Smallest flashlight with the biggest output

audi321

Newly Enlightened
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Nov 22, 2011
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Hi all, I'm new on here so please be gentle!

I'm on the lookout for a new flashlight, but size is important to me (the smaller the better), so am I right in thinking I am looking at lights with a single CR123A battery?

If so, what's the highest output I can buy? I've found a Lumapower Incendio V3U R5 which claims 350 Lumens from a single CR123A battery (which I find hard to believe).

Has anyone any recommendations?
 
Big output from a small light to me = ZebraLight SC31. I love 1xCR123 EDC lights, and the SC31W is my smallest. If you don't like that UI, the next in line would be the Olight EOS i1 XM-L (or Quark MiniX) or the EagleTac D25C. (Sorry - no experience with the Lumapower.)
 
Here's 600+ lumens from a 10440 (AAA size) battery

http://www.em-mgt.com/LED/Vesuvius.html

Not quite what you're asking for but worth a look.

I also like the Xeno E03. It's 400+ lumens from a single 14500 (AA size). I really like the tint and floody beam of the neutral I have.
 
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Here's 600+ lumens from a 10440 (AAA size) battery

http://www.em-mgt.com/LED/Vesuvius.html

That would do it but it only runs for about 4 minutes before the battery is dead and becomes so hot that it will burn the skin right off your hand. That 600 lumens is also emitter lumens. If this light was measured according to the ANSI/FL1 standard like most other manufacturers, it will most likely do about 350 to 400 lumens.
 
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Jetbeam RRT-0 XM-L supposedly does 550 ANSI lumens using RCR123A. 260 with a primary.

The problem with smaller lights is that, the higher their output, the more heat it produces. Not only is the small heatsink unable to cope with the heat produced by the emitter, the fact that the light is drawing so much juice from the battery that it will either trigger the PTC or, God forbid, explode.
 
I have the Latest Incendio xml, as well as the latest Xeno eo3, also xml... both of those are stupid bright, and more inportantly are available with neutral tints. Cant go wrong with either although between the two the nod goes to the Incendio with its proper pocket clip and slightly smaller size.
 
Cheers guys, I've decided to get the 4sevens quark mini x. I'll give it a go and report back. Does anyone know if these RCR123 batteries will work or not? If they will, what is the best battery/charger to buy?

Thanks again
 
between the two the nod goes to the Incendio with its proper pocket clip and slightly smaller size.
thanks for the evaluation! incendio smaller and lighter.
advantage of xeno: uses AA-sized cells. (hey, let's call it an advantage ;=)

Jetbeam RRT-0 XM-L supposedly does 550 ANSI lumens using RCR123A.
that is indeed the brightest!! (the RRT-0 is not small or light at all.)
 
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maybe not popular on CPF but a biggo over here Europa: lummi
Welcome to Lummi torches, home of the Worlds Smallest Brightest LED torches.
Here @ Lummi you will find the Worlds Smallest Brightest LED torches
Designed & made from precious materials such as Titanium & Sterling Silver.
Utilising The Cree XR-E & XM-L high power LED & Li-ion rechargeable batteries.
Manufactured to extremely high Jewel like quality here in the United Kingdom.

theirs is smaller than the quark, check 01:19 in this video:
 
Have had a hard time with lummi, and i know many others say the same thing. Just take a search at the markedplace and youll find many angry pepole.. You send paypal, but you dont get a light, only a bunch of exuses for several months. Even when asking for refund and cancel the order. Exuses.. You might get one after a year if youre lucky. They look sweet, but im not gambling my money on a lummi again.
 
Thrunite 1C is pretty small. around 450 lumens on a 16340 li-ion cell (CR123 size). It has a good grip and lots of brightness levels to select from. Very floody ... a great short-range light.

Xeno E03 is also nice. Around 490 lumens on a 14500 li-ion cell (AA size). It's just a little longer than the Thrunite and is much cheaper. However, I do think the Thrunite is a much better light because it has many more modes including usable low modes.

Peak Vesuvius looks interesting, but not very practical due to safety concerns and ridiculously short runtime. The flashaholic in me wants one though!

Or if you have a soldering iron you can always try the do-it-yourself light. I took a cheap Sipik SK58 body, tossed in a shiningbeam 2.8 amp driver and XM-L T6 emitter. I then added some extra heatsinking and a reflector as well as spacer rings to make the zoom mechanism go to the proper length. Running on IMR 14500 cells. In my rough "eyeball test" to compare brightness (aim light at ceiling then look at something on the floor), in flood mode this modified SK58 is much brighter than my Xeno E03 and Thrunite 1C. It appears as bright as my Zebralight SC600! It's also zoomable, giving it much more throw than a typical pocket-size XM-L, though brightness does go down when zooming due to light being lost inside the extended bezel.

Of course the downside of running a 2.8 amp driver on an IMR 14500 is that runtime on max is around 12 minutes and you wouldn't ever want to run the light on max for more than 3 or 4 minutes at a time. The other downside is that while it does have a working low and medium modes, the low isn't as low as I'd like. Another downside is that the light isn't waterproof. Putting in the o-rings to make the SK58 waterproof messes up the zooming mechanism due to vacuum pressure.
 
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yeah, let's forget about the lummi. here's another one. looks nice!

EagleTac D25C Mini, 21 grams (w/o clip), 28.2grams (w/ clip), 2.7inch(69mm), and very attractive looking

EagleTac beta homepage said:
High lumen output
LED lumen
325/275/91/5

O.T.F lumen
209/175/59/3

This gives you the maximum brightness output in its class. It offers 325 LED lumen at turbo mode with industrial leading efficiency (115 lumen/watt at turbo mode and 160+ lumen/watt at lower mode).


There will be a reverse clicky version available (model number "D25C"), with 24 grams and 76mm and 5 (instead of 3) brightness output levels and runtimes up to 300 hours, see their 2011 PDF catalog.
 
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yeah, let's forget about the lummi. here's another one. looks nice!

EagleTac D25C Mini, 24grams, 3.0inch(76mm), and very attractive looking


snap46.gif

I have the D25LC2 witch is the 2xcr123 version of this light. Great light and plenty bright. It has a turbo mode on it but I never have to use it. I'm definitely going to be getting the D25C. I don't think you would be disappointed if you got the Light.
 
Cheers guys, I've decided to get the 4sevens quark mini x. I'll give it a go and report back. Does anyone know if these RCR123 batteries will work or not? If they will, what is the best battery/charger to buy?

Thanks again

4sevens.com states not use rcr123's
 
I would personally recommend Quark MiniX 123 for a twisty, or Lumapower Incendio V3 XM-L for a clicky. Keyword here being SMALL.
 
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