I have a LED Lenser/Coast ftt, I like it and it was actually the light that started the obsession. Very well put together, probably the nicest light I have. Nice threads smooth zooming operation, actually throws pretty good and zoom is ok (the package states 110 lumens). The only real negatives are the price (received as gift from a buddy, would not pay that much myself), and can chew through some batteries in a high usage situation (never tried it with ni-mh batteries, only alkaline).
I also have 4 sipik/clones sk68 and my sons have one each, and my parents and other family and friends have them also. It was my first introduction into budget lights. I carry one nearly every day and love the flood on it. If memory serves me correct it out throws the LED Lenser/Coast (will have to check that tonight to make sure :~ ) and definately out floods it on size and brightness (running on 14500 flames). The size of the light is also perfect for my pocket. The things I dont like would be usually you have to clean up the threads and lube them, running 14500’s it doesnt have a lot of run time, the clip is really strong hard to get on off my pocket (fixed that by re-forming the clip to have less tension), wish at time you could reverse the clip so that you could maybe put it on the bill of your cap to use like a head lamp. Modes would be nice to but not always needed.
Small Sun zy-c10-s is a very nice light in my opinion. Nice treads, large aspherical lens, pill threads into the body for descent heat sinking, tail switch is easy to remove and replace with other switches (installed a remote pressure switch from MF in mine and works like a champ), and relatively smooth zooming. The only negatives I can think of at this time would be the size of the light when in flood mode (probably half the size or more of the sipik sk68), and that it is semi-dificult to get the led centering disk out of the pill (it will not be as hard in the future now that i know what i am doing… LOL). Swapped in a green xr-e and it is sweet! It still retained the same focus of the die and same flood size. Needs a driver swap now but that is another story.
To sum it up all three of these lights are nice and do what is asked of them in my book.
I would say it’s better for flood than for throw. I wouldn’t get it if throw is what you’re after. I love it for flood. I think the Sipik SK68 (clone) throws tighter and brighter, but I haven’t compared them side by side. Tell you what - I have beamshots of the SK68 saved on another PC, I’ll post comparison pics here when I get them uploaded (tonight or tomorrow I guess). Output on AAA (only tested alkalines) was really good –2A on high. I have no idea of runtime though. I don’t use the light much, but when I do it’s with my King Kong 26650.
-Garry
EDIT - I just noticed I surpassed the 1,000 posts mark and missed it! Isn’t it mandatory to buy some light after your 1,000th post?
For anyone looking for more throw for the same size as a Sipik it isn’t going to happen.
It has the XR-E, driven hard, and with an aspheric. What more could you do to increase throw in the same size…nothing
Go for a larger diameter aspheric like the SmallSun but then you are using 18650 as well. I like the SmallSun much better than the Sipik but it is not the small size or battery configuration.
Yeah, hopefully it’s pretty obvious trying to beat the SK68 in throw without increasing size is simply defying physics. I think if one is interested in FTT then the SK68 should be owned in addition to a larger, more specialized model. However, once you get too big then you stray past practically and you might as well purchase a dedicated thrower with a reflector.
Thanks for the photo’s! That really does help a lot. I’m just going to get the SK68 and probably the PoPPas or Small Sun. The Sipik is only $6 or $7 after all. I’ve only been waiting on a US seller to respond if his version is single mode, which I want. He responded once already but was confused with what I meant by modes. He said it has three modes: focus, zoom in and out.
Also, according to your photo’s it doesn’t appear like the SK68 throws better than the PoPPas in terms of output. It seems to be quite the opposite actually. The spot might be tighter though.
The PoPPas has a much larger diameter aspheric than the Sippik so it probably does through further even with the XM-L but I’m quite sure the SmallSun throws much further than the PoPPas.
Another good read. Thanks bud, I finally got my answer. Although I did enjoy the read I was expecting a light with AA/14500 to out throw the sipik sk68. So the SK68 is the end of the line for it’s class/size, that’s good to know.
Keep in mind guys, the campingsurvival sk68 I got off ebay is significantly brighter then that of the clones or ultrafire sk68(with Eneloop). I know, I tried them side by side and there was a big difference.
I like the pappas and small sun. The small sun has a fake cree emitter? Fake cree emitter???
Are these all are options? Was expecting a world of more options for a flood to throw. I like what I saw. Surprised by the fake cree emitter.
Was actually hoping for something else on 14500. it’s been a while since I had n 18650 though. Was The small sun C10 a flood to throw or fixed throw?
There are more options, hell, there are thousands of FTT lights out there, but you wanted something better. Therefore you have to go bigger and/or way more expensive. ;)
Smallsun is FTT, imo flood is also usable, tho noticeably tighter than most other FTT lights.
Btw, I dont own a Sipik SK68. I own a Saik SA-9 clone because twisting to zoom works better for my applications.
Just figured I’d post my review pics of beam comparison between the SK68 on 14500 and the ZY-C10. The SK68 is better for flood mode but the ZY-C10 rules when it comes to throw! The pics, especially in throw mode, don’t do justice showing just how much brighter the ZY-C10 is when viewed live and in person.
I got a response from another US ebay seller. This one states Pull-out zoom feature directs light where it’s needed, which is supposed to satisfy my question about how many modes the light has. J)
What’s frustrating is I know eforcity started out as an American seller, albeit Asian-American. I’m pretty sure the founder was still an English speaking American, probably even US born. I even provided examples of what I meant by modes and yet I still ended up with the same type of answer as the other seller. It’s possible they’re connected but I don’t think so. eforcity has a couple other accounts also over a million (probably two million) feedback.
I was doing some calculations on ANSI-NEMA throw distances for the ZY-C10 and found some amazing figures!!
BLFer Mitro measured 54k @ 10m from his ZY-C10 using an IMR cell and 40k from a half-charged TrustFire Flame. After doing some quick math here are the astounding throw distances it resulted in:
54K @ 10m = 4647 ft or 1416 meters!!!
40K @ 10m= 4000 ft or 1219 meters!!
Well, my Smallsun ZY-C10 runs at 2.1A with an EZ900 XRE.. I can confirm visible light at about 900meters across the valley my village is located in. If it was pitch black, maybe even more.
Small Sun C10 best aspherical thrower for the money (I have this light), Jacob A60 (dont have but has been talked about alot and will order soon) best thrower reflector for the money! Both are under $15 shipped both are 18650.
Small sun c10 or saik sa-9?
Im still surpirsed by the small suns reported fake cree emitter:(
I dont care if they clone anything just dont clone emitters pretty please with sugar on top
Very true. In my review I also state that if it’s not a fake Cree then it is a factory second that slipped by QC. You can see from my pics how off center the die is inside the emitter. I’ve never seen a Cree that way and why I suspected it might be a fake. It still works fine though so I wouldn’t worry about it much.
