bessiebenny
Enlightened
UPDATED MAY 23rd 2009
- I now own a Canon 100mm F2.8 Macro USM lense!
- So I'll be doing more closeup photos of each flashlight.
- Added 4 photos to the AKOray K-103 review.
- Added 4 photos to the AKOray K-106 review.
UPDATED MAY 15th 2009
- New Review - AKOray K-103 AAA CREE Q5 1-Mode light.
- It's good. AKOray is definitely making a name for themselves.
- Added new photos for MTE SSC P7 and KD Long Throw 2-mode.
UPDATED APRIL 25th 2009
- Just received the MTE SF-22 SSC P7-D-SXO 5-Mode.
- I've reviewed it HERE. Driver died after a full runtime test. =(
- I knew I shouldn't have risked it. Oh well, time to mod. =P
----------------------------
[Budget LED DX/KD Flashlights Review Roundup]
Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5 , Part 6 , Part 7 , Part 8 and now Part 9! (WOW)
FYI - This main initial post carries over. (Except Part 4 that includes many of old reviews)
But I will try and make sure you don't need to go back as much as possible.
[BESSIEBENNY REVIEWS]
fyi - If it doesn't say "New Lightbox", it is the OLD lightbox which is different.
[05 15 2009] ★★★★★★- AKOray K-103 AAA CREE Q5 1-Mode
[04 25 2009] ★★★★★★ - MTE SF-22 SSC P7-D-SXO 5-Mode
[03 28 2009] ★★★★★★- Akoray K-106 3-mode Q5 AA/14500 (Best bang for buck AA flashlight)
[03 15 2009] ★★★★★★ - Kaidomain 2-Mode HAIII Long Throw Q5
[02 22 2009] ★★★★★★- planet bike blaze 1W w\ superflash
[02 18 2009] ★★★★★★ - TANK007 TK-702 P4
[12 17 2008] ★★★★★★- KD Buckle V5 HAIII XRT
[12 10 2008] ★★★★★★- MTE C2-1 Q5 AA
[11 16 2008] ★★★★★★- Romisen RC-T6
[08 24 2008] ★★★★★★ - Quick 6 flashlights Impressions
[08 10 2008] ★★★★★★ - Romisen RC-A8
[06 21 2008] ★★★★★★- Romisen RC-A3
[06 06 2008] ★★★★★★- Romisen RC-F4 Q5 Shiningbeam
[05 01 2008] ★★★★★★ - Romisen RC-I3
[04 16 2008] ★★★★★★- Romisen RC-G2 Q5 Shiningbeam
[03 27 2008] ★★★★★★ - Romisen RC-N3
Older Reviews - Check here and here for now.
[REVIEWS POSTED BY OTHER MEMBERS IN THIS THREAD]
[May 20 2009] Ultrafire A20 Q5 Cree 5-mode RCR by old4570
[May 02 2009] Romisen RC-N3 v SmallSun ZY-C61 by Luau
[Apr 15 2009] RCR123A Battery Test Roundup by old4570
[Apr 04 2009] Ultrafire 503B & Trustfire TR-C2 Pics and 503B REVIEW by kramer5150
[Mar 29 2009] Ultrafire WF-502B / 501B by old4570
[Mar 28 2009] AKOray K-106 beam shot comparison by vali
[Mar 18 2009] 2 x 3W Cheap AA Flashlights by nuron
[Mar 13 2009] Ultrafire 602C vs KD Cree Q3 by old4570
[Mar 09 2009] Akoray K-102 / Romisen RC-H3 / MTE C2-1 by copperfox
[Mar 04 2009] SacredFire NF-011 Cree P4-WC by Phill
[Feb 18 2009] Akoray K-102 by Hrvoje
[Feb 18 2009] Romisen RC-A3 by seaside
[Feb 18 2009] Kaidomain 2-Mode HAIII Long Throw R2 (sku:S004798) by skyva
[Feb 17 2009] Romisen RC-G2 (non-Q5) Review by rockz4532
[Feb 12 2009] Romisen RC-N3 & Akoray K-102 by vali
- PM me if I missed yours. Some I didn't include as I wasn't sure what light was reviewed or was just a bit too short etc.
- If your review is in the closed thread but you want to update/modify it, just copy your review into this new thread as a new post then PM me.
----------------------------
[RESULTS AT A GLANCE]
Star Rating
★★★★★★ - Buy it now! Amazing bang for the buck!
★★★★★ - It is excellent. A great buy! Won't regret it.
★★★★ - Pretty darn good. It's not the best but not bad either.
★★★ - It's 'ok' but there's nothing that great about it imo.
★★ - Not good. Avoid if if you can coz it's not worth it.
★ - Why am I even reviewing this?! Total waste of $$$.
Chart Download Links
High - http://sharebee.com/67ec17d1 (Uploaded April 5th 2009)
Low - http://sharebee.com/94696242 (Uploaded April 5th 2009)
[HIGH PERFORMANCE / HIGH RATED LIGHTS] - - Link to reviews prior to Romisen RC-T6 are HERE
[LOW RATED, LOW PERFORMANCE or DISCONTINUED] - Link to reviews for below lights HERE
NOTE: Output values are for the near absolute peak while batteries are fully charged at its highest voltage.
Always check the runtime graph if available as you cannot expect all light to maintain such values for very long.
[FLASHLIGHTS] - Not all flashlights reviewed may yet be shown below. (very outdated now)
Submitted by MetalZone
[FYI]
- GITD silicone tailcap I mention throughout are all DX sku 5714 unless stated otherwise. (Orange ones are not GITD but are same size)
- Measurements are using my own DMM and Light Meter in near-identical controlled conditions. (Still assume around plus or minus 10% error)
Throw = Firing the center of the hotspot directly at the sensor from 1m away using fully charged batteries. (Close to initial peak)
Lightbox = My own cardboard box where I fire light in through a hole and measure the lux reading inside after 1 minute. (no direct light to the sensor)
[Output Photos]
1. Wall Shot - Taken in a near pitch dark room with lights firing at a white wall from around 40cm away. (F5.0 1/60sec ISO 400)
2. Kitchen - Taken in a near pitch dark room with lights firing at the back corner of my kitchen from around 7m away. (F2.8 1/25 ISO 800)
[Runtime Graphs]
Light is shone on to the light meter's sensor from about 1 inch away.
There is a small camera lense in between to collect most of the light.
Current output of the light sensor is measured by my datalogging DMM.
Current output is close to the overal amount of light and not just throw.
So it is relatively comparable with graphs of other lights in my review.
But do take into account that my graphs may have up to 10% of error.
Just an FYI - Any reading of 0.005mA or higher is still quite useable.
It's enough to find a key hole or see stuff in very dark environments.
[Batteries]
Some tips/recommendations for some battery types.
RCR123A
Check out Raymond's RCR123A battery test thread.
Also RCR123A Battery Test Roundup by old4570.
AA/AAA
If you use the lights very often and recharge often, get high capacity ones.
It should at least cost you about ~$5 for 2 AA or AAA if it's a decent battery.
LSD (Low-Self-Discharge) or 'Ready' batteries are better if you intend it as an emergency light. (Recyko, Eneloop etc)
Coz it holds around 80% of its charge even after not using it for a whole year.
Use a smart charger whenever possible also for best rssults.
[Glossary]
OP Reflector = Orange Peel reflector. Also called a rough / textured reflector. It helps in smoothing out the beam so there's less of ugly rings or black holes / artifacts. But it results in less throw output.
EDC = Every Day Carry light. For most people, it means it fits in their desired jeans/jacket/bag pocket and it's their most often used light. For me, it's a small enough light which fits in my jeans pocket. =)
Forward clicky - It's a switch which turns on the light when half-pressed while the light is off. So you can simply tap the switch to light it up without needing to press it fully and turn it on permanently. Good for manual flashing signals and quick usage. It's also called a positive clicky.
Reverse clicky - It's the opposite of above. Generally what everyone would think a normal switch would do. You need to full depress the switch to turn on the light permanently. While on, you can do half presses to turn the light off.
Throw - The ability to throw the center hotspot a long way. The intensity or the brightness of the center hotspot determines how far it can light up things. Usually, higher the throw value means smaller the hotspot or a less bright spill. So it may not be as useful for short distances. Flashlights that use smooth reflecters generally have more throw than ones with OP reflector.
[help~!] [help~!] [help~!]
I am constantly running short on funds to buy and review more recent lights. :mecry:
Feel free to send me $2 or $4 or $8 donations so that I can keep adding new lights. :devil:
(fyi - Paypal takes away ~40 cents per donation which sorta sux.)
All new lights from FEB 2008 will be bought with the addition of your donations. (if any )
I thank you for all for the amazing support so far. It helps greatly to keep this thread alive!
You may instead opt to use my referral id at DX. It doesn't cost you anything which is the best part. =)
To use my id, just add ~r.29749062 directly to the end of any product url address. (without "" of course)
Every ~$1300 spent using my referral id, I get $10. Not a lot but better than nothing I guess. =P
Donations received:
bensonm < APRIL '09 tommy_tiger66, old4570 < MARCH '09 dp62 < FEBRUARY '09 AndreD, lenny, waddup < NOVEMBER '08 JEFFSR < OCTOBER holeymoley < SEPTEMBER FlemingWak < AUGUST gunnut, PhantomLights, tmlwyb, Dandan, Crescendopower < JULY RafS, ScottM, SteveZ, Rizky ,WarriorZ, kostas, yekimak, JoeBob, smootik, RepoUK < JUNE stinky, Wolf359, alohaluau, johnnyngo, OCDGearhead, Wagen < MAY Wolf359, Centropolis, amdaxiom, t3h, Deks, SPRocketman, Flash25296, Fabio, tip61 < APRIL Wolf359, dudu84, marcus, Pokerstud, wmissen, RecycledElectron, qtaco, fizzy, briiansd, meuge, SportyBen, Raymond < MARCH Schierle, HenryL, Andres(ocau), baconheist, Dougmeister, linterno, anarchocap, saedwards, docian37, violatorjf, MikeSalt, Debbie, Luke, dulridge, martinSE, mmbeller191, ReGet, Mascione, Probedude < FEBRUARY '08
I would like to sincerly thank everyone who supported this thread and my reviews. (donation or not)
P.S. Every dollar is put forward to purchasing more lights/equipment for this thread and nothing else!
- I now own a Canon 100mm F2.8 Macro USM lense!
- So I'll be doing more closeup photos of each flashlight.
- Added 4 photos to the AKOray K-103 review.
- Added 4 photos to the AKOray K-106 review.
UPDATED MAY 15th 2009
- New Review - AKOray K-103 AAA CREE Q5 1-Mode light.
- It's good. AKOray is definitely making a name for themselves.
- Added new photos for MTE SSC P7 and KD Long Throw 2-mode.
UPDATED APRIL 25th 2009
- Just received the MTE SF-22 SSC P7-D-SXO 5-Mode.
- I've reviewed it HERE. Driver died after a full runtime test. =(
- I knew I shouldn't have risked it. Oh well, time to mod. =P
----------------------------
[Budget LED DX/KD Flashlights Review Roundup]
Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5 , Part 6 , Part 7 , Part 8 and now Part 9! (WOW)
FYI - This main initial post carries over. (Except Part 4 that includes many of old reviews)
But I will try and make sure you don't need to go back as much as possible.
[BESSIEBENNY REVIEWS]
fyi - If it doesn't say "New Lightbox", it is the OLD lightbox which is different.
[05 15 2009] ★★★★★★- AKOray K-103 AAA CREE Q5 1-Mode
[04 25 2009] ★★★★★★ - MTE SF-22 SSC P7-D-SXO 5-Mode
[03 28 2009] ★★★★★★- Akoray K-106 3-mode Q5 AA/14500 (Best bang for buck AA flashlight)
[03 15 2009] ★★★★★★ - Kaidomain 2-Mode HAIII Long Throw Q5
[02 22 2009] ★★★★★★- planet bike blaze 1W w\ superflash
[02 18 2009] ★★★★★★ - TANK007 TK-702 P4
[12 17 2008] ★★★★★★- KD Buckle V5 HAIII XRT
[12 10 2008] ★★★★★★- MTE C2-1 Q5 AA
[11 16 2008] ★★★★★★- Romisen RC-T6
[08 24 2008] ★★★★★★ - Quick 6 flashlights Impressions
[08 10 2008] ★★★★★★ - Romisen RC-A8
[06 21 2008] ★★★★★★- Romisen RC-A3
[06 06 2008] ★★★★★★- Romisen RC-F4 Q5 Shiningbeam
[05 01 2008] ★★★★★★ - Romisen RC-I3
[04 16 2008] ★★★★★★- Romisen RC-G2 Q5 Shiningbeam
[03 27 2008] ★★★★★★ - Romisen RC-N3
Older Reviews - Check here and here for now.
[REVIEWS POSTED BY OTHER MEMBERS IN THIS THREAD]
[May 20 2009] Ultrafire A20 Q5 Cree 5-mode RCR by old4570
[May 02 2009] Romisen RC-N3 v SmallSun ZY-C61 by Luau
[Apr 15 2009] RCR123A Battery Test Roundup by old4570
[Apr 04 2009] Ultrafire 503B & Trustfire TR-C2 Pics and 503B REVIEW by kramer5150
[Mar 29 2009] Ultrafire WF-502B / 501B by old4570
[Mar 28 2009] AKOray K-106 beam shot comparison by vali
[Mar 18 2009] 2 x 3W Cheap AA Flashlights by nuron
[Mar 13 2009] Ultrafire 602C vs KD Cree Q3 by old4570
[Mar 09 2009] Akoray K-102 / Romisen RC-H3 / MTE C2-1 by copperfox
[Mar 04 2009] SacredFire NF-011 Cree P4-WC by Phill
[Feb 18 2009] Akoray K-102 by Hrvoje
[Feb 18 2009] Romisen RC-A3 by seaside
[Feb 18 2009] Kaidomain 2-Mode HAIII Long Throw R2 (sku:S004798) by skyva
[Feb 17 2009] Romisen RC-G2 (non-Q5) Review by rockz4532
[Feb 12 2009] Romisen RC-N3 & Akoray K-102 by vali
- PM me if I missed yours. Some I didn't include as I wasn't sure what light was reviewed or was just a bit too short etc.
- If your review is in the closed thread but you want to update/modify it, just copy your review into this new thread as a new post then PM me.
----------------------------
[RESULTS AT A GLANCE]
Star Rating
★★★★★★ - Buy it now! Amazing bang for the buck!
★★★★★ - It is excellent. A great buy! Won't regret it.
★★★★ - Pretty darn good. It's not the best but not bad either.
★★★ - It's 'ok' but there's nothing that great about it imo.
★★ - Not good. Avoid if if you can coz it's not worth it.
★ - Why am I even reviewing this?! Total waste of $$$.
Chart Download Links
High - http://sharebee.com/67ec17d1 (Uploaded April 5th 2009)
Low - http://sharebee.com/94696242 (Uploaded April 5th 2009)
[HIGH PERFORMANCE / HIGH RATED LIGHTS] - - Link to reviews prior to Romisen RC-T6 are HERE
[LOW RATED, LOW PERFORMANCE or DISCONTINUED] - Link to reviews for below lights HERE
NOTE: Output values are for the near absolute peak while batteries are fully charged at its highest voltage.
Always check the runtime graph if available as you cannot expect all light to maintain such values for very long.
[FLASHLIGHTS] - Not all flashlights reviewed may yet be shown below. (very outdated now)
Submitted by MetalZone
[FYI]
- GITD silicone tailcap I mention throughout are all DX sku 5714 unless stated otherwise. (Orange ones are not GITD but are same size)
- Measurements are using my own DMM and Light Meter in near-identical controlled conditions. (Still assume around plus or minus 10% error)
Throw = Firing the center of the hotspot directly at the sensor from 1m away using fully charged batteries. (Close to initial peak)
Lightbox = My own cardboard box where I fire light in through a hole and measure the lux reading inside after 1 minute. (no direct light to the sensor)
[Output Photos]
1. Wall Shot - Taken in a near pitch dark room with lights firing at a white wall from around 40cm away. (F5.0 1/60sec ISO 400)
2. Kitchen - Taken in a near pitch dark room with lights firing at the back corner of my kitchen from around 7m away. (F2.8 1/25 ISO 800)
[Runtime Graphs]
Light is shone on to the light meter's sensor from about 1 inch away.
There is a small camera lense in between to collect most of the light.
Current output of the light sensor is measured by my datalogging DMM.
Current output is close to the overal amount of light and not just throw.
So it is relatively comparable with graphs of other lights in my review.
But do take into account that my graphs may have up to 10% of error.
Just an FYI - Any reading of 0.005mA or higher is still quite useable.
It's enough to find a key hole or see stuff in very dark environments.
[Batteries]
Some tips/recommendations for some battery types.
RCR123A
Check out Raymond's RCR123A battery test thread.
Also RCR123A Battery Test Roundup by old4570.
AA/AAA
If you use the lights very often and recharge often, get high capacity ones.
It should at least cost you about ~$5 for 2 AA or AAA if it's a decent battery.
LSD (Low-Self-Discharge) or 'Ready' batteries are better if you intend it as an emergency light. (Recyko, Eneloop etc)
Coz it holds around 80% of its charge even after not using it for a whole year.
Use a smart charger whenever possible also for best rssults.
[Glossary]
OP Reflector = Orange Peel reflector. Also called a rough / textured reflector. It helps in smoothing out the beam so there's less of ugly rings or black holes / artifacts. But it results in less throw output.
EDC = Every Day Carry light. For most people, it means it fits in their desired jeans/jacket/bag pocket and it's their most often used light. For me, it's a small enough light which fits in my jeans pocket. =)
Forward clicky - It's a switch which turns on the light when half-pressed while the light is off. So you can simply tap the switch to light it up without needing to press it fully and turn it on permanently. Good for manual flashing signals and quick usage. It's also called a positive clicky.
Reverse clicky - It's the opposite of above. Generally what everyone would think a normal switch would do. You need to full depress the switch to turn on the light permanently. While on, you can do half presses to turn the light off.
Throw - The ability to throw the center hotspot a long way. The intensity or the brightness of the center hotspot determines how far it can light up things. Usually, higher the throw value means smaller the hotspot or a less bright spill. So it may not be as useful for short distances. Flashlights that use smooth reflecters generally have more throw than ones with OP reflector.
[help~!] [help~!] [help~!]
I am constantly running short on funds to buy and review more recent lights. :mecry:
Feel free to send me $2 or $4 or $8 donations so that I can keep adding new lights. :devil:
(fyi - Paypal takes away ~40 cents per donation which sorta sux.)
All new lights from FEB 2008 will be bought with the addition of your donations. (if any )
I thank you for all for the amazing support so far. It helps greatly to keep this thread alive!
You may instead opt to use my referral id at DX. It doesn't cost you anything which is the best part. =)
To use my id, just add ~r.29749062 directly to the end of any product url address. (without "" of course)
Every ~$1300 spent using my referral id, I get $10. Not a lot but better than nothing I guess. =P
Donations received:
bensonm < APRIL '09 tommy_tiger66, old4570 < MARCH '09 dp62 < FEBRUARY '09 AndreD, lenny, waddup < NOVEMBER '08 JEFFSR < OCTOBER holeymoley < SEPTEMBER FlemingWak < AUGUST gunnut, PhantomLights, tmlwyb, Dandan, Crescendopower < JULY RafS, ScottM, SteveZ, Rizky ,WarriorZ, kostas, yekimak, JoeBob, smootik, RepoUK < JUNE stinky, Wolf359, alohaluau, johnnyngo, OCDGearhead, Wagen < MAY Wolf359, Centropolis, amdaxiom, t3h, Deks, SPRocketman, Flash25296, Fabio, tip61 < APRIL Wolf359, dudu84, marcus, Pokerstud, wmissen, RecycledElectron, qtaco, fizzy, briiansd, meuge, SportyBen, Raymond < MARCH Schierle, HenryL, Andres(ocau), baconheist, Dougmeister, linterno, anarchocap, saedwards, docian37, violatorjf, MikeSalt, Debbie, Luke, dulridge, martinSE, mmbeller191, ReGet, Mascione, Probedude < FEBRUARY '08
I would like to sincerly thank everyone who supported this thread and my reviews. (donation or not)
P.S. Every dollar is put forward to purchasing more lights/equipment for this thread and nothing else!
Last edited:
My budget is ~$20 and I want something that is really bright. 
