csshih
Flashlight Enthusiast
Hi Everyone,
Up for review is the extremely popular iTP EOS 3 mode upgraded edition. This light has generated allot of popularity due to its rather low price and small size.
Here are some of the specs from flashlightsngear.com
A bit of background:
The maratac AAA was first noticed by the CPF community on in this thread, and soon after, The iTP Eos was first introduced to the CPF community in what appears to be this post. there are quite a few posts, so correct me if I'm wrong. The reason the maratac was mentioned is due to the fact that iTP also manufactures the maratac!
This light was provided by Daniel @ FlashlightsNGear.com
Onwards!
here is the light:
the a3 has some surprisingly decent package for it's price. I was expecting a cheap, unlabled paper box.
extra orings, and an instruction manual..I always thought this was uneedy, but, hm, it's cheap to do.
fine parallel knurling
decent clip, and removeable too.
strong attachment point for the keychain -- but no tailstanding
strong appearing keychain -- only time will tell, seems to be holding up for now.
XP-E led with a very textured reflector -- sorry about the blurry picture
Comparisons:
Please note: The sapphire mule was not actually included in the beamshots -- that is a typo
White Wall Shots:
Outdoor Beamshots:
iTP EOS A3 3 Mode: High 1xAAA
comepare with other lights here: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=235171
Impressions
The iTP EOS A3 is another one of the few "keychain" lights that implements the Cree XP-E LED. This results in a smoother beam profile,and also reduces costs as the actual LED is cheaper, as I recall. The light is a dedicated keychain light, with the integrated keychain attachment pointl. Because of the attachment point on the back, the A3 cannot tailstand, but I think that role should be filled by a larger light as heat is more of an issue in these small lights that are driven rather high for their size.. the hand is an important component of heatsinking. As for grip, iTP didn't make as good of a decision with the parallel knurling - it is harder to grip than the fenix ld01's band of knurling, but, ymmv. The included clip is a very handy feature easy to use if you need it, and easy to remove if not, it is a snap-on type of clip.
The A3 seems to try to compete with the Fenix LD01, but there are some key differences.
PWM: the A3 uses PWM on low and medium, like the fenix, but has a much slower and noticeable pwm than the fenix, this will result in what Fenix calls, a "stroboscopic effect" when waving the light around. This can be distracting in use.
Modes: the A3 has much better mode spacing compared to the LD01, whose modes were not as discernable as most lights. The A3 pretty much wins in this category.
EDC: the A3 is more of a dedicated keychain light, with its integral keychain built into the light. the fenix wins a bit over the A3, as you can use it on a keychain and tailstand while you're at it. versatile.
and of course, brightness: The LD01 wins in brightness by a bit with both brighter hotspot and spill. The A3, though, has a wider spill. @ half the price, though, there isn't too much to be complaining about.
acessories
As of 10/1/09, the price of this light is roughly 21$
Up for review is the extremely popular iTP EOS 3 mode upgraded edition. This light has generated allot of popularity due to its rather low price and small size.
Here are some of the specs from flashlightsngear.com
- LED: Cree 7090-XP-E Q5, life span up to 50000 hours
- Finish: HA Type III
- Reflector: Aluminum alloy
- Upgrade Edition: Three output levels - Medium 18 lumens (4 hours) -> Low 1.5 lumens (50 hours) ->-High 80 lumens (55 minutes) Operation:
- Operating voltage: 0.9V - 3.0V
- Size: Length 66.5 mm
- Diameter 14 mm,
- Weight: 9g (excluding battery and keychain)
A bit of background:
The maratac AAA was first noticed by the CPF community on in this thread, and soon after, The iTP Eos was first introduced to the CPF community in what appears to be this post. there are quite a few posts, so correct me if I'm wrong. The reason the maratac was mentioned is due to the fact that iTP also manufactures the maratac!
This light was provided by Daniel @ FlashlightsNGear.com
Onwards!
here is the light:
the a3 has some surprisingly decent package for it's price. I was expecting a cheap, unlabled paper box.
extra orings, and an instruction manual..I always thought this was uneedy, but, hm, it's cheap to do.
fine parallel knurling
decent clip, and removeable too.
strong attachment point for the keychain -- but no tailstanding
strong appearing keychain -- only time will tell, seems to be holding up for now.
XP-E led with a very textured reflector -- sorry about the blurry picture
Comparisons:
Please note: The sapphire mule was not actually included in the beamshots -- that is a typo
White Wall Shots:
Outdoor Beamshots:
iTP EOS A3 3 Mode: High 1xAAA
comepare with other lights here: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=235171
Impressions
The iTP EOS A3 is another one of the few "keychain" lights that implements the Cree XP-E LED. This results in a smoother beam profile,and also reduces costs as the actual LED is cheaper, as I recall. The light is a dedicated keychain light, with the integrated keychain attachment pointl. Because of the attachment point on the back, the A3 cannot tailstand, but I think that role should be filled by a larger light as heat is more of an issue in these small lights that are driven rather high for their size.. the hand is an important component of heatsinking. As for grip, iTP didn't make as good of a decision with the parallel knurling - it is harder to grip than the fenix ld01's band of knurling, but, ymmv. The included clip is a very handy feature easy to use if you need it, and easy to remove if not, it is a snap-on type of clip.
The A3 seems to try to compete with the Fenix LD01, but there are some key differences.
PWM: the A3 uses PWM on low and medium, like the fenix, but has a much slower and noticeable pwm than the fenix, this will result in what Fenix calls, a "stroboscopic effect" when waving the light around. This can be distracting in use.
Modes: the A3 has much better mode spacing compared to the LD01, whose modes were not as discernable as most lights. The A3 pretty much wins in this category.
EDC: the A3 is more of a dedicated keychain light, with its integral keychain built into the light. the fenix wins a bit over the A3, as you can use it on a keychain and tailstand while you're at it. versatile.
and of course, brightness: The LD01 wins in brightness by a bit with both brighter hotspot and spill. The A3, though, has a wider spill. @ half the price, though, there isn't too much to be complaining about.
acessories
As of 10/1/09, the price of this light is roughly 21$
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