The LEP Flashlights discussion thread - discuss LEPs here

Great comparison and graphics. Such graphs would be useful for other types of flashlights too!

Fantastic series of reviews.

But …. is it just me? I feel some kind of emptiness emerging in me.
It’s probably my high-maintenance inner child that wants a present.

1 Thank

+1 and thank you

How much further does the M1X throw in real life compared to the unbranded? I feel like I need to upgrade already :smiley:

@A2

Thanks

@Th558:

The M1X is quite ridiculous at 2.3Mcd, but the Weltool is actually a bit better in my opinion. Looking at the current market, I would probably choose the W4 over the M1X.

@DI Joker + JaredM

Yes, I am thinking about doing that with my other reviews as well, but then with Lumens and only lights that are closely related.

@Henk4u2:

Nkon has the W10 gen2 and W30 in stock again since yesterday ;) better be fast before they are gone, lol.

ChibiM and Th558 out of curiosity since you both have the unbranded LEP is it just me or does having the lens screwed all the way down make the hot spot giantic with a hole in the center ? also does the hot spot seem to auto focus when you shine it at a closer surface and expand when aimed at a wall in the distance really hoping it isnt my eyes going on me….

Edit : found the issue the retaining ring holding the mirror was loose probably from shipping.

That’s great news. I also think for anything in the thrower category, (basically if its any HI, Dedome, Osram Flat, or SBT emitter light), Lux vs time is a great measurement to plot!! Really goes unnoticed so much around here. For example, a small thrower like an XT45 for example with an SBT90.2 might have peak values competitive with a white flat at turn-on/30s, but at any sustainable level, it wouldn’t be remotely close! Lux vs Time FTW

Thank You for putting that together, very informative :+1:

Thank you for those reviews. It really helped me to make my decision on which LEP (s) to get.

Yes, thank you and really informative. Especially since good info about LEP lights seemed to be hard to find (untill now:) I love the beamshot comparisons!

Use a good thrower quite often in my work and during sailing races, but haven’t had the guts |(and spare money) to go for a LEP. Cautious of a too narrow beam, what makes looking for the buoys like looking for a needle in a haystack. But the more I see good beamshots and comparisons, the less cautious I get…. Just finding the right light for the right purpose:)

Has the Acebeam Gen 2 stopped being made?
I’m fro the Uk…
Is there a youtube vid out there, of comparison between W10 gen 2 and Fenix TK30?
which would you buy with your hard saved cash?
cheers guys / gals

what did you go for?

I wish I had one of them

I have the Acebeam W10 Gen 2 and it’s incredible. I carry it all the time

Let's change this into a general LEP discussion thread.

I added an overview I made a while ago, and just added the 2 new Astrolux LEPs

Name LEP class Max. distance meters Candela Max. lumens Battery Modes Adjustable beam Strobe Year Avg. Price
Acebeam W10 Class 2M 1,000 250,000 250 21700 1 No No 2018 $286
Acebeam W10 gen II Class 2M 1,217 370,272 450 21700 1 No Yes 2019 $297
Acebeam W30 Class 2M 2,400 1,440,000 500 21700 1 No No 2019 $329
Jetbeam M1X WP-RX Class 3B 2,300 1,322,500 480 21700 2 No No 2019 $260
Jetbeam M2S WP-RX Class 3B 1,800 810,000 480 21700 2 No No 2019 $250
Fenix TK30 Class 3B 1,200 360,000 500 21700 2 No Yes 2020 $269
Weltool LH3 (head only) Class 3B 886 196,249 335 18350/18650 1 No No 2020 $248
Weltool W3 Class IIIb 848 179,776 200 18650 2 No No 2018 $265
Weltool W3 PRO Class 3B 1,205 363,006 505 21700 2 No No 2020 $278
Weltool W4 Class 3B 2,670 1,782,225 560 21700 2 No No 2020 $306
Nextorch T7L Class 3B 1,100 302,500 400 18650 2 No Yes 2019 $299
Nextorch T10L Class 3B 1,100 302,500 500 21700 3 No Yes 2020 $299
Maxtoch Xsword L2K N/A 2,500 1,562,500 500 18650*2 3 No N/A 2018 $275
Nealsgadgets LEP N/A 1,800 810,000 450 26650 1 No Yes 2020 $179
Astrolux WP1 N/A 1,000 250,000 480 21700 3 No Yes + SOS 2020
Astrolux WP2 N/A 2,300 1,322,500 480 21700 3 No Yes + SOS 2020

Edit: Updated with candela

Ha Chibi, nice round-up, and could you add kcd to the table above?, throw distance is not my COT.

Celebration notice: I just bought my first LEP flashlight, the NealsGadgets LEP, with the code NDNA it came down to 152 dollar, and the favorable current exchange rate made that 131 euro.

Great thread.

I have some general questions about LEPs.

I see lots of places call them “white lasers”. I’m assuming this is untrue and that the light emitted is not actually a laser beam and that it is just using a laser to generate the light. Could someone confirm or deny this assumption?

I’m also interested to know more about how LEPs work. there seems to be very little info that I can find on Google. As a secondary part of this. Why are they all fixed beam focus for throw? Could they not be zoomy lights or even use other forms of optic or reflector?

I have found this somewhat confusing picture on the Acebeam site (a site calling it a white laser……) :

Out of the two examples above, I have no idea which way the W30 is constructed. The left hand image is reused further down the page on their website, so logic would suggest that is the construction. But if so, why have the right hand image at all?

On a separate but related note, why are there no LED lights using the optic structure as above?

Thanks.

@CD, you are right, the pump is a blue laser, which is aimed at a bit of phosfor, just like a led, the resulting light is incoherent in random direction, just like a led, and can be made into a beam by an optic, just like a led. But because in all LEP lights that I have seen the phosfor is illuminated from the front, with a mirror straight above the phosfor (so a bit different from the Acebeam drawing above), I think that a zoomie is difficult because that little mirror will interfere with the lens when zoomed out.

Updated!
The Nealsgadgets LEP is definitely the cheapest for its size. I wonder if I should add my own measurements as well, because some claims are a bit off.... so to say. The Jetbeam M2S WP-RX never reaches 1800 meters/810 kcd

Well, I know a bit about how it works the laser is directed via a mirror in the light to a surface made of phosphor which causes the molecules to get “excited” and emit a blindly bright white light which then is focused with a convex lens and projected outward.

Well in general these lights are purpose built for throw with little spill, would you be willing to shell out upwards to $400 for a zoomie with only 500~ lumens at max ? When a generic zoomie costs around $10 or less. For why it doesn’t use a reflector is it physically would require more space and then factor in focusing it via a lens would make it even larger so kind of pointless.