LED lensers are stroingly overrated. The P7 even lacks any regulation. 4AAA driven and doesent live ni-mh very much. What a waste of energ<y and money also ecologically unfriendly. Well machined tho.
they are overpriced(?) but not over-rated. in fact, i dont see any ratings or in-depth reviews on cpf, BLF, or any German flashaholic forum. the biggest German flashlight forum, called TLF, doesnt even have a subsection for them!!!
instead hehe they do have some XXXFire's and Tank007 ;)
Sorry if this is a silly question, but I am looking to pick up a decent AA torch from DX for geocaching. At first I was set on the RC-G2 due to its popularity and number of good reviews on there. Is this RC-29 a much better bet? Will it support rechargeable AAs? Don't know too much about torches but the RC-29 is only a few $ more.
I have also been considering the SIPIK SK68, or should I stick with Romisen for build quality?
Thanks.
hi, welcome to bfl the budget forum lights ;)
i dont own the (popular) RC-G2 (e.g. Shiningbeam sells updated versions of it) nor the (even more popular) Sipik or its clones. afaik, the RC-G2 doesnt eat 14500's, and for geocaching or any other serious night applications i would definitely recommend the use of LiIon's .. as explained in the text. The original RC-29 and RC-G2 are like brother and sister: both have a forward clicky and the same form factor and do not eat LiIon's with the main difference being aspherical lens vs. aluminum reflector.
Both Romisen's are great torches for beginner's: people who want a well-built, very attractive feeling and looking, compact quality 1x AA torch with a hard-driven Cree LED.
The more popular or classic 1x AA and 2x AA form factors are represented by Fenix LD10 and Fenix LD20. If you dont care for this/their form factor but prefer the original designs of Sipik and Romisen, then you should get the Sipik *or* the Romisen. Which Romisen?
Although i dont own the RC-G2, i would recommend the RC-29 (or let's call it "RC-29a" as does the ebay seller) anyway because of its versatility and fun factor. It does suck that it doesnt have momentary activation (and you might need momentary on in geocaching situations) but other than that, it surely beats the RC-G2. In my opinion.
I cant say anything good or bad about the Sipik (some of its clones have a 3-mode driver too). afaik it supports 14500's. If it also has momentary activation and reasonable runtimes, then the Sipik might be the better choice for you .. if you enjoy its unique design and form factor ;)
I used to have both lights and the biggest difference are their optics and the resulting beam patterns. The G2 is reflector based and the rc29 lens based. The RC29 can be adjusted for flood or throw but not both at the same time. The G2 has a very tight hotspot (good throw) while still maintaining a usable side spill beam. Both lights have their pros and cons and they are fundamentally different. The Sipik SK68 and RC29 are pretty much the same light as far as beam pattern goes. The biggest drawback of the RC29 are the sharp edges on the tailswitch. Both are good lights overall, but with different uses... for closeup I would get the RC29 (in flood mode) and for medium-far range and as an overall search light the G2. My father has 3xG2 (2 DX and 1 SB) and loves them as general purpose light.
Thanks Vectrex, good points made! ( Does the RC-G2 tailcap fit on the RC-29 body? well, i like the tail strike bezel. da beautiful haha. )
For geocaching you would need momentary activation, wouldnt you? And you would need a useful spill with a throwy hotspot. Clear case, then the RC-29 is *not* the right torch.
Geocaching is dead serious stuff ( i am a homey so i would know hehe ) and you might want to buy some dead serious illumination gear. Why not spend 15$ on a Klarus P1A from DD (sorry for shilling haha)? It's currently on sale for 28.39$ incl. coupon code (which is almost as good as the Xmas sale). Gather some Dinopoints (it's fun), write a 5stars DD review on ResellerRatings (and receive a 5$ giftcard), and your final paypal deduction will be some 15$ shipped.
The Klarus P1A is some serious shit and probably better suited for your geocaching needs. (The P1A is similar to Fenix LD10, just simpler and cheaper.)
I never understood the obsession with forward clickies/momentary on ... in fact I prefer reverse clickies on multi-mode lights and I am pretty neutral on single mode lights clickies. To be honest I would probably go for a 2AA light with at least 2 modes for geochaching if you want to do searches in the winter time and the evening hours of summer. The Fenix E21 should fit the bill pretty good as it has 10+ hours on low mode while still putting out a lot of light (~50 Lumen). Regulation is also good even on primaries in a pickle. The G2 single mode energy should be drawn in about 1.5 hours... for me that would be too short. DD still has the E21 for US$ 31.69-$5 coupon (oneworldweshare)- $2 (survey). The low of the Klarus P2A is too low for geo caching purposes imho, otherwise it would be my second choice. Many people report the E21 XP-E emitter on the neutral side so that colour rending in nature is more pleasant to the eyes. The Klarus should have the same regulation as the Jetbeam BA20 and the E21 is also in the graphs of this review.
Thanks a lot for the quick responses kreisler and Vectrex, I didn't realise there was such a dedicated community for flashlights! I don't think the Sipik SK68 has a short runtime so one of the Romisens might be the best bet. I do have an old maglite that I use so this small AA torch was just going to be used alongside it.
However, I think you are right that I need to get a better one for geocaching as my maglite is a bit of a beast in terms of weight. I have been looking at the Klarus and the Fenix as they seem to be bargains. Is the Fenix actually genuine from DD? Will it be reliable?
Thanks.
If you can afford a Fenix then you should get a Fenix (and there's no need to doubt the authenticity or genuineness of DD's Fenix. you could always do the serial number check!); Fenix is no doubt the "#1" Chines* brand and manufacturer of handheld high-performance LED illumination devices and production lights no matter how you define "no. 1". It's a big popular company with original classic designs (copied and cloned by so many), world-wide reputation, distribution and availability, user community, customer service, strict manufacturing tolerances, commendable QC quality control, a large assortment of accessories, etc etc. But also with premium pricing. 60bucks for a dull 2x AA light with underdriven LED?? Oh please! :X
However this is the budget forum and we support and encourage reviewing and buying cheaper brand Chi*ese flashlights. Romisen and Tank007 are first-rate addresses in the budget sector with tradition and original designs, Xeno too (although Xeno isnt a budget brand), Sipik is a one-hit wonder haha, and then we have the monthly newcomers (e.g. Balder SE-1) and a never-ending list of XXXFire's lead by Ultrafire and then Trustfire.
If you enjoy looking for a great value'd torch, take your time to investigate and open a new thread on BLF and let us know which price range corresponds to your budget. Or enjoy ;) the countless youtube videos on the well-known Ultrafire C3 which is maybe the most sold Fenix LD10 clone ever. If you want to follow the cheap route and like the Fenix LD10 form factor, check out that Ultrafire C3; just beware that many editions/versions/variations of it exist and even clones (and clones of the clones) and the situation is similar with the Sipik and its clones of clones: a big time fun lottery!! :party:
Klarus and Jetbeam are premium brands with more sophisticated products than Fenix. Last black friday and pre-Xmas the world saw for the first time a sweeping sale on Klarus products (along with Jetbeam and Sunawayman special sales) .. so BLF perked up the ears and plunged into the diabolic maelstrom of DD crazy 69% off sales.
And yep, in my today's EDC rotation i am using the Romisen RC-29. Yesterday was the 70US$-Quark's turn. In future i'll be using the Klarus P1A. And my 30US$-Xeno .. well yah.. is in red *ggg*. And DD? Is rated [AVOID] on this forum, so it's up to you if you take the risk of a true budgeteer's and join the exciting ride to the budgies' party J)
PARTIEEEEHH!!!
Led Lensers are so overrated that I have no problem seeing them getting convicted for fraud. They rate the runtime until the light output is one lumen only (but this is only mentioned with a very small print at their site, and usually not at retailers selling the lights). Usually it's just listed as "LED LENSER P7: Output 200 lumes, Runtime 64 hours" yeah right...
the German way to arrest attention and be at least for a while the topic of conversation and discussion. led lensers are sold here everywhere, at many kinds of stores and on the shelves no competition at that price level is being exposed: either you get the expensive lenser or some cheapo noname cr*p with old LED's. Even Maglites are very difficult to find nationwide. for the uninformed (or ignorant, sorry no offense) who compares lensers only, the overrated lumens are still useful for a relative comparison.
i am not wondering why led lensers are being ignored on the German flashlight forums, on cpf, and on bfl.
:hat:
There is absolutely nothing wrong in getting a Romisen, in my experience they are of higher production value than the Sipiks and Ultrafires. Especially the aluminium C3 had some bad ones out there. I think like Kreisler that Romisen and Tank007 are the first addresses in budget land when value-quality/price is the main criteria. The Tank007 566 might be a nice choice, user Boaz has more budget lights than exist on earth he says they are really nice. There is even a new version with updated emitter at DX. And you have the choice between 1AA/2AA (via detachable expansion tube, sometimes included sometimes not) and 1/3/5-mode models. Just keep in mind that it is Chinese holidays just now and shipping might even take longer than usual.
I agree with this statement. You can get Romisen with CUSTOMER SUPPORT at shiningbeam.com. Shipping is reasonable. I really like the S-Mini and would not hesitate to recommend SB branded torches.
RC-29 3 mode 1 AA/14500 from ebay seller fairequal
http://www.ebay.com/itm/200670247106?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649
I just got around to taking this torch apart and can confirm it is IDENTICAL to the one reviewed here. Even the # on the pill's circuit board is the same X9104.
The seller shipped promptly including a FREE HOLSTER and FREE TRACKING. Packaging was superior. Nice hard small cardboard box wrapped in brown paper and corded in the traditional criss cross method. Inside package, torch was in it's holster and double wrapped in bubble wrap.
This torch is well made. I couldn't get over the tailcap threading..smooth as butter. Breaking it down revealed the same quallity through and through.
Buy with confidence.
congrats Streamer!! (and sorry for the high price you paid. i paid 41.90$ divided by 3)
Which cells do you own? My Eneloops are still charging (break-in in C9000) which will take 2.0days but after that i will do several runtime tests.
i am still waiting for my DX shipment with the spare lenses to see if they fit well.
I have the: edit,,, Flame Trustfire 1450's 900ma.
So you pay $13.96 for one RC29?
I pay $19.95 with holster and tracking. Not so high priced I think. 
But Kreisler is King of Buying Powers....!! 
let us know about your new lenses for this torch.
Will let you guys know about Eneloop tests and the lenses, no prob. Matter of days (i expect).
Yep, paid that much only. De king haha.
will fit just AA size batteries like Tf flames 900mAh(tested ~700mAh not bad for the size)
...kreisler is able of go between the markets of Tunis with just peanuts and exit with jewels xD
mixomaxo quote:
"will fit just AA size batteries like Tf flames 900mAh(tested ~700mAh not bad for the size)"
ooops, my bad did a typo right , trustfire flames 14500's @ 900ma
post above edited.
all right. after ~2 months of placing the order, i finally received the 2pack of spare lenses for our Romisen. I had ordered them from DX (SKU:13702) for US$3.10, which was a very good price i thought. Packaged they look like this:
and unpackaged like that:
Before we test in practice how well they should fit in our Romisen, let's recapitulate the specs of the original lens as quoted from the OP for comparison purposes:
And here the relevant specs of the two DX samples:
In benefit of the doubt we have to assume that the DX lenses are made out of plastic. They feel different and are heavier than the original plastic lens and it's a little challenging to tell for sure, but my bets are placed. Glass lenses would weigh much more than 4grams, i am sure. In any case, the DX samples are of very good quality, absolutely no scratches. I am happy with the purchase.
And do they fit?
Yes, they do. Perfect fit. The o-ring ensures that there is no rattling nor play between the lens edge and the orange bezel. If *your* Romisen rattles then check the alumium pill (and grease it), and also check the aluminum screw-in holder for the lens (and grease it). If these two parts are minimally loose, they produce a rattling sound when you shake the torch.
But the lens itself (the original lens and the DX samples) doesnt rattle.
Perfect fit. Mission accomplished. Happy camper. I am keeping now the DX sample1 in the Romisen and will store the original lens as spare lens. Just one note, the beam pattern is not as perfect anymore. In flood mode ("zoom 1.0x") you have the uniform perfect beam, and in focused mode ("zoom 8.0x") you get the super bright peak spot (it's this time not a clear reflection of the LED, sorry!), perfect too. But as soon as you zoom out from the focused position to somewhere between the region "zoom 7.8x - 4.1x", the lens produces a funny beam pattern with a darker middle area and an extended bright ring. Some bad a$$ would call it a doughnut pattern gah. From there on, the more you zoom out the uniformer the beam (=flood) gets and in this range, i.e. between "zoom 4.0x - 1.0x", you'll be the happy camper again.
Clearly, the beam pattern of the original lens is considerably better because it produces a uniform flood at all zoom levels .. while it's still not perfect. If you want a 100% perfect all-flood beam pattern, then spend some 60$ on a LED Lenser and there you go. Here, i paid 1.55$ per lens and this is the budget forum lights and we can call ourselves lucky that we can buy replacement aspherical lenses that cheap.
What about throw? They do throw less because at "zoom 8x" we do not get a sharp reflection of the LED. In the distance the thrown beam looks almost round. No more clear edges and angles of the LED image. I would say that the beam looks nicer now at "zoom 8x" .. but the throw is reduced because of that.
All in all, the DX lenses are really good and cheap. And they fit and dont rattle! We dont have much of a purchase choice anyway. KD, DD, or MF dont have aspheric lenses which fit in the Romisen. Maybe the Sipik clones are equipped with the same lens, i dont know.
Conclusion: You dont need to look further. If you're afraid of scratching the original lens (and you are satisfied with it), then do it like i did. Spend the 3.10$ and replace the original by the DX sample. If you break the DX sample, you still got the original and another DX sample at hand as backup.
Save the good, waste the cheap. el cheapo's motto. and the el cheapo that is me, kreisler :Sp
EDIT: other lenses which might (i dunno!) fit (you need to grind the outer diameter from 29.0mm down to 23.0mm lol) are the ones from DD, or the expensive one (which is not worth the money unless you get it for free with dinopoints) or from AA., or check out CNQG.