Wow, awesome job with those comparison images and thank you very much for your help with the resizing. It will be helpful for members scrolling quickly through the thread to see the pics and understand more about the lights from your pics. I need to use a smaller resolution setting from now on with my camera, as I know Photobucket can resize but I much prefer Imageshack which I use.
Thank you very much! Glad you got a lot out of my review. If I had to choose one out of these three lights, I am pretty sure I would go with the 625 lumen 5C. It’s quite an awesome breakthrough to be able to find and buy a light from a retail store of its caliber and output power that can be practically EDC’ed on a belt (due to being a tubular light, not a spotlight) for non-formal occasions and activities.
I am sure you would be very impressed with the Armor Max 3D. Just be sure you get the D cell model and not the 3C ArmorMax as it can be an easy mistake to make as I almost did. The 3C ArmorMax is a smaller and weaker light that would not directly compete with any of the three lights I have reviewed in this thread.
If you like the Super Thrower, then you would certainly be even more impressed by the 3D ArmorMax. I am sure you would love the strobe function, as well as the low mode which makes it a much more practical light. If you are a LEO, it may be a perfect searchlight just to carry in your car as it is tough as nails (way more shock proof than the DST), rain proof, and will compete directly with a large halogen spotlight in power. Heatsinking on these lights is so good you can run them continuously for hours and they never even get too warm. I’ll take and post a side-by-side beamshot for you later of the ArmorMax and the DST, as well as a low mode beamshot of the ArmorMax.
Lightning, here are the pics I promised. Hope they will help you in deciding if you want to go forward and pull the trigger on a new ArmorMax 3D!
DST right, ArmorMax 3D left. Notice the ArmorMax has a clearly larger and brighter spot. I tested them both at long distance once again on fresh alkalines as well earlier, and the ArmorMax defeated the DST once again at throw.
Now the ArmorMax 3D on LOW mode. Less than half the output of normal/high and an excellent level of light for most general utility purposes that won’t drain the batteries down as quickly.
I made a trip to Surplus Shed to explore some lens options.
The plastic lens measured at 42mm in diameter; but I couldn’t fit any lenses that were 42mm (or 41.5mm)… I guess my gauge is a bit off.
41mm lenses fit OK, but not a hair bigger!
Here are my experiments:
Stock plastic lens. Compared to the other pics, it looks like I was zoomed in a bit… oops!
Surplus Shed Bi-Convex L10995. I also tried the L13058 by another manufacturer which has exactly the same
specs (and price). I don’t have a picture to show you as it is 100% identical to this.
Surplus Shed Aspheric L3953
Surplus Shed Ashperic L3953… I wasn’t keen on the artifact (there’s a yellow corona if you point it at a white wall),
so I sprayed two light coats of Krylon Matte Varnish on the Plano side of a second L3953 to see if it would smooth out a bit.
Stock Plastic Lens
Surplus Shed Bi-Convex L10995
Surplus Shed Aspheric L3953
Surplus Shed Aspheric L3953 with varnish on Plano side
Left to Right:
Plastic Lens; BCX L10995; ASP L3953; ASP L3953 with varnished Plano side
What is “The Stentor”? If you live in driving distance of Philadelphia, make it a point to go see/hear the world’s largest pipe organ…
The Wanamaker Organ. The deep notes make the building vibrate, which you have to be there to appreciate considering the store’s massive construction (it’s going to be some centuries before that building starts to fall down). The music they create on that organ
is breathtaking… …and side views of the lenses
Thank you Ultimate and Strick9 for the photos. Interesting stuff. Is it just me or does the color rendition in Strick9’s photos look really good. I can’t tell in Ultimate’s because there are no browns or reds in them.
I’m using my Galaxy S3’s camera which is quick/easy. I’m sure they’d look a little better if I used a proper camera, but newer
cell phones take pretty decent photos.
The 5C definitely is brighter than the DST; but the DST still throws better (no surprise there).
One caveat I found during my lens swaps: the aluminized coating on the lip of the reflector that presses up against the lens comes
off in little flakes every time (and I mean every time) I swap a lens. It’s not breaking off the parabolic part of the reflector, so
nothing is missing/wrong when you put it back together; but it’s not a light that you would want to take the head apart regularly.
Oh yeah, you can’t stand the 5C on it’s head anymore if you keep the aspheric lens in it.
The lens sticks out past the head a bit. You can also see the O-Ring, as I can’t screw the head down all the way due
to the thickness of the lens, but it’s certainly not going anywhere.
This could have been a Maglite killer, but for one thing (and I have to agree with Old Lumens); it’s a good light for the $, but
the threads aren’t going to last for years/decades like a Maglite will. You have to pay attention when putting the light back
together so you don’t misthread it. I’m sure it could last a long time, if you’re a little more careful, but it won’t be able to
“take a licking and keep on ticking” like a Maglite. Obviously there are other good light makers besides Maglite, but there is
practically noone making decent C-Cell or D-Cell lights anymore. If Home Depot put the DST head on the 5C, and improved
the quality of the threads… they could have the perfect $25 light.
The Blloomfield, CT Home Depot did not sell one single light in the month that they have been out. Other Home Depots faired much better. This means they will either send them back or put them on clearance. I would have thought that these would have been given as Fathers Day gifts at least. When and IF they go on clearance, you can be sure I will be there.
The lack of sales at this particular store could mean 1 of 3 things.
1. Fathers are under appreciated.
2. With all the power outages over the last couple of years in the area, everybody has already hoarded enough flashlights to last them awhile.
3. People are no longer interested in large lights.
Here are pics of the display the day after Fathers Day. I placed the “Wall Street Journal” for that day on the display to time stamp the photo. I was gifted one of these lights a week ago from a friend that owed me a favor, It is a nice light. Also notice that items from the other displays did not sell well either.
BTW, Here is what my wife gave “her Man” for Fathers Day
I’ve always thought 95% of the stuff Home Depot sells in the cardboard displays (that they put in the main aisle) is junk.
The Defiant lights are decent, but most of the time when they have lights for sale in those cardboard displays, they’re the ones with a whole bunch of cheapo 5mm LEDs in the head.
Maybe the general public is catching on to this, and simply ignoring the sea of cheap/imported junk???
Example… look at that screwdriver set to the right. 65-pieces. I bet 40 of the 65 are Phillips-head/Flat-head bits. The screwdriver heads twist/bend on 1st, maybe 2nd use.
An old friend of mine used to say “There’s no quality like no quality”.
The Super Thrower sold well, maybe everyone currently in the market for a Maglite-style/size flashlight bought one already when they picked up a DST.
Is it just me, or have I been having TERRIBLE luck with this light? The first one I got was a good deal dimmer than the original 550 lumen 3C Defiant (not the Super Thrower). And after a few days, it went completely dead. I returned that one and got another today. This one seems a good deal brighter, and actually has a significantly lower tailcap current (about 1.4A vs 1.7A). But after having it on for a little while, it has started to flicker on me. Kind of a shame, given that other Defiant lights have been REALLY good to me. And I just have a thing for larger C cell lights (like the bigger Mags). It would sure be a shame if there is a problem with these lights.
StorminMatt, how unfortunate! Sorry to hear. Sounds like there may be quality control issues with the 5C model. I haven’t had any such issues yet with mine but I have gotten other lights before with poor QC. I hope you can get a decent working model. A well functioning 5C defiant should be brighter than even the 590 lumen 3D ArmorMax by a clearly visible amount, going by the comparisons I have done
UltimateLED- thanks for the beamshots! I am happy to say that I now own the ArmorMax 3d-cell, a 2pack of the AA lights for $11.88 and the DST… Didnt ever see a 3C ArmorMax at the local HD. I’ve taken both of the big lights to work with me and had a couple other officers ask where I got them. They are impressive with a super tight beam and long throw, nobody can believe that they are only 23 and 30 dollars respectively……
Lightning20, congratulations on the new ArmorMax 3D! That’s great news you got one and are pleased with it. I am sure it will be of great use to you because of how tough and versatile it is, as well as its spotlight level power. And for the price, it is amazing power for $30. Even other high output budget LED lights I have had experience with and bought in the $50-$70 range cannot compete with it.
For some reason the lowest price I ever saw was $13, not $12. All other stores never got past the $16.98. I bought one at the $13 price point though, just to experience it.
How’s that for an excuse to buy a light? Never thought of that one, did ya.
(We should start an info post with all the excuses to buy a light, as a reference for the newbies)
enjoy.
I bought one because I don't have any 5C lights.