Sofirn Q8 group buy (gb closed, but try PM to Sofirn for discount)

Oct. 11
Barry asked me to tell that people who currently still want to receive a discount for the Sofirn Q8, can contact Tracy: http://budgetlightforum.com/user/23289

Sept. 27
Forgot to update the OP earlier, but this group buy is closed. You may still be lucky writing a PM to member Sofirn (=Tracy from Sofirn), but no guarantees.

Sept.12
With many new Q8’s being sold at the moment, I would like to add a plug for the 4040/5050 Q8 board for sale by led4power. He took the risk to have this awesome board made that makes lots of Q8-mods possible (LuxeonV, LuxeonMZ, SST-40, XHP50), he sells them very cheap in his small webshop (led4power.com),but not many are sold yet, which is not very deserving. In my own experience, my Q8 with led4power board and LuxeonV leds is my favourite and most powerful Q8 version (almost 8000 lumen). My upcoming Q8 mod with Luxeon MZ leds may even become better.

Update Sept.12
I received a sample light from Barry very fast, so I’m lucky to be able to give some first impressions :slight_smile:

The appearance, well, as announced it is the Q8 with the flats on the battery tube removed.

Also on the inside I see familiar parts.
The performance, completely stock, on freshly charged 30Q’s at 30 seconds, I measure 4700 lumen (I corrected for my djozz-lumen being a bit high), and 106 kcd throw. So the light output is similar to the XP-L version but the throw pretty much has doubled. I did not expect the stock light to have that good output with a V3 XP-L Hi ! (was expecting 4300lm). :+1:

So how is the beam compared to the BLF-Q8? I’m afraid I do not have a stock Q8 :person_facepalming: , but here it is compared to BLF Q8’s with Samsung LH351D leds and Luxeon V leds (left SofirnQ8, middle LH351D, right LuxeonV, all on comparable low setting, 3 meter from wall)


As you expect from XP-L Hi leds, the Sofirn Q8 has a nice tight hotspot, the leds seem well in focus.
So there you go, the Sofirn Q8, as far as my initial observations from this one sample go, is almost exactly what it promised to be.

Update sept.8
As already found out by a few people, the Sofirn Q8 is available on aliexpress. Follow the instructions below in the OP for getting the discount during ordering (do not pay, instead send a message, price will be lowered for you, then finish the ordering process with discounted price). For who wants it, on a normal PC and with Chrome, I found Paypal available at the Sofirn aliexpress store, although it will cost you a small fee. Perhaps also on other platforms but reports are varying.
The Amazon buyers will still have to wait about a week.

_

Barry, who as our contact with Thorfire worked with us developing the Q8 but who works now for Sofirn, asked me to organise a group buy for the new Sofirn Q8. I think that Sofirn is doing a great job working with BLF developing flashlights that we like, so I volunteered to start and maintain this gb thread.

(disclaimer: as far as I know, I’m not compensated in any way for doing this except that it consolidates my and BLF’s good relationship with Sofirn. Edit sept3rd: Barry is sending me a Q8 for the effort of doing this, my neutrality is being discredited :wink: Further, I try to communicate this as well as I can, but if anything is not going the way described in this gb thread, don’t blame the messenger, me, it is a deal between you and Sofirn )

The light
*The specs are as far as I know, any eventual extra information will be added later:
*Name: Sofirn Q8
*Description: Barry assured me that it is exactly the BLF Q8 (Sofirn was the manufacturer of the BLF Q8), except for the name, removing the flats on the battery tube and the use of 6000-6500K Cree XP-L Hi leds, output bin V3, colour bin 1C or 1D (too small order from Sofirn to get one specific colour bin). No other changes. This led is cooler tinted and will make the Sofirn Q8 throwier than the BLF Q8 (which was already among the throwiest of the current high lumen lights), but with a bit less output.
No other leds are available now for this light than XP-L Hi 6000-6500K. The exact colour and output bin, if Sofirn can give them, may be added later.
*pics:





I hope for one more pic looking into the front, and I hope for beam shots comparing it to a BLF Q8, Barry said he was not good in pics but he would have a go.

Extension tube?
Was under development (for extending the Q8 to 8P) but is not finished yet, it will not be part of this group buy.

The price:
$39.95 shipped.
I tried even lower but Barry assured me that would be below cost price (and XP-L hi’s were more expensive than XP-L’s he said). Standard price on the Sofirn aliexpress store will be $69.99, but like with the BLF Q8 I’m sure there will be promotions coming at some point.

Edit 4sep: Barry wrote a mail telling that the price at Amazon DE will be 40 euro’s (Amazon US and aliexpress wiil still be 40 dollar), so a bit more expensive. This is about VAT he said. People who still want 40 dollar shipped can buy via aliexpress.

The set-up:
I will maintain an interest list in this OP for a limited amount of time (a few weeks?), being on the list will entitle you to buy the flashlight at the group buy price.
The lights can be purchased via the Sofirn aliexpress store or via their Amazon store (both US and DE), but the way to buy is different (I hope it will be easy enough for you, this is not something I have an influence on)
For the Amazon stores, Barry will PM you a promotion code that will get the price down to $39.99. Please indicate if you are planning to buy at Amazon, and US or DE.
For the aliexpress store, order the light but do not pay yet! Instead, while still in the unpaid order, leave a message with your BLF-name, Barry will check if you are on the interest list and will lower the price for you. Then (I hope it will be quick) “refresh the order” and finish paying.
Currently there is no limit on this group buy, if more are on the list than they have produced, they will make more.

When will the lights be available?
400 lights are already made, 300 of them will stay in China, 50 will be shipped to Amazon US, and 50 to Amazon DE. That sounds soon enough to me but when exactly the purchase can happen I don’t know. I guess they will show up in the stores and then either you have had your code (Amazon) or you can order and wait for the price-lowering (aliexpress).

That’s all I can think of to write down in this OP.

The interest list:
MagPap AZDE
KawiBoy 1428 AZUS
casi29061965 2x
Capsicum AZDE
pennzy
VictorB
freeme
Blacky
deus1ex AZDE
Sillen 2x
Gofer AZDE
manithree
chinooker AZUS
Nicolicous
Tony Cape
toddcshoe AZUS
Jerommel
tm07 AZUS
Unloco
leaftye AZUS
desymond AZUS
Klotski
cyropro AZUS
bushmaster AZUS
a_idoux
gleamer x2 AZUS
Cereal_killer
HONDARIDER AZUS
Nguyen AZUS
two¢¢ x2
Geese
FlashPilot AZUS
808Hi AZUS
Easyrr
Muto AZUS
Quad-XXX AZDE
BT100 AZUS
BOMBAY AZDE
caffeine_addict
blueb8llz
wigglybroom AZUS
RobertB AZUS
Kourtinoksylo AZDE
nvanlaar AZUS
MRsDNF x2
Boaz AZUS
johnkey68
Pete7874 AZUS
JasonWW AZUS
gorb507
CJW AZUS
adirus
ImA4Wheelr AZUS
Gerrit
Silent_Star
JoeRodge AZUS
eas
Speadge
T18 x2 AZUS
baldo21 AZUS
Fate0n3 AZUS
Lux-Perpetua AZDE
mandala AZUS
sienna
Umpi2000
pinggo
yasenf
gismo
mrheosuper
rost333
McLight
theoldbill AZDE
CJ Avlis AZUS
Andybibbville AZUS
vincebdx
L4M4 AZDE
teacher x2 AZUS
warzi1975
gkushev
Jaded
Brainsick67 AZUS
Ocelot AZUS
Antenne AZDE
solrac22 AZUS
eas
staticx57 AZUS
iosala
Jay AZUS
Mikeadoo AZUS
OKCOREY AZUS
mgracia85 AZUS
d_t_a
Aleister AZDE
sandanbob AZUS
Soldier AZDE
Sivy
Athlon2350
BOMBAY
spinynorman
trailhunter AZUS
Mykickz AZUS
gorb507
klrman
TugboatTimmy AZUS
Shakey
Henk4U2
sbslider AZUS
jimmymke AZUS
Mark M
mmalive x2 AZUS
Dirt AZUS
DB Custom AZUS
Newlumen AZUS
LG
SilentObserver AZUS
Suncoaster
jigsaw AZUS
sleasys14 AZUS
Brinkmann
Gerrh x2 AZUS
TheLumberPat AZUS
bulbeee AZUS
Mattfox27
Tomogchi AZUS
GreenLights AZUS
Bikenjam
RoloFresh
eric16l AZUS
NuggetMcNugget x2 AZDE
maildroid x2 AZUS
foxtermonster
contactcr AZUS
OrangePeel AZUS
Brianwillhite
Bruno28
ecotack
P-Easy AZUS
Moomoomao AZUS
Gj x2 AZUS
FritzHID x5 AZUS
johnny33
Fate0n3 AZUS
Satan@103TFS
luisgcan
2Ace AZUS
southland AZUS
vinte77 AZUS
Seets
owmyeyes AZUS
Funtastic
azj AZUS
lachesis AZUS
Old_Klein
alex64
joker145
xdouang AZUS
Duke AZDE
steel_1024
Drguagua
BrySig228 AZUS
Drontti
parkerdude
BROODMASTER AZUS
Nicko69
cyclonecj AZUS
joker145 AZUS
DanTheLumenMan AZUS ?
scotlarock AZUS

….
……

Interested. Put me in

If Sofirn is going with the XP-L HI V3-1A ….I’m in! :+1:

Interested in two.

Thanks, great

Having two lights from sofirn their quality is pretty good

The possibility to buy from amazon De for this price is a good for european who suffer import taxes

would it be possible to add also amazon italy for those who live in italy to avoid extra shipping costs?

In any case was regrating missing the first batch of that flashlight, and will be interested at that new slightly upgraded one

I have asked Barry, but no information yet (weekend). I put you on the list anyway, there’s of course no obligation to buy.

I’m not in at this time. But I’m glad somebody started a GB for this light. Maybe I’ll be able to get one in the future.

Also: ListBot? :wink:

I am in, Amazon US

I will ask about Amazon Italia

I live in the computer middle ages, no chance!

Hello. I’m interested. Thanks!

I am IN . This predict this list will be long. It would be easier for you to send out ordering info through email instead.

I was not the one who thought out the procedure, but perhaps I could have talked Barry into doing it different.

I was not really sure about the popularity of this light but with interest in 7 8 lights in half an hour after posting it appears that I may have shot myself in the foot with this thread :person_facepalming:
Well, let’s see how this goes, and Barry and Sofirn will at least be happy with this amount of interest.

Interested…
Thanks!

Interested Thanks Amazon Germany

2, please. Any chance via Amazon AU?

I’m in - Amazon DE warehouse or aliexpress

I can always ask :slight_smile:

Legend! Thorfire have a shop on Amazon AU but that’s it - hardly any other decent torches/batteries on offer. FWIW, I’ve purchased all 3 of my Thorfire lights from Amazon AU.

Interested (Amazon US)