Is the Q5 D Mini digital worth the $$$?

[4D223]

I am thinking about loading the PAYPAL and hitting Batt Junction for a Q5 D Mini. Are they worth the extra money compared to a regular D Mini or should I wait and see what else becomes available? Does anybody have any thoughts on the Q5 D Mini? Good/bad/indifferent. I would love to hear your views. Thanks in advance
Pete.

 

[Illumination]

I am thinking about loading the PAYPAL and hitting Batt Junction for a Q5 D Mini. Are they worth the extra money compared to a regular D Mini or should I wait and see what else becomes available? Does anybody have any thoughts on the Q5 D Mini? Good/bad/indifferent. I would love to hear your views. Thanks in advance
Pete.

I think the answer is no.

The D-mini is a nice light. I have it it in P4. When the Q2 and Q5 versions came out, there were very few Q5s out there, so Lumapower positioned the Q5 as a "premium" model and charged a significant premium for it. The Q2 is $65 and the Q5 is $90 which is $25 more. I know it comes with some additional accessories, but you are still paying an extra $15 - $20 for the Q5 emitter, which only costs a few extra bucks vs. the Q2.

I looked at the D-Mini Digital Q5, but bought a Surefire L1 instead - even though more expensive, I thought it was a much better value. I think the Deerelight CL1Hv3 is another good option. I'm sure others will disagree with me, but I think the D-Mini Digital is overpriced in comparison to the Q2 and other lights.

Q5's are almost a dime a dozen today.

Also bear in mind the D-Mini Digital with a R-2 was on display in HK several months ago at an expo. LumaPower had or has the press release on its webpage.

Full disclosure I'm also annoyed that Lumapower only offered the upgrade in Q2 and not Q5...I guess they figure that people who know the difference will gladly pay the steep markup. With all of the alternatives now out there, that may no longer be the case.

 

[Gunner12]

Depends on what you are looking for.

About the L1 vs D-mini. The L1 is probably tougher, but the D-mini will be brighter.

What are you looking for in your next light?

 

[woodrow]

I have bought one...twice. I sold the first one...and months later bought it back again when the cpf'r who bought it but it back on the b/s/t. Let me breifly state what it is good at...and what it is not.

First...for this light to be great, you have to spend even more money and buy the 18650 tube. This gives the light 3 hrs on high, (my guess-->) 24 on medium and days on low. It is just too big in the bezel to be a good pocket light, so you might as well get some runtime out of it.

The Good: It is a nice medium sized light (with the 18650 tube) that comes with both reflectors. Mine has a spot on white tint. The light has a great UI. High, Medium, Low...no 5 levels, no strobe..no sos! All levels are easy to get to within a second. With the 18650 batt, you have over 3 hours of runtime on high, with very little dimming. Another nice thing about the light, is it has a very nice low. You can use it walking around the house at night, without waking everyone. Lumapower sells extra switches/reflectors. If your switch goes out, you can allready have a spare...at a very reasonable price. If you buy it from Batteryjunction, they are good at backing their customers.

The Bad: The light is not as bright as lights like the Fenix T1 or the CL1H Q5 lights. They beat it by about 20%. Of course the D-mini gives you an extra hour of runtime on high...but thats the price. Also, since the light was not origionally set up to use 18650's, you must use magnets with them (if you buy the flat top 18650's) or put a little dab of electrical sodder on the bottom of the pill. (this takes 5 seconds)

With the smooth reflector, the D-mini will outthrow the Fenix T1 OP, but the T1 has a bigger spot and brighter spill....Of course the T1 only gives you about 80min of runtime on primaries and 50min on rcr123a's.

I find myself using mine a lot. I just like having 3 hours of runtime on high without a battery change...in a light that will decently spot things out to 100 yards or so. I also like that its beam is not pencil thin like the dedicated thrower lights.

So, it is up to you. The D-mini SE digital is a really nice light. If you are looking for the brightest Q5 out there, it is not it. But it is very bright, and above all, user friendly and versitile. I missed mine after I sold it, and had to buy it back.

 

[Illumination]

Am I the only one that thinks Lumapower is unreasonable in the premium they charge for the Q5 over the Q2?

 

[Babo]

Am I the only one that thinks Lumapower is unreasonable in the premium they charge for the Q5 over the Q2?

Not at all.

I was talking with the cymbal tuner for a major symphony orchestra just this morning, when your comment came up.

He said, "I'll bet that bloke on CPF worries he is the only one who thinks that, but he's not."

Hope this helps.

 

[OceanView]

...you are still paying an extra $15 - $20 for the Q5 emitter, which only costs a few extra bucks vs. the Q2.

There's a "cost" to putting out an improved model, particular when the same company has an "older" model also selling at the same time, and that cost is not just the sum of the component costs.

With all the talk of recession these days, I think a lot of discretionary spending, like on lights, will be curtailed. We could see a lot of niche makers like Lumapower close up shop very soon and catch all of us by surprise.

 

[Illumination]

There's a "cost" to putting out an improved model, particular when the same company has an "older" model also selling at the same time, and that cost is not just the sum of the component costs.

With all the talk of recession these days, I think a lot of discretionary spending, like on lights, will be curtailed. We could see a lot of niche makers like Lumapower close up shop very soon and catch all of us by surprise.

Yes, some will close and some will survive. I can't speculate who.

Note that Fenix charges only about $8 more for a Q5 vs. a P4.

Lumapower makes a good product, but overpriced IMHO.

 

[Illumination]

Not at all.

I was talking with the cymbal tuner for a major symphony orchestra just this morning, when your comment came up.

He said, "I'll bet that bloke on CPF worries he is the only one who thinks that, but he's not."

Hope this helps.

Thanks, I was worried I was all alone. Now I feel so good that your cymbal-tuning friend agrees with me.

 

[yaesumofo]

There are so many examples of overpriced "premium" lights and accessories on the cpf take your choice.
What you may consider overpriced may not apply to another person. like our personal choices in likes and dislikes this is a subjective issue.
If the wholesale price of the Q2 is that much more than the Q5 or if there is that much advantage or if that is what the market will bare....All need to be looked at.
I have a D mini...an older one. I paid a premium to get 2 reflectors and switches. I like the light. I found it to be kind of inexpensive for what I though it was. Now that I own one I feel like I paid about the right price. Would I spend more on one for a brighter emitter. NO not unless the new emitter was at least 2X as bright. which they are not. We will not be seeing 400 Lumen emitters for a while.
The D-mini is quite a nice little thrower for it's size.
Yaesumofo

Am I the only one that thinks Llamapower is unreasonable in the premium they charge for the Q5 over the Q2?

 

[woodrow]

The great thing about cpf is that with the b/s/t section, it does not cost you a lot to find out if a certian light is right for you. I bought the D-mini se...then sold it. Months later, I bought a Surefire E2L cree. I decided that I wanted more light and more spillbeam so I sold it and used that money to get my d-mini back.

I just bought the new Tiablo MA6. If it is a great light, I will keep it...and maybe sell the D-mini again...or the MA6 might go.

My point is, you are not really out $90 if you do not like a light. Just sell it and try again.

 

[4D223]

Thanks guys, for the opinions/thoughts. I think I am going to wait a bit for the Q5 D-Mini, I will try to control my NEED for the latest/best light. This torch addiction really get under your skin!!
Pete.

 

[magic_elf]

I looked at the D-Mini Digital Q5, but bought a Surefire L1 instead - even though more expensive, I thought it was a much better value.

Higher price, less accessories lower output.
How is that a much better value btw?

 

[woodrow]

Thanks guys, for the opinions/thoughts. I think I am going to wait a bit for the Q5 D-Mini, I will try to control my NEED for the latest/best light. This torch addiction really get under your skin!!
Pete.

I received my Tiablo MA6...Wow! Twice the spot lux as the D-mini SE. 30% brighter spill. Longer runtime. Multilevel and single level forward switch. Just as easy to edc. For the money, I think it is the better light. Just MHO.

 

[Zenster]

I just received my D-Mini Q5 last week, and I like it a lot.
http://www.batteryjunction.com/specialedition-lumapower-dmini.html

No, it's not as bright as other Q5 lights that some people are comparing it to, simply because the D-Mini doesn't have as large a reflector. But it's a great, small light that slips easily into the pocket of a cool-weather jacket, and it's certainly brighter than I've needed for what I've used it for so far. (When I want "really" bright, I'll grab my DBS, but it's not so portable as the D-Mini).

Since I've never had a pre-Q5 D-Mini, I can't compare this new Q5 model to anything earlier. This one is not only a Q5, but it also uses the Epsilon engine so you have a 3-level output capability which is great for long runtimes.

Going a step further, I bought this D-Mini with the idea of using the D-65 extension tube on it for three reasons; it will be brighter using the 3.7v 18650 over a single 3.0v CR123, the 18650 will increase the runtime significantly, and it automatically becomes "free" to run by using the rechargeable 18650.
Then for power out emergencies, I can change out the D-65 again and go back to using a CR123.

Personally, I think of the D-Mini as a "classic", and now that almost all lights nowadays are as bright or brighter than are needed for most real-world use, this D-Mini fits in nicely between a little EDC and a much larger light like the CL1H or MA6.
You can see a side by side picture in this thread how much different in size the D-Mini is to the MA6 so it's not really an equal comparison.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=186937

 

[Illumination]

Higher price, less accessories lower output.
How is that a much better value btw?

Better runtime
Better quality
Better warranty
More useful output (better combination of spot and spill)
US Made

Let's not turn this into a Surefire vs. non-Surefire thread. I agree that D-Mini is good too.

Price really wasn't much more expensive. Surefire can be purchased below list more easily than LumaPower because LumaPower only has one US dealer.

 

[woodrow]

Zenster... I am glad you really like your light. And, it is a good light. I have had some lumapower problems lately...so I am kind of not that happy with the company. (luckily for me, I have bought them from Batteryjunction and they have taken care of everything )

But it is a cool light, and I hope you get a lot of good use out of it.:thumbsup:

 

[Zenster]

Zenster... I am glad you really like your light. And, it is a good light. I have had some lumapower problems lately...so I am kind of not that happy with the company. (luckily for me, I have bought them from Batteryjunction and they have taken care of everything )

But it is a cool light, and I hope you get a lot of good use out of it.:thumbsup:

Yea, that's what I was picking up from you.
You and I both know that comparing two lights that are in two totally different classes isn't really a comparison at all.

The reason I thought I should attempt to clarify that is because lot's of CPF members make buying decisions ($$$) based on reviews they read about here, and I got the feeling that you might be on a bit of a vendetta against the D-Mini (more specifically, Lumapower) rather than trying to actually compare it for others to make an informed decision.

I seriously considered getting an MA6 myself, but after doing some spec comparisons, I found that the MA6 is within 1/4" in length compared to the A8 or A9, and the small saving in it's tube diameter dimension didn't give it that much of a "compact" carry advantage compared to the A8/A9, especially considering that big honker of a clip clamp that makes it even more chunky than an A8 or A9 to carry.
So basically with the MA6, what you have is a light that's as large as an A8 or A9 (from a practical standpoint) and can't use the 18650 battery for it's longer runtime, and it's not going to illuminate as well as either the A8 or A9. So I passed on the MA6 since I already have an A9s(Q5) that is about on par with my DBS/2SD/Q5 as far as throw and lumen output.

So what you were doing was comparing a 2xCR123 light (MA6) against a 1xCR123 light that's half as long (D-Mini) and declaring the MA6 the "winner".
I was a little confused by that considering how not that far off the beam brightness and quality of the D-Mini looked compared to the beam shot of the MA6, and also considering how much smaller the D-Mini is compared to the MA6.
I thought the 1xCR123 D-Mini held up pretty well against a 2xCR123 MA6, a light in an entirely different class.

As far as quality goes, I also had my own D-Mini (LumaPower) "problem" just last week in that the D-65 extension tube I got with the light had some sloppily machined threads on one end. It was clearly galled so badly that I didn't even want to try to install it on the light for fear of damaging the D-Mini itself (which was very nicely and cleanly machined, and of very good build quality).
So I'm sending the extension tube back this week to be exchanged for another, and that certainly indicates that maybe the quality control from Lumapower isn't always consistent (as I'm sure you will attest).
But like you have discovered, Battery Junction is a pleasure to work with when it comes to these kinds of things.

In the end, I have to say that I really, really like the D-Mini, but then to be a devil's advocate, I think the one thing I could "complain" about it is that I would like it to have a more diffused beam.
Even with the OP reflector, it's a little tighter than I like it, but I should qualify that statement by saying that after evaluating all the various lights I've bought with both reflector types, I have ended up using the OP reflectors with every one of them. I am not in the majority of those who strive for best throw no matter how pencil thin the beam is.
I like a beam that I can use for actually seeing things at night.
To show you where my head's at, I'll mention that when I got my Surefire E1L, I slipped the F04 diffuser on it and haven't taken it off since. But don't tell nobody.


While I don't know exactly what problems you've had with Lumapower lights, I can say that the overall build quality and finish quality of the two that I have (MRV-SE/Epsilon and D-Mini SE/Q5) is very good, and the only light I have of apparently higher quality is my Tiablo A9s.
Then again, we all put our different lights to different uses, so while I very much like my D-Mini, you may not have come up with any situation where you might grab it instead of another, and I can understand that. I also have a Surefire P6 Original, and while many idolize that light, I don't like it at all since I have moved away from incans and now they all look like they're just "dim bulbs" with their batteries almost dead.
But that's just me...

 

[woodrow]

I thought it was a fair comparison because they are both smaller (bezel diamiter) throw lights. Both sell for about the same money...and both are sold as alternitives to the big thrower lights.....plus, they are the only 2 smaller thrower lights I have right now. If I had the WT1, I would have used it as well.

I also compared them because I was amazed how much more output the MA6 does have compared to the Q5 D-mini.

The D-mini also has advantages...smaller size and a lower low over the Tiablo. But I do think it is a fair comparison based on price and what the lights are designed to do...throw.

As to my irritation at LP right now....4 out of 7 lights I have owned from them have been problematic...2...with a combined price of over $270 had to be sent back. Thats kind of frustrating to me. I hope you have none of this luck.

 

[daveman]

Lumapower's D-mini is THE BEST pocket thrower on the market right now, even more so than Surefire's Creed L1. So the light is definitely good (in its niche), but the emitter depends on the urgency of your needs.