New version of KD C8 xml?

http://www.kaidomain.com/SearchResult.aspx?SearchKey=xml&CategoryId=-1&SiteId=1

scroll down to the kd c8.

Gotcha. When I clicked on the second link, the "new" C8 isn't included in those particular search results. All we have to do now is find a guinea pig to order the new one and compare it to the older model.

ah, the new one has SMO reflector ;)

Good find!

The first version came with a LOP (light orange peel) reflector.

The new version appears to be a SMO (smooth) reflector. Ive already upgraded my first version to SMO and it definitely throws longer and brighter. Hopefully the rest of the light is identical and they didnt screw up a good thing.

After you changed to the smooth reflector, did you lose any of the flood?

The nice thing about everything from Cree after the XR-E is that they don't need an orange-peel reflector to tame the dreaded rings. Smooth reflectors lose less light than OP ones.

FlashPilot,

Would you have a link where I could purchase the smooth reflector for the C8?

Also interested too

Crap! mine is supposed to ship out of Hong Kong to the US tomorrow Maybe ill get lucky and get one of the new ones ........Not!

+3

The reflector was swapped from another light (Lunapower MRV). I can tell you that you will be very satisfied with the older LOP reflector - if thats what you got. I should have been more careful with my wording in my previous post... sorry guys. Although it cuts down on some of the range potential, the spill is noticeably brighter with the LOP. The XML isn't quite like an XPG or XRE (or SST-50 for that matter), where range is greatly impacted by textured reflectors, probably because it has such a comparative overabundance of lumens right up to the outer edges of the projection angle through the emitter lens (spill is comparatively brighter). All that aside, this light is going to blow you away regardless of the reflector... especially if this is your first XML. IMO, nothing can even remotely compare to its overall performance for the price. Its still one of the few lights at any price that I continue to appreciate the more I use it. The only reason mine is SMO is because I camp in large open areas that require huge amounts of throw to see the larger shy animals at night. I also already had the SMO reflector on hand and wouldn't have looked for one otherwise. For an urban environment or areas less than 250 meters, the LOP will have a slight advantage over a SMO buy dispersing the light more evenly at a shorter range, which will satisfy the needs of most users. I am very satisfied with this light using either reflector and I think you will be too. Please get back to us with your results... and have fun!

No problem FlashPilot - I'll keep it the way it is then. Thanks for the reply.

Like it so Much.I bought two of them.

Best light for the price!!!!!!!!!!

I have also chanched the reflector to SMO (also put it out of another flashlight), but i´m not happy with beam.....ok, hotspot is brighter, but beam is not so useful for me.

so i ordered 2 OP reflectors and a XML-U2 and chanche it back to OP (will test wich OP is better).

Manafont news: C8 SMO REFLECTOR

Gotta love Manafont for reading the posts here, and giving the people what they want.

I wonder when we'll see the first C8 "screw in" pills. ;) It's an awesome platform, and not a bad looking light at all either. Although I would LOVE to see a C8 with a C9 tail, or maybe just a C9 tail part if they are interchangeable. ;)

You mean something like this or that? ;-)

yes, manafont become better and better in DIY parts.

"screw in" pills....like THAT ?

p.s. now they have also the HS-801/802 reflector X-)

ah, kaidomain has read the posts here, too: SMO 4 C8

i am going to get the smo for my second KD C8. Since my second C8 has a different in beam pattern(more flood) then my first one. Both ordered from KD. Weird.

first order from manafont :)