bessiebenny
Enlightened
UPDATED FEB 01 - Added new group comparison photos of the lights. Still not everything but pretty close!
UPDATED JAN 31 - Ordered single-mode Ultrafire C3 Q5 wih Extender from DX. Thank you to all who donated so far!
UPDATED JAN 30 - Aurora WF-600 Q5 light is a no go as DX couldn't fill the order and refunded the money. Will get something else instead.
[INTRO]
I have currently access to 20 or so "budget" flashlights from DX/KD which was purchased within the last few months. (All under $40) I'm gonna try and write up a summary form "obervations" for each flashlight instead of a full blown essay. I will add more comments as I go and will add photos when time allows. (The comments for the flashlight will continuously change for the first month or so of my ownership due to real life experiences. Obviously, this also applies to its star rating.) Feel free to ask me questions about a light that I have reviewed.
## Lights that are expected to arrive within the next 2-4 weeks:
- Single-mode Ultrafire C3 Cree Q5 LED Flashlight LINK (Ordered on JAN 31)
## Lights that I'm currently interested in and possibly buy one day:
- 14V Ultrafire WF-502C 3RCR123A Xenon LINK
- UltraFire BJO8A 5Modes Cree Q5 14500 LINK
- Rexlight REX2.1 B002 Cree Q2 AA/14500 LINK
[help!]
I am running short on funds to buy and review more recent lights. :mecry:
Feel free to send me $2 or $4 donations so that I can keep adding new lights. :devil:
(fyi - Paypal takes away a 37/44 cents respectively per donation which sorta sux.)
Any new lights from FEB 2008 will be bought with the addition of your donations. (if any) v
I thank you for all for the amazing support so far. It helps greatly to keep this thread alive!
Donations received since JAN 30 2008 (most recent first):
Luke, dulridge, martinSE, mmbeller191, ReGet, Mascione, Probedude
[FLASHLIGHTS] - Not all flashlights are shown below.
[RESULTS AT A GLANCE]
Star Rating
★★★★★★ - Buy it now! Amazing bang for the buck!
★★★★★ - It is excellent. A great buy!
★★★★ - Pretty darn good. It's worth it for what it is.
★★★ - It's okay but there 's nothing special about it.
★★ - I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
★ - Why am I even reviewing this?!
[FYI]
- GIDT silicone tailcap I mention throughout are all DX sku 5714 unless stated otherwise. (Orange ones are not GIDT 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. (after initial ~1 minute 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)
[Photos]
1. 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. 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)
fyi - Generally the most recent light I reviewed is at the top.
[REVIEWS] - Use CTRL-F to quickly find the light you want instead of scrolling.
★★★★★★ Romisen RC-G2 Cree P2 AA DX (Reviewed Jan 05 2008)
Throw: 1250 lux (1 x 1.2v AA NiMh)
Lightbox: 25 lux
- Before you start reading the rest, order this light first. It's that good!
- Small smoth-edged concentrated hotspot. Good thrower for AA light.
- Spill is clean with no rings / artifacts. Not very bright though.
- I wish Romisen updated this light with a P4. But it's good even with P2.
- Looks and feels expensive. Very good finish and coating. Excellent!
- Big turbo aluminium textured reflector. Glass lense. O-rings throughout.
- Forward-clicky! So it turns on with half-press. Responsive also.
- Nothing is glued at the threads. Cree P2 on 16mm round base.
- Excellent build quality. Feels more like a $25 light. I'm serious.
- For only around $10, it is the grab of the century. Great a a present also.
- It'll be excellent for DIY'ers trying to make an ultimate throwy EDC AA light.
- FYI - There is a huge thread about this light. Many many followers. =)
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.60A from 1 x 1.2v NiMh AA.
- It pulls 1.40A from 1 x 1.5v Alkaline AA.
★★★★★ WF-400 Cree Q2 18650 DX (Reviewed Jan 05 2008)
Throw: High 5400 lux , Low 1300 lux (1 x 3.7v 18650)
Lightbox: 149 lux
- Another switch length longer than Romisen RC-G4.
- Due to the textured reflector, it doesn't have the tightest hotspot.
- The reflector looks near identical to the RC-G4 but is deeper.
- But it still out-throws every light I have so far. No rings / artifacts.
- Bright clean spill also. Overall amount of output is very high.
- 2 mode reverse clicky with a resistor for low mode.
- It has an identical switch pcb/module/resistor as Mini 3W Cree
- It tail stands with original clicky. Does not with DIY clickies.
- Low mode of this light looks near identical to the RC-G2's output.
- Build quality is quite good. Dual O-rings on tail. Deep threads.
- Seems direct driven. (18650 model) Not 100% sure though.
- Nothing is glued at the threads. Cree Q2 is on a star base.
- It's an excellent 2 mode thrower that is worth the money imo.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.85A from 1 x Trustfire Protected 3.7V @ 4.2v 18650 in High.
★★★★ XJC B-6 Cree P3 AA DX(Reviewed Jan 05 2008)
Throw: 250 lux (1 x 1.2v AA NiMh)
Lightbox: 30 lux
- Size is about the same as an Ultrafire C3. Quite small EDC.
- Build quality wise, nothing really to fault but doesn't feel expensive.
- Hotspot is fairly big and not very well defined. Not a thrower.
- As the throw measurement suggests, it doesn't feel bright at all.
- Spill is fairly bright though and covers a large area. ~1W output.
- 2 mode clicky with ~6 ohm resistor for low.
- In Low mode, the brightness is barely visible under moonlight.
- It is so dim that it's perfect for book reading in dark. Not bad!
- Comes witha blue GITD rubber clicky. Easy to press. Doesn't tail stand.
- Cree P3 bin LED on 14mm round base and it seems it is glued to pill.
- It uses an identical boost driver board to the MTE SSC P4. (~1W in High)
- Due to the long spring in the tail cap, you can use AAA batteries also.
- FYI - This light is said to have Q2 according to KD. But mine was a P3. =(
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.00A from 1 x 1.2v NiMh AA.
- It pulls 0.90A from 1 x 1.5v Alkaline AA.
★★★★ Cree P4 C-02 DX(Reviewed Jan 05 2008)
Throw: 850 lux (1 x 1.2v AA NiMh)
Lightbox: 73 lux
- Umm. Looks near exactly like the single-mode Ultrafire C3 AA.
- Umm. Is it a rebadged Ultrafire C3? Maybe so. Looks too same.
- Brightness however is a bit different. This light is ~20% brighter.
- Also the tint is more whiter than the Ultrafire C3. Interesting.
- It's a dollar cheaper than Ultrafire C3. But C3 comes with holster.
- No idea if this light works with 2 x AA or 14500. Haven't tried.
- Has a switch module in a pill which means better contacts.
- Aluminium textured OP reflector. Glass lense. It can tail stand!
- Reflector has a tight hoe for the LED so it is perfectly centered.
- Cannot see any O-ring at front of lense. Body has O-rings on both sides.
- I'll check later if it can accept 2AA using the same extension tube.
- Well, so far, it's like a slightly brighter version of single-mode Ultrafire C3 P4.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.40A from 1 x 1.2v NiMh AA.
- It pulls 1.05A from 1 x 1.5v Alkaline AA.
★★★★ KD V2 Cree Q2 5 Modes LED Flashlight (14500) KD
Throw: High 1500 lux , Mid 500 lux , Low 200 lux (1 x 3.7v 14500)
Lightbox: 125 lux (high)
- Similar to the size of Mini 3W Cree light with slightly smaller head.
- Light beam looks very similar to Mini 3W Cree. Clean, no rings.
- But hotspot is not as bright or well defined. Total output is quite bright still.
- Aluminium textured reflector. Glass lense. Pill can be taken out easily.
- Cree is on a standard sized star base. Not glued. Very DIY friendly.
- Fits Trustfire protected 14500 without tissues. Plenty of leeway.
- Reverse clicky. Firm pressure required. But still useable single handed.
- 5 modes. high / mid / low / strobe / sos. Can switch modes with half-press.
- Solid feeling to the light. But not high quality. Looks and feels cheap.
- For the price, it's not a bad 5 mode 14500 Cree light with good bright output.
- But for some reason, I don't like it that much and my friend feels the same.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.01A from 1 x Trustfire Protected 3.7V 14500 in High.
★★★★★ Romisen RC-G4 Cree P4 (2 x CR123A or 1 x 18650) Gray DX / Official
Throw: 2500 lux (2 x 3.6v RCR123A) 1700 lux (1 x 3.7v 18650)
Lightbox: 69 lux
- Similar in size to the Superfire Xenon with a slightly wider head. Looks like Ultrafire C2.
- It has a smaller head than Ultrafire C2. Noticeably heavier than RC-F4. Not too big still.
- Hexagonal spill due to crown bezel. Beam is very clean with no dark rings or artifacts.
- Blended-edge hotspot with some yellow corona-ring visible. Small concentrated hotspot.
- Built very strong. Thick walls. Good quality threads. Nothing is glued. Firm reverse clicky.
- Glass lense and big Aluminium OP reflector. The reflector is threaded which reflects quality.
- Cree is on 16mm round base and on a pill that can be rotated out. LED base is glued to the pill though.
- Good amount of heatsink fins on the head. Does not get hot at all.
- Only pulls 0.2A from dual RCR123A batteries. I expect run time to be over 5 hours. Much longer with 18650.
- If it was brighter, it would have easily got 6 star rating. But long runtime is no bad thing!
- For it's long runtime and excellent build quality for under $18, it is an absolute bargain.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.20A from 2 x Trustfire Protected 3.6V RCR123A on High.
- It pulls 0.23A from 1 x Trustfire 3.7v 18650 on High.
★★★★★ KD 400+ Lumens 3xSSC LED (Ultrafire WF-500 body) KD
Throw: High 5200 lux , Low 1300 lux (4 x 3.6v CR123A)
Lightbox: High TBA lux , Low TBA lux
- Biggest and heaviest in this round up by far. About twice the length of MTE SSC P4 AA.
- This is not an EDC sized light that's for sure. LOL
- WOW. VERY bright "floody" light. No rings and no artifacts. White-neutral tint.
- Doesn't have a tight throw beam. Smooth blended beam from the hotspot to spill.
- It makes my bedroom light up like I've got a 60W bulb lit up from the ceiling.
- The body is 100% Ultrafire WF-500. (No Kaidomain markings) Very solid. Thick 2mm+ walls.
- Switch is easy to press. Reverse clicky. It does not tail stand as it stick out big time.
- Driver-based 2 mode is a bit dodgy. It doesn't always switch modes the way you want it to.
- Threads are all non-glued which is nice. Textured reflectors are stuck on to the LED star board.
- Glass lense at front. It isn't screwed in so it can fall out if you open the front bezel.
- It doesn't get that hot at all even while using it for extended periods.
- It's a serious amount of metal and light output from only $40. A great buy if you can find one.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.51A from 4 x Ultrafire Protected 3.6V CR123A in high. Only 0.10A in low.
★★★★★★ Mini 3W Cree 1xCR123A DX
Throw: High 3400 lux , Low 800 lux (1 x 3.6v CR123A)
Lightbox: High 115 lux , Low 30 lux
- Similar size to Gree Cree but is chunkier and wider. It is tail cap length shorter than Romisen RC-F4.
- Very bright. It throws well but not as well defined as Gree/RC-F4 due to OP reflector.
- Clean beam and zero artifacts. Wide spill. Nice even brightness for entire spill area.
- It is direct driven. There's no regulator driver board. See this post for more info.
- As the brightness drops over time, it isn't as bright as RC-F4 during use. But it is brighter than Gree.
- 2 mode reverse clicky. High - Low - Off. It is easy to press with one hand.
- Low mode is about the brightness of the MTE SSC P4 AA. It's not super duper low low. But OK.
- Build quality is quite good. Spring on both sides of the battery compartment.
- Good well machined threads. Lightly lubed. Well coated everywhere inside and out.
- Plenty of room for the CR123A battery of any type. Near 2mm thick walls. Feels solid.
- Double big o-rings at the tail thread. O-ring in-front of lense and front thread.
- Switch module can easily be taken out. Driver/LED module can also be easily taken out.
- Cree LED is on a star board. Thermal paste below it. Not glued. Perfect for DIY projects!
- BTW, Switch is a cheap tri-state that can be bought from DX. It cannot handle 1.5A+ current.
- With the reflector taken out, it's not a full candle mode but has a wide single tone, no hotspot output.
- Thin glass lense. It isn't secured so it can fall out if you open the front bezel.
- It can semi-tail stand. The rubber clicky does stick out just enough to not be 100% flat.
- This beats the Gree Cree hands down. It is brighter, better built and has useful 2 modes also.
- Hence I give this light the Gree's previous 6 stars and Gree is now down to 5.
- BTW, there is a 5-mode version of this light with a 1-mode clicky + 5 mode regulated driver.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.10A from 1 x Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A in high @ 4.2v
- It pulls 0.80A from 1 x Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A in high @ 3.8v
◎ Brightness over time (Using non-potected Trustfire 8800mAh CR123A)
01 min = 3800 lux
05 min = 3300 lux
10 min = 3100 lux
15 min = 3000 lux
20 min = 2900 lux
25 min = 2900 lux
30 min = 2700 lux
35 min = 2600 lux
40 min = 2300 lux
45 min = 1300 lux
50 min = 0200 lux
55 min = 0100 lux (CR123A @ 2.8v)
(Below - stock form in high)
(below - modded with Cree Q5 bin + 3W regulated driver + 1 x 3.6v RCR123A = 4300lux @1m & 175lux light box!)
(FYI - this driver can be set to pull more than 1A (~2A) from a single battery so you can really push a Cree Q5)
★★★★★ Gree Cree XRE-P4 (1 x CR123A) LINK
Throw: 2400 lux (1 x 3.6v CR123A)
Lightbox: 90 lux
- Similar in size to the MTE SSC P4 light. Quite compact. Tactical crown.
- It is direct driven. Very bright well-defined hotspot. Extremely bright. Great little thrower.
- Deep smooth plastic reflector. Slightly ringy and tiny artifacts near the hotspot.
- Head unscrews off easily to reveal bare LED for candle mode. LED module is easily taken out.
- Reflector module and front lense is glued to the head. So it's not really possible to change it.
- Does not tail stand. Can swap the clickie to GITD ones. But not much benefit.
- Single mode reverse on/off clickie. Tail clicky is firm but it's still useable in single-hand use easily.
- It still rolls off the table if the surface is slanted on an angle.
- The body does get warm but doesn't get too hot even after extended use.
- This light is a good candiate for modding to make it a really nice little thrower.
- Small and VERY bright. It's a great single CR123A flashlight. Mini 3W Cree is better though.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.95A from the Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A @ 4.2v
◎ Brightness over time (Using non-potected Trustfire 8800mAh CR123A)
01 min = 2600 lux
05 min = 2300 lux
10 min = 2200 lux
15 min = 2200 lux
20 min = 2100 lux
25 min = 2100 lux
30 min = 2000 lux
35 min = 2000 lux
40 min = 1900 lux
45 min = 1900 lux
50 min = 1900 lux
55 min = 1600 lux
60 min = 0150 lux (CR123A @ 2.7v)
★★★★ MTE Z-Power SSC P4 KS-3 (DX/KD)
Throw: High 4000 lux , Low 2300 lux (2 x 3.6v CR123A)
Lightbox: High 115 lux , Low 70 lux (Initial peak is 160 lux but lasts only 2 seconds)
- Biggest in this round up overall. As tall as WF-606A and wide as the DX 7 watt light.
- Very bright hotspot. It starts off at 5000+ lux but drops off to a more constant 4000 lux within 1 minute.
- Clean white beam with a slight blue tint. No significant rings or artifacts. Spill is very wide and bright also.
- It gets quite hot after around 5 minutes. Similar to Romisen RC-F4. But it's not painful to hold.
- Nothing seems to be glued which is rare for MTE lights. So you can do candle mode with head off.
- 2 mode tail clicky has low and high mode. It is fairly easy to click it single handed. It can also tail stand.
- It is a reverse clicky and you cannot change mode by soft-press only. (Need to full press off/on)
- Plastic smooth reflector and plastic lense. Double o-rings at head and tail thread. Tough.
- It is bright. But for some reason, I don't like it heaps. But some might. =)
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.3A from 2 x Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A in high.
- Tail clickie shows 8.5 ohm resistence in low mode with my DMM.
★★★ MX Power 3W SSC P4 1xCR123A DX
Throw: 320 lux (1 x 3.6v CR123A)
Lightbox: 30 lux
- Not that bright. It's about as bright as Low mode of Cree Q4 5 mode light in this roundup.
- Beam is very clean and smooth. Same look to the MTE SSC P4 AA. Neutral light tint. (Not white)
- Has a side clickie (reverse) and not a tail switch. It's a nice change . But the click sound is quite loud.
- It is quite small. It's one of the smallest in this round up. Except for the Pocket Cree P4 light.
- It can tail stand. Does not roll off tables due to protruding side clickie. Good build quality.
- I expect a decent run time with this light due to such low output. Probably close to 2 hours.
- Lanyard is tiny. It's for fingers as even a small hand won't go through it. Kids maybe.
- It does get a bit warm during use. But it never goes up to being uncomfortable.
- If you want a compact side clickie for in-car use etc, this is not a bad light at all. But not "bright".
- UPDATE - There's maybe something seriously wrong with this lights output with my sample I think.
- Because, the buyers at DX all say this is a very bright light. I'm guess it is direct driven also. Hmm.
- But I cannot get it any brighter no matter what I try. (fully charged RCR123A, checking contacts)
- Maybe my Seoul LED is a bit faulty? Oh well. I'll check it later if it is direct driven or not and update.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.44A from a single Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A.
★★★★★★ Romisen RC-F4 Cree P4 (2 x CR123A or 1 x 17670) Gray DX / KD / Official
Throw: 3400 lux (2 x 3.6v CR123A) or 4900 lux (1 x 3.6v CR123A via direct drive mod)
Lightbox: 125 lux
- Similar look to the beam as the Gree. Slightly Ringy in and out side the beam but no artifacts.
- Bright well defined tight hotspot. Well regulated. Constant brightness from the get go till it dies.
- Overall, it is a good thrower for an EDC sized light. But has useful bright spill also.
- Feels well made. Very clean inside and out. It does not tail stand.
- Works fine with two Trustfire/Ultrafire 3.6v protected CR123A batteries.
- O-ring at front and at tail thread. Deep smooth aluminium reflector on my sample.
- But everyone else advised that they have received this light with OP reflector instead.
- Green GITD tailcap is standard. Switch easy to use. Single mode reverse on/off clickie.
- Tail thread is deep but sharp. It wasn't lubed. Switch module can be taken out easily.
- Head seems to be glued at the thread. But can be opened with a strap wrench easily.
- (Seems some doesn't come glued. So it can easily be opened by hand. Oh well)
- Cree is on 16mm round base and on a pill that can be rotated out. LED base is glued to the pill though.
- The body gets quite warm after 15 minutes of use. But it isn't too hot.
- Still, you can't get such a dcent flashlight for under $15 than this imo. A great buy!
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.6A from 2 x Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A.
- According to KD, this light will retain full brightness for 2 hours with a single 17670.
◎ Experiments
- I have bypassed the driver board and made this into a direct driven light. (soldering required)
- Now I get 4900 lux @ 1m instead! Pulls 1.1A from single CR123A battery. (see 3rd picture)
- Need to get 17670 battery to eliminate the need for a spacer to use 1 CR123A.
(Below - stock form)
(Below - direct driven via single 3.6v RCR123A bypassing the built-in regulator board - approx 30% brighter)
★★★★★ Ultrafire WF-606A 3W Cree (2xAA/1xCR2) DX / KD
Throw: 1750 lux (2 x 1.2v NiMh AA)
Lightbox: 84 lux
- It's quite bright for a 2 x AA flashlight. Brighter than all the other AA lights below.
- Initial measurement of throw indicates that it's about half of Romisen RC-F4 below.
- No artifacts or visible rings. Has a slightly yellow corona around hotspot. Neutral tint overall.
- It can use CR2's but not CR123A batteries. They just don't fit due to tight barrel.
- Reverse clickie is very easy to press and use with one hand. Does not tail stand.
- Perfect for DIY'ers. Nothing is glued on at the threads. Can expose LED for candle light.
- Aluminium OP reflector. Can easily be taken out and swapped for smooth one if u have it.
- Doesn't get too warm. Very comfortable temperature to hold for long time.
- It doesn't roll off tables too easily. The head is big and has enough flat spots to stop.
- Very goog build quality. Feels very solid and ready for tough times. Doesn't feel cheap.
- It is not a small light in terms of length. 4cm longer than RC-F4 below.
- If you want a bright single-mode throwy double-AA light, this is not a bad choice.
- There are some other alternatives also. eg. Ultrafire WF-601A or Romisen Cree RC-N3
- Rayovac Hybrids apparently fits very tightly in this light's barrel. No probs with Eneloops though.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.3A from two fully charged 1.2v Eneloops NiMh AA's.
★★★★★ UltraFire C3 AA/14500 Cree XR-E P4 Single Mode LINK1 or LINK2
Throw: 700 lux (1.2v AA NiMh) / 720 lux (2 x 1.2v AA NiMh) / 700 lux (3.2v 14500)
Lightbox: 56 lux
- Small and cute and very well made. Looks good with extension tube also. Feels expensive!
- Bright enough for general use. Bright well defined hot spot. Clean beam. Neutral tint.
- Brightness is identical in both 1 x AA or 2 x AA mode. Same with a single 14500.
- It will last 4 hours at full brightness with 2 x AA according to selfbuilt's review.
- Glass lense and textured aluminium reflector. LED wasn't well centered with mine but didn't matter.
- Does not tail stand. Tail clickie feels better when replaced with a GIDT rubber piece.
- Nothing seems to be glued. Great for DYI'ers. It does not get hot either.
- Great quality looking / feeling AA light for the money. Excellent as a present.
- You can buy 2 extenders and use 3 x AA NiMhs for super long run time. (same brightness)
- It isn't the brightest AA light, but it's a great AA light that I highly recommend.
UPDATE JAN 30 2008 - There is now a newer Single-mode Ultrafire C3 Cree Q5 available!! (brighter apparently)
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.25A from 1 x 1.2v NiMh AA.
- It pulls 0.49A from 2 x 1.2v NiMh AA.
- It pulls 0.35A from 1 x 3.2v LifePo4 14500.
★★★★ MTE 5-Mode 100 Lumens Rebel 1 x AA / 0100 BIN LINK
Throw: 850 lux (1 x 1.2v AA NiMh)
Lightbox: 60 lux
- More rounder looking than the MTE SSC P4. Slightly smaller also.
- Bright and large well-defined neutral colored hotspot. Some artifacts in hotspot.
- Also has a bright large spill. No rings or artifacts in the spill area.
- 5 modes. Has a memory feature. It will turn back on at the last mode used.
- It can tail stand. But original clickie is very hard to press. Worst one here.
- Tail clicke is MUCH better when replaced with GITD rubber piece. (But then it doesn't tail stand)
- Everything seems to be glued on at the threads like most other MTE lights.
- Not a bad multi-mode single AA light at all. There's a newer 20 mode version also.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.70A from the 1.5v Alkaline @ High mode.
- It pulls 1.25A from the 1.5v Alkaline @ Med mode.
- It pulls 0.95A from the 1.5v Alkaline @ Low mode.
◎ Experiments
- Do not use 14500 or 2 x AA with this light. LED output turns blue VERY quickly.
★★★ MTE 1xAA SSC-P4 42180-U Flashlight LINK
Throw: 500 lux (1 x 1.2v AA NiMh) / 900 lux (2 x 1.2v NiMh with custom tube)
Lightbox: 55 lux
- Well made-looking body. Thick barrel. Looks like a Fenix. Well centered LED.
- It is fairly bright. But still it is one of the lesser ones in this roundup. (1W-1.5W light)
- There is no well defined hotspot. It is smooth and widely spread. Good for close up work.
- Ultrafire C3 looks noticeably brighter in use due to brighter and better defined hotspot.
- Tail clicky feels MUCH better when replaced with GIDT rubber piece.
- It has a plastic smooth reflector.
(DEC 30th Update - It now has an Aluminium reflector. Smooth or Textured is luck of draw)
- Single mode reverse on/off clickie. Mine broke after a month of use. (DEC 30th Update - Switch module has been improved)
- Does not tail stand. Head/switch module is glued on at the threads. (DEC 30th Update - New one now tail stands!)
UPDATE - Please read this post as this light has now been improved by MTE!!
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.10A from unloaded-1.3v NiMH AA
- It pulls 1.35A from unloaded-1.6v Alkaline AA
◎ Experiments
- Output improves when using 2 AA in series with custom tube but output does show a blue tint.
- Tried wiring up 3.6v CR123A. Brighter than 2 x AA. But within 5 seconds, output turns very BLUE. =(
- Tried 3.0v LiFePo4 14500. Brighter than 2 x AA. But output becomes blue still. Not recommended!!
★★★★★ KD 1xAAA SCC U-bin SX0H Buckle LINK
Throw: 250 lux (1 x 1.2v AAA NiMh)
Lightbox: 55 lux
- It has a nice clean floody seoul look to the beam. White tint.
- Has a very wide spill and hotspot. The hotspot is barely defined. Great floody light.
- Has a twisty switch which feels quite smooth and firm. Single mode obviously.
- Body gets warm after a minute. Enough for my friends say "whoa, it gets quite warm"
- High quality feel to the body. Nice etching quality. Glass lense. Feels expensive.
- Comes with a buckle which is very light but feels a bit weak. Can take it off easily though.
- Front head seems glued but can be taken off if pulled hard. There is no threads.
- Can't see o-ring at the lense. There is o-ring at tail thread that gives resistence for twisty.
- It fits my BTY 1350mAh AAA battery from DX just fine. Alkalines also fits without issues.
- It can tail stand as the buckle end is flat and wide enough.
- Be careful not to tighten the switch too much as it may cause damage to the driver by the battery pushing down.
- Highly recommended still for a AAA light which is quite bright, nice looking and "cheap"!
- UPDATE JAN 2008 - This light has improved significantly since I bought mine. It is now up to Revision # 3 - INFO HERE
- UPDATE JAN 2008 - I now give it 5 stars instead of 4 as first samples negatives such as O-rings/contact issue is now improved.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.65A from 1.2v NiMh AAA (apparently runs for around 30 minutes at full brightness = regulated)
★★★★ Superfire WF-501B (Xenon - 2 x CR123A) LINK
Throw: 3850 lux (2 x 3.6v CR123A)
- This is a non-LED XENON bulb light. I just had it and it's cheap so included it in this roundup.
- Not a small EDC sized light. Still fits in my jean pocket as it's slim enough
- Very yellow beam. But EXTREMELY bright. Great throw + floody beam. No rings/artifacts.
- Wide hotspot and spill. Great work light. Easy on the eye during use due to the color.
- But don't expect long running times. Probably 30 minutes max at full brightness.
- Aluminum textured reflector. Easy to press reverse clicky.
- The flashlight itself doesn't look that nice imo. But it's built like a tank.
- If you want a super bright xenon light. This is not bad for only $10!
- But KD sells a newer brighter better looking Ultrafire WF502B for $12. =P
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.34A from 2 x Trustfire 3.6V CR123A (Charged at 4.2v)
★★★★ Pocket 142lm CREE P4 Flashlight (CR123A) KD / DX
Throw: 1100 lux (It heats up very quickly and output drops to around 900 within 2 minutes)
Lightbox: 95 lux (Initial peak is 120 lux)
- Big and bright smooth hotspot. Has a similar look to the Cree Q4 5 mode beam.
- Output is very smooth and clean. No rings or artifacts or dead center spot.
- Very wide spill. Wider spill area than Gree or RC-F4. Great floody output.
- Very small. It's a tiny CR123A EDC. It's about 2/3 the size of Gree Cree.
- It is direct driven. Twisty switch. It tail stands. It does have a lanyard hole.
- Tail thread is too short for protected batteries. Thread barely holds.
- Non-protected battery is perfect for it though. So don't use protected.
- When off, the battery rattles a bit. A little foam in the tail module fixes this. (DIY)
- Textured aluminium reflector and glass lense. Spring on driver side. No spring in tail.
- Quality wise, looks claen on outside. Inside is not well anodized. (big patches)
- Can take out the pill from the inside. Just rotate the inner copper ring.
- Don't expect to use it with bare hands for longer than 5 minutes at a time. Gets VERY hot!
- It's pumps out a serious amount of light for its size. But it's not a high quality light.
- Run time should be around 35-40 minutes just like the other direct driven lights. (Mini 3W Cree or Gree)
- FYI - There is a higher quality alternative - Ultrafire 602D HAIII or Romisen RC-C3
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.2A from the Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A
★★★★ Super Bright Cree Q4 5 mode (1 x CR123A) LINK
Throw: 1800 lux (1 x 3.6v CR123A)
Lightbox: 100 lux
- Similar size to Ultrafire C3 (1AA) Well made feel to it.
- Very bright overall output. White tint. (I have the green body model)
- Smooth looking hotspot with smooth spill. No artifacts / rings.
- No return memory feature. Every time you turn it on, it's the next mode. Annoying!
- Very easy to press reverse tail clickie. It does not tail stand.
- Switch module is of good quality and is not glued at the thread.
- Two O-rings at the tail thread. Textured aluminum reflector. Glass lens.
- Head is glued at the thread. Look inside and it seems it's soldered on.
- It says 12W on the body. Yeah right! Also says USA. Dunno why.
- If you want a small multi-mode light with good brightness, this isn't bad at all.
-
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.82A from the Trustfire 3.6V CR123A (Charged at 4.2v) @ High mode.
- It pulls 0.26A from the Trustfire 3.6V CR123A (Charged at 4.2v) @ Med mode.
- It pulls 0.10A from the Trustfire 3.6V CR123A (Charged at 4.2v) @ Low mode.
★★ DX 7 Watt Luxeon 3 x AAA LINK
Throw: 1350 lux (3 x 1.2v AAA NiMh)
- Biggest here in terms of fatness. Quite heavy also. But not too long.
- Hotspot is quite well defined and bright. But spill is very dark.
- Has a reverse tail clickie which is easy to press.
- Plastic lense. the whole light overall looks cheap and bulky.
- Uses 3 x AAA in parallel via a included bracket.
- I don't have a single reason to recommend this light to anyone.
- Well, if you want a no-spill-only-hotspot light, it's not bad. =P
★ 3W LED CR123A Flashlight (Generic) DX
Throw: 180 lux (1 x 3.6v CR123A)
- It's only $7.25 so can't expect much from it.
- It's about the size of Gree Cree. Built like a tank.
- Slightly blue tint to the light. Artifacts in hotspot.
- Reverse clickie at tail. It can only be pressed by the tip of finger nail.
- Plastic-looking smooth reflector and thin glass lense.
- Seriously, I have no idea why I even got this light. Don't buy it.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.7A from a single Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A.
★★★★ 22000mcd Keychain 5mm LED 10 pack DX / KD
Throw: 30 lux
Lightbox: 8 lux
- Not the most durable light. 1 didn't work. 1 had a broken switch on arrival.
- Bright for such a tiny light. Has both momentary and permanent on mode.
- It can still faintly light up a small room when pointed at the ceiling.
- You can still see up to around 10 yards ahead in pitch dark with it.
- Get the white instead of black as it leaks more light and so is brighter.
- Great for cheap giveaways. Liked by everyone when given for free. =)
★★ 10mm Bright LED Keychain flashlight DX / KD
Throw: 80 lux @ 100cm
Lightbox: 8 lux
- Quite a bit bigger than the 5mm one above. But identical look and design.
- Brighter hotspot = more throw. But virtually no spill. So it doesn't feel bright.
- I don't recommend it. I would rather use the 5mm one above instead anyday.
★★ Mini Pig 2 LED Flashlight LINK
- 2 x 5mm LEDs but it's not as bright as 22000mcd 5mm Keychain light.
- You get two seperate round outputs side by side. They are half overlapped.
- As a flashlight, it's very very weak. Just enough for close up work.
- The two LED outputs aren't exactly the same. Luck of the draw LEDs.
- I would rather get the cheaper and brighter 5mm keychain lights.
- Momentary on/off heart-shaped switch on the pig's belly. No permanent on option.
- Very cheap for what it is. Cute looking. Very light. Cheap gift.
[COMMENTS]
- Every sample may vary in brightness by up to around 15% or so.
- So yours could end up being dimmer or brighter than what I have.
- I added my referral id to the above DX links. Those extra points may help me add more lights here. =)
UPDATED JAN 31 - Ordered single-mode Ultrafire C3 Q5 wih Extender from DX. Thank you to all who donated so far!
UPDATED JAN 30 - Aurora WF-600 Q5 light is a no go as DX couldn't fill the order and refunded the money. Will get something else instead.
[INTRO]
I have currently access to 20 or so "budget" flashlights from DX/KD which was purchased within the last few months. (All under $40) I'm gonna try and write up a summary form "obervations" for each flashlight instead of a full blown essay. I will add more comments as I go and will add photos when time allows. (The comments for the flashlight will continuously change for the first month or so of my ownership due to real life experiences. Obviously, this also applies to its star rating.) Feel free to ask me questions about a light that I have reviewed.
## Lights that are expected to arrive within the next 2-4 weeks:
- Single-mode Ultrafire C3 Cree Q5 LED Flashlight LINK (Ordered on JAN 31)
## Lights that I'm currently interested in and possibly buy one day:
- 14V Ultrafire WF-502C 3RCR123A Xenon LINK
- UltraFire BJO8A 5Modes Cree Q5 14500 LINK
- Rexlight REX2.1 B002 Cree Q2 AA/14500 LINK
[help!]
I am running short on funds to buy and review more recent lights. :mecry:
Feel free to send me $2 or $4 donations so that I can keep adding new lights. :devil:
(fyi - Paypal takes away a 37/44 cents respectively per donation which sorta sux.)
Any new lights from FEB 2008 will be bought with the addition of your donations. (if any) v
I thank you for all for the amazing support so far. It helps greatly to keep this thread alive!
Donations received since JAN 30 2008 (most recent first):
Luke, dulridge, martinSE, mmbeller191, ReGet, Mascione, Probedude
[FLASHLIGHTS] - Not all flashlights are shown below.
[RESULTS AT A GLANCE]
Star Rating
★★★★★★ - Buy it now! Amazing bang for the buck!
★★★★★ - It is excellent. A great buy!
★★★★ - Pretty darn good. It's worth it for what it is.
★★★ - It's okay but there 's nothing special about it.
★★ - I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
★ - Why am I even reviewing this?!
[FYI]
- GIDT silicone tailcap I mention throughout are all DX sku 5714 unless stated otherwise. (Orange ones are not GIDT 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. (after initial ~1 minute 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)
[Photos]
1. 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. 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)
fyi - Generally the most recent light I reviewed is at the top.
[REVIEWS] - Use CTRL-F to quickly find the light you want instead of scrolling.
★★★★★★ Romisen RC-G2 Cree P2 AA DX (Reviewed Jan 05 2008)
Throw: 1250 lux (1 x 1.2v AA NiMh)
Lightbox: 25 lux
- Before you start reading the rest, order this light first. It's that good!
- Small smoth-edged concentrated hotspot. Good thrower for AA light.
- Spill is clean with no rings / artifacts. Not very bright though.
- I wish Romisen updated this light with a P4. But it's good even with P2.
- Looks and feels expensive. Very good finish and coating. Excellent!
- Big turbo aluminium textured reflector. Glass lense. O-rings throughout.
- Forward-clicky! So it turns on with half-press. Responsive also.
- Nothing is glued at the threads. Cree P2 on 16mm round base.
- Excellent build quality. Feels more like a $25 light. I'm serious.
- For only around $10, it is the grab of the century. Great a a present also.
- It'll be excellent for DIY'ers trying to make an ultimate throwy EDC AA light.
- FYI - There is a huge thread about this light. Many many followers. =)
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.60A from 1 x 1.2v NiMh AA.
- It pulls 1.40A from 1 x 1.5v Alkaline AA.
★★★★★ WF-400 Cree Q2 18650 DX (Reviewed Jan 05 2008)
Throw: High 5400 lux , Low 1300 lux (1 x 3.7v 18650)
Lightbox: 149 lux
- Another switch length longer than Romisen RC-G4.
- Due to the textured reflector, it doesn't have the tightest hotspot.
- The reflector looks near identical to the RC-G4 but is deeper.
- But it still out-throws every light I have so far. No rings / artifacts.
- Bright clean spill also. Overall amount of output is very high.
- 2 mode reverse clicky with a resistor for low mode.
- It has an identical switch pcb/module/resistor as Mini 3W Cree
- It tail stands with original clicky. Does not with DIY clickies.
- Low mode of this light looks near identical to the RC-G2's output.
- Build quality is quite good. Dual O-rings on tail. Deep threads.
- Seems direct driven. (18650 model) Not 100% sure though.
- Nothing is glued at the threads. Cree Q2 is on a star base.
- It's an excellent 2 mode thrower that is worth the money imo.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.85A from 1 x Trustfire Protected 3.7V @ 4.2v 18650 in High.
★★★★ XJC B-6 Cree P3 AA DX(Reviewed Jan 05 2008)
Throw: 250 lux (1 x 1.2v AA NiMh)
Lightbox: 30 lux
- Size is about the same as an Ultrafire C3. Quite small EDC.
- Build quality wise, nothing really to fault but doesn't feel expensive.
- Hotspot is fairly big and not very well defined. Not a thrower.
- As the throw measurement suggests, it doesn't feel bright at all.
- Spill is fairly bright though and covers a large area. ~1W output.
- 2 mode clicky with ~6 ohm resistor for low.
- In Low mode, the brightness is barely visible under moonlight.
- It is so dim that it's perfect for book reading in dark. Not bad!
- Comes witha blue GITD rubber clicky. Easy to press. Doesn't tail stand.
- Cree P3 bin LED on 14mm round base and it seems it is glued to pill.
- It uses an identical boost driver board to the MTE SSC P4. (~1W in High)
- Due to the long spring in the tail cap, you can use AAA batteries also.
- FYI - This light is said to have Q2 according to KD. But mine was a P3. =(
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.00A from 1 x 1.2v NiMh AA.
- It pulls 0.90A from 1 x 1.5v Alkaline AA.
★★★★ Cree P4 C-02 DX(Reviewed Jan 05 2008)
Throw: 850 lux (1 x 1.2v AA NiMh)
Lightbox: 73 lux
- Umm. Looks near exactly like the single-mode Ultrafire C3 AA.
- Umm. Is it a rebadged Ultrafire C3? Maybe so. Looks too same.
- Brightness however is a bit different. This light is ~20% brighter.
- Also the tint is more whiter than the Ultrafire C3. Interesting.
- It's a dollar cheaper than Ultrafire C3. But C3 comes with holster.
- No idea if this light works with 2 x AA or 14500. Haven't tried.
- Has a switch module in a pill which means better contacts.
- Aluminium textured OP reflector. Glass lense. It can tail stand!
- Reflector has a tight hoe for the LED so it is perfectly centered.
- Cannot see any O-ring at front of lense. Body has O-rings on both sides.
- I'll check later if it can accept 2AA using the same extension tube.
- Well, so far, it's like a slightly brighter version of single-mode Ultrafire C3 P4.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.40A from 1 x 1.2v NiMh AA.
- It pulls 1.05A from 1 x 1.5v Alkaline AA.
★★★★ KD V2 Cree Q2 5 Modes LED Flashlight (14500) KD
Throw: High 1500 lux , Mid 500 lux , Low 200 lux (1 x 3.7v 14500)
Lightbox: 125 lux (high)
- Similar to the size of Mini 3W Cree light with slightly smaller head.
- Light beam looks very similar to Mini 3W Cree. Clean, no rings.
- But hotspot is not as bright or well defined. Total output is quite bright still.
- Aluminium textured reflector. Glass lense. Pill can be taken out easily.
- Cree is on a standard sized star base. Not glued. Very DIY friendly.
- Fits Trustfire protected 14500 without tissues. Plenty of leeway.
- Reverse clicky. Firm pressure required. But still useable single handed.
- 5 modes. high / mid / low / strobe / sos. Can switch modes with half-press.
- Solid feeling to the light. But not high quality. Looks and feels cheap.
- For the price, it's not a bad 5 mode 14500 Cree light with good bright output.
- But for some reason, I don't like it that much and my friend feels the same.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.01A from 1 x Trustfire Protected 3.7V 14500 in High.
★★★★★ Romisen RC-G4 Cree P4 (2 x CR123A or 1 x 18650) Gray DX / Official
Throw: 2500 lux (2 x 3.6v RCR123A) 1700 lux (1 x 3.7v 18650)
Lightbox: 69 lux
- Similar in size to the Superfire Xenon with a slightly wider head. Looks like Ultrafire C2.
- It has a smaller head than Ultrafire C2. Noticeably heavier than RC-F4. Not too big still.
- Hexagonal spill due to crown bezel. Beam is very clean with no dark rings or artifacts.
- Blended-edge hotspot with some yellow corona-ring visible. Small concentrated hotspot.
- Built very strong. Thick walls. Good quality threads. Nothing is glued. Firm reverse clicky.
- Glass lense and big Aluminium OP reflector. The reflector is threaded which reflects quality.
- Cree is on 16mm round base and on a pill that can be rotated out. LED base is glued to the pill though.
- Good amount of heatsink fins on the head. Does not get hot at all.
- Only pulls 0.2A from dual RCR123A batteries. I expect run time to be over 5 hours. Much longer with 18650.
- If it was brighter, it would have easily got 6 star rating. But long runtime is no bad thing!
- For it's long runtime and excellent build quality for under $18, it is an absolute bargain.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.20A from 2 x Trustfire Protected 3.6V RCR123A on High.
- It pulls 0.23A from 1 x Trustfire 3.7v 18650 on High.
★★★★★ KD 400+ Lumens 3xSSC LED (Ultrafire WF-500 body) KD
Throw: High 5200 lux , Low 1300 lux (4 x 3.6v CR123A)
Lightbox: High TBA lux , Low TBA lux
- Biggest and heaviest in this round up by far. About twice the length of MTE SSC P4 AA.
- This is not an EDC sized light that's for sure. LOL
- WOW. VERY bright "floody" light. No rings and no artifacts. White-neutral tint.
- Doesn't have a tight throw beam. Smooth blended beam from the hotspot to spill.
- It makes my bedroom light up like I've got a 60W bulb lit up from the ceiling.
- The body is 100% Ultrafire WF-500. (No Kaidomain markings) Very solid. Thick 2mm+ walls.
- Switch is easy to press. Reverse clicky. It does not tail stand as it stick out big time.
- Driver-based 2 mode is a bit dodgy. It doesn't always switch modes the way you want it to.
- Threads are all non-glued which is nice. Textured reflectors are stuck on to the LED star board.
- Glass lense at front. It isn't screwed in so it can fall out if you open the front bezel.
- It doesn't get that hot at all even while using it for extended periods.
- It's a serious amount of metal and light output from only $40. A great buy if you can find one.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.51A from 4 x Ultrafire Protected 3.6V CR123A in high. Only 0.10A in low.
★★★★★★ Mini 3W Cree 1xCR123A DX
Throw: High 3400 lux , Low 800 lux (1 x 3.6v CR123A)
Lightbox: High 115 lux , Low 30 lux
- Similar size to Gree Cree but is chunkier and wider. It is tail cap length shorter than Romisen RC-F4.
- Very bright. It throws well but not as well defined as Gree/RC-F4 due to OP reflector.
- Clean beam and zero artifacts. Wide spill. Nice even brightness for entire spill area.
- It is direct driven. There's no regulator driver board. See this post for more info.
- As the brightness drops over time, it isn't as bright as RC-F4 during use. But it is brighter than Gree.
- 2 mode reverse clicky. High - Low - Off. It is easy to press with one hand.
- Low mode is about the brightness of the MTE SSC P4 AA. It's not super duper low low. But OK.
- Build quality is quite good. Spring on both sides of the battery compartment.
- Good well machined threads. Lightly lubed. Well coated everywhere inside and out.
- Plenty of room for the CR123A battery of any type. Near 2mm thick walls. Feels solid.
- Double big o-rings at the tail thread. O-ring in-front of lense and front thread.
- Switch module can easily be taken out. Driver/LED module can also be easily taken out.
- Cree LED is on a star board. Thermal paste below it. Not glued. Perfect for DIY projects!
- BTW, Switch is a cheap tri-state that can be bought from DX. It cannot handle 1.5A+ current.
- With the reflector taken out, it's not a full candle mode but has a wide single tone, no hotspot output.
- Thin glass lense. It isn't secured so it can fall out if you open the front bezel.
- It can semi-tail stand. The rubber clicky does stick out just enough to not be 100% flat.
- This beats the Gree Cree hands down. It is brighter, better built and has useful 2 modes also.
- Hence I give this light the Gree's previous 6 stars and Gree is now down to 5.
- BTW, there is a 5-mode version of this light with a 1-mode clicky + 5 mode regulated driver.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.10A from 1 x Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A in high @ 4.2v
- It pulls 0.80A from 1 x Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A in high @ 3.8v
◎ Brightness over time (Using non-potected Trustfire 8800mAh CR123A)
01 min = 3800 lux
05 min = 3300 lux
10 min = 3100 lux
15 min = 3000 lux
20 min = 2900 lux
25 min = 2900 lux
30 min = 2700 lux
35 min = 2600 lux
40 min = 2300 lux
45 min = 1300 lux
50 min = 0200 lux
55 min = 0100 lux (CR123A @ 2.8v)
(Below - stock form in high)
(below - modded with Cree Q5 bin + 3W regulated driver + 1 x 3.6v RCR123A = 4300lux @1m & 175lux light box!)
(FYI - this driver can be set to pull more than 1A (~2A) from a single battery so you can really push a Cree Q5)
★★★★★ Gree Cree XRE-P4 (1 x CR123A) LINK
Throw: 2400 lux (1 x 3.6v CR123A)
Lightbox: 90 lux
- Similar in size to the MTE SSC P4 light. Quite compact. Tactical crown.
- It is direct driven. Very bright well-defined hotspot. Extremely bright. Great little thrower.
- Deep smooth plastic reflector. Slightly ringy and tiny artifacts near the hotspot.
- Head unscrews off easily to reveal bare LED for candle mode. LED module is easily taken out.
- Reflector module and front lense is glued to the head. So it's not really possible to change it.
- Does not tail stand. Can swap the clickie to GITD ones. But not much benefit.
- Single mode reverse on/off clickie. Tail clicky is firm but it's still useable in single-hand use easily.
- It still rolls off the table if the surface is slanted on an angle.
- The body does get warm but doesn't get too hot even after extended use.
- This light is a good candiate for modding to make it a really nice little thrower.
- Small and VERY bright. It's a great single CR123A flashlight. Mini 3W Cree is better though.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.95A from the Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A @ 4.2v
◎ Brightness over time (Using non-potected Trustfire 8800mAh CR123A)
01 min = 2600 lux
05 min = 2300 lux
10 min = 2200 lux
15 min = 2200 lux
20 min = 2100 lux
25 min = 2100 lux
30 min = 2000 lux
35 min = 2000 lux
40 min = 1900 lux
45 min = 1900 lux
50 min = 1900 lux
55 min = 1600 lux
60 min = 0150 lux (CR123A @ 2.7v)
★★★★ MTE Z-Power SSC P4 KS-3 (DX/KD)
Throw: High 4000 lux , Low 2300 lux (2 x 3.6v CR123A)
Lightbox: High 115 lux , Low 70 lux (Initial peak is 160 lux but lasts only 2 seconds)
- Biggest in this round up overall. As tall as WF-606A and wide as the DX 7 watt light.
- Very bright hotspot. It starts off at 5000+ lux but drops off to a more constant 4000 lux within 1 minute.
- Clean white beam with a slight blue tint. No significant rings or artifacts. Spill is very wide and bright also.
- It gets quite hot after around 5 minutes. Similar to Romisen RC-F4. But it's not painful to hold.
- Nothing seems to be glued which is rare for MTE lights. So you can do candle mode with head off.
- 2 mode tail clicky has low and high mode. It is fairly easy to click it single handed. It can also tail stand.
- It is a reverse clicky and you cannot change mode by soft-press only. (Need to full press off/on)
- Plastic smooth reflector and plastic lense. Double o-rings at head and tail thread. Tough.
- It is bright. But for some reason, I don't like it heaps. But some might. =)
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.3A from 2 x Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A in high.
- Tail clickie shows 8.5 ohm resistence in low mode with my DMM.
★★★ MX Power 3W SSC P4 1xCR123A DX
Throw: 320 lux (1 x 3.6v CR123A)
Lightbox: 30 lux
- Not that bright. It's about as bright as Low mode of Cree Q4 5 mode light in this roundup.
- Beam is very clean and smooth. Same look to the MTE SSC P4 AA. Neutral light tint. (Not white)
- Has a side clickie (reverse) and not a tail switch. It's a nice change . But the click sound is quite loud.
- It is quite small. It's one of the smallest in this round up. Except for the Pocket Cree P4 light.
- It can tail stand. Does not roll off tables due to protruding side clickie. Good build quality.
- I expect a decent run time with this light due to such low output. Probably close to 2 hours.
- Lanyard is tiny. It's for fingers as even a small hand won't go through it. Kids maybe.
- It does get a bit warm during use. But it never goes up to being uncomfortable.
- If you want a compact side clickie for in-car use etc, this is not a bad light at all. But not "bright".
- UPDATE - There's maybe something seriously wrong with this lights output with my sample I think.
- Because, the buyers at DX all say this is a very bright light. I'm guess it is direct driven also. Hmm.
- But I cannot get it any brighter no matter what I try. (fully charged RCR123A, checking contacts)
- Maybe my Seoul LED is a bit faulty? Oh well. I'll check it later if it is direct driven or not and update.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.44A from a single Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A.
★★★★★★ Romisen RC-F4 Cree P4 (2 x CR123A or 1 x 17670) Gray DX / KD / Official
Throw: 3400 lux (2 x 3.6v CR123A) or 4900 lux (1 x 3.6v CR123A via direct drive mod)
Lightbox: 125 lux
- Similar look to the beam as the Gree. Slightly Ringy in and out side the beam but no artifacts.
- Bright well defined tight hotspot. Well regulated. Constant brightness from the get go till it dies.
- Overall, it is a good thrower for an EDC sized light. But has useful bright spill also.
- Feels well made. Very clean inside and out. It does not tail stand.
- Works fine with two Trustfire/Ultrafire 3.6v protected CR123A batteries.
- O-ring at front and at tail thread. Deep smooth aluminium reflector on my sample.
- But everyone else advised that they have received this light with OP reflector instead.
- Green GITD tailcap is standard. Switch easy to use. Single mode reverse on/off clickie.
- Tail thread is deep but sharp. It wasn't lubed. Switch module can be taken out easily.
- Head seems to be glued at the thread. But can be opened with a strap wrench easily.
- (Seems some doesn't come glued. So it can easily be opened by hand. Oh well)
- Cree is on 16mm round base and on a pill that can be rotated out. LED base is glued to the pill though.
- The body gets quite warm after 15 minutes of use. But it isn't too hot.
- Still, you can't get such a dcent flashlight for under $15 than this imo. A great buy!
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.6A from 2 x Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A.
- According to KD, this light will retain full brightness for 2 hours with a single 17670.
◎ Experiments
- I have bypassed the driver board and made this into a direct driven light. (soldering required)
- Now I get 4900 lux @ 1m instead! Pulls 1.1A from single CR123A battery. (see 3rd picture)
- Need to get 17670 battery to eliminate the need for a spacer to use 1 CR123A.
(Below - stock form)
(Below - direct driven via single 3.6v RCR123A bypassing the built-in regulator board - approx 30% brighter)
★★★★★ Ultrafire WF-606A 3W Cree (2xAA/1xCR2) DX / KD
Throw: 1750 lux (2 x 1.2v NiMh AA)
Lightbox: 84 lux
- It's quite bright for a 2 x AA flashlight. Brighter than all the other AA lights below.
- Initial measurement of throw indicates that it's about half of Romisen RC-F4 below.
- No artifacts or visible rings. Has a slightly yellow corona around hotspot. Neutral tint overall.
- It can use CR2's but not CR123A batteries. They just don't fit due to tight barrel.
- Reverse clickie is very easy to press and use with one hand. Does not tail stand.
- Perfect for DIY'ers. Nothing is glued on at the threads. Can expose LED for candle light.
- Aluminium OP reflector. Can easily be taken out and swapped for smooth one if u have it.
- Doesn't get too warm. Very comfortable temperature to hold for long time.
- It doesn't roll off tables too easily. The head is big and has enough flat spots to stop.
- Very goog build quality. Feels very solid and ready for tough times. Doesn't feel cheap.
- It is not a small light in terms of length. 4cm longer than RC-F4 below.
- If you want a bright single-mode throwy double-AA light, this is not a bad choice.
- There are some other alternatives also. eg. Ultrafire WF-601A or Romisen Cree RC-N3
- Rayovac Hybrids apparently fits very tightly in this light's barrel. No probs with Eneloops though.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.3A from two fully charged 1.2v Eneloops NiMh AA's.
★★★★★ UltraFire C3 AA/14500 Cree XR-E P4 Single Mode LINK1 or LINK2
Throw: 700 lux (1.2v AA NiMh) / 720 lux (2 x 1.2v AA NiMh) / 700 lux (3.2v 14500)
Lightbox: 56 lux
- Small and cute and very well made. Looks good with extension tube also. Feels expensive!
- Bright enough for general use. Bright well defined hot spot. Clean beam. Neutral tint.
- Brightness is identical in both 1 x AA or 2 x AA mode. Same with a single 14500.
- It will last 4 hours at full brightness with 2 x AA according to selfbuilt's review.
- Glass lense and textured aluminium reflector. LED wasn't well centered with mine but didn't matter.
- Does not tail stand. Tail clickie feels better when replaced with a GIDT rubber piece.
- Nothing seems to be glued. Great for DYI'ers. It does not get hot either.
- Great quality looking / feeling AA light for the money. Excellent as a present.
- You can buy 2 extenders and use 3 x AA NiMhs for super long run time. (same brightness)
- It isn't the brightest AA light, but it's a great AA light that I highly recommend.
UPDATE JAN 30 2008 - There is now a newer Single-mode Ultrafire C3 Cree Q5 available!! (brighter apparently)
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.25A from 1 x 1.2v NiMh AA.
- It pulls 0.49A from 2 x 1.2v NiMh AA.
- It pulls 0.35A from 1 x 3.2v LifePo4 14500.
★★★★ MTE 5-Mode 100 Lumens Rebel 1 x AA / 0100 BIN LINK
Throw: 850 lux (1 x 1.2v AA NiMh)
Lightbox: 60 lux
- More rounder looking than the MTE SSC P4. Slightly smaller also.
- Bright and large well-defined neutral colored hotspot. Some artifacts in hotspot.
- Also has a bright large spill. No rings or artifacts in the spill area.
- 5 modes. Has a memory feature. It will turn back on at the last mode used.
- It can tail stand. But original clickie is very hard to press. Worst one here.
- Tail clicke is MUCH better when replaced with GITD rubber piece. (But then it doesn't tail stand)
- Everything seems to be glued on at the threads like most other MTE lights.
- Not a bad multi-mode single AA light at all. There's a newer 20 mode version also.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.70A from the 1.5v Alkaline @ High mode.
- It pulls 1.25A from the 1.5v Alkaline @ Med mode.
- It pulls 0.95A from the 1.5v Alkaline @ Low mode.
◎ Experiments
- Do not use 14500 or 2 x AA with this light. LED output turns blue VERY quickly.
★★★ MTE 1xAA SSC-P4 42180-U Flashlight LINK
Throw: 500 lux (1 x 1.2v AA NiMh) / 900 lux (2 x 1.2v NiMh with custom tube)
Lightbox: 55 lux
- Well made-looking body. Thick barrel. Looks like a Fenix. Well centered LED.
- It is fairly bright. But still it is one of the lesser ones in this roundup. (1W-1.5W light)
- There is no well defined hotspot. It is smooth and widely spread. Good for close up work.
- Ultrafire C3 looks noticeably brighter in use due to brighter and better defined hotspot.
- Tail clicky feels MUCH better when replaced with GIDT rubber piece.
- It has a plastic smooth reflector.
(DEC 30th Update - It now has an Aluminium reflector. Smooth or Textured is luck of draw)
- Single mode reverse on/off clickie. Mine broke after a month of use. (DEC 30th Update - Switch module has been improved)
- Does not tail stand. Head/switch module is glued on at the threads. (DEC 30th Update - New one now tail stands!)
UPDATE - Please read this post as this light has now been improved by MTE!!
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.10A from unloaded-1.3v NiMH AA
- It pulls 1.35A from unloaded-1.6v Alkaline AA
◎ Experiments
- Output improves when using 2 AA in series with custom tube but output does show a blue tint.
- Tried wiring up 3.6v CR123A. Brighter than 2 x AA. But within 5 seconds, output turns very BLUE. =(
- Tried 3.0v LiFePo4 14500. Brighter than 2 x AA. But output becomes blue still. Not recommended!!
★★★★★ KD 1xAAA SCC U-bin SX0H Buckle LINK
Throw: 250 lux (1 x 1.2v AAA NiMh)
Lightbox: 55 lux
- It has a nice clean floody seoul look to the beam. White tint.
- Has a very wide spill and hotspot. The hotspot is barely defined. Great floody light.
- Has a twisty switch which feels quite smooth and firm. Single mode obviously.
- Body gets warm after a minute. Enough for my friends say "whoa, it gets quite warm"
- High quality feel to the body. Nice etching quality. Glass lense. Feels expensive.
- Comes with a buckle which is very light but feels a bit weak. Can take it off easily though.
- Front head seems glued but can be taken off if pulled hard. There is no threads.
- Can't see o-ring at the lense. There is o-ring at tail thread that gives resistence for twisty.
- It fits my BTY 1350mAh AAA battery from DX just fine. Alkalines also fits without issues.
- It can tail stand as the buckle end is flat and wide enough.
- Be careful not to tighten the switch too much as it may cause damage to the driver by the battery pushing down.
- Highly recommended still for a AAA light which is quite bright, nice looking and "cheap"!
- UPDATE JAN 2008 - This light has improved significantly since I bought mine. It is now up to Revision # 3 - INFO HERE
- UPDATE JAN 2008 - I now give it 5 stars instead of 4 as first samples negatives such as O-rings/contact issue is now improved.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.65A from 1.2v NiMh AAA (apparently runs for around 30 minutes at full brightness = regulated)
★★★★ Superfire WF-501B (Xenon - 2 x CR123A) LINK
Throw: 3850 lux (2 x 3.6v CR123A)
- This is a non-LED XENON bulb light. I just had it and it's cheap so included it in this roundup.
- Not a small EDC sized light. Still fits in my jean pocket as it's slim enough
- Very yellow beam. But EXTREMELY bright. Great throw + floody beam. No rings/artifacts.
- Wide hotspot and spill. Great work light. Easy on the eye during use due to the color.
- But don't expect long running times. Probably 30 minutes max at full brightness.
- Aluminum textured reflector. Easy to press reverse clicky.
- The flashlight itself doesn't look that nice imo. But it's built like a tank.
- If you want a super bright xenon light. This is not bad for only $10!
- But KD sells a newer brighter better looking Ultrafire WF502B for $12. =P
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.34A from 2 x Trustfire 3.6V CR123A (Charged at 4.2v)
★★★★ Pocket 142lm CREE P4 Flashlight (CR123A) KD / DX
Throw: 1100 lux (It heats up very quickly and output drops to around 900 within 2 minutes)
Lightbox: 95 lux (Initial peak is 120 lux)
- Big and bright smooth hotspot. Has a similar look to the Cree Q4 5 mode beam.
- Output is very smooth and clean. No rings or artifacts or dead center spot.
- Very wide spill. Wider spill area than Gree or RC-F4. Great floody output.
- Very small. It's a tiny CR123A EDC. It's about 2/3 the size of Gree Cree.
- It is direct driven. Twisty switch. It tail stands. It does have a lanyard hole.
- Tail thread is too short for protected batteries. Thread barely holds.
- Non-protected battery is perfect for it though. So don't use protected.
- When off, the battery rattles a bit. A little foam in the tail module fixes this. (DIY)
- Textured aluminium reflector and glass lense. Spring on driver side. No spring in tail.
- Quality wise, looks claen on outside. Inside is not well anodized. (big patches)
- Can take out the pill from the inside. Just rotate the inner copper ring.
- Don't expect to use it with bare hands for longer than 5 minutes at a time. Gets VERY hot!
- It's pumps out a serious amount of light for its size. But it's not a high quality light.
- Run time should be around 35-40 minutes just like the other direct driven lights. (Mini 3W Cree or Gree)
- FYI - There is a higher quality alternative - Ultrafire 602D HAIII or Romisen RC-C3
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 1.2A from the Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A
★★★★ Super Bright Cree Q4 5 mode (1 x CR123A) LINK
Throw: 1800 lux (1 x 3.6v CR123A)
Lightbox: 100 lux
- Similar size to Ultrafire C3 (1AA) Well made feel to it.
- Very bright overall output. White tint. (I have the green body model)
- Smooth looking hotspot with smooth spill. No artifacts / rings.
- No return memory feature. Every time you turn it on, it's the next mode. Annoying!
- Very easy to press reverse tail clickie. It does not tail stand.
- Switch module is of good quality and is not glued at the thread.
- Two O-rings at the tail thread. Textured aluminum reflector. Glass lens.
- Head is glued at the thread. Look inside and it seems it's soldered on.
- It says 12W on the body. Yeah right! Also says USA. Dunno why.
- If you want a small multi-mode light with good brightness, this isn't bad at all.
-
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.82A from the Trustfire 3.6V CR123A (Charged at 4.2v) @ High mode.
- It pulls 0.26A from the Trustfire 3.6V CR123A (Charged at 4.2v) @ Med mode.
- It pulls 0.10A from the Trustfire 3.6V CR123A (Charged at 4.2v) @ Low mode.
★★ DX 7 Watt Luxeon 3 x AAA LINK
Throw: 1350 lux (3 x 1.2v AAA NiMh)
- Biggest here in terms of fatness. Quite heavy also. But not too long.
- Hotspot is quite well defined and bright. But spill is very dark.
- Has a reverse tail clickie which is easy to press.
- Plastic lense. the whole light overall looks cheap and bulky.
- Uses 3 x AAA in parallel via a included bracket.
- I don't have a single reason to recommend this light to anyone.
- Well, if you want a no-spill-only-hotspot light, it's not bad. =P
★ 3W LED CR123A Flashlight (Generic) DX
Throw: 180 lux (1 x 3.6v CR123A)
- It's only $7.25 so can't expect much from it.
- It's about the size of Gree Cree. Built like a tank.
- Slightly blue tint to the light. Artifacts in hotspot.
- Reverse clickie at tail. It can only be pressed by the tip of finger nail.
- Plastic-looking smooth reflector and thin glass lense.
- Seriously, I have no idea why I even got this light. Don't buy it.
◎ Measurements
- It pulls 0.7A from a single Trustfire Protected 3.6V CR123A.
★★★★ 22000mcd Keychain 5mm LED 10 pack DX / KD
Throw: 30 lux
Lightbox: 8 lux
- Not the most durable light. 1 didn't work. 1 had a broken switch on arrival.
- Bright for such a tiny light. Has both momentary and permanent on mode.
- It can still faintly light up a small room when pointed at the ceiling.
- You can still see up to around 10 yards ahead in pitch dark with it.
- Get the white instead of black as it leaks more light and so is brighter.
- Great for cheap giveaways. Liked by everyone when given for free. =)
★★ 10mm Bright LED Keychain flashlight DX / KD
Throw: 80 lux @ 100cm
Lightbox: 8 lux
- Quite a bit bigger than the 5mm one above. But identical look and design.
- Brighter hotspot = more throw. But virtually no spill. So it doesn't feel bright.
- I don't recommend it. I would rather use the 5mm one above instead anyday.
★★ Mini Pig 2 LED Flashlight LINK
- 2 x 5mm LEDs but it's not as bright as 22000mcd 5mm Keychain light.
- You get two seperate round outputs side by side. They are half overlapped.
- As a flashlight, it's very very weak. Just enough for close up work.
- The two LED outputs aren't exactly the same. Luck of the draw LEDs.
- I would rather get the cheaper and brighter 5mm keychain lights.
- Momentary on/off heart-shaped switch on the pig's belly. No permanent on option.
- Very cheap for what it is. Cute looking. Very light. Cheap gift.
[COMMENTS]
- Every sample may vary in brightness by up to around 15% or so.
- So yours could end up being dimmer or brighter than what I have.
- I added my referral id to the above DX links. Those extra points may help me add more lights here. =)
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