Beamshot comparison 10 budget flashlights

[geek1]

Test Setup

Camera: Nikon D40
Mode: Manual
Shutter: 1/5
Aperture: F3.5
ISO: 800
Focal Length: 18mm
White Balance: Auto
Distance: 9 meters (approximately)


The Participants

(from right to left)

9 LED Flashlight 20000mcd - 3xAAA
Romisen RC-C3 Cree P4 - 1xRCR123A
SmallSun ZY-C60 Cree Q3 - 1xRCR123A
UltraFire A30B Cree Q5 - 1xRCR123A
Romisen RC-G2 Cree P2 - 1xAA
Romisen RC-G2 II Cree Q5 - 1xAA
Romisen RC-N3 Cree P4 - 2xAA
Romisen RC-F4 Cree P4 - 2xRCR123A
X2000 Cree P4 - 1xR18650
SpiderFire SSC P7 - 1xR18650


Beam Comparison

(All on fresh batteries)

9 LED Flashlight 20000mcd - 3xAAA

Romisen RC-C3 Cree P4 - 1xRCR123A

SmallSun ZY-C60 Cree Q3 - 1xRCR123A

UltraFire A30B Cree Q5 - 1xRCR123A

Romisen RC-G2 Cree P2 - 1xAA

Romisen RC-G2 II Cree Q5 - 1xAA

Romisen RC-N3 Cree P4 - 2xAA - High Mode

Romisen RC-N3 Cree P4 - 2xAA - Low Mode

Romisen RC-F4 Cree P4 - 2xRCR123A

X2000 Cree P4 - 1xR18650 - Flood Mode

X2000 Cree P4 - 1xR18650 - Throw Mode

X2000 Cree P4 - 1xR18650 - Between flood and throw

SpiderFire SSC P7 - 1xR18650 - High Mode

SpiderFire SSC P7 - 1xR18650 - Low Mode


End

 

[Rat6P]

Wow. first post and all!
nice job

 

[applevision]

Nice!

Thanks for posting these nice beamshots!

Any thoughts you have on each light (build quality, feel in the hand, your impression of beam characteristics, etc.) would also be great--I find that the impressions of folks comparing lights is as important or sometimes even better than the pics/data.

 

[ma_sha1]

Nice!

 

[Wiggle]

That X2000 flood shot is pretty cool, the lux is so even throughout it looks like the daytime through a peep hole.

 

[Kerch]

Thanks for the useful pics. I have the X2000, and these pics illustrate why I like it so much. As a visual estimate, the flood it produces is 2 to 3 times at intense as you would normally get straight from the emitter.

 

[recDNA]

The X2000 looks really cool. If it were 2 X CR123 I'd prefer it to my Eagletac T20C

On DX I see the 1 X CR123 version and the 3 X AAA version but no 18650 version. Can you help me out?

 

[Painkiller1009]

sku.14450

 

[jeffe]

Thanks for the pics and your first post. I've been looking for a relatively cheap Romisen or Ultrafire.

 

[recDNA]

sku.14450

Thanks. I see it is strictly 18650. I was hoping it would take 2 X CR123. I don't do rechargeables. Too bad.

I wonder if the 3 X AAA is anywhere near as bright?

 

[xenonk]

Those flood-to-throw lights are all direct drive, and the output is going to depend on the voltage of your batteries and the Vf of that particular sample. That places 2xCR123 out of the running without a mod. Three lithium AAAs might also not be a good idea (3x1.7V = 5.1V).

 

[Swedpat]

Thank you geek1 for an excellent first post!

The X2000 Cree P4 provides an impressive beam. I have LedLenser P14 but it does not show the shape of the LED-chip when focused to max throw. It would be interesting to compare them.

Regards, Patric

 

[slipe]

Nice shots – thanks.
I think it is funny that DX called the light the X2000. It has no brand name or markings except the zoom levels. Those are X1, X250, X500, X1000 and X2000. I guess they figured X2000 was the most impressive of the choices.

If you had taken the photos at a faster shutter viewers could see that the odd shape is a projection of the emitter with the circuit almost as clear as a slide projection of a photo.

A great use for that light is picking up channel markers in a boat without getting too much reflection back from the boat deck to ruin night vision. The flood is nice when anchored. I'm working on a bracket for it to hook to the bimini.

I got the SmallSun CR123 with the mid body clicky. It isn't a powerhouse by any means but I like the switch placement.

I think the SpiderFire needs an intermediate mode. It is too small and light for the P7 and gets way too hot if run for over 7 or 8 minutes. I prefer the SpiderFire to my other P7 because of the small size and have never had occasion to run it over five minutes except to test it. It would be nice though to have an intermediate mode for occasions where you need good light for an extended period. It is direct drive and the light diminishes over time, but probably not enough to keep it from cooking.

 

[chaosmagnet]

:welcome:

Very well done, thank you!

 

[hoffmand]

Great post. I didn't expect the 1xAA RC-G2 II to have more throw and more spill than the 2xAA RC-N3. Looks like great budget light.

 

[recDNA]

Those flood-to-throw lights are all direct drive, and the output is going to depend on the voltage of your batteries and the Vf of that particular sample. That places 2xCR123 out of the running without a mod. Three lithium AAAs might also not be a good idea (3x1.7V = 5.1V).

I would need a more complete explanation including the voltage and vF of all 3 battery combos to understand you

 

[BigBluefish]

A very nice post, thanks.

I think your choice of location for your beamshots was excellent, seems just the type of outdoor space that many of us may have need to illuminate from time to time.

As were others, I was impressed by the flood mode of that X200--that's about as uniform a beam as I've ever seen. As for the throw mode, despite the emitter-shaped hotspot, you could probably light up something in the next zip-code with that kight. Very cool.

What also really surprised me was the improvement in the RC-G2 when the Q5 emitter is used, much brighter hotspot, and what looks like, finally, usefull spill. I think I'll have to upgrade my older P4 RC-G2. This is now one of those "must have" budget lights.

Thanks again for the great beamshots.

 

[BlueFlix]

geek1, thank you for this awesome beamshot review. Really helps to decide which buget flashlight to purchase.

The X2000's flood mode is very impressive.

But a much cheaper version would be the C30 Flood-to-Throw Zooming Glass Optics Cree P4 at only $9.9

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.18697

A newer version even has 3-modes (Hi - Mid - Fast Strobe) with digitally regulated 600mA current output for under $10.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.26798

I am also keen to buy the SmallSun ZY-C61 Cree P4 2-AA ($11.66)

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15457

So really hope geek1 or others could share their beamshot of the above 3 flashlights (if you had bought them). Tks.

 

[xenonk]

I would need a more complete explanation including the voltage and vF of all 3 battery combos to understand you

• Alkaline AAA: 1.5V
  • 3x = 4.5V
• Lithium AAA: 1.7V
  • 3x = 5.1V
• NiMH AAA: 1.2V nominal/~1.4V peak
  • 3x = 3.6/4.2V
• 18650: 3.7V nominal, 4.2V peak
• RCR123: 3.7V nominal, 4.2V peak

The forward voltage (Vf) of an XR-E LED like the P4 in the X2000 lights is somewhere around 3.5V, but each sample will vary. On direct drive, it's the P4's Vf and the input voltage that determine how much current it draws. If you get a sample that has a Vf of 2.8V and feed it a battery carrier full of Energizer lithiums (5.1V), it'll probably go .

They aren't regulated despite what DX put in the description. The 3-mode could be (sku# 15160), but I kind of suspect it just has a PWM modulator and no driver.

 

[recDNA]

• Alkaline AAA: 1.5V
  • 3x = 4.5V
• Lithium AAA: 1.7V
  • 3x = 5.1V
• NiMH AAA: 1.2V nominal/~1.4V peak
  • 3x = 3.6/4.2V
• 18650: 3.7V nominal, 4.2V peak
• RCR123: 3.7V nominal, 4.2V peak

The forward voltage (Vf) of an XR-E LED like the P4 in the X2000 lights is somewhere around 3.5V, but each sample will vary. On direct drive, it's the P4's Vf and the input voltage that determine how much current it draws. If you get a sample that has a Vf of 2.8V and feed it a battery carrier full of Energizer lithiums (5.1V), it'll probably go .

They aren't regulated despite what DX put in the description. The 3-mode could be (sku# 15160), but I kind of suspect it just has a PWM modulator and no driver.

SO are you saying that the 3 X AAA version that DX sells will simply burn out the second you turn it on? That seems unlikely.

Are you saying it will produce fewer lumens? If so why?

If you're saying the duration it will run is less but output is similar I'm fine with that.

I just don't understand exactly how what you've tried to explain to me translates into the actual performance of the flashlight.

DX markets a 1 X CR123 version and a 3 X AAA version. Are you saying they won't work? They will have dim deams. Or they require new batteries more often?