Custom Light Smackdown Part 2 - PHOTO HEAVY!

[run4jc]

THE ELEKTROLUMENS, MAC'S CUSTOMS, MCGIZMO, SUREFIRE, COOL FALL CUSTOM LIGHT PHOTO SMACKDOWN!

Folks, this is one of the posts that was lost yesterday. Sad to have lost it, but happy to replace it...hope nothing is left out compared to the original.

Few comments needed - but as a set up, our place at the beach is great for beam shots and since I had every custom light that I own with me, thought it might be fun to do an all encompassing photo/beam shot post.

The pile of debris is 100 feet away.
Camera: Canon
Model: Canon EOS 40D
ISO: 1250
Exposure: 4.0 sec
Lens: Sigma 18-50 2.8
Aperture: 6.3
Focal Length: 18mm
Flash Used: No

LINK TO HIGHER RESOLUTION PHOTO ALBUM
YOUTUBE VIDEO of ALL BEAMSHOTS

With no further delay - let the photos do the talking..

Review of this light here

Review of this light here

Review of this light here

Review of this light here

Review of this light here

This is FAR and AWAY my favorite light(s)...

Hope you enjoy! lovecpf

 

[GunSmoke16610]

Dan- fantastic job! I am amazed at the versatility of the TriV. I do not know if I could get over the price tag with out folding under the stress of damaging the light and selling it.


Again great work!

 

[pwatcher]

Dan, many thanks for the shootout pics! I'm blessed to own several of your contenders (not the Tri-V though) and learned much by the comparison. Bet it was fun putting this together, even though time consuming I'm sure!

Very helpful information for the rest of us!

Paul

 

[run4jc]

Dan- fantastic job! I am amazed at the versatility of the TriV. I do not know if I could get over the price tag with out folding under the stress of damaging the light and selling it.

Dan, many thanks for the shootout pics! I'm blessed to own several of your contenders (not the Tri-V though) and learned much by the comparison. Bet it was fun putting this together, even though time consuming I'm sure!

Very helpful information for the rest of us!

Paul

Thanks, guys. While I certainly understand the feeling of as it relates to purchasing a Tri-V (and that remains a personal decision for all of us and our respective budgets), my position remains that the Tri V is one of the best VALUES going in custom lights!

"Have you lost your mind, Dan?" Hopefully not...let's think about this for a minute:

We all have our own reasons for purchasing our flashlight(s). My MAIN reason (and forgive me for boring you with this again) is to assist me with an early morning dog walk each morning - an event that my two Shelties and I very much look forward to. Northern Virginia - close to DC and near the 'Beltway' has been mostly built out for many years. My neighborhood has homes that are 40 years plus old, and all around me are similar neighborhoods. The trees and the woods are abundant, and there are great walking/biking paths. My walk takes me down such a path, then down a 'back street', then up a 'main street', then down my neighborhood street which has fairly heavy travel as Navy Federal Credit Union and some "secret" federal offices are a mile or so away.

Critters abound. Foxes, deer, and others. So when I walk, my primary need is for a good reflector light. Tri V - score. My 13 year old Sheltie doesn't see as well as she once did, so occasionally I need to light a large area around her so that she can get her footing on curbs and uneven grassy hillsides - Tri V MCE - score. "What's that 100 yards away in the tree line?? Deer? Fox? Both?" Tri V spot - score! Three lights in one small hand held titanium beauty.

Okay, sure - it cost me $2,000. "For a flashlight!? Are you nuts?!"

Oooo - lifetime warranty to the original owner. Ooo- robust construction out of titanium. Oh, and the best part? A question first - have any of you been watching your investments? Are they GAINING in value or FALLING in value? Have you seen any Tri Vs on the BST of late? Did they sell for at least as much as the original asking price? Right! So they are, while not investments, holding their value as well as (or better than) many of my (our) investments!!

So there you go - it does everything I want, is uber cool, and holds its value. If I find myself in financial straits, I'll eek sell it (oh, wait - I have 2 of them...:devil.

And there my friends lies my personal justification for owning this amazing light!

 

[SiliconCali]

:goodjob: Sweeeeet beam shots!

 

[coloradogps]

Wow, Dan!

Again a great job of comparing theses lights.

The photos are superb. :thumbsup:

I am fortunate to own some of these lights and it's nice to compare them to others that I have never owned.

:twothumbs

 

[Crenshaw]

I Think i would sell all my lights if i could get a Tri-V, that looks nothing short of amazing


okay maybe not all....

Crenshaw

 

[jellydonut]

I'm gonna attempt to reiterate my comment from yesterday, although I'll probably lose some of the points I had..:nana:

Very nice shots, even though I will likely never own any of these lights. I find the shots of the Tri-V in use, and the concept itself, the most interesting. It gives me hope that other manufacturers will create lights with similar multi-emitter concepts - rather than two, three or four identical emitters attempting to create a uniform beam, have different beams for different uses, or as in some in this case, create the perfect combination of throw, flood and everything in between by engaging multiple different emitters at once. There's no good reason why someone can't make a light reminiscent of the Surefire 10X Dominator with a couple of different LEDs in it for instance, is there?

As for your argument justifying the purchase of that very light, I don't think you need to argue to justify it. If you yourself see it worth the entry price then that is good enough. Personally I can't see myself spending that much money on a light like that, but to each his own. We are all different and want different things.

 

[run4jc]

I'm gonna attempt to reiterate my comment from yesterday, although I'll probably lose some of the points I had..:nana:

Very nice shots, even though I will likely never own any of these lights. I find the shots of the Tri-V in use, and the concept itself, the most interesting. It gives me hope that other manufacturers will create lights with similar multi-emitter concepts - rather than two, three or four identical emitters attempting to create a uniform beam, have different beams for different uses, or as in some in this case, create the perfect combination of throw, flood and everything in between by engaging multiple different emitters at once. There's no good reason why someone can't make a light reminiscent of the Surefire 10X Dominator with a couple of different LEDs in it for instance, is there?

As for your argument justifying the purchase of that very light, I don't think you need to argue to justify it. If you yourself see it worth the entry price then that is good enough. Personally I can't see myself spending that much money on a light like that, but to each his own. We are all different and want different things.

I actually remember your post from yesterday - while it was a good post, this one is better - thanks! And lest I be misunderstood, I am not arguing my position in order to justify my purchase (although I did use the word "justification") - I am totally happy with the decision and have never regretted buying either of the two. My goal was to simply give some insight into the value of the light to me.

Thanks for the comments!

 

[jellydonut]

Aha, well, I can see that. The first time I came across the actual sales thread for the Spies my eyes nearly popped out and I attempted to figure out what made them worth $2k for quite a while.

Personally I feel I've gone enough off the deep end by buying a used Polarion, and that's just half of what the Tri-V would cost me.:sweat:

 

[shado]

Dan,

Great job on the beam shots :thumbsup:. The Tri V is shots were incredible :twothumbs. You are helping a lot of people like me decide on future lights and upgrades. I really appreciate all the time you have taken to share your collection.

Thanks
Todd

 

[Henk_Lu]

Wow! Great Job for showing the beams of the best flashlights on the market! :thumbsup:

Though I'll never get a Tri-V, it's the actual summit of flashlights. In teh shot, where you turn everything on, you have everything, from (powerfull) flood to show you the surroundings over a normal (powerfull) beam to a (powerfull) spot.

Nevertheless, all the other lights have great beams as well. I see confirmed in your outdoor shots what I thought having seen indoors with my lights : The Mac EDC is a bit like the Haiku, just more powerfull. Indoor you think the difference is not that great however, outdoor you also see that the Haiku has more throw.

The Makai 2x123 will be my next light, I'm already saving up for it. The one cell version is already impressive!

The MCE-EDC is a wall of light, I have the aluminium version and I guess they should be the same. It's he most powerfull MCE light I've seen and there's no cross or donut! :thumbsup:

You're choice of lights are the best of the best. Unfortunately, we're very far away here to enjoy the last one and with all the surrounding light (mostly not from flashlights) around us at night (in civilisation) it looks much dimmer than it is and we even don't see most of the emitters...

 

[run4jc]

Tomorrow a new toy will arrive at Dan's house - an Oveready bored, cerakoted 6P with a black steel bezel, UCL lens, and hard press McClicky. It will play host to a Triple XPG! Oh, my - another light to test. I think it will be very interesting comparing all the 'titans' (sorry Surefire) at maximum output!
:naughty:

 

[run4jc]

Dropped a link in to a YouTube compilation of the photos here

 

[Barbarian]

Thanks again Dan for all of these great comparison shots so that we can get an idea of what to expect out of these lights if we purchase them.