x2 on this…. IMHO the C8 is kind of in no-mans land. Too big to on-person EDC. Yet compared to a well designed 26650 host the C8 has lower thermal capacity and less wattage power reserve. If your’e putting forth the effort into a DIY, make it really worth your efforts. Sure it will cost more, but IMHO the added $$ is well spent for the added run time, thermal management, and depending on the host throw.
Actually, I love the C8. May not be EDCable for pocket-carry, but certainly jacket-pocket.
Anyway, it’s my go-to light for snooping at what’s in the yard, etc., at moderate distances.
As much as I love my P90s, especially my (’502) EDC, it’s best for general-purpose lighting, whereas something floodier like an S2+ is best for close-in work.
The L2 is a brick by comparison: thick heavy head, wide and heavy battery-tube, 1 or 2 26650s (vs 18650s), and a chalky sandpaper-rough finish that I absolutely would not want to carry on me on any regular basis. But!, it shoots light like a laser, unmatched except maybe for a Maxtoch (which unfortunately I only know by reputation).
The C8 is that perfect compromise between “laserish” and smaller carryable size. No, you can’t really carry it in your pants pocket, and even though I holster my ’502 (borderline dorkdom) I wouldn’t want to holster a C8 (well on the dorky train to Dorky Island where the dorky natives drink dorky nectar out of dorky coconuts).
But damn, even with a fairly low-stressed XP-E2, it’s got lots of reach, and the really tight hotspot holds together for long distances (almost like a zoomie!). And an XP-L HI is a thing of beauty in a C8, and despite the wider hotspot (and more spreading) it’s bright enough in sheer lumenage to make up for it.
So actually, the C8 (one of several) is always nearby, either the XP-E2 or the XP-L HI, depending on what I’m going to be looking at. It may not be pockettable, but damn if it isn’t one of the most useful lights I have.
I always favored 5000K or so, like the 3A, but if you get another one, try the 4C. At first I thought it was a bit warm, but now I’ve really gotten to like it, a lot.
The XP-E2 I went on about is ~4300K, really nice, too.
But no, nowhere near WW, so don’t worry, they won’t look yellow.
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I’m growing to like warmer lighting, though. Replaced all the interior lighting in my car (1 dome + 2 map lights, front and back, so 6 LEDs total) with the usual CW bulbs, but just recently redid all them in WW. Soooooooo nice.
Seconded! Heh. Over here I haven’t had the weather to use a jacket yet, so my C8 is exclusively backpack-carry, and flip me 540º if it doesn’t get almost everything in its small package. Not to mention, its form factor feels good in the hand - the last time I was this satisfied to hold a torch was when I got a 2xD M@g-lite (practically a holy grail for a non-flashaholic in the 3rd World, though I sure know better by now).
