Best option for a compact zooming flashlight 1x 18650

@Nautic:

I've already got an MXDL SA-28 from KD and it's realy bright. I know there is no way the one from ebay is having 300 lumens, but it's quite similar looking to another one I've purchased at Foclaprice (http://www.focalprice.com/LF575B/C84_5W_Three_Modes_Capacity_Q5_Light_Bulb_Flashlight_Lamp_Torch_with_Clip_Black.html) and I would love to try it out.

Small Sun C84 is less bright but has wider beam (something in between SA-28 and Romisen RC-C6) and it takes quite less power from 18650, so it should last longer. I've made current a measurments in high mode with same battery at 4.18V and I've got:

MXDL SA-28 1.55A

Small Sun C84 0.73A

Quite a difference in a current, but not so much in a brightnes. They have also different led emmiters: SA-28 has XR-E EZ1000 and C84 has XR-E EZ900 looking. And SA-28 makes bigger spot when focusing at throw position.

I have taken a closer look at the light you mensioned, and I still think that they basicly are the same lights

as the SA-28. Little difference in the endcap and one has a strikebezel. but the rest is the same.

Edit: The SA-28 can be used with 3AAA, contrary to the others.

The lightoutput can change very much with different drivers. I modded a cheap light with a Q5. It was

extremely bright and I was satisfied with my work until I discovered that I had put in a boostdriver and

not a buckdriver. With the first it went into direct drive and pulled more than 2 amps from the battery.

It got very hot and batterylife short.

If you got more of these lights you could try to swop the pill (its very easy) and see what happens.

If you want a smaller hotspot try to put an o-ring behind the lens to get it an extra mm distance from

the led.

Looks like Small-Sun C84 in http://www.buyincoins.com/zoom-focus-18650-cree-q3-led-flashlight-camping-torch-product-2079.html. Neat deal - 7.86 after 15% discount.

by the way, did you measure the amps from the emitter base? sometimes the driver tends to waste the current.

Not all that many lights are capable of 300+ lumens. None of them are all that small. Here is the list of lights and dropins I have that are capable of 300+ lumens.

Light Battery
ROP Low 6D NiMH
Ultrafire WF-504B KD MC-E Med 18650
Fusion 36 dropin 6D NiCd
Solarforce L2M DX P7 18650
Fusion 36 dropin 5C Alkaline
Fusion 36 dropin 6D NiMH
Ultrafire WF-500 2 18650
Piritlight SG-L8 MC-E High 18650
Ultrafire WF-504B KD MC-E High 18650
Aurora AK-P7 High 18650
Romisen RC-T5 High 2 18650
Romisen RC-T6 Medium 2 18650
Ultrafire WF-501B M bin MC-E 18650
Romisen RC-T6 High 2 18650
ROP High 2x32600
Varapower prototype 4C NiMH

No only at the battery as i wrote. Much of the energi is wasted as heat. It got very hot as I mensioned.

To sum it up....

The best zoom to throw is?

MXDL SA-28 bought at _____________ .

Other: ___________________________ .

:D

Not quite. We all know, the bigger the lens, the better the throw. So this one worth to be mentioned here: http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=10718

It has a 28 mm lens. This makes a nice small square (about one third smaller than most other zoomies), but with higher intensity. The only bad, it runs on three AAA cells only. If it would come with a extension ring to run it with a 18650, it could be perfect. It has two modes (no blinkings) and build quality is good.

Too bad it has no 18650 support without being creative or doing a madmax worthy job.

Would the adapter off the SA-28 fit?

I'm done for this month! Already spent 120+€ on various goods. (mostly flashlights)

I don't own a SA-28. I also don't have the M2 anymore. A friend of mine wanted to get it so badly.

I would say: probably yes. At least I could accidently put SA-28 tail cap on one of the same diameter. It was some version of torch with red ring like this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/CREE-LED-Adjustable-Focus-Zoomable-Torch-Flashlight-3W-/220676992200?pt=US_Flashlights&hash=item33615facc8