I just couldn't stand it - it was staring at me every time I went into that hardware store and said "take me! take me!". I knew it would be feeble, but I thought "maybe it's modable". It's not.
And it's super feeble. The specs say 444 lux. Well, it does give 444 lux, when it's "focused" and 40cm from the luxmeter.
And it does that using only 300mA!
Beamshots (1m from wall):
flood to throw
closeup on the focused spot
"over focusing" (rotating the head over the most focused setting to the same direction of focusing)
And finally, a comparison shot with iTP R5. on low.
My mum bought this. Has indescent bulb powered by 2xAA, but its tube could take 18650 without a problem IF almost half of the internal diameter wouldnt be filled with plastic :S Light output is very similar to 1$ led light that I got from ebay. Very difficult to LED mod it... Summary: I hope it dies soon :)
Only because its purchase was so misguided and lacking in research. I bought this bazooka some time ago thinking I was getting a high-end "serious" flashlight. It is impossible to defend its $80 price when so much more can be had for so much less. What is even more stupid is that I already owned a P14 and expected the P17 to be significantly brighter. It may have more run time but side by side on a wall or outside, there is no difference.
Some of them are now pretty obsolete, but thy weren't when I bought them. And since I've only ever bought less than ten lights that cost more than $30, this is no great loss. One of the hopelessly obsolete ones was fearsomely bright in its day - and is one of the two lights I've bought that cost more than $100. Any AA sized R5 light on a 14500 is brighter - and a lot cheaper.
When I read the title of this thread, I laughed out loud. Only on BLF do you find stuff like this. Priceless. Had to jump in.
Of ones I've actually purchased (not received as a 'gift'--and I've received some very bad gift flashlights!), this guy:
MXDL "3W" CR123, sku 2124 in uhgh... "Milky White". You can 'feel' the slave labor/sweatshop vibes when you hold it, somehow.
Product photos look better than real-life. Has a no-name LED which really does pull 3 watts. Just, what does it do with those watts. Not much. And very blue-ish.
Bought it because the DX MC-E drop-in PILL was reported to screw into this body. I took that to think others would too, but on all my dop-ins, the pill threading doesn't continue all the way down the pill. DX MC-E drop-in is probably underdriven and definitely overpriced (at this point) anyway. So, I didn't throw good money after bad. Even if this was $5.80.
Plastic reflector, rough, not nice in either form or function. Just don't.
Moral of the story TO ME is: I've bought 3 lights (including 1 headlamp) with non-Cree LED's. Maybe I'm just unlucky, but all of them suck (some have had good luck or found well-reviewed models, but overall I think it's more of a gamble). At least my Cree lights, even if more expensive, are all quite usable, despite their own faults. Even my Cree cheapies are okay. I think the cheapest Cree LED-equipped light was my Torch Light C78 at around $10 on DX--currently being used as a supplemental oven light in the kitchen (powered by a 14500).
I am not ashamed of any light I own, or use. Even if they are complete rubish. I do own the one posted before. I like it's looks... even though it's crap.
I do feel embaraced when I grab for a light and it doesn't turn on. That's why I usually have backups. Cellphone, lighter, keychain light...
Pure ebay garbage threads cut so deep they went right thru the body..Took the emmitter and driver out and stuck it in another light ..maybe 80 lumens out of a q5 .....<<Never lived up to it's 500 lumen claim..... paypal dispute ..got 100% refund ..still paid too much .
Something called "Photonpump". And not the Led Lenser one. But this
It's actually not a total disaster. 3aaa, led emitter (doesn't say which one), sturdy feel, one mode, maybe around 100 lumens, nice forward clicky. It actually gets some usage too. So what's so embarassing? The fact that I paid 20 euros (~27$) for it at local hardware store.
The average led lensers are truly the worst deal you can make nowadays... especially the P series. I almost bought a p7 which was gettign rave reviews in my country. Many bought it and it's fun how they defend it when they realized what is really worth (price wise). It's not really a horrible flashlight just heavily overpriced. Thank god for BLF!
Most lights that I bought prior to discovering DX/ BLF. I bought 3 x 12 led lights- double aa. They are so poor I won't give them away. Paid about $12 each from an Oz seller. Tried one with 2 14500's. Was really bright for about one second. lol
After a full day of charging (not on direct sunlight I admit) it produces a lumen and a half for about three seconds... What was I thinking when I ordered it...
my pops left a husky 1 aa or aaa light in my workshop that is pretty embarassing..it's like a mag solitaire I guess..it never gets used and even my kids don't want it..lol they always want my lights..
Just means you need a continual supply of light, So with the XM-L light source to keep it charged, you can get 1 lumen output for the runtime of the XM-L torch + 3.5 seconds AWESOME!