Delta
Enlightened
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2004
- Messages
- 432
Getting ready to pull the trigger on this light from DX, but looking for some encouragement to push me over the edge.
Plus's/Minuses?
Plus's/Minuses?
Who has an Ultrafire C2? Happy with it?
- Thread starter Delta
- Start date
Help Support Candle Power Flashlight Forum
Delta
Enlightened
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2004
- Messages
- 432
ALSO: How are you carrying it? Preferred sheath/holster?
vetkaw63
Enlightened
I really like mine. I like it well enough to send it off for chrome plating. I just got a Q4 in the mail that I am going to put in the C2.
The light has a bright hot spot with a decent amount of spill. Perfect for me although, it was a little disconcerting at first. The contrast between spot and spill is huge.
Mike
The light has a bright hot spot with a decent amount of spill. Perfect for me although, it was a little disconcerting at first. The contrast between spot and spill is huge.
Mike
Artisan Bill
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2006
- Messages
- 23
Hi Delta,
I have a C2 and am moderately happy with it as a flashlight, but quite happy with it for its price. Please note that these are just my opinions and because they are opinions others may not share them.
Pros
Great design and great looks
Well built for the price segment
Smooth beam because of textured reflector
Bright with lots of spill and a tight hotspot that throws well
Accepts 2 x CR123 or 1 x 18650
Cons
Single stage only, sometimes too bright for close up work
Finish scratches easily
Head is a little large for easy carry
Unusual beam pattern, the bright spill beam is very useful but the contrast with the hotspot is hard on my eyes.
Throws very well but does not project enough light forward to be particularly useful
Slight flicker unless the tail cap is tightly screwed on (most likely a quirk of my light only)
Overall I like this light for the money, and there are many people here who like this light very much. However In my opinion there are now other lights that I would buy over the C2 which were not available at the time I purchased mine.
There are a few different versions of this light available from Kaidomain. There is the Crystal that has a smooth reflector and a two stage switch and the C2 HA111 that has a hard anodized finish. I do not have either light so I can not give comment about how they compare.
One of my favorite flashlights is the VB-16 that was sold on CPF by Waion. This light has a great beam that blends well for close up and distance lighting. The throw is very good and more useable than the C2. I have noticed that a light called the VB-16 is now available from both Deal extreme and Kaidomain for about $25.00. I do not know if this is the same light as Waion was selling but I am going to order one to find out.
I hope that this ramble has helped
Regards, Artisan Bill
I have a C2 and am moderately happy with it as a flashlight, but quite happy with it for its price. Please note that these are just my opinions and because they are opinions others may not share them.
Pros
Great design and great looks
Well built for the price segment
Smooth beam because of textured reflector
Bright with lots of spill and a tight hotspot that throws well
Accepts 2 x CR123 or 1 x 18650
Cons
Single stage only, sometimes too bright for close up work
Finish scratches easily
Head is a little large for easy carry
Unusual beam pattern, the bright spill beam is very useful but the contrast with the hotspot is hard on my eyes.
Throws very well but does not project enough light forward to be particularly useful
Slight flicker unless the tail cap is tightly screwed on (most likely a quirk of my light only)
Overall I like this light for the money, and there are many people here who like this light very much. However In my opinion there are now other lights that I would buy over the C2 which were not available at the time I purchased mine.
There are a few different versions of this light available from Kaidomain. There is the Crystal that has a smooth reflector and a two stage switch and the C2 HA111 that has a hard anodized finish. I do not have either light so I can not give comment about how they compare.
One of my favorite flashlights is the VB-16 that was sold on CPF by Waion. This light has a great beam that blends well for close up and distance lighting. The throw is very good and more useable than the C2. I have noticed that a light called the VB-16 is now available from both Deal extreme and Kaidomain for about $25.00. I do not know if this is the same light as Waion was selling but I am going to order one to find out.
I hope that this ramble has helped
Regards, Artisan Bill
Russianesq
Enlightened
for the money it is a good buy.
one of the best lights I bought from DX.
one of the best lights I bought from DX.
2xTrinity
Flashlight Enthusiast
Well, I ended up getting both a C2 from DX, and one of the hard coated ones from Kai. I greatly prefer the finish of the one from Kai, but the one that he sent out had a terrible emitter that was strongly purplish. I ended up replacing it with a P4 WH bin. I also replaced the reverse clicky on the back with a tactical forward clicky, and after having done those mods, that is very nice light for medium-range tasks.
nerdgineer
Flashlight Enthusiast
Where did the tactical forward clicky come from? Picture of it?...
2xTrinity
Flashlight Enthusiast
Here. the spring that came with it was far too stiff, so I ended up cutting it and replacing it with a different one. Anyway, for installation, I first isolated necessary contacts with electrical tape, then simply removed the old switch, added a washer to hold the new one in place and make electrical contact, and screwed the old retainer ring back into place.
I know many people may not agree with me. But it's just MHO, no need to take it too seriously:
The C2 looks great, feels good in the hand, but performance wise is a failure. The whole point of a big reflector is to provide throw. But C2's reflector is so shallow for Cree that it collects only a small portion of Cree's emmission. The result is poor throw and a lot of spill, which can be easily achieved by a much smaller reflector. Its big head looks just silly to me.
The C2 looks great, feels good in the hand, but performance wise is a failure. The whole point of a big reflector is to provide throw. But C2's reflector is so shallow for Cree that it collects only a small portion of Cree's emmission. The result is poor throw and a lot of spill, which can be easily achieved by a much smaller reflector. Its big head looks just silly to me.
skyline_man
Banned
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2007
- Messages
- 129
I have the Ultrafire C2 in HAIII, Eastward YJ U2 style and a new Eastward YJ that's been out for a month or so, and IMO the new Eastward YJ is the best of the bunch. It has awesome brightness compared with the C2 with a good combination of throw and spill. After using it for a while and going back to my C2 - my C2 looks like a joke!! It also takes both CR123 and 18650 protected or unprotected and has 2 stage. It looks the best of the bunch as well. But the best part is that it has the best tint of them all - a pure white with a tinge of cream, just like my MRV and surefire U2.
The new YJ is the best 18650 light at DX IMO!!! http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4424
The C2 only has single stage, and u need to put a solder blob or a magnet on the positive terminal of ur protected battery to get it to work.
The new YJ is the best 18650 light at DX IMO!!! http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4424
The C2 only has single stage, and u need to put a solder blob or a magnet on the positive terminal of ur protected battery to get it to work.
Northernflame
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2004
- Messages
- 145
Hi.
I've not much to complain about my c2's
Some minor mods like placing a spring mod on the + pole.
The side spill is nice and good throw. I know that some don't care for side spill. However i wonder how you can see anything 2 feet in front of you with a purely throw FL. Most of the time people point the FL beam 6+ feet in front of them and trip on things only a few inches away.
A very simple cheap mod to make the C2 into a fantastic light is to put a large colimnator lens in it. Leave the original reflector and get a 24 or 25mm colimnating lens and drop it in. Becomes a wide range flood with excellent throw.
The C2 would be even better with 2 modes.
The more recent VB-16 looks good. However a trial between the vb-16 and C2 would be best to clear things up.
I've not much to complain about my c2's
Some minor mods like placing a spring mod on the + pole.
The side spill is nice and good throw. I know that some don't care for side spill. However i wonder how you can see anything 2 feet in front of you with a purely throw FL. Most of the time people point the FL beam 6+ feet in front of them and trip on things only a few inches away.
A very simple cheap mod to make the C2 into a fantastic light is to put a large colimnator lens in it. Leave the original reflector and get a 24 or 25mm colimnating lens and drop it in. Becomes a wide range flood with excellent throw.
The C2 would be even better with 2 modes.
The more recent VB-16 looks good. However a trial between the vb-16 and C2 would be best to clear things up.
Delta
Enlightened
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2004
- Messages
- 432
Oh man, that DOES look better! Do you know about how many Lumens it pumps out? I'm guessing about 100.
FlashCrazy
Flashlight Enthusiast
I love the C2...great for the price. I like two-stage or multi-stage lights and have a few, but I also like having a single-stage light. The head is big on it, and I wouldn't want to carry it in a holster. It makes a great work light, and in this situation the bigger head allows it to stand on a toolbox or workbench without falling over. I like to stand my work lights up, for a quick grab when I need it. The lights with smaller heads get knocked over all the time. It has a very wide spill...very useful as a work light...great for lighting up a whole backyard or room too. For $20 shipped, you can't go wrong!
skyline_man
Banned
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2007
- Messages
- 129
The cree in the YJ is driven at around 1.2 amp, so according to the figures from cree and from personal experience i reckon that it puts out around 170 lumens or so. The C2 is only driven at around 750 milliamps. The only advantage that the C2 has over the YJ is that the run time on a 18650 is around 3 hours to 50% whereas the YJ will only last for 1.5 hours to 50%. Besides that the YJ is superior in every other way.
Oh by the way, the tint of the C2 is a horrible purple and the LED is not centered.
Oh by the way, the tint of the C2 is a horrible purple and the LED is not centered.
the servents of twilight
Newly Enlightened
I just recieved mine yesterday. I got it with HAIII finish from Kai. Shipping took much longer than expected. This is my 4th cree light. (Rex 2.0, jetbeab cl-e, fenix lod-ce being the others) Fit and finish are nice. I like the switch - not too stiff for me. The LED is slightly off center, but I could not see this defect in the beam. It is bright, has good throw, nice white beam, and has good runtime. I don't have any other 18650 cree lights to compare it too, and it seems like some other real nice ones are just coming out. I think it is a great light for the price. Overall I am happy that I bought it. This is the first LED light that I own that might make me leave my incadescents home. :thumbsup:
Last edited:
Dobbler
Enlightened
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2007
- Messages
- 503
There is a HAIII version? I only see (and have) a HAII version :thinking:
knot
Banned
I have that Cree module. Isn't it about the same thing - only it runs at 900mAh? It has great spill and great throw. My TLE-5EX is no match by far - and that was with 2x123 below 6volts. With new rechargeable 123, it's incredible.
That cheap "Miraclebeam" host I'm using works flawlessly (clicky), especially since I removed the resistor.
That cheap "Miraclebeam" host I'm using works flawlessly (clicky), especially since I removed the resistor.
