Spent bunch of time this weekend reading up on flashlight….definitely lots of info.
I am looking for a flashlight
- that can fit in the palm of my hand,
- have uniform form factor like Convoy S2+
- single 18650 battery
Looks like the rest is the balance between lumens, beam distance and runtime.
What ya recommend? You will notice that they are all over the price range. I don’t mind spending $$$ for a quality product instead of few subpar products. Below are some that look interesting:
Convoy S2
Nitecore MH20GT (rechargeable option is nice)
Lumintop SD Mini
Lumintop EDC25
Eagtac DX3B Mini Pro
I use an Imalent DM21T
Words can be broken,
so can bones.
Seems like everyone has their favorite given the number of brands and models offered on the market… Is there one that stands out?
Is this correct to assume that market is moving towards XHP and hence, we are starting to see 2k, 3k in this size range e.g. DX3B?
Depends on your needs. Do you need a larger hotspt? Do you need more throw? Do you like cool white neutral or warm? Its all personal preferences…
But the XHP series are mighty bright but with less throw.
Words can be broken,
so can bones.
Not much preference for cool white versus warm.
Definitely want throw and a setting for high brightness.
Most of the time, I care about runtime with medium brightness and distance (outdoor activities such as walking the dog and be able to preview the area in the rural setting).
http://www.kaidomain.com/Search/SearchResult.KDLITKER%20C8.2
You could go for the XHP version of the C8. Many tint options and mode options too
Words can be broken,
so can bones.
Thanks for the link. Not a big fan of the C8 form factor.
Looking for tube style form factor like Convoy S2/DX3B etc. which fit nicely into the palm of the hand.
Ah Shoulda mentioned it earlier. Look for those using XPL HI. More throw with reasonable output. Maybe can contact RMM of mountain electronics to custom build one for you
Your own firmware modes and output
Words can be broken,
so can bones.
I did list the 3 things I am looking for in my first post
- There is no off-the-shelf using XHP35/50 along with some comps. DX3B looks pretty impressive using XHP but is not budget. Hence, my posting to this forum.
Emisar D1? Has a slightly larger head but you get better throw, side switch, and a modern UI.
Ha! Missed the uniform factor part. Sorry!
All links are not aff.
Fitorch P26R XHP70.2 3600Lumens FCD Rechargeable Portable LED Flashlight +26650
https://banggood.app.link/0EBXrGygcJ
Can use 18650 with a sleeve.
Jetbeam TH15 XHP E2 1450Lumens Ultra-High Performance Tactical Outdoor LED Flashlight
https://banggood.app.link/myMZ8xDgcJ
Might appeal to you. Can get discount code from M4DM4X.
JETbeam TH20 XHP70.2 3450Lumens High Performance Tactical Flashlight
https://banggood.app.link/vHGUuzJgcJ
Not exactly budget either. Can get code from M4DM4X as well. But seems like a contender.
Klarus XT2CR XHP35 HD E4 1600LM Rechargeable Tactical LED Flashlight+18650
https://banggood.app.link/gj7Q9YOgcJ
M4DM4X can help u out.
Hope those help
Words can be broken,
so can bones.
Thank you! These are good options.
Are there any downsides of the options that I listed above? I realize that they are not “budget” brands and may not be fav of the folks here but the Emisar, Klarus etc. are $100+ as well.
you can look at the BLF A6 XPL
BLF A6
cheap and very good. i have one
Sofirn has also some cheap but very good ones in kit with battery and charger
Sofirn store
You might want to check out the Imalent DN35 on gearbest, they have it on sale for 48.99 that fits nice in the hand and it has USB charging.
Unless you want to spend $100 or more ……. (Wrathbringer27 linked some nice lights, that Fitorch P26R is something I would like, except the $$$)
For something almost tube style, and with good throw, I will second this………
Normally sells for around $40.
https://intl-outdoor.com/emisar-d1-mini-thrower-p-922.html
or when he gets more in stock
http://www.mtnelectronics.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id...
For a pocket thrower on a reasonable budget, I think it will be hard to beat.
…General info that may be helpful with your selection……….there are exceptions, but they are few.
1) Throw is mostly tied to reflector size (bigger = longer throw), and a LED w/high surface brightness. Tube lights will suffer here due to size restrictions.
2) A de-domed or HI version of a given LED will throw better.
3) large LEDs (XHP50, XHP70, MT-G2) are generally better at flood, though they can have decent throw in a large reflector
XHP35 is the thrower of the XHP line
Be prepared to end up with multiple lights. Once you have the batteries and charger it becomes a slippery slope.
The emisar isn’t $100+ but the some Klarus models are. Klarus so far hasn’t had any bad rep here except for some output issues. Eagtac is just really expensive but you are paying the premium for quality. Convoy is a community fav brand and nitecore is okay. Lumintop is also not bad. In fact they’re the manufacturer of our giggles
Words can be broken,
so can bones.
Convoy S2+
Convoy S9
Spread love, it pays off
How important is user interface? You haven’t mentioned anything on the subject. Some people absolutely hate having to cycle through blinky modes and do not want to replace driver or firmware, others don’t mind or even like blinkies.
Another light you might want to look at is the Convoy S9. I don’t have one yet (they are on the way) but appears to be a nice light with micro USB charging port. http://budgetlightforum.com/node/57675
https://www.flickr.com/photos/akrylamid/
I think you would be happy with one of the Convoy flashlights from the official Convoy store: convoy.aliexpress.com.
There are plenty to styles to choose from, including different tints and mode options.
I’ve purchased from Simon (the owner of Convoy) numerous times and have never been disappointed. He sells high quality flashlights and parts for very reasonable costs.
And if you don’t see exactly what you want, you can ask Simon to make something custom.
I’d rather use my flashlight around the house than turn on the lights.
I have ordered a Convoy S2+, Panasonic batteries and a charger. Figured S2+ is well regarding in this community and the cost is low enough to get familiar with the modern flashlights and understand various terms. I may order a Convoy S9 as well once I receive all the items.
I had been looking into Convoy for some time and one of the reasons I started this thread was 2k or higher lumen range by Nitecore and Eagletac in same size footprint as S2+.
Regarding the question of UI, I don’t mind clicking through for various modes as long as I can lowest lows and highest highs.
Thanks for all the suggestions!
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Sofirn-SF32-LED-Mini-flashlight-18650-Powerful-Flashlight-Cree-XP-G2-LED-tactical-flashlight-5-modes/3145031_32828357280.html?spm=2114.12010610.0.0.571dc845ao99Dw
As you described, Sofirn SF32 is a good choice, portable and 18650 battery.
I like the MH12GT better since it’s more compact.
The USB charging is very useful because you don’t need to carry an 18650 charger around, and not even open the flashlight.
Just plug it in with the same cable you probably use with your phone.
The OPTOFIRE - 4.63Mcd aspheric LED flashlight The SYNIOSBEAM - 10Mcd recoil LED flashlight List of the farthest throwing flashlights
MH12GT looks pretty interesting based on specs. Are you folks taking a risk buying new products/new vendors to see what works and what doesn’t? Of course discussions like these and collective wisdom of this forum helps to rule out a lot of bad stuff (e.g. my recent purchase of Ultrafire from ebay for $5 which claimed 6K lumens).
I haven’t seen much discussion about DX3B Pro on this forum. 2,480 lumens and beam distance of 165 yards or 1,870 lumens and beam distance of 280 yards but smaller footprint. Is there something fishy with their specs?
thx
DX3B Pro seems to be OK, a bit less lumens than advertized
[Reviews] Miboxer C4-12, C2-4k+6k, C2, C4 / Astrolux K1, MF01, MF02, S42, K01, TI3A / BLF Q8 / Kalrus G35, XT11GT / Nitefox UT20 / Niwalker BK-FA30S / Sofirn SF36, SP35 / Imalent DM21TW / Wuben I333 / Ravemen PR1200 / CL06 lantern / Xanes headlamp
[Mods] Skilhunt H03 short / Klarus XT11GT, XT12GTS / Zebralight SC50+ / Imalent DM21TW / colorful anodisation
[Sale]
Drivers: overview of sizes and types
DD+AMC based drivers Anduril or Bistro OTSM 12-24mm, S42, 24-30mm L6, Q8, MF01(S), MT03, TN42
Anduril or Bistro 8A buck driver for 20-30mm, MF01/02/04, TN40/42, Lumintop GT, MT09R
UVC and UVC+UVA drivers
programming key
Remote switch tail DD board with FET
Aux boards:
Emisar D1, D1S, D4, D4S, D18, Lumintop FW3A, Fireflies ROT66, Astrolux MF01, Tail boards like S2+
As someone pointed out, it is a slipper slope. Once you have the charger and few battery, it is a dangerous thing. A light for $10 here, another one for $15 here and soon you know, I will end up on “Hoarders” show
I have some good suggestions to look more into. As far as battery goes, are folks still liking 18650 over others? Are there any tradeoffs to another size in terms of size versus performance?
LiitoKala can cover both Lithium and NiMH batteries
Once you have that, makes sense to go for Convoy S2/S2+
This is not hoarding
Spread love, it pays off
LiitoKala charger and two S2+ are on the slow boat from China..
Looking forward to use them.
I have the same question specific to that category, I started a thread about it:
http://budgetlightforum.com/node/58254
You are right and I had briefly referenced to it in the post #3. Looks like the industry at the top end is moving towards XHP and probably a matter of time before they make it into the budget brands. That’s why these pocket sized flashlights can claim 2k, 3k lumens output. Curious to see if someone has first hand opinion on this flashlight.
.
Here’s a review of it on TLF with some nice photos and graphs:http://www.taschenlampen-forum.de/threads/eagtac-dx3b-mini-pro-review-un...
But the TLF is in German, I tried google translate, it worked for the text but removed the photos and had a error message saying the page was already translated, which it wasn’t. Maybe you’ll have better luck. After the translation it was still a bit hard to follow but still informative.
.
Also here’s a review on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgsSim6dpjw
The YouTube reviewer also has a text review on his website:
https://lightsngear.com/eagtac-dx3b-mini-pro-usb-rechargeable-flashlight/
Doing a web search I also found a thread about it in the “candle” forum, several members there who bought one provide some feedback.
Who doesn’t want more lumens in the same light form factor? And yes it is now possible to get multi thousand lumens out of a 18650 tube light. One of the most cited “best light” of 2017 is the Emisar D4. The XPL version can put out more then 4000 lumens out of a light the size of a S2 – even a tad smaller… But about five times the price.
However, with actual led efficiency, there is a limit to what a tube light can sustain because of the heat. Even a regular Convoy S2 with 8×7135 close to 1k lumen will get pretty hot on high. Some argue that 6×7135 is better in that regard. The above mentioned D4 can’t really sustain more then 600 lumen for some time. The multi thousand lumen turbo is only good for a few seconds before the head becomes too hot to handle.
That said, i would recommend the BLF A6. Essentially a S2 revisited by BLF enthusiasts. Seven brightness levels from moon to 1400 lumen turbo. A must have budget and very versatile light. Can often be found around $20.
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