European LED flashlights (including UK)

monkeyboy

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It has occurred to me that there aren't many good European LED flashlights around. The good ones are mostly dive torches and bike lights that sell at very high prices. I don't know what it is but it seems as if people from the US are more enthusiastic about flashlights than us europeans.

It seems as though the main LED flashlight manufacturer in europe is LED Lenser/Coast but I've heard nothing but bad things about them. They are a German company but their lights are manufactured in China and yet they are still quite expensive.

Here is a list of some good european diving lights:

Barbolight, Spanish: They make some very good diving lights using LEDs

Fa&Mi, Italian:
They have a whole range of Dive torches using multiple Luxeon LEDs, some run off AA batteries.

Seac sub x-led, Italian:
Uses 3 Luxeon III LEDs and runs off 8AA batteries. Looks pretty cool too. http://www.rockbottomdive.com/dtseacsub.html

x-led.jpg



Now for bike lights

USE, British: http://www.use1.com/exposure/
They manufacture 3 very good LED bike lights that use Li-ion batteries .
USE Exposure enduro: twin luxeon V emitters and high capacity Li-ion battery in a single unit. (7.4V 4300mAh)
Exposure-enduro-turbo-turbo.jpg


USE Exposure race: similar but with smaller battery.

And my favorite, the Exposure Joystick. Uses a side emitting Luxeon III and 3.7V 2150mAh battery. From what I gather, it is similar to an inova t4 in brightness and capacity but is half the length and half the weight.
length: 102mm, diameter: 28mm, weight: 85g. It has dimming capabilities too.

exposure-joystick-main.jpg



Feel free to post any more information about the above lights or any other European LED lights I've missed out.
 

tsask

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avoid led-lenser lights. nice people, but crappy product. avoid these lights
 

Outdoors Fanatic

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Europeans produce amazing flashlights, too bad it's only for divers or bikers. (and often too damn expensive)

Where are the euro manufactors of camping and tactical gear of Europe (besides Petzl)? I bet they could beat Surefire if they want to.
 

monkeyboy

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Casual Flashlight User said:
"Ledwave" look ok.
CFU

Ledwave looks interesting. Is this the official website? http://www.led-and-xenon.com/ They appear to be Spanish not sure about that though.

I like the look of the XR-66 Armada (rechargeable 5watt). Anyone own one of these?

LEDW-ZR8.jpg
 

dapyro

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mossyoak said:
i imagine that what ever lighthing needs they have the US sort of covers for them. surefire dominates the tactical light group the world over.

Or china off coarse with all the cheap lights which are most used by non-flashoholics. (where I life at least) and also better quality ones like fenix and nuwai.

Philips used to make flashlights to by the way, but only cheap ones
 
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leduk

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Ansmann.

I've a couple of Ansmann chargers and if their lights are similar quality then I'd probably be very happy. Not cheap but well specified and well thought out products with good guarantees.
 

monkeyboy

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All good suggestions so far.

I particularly like the Orb, looks very well made and waterproof. Lupine make some impressive looking bike lights. This is the kind of quality German engineering we have come to expect. (not like LED lenser)

OK now check out this beast:

http://www.fa-mi.com/ecommerce2/prodotti2_1/

LUXOR-75.jpg


Fa&Mi Luxor 75 diving torch. It has a 7.2V 3800mAh Nimh battery powering 6 luxeon 3 emitters. Not sure about the size but doesn't look any bigger than a 2d maglite.
 
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schrenz

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That's a question I ask me, too. especially because we have some of the world's biggest Illumination-companies here, like Osram, Hella, Bosch or Phillips, but they sell only cheap, $hitty China-lights under their brands:awman:

There are flasheholics enough I think, the tactical market is also in europe dominated by SF, with some eceptions:
The Giga-Fire (Germany), a longe range light (but some rings in the beam): http://www.gutzeit-gmbh.de/html/giga_fire_intro.html
The Night-Power (Germany), a police-light, similar to a SF 6P:
http://www.shopweezle-hosting.de/shop_bossa/login.php?sess=195e22e34fe78097451b67f97a9eb9b5&abt=0&itemgr=17&caller=nav

And here's some LED-high-tech:
http://www.analytik-jena.de/frontend/index.php?itid=232
From Zeiss and very expensive, about 300$.

You see, if you search for it, you will find some companies, only the custom-market, doesn't exist (except ORB).
But still most of my lights are US-products and I'm sattisfied with them:grin2:

Edit: OH f... I've not seen, that the threatstarter refers on LED-lights, please ignore my first two links, that are incan-lights:eek:
 
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Bandgap

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Halfords (UK) brands an excellent Hella bike light. Its custom collimator gives a good beam for biking.
IMHO it is far better than the similar Cateye.

Most of the collimator firms are European - Carclo, Polymer Optics, Fraen, L2 ....


Steve
 

schrenz

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I've never seen this light in reality, the description sounds good, but it's even more expensive than a U2, especially when I order one in the US.
 

kelmo

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For the longest time I thought the Underwater Kinetics (UK) lights were British imports! LOL
 
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