LED Lenser X21 Test - THE most versatile flashlight in existence.

[Tora]

This is what I consider to be THE most versatile flashlight in existence. The following shows a variety of flashlights put to the music of Evanescence's - Bring Me To Life. Bear with it as it is slow loading unless you have cable or DSL. Let it fully buffer and really enjoy it. When the X21 appears - it is in the flood and then it is slowly focused to a tight and insanely bright spot. 😱

Wait a little more and it again shows the X21 - this time from spot to flood and to spot again.

It is a rather large light (4 D Cells ) but comparable to the large mag lights but variable flood to spot and very bright as well as very focused.

It is coordinated with the music well and it shows each flashlight used before the night shots. This is my favorite song - so I bookmarked it. The usefulness of this light is readily apparent. Perfect for the woods or any outdoor use. Extremely useful flood and spot and anywhere between.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZG9KBtmRtI&feature=related

:twothumbs

 

[jupello]

Re: LED Lenser X21 P7 Test - THE most versatile flashlight in existence.

Ooh, it was LL X21 and LL P7 in the video, not LL X21 modded with SSC P7's as I first thought :laughing:
But it was nice video, thanks. That X21 seemed to light up objects from pretty far away even on the flood setting :huh:

 

[276]

Re: LED Lenser X21 P7 Test - THE most versatile flashlight in existence.

It is a nice light but with all led lenser lights they have no regulation.

 

[PhantomPhoton]

LED Lensers have great optics...
But poor electronics, cell options, and user interface.

 

[Egsise]

LED Lensers have great optics...
But poor electronics, cell options, and user interface.

+1

Because they are direct driven the manufacturer recommends alkaline batteries only.
User interface, when you turn them on its 130% brightness first, 100% and 15% after that....
No tailcap lockout, remove the batteries so it wont turn on in your backpack.
And because of the amazing beam focusing system they are not waterproof, if you change the beam from flood to throw water gets sucked in from the small holes near the led. 😳

But the optics is great, just unbelievable throw.

 

[Loomy]

a light the size if your arm

what is your definition of versatile

and you date yourself with the music gunk

 

[kramer5150]

I wouldn't consider anything THAT big to be versatile, but I generally prefer 1x18650 size, so thats just me.

It would be interesting to see how this light compares to a similarly priced HID.

 

[Patriot]

Agreed, not versatile to my way of thinking. This product seems to do one thing well, throw light. In nearly every other category it's lacking.


Head's up to anyone else watching the video, watch it with the music off. It's the standard soundtrack for about 10% of every you tube video...lol.

 

[Tora]

I hear you - but the flood to spot is fantastic. Hoping to see this type in the smaller 18650s. It is the mechanics of the focused light, the smooth transition from flood to spot as well as the beam quality throughout that had impressed me so much. The whole flood was one giant hot spot - all even. The spot was...well...spot on! The sheer size of it would throw me off - but as for the quality of the light and the versatility of the zoom in and out - I've seen nothing like it. If it can be done for large...it can be done for small.

As for being dated by the song...great songs stay great. There are classical songs from hundreds of years ago that are still great. Classic rock songs that are still great. This song is great!!! :thumbsup:

Hoping to see all the great makers of flashlights incorporate a zoom effect and focused LEDs too.

 

[Painful Chafe]

It is unfortunate about the lack of regulation. But that being said, it is impressive to say the least. See if you can compare it to an HID. Even if it is the Stanley HID.

 

[qwertyydude]

If you're looking for a smaller 18650 flood to zoom they do sell them on DX and regulated too, unlike the lensers which are direct drive. You can even get one in a 1xAA form, the C78 which I actually really like. It's the most powerful compact flood to zoom I think available.

 

[yellow]

[edit]
of course that is for ppl that think of handheld and portable lights,
powered by 3-4*aaa, 2*Cr123, 1*18650 and so on.
No match for an X21.
was a bit ot, sorry
[/edit]

who really likes spot-to-flood aspherics like LL, and thinks of lights in pocketable size,
should give that here a look:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14450

but I see myself confirmed, als always with optics, they suck.

* when on wide focus, the beam diameter is about the size of the spill of normal reflectored lights ... and is sucks, in comparison
* when in medium focus - like a normal reflectored light is - and set to the diameter of the reflector main beam ... it sucks again, the reflector main beam is is brighter and there is NO SPILL at all from the aspheric
* one thing it shines, is when set to full focus. That throw can do no normal reflector ... (negative: again there is no spill at all here)

I simply like main beam + spill more. And have no use for throwers.
Without spill 99 % of light uses get bad.


PS: that light is made really good, considering its price and "normal" DX product quality. It just survived a really bumpy mtb-ride. That focusing mechanism does not move! :Thumbs:
PPS: it is direct drive, starting with about 0.6 A, so my main light is set to 0.6, to be fair when comparing.
The reflectored XR-E P4 eats that aspheric P4 with ease.
(I dont believe the "WC", because my light is a "WC" also and the DX beam is much more on the blue side)

 

[John_Galt]

Truthfully, I would never recommend a Coast/LL light to anyone who needed a good light. Just my opinion, but they're (to quote the British) "rubbish."

Not water resistant, well built, heatsinked, regulated (ahem, a resistor isn't a driver), poor choice in battery configurations, etc. The only thing they do *well* is zoom. For ~$10 more, anyone could get a much better light, like a Fenix or Quark.

My dad has one, the hocus focus model. It's horrible. For his birthday, I plan on getting him a Fenix E20.

One other thing I really don't like about Coast/LL is the really weird color output. I've used my dad's (don't anymore), and looked at several models in the store, and they all have the same weird cream off-white-smoke-grey tint. It shows colors even less accurately than the Cree in my LD20. I truthfully don't know if the weird color output is because of the optics, or they're just using cheap Cree's, but it isn't very useful for seeing things more than 10 feet away.

Sorry, rant over. If Coast/LL is getting better, great :thumbsup:, but I know I wouldn't purchase another.

 

[SureAddicted]

I'm impressed, even on flood it has a monster beam, on spot it looks like it would throw a fair distance. You can not ignore the sheer amount of light that thing puts out, I'm a fan of spill and that thing has more than I could ever want. I've never had a issue with the circuitry in any of my LL lights, and I only use rechargeable cells, zero problems. Lifetime guarantee, so it really doesn't phase me one bit.

Yellow, you cant be serious with the light in the link you provide, you get what you pay for. Also, you can't compare that with the X21.

 

[SureAddicted]

Not water resistant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns2bd63d1yE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLMThWbrvuQ

Not well built,.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsS0A5PYrh0

I think you get the idea, no point going on any further.

 

[defloyd77]

WTF is with that "Inova 3W"? That's no Inova, some 3AAA light I'm sure.

Those LED Lenser optics are simply amazing though.

 

[Erayd]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns2bd63d1yE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLMThWbrvuQ

Static tests in a glass of water don't prove your point. Just try using in a real-world situation - they don't cope well with water, especially if you try to zoom things while the head is wet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsS0A5PYrh0

Running it over with a truck on gravel doesn't mean it's well built, although in this case I partially agree with you - the bodies on lenser torches tend to be very well machined and are reasonably strong. The innards are far from spectacular though.

I think you get the idea, no point going on any further.

Not really... please continue to enlighten us 🙄.

 

[fiftycalibre]

I'd take my Arc mania X6 over the LED Lenser X21 any day.

Im not impressed by LED Lensers at all. I have had a look at a few already, and I did not like them. I only own a LED Lenser headlight, which I only bought because it was very cheap.

I especially dont like their battery setup at all.

 

[SureAddicted]

Static tests in a glass of water don't prove your point. Just try using in a real-world situation - they don't cope well with water, especially if you try to zoom things while the head is wet.

They aren't dive lights, nor are they claimed to be. I wouldn't even operate my SF's under water, I'd switch them on before submerging. Vids dont lie, they cope well underwater.

the bodies on lenser torches tend to be very well machined and are reasonably strong.

BINGO, i rest my case.

There's no point in continuing, I have nothing to prove to you, us LL owners know what we need to know, trying to convince you is pointless and the threads never end well.

Not really... please continue to enlighten us 🙄.

I think your enlightened enough going by post #5
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=243552

You seem to be a newbie, you have a lot to learn.

 

[apontes]

If you're looking for a smaller 18650 flood to zoom they do sell them on DX and regulated too, unlike the lensers which are direct drive. You can even get one in a 1xAA form, the C78 which I actually really like. It's the most powerful compact flood to zoom I think available.

I have tried 4 of these "zoom" lights, and IMO all of them lack something to make them truly useful:
- C78 (1xAA): single mode, not very bright, cheap clicky, doesn't focus as much as the next ones, but better build than the following 2
- X2000 (3xAAA): form factor, not very bright (but has 2 levels + strobe), and the really cheap tail clicky is asking to break
- X2000 (1x18650): brightest, but single mode, and the really cheap tail clicky is asking to break
- Romisen RC-C6 II (ShiningBeam version): Q5, 2 levels, best build quality, but output was a letdown, and its too small

I made a post about the Romisen: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=243182, but unfortunately haven't been able to post pictures yet.

From left to right, X2000 3xAAA, C78 (1xAA), x2000 (1x18650), Romisen RC-C6 II, at full zoom.

Aprox 3ft (90cm) from the wall, ISO 250, 1/125, f/5.6