LEP lights so expensive..

Why are LEP lights so expensive?

The LEP modules themselves are still a bit expensive, and there’s also still the “new tech” markup by manufacturers.

The lenses also have to be relatively high quality and well focused, which has to cost more than the lens and reflector of a typical flashlight.

You can get affordable ones now. The Natfire is around $80 from China. I reviewed it and it’s decent. The Nealsgadgets LEP is around $160 (there are usually coupons though), and the Lumintop Thor 1 is around $100.

So yes, more expensive than a comparable LED thrower, but so much smaller! 1500 m throw takes a 70-90mm reflector and either a W1 or sbt90.2. In an lep, you only need a 40 mm lens.

Why is this post in the “want to sell” section?

Sorry, I just noticed that. I’ve bookmarked sell forum. I posted without realizing it until now.

There's a link in my signature on how to move a thread, if anyone wants to do that.

Thanks, done.

Small market maybe. Who actually needs a LEP module I wonder.

Because its new!

And I don’t understand why having those 1000+lm LEP selling for USD4000, instead of having 4-heads LEP with 4x400lm selling for USD500.

They are worth the coin. An LEP with 5700000candella and 2000lumens is so much fun.
My next one will be 23000000 candella and 8000lumens

Given that kind of power, the limiting factor seems like it’s the laser diode, not the phosphor burning….?

It is an array of 16 x W30s, I have 16 remote pressure switches ordered. There is 2.5a at the module so total current will be around 40amp. I will put a dummy battery in each light and cut the pressure switch off so I can power it with an external power pack mounted in the “stock” I have 2 x 38120 cells and with a buck converter I could give the W30 drivers a constant 4.2v.
I have nearly finalised the mount design which I will have it cut with a water jet. Hoping to have it done before the old lumens Comp ends but it is an ambitious light I have been working on since the W30s first came out, main thing was buying them. It will be a beast of a light. I just need to find a reasonble scope or camera that will see 10km.

I don’t know for sure but I suspect the diodes produce more heat than the phosphor. There is no heat in a laser beam and I think the energy from the laser may be transformed into light not heat. I could be wrong about that.

That’s a lot of W30s, look forward to seeing beamshot of 16 W30s pointing one target. I bought 3 THOR III, plan to do array thing too. But just stock lights and no modifications.

There is a bit more to an LEP module than the LED I don’t think they will drop to the same price as an led unless they build them in one chip I think SLD is doing that. I do have half a W30 that runs at 3.5amp but the array will be stock. This is the chopped W30 which I have posted before. The the cone of light exiting the module is 68° with that you can easily calculate the focal length needed.


Lasers are interesting in terms of watts to light. It’s at a wavelength that’s near IR, so more of that energy is dissipated as heat. Lasers run a very low output, but need very good hestsinking to keep them alive at anything over 1-2 w. 5 w with an LED is no big deal and you get tons of light.

I need to mount a piece of phosphor on a heat sink and hit it with 7w to see how long it takes to burn.

I think the Lumintop Thor 2 and Thor 3, and Astrolux WP4 are the current sweet spot for price and performance.

The thor 2 is my favorite size, with a 40mm head and 1700m throw. So slightly more throw than a Noctigon K1 with W1, but infinitely more pocketable. Can be found for$140. Really not a bad price considering the K1 is $100. The only single-cell LED light that just about matches it in throw is the Maxtoch Hunter X PRO, which is $170, and has a massive 78mm bezel. Of course you could get something like the Convoy L21B with W1 for$35, but it only has a 60mm bezel so doesn’t throw as far as the K1.

The Thor 3 has a 60mm bezel and throws 2500m. You can find it for around$150. I think that’s the best value for any of the bigger LEPs.

The Astrolux WP4 has a 30mm bezel, and 1300m throw, and is$100. It’s the most pocketable and affordable. IMO the performance doesn’t impress like the larger ones or the thor 2. I’d rather have something like the Acebeam L18, which has a 52mm bezel, but it’s still pocketable to me, and still throws ~1000m with way more lumens and a bigger hotspot, and a similar beam style due to the TIR. If I’m going to have the unuseably-tiny hotspot of an LEP, I’d rather it throw further. But these smaller LEPs are still very cool for the size.

The Lumintop Thor 1 and Amutorch BT35 are similar to the WP4, and also similarly priced.

I think when you consider the capability over an LED light, and the cost of the LEP module, these are reasonable prices. But when you think about them as toys, which really for most people they are, then yea, it’s a lot.

Obviously I hope they go down in price more, and the only affordable LEPs are coming from Lumintop, Astrolux/Mateminco, Amutorch, and maybe a couple others right now. Anything from Weltool, Maxtoch, Acebeam, Fenix etc is still super expensive, and hopefully over time those companies can offer LEPs that are at least closer to the prices of their LED lights.