for submission into the Reviews forum
First off, just let me say that I have the utmost respect for the well known reviewers here on CPF (selfbuilt comes to mind, among several others)!! Wow, I had no idea the amount of time that goes into one of these reviews, especially with run-time charts and multiple comparison beamshots. I don't have any fancy equipment for the detailed reviews like the pros, so mine isn't nearly involved as theirs and it was pretty time consuming (took nearly 100 photos and uploaded a 450MB video to YouTube). This is my first official review, so go easy on me.
Kingpower supplied me with a K1 light for this review at no charge.
K1 Features:
*Stainless steel head
*Stable circuitry with long life span
*Tough glass lens with AR coating
*Aircraft aluminum housing
*Turmeric PCB- anti abrading and durable
*Type III hard anodized finish in black-60 microns
*Four output levels
*Able to stand on tail
*Waterproof
*Smooth reflector
Power: 88 Lumens/6 Lumens/107 Lumens/Strobe
Burn time：2.8 hours/40 hours/2 hours
Lamp: one 3W Cree Q5 LED
Input voltage: 0.8v-4.2v
Battery: 1 AA size battery
Length: 103mm
Diameter: 25mm
Weight: 105g (except battery)
Note: The burn time is tested by common alkaline battery. If using a rechargeable Ni-MH battery, the burn time will be much longer.
All of the above information was taken from the Kingpower website and first post of the CPFMP thread announcing these lights. I have no way of verifying the runtime and lumen claims throughout this review, as I have no equipment to test lights with except for my eyeballs and a digital camera to take photos with (can't afford light meters and the proper equipment for light testing).
The Kingpower K1 single AA light came in a box lined with high density foam with two cutouts for the light and holster to nestle in. Yellow satin material was wrapped around this foam to dress things up a little. Inside there was also a small bag with four o-rings, an extra switch cover, and a lanyard. The holster that came with the K1 looks exactly like what came with my Fenix L1D sans Fenix logo tag.
The K1 seems to be very well made. The stainless head does make it heavier, but not too bad- just makes it feel more solid. Surprisingly, with a smooth reflector, the beam quality is much better than my NDI (my EDC since December of last year) which has an OP reflector. Of course, my NDI has a really crappy beam if you are a white wall hunter, which I am NOT. With the K1, there is hardly any Cree ring at all that I can see. I don't think I've seen a smooth reflector Cree light with this good of a beam pattern (lack of the dreaded Cree rings).
The threads are cut nice and clean and are not anodized, so no lockout for this light. Even the inside of the body is anodized. The anodizing is perfect and sort of a satin finish, like maybe it was sand blasted before the anodizing process. The tail cap has four flat sides machined into it which don't provide any anti-roll at all, but do help with removing it for battery changes. The light will roll right off a flat smooth surface if there is even a slight slope to it. One of the things I noticed and like about the head and tail cap, is that they screw on and have a definite stop to them- no wishy washy soft stop like some have. I suppose this is because the threads are used for the electrical path, so there is no need for the ends of the body to contact anything in the head or tail cap.
As you will see in my photos, the switch is a little different to what I'm used to seeing in AA lights (see my sigline). Of course, all I have to compare to are a few Fenix lights, a first edition JetBeam, a LiteFlux, and my NDI. I like the looks of the switch in this light. It just seems to be built a little better than the switches in the lights I mentioned above. Maybe it's just because it is a little stiffer and has a nice solid feel to it when clicked on and off.
The switch is a reverse clicky and quite stiff, which would help keep the light from accidentally coming on since there is no tail cap lockout. After the light is turned on, half presses get you through the levels. The first level is always medium (88 lumens), the second level is low (6 lumens), the third level is high (107 lumens) and finally the fourth level is strobe. If you continue to half press, this sequence will continue until your finger gets tired, or the battery dies, whichever comes first.
Photo from the Kingpower website:
The box it comes in.
K1, holster, and spare parts laid out.
High density foam packing.
Kingpower K1.
K1 in it's holster.
Next to my NDI.
K1 with head removed.
Inside tailcap.
Tailcap and rubber switch cover.
Tailcap disassembled.
Better look at switch.
The K1 head.
Another view of the head.
And another.
Bottom of head (pill).
Close-up of emitter.
Inside of body is anodized.
BEAMSHOTS (White balance set to daylight on all beamshot photos):
K1 on high.
The following photos show the K1 on the left and the NDI on the right (both lights have a Duracell 2500mah NiMH battery fresh off the charger).
Both lights on low.
The next 3 photos are of both lights on high.
Looks like I should have had my lights a little farther apart!
Things I like about the K1:
1. Nice solid feel to it.
2. Beam quality is quite good for a smooth reflector with lots of throw.
3. Switch feels like it won't ever stick off or on- nice solid feel to it as well.
4. Tail cap and head screw down with a definite stop to the body.
5. Ability to tail stand.
6. PWM on low level not noticeable to the naked eye, at least not mine.
7. Nice white tint from the Cree.
8. Good price.
Things I think need added or improved:
1. Needs some kind of anti-roll built in OR a clip which would take care of that problem.
2. Maybe wouldn't hurt to have very slight crenelations in the head, since people might tend to put this in a head stand, since it is heavier and more stable on that end.
3. Anodize threads for tail cap lockout, but maybe not necessary given the fact the switch is quite stiff.
4. Medium is too close to high- can't even tell the difference, so it should be about 40-45 lumens instead of 88.
5. Low could be a little lower, maybe 3 lumens instead of 6 (My NDI with 14500 is half as bright on low.)
In conclusion, all in all a very good light that is built very well and has a unique look to it because of the stainless head. I for one like unique lights that are competitively priced. From what I understand, this light will be $48 according to Kingpower in the original CPFMP thread.
Kingpower K1 video review (Be sure to watch in high quality if you have a high speed connection- the quality is much better.)
edit:Just put in the video link
First off, just let me say that I have the utmost respect for the well known reviewers here on CPF (selfbuilt comes to mind, among several others)!! Wow, I had no idea the amount of time that goes into one of these reviews, especially with run-time charts and multiple comparison beamshots. I don't have any fancy equipment for the detailed reviews like the pros, so mine isn't nearly involved as theirs and it was pretty time consuming (took nearly 100 photos and uploaded a 450MB video to YouTube). This is my first official review, so go easy on me.
Kingpower supplied me with a K1 light for this review at no charge.
K1 Features:
*Stainless steel head
*Stable circuitry with long life span
*Tough glass lens with AR coating
*Aircraft aluminum housing
*Turmeric PCB- anti abrading and durable
*Type III hard anodized finish in black-60 microns
*Four output levels
*Able to stand on tail
*Waterproof
*Smooth reflector
Power: 88 Lumens/6 Lumens/107 Lumens/Strobe
Burn time：2.8 hours/40 hours/2 hours
Lamp: one 3W Cree Q5 LED
Input voltage: 0.8v-4.2v
Battery: 1 AA size battery
Length: 103mm
Diameter: 25mm
Weight: 105g (except battery)
Note: The burn time is tested by common alkaline battery. If using a rechargeable Ni-MH battery, the burn time will be much longer.
All of the above information was taken from the Kingpower website and first post of the CPFMP thread announcing these lights. I have no way of verifying the runtime and lumen claims throughout this review, as I have no equipment to test lights with except for my eyeballs and a digital camera to take photos with (can't afford light meters and the proper equipment for light testing).
The Kingpower K1 single AA light came in a box lined with high density foam with two cutouts for the light and holster to nestle in. Yellow satin material was wrapped around this foam to dress things up a little. Inside there was also a small bag with four o-rings, an extra switch cover, and a lanyard. The holster that came with the K1 looks exactly like what came with my Fenix L1D sans Fenix logo tag.
The K1 seems to be very well made. The stainless head does make it heavier, but not too bad- just makes it feel more solid. Surprisingly, with a smooth reflector, the beam quality is much better than my NDI (my EDC since December of last year) which has an OP reflector. Of course, my NDI has a really crappy beam if you are a white wall hunter, which I am NOT. With the K1, there is hardly any Cree ring at all that I can see. I don't think I've seen a smooth reflector Cree light with this good of a beam pattern (lack of the dreaded Cree rings).
The threads are cut nice and clean and are not anodized, so no lockout for this light. Even the inside of the body is anodized. The anodizing is perfect and sort of a satin finish, like maybe it was sand blasted before the anodizing process. The tail cap has four flat sides machined into it which don't provide any anti-roll at all, but do help with removing it for battery changes. The light will roll right off a flat smooth surface if there is even a slight slope to it. One of the things I noticed and like about the head and tail cap, is that they screw on and have a definite stop to them- no wishy washy soft stop like some have. I suppose this is because the threads are used for the electrical path, so there is no need for the ends of the body to contact anything in the head or tail cap.
As you will see in my photos, the switch is a little different to what I'm used to seeing in AA lights (see my sigline). Of course, all I have to compare to are a few Fenix lights, a first edition JetBeam, a LiteFlux, and my NDI. I like the looks of the switch in this light. It just seems to be built a little better than the switches in the lights I mentioned above. Maybe it's just because it is a little stiffer and has a nice solid feel to it when clicked on and off.
The switch is a reverse clicky and quite stiff, which would help keep the light from accidentally coming on since there is no tail cap lockout. After the light is turned on, half presses get you through the levels. The first level is always medium (88 lumens), the second level is low (6 lumens), the third level is high (107 lumens) and finally the fourth level is strobe. If you continue to half press, this sequence will continue until your finger gets tired, or the battery dies, whichever comes first.
Photo from the Kingpower website:
The box it comes in.
K1, holster, and spare parts laid out.
High density foam packing.
Kingpower K1.
K1 in it's holster.
Next to my NDI.
K1 with head removed.
Inside tailcap.
Tailcap and rubber switch cover.
Tailcap disassembled.
Better look at switch.
The K1 head.
Another view of the head.
And another.
Bottom of head (pill).
Close-up of emitter.
Inside of body is anodized.
BEAMSHOTS (White balance set to daylight on all beamshot photos):
K1 on high.
The following photos show the K1 on the left and the NDI on the right (both lights have a Duracell 2500mah NiMH battery fresh off the charger).
Both lights on low.
The next 3 photos are of both lights on high.
Looks like I should have had my lights a little farther apart!
Things I like about the K1:
1. Nice solid feel to it.
2. Beam quality is quite good for a smooth reflector with lots of throw.
3. Switch feels like it won't ever stick off or on- nice solid feel to it as well.
4. Tail cap and head screw down with a definite stop to the body.
5. Ability to tail stand.
6. PWM on low level not noticeable to the naked eye, at least not mine.
7. Nice white tint from the Cree.
8. Good price.
Things I think need added or improved:
1. Needs some kind of anti-roll built in OR a clip which would take care of that problem.
2. Maybe wouldn't hurt to have very slight crenelations in the head, since people might tend to put this in a head stand, since it is heavier and more stable on that end.
3. Anodize threads for tail cap lockout, but maybe not necessary given the fact the switch is quite stiff.
4. Medium is too close to high- can't even tell the difference, so it should be about 40-45 lumens instead of 88.
5. Low could be a little lower, maybe 3 lumens instead of 6 (My NDI with 14500 is half as bright on low.)
In conclusion, all in all a very good light that is built very well and has a unique look to it because of the stainless head. I for one like unique lights that are competitively priced. From what I understand, this light will be $48 according to Kingpower in the original CPFMP thread.
Kingpower K1 video review (Be sure to watch in high quality if you have a high speed connection- the quality is much better.)
edit:Just put in the video link
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