a perfectly acceptable trail light doing fine on #1 (although it wanted give some of the "bounce back" effect from the shrubbery), #2, and #3. As expected this light really didn't have enough punch to handle targets #4, #5, and #6. Indoors this light was very useful although is was actually a little too bright for unshaded use when my eyes were dark adapted.
Fenix L1P
This light feels remarkably solid and construction quality is every bit as high as I was expecting. The clickie switch has a nice tactile and audible CLICK when you operate it and is well recessed so accidental activation should not be an issue. Beam was an unexpectedly tight hotspot that transitions into decent medium spill. Tint was just plain white. On the evening walk this light demonstrated that it uses it's "photon allocation" quite differently from the Triton P1. Although both had similar total output readings, the Fenix focuses more of it's light into throw. The down side is this light gave a little of the "follow the bouncing ball effect". The Fenix did well with punching through the undergrowth on #1, and also handled #2-4 very well. It wasn't quite up to seeing all of the trees on #5 and although it did illuminate the entrance to the garage at #6 it wasn't quite enough to consider that a pass. Sill this is REMARKABLE performance for a light running from a SINGLE "AA" battery! Indoors I liked this light, but felt it was just a little too strong and concentrated for "zero range" tasks.
Nuwai Quantium III
We cross over into the CR123A based lights now. The QIII has a lovely feel in the hand and I am especially fond of the excellent clicky switch this sample had. Beam was a wider hotspot and a wide and very usable spill. The beam had a slight green tint but it was barely noticeable. The surprise with this light was that it was nearly identical to the Triton P1 in performance. Like the P1 this light did fine on the trail, although it wanted to do the "bounce back" effect from the shrubbery on #1. It handled #2, and #3 fine, however it really didn't have enough punch to handle targets #4, #5, and #6. Indoors this light was very useful although is was actually a little too bright for unshaded use when my eyes were dark adapted.
Dorcy Super 1 Watt
The performance of the Dorcy light was so identical to the Newai QIII that I'm not going to repeat myself, just go back and re-read the QIII notes above <grin>.
HDS EDC 60 Basic
Now we move into one of the two "powerhouses" of the group. I love holding the EDC in a "cigar" grip. I love the way it's constructed and the way it performs and it's still my favorite light out of this entire group. This is my Cadillac light! I would love the ability to do momentary signaling but I guess you have to have a trade off somewhere. Beam is a strong hotspot with a good sidespill and the tint on my sample is just plain white. This light handles all of the outdoor targets #1-#6 just fine. The hotspot is just tight enough to cause a little "follow the bouncing ball" effect but the sidespill is strong enough to moderate the effect. Indoors this light is also fully functional due to the availability of adjustable light levels. One note, this light is VERY touchy about batteries which is a pain in the ***. However if a battery passes the 1-min-on-high runtime test then you get a solid performance.
McGizmo McLux III PD (Chromie w/tritium vial)
The PD "Chromie", if any light has a cult following then this is it! You quickly realize this light was created by a flashaholic for other flashaholics. In a word, quality. Personally I had a little trouble with the ergonomics, the combination of shape and the chromie surface made the light very slippery for my hands so I really didn't enjoy the "piston drive" switch. I was already paranoid about handling this light so when I felt like it was slippery I stopped using the PD and just used the bezel twist to work the light. Other than that, what a marvelous light! Beam is a strong hotspot with a good sidespill. This light is more focused on throw than the HDS, for example. The tint on my sample had just the faintest hint of green but it was only noticeable in comparison to other lights and you don't see it by itself. This light handles all of the outdoor targets #1-#6 just fine. In fact I was quite surprised to discover that this light handles targets #5 and #6 almost exactly the same as my Inova T4. That's quite a compliment for the PD! However because of that focus on throw the hotspot is tight enough to cause a strong "follow the bouncing ball" effect while walking on the trail. Indoors this light is also fully functional due to the availability of dual light levels. This model also had a tritium tube in the Piston button which made it very easy to find on the nightstand.
==============================================================
Summary and final comments.
I had a few surprises on this one. For example, I never expected that the 1.5 volt Fenix L1P would so overwhelming out throw the 3volt Quantum III. I also never expected that the single cell McLux would throw like my Inova T4!
So, Xnova and Inova for close up or indoor work, moving out to the Triton P1 for more general "campsite" use then sliding up to the Nuwai QIII, Dorcy Super 1 watt, and then the Fenix for more power (medium range use) and finally our Cadillac (the HDS) and our Ferrari (the McLux PD).
McLux, QIII, P1, L1P, EDC60, XNova, Dorcy
McLux, QIII, P1, L1P, EDC60, XNova, Dorcy
McLux, QIII, P1, L1P, EDC60, (the Inova X1 and Xnova really looked just like the P1)
McLux, QIII, P1, L1P, EDC60, (the Inova X1 and Xnova really looked just like the P1)
Last edited:
