This is not a review. This is just a quick intro to a light I just got that made me wonder if I have the tools, skills, and temperment to write reviews. So don’t expect much. I’m just goofing around.
I ordered a Kaidomain KDIY K5s with a 3000K XHP50.2 for myself for Christmas and it arrived today (2 Feb).
I’m a fan of the 1x 26650 format. They don’t fit in my pockets, but I still like them, and want to buy more.
Dimensionally, the two lights I own that are closest to the K5s are the Convoy BD01 and Bd06. So here’s a size comparison from a couple of angles:
The K5s is pretty consistently between the BD06 and the BD01 (larger than the BD06, but smaller than the BD01). Size is where the similarities end.
The Convoys both have a side switch for power and modes. the K5s has a tail switch. Both of my convoys have an XML2 U2 T6 4C 4300K-4500K emitter. I chose the 3000K version of the K5s with its XHP50.2. That’s a huge difference, but more on that later. Here’s a quick teardown of the lovely K5s with its factory foybezel.
The driver in the head:
Bezel and reflector removed:
There are lots of nice red accents on this light. Unfortunately, only the O-ring behind the AR glass is visible when the light is fully assembled.
Switch disassembled:
Top side of driver:
Shelf
GITD switch cover
K5s beamshot:
BD01 beamshot:
BD06 beamshot
Lots of people here are familiar with the KD drivers, so I’ll just say the strobe mode is hidden, and it has mode memory, so I like it.
The beamshots were not taken in full manual mode. The white balance was set to 4000k for all of them, so you can get an idea of the relative tint, and beam shape/size, but not the brightness. And that brings me to the real reason I bought this light. The XHP50.2 is supposed to be bright. The Kaidomain page says 2650 Lumens, but as others on BLF have pointed out, that’s probably at the LED, not out the front. But it is really bright, and being a 50.2 it has a nice beam.
I don’t have an integrating sphere, but my beamshots were ceiling bounces with a purpose. The K5s light up the room noticeably more than either of the Convoys.
So far, I really like this flashlight. It’s bright. I suspect the BD01 could throw farther, but the lumen difference is easy to see, even though the tint of my K5s is much warmer.
The only minor nit I could pick so far with the K5s is that its switch is loud. There’s probably no real problem with that, but it just sounds kinda cheap.
I want to test Kaidomain’s claims of runtime. That’s another reason I love 26650s. Even 60 minutes on high or 4-5 hours on medium would be awesome for a light with this much output. I’ll be interested to see how all those deep fins dissipate what will have to be a significant amount of heat. But that’s a bit much for delivery day.
Here’s a link to all the photos full size if you want more detail.
Edit: Updated link to KD’s new web site.