Well, I use my FT03 daily, but then again I don’t own a C8 myself. I’ve given some C8’s away as gifts and do like them, but the FT03 is my daily thrower.
I did not buy this light for any sort of “throw bragging” rights and, in fact, this is not the light for people who want to light up a water tower at a mile away. There are bigger, badder lights for that purpose. This is a practical thrower that’s somewhat more powerful than a C8, but much less pocketable. It feels very good in the hand, however, and more like a traditional flashlight than the small LED flashlights that we’re accustomed to.
I do want a holster for this light, but so far it seems that there hasn’t been enough interest to actually make one happen .
In stock form, this light has a somewhat larger hotspot than the C8’s I’ve seen; the SST40 is domed emitter, after all. My eyesight isn’t what it once was, but with glasses I can usually see further than the FT03 can viably throw on most nights in my humid climate.
With that said, I’m very happy with the light and my only “criticism” is that I got exactly what I paid for; a budget light. The light is quite lightweight for its size, which is a benefit for carrying, but a negative in terms of heat sinking. However, it heats up no faster than the C8’s I’ve used and I’ve had no problems due to heat.
I do miss the nice thick body and square-cut threads that nicer lights have, though. Sofirn sells “budget” lights that have much nicer machining. Astrolux threads feel and sound pretty cheap, though the sound and feel certainly remind me to be extra-careful with them.
Anyway, if you’re happy with your C8, then skip this light. Still, I see no reason that the FT03 would be purchased for “show”; it’s not gorgeous, is not a marvel of craftsmanship, and doesn’t shoot a pencil beam for a mile. In its stock form, it throws a well-sized beam for a good distance and has plenty of spill for walking around with.
Oh, and NarsilM (you can also flash Anduril) is nice and I was somewhat surprised how much of a difference good firmware can make when compared with most factory firmware. For example, I hated ramping on Sofirn’s C8F 21700, but love it on the FT03. To my knowledge, stock C8’s don’t have anything quite as enjoyable to use.