Spec me an LED Torch

Borden · 7 Apr 2011 at 20:10

Thanks for that Aod. I've gone with the normal 320lm 5 mode XPG with the L2P from solarforce-sales. My old Fenix PD30 was 220lm and was extremely bright for what I needed, this should be plenty enough. Also, $2 shipping, can't argue with that! Any idea how fast the shipping is to the UK?

And I blame you for an expensive couple of days. This as well as a Marathon Navigator has left my wallet feeling sore!

Aod · 7 Apr 2011 at 21:08

Borden said:
Thanks for that Aod. I've gone with the normal 320lm 5 mode XPG with the L2P from solarforce-sales. My old Fenix PD30 was 220lm and was extremely bright for what I needed, this should be plenty enough. Also, $2 shipping, can't argue with that! Any idea how fast the shipping is to the UK?

And I blame you for an expensive couple of days. This as well as a Marathon Navigator has left my wallet feeling sore!

the Solarforce Dropin probably doesn't produce more than about 250 lumens, if that, considering how under-driven they usually are.
Either way, i'm sure you'll be happy with it for the price.

Solarforce Sales process and dispatch orders incredibly fast - you'll get shipping notifications from them at about 8AM tomorrow morning.

Unfortunately, Bottom-rung HK-post takes a while to be processed and dispatched. it will likely take about a week to leave HK, but once it's left Hong Kong it'll arrive in 2 or 3 days.

Aod · 8 Apr 2011 at 00:49

Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!

As promised weeks ago, i give you a 79 second, f/4 ISO200 (my 400D doesn't do 250

) beamshot:

mrk · 8 Apr 2011 at 08:19

That's pretty beaming!

rG-tom · 8 Apr 2011 at 09:40

Khaaan! said:
One of the Cree powered Zoomable torches is what you want then. I don't know the exact dimensions of the beam pattern from 10feet away from the few posted above but I can test if you like but if it's just for light painting then the zoomables will give you the pattern width you want and the beam you want too.

And they're <£8

Got a link? If it's zoomable i imagine it'll be nice to use as a normal torch too. I have a Ring 3C Cybalite atm, which isnt as bright as i'd like really, it's 80 lumens iirc. Would like something that i can overpower street lights with comfortably

mrk · 8 Apr 2011 at 09:46

Something like this:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Zoomable-800-...ing_LightsLanternsTorches&hash=item1c19984918

Cheap, bright enough under street lighting and zoomable.

I imagine the above will be quite a bit brighter than the one I bought first:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CREE-Q5-LED-Z...ing_LightsLanternsTorches&hash=item415601a2cd

rG-tom · 8 Apr 2011 at 09:56

what's the brightest torch you have atm Robbie?

mrk · 8 Apr 2011 at 10:00

The Ultrafire C8 using a Cree XR-E type LED and the SolarForce L2 with XP-G, both are about the same brightness, probably somewhere between 300 and 400 lumens? The XM-L has yet to arrive!

rG-tom · 8 Apr 2011 at 10:01

so that one you linked me to is twice as bright for a tenner? :s

mrk · 8 Apr 2011 at 10:05

I don't think it's going to be as bright as the auction figure suggests as they just use the up to figure. It will still be very bright though

Cheap enough to give it a shot no doubt.

The first pocket one I bought (zoomable) is rated 300 lumens but the C8 is also around about that and is quite a bit brighter and the XP-G is a bit brighter than the C8 still.

rG-tom · 8 Apr 2011 at 10:27

Dear rg-tom,

We hope you enjoy your latest purchase. The next step is pay the seller. Don't wait. Pay now to get your item within 13-25 days.

This better be good robbie

should it be massively brighter than my cybalite then?

mrk · 8 Apr 2011 at 10:29

From how you've described it, massively x2 maybe

My zoomable can illuminate a block of flats over 180 metres away under street lighting, if that's of any help.

~~#M-Bizzle#~~ · 8 Apr 2011 at 10:31

I have a Fenix TK15, which is great and everything, but is there anything I can do to make it brighter?

Can you get different LED drop-ins for this particular torch?

Aod · 8 Apr 2011 at 19:11

Khaaan! said:
The Ultrafire C8 using a Cree XR-E type LED and the SolarForce L2 with XP-G, both are about the same brightness, probably somewhere between 300 and 400 lumens? The XM-L has yet to arrive!

*cough* more like between 200 to 270 lumens...

The "800 lumen megamonster" is likely to be about 160 or so, if that, i'm afraid, assuming it uses a XR-E Q5 like it says it does.

with these chinese torches, that in and of itself isn't a certainty.

~~#M-Bizzle#~~ said:
I have a Fenix TK15, which is great and everything, but is there anything I can do to make it brighter?

Can you get different LED drop-ins for this particular torch?

'fraid not. sorry

Khaaan! said:
I don't think it's going to be as bright as the auction figure suggests as they just use the up to figure. It will still be very bright though Cheap enough to give it a shot no doubt.

The first pocket one I bought (zoomable) is rated 300 lumens but the C8 is also around about that and is quite a bit brighter and the XP-G is a bit brighter than the C8 still.

the zoomable one uses (so it would seem) an XR-E Q5, which will develop, if overdriven, about 275 lumens at the emitter. because of the use of the aspheric lens, the zoomable will only be about 50% to 65% efficient, and depending on how well the LED is driven, means it could have an output from beween 125 lumens (which is about three times brighter than a 4D-cell maglite) to 180 lumens.

the C8 and the solarforce XP-G use reflectors, which are considerably more efficient, which is why the C8 is brighter, even though it's using the same LED and is likely to be driven to the same level.

mrk · 8 Apr 2011 at 19:15

This XP-G is supposed to be over 400 but it's only a bit brighter than the XR-E on the C8 so does that make the XP-G much lower than its rated value too?

Aod · 8 Apr 2011 at 19:48

Khaaan! said:
This XP-G is supposed to be over 400 but it's only a bit brighter than the XR-E on the C8 so does that make the XP-G much lower than its rated value too?

yes, like i said, the XP-G can do 493 lumens, but only when driven very hard. at the levels which solarforce (and most other cheap chinese) modules drive their emitters, it's probably doing between 280 and 300.

mrk · 8 Apr 2011 at 19:53

Ah bummer. At least then the XM-L I bought should be driven quite hard then!

Mark A · 9 Apr 2011 at 00:14

~~#M-Bizzle#~~ said:
I have a Fenix TK15, which is great and everything, but is there anything I can do to make it brighter?

Can you get different LED drop-ins for this particular torch?

Gah, I wish Fenix would stop bringing out new torches all the time :mad:

.

My TK12 seems rubbish compared to the TK15

, almost the same price as well.

337 Lumens compared to 225 lumens my TK12 puts out.

DAMMIT!!

Aod · 9 Apr 2011 at 00:32

Mark A said:
Gah, I wish Fenix would stop bringing out new torches all the time .

My TK12 seems rubbish compared to the TK15 , almost the same price as well.

337 Lumens compared to 225 lumens my TK12 puts out.

DAMMIT!!

oh the inexorable march of progress...

this is why i try not to spend too much on any one single light - they go out of date too damn fast.

Thekwango · 9 Apr 2011 at 01:00

sorry for jumping into this thread, but you guys seem to be in the know, where as i am a bit of a numpty when it comes to torches and lumens(huh :confused:

)and all that jazz.

looking for a nice bright, and hopefully cheap torch for general camping use. been lookng at the lenser range but can anyone point me in the right direction?

TIA