You probably have seen my review, here
- The OP reflector probably hurts throw a little, but I got 21kcd which isn’t bad for a C8 with XM-L T6 3C, Edit: mine is a U2 1B, it’s getting hard to keep track these days
- Solderable pill is good, but the retaining ring works perfectly with a NANJG 105C; that’’s what is in it when it comes. If you want to stack chips, put up to four of them on the emitter side of the driver. Also, Aluminum is going to transfer the heat much better, which I think is better than being solderable.
- Of the three C8’s I have, only the brass pill one is 20mm star capable.
- I would like to see it ship with an AR lens too. For under $2, the fix is not too bad.
- Haven’t seen many SS bezel C8 models. Most are black. The KE-5 has quite different styling than the C8. The C8 bezel is too wide for SS IMO.
The Convoy C8 is a great host, IMO. It’s great as-is in fact.
If you are going for a thrower (SMO reflector), you may want to go for the KD C8 instead. I’ve heard good things about it as well and the price is similar (they have XM-L2 versions now as well). Not sure if the pill is brass in it though…