My M3 Leef 2x18650 setup (w/ lots of pics and beamshots)

I have been wanting an M3 for a long time, but I hadn't found a rechargable option for it that I was totally sold on. Then Leef started making bodies, and I had all the pieces for the light I had been envisioning. I promptly bought an M3 and ordered a 2x18650 leef body (C tail and M head) from Lighthound. It arrived today, more beautiful than I had anticipated. Leef does amazing work.

This is my new favorite light. The whole package feels very balanced in my hand, and for whatever reason, the SF twistie is actually easier to depress with the Leef body than with the stock one. I am very happy with the HAIII match; I've had an A2 and E2e whose individual pieces didn't match nearly as well as the leef body does with the M3. The knurling is perfect and the threads are SF quality.

One little touch that I particularly appreciate was an unexpected surprise. It seems Leef designed a narrowed opening at the head of the body so that the 18650 cells won't come out when changing lamps. I prefer to tail load my cells when able since I don't have to risk dropping a lamp in the dark and losing it, and likewise, when I change lamp assemblies I don't like having to worry about my cells falling out the front. I know this is a litle thing, but I really like it. Also, Leef has left plenty of room for the standard lanyard ring attachment. The body has been grooved to accept two o-rings at both ends, and includes one set with the body. Enough talk, here are some pictures: (scroll to bottom for beamshot comparisons)


















I wanted to compare the MN11 in the leef body to the stock SF setup, and especially my ROP-LE, since that is the most similar light to this one that I own, in terms of output. The beamshots below compare the Leef body (2x18560s) to the stock SF body (3xCR123s) with both lamps. I'm happy to say that the MN11 is noticeable brighter on 18560s, with an approximate runtime of 45minutes. I was even more excited to find that the Leef MN11 was considerably brighter than my ROP-LE-Low, but not the high bulb. Here are the pics:

ALL PICS ARE TAKEN AT F8.0 AND 1/3SEC.



You might notice that the leef MN11 doesn't appear much dimmer than the ROP-HI. What the pictures don't show as well though, is the increased sidespill put out by the ROP-HI. The ROP lights up ambient objects all over the room, (notice the lit cabinet in the foreground on the left) much more than the MN11. Otherwise, the hotspots aren't that much different, with the ROP taking a slight lead.

With similar runtime to my ROP-LE-low, and more output, in a smaller and more ergonomic package, this will from now on be the light I grab when I need serious light. I'm anticipating this will be an even more viable setup when Lumensfactory comes out with their M3-compatible lamps this month. A turbohead might have to be my next purchase, giving me an M4 setup for a fraction of the cost. For anyone considering Leef bodies, I highly recommend them. Aside from his excellent quality and attention to detail, playing legos is just so much darned fun!

looks great, are all pictures taken with the same exposure time? or is this on "auto"

Oops, should have clarified that. All pics are taken on manual, F8.0 and 1/3 second. I intentionally underexposed a little bit to make comparisons easier.

+1 to the quality of Leef bodies! :goodjob:

Nice setup Scblur. Imagine a SW02 at the tail-end.......

The quality of leef bodies is excelent, i absolutely agree.

I'd just like to point out one fact: they do not accept a second o-ring. The second grooves on the tail- and front-end are different, so the stock o-rings will not fit

I appreciated the high quality of my first Leef body (M-C 2x18650) that I soon ordered a second (C-C 2x18650) one. I was perfectly happy running an L6 on four primary cells, but ordered the 18650's and charger with the second body. More than anything else, I like the 2x18650 tubes having enough length to feel comforting, while still fitting (barely!) in a front pocket bezel up.

Paladin

Thank you SCblur, this is the exact light I'm planning to build. I was thinking of the C:C version (or this version) but I really love the M head. The beamshots and pics of the assembled lights are perfect today because I was going to order everything this week but was still a little undecided on which version I wanted to build. THANK YOU for making my decision that much easier. That is an awesome light for something I can use with a holster and take out of the house or for a back-up to my ROP-HI.

May I ask which brand batteries you are using?

cfromc said:

Thank you SCblur, this is the exact light I'm planning to build. I was thinking of the C:C version (or this version) but I really love the M head. The beamshots and pics of the assembled lights are perfect today because I was going to order everything this week but was still a little undecided on which version I wanted to build. THANK YOU for making my decision that much easier. That is an awesome light for something I can use with a holster and take out of the house or for a back-up to my ROP-HI.

May I ask which brand batteries you are using?

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Thanks, glad I was able to help. The batteries are AW protected 18650s. They fire up no problem without any double-clicks. Depending on your cells though, you may need a magnet between them to make up for the lack of a button top. Leef makes some magnets with a ring around them so there is no worry of shorting anything. It think they're available at lighthound. Enjoy your new light when you get it, I don't think you'll be dissapointed.

Personally I think the 2 X 18650 looks a little too long with the M3 head. A 2 X 18500 would be perfect but Leef does not make such a C to M item. For that reason I have a Leef 2 X 18500 C to C tube and a C-M Leefdapter on order. This will be combined with a SW02 tailcap. (I agree with Jumpstat)

That looks awesome! And the rechargeability is cool too. Sweet set-up.

Does anyone have a pic with the M3T (M4, M6) head on that 2x18650 Leef body? Would love to see what that looks like.

brunt_sp said:

Personally I think the 2 X 18650 looks a little too long with the M3 head. A 2 X 18500 would be perfect but Leef does not make such a C to M item. For that reason I have a Leef 2 X 18500 C to C tube and a C-M Leefdapter on order. This will be combined with a SW02 tailcap. (I agree with Jumpstat)

Click to expand...

post a picture of that setup if you get a chance, I've been thinking of getting one of those too, for when I want a little more portability.

That's a great setup and it does give an excellent performance. I just don't like its form factor though. It looks too long and flat. The stock M3 is much more sexy.

Looks nice. I'm still hoping we will see a 2 X 18500 C-M Leef Body yet. Since this would also allow the use of CR123A's and is more compact and fits some standard holsters better. I would be all over a 2 X 18500 body.

I'm also considering getting a 2x18500 body for it, when I need something a little more compact. However, I'm also trying to standardize my batteries as much as possible, and I'd like to stick to 18650s as much as possible.

My next project would be 2x18650 leef body, SW02 tc and an M2 head with P91. Can this setup turn heads!?!

Nice setup! I've got 2 lego lights with Leef bodies and I also have to say how much I was impressed with their quality! Good stuff! Something you might consider is a Leef grip for added control on the tail end, I've got them on both of mine and they help out a bunch and really open up options for the use of the light with a handgun or other weapon, just a thought...

I just checked out the Leef grip, very interesting. Looks kinda like the detonator extender, without actually extending the tube. Pretty smart idea. I might have to pick one of those up next time I order at lighthound. Thanks trouble.

Very impressive I must say. :thumbsup:

Enjoy!

Leef makes my favorite "Lego" blocks for the Surefire. Nice pics.