If a Cree P2, Q2, and P4 are the same price, just buy the one w/the better emitter?

fstuff · Aug 16, 2008

rc-g2 ($11.30, P2)
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.3607

Q2 "100-Lumen" (11.99, Q2)
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14908

MXDL-Style Cree P4-WD (11.90, p4)
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2098

I'm assuming P4 > Q2 > P2, thus best buy is the MXDL-Style Cree P4-WD for $11.90?

Marduke · Aug 16, 2008

fstuff said:
rc-g2 ($11.30, P2)

I'm assuming P4 > Q2 > P2, thus best buy is the MXDL-Style Cree P4-WD for $11.90?

Q2 > P4 > P2, but those 3 are completely different lights, each with it's own style, function and form. A light is more than the sum of it's parts.

LEDninja · Aug 16, 2008

I have a lot of problems with cheap lights from Hong Kong or China.
2 have battery fit problems,
3 won't work until I fixed them,
1 drained the batteries when OFF.
1 was intermittent and died within a week.

I would stay away from the no name lights.
Your 3rd light is "MXDL style". It is a knockoff of a MXDL light. MXDL itself is not highly regarded.
Your 2nd light is a no name.

Stick with a well regarded name.
The Romisen RC-G2 is probably the minimum acceptable to CPF members.
Bessiebenny has it in his review post.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2499463&postcount=1

The RC-G2 has a fairly big head. If you need something more pocketable I suggest the MTE 1xAA SSC-P4 42180-U. Often referred to by it's DX sku# "sku1995". Do not get the 5 (or more) modes.

Now the single mode lights only have HIGH which drains batteries quickly. So you might want to look at a good 5 mode. Ultrafire C3 Cree Q5 5-Mode.
In addition to being able to run in medium or low modes to conserve batteries it can double its brightness when you use the extention to turn it into a 2AA light.

yellow · Aug 16, 2008

almost same thinking than LEDninja,
all of them are crap and I would be already pleased if they survive the 1st hours of working + a bit of beating.
have had quite a number of such lights fail quickly (= while testing with 1st set of batts)
... I use such lights for lending them around, but get rid of the real crap and/or annoying machining ones immediately.

imho: look at better makes like models from Fenix and such.
Sure, cost more, but price <-> performance is best.
In the end You safe the money spent for the cheap lights.

PS: my view is, that the possible difference between the bins is this small, that I would not get the Q"something" over the "P4", when the machining is worse. If I get mad every time I have to unscrew/screw the end cap because of the poor threads there - its simply not worth.
Also, if the "lower bin" light pushes the led harder, the output is higher.
(but, if there is no diff in machining, sure I ll go for the highest bin)

PPS: 2-celled lights are longer, but much better (brighter + running longer)
its easier for the circuit to drive the led with more power

tsask · Aug 16, 2008

dup post

tsask · Aug 16, 2008

tsask said:
LEDninja;2594713I have a lot of problems with cheap lights from Hong Kong or China.... I would stay away from the no name lights. a knockoff of a MXDL light. MXDL itself is not highly regarded. Stick with a well regarded name. The Romisen RC-G2 is probably the minimum acceptable to CPF members. Bessiebenny has it in his review post. [URL said:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2499463&postcount=1[/url]. So you might want to look at a good 5 mode. Ultrafire C3 Cree Q5 5-Mode.
quote]

Excellent point It's a drag returning a defective light halfway around the world just because you tried to "save" a few Dollars, Yen, Pounds.

A "name brand" to us here at CPF is an unimagined masterpiece in the mind of the unenlightened public.

Deal Extreme does service their products yet I would suggest Lighthound, 4 Sevens, Pacific Tactical, Batteryjunction, Brightguy.

Click to expand...

LukeA · Aug 16, 2008

Marduke said:
Q2 > P4 > P2, but those 3 are completely different lights, each with it's own style, function and form. A light is more than the sum of it's parts.

It's exactly the sum of its parts. However, the emitter is not the only part.

If a Cree P2, Q2, and P4 are the same price, just buy the one w/the better emitter?

fstuff

Newly Enlightened

Marduke

Flashaholic

LEDninja

Flashlight Enthusiast

yellow

Flashlight Enthusiast

tsask

Flashlight Enthusiast

tsask

Flashlight Enthusiast

LukeA

Flashlight Enthusiast

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