My first advice is don't pay attention to (with all due respect) spoilsporters, they may argue this or that but… do you really care?
If you are looking for a stealthy thrower, aspheric is the way to go. However, the best of zoomies is their flexibility, and the quality of their beams. The perfectly intensity-uniform blanket of light when on flood makes an aspheric or plano-convex flashlight a top choice for close-up work. I also love the perfectly focused “batsignal” trait of zoomies, by the way (let's you see the shape of the :-) led die).
So, if you like 'em go ahead. There's so much lack of love (or even hate) in zoomie or convex lens flashlight territory that it's easy to see the consequences: zoomies or aspheric flashlights are scarce, and lots of them low quality. At the same time, this is a vicious circle, because unless manufacturers make good zoomies how is people going to feel like buying them?
By the way, last time I bought the UltraFire SK98 @FastTech it still was “nearly acceptable” (2018/12/18). The SK98 is a great design who would thank that some manufacturer would grab it and build it with quality: solid pill with 2+mm thick metal base under the led MCPCB and completely revamped switch assembly (the stock one is a mod unfriendly mess).
Hi Barkuti.
My point is that I can’t find a good ready-to-use “pocket jeans” zoom light design.
That’s why would be nice if a quality budget brand like Convoy made one.
Yes SK98 can be a good host but always after modding.
Mine from FT had LB Led, cheap driver and I changed them.
I don’t think all buyers want to do that. Q.C often disappoints with unknown brands.
As for only the design style, I liked the old sk58 more
Simon’s got some nice boost drivers in production and/or development for the FC40, and it sounds like a high-powered buck for the L6-SBT90.2? Wonder if anyone will be able to adapt Anduril to them… I’m sure they won’t have ATTinys to begin with, so it would probably fall to gchart or someone.
My experience with the SK68 was even more dissapointing than that of the SK98; saw a few units bought by a friend, and thus I never bought one of 'em. As a curiosity, I found its tube's inner diameter was larger than 16mm, and so it could handle 16500 cells.
For me the SK98 is pocketable enough, even if I am not a big guy.
Yes,SK98 better for thermal management.
I mean really the SK58 as a smooth style design AA/14500 size I like it, but not the press fit Lens on the bezel .
Hope Convoy or Sofirn take note of these design and fix/rebuild them.
And Convoy wouldn’t be my dream zoomie maker because his lights tend not to be very compact - which I find very important for EDC. But I have Convoy Z1 on the way (I must convert it to push-pull) and I would buy a smaller Convoy zoomie as well.
Now that I think about it, Fireflies might be an interesting zoomie maker because even though they make bulky lights as well, they are not afraid of trying to innovate.
Zoom lights tend to be oversized if not done carefully.
Example the diameter of cheap AA SK58 is 24mm with a small 17mm lens bezel pressed
This should be considered when project/rebuild or aren’t a true EDC.
The cost if produced by other brands may increase.
I belive the sales of M1 are small because there are no any emitter options.
The only option now is xpl-hi. I would be interested in some hi-cri options like sst20 or lh351d or an osram emitter for a small throwy flashlight.
I think its a very nice design with more thermal mass and throw than a s2+ but not as bulky as c8+.
There are so many emitter options for the bigger 21700 M21b but none for the 18650 M1. Same thing was with T2
I’ve asked this recently and Simon said it will be soon. Few weeks or less. I’m waiting for this LED and the SFT-70 with much anticipation. I plan on doing output testing immediately once I receive them and posting results comparing to HX, SST40, and others.
.