Mag 85 VS. MC-E / P7

Hello peoples

I've decided that it was time..I've had a itch for a slightly more powerful light for a while and am trying to decide on what i should do.

Option 1 = Mag 85 in a 3D (9x aa) setup ; WA1185 or WA1164 (with 8xaa) - parts from FM

Option 2 = Dereelight DBS MC-E

Option 3 = Any other P7/MC-E light within price range of the above.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me? ;D

Do you want a spotlight (long distance small beam) or a floodlight (short distance but floods the area)? What do you use it for? How much constant run time do you need?

From option 1, it sounds like you want a Thrower or a "wow" light. More specifics might help these guys here. Also there's so many people here with different opinions, that there would be many answers to the question, but probably not just one answer. Many lights will fit your needs and it's hard for people to advise on this stuff.

My favorite "all purpose" light is one using a P7 or MC-E emitter. Even though LED looks different than Incan, I like the large spot with a lot of spill, lighting more of the area directly in front of me, but others like to see a long ways and that would probably be better in a Mag85.

I love incans, but if you want a dependable light with decent runtime, go for the DBS, no contest. The 85 might be a bit more impressive for a quick on/off for friends, but it cannot compare to the DBS as a working, dependable light. The overdriven 85 has bulb life of under 20hrs, IIRC, maybe less. The led obviously has no such issues.

The DBS can also be retooled with a single die emitter and smooth reflector for massive throw and increased runtime. The MCE DBS is no slouch; it's one of my favorite lights. The 2x18650s are a better power source than AAs in a holder, IMHO.

sorry, I forgot to specify.
I am after something that has pure output (wow light)
I don't intend it to be a regular use light as such.

How would a 1185/1164 compare to the dbs mce outputwise?

If you get the DBS ask for the 2.4a not 2.1a as it is significantly brighter. I own a number of pills for the DBS including the MC-E and love it for instantly illuminating my entire garden but i don't think it competes with hot wires for WOW. It is only about 600 lumen's out the front?????

For wow, go with the Mag85. And have a generic 2D cheap incan as comparison.