What is the brightest LED flashlight you can buy (without mods)?

[yalskey]

Ok folks, I really need your help with this one. One of my friends is skeptical about the power of LED flashlights. (He's not a flashlight nerds or anything like us His good old Mag 3D (stock) is the ultimate light in his view.

I want to get a LED flashlight that is as impressive as possible... brightness wise I mean.

Is the Fenix P3D-CE the absolute brightest LED flashlight out there?

I'm sure there are handy / crafty people out there that could modify and customize the hell out of a light, but I'm asking about unmodified / out-of-the-box lights here. I'm not at all handy :-(

So guys... what can I blow this guys socks off with, and convince him that LED's are the wave of the future?

 

[Long John]

Some multiple Led-lights like the "Wise-Led".

Best regards

____
Tom

 

[VidPro]

in what size? running what battery type? for what cost? how many leds total? impress them with total output, or the ability to light the other side of the auditorium?

the fenix stuff kicks butt because it doesn't have a big fat head, but still has a good beam and output. it FITS in the pocket.
if your trying to impress someone though, a larger reflector might be better, but good luck fitting it in your pocket.

then if you really want to "impress" have something the size of a keychain light, pull it out, they will see how tiny, and think ahh thats cute, then show them 80+ lumens streaming out of it, like say the drake or drako.

if you want to have throw that will outrun lots of incans, look at the mag aspherical (one in the market today) it has a spot that is very tight, and can zoom back to a wild flood too. the people in the forum (at the meet) were amazed to see that the first time, and they know all this stuff.

if you want to blow the whole place away, there is a Electrolumens led blaster thing in the market (selling fairly cheap), something like 8-9 crees, and D size battery

soo where did you want to go today?

 

[JohnR66]

Find the 3C cell Rayovac Sportsman Extreme for $25. That will make a believer out of him.

 

[1 what]

Greetings,
Have a look at the A9:
http://www.batteryjunction.com/tiledfla8a8s.html
There's always someting bigger and better but this little baby gives a lot of light for the $$.
If your friend isn't used to high output lights it's important to tell him not to look into the torch to see how bright it is.

 

[BWX]

http://www.wiseled.com/index.aspx?articleid=927 ?

http://www.foxfury.com/products/mf_1000_series/index.htm ?

 

[neoseikan]

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=172236

 

[WadeF]

I know a lot of the small CREE lights will beat a 3D Mag in lumens, and will blow them away for close range stuff, but a 3D Mag can throw pretty good. So if your friend gets into a throw contest you could run into trouble, possibly. I haven't tested throw with a stock 3D Mag and my little CREE lights. So you might want to be ready for that and get a Lumapower MRV or the Tiablo A8 or A9 (pre-order at the moment).

 

[BentHeadTX]

Put a MagLED upgrade in the 3D Mag, that will make a believer out of him and it costs around $20.

I would assume that your friend prefers normal batteries so a Fenix L2T CE RB100 would get him going. It is the Luxeon Rebel based light that punches out around 175 lumens from 2 AA (perferably NiMH rechargable) Costs around $60 or so.

 

[Nitro]

The P3D may not throw as far as the 3D, but it will look much brighter up close. Especially if you shine it in his eyes on strobe. :devil:

However the Tiablo A9 will make the Mag 3D look like a penlight in both output and throw. :thumbsup:

 

[paulr]

Elektrolumens has a light with 7 Crees.

 

[knot]

I think something along the same price range but so much smaller would be impressive. You want brightness? You can get a little direct drive 123 light the size of perhaps your little finger that will put out 120-130 lumen for less than $20.00. I don't know how much a 3D mag is nowadays though.

 

[Nitro]

Elektrolumens has a light with 7 Crees.

The multi-LED's are certainly brighter, but lack the throw of a single LED.

For some reason I never liked multi-LED lights. I figure I'd rather invest in making brighter more effecient LED's, rather then to see how many can be loaded into one flashlight. 3-4 LED's in a MAG isn't bad, but the shower heads just look dopey. Only IMO, of course, which some would say is also dopey.

 

[LukeA]

Get a Pelican 7060. It's 170 actual torch lumens (as measured by McGizmo). It'll throw with the likes of the MRV and the Tiablos. And you don't have to deal with the possibly dangerous charging of lithium-ion cells like you do with the other comparable lights. It's available now, too. Google products search gives the best price for it at Boss Safety. I have one and I love it.

 

[knot]

Get a Pelican 7060. It's 170 actual torch lumens (as measured by McGizmo). It'll throw with the likes of the MRV and the Tiablos. And you don't have to deal with the possibly dangerous charging of lithium-ion cells like you do with the other comparable lights. It's available now, too. Google products search gives the best price for it at Boss Safety. I have one and I love it.

His friend would say: well sure, that's a $139.95 flashlight, what do you expect. I would try to impress with less cost and size but brighter. Why let him think the future of LED is only obtainable for $100+ The 150 lumen Rayovac that many local stores will carry would easily win him over. It IS the people's LED future right now.

Find the 3C cell Rayovac Sportsman Extreme for $25. That will make a believer out of him.

 

[selfbuilt]

If his batteries aren't brand new, sticking the ~$20 official Mag 3W LED module in there should really impress him!

If you want a throw king, the Luma MRV or Tiablo A8 (both currently available) are probably your best bet. Both are great lights.

But even the little Luma D-mini is impressive - it certainly blew the socks off everyone carrying a 2D Mag on my last vacation in Costa Rica (it out-threw all of them!).

But any modern Fenix light should be very impressive to a non-flasholic.

 

[jsr]

Keep in mind most non-flashaholics perceive hotspot intensity as bright. A really bright flood light will not impress as much as a bright hotspot. That's why people think Mags are bright as they focus into a tight hotspot with dim spill. To impress a non-flashaholic, you need to go 1 of 2 things:

1. Make him aware of and understand the concept of bounce test comparisons which negate the beam type (focused vs. floody)...since this may not happen...

2. Get an LED light that has a tight, bright hotspot like the MRV, Tiablo, upcoming Dereelight DBS, etc. Better yet, throw an aspherical lens in front of the MRV/Tiablo/DBS and you'll turn it into a laser...that will surely impress.

You can also get one of those multi-LED lights, but those costs a LOT!

 

[Nitro]

Get a Pelican 7060. It's 170 actual torch lumens (as measured by McGizmo). It'll throw with the likes of the MRV and the Tiablos. And you don't have to deal with the possibly dangerous charging of lithium-ion cells like you do with the other comparable lights. It's available now, too. Google products search gives the best price for it at Boss Safety. I have one and I love it.

The 7060 is also 8.65" long. The A8/A9 is only ~6".
The 7060 will give you ~10800 Lux (measured by McGizmo)
The A8 will give you ~15950 Lux (measured by StefanFS)
The A9 will give you ~21000 Lux (advertised)

 

[LukeA]

The 7060 is also 8.65" long. The A8/A9 is only ~6".
The 7060 will give you ~10800 Lux (measured by McGizmo)
The A8 will give you ~15950 Lux (measured by StefanFS)
The A9 will give you ~21000 Lux (advertised)

But the 7060 doesn't require the purchase of a separate charger and separate cells with a rather poor (IMO) safety track record. The 7060's charger means that the end user doesn't have to deal with li-ion cells, which is worth a whole lot in my book.

 

[Nitro]

But the 7060 doesn't require the purchase of a separate charger and separate cells with a rather poor (IMO) safety track record. The 7060's charger means that the end user doesn't have to deal with li-ion cells, which is worth a whole lot in my book.

Doesn't the Pelican use a Li-Ion simliar to the 18650?

The OP asked what's the brightest LED. I'm just stating it's not the Pelican 7060.

You said the 7060 will throw like the Tiablos. I'm just stating it won't.