available from shop.omglumens.com
Introducing the new DEFT-X The World’s Longest Throwing LED FlashLight
In 2008 a light was introduced that rocked the flashlight world. The DEFT. It was several times the power of contemporary LED flashlights and caused flashlight enthusiast’s knees to go weak with a the flick of the switch. It showcased the power of unmitigated dedication and passion for the art of flashlight design. Here are some of the comments made about the original DEFT.
From Patriot “The most impressive thing that unfolded tonight was to witness the DEFT produce higher lux than a 24W HID! That’s simply astonishing!”
From Gene. “It’s just amazing how far this thing throws. I could almost hear the talk in town the next day about how some mysterious aliens had been projecting beams of powerful light all over the sky! ……
Myson who is visiting from out of state was blown away by the DEFT. He commented that if someone had another DEFT a couple of miles away,you could have a saber fight in the sky!”
From LuxLuthor “Suffice it to say that the DEFT BLEW the other two away. I don’t just mean it was noticeably brighter than my best aspherics. I actually do mean that it blew them away.”
“Here is my scientific 2 word summary: Holy Moly !!!……….
I found myself saying several times that this is almost like having a MaxaBeam in your pocket.”
From Choppers “1000%worth the wait…and with your attention to detail I understand why.EVERYONE will be completely satisfied and then some!!!”
From ChrisDallas “The throw on this sucker is sick, I mean it just goes forever……My neighbor was playing with it for 15 min or so & he offered me$1000 for it, I would have sold it to him if I could replace it immediately but there’s no way I’m parting with it, don’t need the money :-)”
It did all this with performance of 150Kcd.
What will the world say now with 6 times the power in a smaller light?!
You read that correctly. The new DEFT-X is performing at 900Kcd!!! That is the power of six of the original DEFTs. This represents a new world record for LEDs in the flashlight format. And instead of being simply an experiment in the lab this will be a purchasable product. Surprise!
Where it stands in the flashlight world
I have spoken at length in the past about the future downfall of the great HID lights to LEDs. Well folks…the future is here! There isn’t a single HID light of similar size that can come anywhere close to this performance. HID lights have had their day. Long live the new king!
The DEFT-X has a whopping 260% more intense beam than the closest competitor(O-lightSR95SUT). That means you would have to buy almost four of the best the rest of the world has to offer just to equal one DEFT-X. And the DEFT-X does this while weighing a fraction as much as that light and is also much smaller in every dimension. I suppose we could continue to talk about “competitors” but truth be told the DEFT-X has no competitors.
Design and Philosophy
Since the day I stopped making the original DEFT I have had people begging me to bring it back. Believe me I have wanted to but I had to do it right. Pulling all the pieces together to create something like the DEFT is very very hard. I have in fact explored various DEFT proposals over the years but they have all fallen short in some way.I am really really picky when it comes to a light that carries the OMG Lumens name. OMG flashlights are a physical representation of my flashaholic soul. As such it must adhere to my strict design standards including but not limited to:
-It must be functional as a lighting instrument.-Not a toy with an unusable beam.
-It must be reasonably sized-Not huge and unwieldy.
-It must be significantly better performing than any other light-Not simply different looking like 99% of the lights on the market.
-It must be aesthetically pleasing-Not merely functional
-It must be thermally balanced-Not overheating in five minutes like some extreme modified lights
-It must, it must blow…you…away…
It is the combination of all these things and compromise in none that I call the “sweet spot“ that makes the difference between a good light, even a great light, and something magical.
It is hard to explain just how this light makes you feel. Powerful? Yes. Dangerous? Quite possibly. The throw of this light is downright visceral. The ANSI throw is 1,897 meters. For those of you that relate better to miles that equates to 1.17 miles!!
And yet it is not all about power. I like a certain amount of elegance to go along with power. The body is finished in three different surface treatments and textures of aluminum. I did not want a garish logo set against the bright aluminum. The base layer is a bead blast finish with the logos sandblasted in fine media to a look that is subtle and distinct. It changes from a dark logo set on a light background to a light logo set against a dark background depending on how the light strikes it. Of course it is finished off with the polished ends that bring it all together beautifully.
The head features an impact resistant rubber bezel to protect the light and lens. It also shields the user from internal optical reflections. The scalloped bezel end allows one to see if the light has been left in the on position when placed on its head.
So how do we accomplish this feat?
To put it mildly the DEFT-X is a technological tour de force. Careful selection and matching of key components such as the driver, LED, optics, and thermal materials allow us to have searing performance while still retaining practicality and reliability.
The DEFT-X uses the latest Cree XPG2 LEDs. These are bonded direct to copper for maximum heat extraction. This was absolutely key to achieving the thermal performance necessary to make this product a reality.
Those who know me know I look for improvements anywhere they can be found. Whatever it takes to push the state of the art forward. At great cost I have undertaken to license technology from a company called Wavien. This technology is called RLT™. RLT™ is Wavien’s Recycling Light Technology. It allows for the use of light that would otherwise be wasted in an optical system such as the DEFT-X’s. The light that would hit the sidewalls of the flashlight and die is instead reflected back at the LED until it exits the aperture and passes through the lens where it is then collimated into the beam. The net effect is a more intense beam than would otherwise be possible.
Having this technology is not enough as I have come to find out by examining another product that has this technology in it. In this particular example the RLT was so poorly implemented that performance was actually better with it removed. So it is our proper implementation of the technology that has also been a key factor in this remarkable achievement.
Practical Uses for a Light of this Power and Beam Type
The DEFT-X features a spot only type beam. The lack of spill light like you have with a flashlight that employs a reflector has benefits and shortcomings. The highly confined beam is not the type you would use to light the path in front of you with. Any old flashlight can handle the low level flood light needed for a pathway. But not just any flashlight can do what the DEFT-X can. It can tell you not simply what is at your feet but where to go and what’s coming.
-Many customers of this type of light use them to give advanced warning of predatory animals. The more advanced warning you can get the better. In some cases it has been found to act as a deterrent to aggressive animals.
-The DEFT has also been used in law enforcement activities. Border control agents use them to be able to have a highly portable spotlight that allows them to scan large areas of desert landscape that would otherwise require an extremely large and unwieldy light.
-Police have used the DEFT for discrete searching around buildings or near busy roads. The highly confined beam allows one to put the light exactly where it is needed avoiding unnecessary disturbance of the surroundings such as people sleeping in their homes or blinding of oncoming traffic which can result in a dangerous situation unfolding.
-For law enforcement officers this light also represents a potential lifesaver as the extremely intense beam has a “shock and awe” effect on people that could buy the officer valuable seconds as the person tries to regain composure. If they even can. The light is so blinding that the user cannot even be seen by the individual being targeted.The strobe option which is neatly tucked to the side is both non-obtrusive to normal operation but also easily accessible whenever needed.
-Those who are into boating also will find a light of this type and power to be an immensely powerful tool. When out on the water two elements come into play quite often. The need to retain night vision and also needing to identify markers which can be at great distances. A normal light that uses a reflector cannot control the light as well and is less intense but also has spill light that falls in the near field and can ruin night adapted vision.
-For hunters as well this characteristic of preserving night adapted vision due to the lack of spill light is essential. The tremendous throw of the DEFT-X beam also allows the hunter to be far more certain that the area behind the intended target is clear. There is no such thing as too much light down shot when it comes to this vital aspect of safe hunting.
Closing Thoughts
The DEFT-X is a very expensive light for us to produce and has taken significant investment to make it a reality for which, I might add, there is no certain payoff. It is however something that I felt compelled to do. It is my gift to the flashlight community. Both my wife Teresa, my sister Mandy, and I are very appreciative of all the support we have received over the years. I hope you will continue to do so however you might be able, be that purchasing or telling everyone you know about this great light as there are so many people who would want one of these if they knew about it. It is my hope that with your continued support I can continue to offer you groundbreaking lights and bring to reality some of the many designs that I have conceived of but simply lacked the resources to make real. The future looks bright folks. -Michael
The Retail Price of the DEFT-X is $695.00. CPF members can receive a 14% discount by entering the code “cpfdiscount” when purchasing. This brings the price down to about $598.00 for community members which saves you almost $100.
The DEFT-X is in early production with presales available now. Shipment estimated at 4-6 weeks. See the OMG online store for details on pricing and availability.
Specifications
–900,000cd (Figure based on early prototypes scoring slightly above 900Kcd. Figure subject to change once a larger sample size is reached)
-ANSI Beam Distance of 1897meters or 1.17 miles
-Direct to copper bonded Cree XPG2 Neutral tint
-Runs on 3 18650 Lithium-ion cells. Recommend Orbtronic “Protected 3400mAh NCR18650B” or similar “Protected” cell for maximum runtimes.
–564 grams without batteries/aprx 695 grams with batteries
-Length 205mm x 75mm(head diameter)
–6 level light output plus strobe
-Runtime aprx 2 1/2-3 hrs on high
-Forward clicky rear switch allows for mode selection before light powered on.
