Photon 3= your thoughts!

dtsoll

Enlightened
Joined
Mar 7, 2002
Messages
812
Location
nebraska
I'm considering a photon 3 and would appreciate your thoughts on this light. I've never had an actual "photon" and have always wanted to check one out. What do you think? Pros and Cons please!!! Also, I'm not sure what color I want, maybe I should get a couple different colors?? Doug /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

Blades

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 22, 2000
Messages
1,137
Location
NC
I have a white Photon 3, and while it is cool to play with, and has some interesting features(low, mid, high brightness levels) I would recommend the Photon 2. I had to take my Photon 3 off my keychain because I kept finding it on. If you want a cool toy, get the Photon 3, if you want a useful light get the Photon 2(or Inova Mircolight).
Hope this helps.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


Blades
 

Alan Hsu

Enlightened
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
517
Location
Taiwan
I hope the newer Photon 3s are more reliable than the older batches. Out of the 3 or 4 (can't remember the exact number) Photon 3s I tried, only 1 worked. The retailer was so angry that he called up his purchase girl, telling her not to order the Photon 3s anymore.
 

Sinjz

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 4, 2003
Messages
1,120
Location
six blocks from ground zero - WTC/NYC
I'm curious, why is the Photon 2 better? Don't the 2 and 3 have the same kind of switch? I thought they were exactly the same except for the extra functions and ease of battery change on the 3. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 

neogoon

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Apr 4, 2003
Messages
100
Location
NoVA
[ QUOTE ]
Sinjz said:
I'm curious, why is the Photon 2 better? Don't the 2 and 3 have the same kind of switch? I thought they were exactly the same except for the extra functions and ease of battery change on the 3. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
The Photon 2 is a one-button-PHD (Push Here, Dummy) with a slide switch to lock it on; the Photon 3 has an electronic multifunction switch that is a little cumbersome to cycle through the modes (which are nice, but I don't really need). The Photon 3 is supposed to be a little more water-resistant, but is also a little more prone to accidental-on.
 

Size15's

Flashaholic
Joined
Aug 29, 2000
Messages
18,415
Location
Kettering, England
I have had problems with several of my PhotonIII - Certainly they have been replaced but I also find that they come on too easily in pockets and don't last as long.

As toys they are useful to play with. But, the PhotonI and PhotonII are on mine and my friends & family's keys and people love them along with their glowrings.

The idea of the PhotonIII is great but it's not as user friendly or carry friendly as the PhotonI or PhotonII.

Al
 

PhilAlex

Enlightened
Joined
Feb 9, 2002
Messages
228
Location
Hamilton, Ontario
The battery compartment in the Photon 3 either works perfectly, or stinks to high heaven.

I *LOVE* my Photon II, however.

Only get the original. All the clones stink.

I even use a CD2032 instead of 2 CR2016's! Dimmer, but longer lasting.

I have my ARC AAA for punching a hole in the night.
 

zackhugh

Enlightened
Joined
Dec 2, 2002
Messages
303
Location
Hawaii
I like the Photon II better because of the switch. The extra functions of the III are fun to play with but the II is on my keychain.
 

Kiu

Enlightened
Joined
Jan 11, 2003
Messages
451
Location
Hong Kong
I have removed my photon3 cyan from my keychains after i have EDC it for few months. I origin put my keychain in front right trouser's pocket. but i get tired to exchange the 2016s every week without using it. It always turn on itself in my pocket. I have tried to turn it to 1 mins auto-off mode, this made better. But cant alter the fact.

I love this intelligent small photon3, but photon2 seems to be a better for EDC. It would be nice if u carry it outside your bags or anywhere which will not turn it on easily.

Now my ARC AAA in keychain alone with a glowring.
 

Blades

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 22, 2000
Messages
1,137
Location
NC
Now I carry my Photon 3 on my sling pack. I have it safety pinned to the outside of my bag so it doesn't accidently come on. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif



Blades
 

paulr

Flashaholic
Joined
Mar 29, 2003
Messages
10,832
According to the photonlight.com discussion forum, they've re-engineered the Photon 3 to make it more reliable, originally in the purple models and more recently (i.e. the ones made in the past half year or so) in the other colors. So if yours is more than a few months old and you're having trouble, you may get a better one if you send it back for warranty replacement.
 

Owen

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 14, 2002
Messages
2,048
Location
AL
Don't need, or care for, the extra functions of the Photon III, personally. I want off, on, and the ability to stay on.
The light isn't likely to do more than get me from the car to the door, or most of the time, just illuminate a lock to put the key in when my hands are full.
I'm a big fan of the Photon II.
Read they're not waterproof, but I've gone swimming with my keys in a zipper pocket many times, with photon attached, with no problems.
Read they're not durable, but I ran over one (accidently) with 4 tons worth of forklift with solid tires on a concrete floor with the only damage being the plastic lock-on thingie for the switch getting pushed in.
color: I like the brightness of the blue, but much prefer the white for better rendition of colors. My first one was blue, my other three, and a couple of dozen bought as gifts have all been white.
 

Sinjz

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 4, 2003
Messages
1,120
Location
six blocks from ground zero - WTC/NYC
So nobody else likes the two lower light settings on the Photon 3 or the timer function? I personally don't EDC the Photon 3, but I've used the medium and low light setting as a walking light when it was pitch black. Bright enough and will last a long time. The strobes don't have a functional use for me, but they are fun. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

flownosaj

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 24, 2003
Messages
1,235
Location
Fayetteville, NC
I like the Photon III and had one on my keychain untill I kept finding it on when I pulled my keys out. That led to the replacement by an Arc AAA.

I still have the Photon III and don't have any problems with it (other than the accidently 'on'). I like it and use it on occasion, but it will not ride on my keychain anytime soon.

-Jason
 

paulr

Flashaholic
Joined
Mar 29, 2003
Messages
10,832
I think the settable levels and the auto-shutoff timers are good ideas. The strobes seem silly until you realize these things are mostly being sold to ravers.

Looking at photonlight.com's discussion board it sounds like they've slowly been working the bugs out of these things. Maybe they're more waterproof than the Photon II.

I'm quite happy with the three Photon II's that I have, but can't really see paying that much for coin cell lights again, given the existence of $1.00 Countycomm lights at the low end (I just bought five dozen) and AAA lights like the Arc at the better end.
 

PhilAlex

Enlightened
Joined
Feb 9, 2002
Messages
228
Location
Hamilton, Ontario
Paul:

I love my ARC AAA. It's the perfect light.

But I like the almost dead Photon II (blue) on my keychain too. It's a little quicker to activate and sometimes I just need a tiny bit of light. It does the job.
 

ZENGHOST

Enlightened
Joined
Jun 29, 2002
Messages
434
Location
Mililani, HI
I carried a white Photon II on my keys for a long time but it has since been replaced by an Arc AAA. I went through two sets of batteries in my Photon III and not once did it work when I wanted it to--every time I took it out of my pocket it was either dead or on. The Photon III is okay and has cool functions, but a light that doesn't work when I need it to just doesn't cut it with me.
 

jdb2

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jan 3, 2004
Messages
49
Location
Massachusetts
In case it's helpful, until last week I thought the Photon 3 was great. I've had a Photon on my keychain ever since I discovered the original version years ago. I upgraded with each version, and have not had a problem with having any of them turned on in my pocket, failing to light, etc. I did find that they get dimmer after the first few minutes of use, but I accepted that.

When I stumbled across CPF a few months ago,I was amazed at the new lights, new LEDs, etc that have been introduced without my knowing anything about them. For the past week, I have carried my new Arc AAA as an EDC on my keychain, replacing the Photon, and I have already used it more often and more easily than the Photon. I still like those little coin lights, in all their different colors, but I never dreamed how much more useful the Arc would be. I don't have any problems with the beam color or smoothness, although the intermittent problem with the switch has just started. Now if I could just save for an ARC 4+, or a VIP, or the next one to follow....
 

Flying Turtle

Flashaholic
Joined
Jan 28, 2003
Messages
6,509
Location
Apex, NC
This was my first LED after discovering The Led Museum and CPF. I EDC'd it until getting my AAA and liked it. Once or twice I found it had come on in the pocket, but it otherwise was fine. I got the covert model, which I recommend. Now it's clipped to the inside of my coat. My only gripe is the cost of those batteries, at least compared to AAAs. I thought I'd read that the III was the most water resistant of the Photons.
 

paulr

Flashaholic
Joined
Mar 29, 2003
Messages
10,832
The coin cells cost as little as 50 cents each if you shop carefully. For occasional use, battery cost in those lights isn't significant. You can even buy complete white coin lights for $1.00 each from Countycomm, take the two 2016's out and use them in your Photon, and toss the rest of the Countycomm light.

P3's will run for a very very long time in the low and medium brightness modes. However, they're much less rugged and waterproof than an Arc AAA, and don't have nearly as much runtime at comparable brightness.

I thought the P3 had an auto-shutoff timer, so even if it turned on by accident, it would shut off after a while. There's been a persistent problem of them turning on by themselves and getting stuck on, but they claim to have fixed that.

Anyway, I haven't had much interest in paying $15 or $20 for a coin cell light anytime recently. That's my main objection to the P3. I might buy one to experiment with its circuit, but for actual use I'd stick to cheaper (P2, Countycomm) or more solid (Arc AAA) lights. If they sold the P3 for under $10, I'd probably buy a couple, but they can't sell them that cheap.
 
Top