High Powered AAA shootout(KD Bukle V4 aka. Tough, SL Microstream,L0D Q4, Jet-u, LF2X)

all due respect to the original high Powered AAA shootout thread, here is an updated one..

the candidates


i apologise for the really bad photography, all with cell camera, alot of my previous review pictures were from friend's DSLRs, but taken by me.

so the candidates are:
Streamlight Microstream
KD Buckle ight V4 aka. Tough
Fenix L0D Q4
Jet-u
LF2X


this is pretty close to the wall. all running at max on AAA


Interesting note, the Microstream actually has a more intense hotspot then the L0D, looks like that with my eyes too. The KD Tough is looking every bit its 100+ bulbs lumens.

about 1.5 meters from the wall.



similar, except the Jet-u has all but disappeared! its very much a spill light, but still, i would say all these lights have plenty of spill.

same, but the Lf2X is running on 10440s, it is, by the way, the only light here manufacturor apporved to run on Li-ons



same, but further from the wall





these are the lowest of the lights that are multi level. the LF2x reduces just about to a very similar level with either 10440s or AAAs.




and now...the burning question, L0D on 10440s, risk blowing it, or LF2X on 10440s?



you decide

thank you for watching, please tune in to next thread's episode, the Tiablo vs the KD Kit 1 mag aspheric...

Crenshaw

Wonderful, thanks! Is this the X5 KD buckle or the X2?

Thanks for the comparison!

except for the last few shots of the LF2X, they were running on alkalines, right? or was it NiMh?

Any chance of a Tiablo MA1 arriving for inclusion? Seems to be one of the best, and brags stats as high as the rest included.

Thanks Crenshaw

Are you the first here with the V4 Buckle light? What do you think of it overall (build quality, brightness etc)?

I'm thinking of ordering but wanted to wait for some reviews first.

wow that V4 KD buckle is looking awesome, i cant wait for mine to come sometime next week

I came to the light,yes all alkalines,energizer max AAA, i dont have that many AAA lithiums lying around, thier expensive!

Nope sorry i never found the appeal in the Tiablo MA1, i wanted to, but then reports came in that it was in the area of 45+ lumens...so i skipped it, anyway i highly doubt thats its brighter then the LF2X, seriously, the LF2X holds very well against my NDI even!

bltkmt, im not really sure, X5 Buckle light? but this is the one that Jerry just recently announced, the Version 4 of the Bucklelight, the announcement thread is over at MP

as for the Buckle light itself...get this, i have NO light that has SMOOTHER threads at the moment. Both the inside of the head and the body threads are anodized. Very very very smooth threads, so much so that it might be a problem with the light turning on in the pocket. Its also VERY bright, i would believe it if told it was in excess of 100 lumens. Build quality is preetty damn good too, its knurling makes it look alot like an ARC-AA if you ask me, except that its not HAIII and its not as grippy, but twice it rolled of the table in those pictures, not a mark on it yet. I actually regretted buying it at first, but when it arrived, i was very very happy that i did buy it.
only thing, is its a SMO reflector, so its got quite a fair amount of ringy-ness in the beam, but it wont affect normal usage.

Crenshaw

My understanding is that there are now two V4 versions...one with the Q5 (http://www.kaidomain.com/WEBUI/ProductDetail.aspx?TranID=4499) and one with the Q2 (http://www.kaidomain.com/WEBUI/ProductDetail.aspx?TranID=4498).

Sorry for the confusion...just want to make sure what one I will order!

I love that floody goodness of the Jet-u. Thanks for the shots, Crenshaw. They're not bad for a camera phone. Did you have a tripod for your phone, or fairly steady hands?

Very interesting, thanks a lot for this comparison. :twothumbs

bltkmt, its the Q5

swxb12, yes actually i really like the Jet-u, its lights up a huge area, i only wish they continued making them, and updated the emitter, i love the form factor.

No tripod, hands only.. but the "shutter" time was very short..

Crenshaw

The Microstream competes suprisingly well here. It has that nice bright/tight hotspot for good distance but still alot of spill for up close work. Plus mine gets 2.5 hours steady from an alkie and they have a forward tail clickie. Good stuff for $15.00!

cv3po said:

The Microstream competes suprisingly well here. It has that nice bright/tight hotspot for good distance but still alot of spill for up close work. Plus mine gets 2.5 hours steady from an alkie and they have a forward tail clickie. Good stuff for $15.00!

Click to expand...

Is the microstream a cree Device, or older technology?

Fird

cool- I just ordered the lod, hopefully I'll have one that can handle the 10440's. The v4 looks awesome, and I think it is cheap- 20 bucks? but I'm a rechargable aaa man, so the v4 be a gift only light. the liteflux looks like the ideal keychain if you can handle the length- a low low and high high. plus can do 10440's. around 60 bucks though.

Could you please compare the lights all using eneloops? I am specifically interested in knowing the performance of L0D on High with eneloop vs KDV4 with eneloop vs LF2X on High also with eneloop. Also, I am interested in the same comparison only with all the lights having alkalines in them. Thanks in advance.

Notsure Fire said:

Also, I am interested in the same comparison only with all the lights having alkalines in them.

Click to expand...

The photos from using fresh alkalines will probably be pretty much the same. The only difference would be the runtime/output chart. It's going to take a nose dive much, much sooner than NiMH/Lithium.

Fird said:

Is the microstream a cree Device, or older technology?
Fird

Click to expand...

It actually uses a Seoul emitter. The search function is down right now but I'll link to a post by Streamlight when it's back up.

cv3po, yes i am actually evry surprised by the Microstream too, i bought it specifically as a clicky body for the L0D, but its pretty darn good on its own too!, thier all sitting in my flashlight case now though, my LF2X is quickly becoming the most used flashlight i have. But i was under the impression that the Microstream used Luxeons?

David Gretzmier, the thing about the L0D is that its gets really really hot with 10440s quite fast, and also, youre voiding the warrenty. It seems to work fine, just dont run it for overly-long periods of time on the 10440s.As for the V4, i dare you to get one as a gift, and not feel the need to have one in your own stash "just cos" :nana: you can use NiMh reachargables with it, and although its not rated with 10440s , it might run on them, but im not risking 20$ to find out.

Notsure Fire, sorry i dont have eneloops atm, and i doubt i will ever get any,cos i will be buying a set of Maha charger+ 8 powerex Imedion for my ROP next month with my next pay..as i really cannot spend anything beyond daily neceesities for the rest of this month. ill update this when i get them

swxb12, actually i do wonder, does the 0.3 difference in voltage make a difference?

Crenshaw

David Gretzmier said:

cool- I just ordered the lod, hopefully I'll have one that can handle the 10440's. The v4 looks awesome, and I think it is cheap- 20 bucks? but I'm a rechargable aaa man, so the v4 be a gift only light. the liteflux looks like the ideal keychain if you can handle the length- a low low and high high. plus can do 10440's. around 60 bucks though.

Click to expand...

Hi David,

For my part, the L0D is one of the best Fenix model for running on 3.7v. Every mode is working flawlessly. OK running a little hot on high after 10 min.

Does non-10440 L0D exists?


I feed my 2 x V3 with rechargeables Eneloop. This flashlight is brighter on rechargeables.

Why do you want to gift them?

Erick

so what's the conclusion? Is the L0D the winner?

I ask in regards to using AAA only - alkaline or Nimh only.

conclusion is decide for yourself, in terms of overall output, the L0D still comes behind the KD V4 and the LF2X on Alks...

i am carrying the LF2X everyday now..

Crenshaw