Surefire L7 Digital Lumamax / 9N comparison /w beamshots

I'm new to here, was attracted by the vast amount of flashlight reviews and background information in here, not found elsewhere.

I recently bought a Surefire L7 Digital Lumamax so that my 10-years-old Surefire 9N (still one of the most beautiful flashlights I've seen ever) has a "friend". Both use B90 rechargeable NiCd batteries, and the L7 came with a new ("intelligent") charger and 2 replacement B90's.

Of course I made beamshots, both with fresh batteries:





There are only a few posts about the L7 in here. I'm very impressed by the L7 ... Not that popular?

BTW: The 9N is specified with 140 lumens, the L7 with 75. Can't believe that ...

Re: SureFire L7 / 9N comparison /w beamshots

Welcome to CPF!

Thanks for posting the beamshots.

I guess SureFire rechargeables shine best when used all the time as dutylights. Since we don't have many members who require such lights they aren't discussed much.

I have a 9N (& T3 TurboHead) - the 9NT is one of my favourite flashlights. However, I much prefer the 9AN over the 9N - LockOut TailCap, better grip, Hard Anodised, sharing BeamFilters with the M3.

I have the 8NX (polymer) rather than the 8AX. I've not got an L7 although since it is the only "L" I don't have I figure I will get an L7 one day...
Comparisons with a flashlight I already have really help twist my arm!

The new (current) charger for the B90 battery stick works wonders. I need to get a couple.

I hope you enjoy your time here!

Al

Re: SureFire L7 / 9N comparison /w beamshots

Nice pic shots you've got there Luminator and Welcome to CPF.

Enjoy!

Luminator,

I have to agree with you. I hava a L7, and it is probably my favorite surefire light. The beam is just magnificent. It has the right mix of throw and flood. Best of all it is rechargeable. I have not purchased an U2, because of the simple reason of what most people like about it. This is the multiple light levels. I find this a little cumbersome. I know it is versatile but a little cumbersome to me. I like life to be simple. The L7 is beautiful in its simplicity. Best of all you don't have to buy batteries all the time.

Cranial Nerve #2 is the Optic Nerve

Thank you for the welcome.

I'll post some more beamshots when the ordered Golston 7W flashlight is here (I don't expect much from it, but have to see it with my own eyes ...).

I was happy that the old B90 still made it . Needs some recharge cycles though .. The new charger seems to be pretty much cool...

Hope there'll be a L10 soon:huh:

Welcome to CPF Luminator, enjoy your stay!

Surefire L7 / Golston 7W comparison

Luminator said:

Thank you for the welcome.

I'll post some more beamshots when the ordered Golston 7W flashlight is here (I don't expect much from it, but have to see it with my own eyes ...).

I was happy that the old B90 still made it . Needs some recharge cycles though .. The new charger seems to be pretty much cool...

Hope there'll be a L10 soon:huh:

Click to expand...

My Golston "7W" took 2 months to be shipped to old europe but finally arrived.

As promised here are some pictures including beamshots I took lately.

Note: The close-up shots of the emitter and bezel are using the same scale.

My opinion:

The Surefire L7 is brighter than the Golston 7W in general but the golston has got a narrow beam and thus seeming brighter in the center. Workmanship and finish of the SF are clearly better than the golston as you can see on the close-up pics.

The Surefire L7 uses a Luxeon V (5W) emitter but the Golston only an overdriven Luxeon III-clone. The Golston has no donut effect (my L7 has it in fact, not noticeable on the photos) and a very bright and white light. For the price not a bad flashlight. But how long will it last? Just compare the emitter sizes ...





Golston 7W left - Surefire L7 right


Golston 7W


Surefire L7

Fellow happy L7 owner here...very happy with the KL7 head and its resulting beam..unfortunately, they sent me an 8AX Commander body (obviously the same size) so I am without it for a little bit.

I have recently purchased a Surefire L7, and am interested to know how accurate surefire's runtimes are for the L7. Does any one have a runtime graph of the L7?

Hello Lightingguy,

I recently ran some tests on the L7 and seem to remember that the SureFire information was accurate, as far as run times.

I was building NiMh replacement packs for the B90 battery. If you do a search in the Batteries section looking for NiMh B90 replacement packs, or Twice the runtime and brighter, you should be able to find the thread.

Sorry, I did not do any graphs.

Tom

I don't have any graphs of my L7 with either the stock battery or Silverfox's battery, but can tell you his lasts FAR longer then a stock battery does. His battery is of extremely high quality and I suggest getting one if you can find one for sale.

I have an 8AX and 8NX, but I'm thinking about selling them, as I now find the 45min runtime a little short. I can't find a reasonably priced L7 head, or a drop in LED module for the 8AX, so I'm not using it at the moment. It's a shame, as I find the light output great, it's just the requirement to carry up to 4 spare B90s for a night shift, and then to charge them all up next day that takes the edge off for me.

Yes, I am aware of the 3rd party B90 replacements available from some CPFers, but even with these, I would love the runtime of a regulated LED head on this light.

Welcome to CPF Luminator. Spending too much time here can get expensive! Enter with caution.:wave:

That L7 sure is one pretty light!:thumbsup:

RAF_Groundcrew said:

I have an 8AX and 8NX, but I'm thinking about selling them, as I now find the 45min runtime a little short. I can't find a reasonably priced L7 head, or a drop in LED module for the 8AX, so I'm not using it at the moment. It's a shame, as I find the light output great, it's just the requirement to carry up to 4 spare B90s for a night shift, and then to charge them all up next day that takes the edge off for me.

Yes, I am aware of the 3rd party B90 replacements available from some CPFers, but even with these, I would love the runtime of a regulated LED head on this light.

Click to expand...

Obviously it's not just a head, but just in case you were interested, I do have my L7 for sale in the marketplace. It also comes with Silverfox's high capacity battery as well.

The short runtime on my old 8NX was why I sold it. This L7 with Silverfox's battery lasts for hours per charge.

Hi Ice_theater,

Can sub-c cells be used to power up the L7? I'm an RC hobbyist and I have many of those matched 4300s cells rated at 1.2v each. Could come in handy fpr the L7.

Hello Jumpstat,

Sub C cells work great. The problem comes when trying to charge them back up. The 4300 mAh cells are a tad bit too long and it is a very tight fit to charge them in the stock charger. If you have a different charger, there is no problem using them at all with length, but you need to keep track of their diameter.

That packs that we put together were spot welded. You can shorten the pack by end to end soldering them. If you are planning on using 4300 mAh cells with the stock charger, you will have a better fit if they are soldered.

Tom

I have read some where that the L7 can actually out put 120 lumens opposed to it's rated 100 lumens. Can any one verify this for me?

It completely depends on the bin of LED that's in each L7. There's the chance it might be as low as 70 lumens and as high as say 190 lumens. I'd think most L7's currently made are using W bin Luxeon V's.

Of course, Surefire measures the lumens conservatively and 100 lumens to them might actually be 120 lumens.