No more flashlights - waiting on Cree XP-G

JohnR66

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Aug 1, 2007
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I have plenty of LED flashlights with various emitters. The announcement of this new Cree XP-G emitter has kind of spoiled me from wanting anymore lights until this emitter is in one! How 'bout you?

Cree plans to deliver XP-G based fixtures with over 100 fixture lumens per watt, long life and CRI above 90. Sounds great for flashlights!:party:
 

Xe54

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Sep 12, 2005
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I have plenty of LED flashlights with various emitters. The announcement of this new Cree XP-G emitter has kind of spoiled me from wanting anymore lights until this emitter is in one! How 'bout you?

Cree plans to deliver XP-G based fixtures with over 100 fixture lumens per watt, long life and CRI above 90. Sounds great for flashlights!:party:

I'm willing to buy R2 bin XR-E single emitter lights only right now, but my needs are slim. I bought a Nitecore EX10-R2 a few months ago, which has pleasantly replaced a Fenix P2D as my primary EDC. I also have an ARC-AAA on the keychain for backup.

I'm considering a few more AA lights, but only if I can get R2 bin. I like these for backup "candles" for the house, and general lighting in the hall when the kid is asleep but we haven't retired yet.

I have been routinely disappointed that R2 is not the primary emitter available for little lights. It baffles me that since I blew nearly $1000 at the end of 2007! that Q5 is still the most common emitter.

I will be posting about looking for a MC-E lamp. I'd like to replace my two sluggers Tiablo A9 and Dereelight DBS with two new lights: one MC-E 400-700 lumen range wall-of-light blaster for lighting up the parking lot at night when I take out the rubbish. And another light based on XP-G which should be a 300-400lm thrower, for the car.
 

picard

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Dec 31, 2004
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1,298
I have plenty of LED flashlights with various emitters. The announcement of this new Cree XP-G emitter has kind of spoiled me from wanting anymore lights until this emitter is in one! How 'bout you?

Cree plans to deliver XP-G based fixtures with over 100 fixture lumens per watt, long life and CRI above 90. Sounds great for flashlights!:party:
Is Cree XP-G more powerful then MCE ? how many lumen does it produce?
 

WadeF

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Apr 24, 2007
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Perkasie, PA
Is Cree XP-G more powerful then MCE ? how many lumen does it produce?

XP-G is a single emitter, the MC-E is a quad emitter. The MC-E can produce more lumens.

The XP-G should allow for some improved throwers. I'm interested to see how a XP-G will compare to a XP-E when it comes to throw.
 

Bullzeyebill

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I am not waiting on the next best LED. One of my favorite lights the older U2 uses the Lux V, and I would never sell it off for something "better", though maybe have a higher bin installed, such as a steller XxxS. Yes I have some Cree and Seoul lights, but the upgrade would have to be substantial for me to switch out the LED's. For the "throwers" nothing is out there that interests me more than some of the incans, particularly with the current and upcoming regulated circuits coming out for them.

Bill
 

tsask

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I have been routinely disappointed that R2 is not the primary emitter available for little lights. It baffles me that that Q5 is still the most common emitter.

I just ordered the D20 with a Q5 because the R2 version was $20 more. I figured the additional lumens would not be noticable. I realize the run times would be better with the R2.
 

lolzertank

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I have been routinely disappointed that R2 is not the primary emitter available for little lights. It baffles me that since I blew nearly $1000 at the end of 2007! that Q5 is still the most common emitter.

The XR-E R2 has been out for a while, but Cree still doesn't list them in their datasheet. Their production levels are probably still not very high (don't ask me why, I don't know) or else you'd be getting R3 bins as specialty and R2 bins as a "normal bin" just like what R2 and Q5 are now. Either way, the brightness difference between R2 and Q5 is unnoticable.
 

waddup

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Oct 29, 2008
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as long as i can buy it 'used' for half retail or less,



im interested.:twothumbs



call me cheap :naughty: but people were paying $120 for lights 12 months ago i can have today for $50.

(unused, just sat on a shelf for 12 months:thinking:)

no wait, no pre-order, no nothing,

paypal-mail-light :thumbsup:


older lights are still great lights.


100 lumens is 100 lumens

even at half price :p

i picked up 3 gerber trio lights for $10 each recently, they are all over the house and get used every day
 
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Black Rose

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Mar 8, 2008
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Ottawa, ON, Canada
I might get an XP-E based light, but I am perfectly happy with my XR-E Q5 and R2 lights I have.

Also quite happy with my Seoul P4 U and U2 bin modded lights.
 

underconstruction

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Aug 12, 2006
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MA
I finally broke down and bought an mc-e light tonight. I figure it will be a while before the xp-g gets into a quad die set-up.

Any ideas on when this will happen as well as the price for an xp-g emitter?
 

dirtech

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Pocatello
I was excited about the XP-G, but honestly I like warmer Q5's better than R2's. Can we expect the XP-G's to be cool like the R2's. Also, I'm finding that floodier lights with still a bit of throw are way more useful for everyday than an overbalance of throw vs. flood. Perfect example is a m60 vs. my Q5 jetIIIm. M60 is more useful for my purposes.

Only thing I'm really wanting at the moment is a warm M60 MCE with maybe another md2 host. But, if I just get the drop in, it would be easier to hide from the wife.
 

LEDAdd1ct

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Hudson Valley
I swore up and down I would not purchase anything besides P60 dropins to save dough, only to discover that I was missing out on some cool stuff in the interim. I would *like* to say it would be wiser to hold off until the XP-G comes out, but my gut tells me that:

1) It is better to wait for the prices to come down/reviews to come up, and,
2) there are some cool things out now.

Will I purchase an XP-G light? No doubt. Will I be an early adopter? That remains to be seen...
 

loanshark

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Dec 5, 2007
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I was excited about the XP-G, but honestly I like warmer Q5's better than R2's. Can we expect the XP-G's to be cool like the R2's. Also, I'm finding that floodier lights with still a bit of throw are way more useful for everyday than an overbalance of throw vs. flood. Perfect example is a m60 vs. my Q5 jetIIIm. M60 is more useful for my purposes.

Only thing I'm really wanting at the moment is a warm M60 MCE with maybe another md2 host. But, if I just get the drop in, it would be easier to hide from the wife.

Q5 or R2 designate output, not tint. XP-G designates emitter design, not output or tint. Any tint variations that you are experiencing are most likely just the normal variation. The two R2's that I have are warmer than any of my Q5's,but that's just dumb luck. They're not all that way.
 

Outdoors Fanatic

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I am not waiting on the next best LED. One of my favorite lights the older U2 uses the Lux V, and I would never sell it off for something "better", though maybe have a higher bin installed, such as a steller XxxS. Yes I have some Cree and Seoul lights, but the upgrade would have to be substantial for me to switch out the LED's. For the "throwers" nothing is out there that interests me more than some of the incans, particularly with the current and upcoming regulated circuits coming out for them.

Bill
+1!

I agree 100%.
 

BentHeadTX

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A very strange dark place
I am waiting on the XP-G also,
Have a D10 Q5 with pocket clip as my EDC and a AAA light on my keychain so all is good in that department. For bicycle lights, I use Fenix L2D Q5 (2AA) lights and my wife has a L1D RB100 on her helmet as she likes the lightness of it.
Considering the L2D Q5 to L20 XP-G will give an emitter improvement from 180 to 270 lumens, it will be worth it to upgrade my bike helmet light. The L1D RB100 puts out about 70 to 75 lumens and a jump to 135 lumens is a very healthy jump. I'll be getting the Fenix L20 XP-G or 4sevens Quark 2AA model with XP-G depending how well they throw.
The larger hotspot due to the larger die is not a bad thing for cycling, I just hope they throw as well as the Q5 models but with a larger spot. I wonder how much larger the heads on the typical 2AA lights will have to be to get the throw from the larger die. For now, :popcorn: is on my menu until this fall, hopefully October.
 

jupello

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Jun 29, 2008
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Sorry if i sound a little lazy to look it up but when's the ETA?
No more lights for me till a solid review comes out for the XP-G.

"Cree is taking sample requests now, and plans the product to be commercially available the third quarter of this year,"(source), so pretty soon.
The "37% brighter and 53% more efficient than the brightest XR-E LED" -part sounds pretty good to me :drool:
 

Blindasabat

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Jan 24, 2006
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Michigan
R2's are now available in the same tint bins as Q5's. Only at the very first were R2's only available in WC. Both are available in WH, ostensibly the warmest 'cool' bin. Neither are available in neutral tint bins yet. Q4 neutrals are just now starting to be seen in the wild - I prefer those over any cool bin right now.
...I like warmer Q5's better than R2's. Can we expect the XP-G's to be cool like the R2's.
I expect they will use the same phophors for XP-G's as they do for Q5's and R2's - therefore the same tints sould be available.
 
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