Nitecore D10: Cree Q5 or Osram Golden Dragon Plus?

Hi everybody ;D

I am seriously considering to get a Nitecore D10, as I'm interested in a EDC small flashlight powered by a single AA batery. I have seen excelent reviews concerning this light so it drew my attention.

I'm kinda new to the "flashlight scene" so my question is: What are the differences between the Cree Q5 and the Osram Golden Dragon Plus LED's? Is there any difference in runtimes, brightness, color rendition and durability? If so, what differences and which LED do you prefer?

Thanks !

Re: Cree Q5 / Osram Golden Dragon Plus

:welcome:
Progninja, take a look at Selfbuilts excellent review here https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/206986

It may come down to personal preference on which beam pattern you prefer. The GDP had some issues regarding tint but going by beamshots the beam is quite pretty IMHO.

And try a search in future!

Re: Cree Q5 / Osram Golden Dragon Plus

i have the same dilemma and i have read everything there is to read on the subject more than once, doing a search doesn't fill in the blanks unfortunately.


i wanted the d10 gdp as i much preferred the beam but in realworld photos the q5 seems brighter and doesn't seem to be too ringy like it can be against a plain wall.

mainly though i am not prepared to risk getting a d10 gdp that whines, i've had that before with lights and cannot stand it. the q5 is supposedly quieter while some gdp's suffer from transistor whine.

so when i can afford mine i will probably get the q5, even though i don't really want it as much as the gdp, it seems the safer bet.

i have to add that i have no experience of the d10 at all and may be wrong, but like i said, i've read and re-read it all trying to decide.

and no, unfortunately i can't afford to get both

Hi Progninja and :welcome:,

PM sent.

Cheers,
Steve

I've got a D10 with Q5 and a EX10 with GDP.
I prefer the Golden Dragon and carry it everywhere, nothing scientific - I just like the beam better.

No noises or tints (unless you spend you spare time white wall hunting) with either of mine.

Welcome

is it kind of a whine lottery with the gdp then, has anyone had a whining q5 d10 ?

gdp would be my choice as long as it was silent

To the OP, just buy them both. You've got to start somewhere.

If you can't get both just make a decision and live with it. You're getting too caught up in minutia. What you probably don't realize is that there is a thing called a "tint lottery" and that simple fact makes the pros and cons of each emitter a near moot point. If you don't mind a ringy beam get the Cree. If a ringy beam bothers you and you like it smooth, get the GD plus. If you've never seen these things before it's impossible to ask other people what they like and somehow discern an answer for yourself. For the love of Pete.

@Victor,
Inductor whine is not mutually exclusive to the D10 or the EX10. It is exclusively dependent upon the inductor and how it's mounted to the PCB. It has nothing to do with the emitter. I guess we could/should call it an "inductor lottery". oo:

Armed_Forces said:

@Victor,
Inductor whine is not mutually exclusive to the D10 or the EX10 oo:

Click to expand...

for sure, i've had it badly it before in a uplighter

and i really don't know anything from my own flashlight experience, just what i read here and that the gdp suffered (on some examples) from it but that the q5 d10 didn't

Armed_Forces said:

@Victor,
Inductor whine is not mutually exclusive to the D10 or the EX10. It is exclusively dependent upon the inductor and how it's mounted to the PCB. It has nothing to do with the emitter. I guess we could/should call it an "inductor lottery". oo:

Click to expand...

maybe my age is showing a little. i have never heard any inductor whine but, i have a "ringing" in my ears and my wife is constantly asking me to turn down the volume on the TV.
usually when i'm faced with a choice where one is just as good or bad as the other i flip a coin. seems fair to me.

sappyg said:

maybe my age is showing a little. i have never heard any inductor whine but, i have a "ringing" in my ears and my wife is constantly asking me to turn down the volume on the TV.
usually when i'm faced with a choice where one is just as good or bad as the other i flip a coin. seems fair to me.

Click to expand...

sappyg, I'm the same boat with you. I have a D10 GDP and being somewhat color-blind and hard of hearing have no problem with the tint or whine. I carry the D10 every day along with my LF3XT. IMO both are very good lights.

Hugh

I have a D10 GDP, my son has a Fenix L1D Q5. Here are a few thoughts.

The D10 has a whine but I can only hear it up close. To my eyes the L1D seems brighter but only because the hotspot is bigger, I prefer the beam pattern of the D10.

I also prefer the UI and piston drive of the D10.

The piston drive makes no noise in operation where the clickie in the L1D can sound like a machine gun in a quiet room.

The D10 is also smaller.

Needless to say, I love the D10 and ordered the GDP because I wanted a smoother beam pattern for EDC.

I have the Cree version of the D10. It's a bit ringy, but that doesn't bother me.

Others on this board have reported that the Cree version has more spill; spill is useful when you're in total darkness.

Nothing's perfect -- buy both as per the CPF mantra.

Buy the GDP and hope you get a good tint. (I had to return an EX10 GDP because of a purple spillbeam.) The cree D10 that I have has an awful set of cree rings...about as bad as any light I have. The light itself is great, they just didn't pair it with the right reflector.

I like the Q5 better. It's brighter, and runs longer.

Art Vandelay said:

I like the Q5 better. It's brighter, and runs longer.

Click to expand...

You don't mind the cree rings? I hate the beam profile of my D10...lousy rings...

I'm a Cree fan, they are brighter and more efficient. Take a look at the lf5xt or the lf3_xt. They set the standard for pretty beams, and they both have Cree LEDs.

I have 5 of the GDR D10s. They are all excellent. Just buy one and don't worry about it, they are incredible little lights.

I EDC a D10 Q5 and I love it. No complaints about the beam pattern in real world use.

Don't agonize too much over it. Both versions are great because this is an excellent light.

I have the D10 GDP...and I like it. But my understanding is they run hotter...are not as bright and have a shorter run time. I rarely run mine at full power so it is not a problem for me. But I would probably go with the Q5, dispite the rings, if I had it to do all over again.

Looks like opinions on both sides...regardless...either one is a great light.