Lumapower Encore EDC VS MG L-Mini II - Quick review

[torchitux]

Hi !

Quick review (it lacks runtimes) with the Lumapower Encore EDC vs the MG L-Mini II.

MG L-mini II Warm Tint :

- 3 modes with memory : power on (click) low, then (press) mid, then (click) high
- HA III, OP reflector
- CREE XR-E Q3 5C 200 lumens on high
- 1x 18650 : 200 lumens, average runtime ~2h / ~120 lumens, average runtime ~6h / ~15 lumens, average runtime ~40h+

Lumapower Encore EDC :

- 3 modes with memory : power on (press) high, then (press) mid, then (click) low
- Type II anodizing (HA III on paper, but mine was clearly Type II), OP reflector
- CREE XR-E Q5 WD 180 lumens on high
- 1x18650 : 180 lumens, average runtime 2h40 / 55 lumens, average runtime 21h / 10 lumens, average runtime ~50h+

Here is what I think of these (pros and cons from my user experience) :

Lumapower Encore EDC :

- DIY finish : the bezel diameter is slightly smaller than the body diameter, the tailcap ring is not anodized
+ autonomy on mid
+ level of power on mid
- need to power off the light to change mode (press, soft-press to change, then click)
+ belt clip
- tailcap very difficult to use
- tailcap GITD not mounted and difficult to mount (it's not easy to unscrew the tailcap ring)

MG L-mini II Warm Tint :

+ nice finish
- mid mode too close to high mode
+ modes order : low, mid, hig
+ no need to power off the light to switch modes (just soft-press)
+ warm tint (!)
+ GITD tailcap

Beamshots, on a white wall with 200 ISO :

These two flashlights have a great spill. The spot from the Luma is slightly larger than the one from the MG.

The MG is a great EDC for those who like the 18650 format. I think it's easier to use the click-press-press with low-mid-high order.

The only little flaw I can note with the MG is the closeness between the high and the medium modes. I would say (with my eyes) that the MG's medium mode is 70 percent of the high, whereas the Luma is 40 percent.

That's it. Thanks for reading !

Edit : "Type II anodizing", thanks Gunner12 !

Edit : As nobody pointed it out, the third column on the beamshots is the Wolf-Eyes SuperStorm R2 on low, just for fun !

 

[seaside]

Thanks a lot for nice review, and nice beam shot. I can see you took great amount of time and effort for this review. Again, appreciated.

Lumapower's smmoth beam plus MG's modes order would be perfect flashlight though, guess I can't expect them all with one flashlight.

 

[NonSenCe]

edit;:double post as the 1st one didnt show up fast enough..

 

[NonSenCe]

i see that you have the same greenish hue in the tint of the LMINI2 when the light is on LOW as mine does.

i use mine mostly outside where it is great, but when inside my white walls look greenish.

in my mind Lmini2 is a GREAT light.
am fighting the urge to buy second one as backup.

but some negatives:
-antiroll feature would be nice.
-lanyard holes cut thru my lanyard in few days.
-reverse clicky (i like foward clicky and momentary mode)
-no pocket clip
-the greenish yellow tint.

 

[metlarules]

Is the runtimes for the Lumapower actual or are they estimated?
The reason I ask is because everywhere I looked the listed runtimes are
180 lumens/130 minutes,55 lumens/9 hours,10 lumens/35 hours.

 

[torchitux]

but some negatives:
-antiroll feature would be nice.
-lanyard holes cut thru my lanyard in few days.
-reverse clicky (i like foward clicky and momentary mode)

> I think a better antiroll feature would be useless on this light, as it has sufficient grip and there is the lanyard.

> Yes, the hole is sharp but the default lanyard is too thin for an intensive use. The best way to replace it is to use 2 or 3 milimeter sheated kevlar with 200 kg strength (440 lbs). I use it to replace the default tethering system on my kites. It's hard to find it but you can probably be lucky in specialized sellers (kites or sailing). I have never find stronger material with this thickness, even an exploded carbon tube won't cut the line !

> It's a matter of use reverse clicky is better if you often shift from one mode to another.

Is the runtimes for the Lumapower actual or are they estimated?

They are actual runtimes, there is already a full review from selfbuilt on this : http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=212930

The Lumapower Encore has impressive regulation and runtimes, better than the MG L-Mini II in mid mode, but keep in mind that the mid mode is lower on the Luma than on the MG.

Also, as the low mode is slightly brighter on the MG than on the Luma, when I use the MG I sometimes use the MG low mode instead of the Luma mid mode, event if it is lower.

Trade-offs...

 

[Gunner12]

THanks for the great review!

Just one per peeve of mine: There is no such thing as HA II. HA by itself stands for hard anodizing(HA) which is also called type III anodizing. Type II anodizing is just Type II anodizing.

Espicially thanks for the beamshots!

 

[LEDAdd1ct]

Thank you for the review!

 

[Mjolnir]

I wouldn't say that my L-mini is green tinted at all on the low setting. It really seems to have a slightly pink tint, if any.

Type II and type III anodizing are both sulfuric acid anodizing, but type III is known as hard coat anodizing, It requires more temperature control, and ends up with a thicker coating. Type I anodizing is chromic acid anodizing.