My first CPF review! The beamshots show more low-light detail on my home PC, but here on my work PC, there's not much in the shadows, so I may need to tweak them a bit.
I'm a cheapskate, but there are some things you can't skimp on, and tactical lights are one of them. Recently, I decided to spring for a Malkoff M60, the highly regarded P60/61 replacement drop-in from www.malkoffdevices.com. There are lots of less expensive drop-in upgrades, and some of them include extra features like multiple power levels and strobes, but for this weapon light upgrade, I decided to stay simple and basic.
With the huge improvement in LED output and color in recent products, I'm looking at upgrading my tactical lights to LED for better battery life, more output, better reliability, and more features for the handhelds. I've got several Surefire G2 handhelds, and a G&R WG6D Tactical Weapon Light, which is a custom body that takes a Surefire Z32 shockproof bezel with a P60 series lamp and has a SF E series compatable body. It came with a Wolf Eyes lamp that has higher output than the basic P60. It's also all aluminum, which helps with high-output LED lamps by conducting heat away from the LED, so it made the most sense to upgrade.
In an increasingly crowded field of P60 drop-ins, Malkoff makes one of the best of the high-output single function bunch, though for a price.
The Malkoff M60 drop-in costs $60, and requires a $1 copper ring to use with a shock-protected bezel like the Z32. The lamp and ring fit perfectly, with no gaps or contact problems. Total with shipping was about $70 - a lot for a replacement bulb, but cheap compared to getting the same output from Surefire. The Malkoffs sell out quickly when a new batch is put up for sale, and the best way to get one is to sign up for email notification at the Malkoff web site.
These shots compare the output of the Malkoff in the WG6D against the high-output P61 lamp in a G2. The P61 was previously my brightest light, but it ran through the batteries quickly and got hot with extended usage. The P61 has fresh Panasonic batteries, while the Malkoff batteries have some use on them, but since it's regulated, that doesn't affect output until they drop below a certain point.
The specs on the various lamps:
Malkoff M60 - 235 lumens, 90 minutes (woohoo!)
Surefire P61 - 120 lumens, 20 minutes
WolfEyes - 80 lumens, 60 minutes (no pics of this one's beam)
Surefire P60 - 65 lumens, 60 minutes (no pics of this one's beam)
The results? The Malkoff clearly shreds the P61 in pretty much every way - throw, spill, color rendition, battery life, and reliability. Though expensive, if it's used much, it'll pay for itself in 4x battery life and never needing replacement lamps, which run $15 a pop or more.
Here's the gear I tested. The Wolf Eyes lamp was originally in the WG6D and was replaced with the Malkoff, and the P61 is in the G2. All the pics were taken at the same exposure and f-stop, with daylight white balance.
Top: G2
Middle (L to R): Surefire P61, Wolf Eyes, Malkoff M60 with adapter ring
Bottom: WG6D Weapon Light
M60 at 7 yards:
P61 at 7 yards:
M60 at 20 yards:
P61 at 20 yards:
M60 - another 20 yard shot:
P61 - another 20 yard shot:
I'm a cheapskate, but there are some things you can't skimp on, and tactical lights are one of them. Recently, I decided to spring for a Malkoff M60, the highly regarded P60/61 replacement drop-in from www.malkoffdevices.com. There are lots of less expensive drop-in upgrades, and some of them include extra features like multiple power levels and strobes, but for this weapon light upgrade, I decided to stay simple and basic.
With the huge improvement in LED output and color in recent products, I'm looking at upgrading my tactical lights to LED for better battery life, more output, better reliability, and more features for the handhelds. I've got several Surefire G2 handhelds, and a G&R WG6D Tactical Weapon Light, which is a custom body that takes a Surefire Z32 shockproof bezel with a P60 series lamp and has a SF E series compatable body. It came with a Wolf Eyes lamp that has higher output than the basic P60. It's also all aluminum, which helps with high-output LED lamps by conducting heat away from the LED, so it made the most sense to upgrade.
In an increasingly crowded field of P60 drop-ins, Malkoff makes one of the best of the high-output single function bunch, though for a price.
The Malkoff M60 drop-in costs $60, and requires a $1 copper ring to use with a shock-protected bezel like the Z32. The lamp and ring fit perfectly, with no gaps or contact problems. Total with shipping was about $70 - a lot for a replacement bulb, but cheap compared to getting the same output from Surefire. The Malkoffs sell out quickly when a new batch is put up for sale, and the best way to get one is to sign up for email notification at the Malkoff web site.
These shots compare the output of the Malkoff in the WG6D against the high-output P61 lamp in a G2. The P61 was previously my brightest light, but it ran through the batteries quickly and got hot with extended usage. The P61 has fresh Panasonic batteries, while the Malkoff batteries have some use on them, but since it's regulated, that doesn't affect output until they drop below a certain point.
The specs on the various lamps:
Malkoff M60 - 235 lumens, 90 minutes (woohoo!)
Surefire P61 - 120 lumens, 20 minutes
WolfEyes - 80 lumens, 60 minutes (no pics of this one's beam)
Surefire P60 - 65 lumens, 60 minutes (no pics of this one's beam)
The results? The Malkoff clearly shreds the P61 in pretty much every way - throw, spill, color rendition, battery life, and reliability. Though expensive, if it's used much, it'll pay for itself in 4x battery life and never needing replacement lamps, which run $15 a pop or more.
Here's the gear I tested. The Wolf Eyes lamp was originally in the WG6D and was replaced with the Malkoff, and the P61 is in the G2. All the pics were taken at the same exposure and f-stop, with daylight white balance.
Top: G2
Middle (L to R): Surefire P61, Wolf Eyes, Malkoff M60 with adapter ring
Bottom: WG6D Weapon Light
M60 at 7 yards:
P61 at 7 yards:
M60 at 20 yards:
P61 at 20 yards:
M60 - another 20 yard shot:
P61 - another 20 yard shot:
