Hey all- posting an email I sent to 2 buddies after getting this past weekend to use some of their torches at night up at Leo Carrillo. Was a moonless night weekend, but very clear -- that said, great time to test the lights out. Here is the email I sent to them after the weekend. I added a few comments in brackets [].
Alright -
C*- thanks a ton for the demo this weekend. Wish you guys were out there - no moon, and really dark at night, except it was soo clear, there was definitely starlight. Starlight aside, you couldnt see the road if you were walking. So, the lights on hand were:
6PL stock
6P M61 [C's] [mcclicky]
TK20 [C's]
E2e with the 2-stage TLS head [from Opticshq]
120P
Nitecore extreme R2
RA clicky 140cn
ok....haha. total overkill. but, was pretty cool. The R2 on low was brighter than our neighbors lights combined.
C*, impressions on your lights --
First, the TK20, I just realized about 10 min ago its a 2xAA. WTF? Ok, that light, especially knowing it costs like $46 to buy currently, is great. Didnt know it was a smooth reflector -- you can definitely see it in the throw it puts out. Knowing it's 150lm, and having only the E2e which is also a thrower at 220 lm, it was pretty damn nice. there is a doughnut in the spot part of the beam that you can see at distance, but the color temp is so nice, totally great outdoors light. Using the novatac, the TLS or the 6PL, the trees and bushes definitely look more real [with the TK20] with better definition. I am becoming a bigger fan of the warmer color temps.
Compared to the TLS head, the TK20 has a tighter spot [read smaller], but it looked like both were throwing the same distance. The TLS had a bigger spot at distance that was a tad more uniform [same or better throw than TK20 with a bigger spot], but, it was also a $70+ head replacement that I got for myself my last birthday. Considering the cost of an e2e, add the head, that TK20 is awesome. Also just realized you can twist the head to get a low level. FFS.
Ok, that M61 - pretty sweet. totally different than every other light there. Definitely a flood; amazing how close to you as a person the spill starts. The flood starts at about 10 yards wide, like 6ft in front of you. no other light there had that spill - width wise, or how close it starts to the person.
When we were on the beach late at night, we were about 100-125 yards off the point, which has a lifeguard tower on top. The TK20 and E2e spotted up the point very well -- also, both of their reflectors are very deep, especially compared to the other lights. Now the M61, at the same distance, didnt spot up the tower nearly as bright, but, it lit the whole area and a much larger area of the point [imagine a 40ft tall cliff at the top of the beach that runs perpindicular to the beach about 100 yards inland to the highway]. You can see that that 260lm on the M61, even though it's floody, still packs it. If you wanted to see the whole beach, even though not totally lit up, M61 definitely the best and quickest way to scan an area. Sidenote- the little nitecore, for a single 123, throws about 2/3 as the tk20 and the e2e, but with more flood. Good light, but battey F****** hog [note that this light throws better significantly than the 120P with a big hotspot and great spill].
So, last night, my parents showed up -- mom couldnt find something and whipped out her RA clicky. My friends were like wtf is wrong with your family. Have to say that normal around camp use, just killer, and when on high, the 140lm narrow version is really a great all around light.
V*/C* - I dont have a quark or the ex10's (that design type single cell) but I will say camping, ive enjoyed most the lows on the 120P, and then the throw of the TLS head. Walking Z's*s dog at 4am, used only the .08 low on the 120P, because everything else was just way to damn bright. Last eve, while we were cooking under lantern light, there was literally this loud noise in the bushes.... Our whole group went silent and was like 'wtf was that.' Spotted it up immediately -- The overkill spots are awesome for stuff like that. Felt bad for the surrounding campsites, but, deal with it. Ok, I am rambling so I will leave one last thought.
The stock 6PL is useless. Except for runtime, the blue tint sucks, it doesnt throw, it maybe floods ok, but price/color/brightness-- the M61 totally embarassed it. hell, the 120P and RA make it look like [comment deleted].
Now seeing all of this, the flood of the M61, liking the color temp of the TK20, and being very happy with my TLS head as a thrower...I am thinking more of the M61w for a floody light with a warmer temp, which I dont have. The last piece would be having V*'s M60 to see the spot and throw on that guy [as compared to the TLS....which if it's close, would lead me to the M61w]. Saying all this, it's my birthday in 7 minutes, and am now going to hit 'post' and proceed to Malkoff's website.
------
-s
P.S.: last comment I didnt include on the email. Having the E2e with the TLS head on the last 6 camp trips makes me pretty stoked on its throw. Ive been looking at a M60/M61/M61w to pop into the stock 6PL, which led to me getting some of those lights on loan this weekend. Getting to use that light with the M61 really made me appreciate both lights - the flood on the M61 is amazing, and, the throw and uniformity on the TLS head in comparison is just fantastic [with an E2e form factor].
Thanks for reading!
Alright -
C*- thanks a ton for the demo this weekend. Wish you guys were out there - no moon, and really dark at night, except it was soo clear, there was definitely starlight. Starlight aside, you couldnt see the road if you were walking. So, the lights on hand were:
6PL stock
6P M61 [C's] [mcclicky]
TK20 [C's]
E2e with the 2-stage TLS head [from Opticshq]
120P
Nitecore extreme R2
RA clicky 140cn
ok....haha. total overkill. but, was pretty cool. The R2 on low was brighter than our neighbors lights combined.
C*, impressions on your lights --
First, the TK20, I just realized about 10 min ago its a 2xAA. WTF? Ok, that light, especially knowing it costs like $46 to buy currently, is great. Didnt know it was a smooth reflector -- you can definitely see it in the throw it puts out. Knowing it's 150lm, and having only the E2e which is also a thrower at 220 lm, it was pretty damn nice. there is a doughnut in the spot part of the beam that you can see at distance, but the color temp is so nice, totally great outdoors light. Using the novatac, the TLS or the 6PL, the trees and bushes definitely look more real [with the TK20] with better definition. I am becoming a bigger fan of the warmer color temps.
Compared to the TLS head, the TK20 has a tighter spot [read smaller], but it looked like both were throwing the same distance. The TLS had a bigger spot at distance that was a tad more uniform [same or better throw than TK20 with a bigger spot], but, it was also a $70+ head replacement that I got for myself my last birthday. Considering the cost of an e2e, add the head, that TK20 is awesome. Also just realized you can twist the head to get a low level. FFS.
Ok, that M61 - pretty sweet. totally different than every other light there. Definitely a flood; amazing how close to you as a person the spill starts. The flood starts at about 10 yards wide, like 6ft in front of you. no other light there had that spill - width wise, or how close it starts to the person.
When we were on the beach late at night, we were about 100-125 yards off the point, which has a lifeguard tower on top. The TK20 and E2e spotted up the point very well -- also, both of their reflectors are very deep, especially compared to the other lights. Now the M61, at the same distance, didnt spot up the tower nearly as bright, but, it lit the whole area and a much larger area of the point [imagine a 40ft tall cliff at the top of the beach that runs perpindicular to the beach about 100 yards inland to the highway]. You can see that that 260lm on the M61, even though it's floody, still packs it. If you wanted to see the whole beach, even though not totally lit up, M61 definitely the best and quickest way to scan an area. Sidenote- the little nitecore, for a single 123, throws about 2/3 as the tk20 and the e2e, but with more flood. Good light, but battey F****** hog [note that this light throws better significantly than the 120P with a big hotspot and great spill].
So, last night, my parents showed up -- mom couldnt find something and whipped out her RA clicky. My friends were like wtf is wrong with your family. Have to say that normal around camp use, just killer, and when on high, the 140lm narrow version is really a great all around light.
V*/C* - I dont have a quark or the ex10's (that design type single cell) but I will say camping, ive enjoyed most the lows on the 120P, and then the throw of the TLS head. Walking Z's*s dog at 4am, used only the .08 low on the 120P, because everything else was just way to damn bright. Last eve, while we were cooking under lantern light, there was literally this loud noise in the bushes.... Our whole group went silent and was like 'wtf was that.' Spotted it up immediately -- The overkill spots are awesome for stuff like that. Felt bad for the surrounding campsites, but, deal with it. Ok, I am rambling so I will leave one last thought.
The stock 6PL is useless. Except for runtime, the blue tint sucks, it doesnt throw, it maybe floods ok, but price/color/brightness-- the M61 totally embarassed it. hell, the 120P and RA make it look like [comment deleted].
Now seeing all of this, the flood of the M61, liking the color temp of the TK20, and being very happy with my TLS head as a thrower...I am thinking more of the M61w for a floody light with a warmer temp, which I dont have. The last piece would be having V*'s M60 to see the spot and throw on that guy [as compared to the TLS....which if it's close, would lead me to the M61w]. Saying all this, it's my birthday in 7 minutes, and am now going to hit 'post' and proceed to Malkoff's website.
------
-s
P.S.: last comment I didnt include on the email. Having the E2e with the TLS head on the last 6 camp trips makes me pretty stoked on its throw. Ive been looking at a M60/M61/M61w to pop into the stock 6PL, which led to me getting some of those lights on loan this weekend. Getting to use that light with the M61 really made me appreciate both lights - the flood on the M61 is amazing, and, the throw and uniformity on the TLS head in comparison is just fantastic [with an E2e form factor].
Thanks for reading!
