Got an El Capitan today

[J33psr0ck]

I stopped by Peak's shop today and I picked up an El Capitan in HA III. I was looking for a compact, high quality, U.S. made light with a tail click set-up and man I am very happy I came across Peak LED. The El Capitan fits the bill. I talked with Curt, Robyn and Mark and they were very helpful and a pleasure to deal with. I got to check out some very cool lights and learned a bit too.

I have only had a few hours with the El Capitan light, but I can say the beam (#8 narrow) is perfect. There are no rings, odd shadows or dead spots of any kind. The light fits my hand much better than my larger SureFire. The El Capitan is exactly what I was looking for. I can also say that the fit and finish on the light are top notch.

I will be ordering some lithium-ion 14500's this week. Looking forward to seeing the different between those and the standard AA.

Thanks for a great light Peak, it will not be the last. The El Capitan is a great light.

Ron

 

[regulator]

Glad to hear you like the light. I am curious as to what the narrow beam optic looks like for the Captain. I have a medium optic Eiger that I would consider it a wide beam. If the narrow optic for the Captain is not too narrow and provides a bit of spill I might be in the market for one of them.

I just don't want a beam like the early Inova AA light that had a small circle of light with almost zero spill. It seems like your eyes were following a boucing ball in the dark.

 

[Dances with Flashlight]

The beam profile of the narrow El Cap is very close in its general appearance to those of both the medium El Cap and the medium Eiger, due I suppose to the similarity of the optics used in all three lights. But the narrow El Cap beam is tighter than either of these mediums. It is not as floody as Peak Pacifics or Caribbeans yet it still has plenty of useable spill. Loaded with a 14500, a narrow #8 El Cap throws better than every other Peak light I have. I will post some (hopefully) worthwhile comparison beam shots one day this week. You're going to love this light!

 

[regulator]

Looking forward to seeing those beam shots. It would be great if you could compare it to the medium optic. From your description it sounds pretty nice.

 

[BentHeadTX]

Bring on the beam shots!

I'm really interested in the El Cap narrow optic and what it looks like. Any info on runtimes with NiMH or 14500 batteries?

 

[Raymond33]

I haven't been able to find beam shots of any El Capitan anywhere in CPF, or on the WWW. Your contribution would be very helpful for me in my decision. God Bless all, and have a great New Year.

 

[J33psr0ck]

Well I have some beam shots, but I have never taken any before and I don't know much about cameras. I was hoping to get through some of the beam shot tutorials on this site before posting, but since several folks have asked, here goes. What the pictures don't seem to capture very well is the amount of spill from from the lights, obviously my lack of camera knowledge is at fault here.

All pics about 4 feet away from the door:

Here is the Peak El Cap #8 Narrow using 1x AA Eneloop.

Here is my SureFire C2 with a Thrunite XP-G R5 using 2 CR123.

Here is my Streamlight Stylus Pro using 2x AAA.

 

[J33psr0ck]

Some additional comments. I have carried the El Cap every day all day since I picked it up. In short, I love the light. Everyone I have showed the light to from folks who don't understand why someone would pay more than $5 for a flashlight to folks that carry higher end lights says WOW when I show it to them. I will need to pick up another Peak LED light soon. I am definitely a happy camper.

 

[BentHeadTX]

J33,

The beam looks about right for what I need. Will the light run at least an hour until it starts to dim on an Eneloop? I really wonder what the runtime with a 14500 would be, once the cell is done, it's lights out so I ponder if it's a good idea.

I'm assuming once the AA can't hold the voltage on the level, it will go into "power save" mode and then taper off unregulated?

Sorry to pester you, my wife is wondering what to get me for my birthday next month an a #8 Narrow El Capitan HA-III with two protected 14500 cells and a dual-bay charger seem to be what I need.

 

[J33psr0ck]

I can't say for sure, but I will put in a fresh Eneloop right now and check the runtime. I don't have a multimeter or anything like that so I will not be able to give you any voltages, just a simpleton test.

I can't comment on litium-ion, don't own any yet, sorry man. I will start the test now and post back soon.

If my wife got me this light with some lithium batteries to boot, I would be very happy.

Stand by.

 

[J33psr0ck]

Here are shots with a fresh Eneloop AA and then a shot after 60 minutes. Again, this is completely subjective and I will have to leave the objective measurements to the pros.


Eneloop 1xAA off the charger El Cap

Eneloop 1xAA after 60 minutes El Cap

 

[BentHeadTX]

Thanks J33,

It looks like it has no problem running at least an hour on an Eneloop

My plan is to use the light as an ultra-light bicycle helmet light running 14500 protected cells. I'll have a 2AA XP-G R5 light mounted to the bicycle frame since when the 14500 cells are gone, the light goes out! The li-ion cells are only when I know how long I'll be riding and there is always a few lithium AA Energizers in my rack pack for the lights. Generally, I'll have an Eneloop in the El Capitan #8 narrow since it should taper off as a warning.

Thanks again for your info on the El Cap #8 narrow!

 

[J33psr0ck]

No problem Bent and I agree 60 mins on an Eneloop is good to go.

 

[NutSAK]

Thanks for the beamshots J33p--they are much more informative than a mere description. It's interesting that this is a narrow optic, since the hotspot doesn't seem very focused. I would have probably opted for the medium optic until I saw these pics.

 

[regulator]

Thank you J33psrock. You went above and beyond and I thank you. I think the narrow optic does very well.

I would almost call it medium and the medium a wide. When I think of a narrow optic I think back to the Inova X1 with a defined circle and almost no spill. The Inova creates a tunnel vision in the dark and is hard to navigate by. Your beamshots help out a lot. Thanks again.

 

[post tenebras]

Thank you J33psr0ck for the beamshots!

 

[J33psr0ck]

Using the El Capitan #8 narrow, Here is a comparison between a fresh Eneloop and a fresh AW 14500. Dances with Flashlight let me borrow an AW 14500 and a charger so thanks to him for the Lithium-Ion comparison. I will take some longer distance shots in the backyard in a bit.

2.5 Ft. Shot with a fresh AA Eneloop

2.5 Ft. Shot with a fresh AW 14500

 

[choombak]

Congratulations. The beam profile is the nicest I've seen on any light till date. Enjoy!

-Amarendra

 

[J33psr0ck]

I posted these in Dances with Flashlight's review of the El Capitan, but I will post them here as well.

Camera Info: Sony DSC-H2, 1.3 second shutter speed, f4.0.

El Capitan #8 narrow, Here are a couple more comparison shots between the Eneloop and the AW 14500. I think these shots definitely demonstrate the difference between the 2 battery types.

These shots are taken of the 6 foot block wall and an aloe plant in my backyard at a distance of 6 yards.

Eneloop

AW 14500

These shots are taken of the back of my house (which clearly needs to be painted btw) at 10 yards away.

Eneloop

AW 14500 - The colors in the lower left portion of the picture of the reflectors on my sons bike.

 

[regulator]

I just ordered a #6 power with narrow optics in aluminum with pocket body. I think this level will suit my needs very well. With a lithium cell the runtime should be very good and the weight minimum. A great edc.

I can bump the output up to a respectable level with a 14500 cell when needed. Should still be able to get a couple of hours runtime.