Got my Malkoff VME head - why no lens?

I received my Malkoff VME head and M31W today. If only my E1B body would get here!

Anyway, my VME head doesn't include a lens. All I got was the aluminum head and a rubber gasket. Is this normal? $30 plus shipping, but no lens?

It's normal. The Malkoff site says you have to order a lens separately.

Malkoff sells a acrylic lens, but you can get a glass UCL lens from flashlightlens.com. Get the 22mm x 1.9mm and it will fit perfect in the M31/61 drop ins.

Here's the VME head webpage;

http://www.malkoffdevices.com/shop/malkoff-valiant-concepts-vme-head-p-67.html

Please show me where it says it does not come with a lens.

How disappointing . . .

http://www.malkoffdevices.com/shop/m31-to-fit-vme-head-p-29.html

if you bought the drop in from the same place you woudl have seen this

the webpage you linked to also doesnt specifically say it comes with a lense

gunfighter said:

Here's the VME head webpage;

http://www.malkoffdevices.com/shop/malkoff-valiant-concepts-vme-head-p-67.html

Please show me where it says it does not come with a lens.

How disappointing . . .

Click to expand...

Sorry but the better question would be "Where does say that it does include a lens". The page you linked to is for the head only. As a drop in is not included, Malkoff Devices would have assumed it was for use with a M60 series drop in that does not require the lens - easy mistake to make and I'm sure your not the first person to have this problem.

Maybe on that particular web page, Gene should add: "No lens kit included - If purchasing this head for use with the M61 series, a lens kit is required".

If you contact Gene about this, he will offer you a cut price shipping charge for just the lens.

Good luck,

James....

gunfighter said:

Here's the VME head webpage;

http://www.malkoffdevices.com/shop/malkoff-valiant-concepts-vme-head-p-67.html

Please show me where it says it does not come with a lens.

How disappointing . . .

Click to expand...

Description says that it is for use with a Malkoff Mxx module, and that it only comes with a gasket. When used with the Malkoff Mxx module, you do not need a lens.

michelkenny said:

Description says that it is for use with a Malkoff Mxx module, and that it only comes with a gasket. When used with the Malkoff Mxx module, you do not need a lens.

Click to expand...

What it says, and what is reality are separate.

When using a Malkoff Mx1 module you DO need a lens. the Mx0 do not require a lens.

All of the 'Little Twisty' hosts w/VME head, come with the lens/gasket.
VME head alone does not.
If the drop in has an optic - no lens needed.
If the drop in has a reflector - lens needed if using VME head.

There it is - short, sweet and to the point.

On the M31 page, it states clearly, in larger letters that a lens will be needed if the module will be put into a VME HEAD and the lens will be included with the hosts.

I didn't read the M31 page. I knew I wanted that drop-in, so I just clicked "add to cart". I don't think that is unreasonable.

It was this VME head that was new to me, and that's the page I studied. It would be nice if he'd add some more detail to that web page. His comments about a watertight gasket almost seem to suggest the VME head is ready to go. Not so obviously.

My bad. I should have made that more clear. Please contact us Monday (we are out of town) and I will see that you get a lens kit. I will edit the webpage as soon as we return and have a secure web connection.

Thanks, Gene

My .02 cents worth..... I have owned several VME heads and until recently with the introduction of the M61 and now the m31 the prior offerings were sealed and didn't require a lens and actually with the lens too, it was too thick to screw on properly. IMHO Gene designed these dropin modules for use in Surefire lights that came with a lens already. Consider yourself fortunate to have purchased one of the finest lighting instruments money can buy! Trust me...I am constantly searching for the ultimate and have tried many. I just can't wait to get my notification that he has an ORANGE MD-2 Host with my name on it so I can buy a M31 W to put in it with the lens kit. There is no deception at all from Malkoff on the application and a touch of McGizmo engineering makes your purchase a top knotch choice for the most selective "Flashaholic". Try it and then buy another hundred lights to compare it to and you will see why Malkoff products are #1 in my book for lights that I actually use. Learning by doing! We all had to start somewhere. :candle:

Gene is fantastic to deal with, and has just shown us why. :candle:

Gene43 said:

My bad. I should have made that more clear. Please contact us Monday (we are out of town) and I will see that you get a lens kit. I will edit the webpage as soon as we return and have a secure web connection.

Thanks, Gene

Click to expand...

Look at that response :twothumbs. Another reason why he is highly praised on here.

Realistically, you do have to agree with the OP. I mean, really, who browses ALL the links on a webpage when you order something on the internet. Yes, had he browsed, he eventually would have seen the page where Gene states that the lens is not included. But seriously, he shouldn't have to browse all the pages just to be sure he didn't miss anything.

But like I said, look at the response Gene gave. That is a true business man with character who takes care of his customers. He is only one man. But he makes a difference. (now, if we can only get people from AIG, Bank of America, and all those corporate/wall street idiots to take note from Gene, lol).

He is very customer oriented.

[political content removed - DM51]

karlheinz3 said:

I just can't wait to get my notification that he has an ORANGE MD-2 Host with my name on it so I can buy a M31 W to put in it with the lens kit.

Click to expand...

M31's will fry on 18650. Just a FYI. :thumbsup:

jimmy1970 said:

Sorry but the better question would be "Where does say that it does include a lens". The page you linked to is for the head only. As a drop in is not included, Malkoff Devices would have assumed it was for use with a M60 series drop in that does not require the lens

Click to expand...

Problem is, the M60 drop-ins do require a lense since the plastic surface is not glass at all and is very soft. I cleaned mine with a soft microfiber cloth used for high-end optics and managed to leave a lot of tiny micro-scratches on it. The M60** modules definitely need a lense in the bezel in addition to the plastic surface which is very easy to damage.

The M61 module has no lense at all so that too needs an outside lense. My concern is that a lense which is not an integral part of the bezel, like 6P bezel is not going to be as durable/waterproof as the original 6P + Malkoff M60 combination. Seems like M61 + VME head with user installed bezel is just asking for trouble. This is a hypothesis of mine, I haven't actually had this combo.

Either way, the fact that VME head does not come with a lense is strange.

The VME does come with a lens now.

Awesome, thank you Gene.