the beauty of the Sundrop.

[yaesumofo]

OK guys there are a few out there and they have been out for enough Time for you to know if the light is worth a darn or not..Right. Or have you just tossed it into the display case? I hope not because while it is not a moment to be a general purpose flashlight, It can be and should be used.
The Sundrop is so very basic. To me that is a good thing.
OK now to the Crux of the matter at hand. What in your opinion is the beauty of the Sundrop?

For me he beauty of the Sundrop is that while it looks like just another flashlight to the untrained eye, and possibly to some who are familiar with flashlight art, The Sundrop is certainly Not Ordinary. The HICRI NIchia 083 emitter and the sapphire LENS make most of the difference. This combination of lens and this special emitter create a wonderful and totally unique beam. Adding to the coolness of the Sundrop is the view through the lens to emitter. Amazing. The Titanium body and matching head really give this little beauty lots of cool 21st century industrial style. To top it off, the one part of the light which is taken for granted the soft switch (cover). The Sundrop of so many of McGizmo lights just feels the best to turn on. OK this might sound a little overboard and the reality is that all of the lights with the new softer McGizmo clicky switch cover are nice and easy to turn on. To me though when you put together all of the very special elements which make up the Sundrop you can easily see the beauty of the Sundrop.
Yaesumofo

 

[pezdragon]

You are right about the whole package being unlike anything else. I now edc this along with my LS27. I use the SunDrop alot at work for back-lighting optics during the polishing process to check for pits, or to back-light a straightedge while it rests on a lap to read the flatness to within .00002" or so., It is so easy to handle one handed and the switch is the best I have ever used. I carry it loose in my front pocket with no clip, it is that trim.
And thats just at work. I find myself reaching for it more and more at home. When out on my back patio at night, lazing under the picnic table/umbrella, I tailstand it and it gently lights it from underneath giving a warm pleasing glow. Something less tangible is I find myself (when not using it) just "hand polishing" it, you know, it's so sastisfying to handle it, so tacticly rewarding.
I have only had it, what, a few weeks and I think it is my favorite McGizmo...but Ive only had the LS20,27 and a Ti-PD-s to compare. For sure it is not a do-all light,that why I also carry a LS27, But it always makes me feel good when I reach for it.

 

[84Maroon]

Sounds great, I might have to scrounge the cash to buy one.....:twothumbs

 

[adamlau]

Looks great, priced within range, just need an Arc6 first .

 

[precisionworks]

The LS20 is the most grabbed of the two, probably 75% of the time. Nice flood with the 3 Nichias, instant high beam as needed.

For the other 25%, nothing else does what the SD does. Looking for colored labels in a dimly lit warehouse, flooding a small area inside a race car chassis, etc., that's the light to have. Not that the LS20 does badly in those situations, but that the SD does the same job many times better. Also my most used light for closeup photography, where it is awesome.

Total cost of the SunDrop? $1300

That's $500 for the light + $800 for the Canon XSi that was just purchased (primarily) because of the light. I've been hesitating on a DSLR for a long time, but the release of the XSi and the release of the SunDrop came at nearly the same time. My four Canon EF lenses will now be happy

It's a killer light for up close work. Bright, yet easy on the eyes as there is no hotspot. If you have need for a color correct light source, you'll love this one:twothumbs

 

[Kiessling]

IMHO the SunDrop is the perfect evolution of the Mule. It has now hatched and can spread its wings.
The best flood ever ... with the best color ever for the perfect close-up and indoor light.

In addition to that, there's the coolness factor the the unique LED and optical system ... and the pride that it was invented and made by one of us.

bernie

 

[toby_pra]

IMHO the SunDrop is the perfect evolution of the Mule. It has now hatched and can spread its wings.
The best flood ever ... with the best color ever for the perfect close-up and indoor light.

In addition to that, there's the coolness factor the the unique LED and optical system ... and the pride that it was invented and made by one of us.

bernie

I think the same Bernie...very nice color with amazing flood...

 

[McGizmo]

It is nice to know I am not alone in my perceptions of the SunDrop. I mentioned this light, in general terms, a couple times before disclosing its actual nature. I knew it wasn't in any sense, a mainstream light, and yet probably most people could gain some real utility in using such a light. As Bernie says, it is an evolutionary move from the Mule.

It's the first light I have done in any quantity, with a lens. I consider it a very basic, honest and pure light. Although limited in application, I don't think it can be bettered with current technology and materials, in terms of what it does excel at. The Nichia high CRI 083 LED's impressed me with their color rendition and I wanted to design a light specific in hosting these LED's and in a manner optimizing what I felt the LED had to offer. I felt the Mule with its full and open flood pattern resulted in too low of lux with the Nichia and reduced its effective range more than I wanted. I believe the sapphire lens brings out more light through the front end than no lens would and the light is condensed to a degree bringing the lux up, yet not to a point where there is any hot spots or artifacts. The viewing angle is still quite large and this is a flood light.

Between the LunaSol and the SunDrop, I am very happy and satisfied with my current contributions to the community. I truly enjoy using these lights myself and do use them.

From stem to stern, the SunDrop has components I like and frankly feel some pride about. The McClickie switch does what it's supposed to do. The Ti belt clip does what it is supposed to do. The titanium host is as robust and maintenance free as any material I am familiar with. The light engine is a new and I feel improved version, of its predecessor in the Aleph series. The sapphire lens is a little gem, IMHO, and it is mounted in a very simple and secure manner.

OK, I am blowing my own horn here but I do so because I really like the SunDrop. It is a simple light and I think I got it right. I got what I wanted anyway. :nana:

 

[starfiretoo]

ok, we heard. Now, bring some out so we all can play:nana::candle:

OK, I am blowing my own horn here but I do so because I really like the SunDrop. It is a simple light and I think I got it right. I got what I wanted anyway. :nana:

 

[Kiessling]

The longer I have it, the more I like it. It feels ... finished. Not transitory in nature any more. Mature.


Here's an old ancestor of this beamshape ... a LED Lenser Moon Beam:

Dim, cold light in a perfect circle. Now paired with the new cousin, the SunDrop :nana:

bernie

 

[iconoclast]

Between the LunaSol and the SunDrop, I am very happy and satisfied with my current contributions to the community.

Now all we await is for them to be combined into a single unit.
ok, ok. yes, there's some technical advancement that needs to occur first. so, we're a bit impatient at times. But you're on the right track, so in the meantime, we're keeping our impatient eyes on whatever you're up to next.

From stem to stern, the SunDrop has components I like and frankly feel some pride about. The McClickie switch does what it's supposed to do. The Ti belt clip does what it is supposed to do. The titanium host is as robust and maintenance free as any material I am familiar with. The light engine is a new and I feel improved version, of its predecessor in the Aleph series. The sapphire lens is a little gem, IMHO, and it is mounted in a very simple and secure manner.

All very true. Though at the risk of repeating myself, there's one very minor detail that you had down in previous creations that seems to have slipped past on the sundrop. When it's set on the table head down, here's no way to tell if you've left it on. Perhaps in a future itteration, crenulations could be added (either as a seperate bezel, or as part of the integrated head)?
ok, the original mule didn't have crenulations, but once you put a gitd oring in place of the upper one that cuts into the finger grips, it works to the same effect.
Yes, it's really minor, but if it could be added without compromising any of the other features, it would be just one added bit of polish on a very nearly perfect light. Just my $0.02


Then of course there's the tritium preference... :nana:
But overall, very well done. Thanks :thumbsup:

 

[souptree]

ok, the original mule didn't have crenulations, but once you put a gitd oring in place of the upper one that cuts into the finger grips, it works to the same effect.

You can tell if the original Ti Mule is on or not when it is set bezel down on a table. No o-ring swap required.

 

[yaesumofo]

I like what don did on his own light with H3. He installed it under the window next to the emitter. IMHO this is a nice viable option, for anybody.

Yaesumofo

Then of course there's the tritium preference... :nana:
But overall, very well done. Thanks :thumbsup:

 

[easilyled]

OK, I am blowing my own horn here ...

Nothing wrong with that when you're able to. :green:

Seriously, when you talk about being satisfied with your current contributions
to the community, your modesty is disarming to the point of being understatement in the extreme.

Singlehandedly you have been the main driving force behind CPF in my opinion.

 

[Kiessling]

Singlehandedly you have been the main driving force behind CPF in my opinion.

Yes.
And if we continue down that path, he'll be the man with the biggest head on CPF, too :nana:

 

[easilyled]

Yes.
And if we continue down that path, he'll be the man with the biggest head on CPF, too :nana:

That's true Bernie, but we need to give the man some encouragement sometimes so that he continues to give us what we want.

 

[souptree]

Singlehandedly you have been the main driving force behind CPF in my opinion.

As well as an ongoing lesson in how to go about one's affairs with class.

It's almost futile trying to praise Don and it always sounds like *** kissing, but it's not. Some people are just a little more inspiring than some other people. :shrug:

 

[iconoclast]

You can tell if the original Ti Mule is on or not when it is set bezel down on a table. No o-ring swap required.

ahh, good to know. I guess that's what I get for not leaving it on before I swapped in the glow ring. :green:

 

[iconoclast]

I like what don did on his own light with H3. He installed it under the window next to the emitter. IMHO this is a nice viable option, for anybody.

Yes, I do like that addition. Although as a means of finding the item in the dark, I suppose it once again highlights my tendency to set these lights on a table bezel down. Perhaps I'm the only one with that habit...

 

[precisionworks]

Yesterday, we rented a steam cleaner to wash down the inside of a 1600 gallon stainless tank. Our process is to wash down with the drain hose taking away the water, then unhook the drain hose & place a bright white, 5 gallon pail under the drain valve. A short wash is collected in the pail to check for any particulates, oils, etc.

I tried the LunaSol 20 on both low setting and high setting, but could not get a good read on the cleanliness of the water. Switched to the SunDrop & had a perfect view of the tiny particles collected in the pail.

OK, I am blowing my own horn here but I do so because I really like the SunDrop. It is a simple light and I think I got it right. I got what I wanted anyway.

Until you try one, you can't fully appreciate what the SunDrop does. It's a light that you don't think you need, until it's put to use. Then you realize that it fills a niche like no other light can.