Is Lenser P7 okay? Or what should I choose?

Hi!

I can begin to say that I am a total newbie on this and would like your help.

I am looking for my first flashlight and I got the following requirements.

1. As strong light as posible for the money (ofcourse)
2. As small as possible (so it fits in a pocket) without losing to much power and light
3. Possibility do mount on a bike
4. Regular AA or AAA batterys (I will use rechargeable (1000 or 2700))
5. The Price tag should be no more then $100

I have seatched the net alot and Led Lenser P7/T7 (200lm) simes to be a good flashlight. It is possible to mount this on bike and the size is okay(the P14 is way to big). The price here in sweden are $99.58 but I can order it from the UK for about $78,24 (with shipping)

I have seen that there is a new m1 and m5 model but thay simes to be weaker then the P7, the question is if its visible? Tha smaler size is nice.

An other brand that simes good is Fenix, and it simes like the LD20 are playing in the same league as the Led Lenser P7?

Pleas advice

BestRegards
SnowJim

The Fenix LD20 is miles ahead of the Led Lenser P7.

Its fully regulated and will hold constant brightness throughout the battery life.

I think the P7 is to wide for pocket carry.
You shoud rather go with a 2aa format they are a little long but very thin.
It depends on your type of pocket.
I have a led lenser T7 it's very similar to the P7, my switch broke very fast other then that the build quality is very god. My T7 is not regulated so the over rated 200 lumens dims over time.

The only 2AA light I have is the regular quark 2aa witch I can higly recomend.

You shoud read this review on 2aa light's
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=214890
and this for single AA light's
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=224932

Selfbuilt's reviews are very thorough.

And check out the biker section at 4sevens for ways to mount the light you choose.
The lockblock's and bikeblock's fit's most light's
http://www.4sevens.com/index.php?cPath=92

I think that the 2aa are to small and also not that powerfull, the P7 should be able to fit in the pocket but the flashlight should not be biggern then the P7.

Do Finex LD20 really provide beter light? I dont understand much from this video but it simes like P7 are way brighter? : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnZuFfqiwDk

Tjena Snowjim,

I have a P7, and it is for sure a nice light. Very solid and feels like a quality item. The zoom function works well, to give a tight spot that throws very far, and even better, a nice flood light to light a larger area. I have not seen any other lights around 200 lumens with a similiar zoom.

BUT Led Lenser is surely also somewhat overhyped, and overpriced for what they are. As the above post says, the electronics in the P7 is nothing special at all, and 100 usd is way too much for this light. I bought mine mailorder in UK for app. 60 USD on sale. At this price level it is a good light I think.

I think it would be just fine for biking, especially together with a good headlight. But if you are going MTB in the woods, I would want something twice as bright for mounting on handlebars. For example a SSC P7 light running on 18650 li-ion.

Hilsen fra Danmark

I also have the Quark AA2 and an LED Lenser T7. Pleased with both, the T7 is a little brighter than the Quark and the advantage to me is the adjustable flood to throw. Being able to change the beam type is a pro for me because when I'm riding wooded trails I don't need the long throw, however on the dark country roads and higher speeds the long throw comes in handy. :twothumbs

Well, the LL P7 is okay, but looking at your requirement list, I think the size might be a problem if you want as small as possible. I would call it a "medium" size light, not small. I do carry it on my pocket, but only when I know that I'll be needing light.
Other than the size, I think it fits your requirements just fine.
Just think if you value the focusing function in your use, or if it's just a annoyance to you, and if you want little bigger light with more brightness & runtime, or if you'll do just fine with single cell light.

And if you are thinking about the Fenix LD20, I think 4sevens Quark aa^2 might also be worth checking out (they come with XP-G R5 emitters now)

I have a T7 (tactical version of P7, but same light) and it sucks! don't get it. It's appealing at first because it can focus, but the throw has no usable flood & the light isn't regulated.

Also you may want to use something else than 2700mAh capacity NiMH, they are good when you take them out of the charger, but tend to self discharge over time.
Sanyo Eneloops and ROV Hybrids are good, and they perform very well in cold weather.

EagleTac P100A2 apparently puts out 195 lumens...and costs about 40 dollars here in the US. However, that might be in emitter lumens, so you'd probably be better off with a Quark AA2.

I'm not really sure how much it would cost to ship it to Europe, but 4Sevens does have EU shipping so...

Hope you find a good light

Yes the Quark AA2 simes okay, is it possible to mount it on a bike? Why is this a beter choise then the Fenix or the Led Lenser?

The LED Lenser I do not have personal experience with, so I can't really give an objective judgment on that. However, based on what I've read, it's overpriced for what it does. Also, I believe it uses 4x AAA batteries, which, IMHO, is a HUGE pain in the neck.

As for the Fenix, well, it's a bit more comparable to the Quark series. However, 4Sevens uses a more efficient emitter (more output with better runtimes) and David, the owner of 4Sevens, backs his products up with excellent customer service, as well as a 10-year warranty.

I believe that the Quarks are bike-mountable.

The number of batteries does not dictate runtime or output. For example, a cheap showerhead light running on a 3 AAs will be dimmer then a good single AA light.

As for LEDlenser, to me, the good thing about them is their focusability, but I like to have spill on my lights, so I can see around me, not just what the hotspot is pointed at (sure, flood mode with the LEDlenser will let you see around you too, but then you loose the hotspot). The LEDlensers aren't regulated and have a very deceptive stated runtime.

For that price, I'd get a Quark, a Fenix, a Jetbeam, an Olight, an iTP light, a Nitecore, or one of the companies. For less then $100 USD, you can probably get 2 Eagletacs and 2 bike mounts. That will be over 300 lumen out the front total.

Many stores in the US are willing to ship international. 4Sevens even has international shipping included in his prices.

:welcome:

Gunner12 said:

The number of batteries does not dictate runtime or output. For example, a cheap showerhead light running on a 3 AAs will be dimmer then a good single AA light.

As for LEDlenser, to me, the good thing about them is their focusability, but I like to have spill on my lights, so I can see around me, not just what the hotspot is pointed at (sure, flood mode with the LEDlenser will let you see around you too, but then you loose the hotspot). The LEDlensers aren't regulated and have a very deceptive stated runtime.

For that price, I'd get a Quark, a Fenix, a Jetbeam, an Olight, an iTP light, a Nitecore, or one of the companies. For less then $100 USD, you can probably get 2 Eagletacs and 2 bike mounts. That will be over 300 lumen out the front total.

Many stores in the US are willing to ship international. 4Sevens even has international shipping included in his prices.

:welcome:

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All I'm saying is that scrounging up the required 4xAAAs is going to be much more annoying than finding, say, 2xAAs.

Battery changes are also much simpler, with fewer cells.

Gunner12 said:

The number of batteries does not dictate runtime or output. For example, a cheap showerhead light running on a 3 AAs will be dimmer then a good single AA light.

As for LEDlenser, to me, the good thing about them is their focusability, but I like to have spill on my lights, so I can see around me, not just what the hotspot is pointed at (sure, flood mode with the LEDlenser will let you see around you too, but then you loose the hotspot). The LEDlensers aren't regulated and have a very deceptive stated runtime.

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In this special case, the number of batteries is an indication for runtime and output. 4 AAA batteries means, that they don't need any fancy electronics and can use a simple resistor. As a consequence:
* No regulation
* You only can use alkaline batteries
* Output drops faaaaast, with a very long tail that is faaaar away from 200 lumens.

I consider this light not adequate for a bicycle. Any other here mentioned regulated lights with > 100 lumen will be cheaper and substantially better for this purpose.
E.g. I use my Nightcore D10 with a TwoFish Lockblock and it works reasonably on proper streets. I will upgrade soon with a 2AA light (probably Quark AA2) that has a little more punch.

2xAA has more stored energy than 4XAAA
You will be able to drive a light higher for longer.

Using high quality low self discharge cells you get a real 2000mAh per cell and 2x is 2.4V. 2000x2.4= 4800Wh

The best LSD AAA's are realistically around 800mAh.
4 will give 4.8v so 800x4.8= 3840Wh.

shark_za said:

2xAA has more stored energy than 4XAAA
You will be able to drive a light higher for longer.

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To my knowledge you can not use LSD NiMH cells in a Led Lenser P7. You'll fry the LED.

drmaxx said:

To my knowledge you can not use LSD NiMH cells in a Led Lenser P7. You'll fry the LED.

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Your knowledge is WRONG! lol love the way "not" is in bold.
Plenty of LL users have been using eneloops in their P/T7's. Using the search function will prove my point, no fried LED's to date. I have been using LSD's in LL's for quite a while now, still going strong with no issues.

I havent read the responses, but I would say dont get the LL. They have a bad rep in the forums in general and with good reason.

Particularly in your case, i don't think the zooming capabilities will produce a good pattern for biking (at least I don't think).

I have a pair of Fenix L2Ds and they're just about perfect in terms of beam pattern. From what I hear, though, the LD20 has a tighter beam and it might not be as good (it would shoot farther but with a smaller hot spot).

If I were in your position, I would definitely get a iTP A6 Polestar, around $75 here in the US, MC-E and probably around 400-500 actual lumens.

Otherwise, I would say try to look for an older L2D Q5, or a Quark AA2... since I've heardd the Quark has the more balanced beam profile.

The final thought is that a neutral tint LED might be preferred if you're using it outdoors, though I'm not sure if 4sevens still have neutral Quarks...

So, my recomendations:

iTP A6 Polestar
Fenix L2D Q5
Quark AA2 (especially the neutral tint)
Any other Neutral tint AA lights, provided it's got a good beam pattern.

SnowJim said:

I think that the 2aa are to small and also not that powerfull, the P7 should be able to fit in the pocket but the flashlight should not be biggern then the P7.

Do Finex LD20 really provide beter light? I dont understand much from this video but it simes like P7 are way brighter? : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnZuFfqiwDk

Click to expand...

2AA has more energy in it than 4AAA (4000 mAh vs 3200 mAh for typical LSD cells)

The Fenix will provide a more traditional beam pattern, with a central spot and some dim side lighting, wihle the LED lenser will just have one big spot that can be focused and defocused. The P7 seems brighter because all the light is focused into a smaller spot.

Also, I cannot say for sure that when first turned on the P7 is not brighter than the LD20, but I can say for sure it'll dim relatively quickly, whereas Fenix has flat and constant output.

SnowJim said:

Yes the Quark AA2 simes okay, is it possible to mount it on a bike? Why is this a beter choise then the Fenix or the Led Lenser?

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47s (the company that makes the Quarks) have had a history of good service here, and the people on cpf are a bit obssessed with the guy. The truth is he offers lights with quality that is at least on par with other major manufacturer, and is certainly another choice to consider.

In your case, it's a better choice simply because it's got a better beam pattern for your intended purposes. I would consider one myself since I dont need a thrower and many companies nowadays are focusing their lights more and more...