XPL-HI has no dome an gives a narrow/thin beam, and will throw further
XML2 is a domed emitter and has a larger footprint, so will be more ‘floody’
V2 is the brightness bin for XPL-HI (as is the U2 for XML2)
1A is the tint of the emitter
The black convoy is a good choice, but the clear type is more bang for buck, since it comes with the new bistro (or was it biscotti again?) firmware, with AR glass and copper MCPCB
Thank you for your kind answer.
Now I learned something new. 
What does AR glass mean and why is new firmware better than old one?
Thank you
Anti Reflective coated glass.
The newer firmware allows you to choose more brightness levels, which is not possible with the old FW
Neither of them are the subject of this thread. The clear version is the only one that has the new firmware at the moment. Both variants you linked have the usual 3/5 modes firmware. The non clear ‘new version’ you can find at gearbest and other sites it’s actually somewhat old, but it was the new version when it was launched (they should really find a better adjective to describe it). The improvements of that version (mails better heat disipation) are now standard on all modern Convoy C8 you can find.
OK.
I hope they will soon release black version with new FW and AR glass.
gregor, just ask Simon for the Biscotti firmware when ordering from his Convoy store on AliExpress. He is very good about being customer oriented. You should be able to get what you want, for the asking. 
Purchasing from online retailers it will take some time to clear out their stock of older lights, as compared to buying direct from Convoy.
At the end of the day, if you aren’t into modifying a light to get maximum output then the AR coated glass and copper mcpcb aren’t of major significance, the light will produce very similar results either way at stock output current. U2 XM-L2 will have a larger well defined hot spot with useful spill. V2 HI XP-L will show a tighter hot spot with somewhat less spill, both in similar output as far as actual light out the front is concerned.
Thank you for your advice.
I will contact Simon if can make black version with new FW + AR glass + copper MCPCB
Kind regards
The clear C8 has found its place on the handle bar of y sons bike.
I figured that during the day the clear would not warm up as uch as a black flashlight would
So, I’ve been wondering about that. Why does one use a throwy light on a bike? I mean, not mounted on a helmet or something, but on the handlebars? I generally find I need the handlebar light to be extremely floody (like a triple with 10508 optic).
I wonder if they make that rectangular beam pattern lens in a large size to fit the C8?
I’ve also heard that usb rechargable lights are good because you can plug them into a battery pack and get 2x or 3x the run times.
Maybe some people like to ride faster than you do. 
Guess what light is getting the next awesome new holster in the Convoy lineup? :innocent:
The M2?
haha back in high school before I had a car I rode my bike everywhere. Used to coast at about 30mph down a hill next to cars, which was plenty fast and scary for the bike I was riding. I imagine that a throwy light would be great for that. Back then, I didn’t have any bike lights, even riding at night with cars around. 
I have not ridden a bike in years and certainly would not at night anymore. But… if I did I imagine that I would want 2 lights, a dedicated thrower and a dedicated flooder to get the best of both worlds. And probably also a light mounted to the helmet as well both for light as well as to make it obvious to cars when I was turning my head.
And a stun gun for cars to keep from getting run over.
The C8 is getting a holster? Not a molle quick release clip? High strength magnetic attachment?
Come to think on it, whatever happened to those neat twist and lock units that used to be around for phones and Walkmans and stuff? Those would be great for a flashlight, a male locking protrusion on the light and the locking mount belt attachable for ease of use, they’d rotate at will but you had to align the male post to horizontal on the plate and press a button on the plate to release, virtually instantaneous once learned and very very solid on the belt.
Edit: Something like this…
I find a floody handlebar light works pretty well at ~20 mph… but it’s also nice to have a throwy headlamp on my head, for looking at specific things in the distance or for shining directly at cars which don’t appear to notice I’m there. My oldest Zebralight (H51w) works reasonably well for that because it’s surprisingly throwy.
Dale, have you ever looked at Covertec / Covertech knobs? They’re normally used to hold a light saber onto a belt, but it should be just about as easy to put one on a flashlight.
The one’s I like best are from a company simply called The Clip.
High strength polymer is used and the belt clip is nicely rounded and smooth so it doesn’t bind when you sit or squat to pick something up or such. If I can’t find the spare one I should have I’ll be ordering this one and some spare knobs to see if I can make a few of my favorite EDC’s much easier to carry.
Edit: Their marketing hype…
“THIS IS NOT YOUR AVERAGE CLIP YOU WILL FIND ON AMAZON.COM. The 764 offers superior strength, quality, and comfort. It’s not one or two things that make this perhaps the Worlds best plastic swivel belt clip, it’s actually a dozen things that we’ve engineered into the design. From our smooth, more comfortable shape, to our outstanding strength, we built a new level of confidence for anyone who values their electronics. The 764 Belt Clip was designed from the ground-up offer more protection for high-end portable devices. The 764 Swivel Belt Clip is significantly stronger and offers more security than anything similar on the market today. The 764 Clip can withstand pulling forces in excess of 130 pounds in any direction. The 764 Clip, meets or exceeds the needs of anyone who’s carrying expensive electronics. It is the cumulative result of everything we’ve learned in the past decade and some new tricks we’ve learned along the way. If you want to protect your PDA, MP3 player, GPS receiver, FRS radio, camera or other device, you need a strong clip.”
That certainly looks like a cool clip but it doesn’t do anything to protect the lens or avoid accidental activation. Those are the main reasons I use a holster. I carry a backpack that always has a bunch of lights in it among other things and my lights being in a holster works great for protecting them during travel. The only time I actually have a holster on my belt is when I’m in the woods, hiking, hunting, etc. True EDC for me means being able to comfortably slip into my front pants pocket and carry comfortably all day. For that reason they’re usually AAA sized lights.
I think you could tap a hole into a thick part of the C8 tailcap, or go through the part where a clip attaches, to keep the knob on without adhesive. Or you could maybe tap into the head or heat sink somewhere.
Saber Covertec wheels come in silver to match this C8, but they’re not shaped very well for it. They have a curved back, but the only place the curve really matches the light is on the heat sink fins. For tailcap use, you’d probably want to remove a bit of material for a tighter fit. It would probably be reasonably okay on the bezel though, if you wanted lens-up carry.
:sunglasses: