Need P7 Buying Advice

So I haven't been keeping up with flashlights for a while, my last purchase was a Fenix P3D Q5 back around when Flashlightreviews.com stopped being updated. I've been looking around for a new light to play with and found out about the SSC P7 LEDs.

I have some questions about the P7s:
1. Is Dealextreme.com pretty much the only place to get a P7 light?
2. Are there better quality lights than the cheap ones at DX?
3. Is it worth getting the D bin over the C bin or is the difference pretty much unnoticeable?
4. DX has a ton of P7 lights, do you guys have any recommendations on which one to get? there are too many choices.
5. Is there anything I should look out for when buying a P7 light such as varying specs and features?
6. Where's the best place to get decent quality 18650 batteries and a charger? and what brands should I get?

Thanks

You can try Kaidomain / the Marketplace here on CPF where there is a link to dealers ...

KD DX are fine as long as you have some DIY skills ...

They sell cheap chinese made lights that are sometimes assembled by trained monkeys , so they may need re-assembly to work well .

Once sorted out [ if needed ] , they seem to work well .
My MTE needed to have the LED tightened down , that was all .

Just read the buyer reviews , and hopefully all will be well ..
And pull the light down before use to inspect it for obvious faults .

So what about C vs. D bin emitter?

This thread is slightly out of date but you can see from post #1 plenty of quality manufacturers also make P7 or MCE lights.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/224437

A D bin emitter is slightly more efficient than a C bin emitter.
At the same current a D bin emitter is brighter than a C bin emitter.
But brightness also depend on how much current the driver sends to the LED. So a C bin emitter running at 2.8A will be brighter than a D bin emitter at 2.2A. Most of the single battery multimode lights run at 2.2A or less so a D bin in those will still not produce the brightest light.

The P7/MCE lights are by nature more floody than P4/XRE lights.
If you need throw for distance get a torch with a big head - 52 or 55mm or bigger.
If you need more flood get one with a smaller head - 38 or 42mm.

52mm reflector Mag P7 left, 38mm reflector MTE right.


A good P7/MCE light for inexperienced newbies is the Fenix TK40. It uses 8*AA batteries so you do not have to worry about Li-ion batteries going on you.
Go to the batteries subforum and read about the proper care of Li-ion batteries before you buy a torch using those batteries.