The title says it all :) Anyone can comment whether you have one or not and whether you like them or not:)
I see them as not doing any job particularly well. If not for the novelty most people when they want a little throw don't use an aspheric and when they want pure flood use a nice diffused looking beam rather than a defocused aspheric with a well defined circle around the whole thing.
Most people aren't drawn to lights with artifacts outside of these lights. Most of these lights aren't well made and aren't even water resistant (by design limitations).
It's not like a photo zoom lens with anti-reflective coatings, secondary lens, and smooth movement. It's not even a lens that is a true variable focus as the focus is only at "throw".
For those who do like these lights what is the appeal for you?
In general you are right. If you want a flooder then use a flooder and if you want throw then grab a thrower.
However, if you don't know if you'll even need either at any given time what do you do, carry a huge head thrower in one pocket and a floodlight in the other? The value of a zoomie is usually flexibility and convenience. I often edc a Sipik SK68 with a 14500 in it. (If you haven't got one then get one and try it. You will not regret it. Its the best $8 I have ever spent on anything.)
With the Sipik I can have smooth flood at short range (albeit with a somewhat colorful but not troublesome ring outside the main flood). Just as importantly I can also have excellent throw if I need it. Anyone who has not tried a Sipik with a 14500 in it I guarantee will be amazed by its throw and its pretty damn impressive even on an Alkaline.
I would say that the two zoomies I have do a pretty good job of extreme zoom and extreme flood. Especially at maximum and minimum zoom I don't really have any complaints. Mine are bright, well made, and attractively styled. And best of all, I don't have to carry two lights to accomplish both functions.
i see the disadvantages, and the fact that they can be thought of as novelty lights, yet my c78 torch light gets as much use as anything. that must mean something. i don't have the sipik, but everyone loves them. from what i read it seems like a step up from the torch light, and i may have to get one.
They are fun to play with, for a while. Good for my wife’s car light. She has one light that will be useful in all kinds of roadside emergency situations( make sure it has a strobe).I have also recently learned that they make great bike lights. Change the beam for any type of trail or road.
Like others said the flexibility but they also have attractions. For example, the area covered by the light is very well controlled/restricted. It lights up exactly what needs to be and nothing more.
These are also of a design that can get away with 1-mode operation since you can use the zoom to control light density.
The focused die is also pretty awesome, esp I think for a flashoholic.
There also aren't that many flood lights out so if you want one of those, might as well get throw feature thrown in for free.
I had one. I think it was called the X2000 (from DX). It quite working (emitter) eventually. It was my first aspheric and it was fun to play with for a night or two. After that I rarely used it.
I also had a P60 host with a cheap (DX) XR-E R2 in it (with a reflector of course). That was better built, threw more than far enough (with a more usable hotspot) and could illuminate close up but obviously it did have the hotspot close up as well.
Now I have an XP-G R5 in that P60 host and to me it's more useful by far than the X2000.
If you have it mounted (zoomie) on a bike and either need flood or spot from time to time I guess I can see the greater utility.
I did go out and build an aspheric light for when I wanted extreme throw.
I end up using them for flood most of the time anyway. Small flooder is very useful on the desk to illuminating hard to reach places like inside computers.
It's useful in multitudes of situations and gives the user instant gratification allowing him the ability to dail the light into the perfect fit for the application / situation.
Consider that your average $8.00 ebay flood to throws output blows away the surefire of 3 or 4 years ago or the maglight of days gone by ..a 8$ flood to throw that beats older cop and firemans tools is pretty impressive shortcomings and all.
It is the number one by far biggest bang for your buck light ever made .. As far as gifting a light i think it's a brilliant choice .
Is it a bit gimmicky ? "well it is an 8$ light "
I think Ric from Cnqualitygoods was very smart to start carrying a greater number of these lights .
The attraction is .. something to play with ..like a variable output or ramping or different colors ,more choices , Like programable modes on the akoray ..the more someone can mess with it to make it just a bit different .. the more they like it and feel connected to it ..smart marketing
look funny and lens sticks out- although i love the functionality but have never owned one. except a mag if you consider that in the same category.
seen a fixed aspheric mag mod throw a shocking beam but the lens stuck way out. i know maybe not meant to be practical i just see it getting damaged fast
any one have a good one they especially like,maybe 18650 based
I don't care for them either. I bought a X2000 clone and it worked fine, but you have a tail clicky (with strobe available!) and then you have the head that you can push and pull. It's just more than I want to deal with. The pure flood was just that, no real hot spot and focusing down to the LED die is pretty neat. The tight spot is definitely brighter than a XR-E R2 in a P60 light. I wound up giving mine to my brother who thinks it is pretty cool. Some people like them, some don't, I guess.
wow .. 14 $ they are down to about half that now on ebay with the cheaper ones at about 5$
I think it's a best buy for a 7-8$ light .
Part of the reason I like mine is it's got a great tint and it has absolutely no rings or bizzare artifacts like I've seen on some other zoomies ..My original one is perfect ..i know it makes a difference since I've had some that are just horrible and the t-11 EDI-T lights aren't as nice either ..i've had about 8 flood to throws and none of them is as nice as the one I bought as a noobie at an electronics show .
I love flood-to-throw lights, and keep one in my jacket pocket.
Sometimes I want to light up a wide area. If I'm working on something, I often want to see it all at once. I can leave it on flood and set it down on something, and it lights everything up. I can walk and see all around me. Multiple people can see with the nice wide beam, unlike a spot where only the person aiming it gets to see.
Sometimes I want to light up something in the distance. I want to see what just moved up the trail. I want to look inside of something. I want to point out an object or route to someone. I want a signal that can be seen at huge distances. I want to light up just where I am without disturbing someone else.
Sometimes I want somewhere in the middle. I'm on a bike and want to see up the road a medium distance. I'm working on something and need to see one part clearly, but still need light to the sides.
It's like having three lights on you at once, without the size and weight of three lights.
I'm currently modding one of mine to a XM-L at 2.8A, with a reflector, and a driver with more modes... should make it even more useful.
Flood-to-throw lights can be completely waterproof, and many are close to waterproof in stock form. I know one seller on ebay has a picture of one running in a glass of water. The one I'm working on was only mostly waterproof stock, but I'll be adding an extra o-ring and some grease, which should make it completely waterproof.
The one running in a fish tank is probably running flooded in a fish tank :) They still work flooded :)
One that was driven hard on a single 18650 with a good optic would be interesting especially if someone figured out how to make it automatically diffused after you left the throw mode.
Many of them aren't driven very hard so even though they throw well for the current they are using you can do much better by just putting an aspheric in a similar sized light that is fully driven.
Most of the lights I use for flood I've added diffusion material between the lens and the reflector so the flood light is much more pleasant than the flood I've seen in most of these lights.
The idea is interesting but the implementation leaves a lot to be desired (IMO). Lights are small enough that I guess so far I've found the results to be better by having a good flood light and a good thrower.
+1. I have grown to love my sipik clone. On 14500 it has the best throw of a single AA that I know of, and can be easily transformed to a useable spill. People refuse to believe it is an $8 light. It quickly replaced my Fenix LD15 as the pocket EDC. The only way to make this thing any better would be to add a low setting. Easily one of my favorites and for the price, I can't think of anything that could make me happier!
I would turn the question around and ask how can someone prefer a well known favorite like a R5-A3, or K-106 over this little zoomie, if not just for the mode selection. It will do everything any other 1xAA light will do, except throw AND flood better? lol
Frankly, my sipik68 puts a spot that is almost as bright as my MG lite X-thrower at the maximum distance area i have to test throwing. Given the xthrower also lights up the entire gully in front of me like daylight, but for distance it's remarkably close.
On that note, anyone have a good idea on how to measure the distance without actually running a tape measure the ~200+ yards it is? Also, since it is going from the top of a hill to a bluff, a tape measure wouldn't work. Maybe i just need new testing grounds :/
Use Google Earth or measure something that is easier to measure that is about the same distance or measure part way to have something to judge by and then estimate the remainder.
