Anyone know the difference between the Sipik SK 58/68/78 flood-to-throw lights at Manafont?
The SK 68 is the "ugly" one (cut-out bezel) but otherwise what is the difference? They all say Q4. They all are 1 AA and they all are single mode (I think). The prices are $6.65/$10/$11.25.
The SK68 is a great little light. Reliable, bright on AA......crazy bright with 14500. Comments on here by other owners show similar results. Cons are a difficult to remove tailcap, and it's a bit heavy for a AA light.
Some report problems with the SK58, mainly burnt out drivers.....and a raffle as to which emitter you'll get (Golden Dragon or XRE).
I've not seen any comments on the SK78....but it's a neat looking little light (and seems to have an XRE).
I've owned all three at one point or another (I still have an SK68 and SK78, I gave the SK58 with Osram to my sister in Romania).
The Sk68 is the class of the three. It may be kinda ugly, but the heavy fins provide excellent surface area for heat sinking (can be used with a 14500 longer) and it has the best lens of the set.
OK, thanks everyone. I haven't used Manafont before and thought I'd give them a try. I've just used DX and KD. Between those two DX was the most convenient. I'll see if Manafont is a little faster.
I don't really know why I ordered these other than something to play with and maybe tear apart:) I ordered both the SK68 and SK78 so that at least one should work or I can maybe tear one apart and still have something that works :)
I like the looks of the SK78 better but everyone seems to like the SK68 so I got that too.
Can someone tell me if zoom is when you pull it apart? That's the way it was on a flood-to-zoom that I used to have. I've seen other models imply that zoom was when it's pushed together.
Yup......Pulling the head out focusses the beam.
To those who have used a 14500 in the light...did it make it brighter/throw further?
Also, if you know, how hard is it to take the light apart? I'll probably be trying to paint the Cree ring black if it's using a XR-E (as opposed to a XP-E).
Substantially brighter. The light is also quite easy to take apart, but you really don't need to. There really isn't a cree ring at flood because of the lens. You can see full flood shots in my review: https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/1001
Thanks for the info regarding the 14500. I'm not going to be using this light for flood. I will be using it only at its "throw" setting. I like this light over a fixed light mainly because of it's smaller size (and the aspheric of course).
Does the 14500 need to be unprotected or will a protected 14500 work?
Protected 14500 works fine.
=the=
You can use both without problems.
Thanks!
I own the SK58, and I like it a lot. I would go for it just for the handsome styling.
Doesn't it look exactly like the SK78?
I posted a comparison between the SK68 and a similar (zoomie), the Torch Light C78, plus the better-made but more of a unitasker Hugsby P31 here:
https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/1654#comment-55667
I also owned an SK58. The thing I didn't like about that one was the LED which came with it, which from what I've read here, must've been an Osram Golden Dragon. Pretty lame and blue on 1.5v AA. Now, on 3 volts or more, it does quite well and does not seem as blue. I still prefer Cree any day. However the ones which are verified to have Cree's inside are all in the $10+ range from what I've seen, and at that point you can get an SK68. The SK58's with non-named (Osram) LED's can go down to an amazing $5 or $6 with free shipping, at which point (at least I) start to feel guilty wondering how they are making them so cheaply, because they are made out of metal (and beat the "feel" of any big-box store-bought plastic piece of junk any day). If you get an SK58, you should have 3 or 4 volt 14500 batteries to use with it IMO, just resist the temptation otherwise. It became my girlfriend's first single-LED flashlight, and, not knowing any better, she liked it on AA, but since I've had her using it with a LiFePO4 (3 volt) 14500 and it's twice as bright, and likes it more. She uses it quite often (short runs), and it's small enough for purse carry.
The size (and many would say the feel) of the SK58 is better (smoother, and narrower) albeit with a narrower lens, which is not going to help performance, but it still works fine. So, performance-wise, the SK68 is probably the best, plus it has a clip, but 1 of my 2 SK68 clips stripped off (see above post). If I were pocket-carrying only... and a lot, I'd go for the SK58 with a Cree. Otherwise, I'd recommend the SK68 with standard provisos and cautions.
I don't own a SK78 and am not interested; no particular reason, just my spidey sense. I guess it seems a little wide, 'all the way down'. No clip, roll-away... I'm not seeing the superiority to justify charging more money for it.
Are you sure that the Sipik SK58 can use 14500? Never seen that anywhere. Where did you buy it?
of 5 that I have all have a noticable cree ring , just screw off bezel for easy access an paint it made a great improvent , as for the tailcap being hard to remove "say wat " , prehaps if your disabled you may be challenged
of the sk68's I have the sipik and a couple of ultrafire branded models there a prettywell identical both use the better solid pill , I also have a mxdl branded sk68 that has a hollow pill , as for using 14500's no problems I have been heavily using them nightly for bout 2-3 weeks with out any probs , and light still fuctions perferctly wen returning to AA's
An update. Had the SK58 and SK68 dissembled at the same time.
The pills are different, and not interchangeable. They are of very similar width, so much that they look like they'd interchange (or at least thread in), but they do not not. The widths are slightly different and the threading seemed different, to my memory. The SK68 pill is longer/more mass, with longer threading of course. Seems higher quality. I don't know why they'd machine them so similarly and not make them with the same threading and widths, when the differences are so slight.
The tailcaps look different, but ARE interchangeable. They both actually look pretty good on each other. The internal switch seems identical.
The SK58 doesn't zoom as wide (the lens is narrower). They both zoom in similarly. That's hard to tell, because my SK58 doesn't have a Cree die, but the die sizes are at least similar (not sure if exactly the same). IIRC the SK58 is just a tad longer than the SK68, but it's narrower.
After doing A/B tests, the SK68 with the Cree LED pretty much embarrasses the SK58 with the Osram LED, no matter what battery I choose. I'd say the most noticeable difference is on 14500, where the SK68 with a Cree is quite nice, even if you're a little jaded with flashlights. I attribute this mostly to the LED; not sure how much the driver plays a role here (if there even is one). I'd like to have a Cree-equipped SK58, if for nothing else than to satisfy my curiosity as to how it'd compare. Ergonomically and cosmetically, it is superior. In every other way though, it seems inferior.
Question: isn't the SK68 is a costmetic copy of a high-end flashlight? If so, which one?
The SK78 cost more than the rest but looks like the SK58. I wonder if the SK78 has a Cree or an Osram emitter?