For 99% of users you should go with a P7

I think the P7 is completely undervalued here. The Cree's just have poor optics. I have heard so many times that the cree rings only affect white wall performance, but I find them disracting in normal use.

My $40 P7 Aurora has the most useful beam of all my flashlights. Huge flood, but still outthrows my Deerelight Q5 P60. The light has a long run time with the 2 18650 batteries. The tint is perfect, transistion from hot spot to spill has none of the cree weirdness that messes up the eye.

Just put aside all your preconceptions about flashlights and compare your P7 to your lights. I hope the higher quality brands start releasing P7 based lights, they have more practical usefullness than the alternatives.

As long as the light is big enough to support the emitter and reflector.

"99% of flashlights" are not big.

But it is true that it's more efficient to run 4 emitters at a low power than 1 emitter at 4x the power.

I think what I don't like is how the market was flooded w/ quick made P7's

I want a P7 flashlight made by a good company that says they put out ~700 lumens and actually does that.

jake25 said:

I think what I don't like is how the market was flooded w/ quick made P7's

I want a P7 flashlight made by a good company that says they put out ~700 lumens and actually does that.

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Its almost like the cheaper brands have cheapened the P7 emmiter by association. I would like to see a Fenix or Deerelight P7. But the Aurora I have is of fairly good construction.

~$50 is more than I am willing to spend on a DX/Kai light. I just don't trust their customer service/support. If shiningbeam offered one I'd be all over it.

I think the P7's have their place, but I certainly wouldn't say they're a good idea for 99% of uses....

kramer5150 said:

~$50 is more than I am willing to spend on DX/Kai stuff.

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Its definately risky. I got lucky with my Aurora, but if I ordered another, who knows, it could be a POS.

DX should bring just one or two models of practical, well driven and nicely built P7 light rather than intruducing dozens of cheap, ugly, fragile and same specs flashlights.

I would pay up to $100 for a really bright and well built P7 at DX. Still waiting my WF-1000 to arrive, sadly i read somewhere the efficiency is only >85% and drives emitter @2.1A.

I got one of the Aurora single-cell 2 mode lights and can find NO significant flaw in it. By far, the best, most useful beam pattern of any light I own and plenty of light on low for most uses, with maybe 15 hours runtime and will light up my neighbors pumphouse (and everything in between) 200 yards away on high with maybe 600 lumens out the front.

Flashlight, 2 18650 protected cells and a 2-bay charger was maybe $55 delivered.

Can't understand why people aren't singing from their rooftops about these...?

glenda17 said:

I think the P7 is completely undervalued here. The Cree's just have poor optics. I have heard so many times that the cree rings only affect white wall performance, but I find them disracting in normal use.

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I beg to differ, my Cree has a very smooth beam.




Its a L2D Q5 with OP reflector.

Last I checked . . . the P7's a little big for an Aeon! :nana:

chew socks said:

I beg to differ, my Cree has a very smooth beam.

Its a L2D Q5 with OP reflector.

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You can hide almost anything with OP, put that cree in a smooth reflector and you will see the rings

clg0159 said:

You can hide almost anything with OP, put that cree in a smooth reflector and you will see the rings

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True

clg0159 said:

You can hide almost anything with OP, put that cree in a smooth reflector and you will see the rings

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You can hide throw as well :duh2:

I'm less worried about rings of varying tint, which is the nature of the emitter.

Crees have been difficult to focus due to inconsistent placement of the dome over the emitter. Sometimes the problem comes from circumferentially rippled domes.

Reflectors are more often textured (inefficient) to mask the poor QC of the emitter. This probably results in less complaints, hence the reason more and more standard textured reflectors.

Now with the P7, there is a big problems with an on-center dark spot, even with heavily textured reflectors. Have you ever seen a P7 sold with a smooth reflector? I don't think it's a step forward in beam quality.

McGizmo has some reflectors that work *very* well with e Cree XR-E ... they produce a tight spill with a fat spot ... a ram of light beam that is really good ... and that just isn't easily doable with a Seoul or Lux.
But it is for the XR-E and I have no idea about the P7.
bernie

There are some very good beams with newer smooth reflectors.

The new line of Fenix lights, and the Dereelight C2H come to mind.

These throw a nice wide spot as well.

I think these companies may be taking better advantage of optical design software.

Not to forget the SF E-Series TIR ... the best Cree beam to date. Certainly not the most beautiful, but a very good beam.

I think it might just be the fact the the Cree quad-die is newr than the P7 and thus there are less obvious optical solutions. Retrofits won't usually do the trick here and ar emore difficult than swotching from a LuxV to a P7, at least when beam shape is concerned.

bernie

jake25 said:

I think what I don't like is how the market was flooded w/ quick made P7's

I want a P7 flashlight made by a good company that says they put out ~700 lumens and actually does that.

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+1
I want a decently made, two level P7 light running off a single A123 or Emoli battery.

Kiessling said:

Not to forget the SF E-Series TIR ... the best Cree beam to date. Certainly not the most beautiful, but a very good beam.

I think it might just be the fact the the Cree quad-die is newr than the P7 and thus there are less obvious optical solutions. Retrofits won't usually do the trick here and ar emore difficult than swotching from a LuxV to a P7, at least when beam shape is concerned.

bernie

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Gotta agree with you there, Bernie! Those Surefire TIR's are excellent in use!!!:twothumbs