I recently received a GearLite Scepter from Golden Gadgets and a Triple Cree from Kai Domain. It took a very long time for the GG scepter to arrive, but Gary from GG shipped it to me express (Thanks!).
The two are both advertised as outputting 500 lumens. I'd definitely say the scepter is much brighter, but it also has a longer throw. The quality of construction on the two is very good. I was kinda disapointed that the included charger with the scepter blew out after about 10 minutes (the 12 adapter made a popping noise and wouldn't work when I plugged it back in after taking it out of the wall socket for a couple of secs). I plugged in a different AC adapter (13 watts, it overheated in 15 mins and quit working). I have an 18 watt adapter which I then used, and it worked fine. I only recharged 2 batteries at a time though and it never even got warm.
The scepter light seems longer than the 11 or so inches described and it has some weight to it. The light output has a very nice throw and while I don't have any pics, it's decent. I also have a LumaHunter MRV and I'd say that the intensity of the scepter is similar to the MRV, but the scepter bright spot is about double the diameter of MRV's. The MRV has a much sharper spot, with less spill. The scepter has a softer spot, and more spill. I went for a walk and could easily get 2x the distance throw and light up a bigger area. I went out on a cloudy night with a 3/4 full moon and surpised some deer sleeping on a dry pond bed about 400 feet away. Sorry guys! The MRV wouldn't have lit up as large an area.
The scepter, I'd have to say has a decent throw and would be great in the woods. I like the triple CREE for the price, it's throw isn't nearly as good but it's spill is much greater. It'd make a great bike light or a reading light (at about 6-10 feet away) during a power outage. It also weighs a lot less.
The scepter has a very slippery surface, so if you get one, be careful or you'll drop it... probably on a rock or the pavement which will promptly scratch it all up. It has a very small, short wrist strap attached, which is kinda sucky.
The scepter has a nice simple push button which requires the least amount of pressure to turn on/off of any of my lights. The 3 CREE has a click-click button (click on, click off). When the 3 CREE button is partially recessed, it toggles between the 3 modes: lo, hi, 20Hz epileptic flash. The scepter was supposed to have a strobe mode (I thought), but doesn't. I think this is a GOOD THING.
I definitely like the look of the scepter, it very organic; like something H.R. Geiger might design if he designed a flashlight. I think that's one of the reasons I bought it.
I did notice that both lights get fairly toasty around the business end after operating ~10 mins.
I hope this review helped everyone. I'd been waiting to see if anyone else had bought a GearLite Scepter, but no one posted.
Sorry, no beam shots - I don't own a digital camera.
I'd have to say overall, the scepter could be putting out 300-500 lumens (as advertised) compared to my 100-200 lumen flashlights un-scientifically speaking: this doesn't seem to be an exaggeration.
BTW: the scepter comes with a 3x 18650s with button nubs on the end (like a AA battery) and won't fit an UltraFire or other 18650 charger. The flashlight needs the slightly longer batteries or it won't work (tried it). You can get magnetic nubby extenders from DX, KD for cheap and that should probably work.
Happy flashaholin!
Meef
The two are both advertised as outputting 500 lumens. I'd definitely say the scepter is much brighter, but it also has a longer throw. The quality of construction on the two is very good. I was kinda disapointed that the included charger with the scepter blew out after about 10 minutes (the 12 adapter made a popping noise and wouldn't work when I plugged it back in after taking it out of the wall socket for a couple of secs). I plugged in a different AC adapter (13 watts, it overheated in 15 mins and quit working). I have an 18 watt adapter which I then used, and it worked fine. I only recharged 2 batteries at a time though and it never even got warm.
The scepter light seems longer than the 11 or so inches described and it has some weight to it. The light output has a very nice throw and while I don't have any pics, it's decent. I also have a LumaHunter MRV and I'd say that the intensity of the scepter is similar to the MRV, but the scepter bright spot is about double the diameter of MRV's. The MRV has a much sharper spot, with less spill. The scepter has a softer spot, and more spill. I went for a walk and could easily get 2x the distance throw and light up a bigger area. I went out on a cloudy night with a 3/4 full moon and surpised some deer sleeping on a dry pond bed about 400 feet away. Sorry guys! The MRV wouldn't have lit up as large an area.
The scepter, I'd have to say has a decent throw and would be great in the woods. I like the triple CREE for the price, it's throw isn't nearly as good but it's spill is much greater. It'd make a great bike light or a reading light (at about 6-10 feet away) during a power outage. It also weighs a lot less.
The scepter has a very slippery surface, so if you get one, be careful or you'll drop it... probably on a rock or the pavement which will promptly scratch it all up. It has a very small, short wrist strap attached, which is kinda sucky.
The scepter has a nice simple push button which requires the least amount of pressure to turn on/off of any of my lights. The 3 CREE has a click-click button (click on, click off). When the 3 CREE button is partially recessed, it toggles between the 3 modes: lo, hi, 20Hz epileptic flash. The scepter was supposed to have a strobe mode (I thought), but doesn't. I think this is a GOOD THING.
I definitely like the look of the scepter, it very organic; like something H.R. Geiger might design if he designed a flashlight. I think that's one of the reasons I bought it.
I did notice that both lights get fairly toasty around the business end after operating ~10 mins.
I hope this review helped everyone. I'd been waiting to see if anyone else had bought a GearLite Scepter, but no one posted.
Sorry, no beam shots - I don't own a digital camera.
I'd have to say overall, the scepter could be putting out 300-500 lumens (as advertised) compared to my 100-200 lumen flashlights un-scientifically speaking: this doesn't seem to be an exaggeration.
BTW: the scepter comes with a 3x 18650s with button nubs on the end (like a AA battery) and won't fit an UltraFire or other 18650 charger. The flashlight needs the slightly longer batteries or it won't work (tried it). You can get magnetic nubby extenders from DX, KD for cheap and that should probably work.
Happy flashaholin!
Meef
