I have been looking at both lights and I don’t see much difference except the UI.
Has anyone done a direct comparison or maybe you have both lights?
- D1S has a better reflector which doesn’t really matter with XP-L HI but affects modding potential
- D1S is a little shorter
- GT Mini has optional shorty tube
- Which one looks better to you?
- Which UI do you prefer?
That’s pretty much it.
I am not really a huge user of throwers. I only keep a couple 3 or 2 of them, a few hot C8’s and a Haikelite. Emisar’s quality and support are, in my opinion, superior to Lumintop. That alone would make my decision.
I see this statement a few times online but how is it “better”.Is the hotspot bigger or smaller .
I believe neither.
Geometry is the same, but manufacturing tolerances are different.
The new D1S will outthrow the GT Mini with over 300kcd…That’s a lot, if throw is one of the criteria with these two hrowers. 
GT Mini every time over those Emisars.
I still reckon that model shape is one of the ugliest torches around.
The Mini is just a lovely baby L2/L6.
GT Mini is rated IP68 water resistant (2m for 30 min IIRC) , D1S is IP67 (1m for 30 min).
Id get the GT just for that reason personally.
Ive got the DS1 and two GT minis. I’ve got the short tube on one of the minis. It’s a close call the DS1 has possibly the smallest bit more throw, but virtually a tie. The GT has the optional small tube. I like the angular look of the DS1 but prefer the feel of the GT. The gray DS1 I have has the finish like a chalkboard. The GT mini is smooth and comfortable in the hand and seems to slide in and out of the pocket easier.
I have the GT mini and really like it, but don’t have any experience with the Emisars.
300kcd seems high for this size, I would have thought that they would be pretty equal in throw given the specs:
–50mm head
-FET+1 driver(?)
-XPL HI
Or do you mean the D1s can be modified to 300kcd?
You can get the D1s in a warm tint if you want, so maybe a point for Emisar there
mrmatt:
That’s with white flat, not XP-L HI:
I have both and agree with most folks on here. The Emissar D1S throws ever so so slightly better with just a touch more concentrated beam. The overall length of the D1S is shorter but really they are VERY close to the same in performance. I like my Emissars a LOT!!!
Yes. Thanks for the link.
Any reason not to use that for comparison? It will best a GT Mini easily. No mods needed.
I mean if looks are more important or water resistance; we haven’t seen the new D1S or it’s stats yet; give it a week or so to be released. Either way I’m looking at outdoor throw; not diving or beauty contests
GT mini has backlit button and NarsilM software makes it possible to blink out all the information like battery voltage and temperature through the button. You don’t get that with RampingOS, nor Emisars have backlit button. I really like this feature of GT mini, much more elegant then using main emiter for that.
You also have the option of using 18350 tube what I also personally like. I also prefer GT mini anodization to my D1 (I don’t own D1S though).
On the other hand Emisars will have better after sale support and I think they’re just a little bit more reliable (GT mini had issues with the switch in the first batches). Also reportedly reflector is finished to higher standard.
I also prefer much stiffer action of my D1 button to the mushy soft GT mini switch.
I’d say but one that you like more visually.
The obvious answer is to just bite the bullet and get both. Trust me, you hang around here long enough and you’ll see.
You’ll get A. After a while, you’ll be wondering about B, and finally go and get B to have both. Or you’ll get B, blah blah blah, then get A.
Then you’ll wonder “wotnahell do I need both for?”, but come across a great price for A and/or B, and get another A and/or B, just because it’s at a great price.
Save yourself the pain. Just like ripping off a Band-Aid™, just do it all at once and get it over with.
For practical use a beam with cd/lumen that high will be VERY narrow, thats not always what people are looking for even with a dedicated thrower.
Just look at the interest in the GT70 and XHP70 versions of the Astrolux throwers.
And if you want to muddy the mix, you can play around with any C8 variant (C8+, C8T, C8F), a P30, lots of nice throwers that are bigger/throwier or smaller/more_pocketable.
Clear out some shelf space, tell your kids college isn’t everything, and start buying.
D1s for better built quality and qc.
I like the eagle eye x6 xpl hi as a compact thrower
I like the GT mini for feel. The Emisar just has an odd shape to me. Emisar may out throw the Lumintop but I cant imagine it is a lot. I vote GT Mini.