# Lighthound .99¢ Photon Clone Vs. $15 Photon Freedom Micro



## MacTech (Jan 5, 2006)

Tonight, on a whim, i picked up a Photon Freedom Micro (note to self, stop buying things "on a whim"), even though i have one of the Lighthound .99¢ "Photon Clones", i wanted to see how the inexpensive "imitator" compared to the "real thing"

the difference may surprise you, it sure surprised me....











One of these lights is not like the other, one of these lights doesn't cost much...
one is a Photon Freedom Micro, the other is a Lighthound "Fauxton" clone...

these pics are underexposed by 1 stop;
$15.00 Photon;




.99¢ Fauxton;





the light on the left is the Photon, the one on the right is the "Fauxton"...

here are the two side-by-side;




Photon on the right, Fauxton on the left

as far as light intensity goes, the Fauxton is actually brighter than the Photon, the Photon also has a much more yellow color balance (the literature specifies the color balance is 6500K on the LED, hence the yellow color when compared to "normal" LED's)

so, in terms of raw power, the Fauxton actually outperforms the Photon, however the Photon makes up for it with a much richer feature set.

the Fauxton has 2 settings, momentary operation, and constant on (via a switch that holds the button down)

the Photon has a lot more settings than the Faux, first off, it has brighening/dimming settings that can be accessed from power up (hold the button down as the light brightens , release when it's at the desired brightness), power down (push the power button to turn on, release then hold down the button to dim the light, release when desired intensity is reached

it has 4 flashing settings accessed by holding the power button down;
slow beacon; one flash every 5 seconds or so
medium beacon; one flash per second
fast beacon; strobe light effect
S.O.S.; distress morse code

momentary; rapidly turn on/off the light 4 times, to exit momentary, hold until the light turns off

it also ships with a lanyard (not a fan of lanyards myself) and a rather nice multifunction clip with 3 small magnets on the base

it's also a *lot* easier to change the batteries in the Photon, no tools are neccecary, the case is friction-closed, wheras the Fauxton uses 4 jewelers screws to close the case, then again, since the Faux is so inexpensive, it'd be easier to treat it as "disposable", once the batteries die, i'll pull the LED out and pop it in one of my Minimags, and toss the rest

so, even though the Fauxton outperforms the Photon in raw power/brightness, the Photon has a cooler feature set, both lights will have a place on my keyring, the Photon is definitely cooler, due to the multiple features


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## Haz (Jan 5, 2006)

Is the Photon Freedom the one with the newer 2x brightness led?


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## MacTech (Jan 5, 2006)

yes, this is the newest version


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## 10mmWiseman (Jan 6, 2006)

I got a free Fauxton with my last Lighthound order and your observations are right on. Compared to my new 2x brighter Photon Freedom the Fauxton has more output and much whiter beam. The Photon is on the blue/purple side but the Fauxton is pure white.


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## geepondy (Jan 6, 2006)

I received one with my Lighthound order as well. These are only 99 cents? Very much a photon 2 clone. But has anybody taken one apart yet. Are the batteries as difficult to change as Photon 2 with the LED, switch, easilyl popping out as you unscrew the case. In quality and looks, these blow away the Countycomm's 99 cent lights.


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## pec50 (Jan 6, 2006)

My recent December order from Lighthound also included the photon clone. When comparing this to the "same" photon clone I received from Lighthound order this past summer, the "new version" is substantially brighter and whiter.


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## cratz2 (Jan 6, 2006)

No way! It's hard to believe that the lastest, greatest, whitest and brightest Photon is that blue and violet tinted!

I'm not knocking the cheap lights. The brighest non-100ma 5mm LEDs I've ever found came from some clunky coin cell lights I got at Wallgreens for $.75 each. The 35k LEDs from KevinL are very bright, and the Snow 29 LEDs are very white, but I haven't put any of the Snows in a coin cell light yet.

I'm still going to get one of the newest Photon Freedom To The Max lights just to check out and I'll be glad to swap the LED with something whiter as I really just want the circuit, but it's hard to believe that they are still that blue/violet.


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## Robban (Jan 6, 2006)

I've never understood why people pay that much for the Photon's. Sure it has a few extra features but c'mon how often do you need to DIM the light of a coin cell light? It can blink, well woopty doo. If I was in an emergency situation I'd rather have a bunch of cheapies than a much more expensive Photon.

I mean no disrespect to the Photon people but I have a hard time understanding the logic behind getting one when you can get a "clone" for a fraction of the cost that outperforms the Photon in pure output.


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## cratz2 (Jan 6, 2006)

I think for the same reason that folks line up to buy a Surefire E1L for $100 when they can get a Dorcy for $20. Different strokes for different folks. I personally want to try to make the circuit work in another light.


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## WhiteHot (Jan 6, 2006)

cratz2 said:


> No way! It's hard to believe that the lastest, greatest, whitest and brightest Photon is that blue and violet tinted!



I just put a Snow in my Photon last night. Ya, it is hard to believe that th Nichias are still that crazy purple (angry blue). They can definately take a beating though.


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## Robban (Jan 6, 2006)

cratz2 said:


> I think for the same reason that folks line up to buy a Surefire E1L for $100 when they can get a Dorcy for $20. Different strokes for different folks. I personally want to try to make the circuit work in another light.


Yep  I guess I'm just not seeing the big leap in quality that other people are seeing when it comes to these coin cell lights


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## cratz2 (Jan 6, 2006)

Like I said, I plan on getting one... probably the next light I'll order, but I'd swap a Snow in the very first day. Plus, I they pull less current than the CSs, at least when run direct on a LiON cell so they might give a bit better runtime.

Oh well... MacTech, since you seem unhappy with it, would you care to trade it for something like a Maxfire LX, similar to your G2? I have no use for it and would like the Photon.


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## MacTech (Jan 6, 2006)

cratz2 said:


> Like I said, I plan on getting one... probably the next light I'll order, but I'd swap a Snow in the very first day. Plus, I they pull less current than the CSs, at least when run direct on a LiON cell so they might give a bit better runtime.
> 
> Oh well... MacTech, since you seem unhappy with it, would you care to trade it for something like a Maxfire LX, similar to your G2? I have no use for it and would like the Photon.


Actually, Cratz, i *do* like the Photon, i actually find it's "gimmicky" feature set kinda' fun, i really like the ease of changing batteries in the Photon, no tools needed, the Faux uses jewelers screws, the Faux is closer to the Photon II than the Freedom....

heck, i may just end up swapping LED's once the batteries in the Faux die

the Faux has more of a "spotlight" style beam, the Pho has a more floody beam, there's a distinct "edge" to the beam on the Faux, the Pho's beam profile tapers away to nothing, no edge

easiest way to sum it up?

the Fauxton is a "thrower*"
the Photon is a "flood"


....*insofar as a keychain "squeezylight" can be a "thrower", the beam from the Faux is more usable at distances than the Pho


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## Omega Man (Jan 6, 2006)

I swapped a Nichia in the 99c clone from lighthound, and was really surprised how bright it is. Floods a room enough, to my eyes, with a nice spot. This 99cent/free light saved me from buying a $50-70 Peak! 
I'm very happy with it, even with the color. When I'm avoiding puddles and ice at night, I dont' care how pretty they look, ya know?


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## Knifemaster (Jan 6, 2006)

I am more impressed with this light than with the Fenix unfortunately. 




I have a question for the modders out there could the LED from this key chain light be put in a Dorcy AAA:candle:. I bought couple of Dorcy AAA recently and they are pure junk, they have a purple beam.


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## cratz2 (Jan 6, 2006)

Knifemaster, you can pretty much put any white 5mm LED in any other light that takes a white 5mm LED - I specify white LED because other colors such as amber and red often need less voltage and will die when run on 2 cells. But if you are going to the trouble of opening the Dorcy up, you might as well either order a Nichia CS or Peak Snow 29 LED from a groupby. On the Dorcy circuit, the Nichia CS is brighter but the Snow 29 is whiter. The CS is available in two bins, the C0 which is the typical blue in the middle, green around the edges and the B0 is more consistant blue. Again, the Snow is whiter, but the Nichias are definately brighter.


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## Omega Man (Jan 6, 2006)

cratz2 said:


> But if you are going to the trouble of opening the Dorcy up, you might as well either order a Nichia CS or Peak Snow 29 LED from a groupby.


Having no soldering skills, I thought I'd try this one. I almost tore my hair out. The R1 resistor is SO SMALL, the only way to get it of the board was to almost just burn it off. I tryed to fill the R1 gap with a LED leg, what a nightmare that turned into. Couldn't get the stock LED desoldered and pulled off. The only thing in my defense is that I was trying to use a Cold Soldering iron, and that in itself is pretty much a joke.
I just thought the whole thing was like trying to circumsise a flea, everything was way too small and I didn't have the right tools to begin with. Or the patience either, it seems. 
Thats what I love about putting the Nichia in a coincell. It took 2 mins total to cut/shape the LED leads, slip it in, close it, and fire it up.


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## carrot (Jan 6, 2006)

Robban said:


> I mean no disrespect to the Photon people but I have a hard time understanding the logic behind getting one when you can get a "clone" for a fraction of the cost that outperforms the Photon in pure output.



If you owned a Photon you'd notice the subtleties that make them great. Easier to press and hold for prolonged periods of time (Photon I), watertight casing (at least for the Freedom), and a much nicer feel (this one's important to me -- a light's gotta feel nice in my hand for me to like it).

I ordered a Photon clone (yellow for longer runtime) from Lighthound, and I'm quite happy with it. But I like my Freedom Micro better. I find the dimming feature incredibly useful. Not sure about the flashing modes, though. I'd definitely order another Freedom.


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## Brangdon (Jan 7, 2006)

Robban said:


> I've never understood why people pay that much for the Photon's. Sure it has a few extra features but c'mon how often do you need to DIM the light of a coin cell light?


Dimming is useful in several situations. The first is when you don't want to disturb other people around you, eg when looking at a programme in a theatre. The second is when you have good night vision and don't want to destroy it, but need a bit of local light for something. The third is when you want longer battery life.

It's the last which is the killer for me. I carry a Photon partly for use in emergencies. If I get stuck in a lift or a collapsed building I'd hope to be rescued within a few hours, but it could be a lot longer.


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## Brangdon (Jan 7, 2006)

Robban said:


> Yep  I guess I'm just not seeing the big leap in quality that other people are seeing when it comes to these coin cell lights


Really? The 99c lights feel cheap and nasty to me. The constant-on switch is stiff. It's impressive for what it cost, but my Photon feels much better quality. I'm much happier with it on my keyring. The absolute cost is affordable to me.

It might be better to have 20 cheap lights than one higher quality one, but in practice I am not going to carry 20 lights. It's a matter of bulk, really. And if I am only going to have one coin-cell light I want it to be good quality.


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## paulr (Jan 7, 2006)

I have about ten Photons (II's, III's, and a Freedom) and about a bazillion non-Photon lights of this type (including clones, Princeton Tec Pulsars, etc). I just don't notice a whole lot of diference in difficulty of operation. Some of the clones do seem a little more nicely made than others. The easiest to operate by far is the Countycomm with the slide switch, though it can turn on by accident if you bump it.

As for dimming and being trapped in a collapsed building for hours, I just don't see it. If I can move around, it shouldn't take me hours to get out. If I can't move, I might as well turn off the light. 

As it happens, I have a white-led Photon II on my keyring and also a red-led clone, since I like having a red light (easier on the eyes when dark adapted). The red one should have very long runtime. Even the white ones will put out usable light for several hours and then some. They'll be pretty dim but will still be enough to light one's way out of a building when dark adapted.


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## Pajamas (Jan 7, 2006)

I have noticed one thing different between the Photons and clones : many of my clones died within a few months. I'm not talking batteries, I'm talking LED itself. The Photon may be more expensive (I have the Photon IIs for almost 3 years), but it does seem to survive a long time given the rugged abuse I give my lights.


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## 10mmWiseman (Jan 7, 2006)

From 5 feet away (Fauxton on the left, Photon Freedom with 2x brightness on right)


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## cheapo (Jan 7, 2006)

$15!!!! you could buy half a q3 with that. 

-David


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## Brangdon (Jan 8, 2006)

paulr said:


> I have about ten Photons (II's, III's, and a Freedom) and about a bazillion non-Photon lights of this type (including clones, Princeton Tec Pulsars, etc).


I had some Pulsars. I like having constant on, but I find with the sliding switches they sometimes get locked on by accident. That happened to me with Pulsars and I wouldn't carry one on a keyring again. My Lighthound 99c ones seem to avoid that problem by having a very, very stiff slider. My Photon Freedom I usually keep in momentary on, and change it to constant on when appropriate. I appreciate the flexibility.


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## Mike Painter (Jan 8, 2006)

Thanks fo the review. I'm no foe of Photon, having had one since they first came out but lighthounds faux was a pleasant surprise (both becaue it is so bright and because it was what was rattling rather than something broken)
I've been curious about how they stack up and now I know.


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## paulr (Jan 8, 2006)

I like Photons too, I just wish they would put a battery saver timeout into the Freedom. I absolutely do not want to switch back and forth between modes for that purpose. I think the lack of a timeout in the normal mode is a fatal flaw. I've heard mutterings about a Princeton Tec patent on auto shutdown to save battery power, but that's crazy, there has to be plenty of prior art to defeat that patent. Does anyone know what kind of microcontroller the Freedom uses and whether there's an OTP version available? It's almost worth reprogramming at home to fix the problem.

Yeah, it could be that the Photon's Nichia leds hold up better than the clone leds; overdrive tests suggest they may also hold up better than the Peak Snows etc. The solution is the usual one: carry a spare. These lights are almost weightless and take almost no space. It's also pretty easy to swap the leds around. I've done that a few times mostly to get more choices of led color.

I notice there are two types of Photon II clones floating around--one type has an oblong lanyard hole and the other has a small round hole almost exactly like a real Photon. The second type could easily be confused with a real Photon and even the first type has some styling elements in common with the Photon. So there may be some trademark infringement issues with one or both of these lights (applies to styling only; functional elements cannot be trademarked). It would be nice if whoever is making the clones made them look more different from the Photon. They would still work the same way.


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## Yooper (Jan 8, 2006)

I finally went to lighthound.com to look at these, and they are exactly the same as the ones I bought from KevinL, except he installed his 35K LED's in mine. Does anyone have a Fauxton AND a KevinL 35K model to compare beams? I stopped carrying my Inova Microlight in favor of the KevinL because the Inova was turning on by itself in my pocket EVERY day. I like that the KevinL/Fauxton has momentary AND constant on which is choosable mechanically and instantly rather than stepping through modes, which I hate.


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## paulr (Jan 9, 2006)

I don't think one should be too much of a connoisseur when it comes to these cheap lights. But yeah, the 35k leds are brighter (I don't have any myself but saw some threads where they came out about as bright as the Nichia CS). If you're fussy about this stuff get a real Photon (Nichia CS led with gold plated leads done by LRI) or an Arc/Peak 1AAA light.

FWIW, I have one of the Shenzen fauxtons on a runtime test right now. At 4 hours nonstop, it's still about equal to a stock CMG Infinity (non-Ultra), more than plenty to find the can with. However, its constant-on switch is very hard to operate, more so than other lights of this type that I've tried. I tested one or two others from this same batch and they have the same problem. After this test ends I'll probably swap out the two cr2016 cells for a single cr2032 and that should keep the thing lit (dimly) for several days straight.


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## Learjet (Jan 9, 2006)

Anyone measure how many ma the clone is driving the LED at? I don't have much patience for small parts these days to pull it to bits and find out.


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## paulr (Jan 9, 2006)

My guess is around 10 ma right now. Probably 50-60 ma when the batteries are new. As of a few minutes ago (6 hours into the test) it was still at CMG Infinity level, not much different from a couple hours earlier. And this is with whatever crap batteries the fauxtons are using, in addition to the crappy LED. A Photon II with its Energizer batteries and Nichia CS would do a lot better I'm sure. One thing I should mention about the fauxton (I like that term, I'd never heard it before) is it flickers some when I handle it. I remember the early Photons had that problem too, which is why they went to gold-plating the leads.

Update: at 18 hours--eighteen--the fauxton is still going nicely. It's much dimmer than my Infinity now but still completely usable for seeing around my closet in the dark. It's maybe equivalent to running a white led on a 3 volt cell like the original Photon did.


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## Yooper (Jan 12, 2006)

Answering my own question, today I received a free fauxton with a lighthound order (man, he ships fast!) and it is significantly brighter and whiter than my KevinL 35K keychain light. Its manufacture appears to be identical, other than it's clear and the KevinL is black. I did a beamshot, fauxton on the left, KevinL 35K on the right, the exposure is spot metered on the KevinL light's hotspot...


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## Tremendo (Jan 12, 2006)

I got my 1st Lighthound Photon clone last week, and order another 18 this week, got them yesterday. Yeah 18. Cost me about $20. One seemed like the batteries were almost dead, the rest were fine. Got one for each of my vehicle key chains, extra for my wife's purse, a couple give aways, etc. Got an SF G2 today from Lighthound, and of course, another clone. Good little lights for the price. It never hurts to have an extra little light around if needed and the price is virtually free.

Would I count on it for my life? No. But that's not what these are about.


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## Mags (Jan 12, 2006)

10mmWiseman said:


> I got a free Fauxton with my last Lighthound order and your observations are right on. Compared to my new 2x brighter Photon Freedom the Fauxton has more output and much whiter beam. The Photon is on the blue/purple side but the Fauxton is pure white.



I got one free with my order too, and I have to say that the quality is not at all bad. I could use the LED after the battery dies, and its pretty bright for a free light or for 99cent light. I keep it lanyarded to a brighter light as backup and it remains as part of the lanyard until I need it. For $1.00 or free as a lighthound order, I recommend it.


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## TenPin (Jan 12, 2006)

http://www.qualitychinagoods.com/ul....html?osCsid=f7b6158bbfd12d6aa07cbd4d4d3a3a78

These seem to be the same as what Lighthound are selling. I too got one free with my Fenix L2P order.

I think I'll do a bulk order from qualitychinagoods.com because they have free shipping.

I've had most of my friends ask me for one too.


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## Frank Maddix (Jul 10, 2006)

Well I'm really disappointed with my newly-arrived Freedom (so to speak), although the service from Photonlight was very good.

It has exactly the same hues as my Inova Micro and a horrible little Led Lenser keychain light that I bought (because that's what you do, wandering around camping stores).

I was expecting a WHITE beam like my Lighhound freebies.

The other nice features compensate to some extent, but how can they claim 'super-brightness'? If you look into the led you see a bluish substrate and a pea-green phosphor (possibly I have those confused..) but in the 'freebie', it is milky-white all round.

Could there be a bad batch? I can't believe I paid nearly $20 for these nasty colours.


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## Randy Shackleford (Jul 10, 2006)

I sent my friend a Fenix L1P and few of these LED keychain clones.

He was more impressed with the utility and light of the LED keychain. He carrys the LED Keychain everywhere and asked me for more. The Fenix is sitting in his glove box.

I still have some left below. If you want to pick one up. PM me.


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## JNewell (Jul 10, 2006)

It's true that the clone is amazingly bright, and an amazing value, but I carry two Freedoms as backup EDCs. I have done so for years - had Photon IIs before the Freedoms. They look like they've been through the wars, which is just about true. I've never had one break or misbehave. I haven't tried the clone in that role, but looking it over it doesn't seem to have the same bullet-proof build quality that the Photons have...I'll keep the clone by my computer but the Photons will stay on my person.

I do have to say that the clone is an exceptional buy on a $/lumen basis.


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## The-David (Jul 10, 2006)

I just got one of the lighthound clones today and they seem MUCH brighter than ones I recved even 2 monts ago. I has a much nicer beem than my freedom X2 also... I may swap the LED out into a freedom I have sitting here and see what hapens. I also have one of the high power white 5mm/25deg LES's from the shoppe that I may try.


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## Jay R (Jul 10, 2006)

I got 50 from an e'bay shop. Shipped out of Hong Kong and took under a week to get to me. One had got turned on in the packing but was still going strong. Multicolour cases but all white LED's. Look out my window at night and it's like fireflys what with all the kids in the street running around with them. Still have about 25 left. Not bad for about $30.


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## vortechs (Jul 11, 2006)

Dae's keychain lights are very bright (http://www.qualitychinagoods.com). The ones I got recently seem to be as bright or brighter than the New x2 Photon Freedom Max. I'm a bit hesitant to compare the brightness of keychain lights because of how much it changes in the first 5 minutes or so of running them on fresh batteries (http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=122326). 

I suppose I'm going to have to find the best of my Dae keychain lights and put the LED and batteries into one of my Photon Freedoms to see how it works in the Freedom. 

Remember that running a 5mm LED on two 2016 coin cell overdrives the LED. One of the reasons that Photon stays with the Nichia LED is that it can take being overdriven without any problems and LRI doesn't want the customer service problem of lights comming back to them with burned-out LED's. I don't know if the 5mm LED's in the 'fauxtons' will have the same endurance under overdrive conditions as the Nichia or if the generic LED will fade with time and overdriving. Of course it might not matter if you aren't going to be running the keychain light all that much anyway, but since Photon is selling a premium product, they need to make sure it will last for many changes of batteries.


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## Lit Up (Jul 11, 2006)

Brangdon said:


> Really? The 99c lights feel cheap and nasty to me. The constant-on switch is stiff. It's impressive for what it cost, but my Photon feels much better quality. I'm much happier with it on my keyring. The absolute cost is affordable to me.
> 
> It might be better to have 20 cheap lights than one higher quality one, but in practice I am not going to carry 20 lights. It's a matter of bulk, really. And if I am only going to have one coin-cell light I want it to be good quality.



That's funny because I find I can just about blow on my old Photon II and have the switch move. Loose on this thing is an understatement. I see a "stiff switch" as a good thing. The loose switch is what initially killed the coin cells in it. I haven't even bothered to ever replace them.

As far as the price, no way. Much better choices to be had these days.
The Photon's were a nice gimmick light about 10 years ago. (And that's what I thought of them then upon first introduction)


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## Jay R (Jul 11, 2006)

Brangdon said:


> It might be better to have 20 cheap lights than one higher quality one, but in practice I am not going to carry 20 lights. It's a matter of bulk, really. And if I am only going to have one coin-cell light I want it to be good quality.


 
Ummm, I don't think you're expected to carry all twenty at the same time. I would suggest that you carry one and replace it when the cells go flat.

Plus, if you lose your keys, you only lost 99c and not 15 bucks.


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## Frank Maddix (Jul 11, 2006)

Is it easy to swap an LED in the freedom micro?


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## vortechs (Jul 11, 2006)

Frank Maddix said:


> Is it easy to swap an LED in the freedom micro?



It is not too difficult, but the proceedure isn't as obvious as replacing the LED in a Photon II or 'fauxton'. However, after you've done it once it is pretty easy to repeat. See this thread : http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=114298


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## Omega Man (Jul 11, 2006)

Lit Up said:


> I see a "stiff switch" as a good thing.


I agree, the switch on my free Ilumibeam Zipper Lite is so loose, it just shakes around, uselessly. It stopped locking after a few days of use anyway. So I see stiff switches as a good thing.
The switch on my lighthound one broke from use, but I think the black plastic houseing ones like KevinL sold would hold up well, like a real Photon would.


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## Randy Shackleford (Jul 11, 2006)

I found the locking switchs' on the LED clones stiff after first use. But, over time they usually loosen to a comfortable degree. If they get to loose (which has not happened to me), I'll just replace the unit.

PM me if you are looking for a clone.


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## The-David (Jul 11, 2006)

Jay R said:


> Ummm, I don't think you're expected to carry all twenty at the same time. I would suggest that you carry one and replace it when the cells go flat.
> 
> Plus, if you lose your keys, you only lost 99c and not 15 bucks.



If I loose my keys the Least of my woryes is going to be the $15 light on them. The rekeying my House/Car/safe/extra... And in the meentime WHO has my keys and why.


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## Frank Maddix (Jul 12, 2006)

vortechs said:


> It is not too difficult, but the proceedure isn't as obvious as replacing the LED in a Photon II or 'fauxton'. However, after you've done it once it is pretty easy to repeat. See this thread : http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=114298


 Thanks vortechs, I'll give it a try.


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## Mr_Light (Jul 19, 2006)

Just received ten of what appear to be very bright Photon Clones (look just like Lighthound variety). Appears to be about as bright as a brand new Inova Microlight. Got these from http://contents.fifthunit.com/html/products.5th/sku.824.html for $7.50 delivered. For $.75 each delivered this starts to get down to the cost of the two 2016 batteries themselves. I have been a little wary about ordering from FifthUnit, but my 5 small orders have all arrived within a few weeks.


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## Frank Maddix (Mar 12, 2007)

10mmWiseman said:


> From 5 feet away (Fauxton on the left, Photon Freedom with 2x brightness on right)


That's a significant difference... but is it possible that the Photon LED is being underdriven for the purposes of battery life / consistency of output? Try keeping your Fauxton on for 30 secs and then measure the output. And yes, I am a Fauxton fan I have 12 of the little buggers.


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## TORCH_BOY (Mar 12, 2007)

I got some of those Fauxton lights as part of an order, I was quite surprised how
bright and white these things are, Its slightly brighter than my Fenix EO,


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## LED_Thrift (Mar 12, 2007)

In an order I received about two weeks ago from BrightGuy, there was a flyer which advertised a Photon X-Light Micro for $7.50. The X-Light has: full range brightness control; instant full power on/off at any time; 12+ hour battery life; and made in USA. It looks like they have come up with a lower-cost light with all or many of the best features of the more expensive Photons.


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## jc28841 (Mar 12, 2007)

I've been using a Photon Freedom as a backup keychain light for years. Yeah, people thought I was crazy to spend that much money on such a tiny thing, but they are impressed with the build quality. Plus the extra modes were amusing (until I got the L1D CE to annoy my colleagues with strobe )

Basically I just forget it's there until I need it. And when I do, I know it'll (almost certainly) work. I think that's important for a backup light. I've had previous no-name keychain lights that fail after a few months and I just decided to get a good quality one. 

Could look into the Fauxtons as a giveaway light or just for kicks though . Price certainly can't be beat. Has anyone tried those colour-changing ones on Lighthound?


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## 1MillionCandlePOWER (Aug 4, 2009)

I have got one, it's got pure gold contacts- very surprised to see that.


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## lebox97 (Aug 4, 2009)

I imagine things have changed a little bit in the 2 1/2 years since last post...
(3 1/2 since first post?)


:welcome:


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## Kestrel (Aug 5, 2009)

lebox97 said:


> I imagine things have changed a little bit in the 2 1/2 years since last post...


Well, rumor has it that the only change was adding gold contacts...

Anybody notice that there seems to have been a lot of thread necros recently?:thinking:


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## jp2515 (Aug 5, 2009)

Kestrel said:


> Well, rumor has it that the only change was adding gold contacts...
> 
> Anybody notice that there seems to have been a lot of thread necros recently?:thinking:



Glad I'm not the only person. 

Back OT, I'd imagine the Photon lights have come a ways since this thread started. Well, did a impromptu test with a Photon II and a Lighthound light. Both still seem the same but the LH light has more of a bluish tint to it.


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## lebox97 (Aug 5, 2009)

with new cells = should be brighter?
I believe they went from a CS to DS to now GS Nichia LED since then? :shrug:
EDIT: = brighter and more "angry blue" center.



jp2515 said:


> Glad I'm not the only person.
> 
> Back OT, I'd imagine the Photon lights have come a ways since this thread started. Well, did a impromptu test with a Photon II and a Lighthound light. Both still seem the same but the LH light has more of a bluish tint to it.


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## Ble (Aug 5, 2009)

Could be possible to put an XP-E on a Photon Freedom Micro?


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## EntropyQ3 (Aug 5, 2009)

I just ordered an other couple of covert Photon Freedoms, plus a Photon REX out of pure curiosity with the beast.
The Photon Freedom ramping/full-on user interface is great, better than any of the normal size lights I own IMO. Since I often use very low levels of light, being able to start out extremely low and ramp to fit is incredibly useful, along with the diminutive size. The freedoms are excellent to attach to the inside zipper of a tent for instance, or a belt loop, keychain, jacket zipper, or it can be velcroed to just about anything.
The longevity and dependability of the Nichia (which isn't over driven, thank god), and the rather good construction are real bonuses.

It's simply an amazingly versatile light.


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## 270winchester (Aug 5, 2009)

I have a couple of Photons around here and I love them. the dimming feature is great and the brightness is more than enough. Sure the clones might be brighter initially but they are severely overdriven with 2 batteries in Direct Drive and dim rapidly(both from LED dying and batteries dying)

(and talk about a necro thread revival)


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## AlexSchira (Aug 5, 2009)

Been EDCing Freedoms on a daily basis for the last three or four years, various color and casing styles. I did end up caving for a couple bags of clones to give out to coworkers, for zipper pulls, I don't expect them to function much past finding a few keyholes and basic navigation for a couple hours. The dozen or so coworkers I gave them to reported mixed results, the casings are extremely prone to cracks leading to the thing just coming apart. My Photons, while I admit they're getting quite dated, are all surprisingly untouched by hard use and age after all these years. The interface sells it, led me to getting a ReX and Proton. However, anyone else notice the company has gone a bit dormant since the economy has gotten rough? No LED updates which used to be rather annual, the accessories for the ReX are still nowhere to be seen, the only hints at anything new came from their old message board. Some one suggested a tactical light, and Bryan replied that 'something similar is in the works'.


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## EntropyQ3 (Aug 5, 2009)

AlexSchira said:


> Some one suggested a tactical light, and Bryan replied that 'something similar is in the works'.


Yeah, adding a Klingon stabbing bezel to the covert Photon Freedom would make it the ultimate ninja tool! I can't believe they didn't jump into that market with both feet.


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## slipe (Aug 6, 2009)

I’ve had a Photon LED on my watchband for at least 10 years. My current one is only the second I’ve used. And I switched only because the Freedom model came out with the brighter LED. The original is still working fine, but dumped in a drawer. The Freedom has been on the watch since it was introduced – whenever that was. It has taken considerable abuse over the years. There is no way a Fauxton would have survived.

It is nice to have light within a second or so or realizing you need it rather than fishing for something. I carry brighter lights like the ReX on my keychain and recently a Maratac clipped in my shirt pocket. But I’ll always have a Photon on my watchband.

Nobody ever notices it unless I have occasion to switch it on.


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## flatline (Aug 6, 2009)

That's a great idea!

How is it attached to your watch band?


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## slipe (Aug 6, 2009)

flatline said:


> That's a great idea!
> 
> How is it attached to your watch band?


 
I just glued some nylon strap to the sides and it slides onto the band. I started out with elastic but that didn’t work out. Velcro glue is strong and works well for the purpose.

It does add a slight difficulty level to changing batteries but that isn’t a really big hassle. It isn’t so difficult that it inhibits my use of the light. Mark III might use Velcro instead of the nylon if this one ever quits. That would make it easier to change the batteries but add a thicker layer against my wrist. The thin nylon hasn’t been a problem at all.

The first Freedoms weren’t listed as water resistant – that was an improvement that came maybe a couple years after the original release. I figured I would upgrade when it finally quit, but it never has. Amazing quality considering the abuse it gets.


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## flatline (Aug 6, 2009)

I never saw the appeal of a photon/fauxton flashlight on my keychain, but on the watch-band is just brilliant!

Maybe I'll break down and buy a photon...


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## slipe (Aug 6, 2009)

I sent Photon a photo of mine maybe 5 years ago on an old gold watch so it would show up. I told them they were welcome to the idea and maybe could consider sending me a prototype if they used it. I think the gold watch was a mistake. It looks awful on a gold watch, but hides nicely on a black band and watch. They were probably correct in their assessment of the light on a gold watch that “nobody would be geeky enough to put that on their watch”.

Friends I spend a lot of time around aren’t aware of it. People I’ve known for years are surprised when I have occasion to use it.


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## Phaserburn (Aug 6, 2009)

In addition to EDC and keychain lights, I like to leave a partially depleted cell fauxton of any brand in each and every jacket or coat I own. It's weightless, lasts forever, and when you're at a movie or restaurant, you now have the right light level always at hand, ready to be passed around to your companions.

I'm not one of those guys who wants or needs Super Low on my regular lights. I feel silly whipping out my $100, 5", HA3 Tactical Menu Reader with overhand grip and menu-shredding bezel to read the specials of the day.


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## slipe (Aug 7, 2009)

flatline said:


> I never saw the appeal of a photon/fauxton flashlight on my keychain, but on the watch-band is just brilliant!
> 
> Maybe I'll break down and buy a photon...


 
If you are going to try this there are a couple of things I’d share.

It works best to grind off the attachment eye on the rear. You don’t have anything to hook on things and it doesn’t look so much like you have a keychain light attached to your watch band. You can grind off quite a bit without affecting the integrity of the light. You might be able to grind off more – I lost my nerve when I got this far.

You want the band tight so it stays in place.


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## hatman (Aug 8, 2009)

What an absolutely fascinating thread.

I keep the Photon actual on my keychain, Lighthound's version in bedroom and kitchen drawers for backups, and use the DX clones for gifts.


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## paulr (Aug 9, 2009)

The watchband thing is cool. I have a few fauxtons around that are smaller than photons, by using cr1616 or cr1220 ("pico light") batteries instead of cr2016's. Those might be easier to fit to the watchband. But they're the simple flex-lead type, not microprocessor lights like the freedom.


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## Turbo DV8 (Aug 9, 2009)

slipe said:


> I’ve had a Photon LED on my watchband for at least 10 years.


 

Hmmm... I wonder if I could apply that arrangement to this:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/214515


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## QtrHorse (Aug 9, 2009)

I'm guessing these exact versions are not available anymore from Lighthound? The two that I have recieved free with orders have a distinctive blue/ purple center hotspot instead of the white/ warm tint that these originally had.


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## Lumenz (Aug 9, 2009)

Phaserburn said:


> I feel silly whipping out my $100, 5", HA3 Tactical Menu Reader with overhand grip and menu-shredding bezel to read the specials of the day.



That's hilarious! That is also exactly why I carry a Photon Freedom with me on my keychain. I like how it can be set at nearly zero lumens. However, it is nice to have the very low low on my Ra Clicky just in case I am ambushed by a dark restaurant without my trusty Photon Freedom.


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## slipe (Aug 10, 2009)

Turbo DV8 said:


> Hmmm... I wonder if I could apply that arrangement to this:
> 
> https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/214515


 
I could attach the watch to the trailer. Wonder if he ever sold it.

Thanks for the link. It brought back some interesting memories of a departed friend named Barry Seals who had the market in those things cornered back in the 70s.


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