My Romisen needs a friend

e_dogg · Oct 9, 2009

Based on CPF advice and my limited budget, I recently bought a Romisen RC-N3 in warm white. I'm very happy with it and have been using it quite a bit when I take my dog for a walk. It's got plenty of throw to see across the little park we walk to and into the bushes. And I really like the natural warm white color.

It's a little bright for seeing close up, though. I have to make sure the hot spot isn't directly where I'm trying to look. Normally, this is when I'm doing the glamourous part of dog ownership - "poop duty".

I've recently gotten $55 worth of Amazon.com gift certificates and I figure that this is a good opportunity to get a "friend" for my Romisen.

That said, I'd like something with different brightness levels. As for size, I'm a bit torn on the 1xAA vs. 2xAA length. My Romisen isn't too big and if I decide I really want a small light, I can pick up some 123 batteries and run it in that mode.

Can you guys help me decide on which light to get? I've narrowed it down to the following. Keep in mind that I can only purchase from Amazon.com so that rules out Quarks and several other brands that are frequently recommended here. And I'd like to keep price under $60-65 shipped.

Fenix LD10 (or L1D?)
Fenix LD20 (or L2D?)
Fenix TK20 (Seems like low is still pretty bright? And seems like it's considerably bigger than the LD20 and my Romisen? I like the warm color, though)
Eagletac P100A2 (Seems like the low is still pretty bright? Plus I saw the thread about 4Sevens discontinuing Eagletac due to poor quality.)
Surefire G2 Incan

sol-leks · Oct 9, 2009

I don't know much about the lights they have on amazon, but it looks like they have most of the fenixes. I'd say go for the tk20 since you're already fond of the warm tint. Another suggestion is to look at the 1xaaa lights. Maybe a nice keychain edc is what you need. A fenix LD01 would have the low that you want and is also a great light to have all the time.

NonSenCe · Oct 9, 2009

the tk20 in low mode is still very bright!
same goes to eagletac. so they wont give you true "lower mode" as their output on the "low" is plenty for most tasks outdoors. (hey they are almost as bright as old 2D maglite on that mode)

my advice of the given options.. take the ld10. it gives you a low mode that you can use for reading and such close up tasks. (its not warm tint but you do have one for those tasks in the park with your romisen)

the ld20 is about the same size as your romisen but gives you more outputs. and increased quality. but cooler tint too. (i think for a person with little budget its pointless to buy 2 lights that are similar in size. even if the modes are different)

ld01 that is also available at amazon is not a bad choice.. but instead of that i would think of saving the 50 amazon dollars for something else and and would suggest also to look at Itp Eos 3 mode twisty too and paying it with cash. its cheap (about 20$) very tiny (AAA). white tint too.

(as you probably have noticed the warm tint leds are a rarity still!)

and out of curiosity.. isnt nitecore d10 also available thru amazon for 60 or so? and olight t15? not sure. never used amazon.

e_dogg · Oct 9, 2009

sol-leks said:
I don't know much about the lights they have on amazon, but it looks like they have most of the fenixes. I'd say go for the tk20 since you're already fond of the warm tint. Another suggestion is to look at the 1xaaa lights. Maybe a nice keychain edc is what you need. A fenix LD01 would have the low that you want and is also a great light to have all the time.

Thanks for the reply. The flexibility of the LD20 modes is appealing. Do you think I'd miss that with the TK20? The "general" mode on the TK20 seems to be about as bright as the "medium" mode on the LD20. I do like the idea of the warmer tint, though.

I thought about a 1xAAA light and, after removing the extended tube from my Romisen to put it in CR123A mode, I think it might be too small for my big hands. And I have an alarm remote on my keychain so it's already pretty big. I think if I start EDCing a light, I'll can just start using a CR123 in my Romisen.

As far as Amazon selection goes, they have the whole Fenix line, EagleTac, Nitecore, Streamlight, Surefire, and a bunch of other brands. Here's a list of all the brands they carry: http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/oth...kerToList=brandtextbin&ie=UTF8&qid=1255113032

e_dogg · Oct 9, 2009

NonSenCe said:
the tk20 in low mode is still very bright!
same goes to eagletac. so they wont give you true "lower mode" as their output on the "low" is plenty for most tasks outdoors. (hey they are almost as bright as old 2D maglite on that mode)

my advice of the given options.. take the ld10. it gives you a low mode that you can use for reading and such close up tasks. (its not warm tint but you do have one for those tasks in the park with your romisen)

the ld20 is about the same size as your romisen but gives you more outputs. and increased quality. but cooler tint too. (i think for a person with little budget its pointless to buy 2 lights that are similar in size. even if the modes are different)

That's the reason I'm struggling with the decision. Do I get another 2xAA light and duplicate what I've already got but add variable output? Or do I go for a smaller size and also get variable output (though I guess the LD10 gives about the same amount of output as the LD20)?

NonSenCe said:
ld01 that is also available at amazon is not a bad choice.. but instead of that i would think of saving the 50 amazon dollars for something else and and would suggest also to look at Itp Eos 3 mode twisty too and paying it with cash. its cheap (about 20$) very tiny (AAA). white tint too.

That occurred to me too, but I don't really have anything else that I need/want from Amazon.

NonSenCe said:
(as you probably have noticed the warm tint leds are a rarity still!)

Yeah, it's freakin annoying!

NonSenCe said:
and out of curiosity.. isnt nitecore d10 also available thru amazon for 60 or so? and olight t15? not sure. never used amazon.

Yes, they have both of those models. Would you recommend them over the LD10? The infinite adjustability of the Nitecore sounds good, but I watched a Youtube video of the operation and it looks like it's more difficult to use than it sounds.

I wasn't aware of the Olight T15. That one looks AWESOME! I like the twist UI to change modes and from the beamshots, it looks like the modes are about the same brightness as the LD20.

sol-leks · Oct 9, 2009

Just throwing this out their from left field, but maybe a zebralight H50? It would give you something totally different and it is very floody which might be good for dogwalking. It also has a nice low low. Finally it is exactly 55 bucks with free shipping on amazon.

e_dogg · Oct 9, 2009

sol-leks said:
Just throwing this out their from left field, but maybe a zebralight H50? It would give you something totally different and it is very floody which might be good for dogwalking. It also has a nice low low. Finally it is exactly 55 bucks with free shipping on amazon.

The Zebralight looks interesting. It's hard to tell if it would be bright enough from the beamshots people have posted around here. But it's something to think about.

Thanks!!!

sol-leks · Oct 9, 2009

I think it should be but it all depends. 66 Lumens is definitely bright enough for alot, but because it is unfocused its great for close range but not so much for farther away stuff. Walking the dog, good. Maybe taking a night hike in the woods not so much. An added bonus would be that since it is a headlamp, you could have both hands free for poop pick up and anything else that might come up.

e_dogg · Oct 9, 2009

sol-leks said:
I think it should be but it all depends. 66 Lumens is definitely bright enough for alot, but because it is unfocused its great for close range but not so much for farther away stuff. Walking the dog, good. Maybe taking a night hike in the woods not so much. An added bonus would be that since it is a headlamp, you could have both hands free for poop pick up and anything else that might come up.

Keeping my hands free with the Zebralight for poop pick up (joys of dogs!) crossed my mind. With the Romisen, I just hold the light between my neck and shoulder and that works pretty well. I can also clip it to the brim of my hat, though it weighs down my hat quite a bit and is a better in concept than in execution.

I'm just a little hesitant that it wouldn't give enough distance...though I could carry my Romisen in my pocket or something.

e_dogg · Oct 9, 2009

After looking around at the Olights, they look really nice! I really like the twisty interface. And I also discovered the Infinitum line which has an infinitely variable output.

Now, I can't decide between the T15, T25, I15, and I25.

Oh, and for the record, I just noticed that Amazon has a few Quarks - the AA, AA^2, and 123 models.

But I think I'm sold on the twisty Olight interface...decisions decisions!!!

Rexlion · Oct 9, 2009

I have an ITP light with that same twist head as the Olight. It works well, although I find that I enjoy having shortcuts to high and low (courtesy of my Nitecore D10 and D20) so I don't use the ITP all that much lately. You would probably like the Olights, though... you haven't been spoiled yet by a Nitecore. :laughing:

Another possibility: Coast LED Lenser H7 headlamp for $47. I have this one also, and I use it quite a bit. Why? Because it's so versatile. Output control on the battery pack (at back of head) quickly adjusts from high to low or anything in between. The lens adjusts with a knob from very wide flood, to very tight spot with better throw than the Romisen RC-N3 (I have one of those too). This baby does it all. Too bright for the poop? Turn it down... both hands free to clean up. Wait, what's that rustling in the bushes? Turn it up and focus it.

hyperloop · Oct 10, 2009

e_dogg said:
The Zebralight looks interesting. It's hard to tell if it would be bright enough from the beamshots people have posted around here. But it's something to think about.

Thanks!!!

glad to see that the RC N3 warm white is serving you well

take a look at this thread for beamshots of the H501 (which is reasonably similar to the H50).

I own a Nitecore EX10 its a snap to use my friend, get the D10 you will not regret it. Instant high and low and infinite variable levels, go for it!!! Also, its incredibly durable and the pocket clip (optional) makes it very very easy for discreet pocket carry

e_dogg · Oct 10, 2009

hyperloop said:
glad to see that the RC N3 warm white is serving you well

take a look at this thread for beamshots of the H501 (which is reasonably similar to the H50).

I own a Nitecore EX10 its a snap to use my friend, get the D10 you will not regret it. Instant high and low and infinite variable levels, go for it!!! Also, its incredibly durable and the pocket clip (optional) makes it very very easy for discreet pocket carry

Wow, those are really cool beamshots!!! They really give a good real-world idea of what a light is like! And, I think that the Zebralight is going to be a little too floody for me.

After going on another walk last night, I thought about my 1xAA vs. 2xAA dilemna and really like the 2xAA form factor. It just fits so well in my hands and allows me to pin the light between my neck and shoulder if I need both hands.

So is the twisty Olight interface harder to use than it looks? The Nitecore UI seems like it's kind of error prone. I could see accidentally turning the light off when trying to get into the high/low modes. The Olight twist just seems like it would be error-free...and, if it's about the same diameter as my Romisen, I could do it one handed (I can unscrew the head with one hand).

Rexlion · Oct 10, 2009

e_dogg said:
Wow, those are really cool beamshots!!! They really give a good real-world idea of what a light is like! And, I think that the Zebralight is going to be a little too floody for me.

After going on another walk last night, I thought about my 1xAA vs. 2xAA dilemna and really like the 2xAA form factor. It just fits so well in my hands and allows me to pin the light between my neck and shoulder if I need both hands.

So is the twisty Olight interface harder to use than it looks? The Nitecore UI seems like it's kind of error prone. I could see accidentally turning the light off when trying to get into the high/low modes. The Olight twist just seems like it would be error-free...and, if it's about the same diameter as my Romisen, I could do it one handed (I can unscrew the head with one hand).

I just tried it with my ITP using the C8 (2-AA) body, and yes I can loosen/tighten the head with one hand. The C8 has generous ridges and stuff to grip; I haven't held the Olight I25 so I can't compare how it will feel in the hand, but it looks like it should give a good enough grip.

The Nitecore's ramping is just about as foolproof as the ITP/Olight's, but Nitecore's shortcuts can take a minute or two of practice... double pushing too slowly will turn the light off. I do find that I use the lowest and highest settings most frequently on either of these, but it's nice to have the full range in between when the occasion arises. As far as ease of use, it feels easier for my hand to push and hold the D20's piston than to manipulate the head of the C8. Both lights look and feel great to me, solid and good quality and grippable. I would expect the Olight to feel like a quality light, too.

If you weren't planning on the Amazon purchase, the C8 is on sale this weekend at Shiningbeam for under $35 and the D20 is discounted at less than $41 with coupon at 4Sevens. But hey, you can get the Olight pretty much for free with your certificates... :party:

hyperloop · Oct 11, 2009

e_dogg said:
Wow, those are really cool beamshots!!! They really give a good real-world idea of what a light is like! And, I think that the Zebralight is going to be a little too floody for me.

After going on another walk last night, I thought about my 1xAA vs. 2xAA dilemna and really like the 2xAA form factor. It just fits so well in my hands and allows me to pin the light between my neck and shoulder if I need both hands.

So is the twisty Olight interface harder to use than it looks? The Nitecore UI seems like it's kind of error prone. I could see accidentally turning the light off when trying to get into the high/low modes. The Olight twist just seems like it would be error-free...and, if it's about the same diameter as my Romisen, I could do it one handed (I can unscrew the head with one hand).

yo my friend, check this out. This is a 3 mode 2xAA light and each mode is individually programmable so you can have min-med-max and never see the SOS, strobes etc unless you want them. The strobe modes are also programmable, from slow to fast, and also has blink mode (2 blinks, pause, 2 blinks), locator (1 blink, pause for about 3 - 5 seconds, 1 blink).

Jetbeams are really tough lights and IMHO, look great too.

e_dogg · Oct 12, 2009

hyperloop said:
yo my friend, check this out. This is a 3 mode 2xAA light and each mode is individually programmable so you can have min-med-max and never see the SOS, strobes etc unless you want them. The strobe modes are also programmable, from slow to fast, and also has blink mode (2 blinks, pause, 2 blinks), locator (1 blink, pause for about 3 - 5 seconds, 1 blink).

Jetbeams are really tough lights and IMHO, look great too.

That Jetbeam looks really good too! I like that you can turn off the SOS and strobe modes since those are something I'll likely never use.

It looks like it's about $10 more than the Olight T25, T25-T, or I25. And, after reading Selfbuilt's review, it sounds like it might be a little difficult to program. But once the programming is done, it sounds like it's pretty easy to switch through the 3 preset modes.

I'm still liking the sounds of the Olight twist UI, though.

If you had to choose, which would you go for? The Jetbeam, T25, or I25?

alfreddajero · Oct 12, 2009

I say get the T15 with T10 body tube......it will give you two choices.....either in cr123 or in AA form. The ITP lights are not bad either.....just spend a little more and get the other body tubes and you should be straight.

Rexlion · Oct 12, 2009

Here's a review that compares the T25 and I25.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/233756

hyperloop · Oct 13, 2009

e_dogg said:
That Jetbeam looks really good too! I like that you can turn off the SOS and strobe modes since those are something I'll likely never use.

It looks like it's about $10 more than the Olight T25, T25-T, or I25. And, after reading Selfbuilt's review, it sounds like it might be a little difficult to program. But once the programming is done, it sounds like it's pretty easy to switch through the 3 preset modes.

I'm still liking the sounds of the Olight twist UI, though.

If you had to choose, which would you go for? The Jetbeam, T25, or I25?

since i own Jetbeams and no Olights, its Jetbeam for me, programming took me all of a minute to learn and once learnt, you wont forget it. you can see the Programmable Light User Guide for programming.

LightWalker · Oct 13, 2009

e_dogg said:
Based on CPF advice and my limited budget, I recently bought a Romisen RC-N3 in warm white. I'm very happy with it and have been using it quite a bit when I take my dog for a walk. It's got plenty of throw to see across the little park we walk to and into the bushes. And I really like the natural warm white color.

It's a little bright for seeing close up, though. I have to make sure the hot spot isn't directly where I'm trying to look. Normally, this is when I'm doing the glamourous part of dog ownership - "poop duty".

I've recently gotten $55 worth of Amazon.com gift certificates and I figure that this is a good opportunity to get a "friend" for my Romisen.

That said, I'd like something with different brightness levels. As for size, I'm a bit torn on the 1xAA vs. 2xAA length. My Romisen isn't too big and if I decide I really want a small light, I can pick up some 123 batteries and run it in that mode.

Can you guys help me decide on which light to get? I've narrowed it down to the following. Keep in mind that I can only purchase from Amazon.com so that rules out Quarks and several other brands that are frequently recommended here. And I'd like to keep price under $60-65 shipped.

Fenix LD10 (or L1D?)
Fenix LD20 (or L2D?)
Fenix TK20 (Seems like low is still pretty bright? And seems like it's considerably bigger than the LD20 and my Romisen? I like the warm color, though)
Eagletac P100A2 (Seems like the low is still pretty bright? Plus I saw the thread about 4Sevens discontinuing Eagletac due to poor quality.)
Surefire G2 Incan

I think you should get the Fenix LD20 and put a 123 in the Romisen for EDC.

My Romisen needs a friend

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