Just received my Photon Freedom - Great Light!

JediKnife

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Mar 8, 2004
Messages
101
Monday, I received a Photon Freedom Micro I had ordered. I have carried a Photon of some sort or another on my keyring for years now, but for some reason I have never carried the white one. When I tried this light for the first time, I could not believe how bright and tight the beam is on this light. It is noticably brighter and throws better (!) than the beam on my Dorcy AAA light. I would say that the color is on the bluish side, almost exactly the same tint as the Dorcy AAA I tried it side by side with. I love this light. It rides on my keychain inconspicuously until I need it, due to the small size and weight. I find myself turning it on just to see again how incredibly bright this little thing is. I highly recommend this light. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

JK
 

Lurker

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 6, 2002
Messages
1,457
Location
The South
Thanks for the review. I love my Photons and the Freedom looks like the perfect evolution of the series, and with a price-cut and free accessories to boot. I am planning to order mine this week, but am still debating on color.

How do you like the accessories? I was wondering if that neat hands-free clip can be combined with a simple elastic head band to form a headlamp. I know it will work on a baseball cap, but am unsure about the headband idea. I have been using my Photon 3 in a home-made headlamp set up and it is really useful.

Glad you like yours.
 

thesurefire

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 15, 2003
Messages
1,081
Location
U.S.A.
Looks like another excellent product from Photon! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
 

The_LED_Museum

*Retired*
Joined
Aug 12, 2000
Messages
19,414
Location
Federal Way WA. USA
[ QUOTE ]
Lurker said:
I was wondering if that neat hands-free clip can be combined with a simple elastic head band to form a headlamp...

[/ QUOTE ]
I took a quick look at my Freedom Micro with the hat clip accessory, and the clip on the hat clip does pivot far enough that you can clip it to an elastic headband and the light will point the right way.

Let me go grab a picture of one attached to the elastic headband of a PT Scout...BRB...

clip1.jpg
 

Lurker

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 6, 2002
Messages
1,457
Location
The South
Thank you, Craig. That is exactly what I wanted to know. Now I can have a low-light red headlamp that snaps in and out easily. That is going to be very useful for me.
 

PeLu

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 26, 2001
Messages
1,712
Location
Linz, Austria
As all the Photons have about the same case (please correct me if wrong) and have a realtively low output (compared with 'real' headlamps) I used the following:

Just remove all the keay rings or whatever from your Photon and feed a narrow elastic band through the hole. Sew or glue the elastic band togetehr at the appriate length. Putting it around your head brings the Photon into the (IMHO) almost perfect direction down.
If it is unclear, I could make a Photo.

It does not add any bulk and is as versatile as the clip (but for other uses). Sometimes it is easier to attach a clip, sometimes an elastic band is better.
 

JediKnife

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Mar 8, 2004
Messages
101
I'm sorry I cannot provide beam photos, but I just got an Arc AAA and side by side, the Photon's beam is brighter and more concentrated, with no rings, and throws farther! Also, the tint is very similar to the Arc, but may actually be a little whiter. The Arc does provide a "flood" effect, with the light surrounding the central bright spot area and all, but after carrying the Arc for part of a workday, I've decided to put the Photon back on my keyring.

JK
 

simbad

Enlightened
Joined
Feb 15, 2004
Messages
575
Location
Mallorca, Spain
I have a couple of Photons, one blue, still in its package and a white one in my wife's car keys, this one is amazingly bright but lights like 360 degrees,it does not work for more than 3 feet distance, very different than my Arc AAA having a reflector makes a tighter beam, more usable and brighter also.In my opinion the Photon covert has a concentrated focusing but in a very closed angle.
 

PhotonBoy

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 11, 2003
Messages
3,304
Location
Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, Canada http://tinyu
I have a couple of questions:

1) What's the 'feel' like of the switch? Is it crisp, mushy, uncertain, flaky, positive, clicky, whatever?

2) How useful are the dimming features? Do you find yourself just using it at max for brief periods? If so, why spend a bit more for the microprocessor features?
 

JediKnife

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Mar 8, 2004
Messages
101
[ QUOTE ]
1) What's the 'feel' like of the switch? Is it crisp, mushy, uncertain, flaky, positive, clicky, whatever?

[/ QUOTE ]

It's funny you should ask that, because I told myself to remember to include this about the Freedom Micro: The switch has an excellent "tactile feedback" to it- you can tell when you depress the switch, that you've actually switched it. It feels a lot better than the Photon 3.

[ QUOTE ]
2) How useful are the dimming features? Do you find yourself just using it at max for brief periods? If so, why spend a bit more for the microprocessor features?

[/ QUOTE ]

I think the dimming features are nice to have, although I've yet to take advantage of them. The nice thing about the dimming features is the way they are arranged- if the light is off, holding the button down brings the light up from the dimmest level, for situations when minimal light is preferred. Also, pressing the button rapidly for 3-4 times puts the switch in "momentary" mode- it won't stay on when the button is pressed. I use it this way, and I think most people will to prevent the light from staying on if the button is accidentally pressed in the pocket. When using the light in this mode, if the button is held down for several seconds, it automatically cycles over to where it will stay on automatically. That way, if it turns out that I need to use the light longer than expected, I don't have to keep squeezing the light to keep it on.

Hope this helps,

JK
 

The_LED_Museum

*Retired*
Joined
Aug 12, 2000
Messages
19,414
Location
Federal Way WA. USA
[ QUOTE ]
rfdancer said:
Craig: I noticed that the background in your picture has a lot of GLASS ISULATORS. Is this the Aspergerkind symptom you mentioned in another post?

[/ QUOTE ]
Yes, that is a window display with at least 90 glass insulaters in it. The web URL I provided in the Asperburger<sp> syndrome thread leads to my website about the asinine things. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif :/ /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif
 

PhotonBoy

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 11, 2003
Messages
3,304
Location
Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, Canada http://tinyu
In Craig's defence, the insulators look really nice with the light streaming through the window. Plus, I've actually held one or two of them in my hand. It's not often you get that much weight of glass in your hand. It's impressive. The colors are very subtle. Really. Don't knock it. These insulators are from a time that will never return. 5,000 years ago, the Egyptians would have been really impressed. I am. It's about 1,000 times better than the impression you get when you hold an original 7 oz. green Coke bottle in your hand and say: "Wow! These are neat! Too bad they're not making them anymore."
 

PeLu

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 26, 2001
Messages
1,712
Location
Linz, Austria
[ QUOTE ]
JediKnife said:
I'm sorry I cannot provide beam photos, but I just got an Arc AAA and side by side, the Photon's beam is brighter and more concentrated, with no rings, and throws farther!

[/ QUOTE ]
With earlier Phtons I used to put one of these tiny reflectors for 5mm LEDs on their head. This improved the beam a lot, but made them bulkier.
 

Lurker

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 6, 2002
Messages
1,457
Location
The South
PeLu, the reflectors sound like a neat idea. Where do you get them and what is a good way to attach them?
 

BillBill

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jan 10, 2004
Messages
133
Location
Spring, TX
Can the white Freedom work with a CR2032 instead of 2xCR2016, its curcuit getting only three volts instead of six? It seems logical that this can work because nobody has complained that when the battery voltage gets below a certain level with use. With this configuration one gets a long lasting *somewhat* dim light, but with the freedom's dimming circuit it really isn't needed.
 

paulr

Flashaholic
Joined
Mar 29, 2003
Messages
10,832
I think the red/orange/yellow Freedoms use a 2032, so the electronics work ok at 3 volts. Using a 2032 with a white led in a Freedom is sort of silly; just use two 2016's and dim the light to the level you want to use it at. If you want a dim 2032-powered white light, it's simpler to use a direct drive model like the Photon II. I have a Countycomm $1 light set up that way and it's quite usable in very dark surroundings.
 

Lux Luthor

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 10, 2000
Messages
1,944
Location
Connecticut
This is quite a coincidence. I got my first freedom this morning (green, covert). I'm still evaluating it, but so far I like it.

I threw a choice 15 degree cyan I had into it. The covert cuts the beam off at just about the edges of this particular LED, whereas the green that came with it is 30 degrees and gets too chopped off.

Works off 2032 also, but dimmer. White might be really dim that way. Cyan is adequately bright, though, and on two 2016s could actually be too bright for hardcore NV, even at the lowest level.

As far as comparisons to Arc, I don't think there is one. The beam profile of the Arc is better (wider), but also doesn't shine light in your eyes. Also fully waterproof (although I did give the freedom a good dunk in 6" of water after siliconing it up, and it didn't leak), and of course, the Arc is made of metal. Arc doesn't dim, though, and I wanted a dimming light.
 
Top