Crelant 7G2CS
Reviewer's Overall Rating: ★★★★☆
Summary:
| Battery: | 18650 |
| Switch: | Forward Clicky and side switch |
| Modes: | High, medium, strobe, sos and variable |
| LED Type: | XM-L U3 |
| Lens: | AR coated glass |
| Tailstands: | Very well |
| Price Paid: | $10 shipping from Crelant giveaway of 77 lights |
| Recommended: | http://www.md-lightsource.com/Crelant-7G2CS-658-Lumen-Tactical-flashlight-XML-U2-7G2CS.htm |
| Normal price: | $45-55 |
Pros:
- Nicely built
- Infinitely variable
- Still bright with low current draw on 18650
- Very bright on 2x16340
- Well-defined beam
- Bigger than expected
- Side switch to change modes and turn off in standby
- Not too hard to hit the lowest low while ramping
- Nice feel and placement of cigar grip
- Very good tailstander
- SS bezels front and back
Cons:
- No clip
- Not optimized for 18650 in brightness or regulation
- Side switch sticks out
- Tail switch very recessed
- Some battery rattle even with 18650 when shaken
Size Comparison:
Left to right: UltraOk 26650 thrower, Small Sun ZY-A629, Armytek Predator, Crelant 7G2CS, UF 504B, Crelant 7G3CS
The Crelant 7G2CS was a bigger light than I thought. I was thinking it would be p60 sized, but it's a little larger. Unlike a p60 xml beam pattern, this light can actually throw a defined hotspot. The main drawback of this light is the 18650 support. The light is regulated on two 16340 batteries, and it seems all the Crelant drivers are simlar. Turn it on at the tailcap and it puts out 556 lumens on high. Click the side switch and it goes into its 68 lumen low mode. Hold down the switch and it will go into a ramping mode. You can get the light all the way down to 1 lumen if you time it right.... it doesn't give you any warning when it reaches the low point before it ramps back up. When it gets to the high point it will flash to tell you, but you can always get there anyways by turning the tailcap off because it always comes back on in high mode. When you stop the ramping, it will remember that brightness setting as long as you turn it off with the side switch (the third mode is standby). Turn the light off with the tailcap and it will go back to the high and low modes which are preset.
On 16340 the light puts out 811 lumens on high and 199 on low. It will get down to 7 lumens, but the ramping seems quicker and harder to hit the low. I have not tested cr123 primaries but assume the output will be between the 18650 and 16340 outputs, closer to the 2x16340. Lux on 18650 is 9940cd. Not a great thrower but respectable for it's size. For comparison I have a nice xm-l p60 dropin that does 6500cd.
The 18650 output is not regulated either. It will steadily drop in output as the battery depletes. I have to tell you though, as a general purpose light it puts out plenty. When tailstanding and when I forgot the light was on high because of the smooth bezel, the light was only warm both times. Heat issues are non-existant, this light is beefy. I really like the heft, and it's not so small that the side switch seems silly, it fits the hand well.
The light is the newest update using the XM-L U3 CW emitter. Crelant is very vigilant in getting the latest emitters in their lights. I've never seen another company update their line as much as them. I wouldn't be surprised if they start coming out with XM-L2 versions of their lights soon.
The XM-L is very well centered. The giant plastic disk they use probably helps greatly in their QC. You can see the blue hue from the AR coating reflecting off the lens.
A closer look and you can see the smooth reflector has some horizontal lines in it. This produces a very nice beam, I was not expecting the nice spot this small light produces with the big xm-l emitter.
Tailstanding is very steady, thanks to the smooth SS ring on the bezel and deeply recessed tailcap.
The SS bezel on the front has no crenellations on it. The "Foy" bezel is a nice touch, just be careful not to leave it on while standing upright because you might not be able to tell it is on. I have actually done this already!
The head can be unscrewed to get a direct view of the emitter. It is slightly recessed in the head like this to minimize the risk of damage if you want to use it in full flood mode. The led is very fragile though, so I don't know if I would take a chance running it like this very often, but it is certainly a nice option to have.
You have to unscrew the bezel and take out the glass to get to the reflector. Looks a litttle rusty on the bottom, but the main thing is the top side of the reflector, which is perfect :)
Nice machining on the modest cooling fins. Threads came lubed and have a smooth action. You can see the side switch sticks up a little over the outside of the light. Though I haven't activated it by accident, it looks possible if the tailcap switch is on and the light is on standby.
Very flat tail results in great tailstanding. The cigar grip is rubbery and nice to hold. All the machining looks great, and the light feels very high quality.
As you can see, the switch is very recessed in the tailcap. This is nice for tailstanding but it could be hard to activate wearing gloves. Of course you can always turn the light on and use the side switch to turn the light off into standby mode instead of using the tail switch. I just don't know how much standby drain this puts on the batteries.
Another shot of the side switch sticking out of the side.
Tailcap threads were also lubed and very smooth. Where the heck is the clip on this light?? It's not that hard, this light is pocket sized, where is the clip?
The spring is all that is visible from the inside of the head. Flattop batteries work fine in this light, as there are springs at both ends.
The lanyard hole is on a small ring near the tailcap. It is removeable if you take off the oring, but it is very unobtrusive so there is no reason to remove it. It would leave a gap also, which just wouldn't look right. The battery tube may be a little wide, as there is some battery rattle when shaken hard with a Tenergy flat top 18650.
Here's a shot of the inside of the tailcap. I had no trouble with any batteries due to the springs on both ends.
In summary I think this light is very nice. It isn't the brightest and I would love to have a clip on it, but it does everything else very well. For the price it would be hard to find an xm-l ramping light of this quality, and U3 lights are still pretty rare beasts. It is quality and versatile, so I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for a light in this size and price range. I'll try to get a shot of the beam compared to a p60 in the near future.
Thanks for reading!
It isn’t usually an issue, but I can make it rattle. Good part of that is there is plenty of room for even the biggest batteries.
and by the time my bank starts working tomorrow it will probably be gone, just as Nitecore EA4…