# PEAK EL CAPITAN XPG REVIEW



## Dances with Flashlight (Dec 9, 2009)

REVIEW - PEAK'S EL CAPITAN  XPG AA / 14500 / 14250​  
​ Better hold onto your sombrero when you pick up Peak's new EL CAPITAN!







El Capitan HAIII with SS Head and SS Momentary Switch
​ It's designed and built around Cree's new high performance XPG (the R4 bin as of this writing) emitter which produces something like 30% more light than the Rebel 0100 at equivalent power levels. This emitter was chosen primarily because of its greater output/efficiency when driven with a AA battery as compared with either the Rebel 0100 or the P4. This emitter has another favorable attribute - it has a pretty small footprint allowing its use in small packages. Peak intends to switch all production to the R5 bin as they become available in quantity distribution.

Like the other lights in Peak's Mountain series, the El Capitan can be had in Brass, Stainless, or black hard anodized aluminum (HAIII). A limited run was produced in very rich looking Gold-plated Brass. Body configurations are: either a pocket body (which is short and lacks any lug or keychain post or rear switch); or a keychain / momentary body illustrated below. 






Brass & HAIII El Capitans with Keychain / Momentary Bodies

​  It starts out with a body and head originally designed some time ago for one of the Kilimanjaro (Kili) variations which was then supplied with a head containing five 5mm LED's. 

Over the years Peak has produced several different lights in the single AA configuration. There have basically been two distinct classes of these lights, distinguished principally by their LED's: 

First was the AA Kili, available in SS, Brass, HAIII, and limited runs of Titanium and Gold-plated Brass. Within this class, heads were available in various 5mm forms: 1 LED, 5 LED, 7 LED, UV, and an assortment of colored LED's. Output levels were also varied. These were beautifully made, as those familiar with Peaks already know. But 5mm's driven hard were still necessarily limited in performance due to the basic characteristics of 5mm LED's. Next was the AA Kino Bay, built on the same Kili bodies but driven harder and set up for Luxeon emitters. 

Then came the AA Pacific models. Peak designed and built this light originally for the Luxeon emitter, and later upgraded it to the P4 LED, driving it with a new electronic board to take advantage of the much greater performance (over the 5mm's) offered by the Luxeons and the P4 LED. It's interesting to note that the diameter of the Pacific body is somewhat greater than that of the El Capitan. The reason for this is that the Kilimanjaro was originally designed exclusively for the AA battery, whereas the Pacific was designed to accommodate both the AA and also the slightly larger CR-2 cell. 





Pacific, El Capitan & Eiger​ 
So now we have the El Capitan. Streamlined like the slim Kili, but substantially outperforming the Pacific because it employs Cree's new high performance XPG LED.

The overall dimensions of the El Capitan are fairly typical for AA lights: 18mm X 96.5mm with the Momentary Switch. Compare the size and weight of the El Capitan to some Peak Pacifics: 

The El Cap body and head are .71" in diameter; the Pacific head is .78" with a body of .75". The lengths of these lights with momentary switches are El Cap 3.8" and Pacific 3.95" 

With alkaline batteries, the El Cap weighs 2.28oz (64.6g) in HAIII; and the HAIII Pacific weighs 2.39oz (67.6g). For comparison, the brass Pacific weighs 4.68oz (132.8g) with an alkaline battery.8" head 




​ 2 AA Caribbean, El Capitan, Baltic​
The exterior design of the AA El Capitan in all its variations is both simple and elegant. 

On the outside is a straight battery compartment, threaded up front for the El Capitan head. The pocket body is one-ended and machined from bar stock, bored out from the front and closed at the rear. The keychain / momentary body is threaded at the rear with a recess to accept either (i), a keychain adapter, or (ii) an optional bulletproof, momentary switch. The gorgeous brass version has two wide bands of finely crafted knurling which cover most of the length of the body, with smooth rings separating the bands. The knurling is light and not at all aggressive, but entirely adequate for casual use. HAIII models are also knurled in the same pattern used on the earlier SS Matterhorns which were so popular.

As a bonus to Peakaholics, there is knurling also on the stainless steel version. It is not just a smooth threaded tube. Rather, this light in all its variations is milled from solid stock. The heads have milled flats in a stylish pattern. A close inspection reveals that the design format appears identical to that of the Eiger. Very attractive, and tough as nails especially in stainless. Sorry to say - but my pictures just don't do justice to the high quality of this light. If you look carefully, you'll also notice that the keychain posts in the following picture are raw aluminum, the stainless weren't available when I picked these up (and every other keychain post I have just happens to be brass.) 





El Capitans in 14500 & 14250; Eigers in 10440, 10280 & 10180​ 
As already noted, El Capitan heads, bodies, and keychain posts are manufactured in Brass, Stainless, and HAIII, and can be mixed and matched to suit your tastes. Same with the momentary switches, but these are manufactured only in Brass and SS, not in HAIII.

​ Because the El Capitan head is compatible with every earlier Kili / Kino Bay body, older lights can be readily upgraded with the El Capitan head containing the new emitter and circuit board.

Workmanship is superb with very tight tolerances in all machined parts. Both the brass and stainless polish up very, very nicely. Frankly, Brass Peaks in particular are so beautifully made it ought to be a crime not to polish them. 





​ Polished Brass Keychain & HAIII w/ SS Head & Momentary​ 
On the other hand, there are those who prefer the richness of an aged patina. As an aside, and as others have noted in other posts, a polished brass Peak carried in a pocket seems to retain its polish longer, and develop a patina slower, than one carried on a keychain. The HAIII finish is a semi-gloss black, not gray, and is even across the entire light without any visible variations in color. The HAIII head and tail post are anodized at the same time so they will match. Threads are tight and silky smooth, especially in brass, but the SS and HAIII, although very precisely machined, should be lightly lubricated. If you haven't already done so, check out Tekno Cowboy's Comprehensive Grease and Lube Sticky for a wealth of info on the lubes you may wish to use. I have been using a silicone faucet grease with great results. However, use any dielectric (non-conducting) grease very sparingly since this can impair current flow as I've learned the hard way - too much will cause flickering and can even prevent the light from firing at all.

An O-ring on the head provides a snug fit to prevent the light from being twisted on unintentionally, and also to seal the battery compartment which holds a single AA or 14500 battery, positive terminal facing forward. The negative contact is at the tail end of the case, and in the keychain style this contact is inserted into a recess that also accepts the keychain adapter. A neat feature of the keychain style is that the light can be removed from the keychain simply by twisting the tail end of the light off its adapter which will stay attached to the keyring. Even with the adapter removed in this way, the light remains waterproof. The optional momentary switch is inserted into the same recess and replaces both the separate negative contact and the keychain adapter. The switch is actually a very small unit that is even shorter than the keychain adapter it replaces. 






The Keychain body accepts either configuration​ 
A small foam washer at the tail end prevents battery rattle. Another O-ring is used to prevent water intrusion at the rear of the body. These O-rings all seem to work well, probably because of the close tolerances in the design and manufacture - I've never observed any water entry in any Peak light. Because the O-rings are subject to abrasion during twisting of the body, they should also be lubricated lightly. 

Operation is as simple as it gets: twist the head on, and twist it off. 

With the momentary switch installed, the depth of the head is initially adjusted by twisting it into the body until the momentary switch operates with the desired level of sensitivity - a quick and easy adjustment. Even with the momentary switch installed, the head can be twisted to the on position for more convenient extended use. The spring-loaded momentary switch does not click on or off - it is a very simple device that allows current to flow when depressed. It is completely silent. The operating button is wide and beefy and available in either brass or stainless. 

For those familiar with Peak's momentary switches, this is the very same tried and true, smoothly operating switch also used in Peak's Matterhorn, Eiger, Pacific and Caribbean series of lights. I can't say enough about the momentary switch for these lights. Nothing could be quicker or more convenient to operate and it's ideal especially for those uses that are of short duration. 

The El Capitan uses a single AA sized cell of any battery chemistry presently available, primary or rechargeable. The light is specifically designed to handle any 1.2v rechargeable NiMH, 1.5v alkaline, or 3.7v rechargeable 14500 LiIon battery. 

Peak is also producing the El Capitan with a shorter body to accommodate the 14250 LiIon battery. This body is just about one inch shorter than the AA sized body making for a very compact powerhouse of a light. In the pocket body it's actually even shorter than a lugged 10280 Eiger!





SS El Capitans in 14500 & 14250​ 
Now, an important point about battery length: AW's protected 14500's seem to be measurably longer than most other AA/14500 cells - too long for an El Capitan set up for standard AA's or unprotected 14500's. The added length of a protected 14500 is troublesome even with the momentary body. The bottom line is that the length of these protected cells prevents turning down the head of the light far enough to completely cover the O-ring. But there is a solution: on request Peak will furnish the light with a shorter negative contact to remedy the situation for those who intend to use the protected 14500's.

Heat produced by hungry LED's powered by 3.7v LiIon cells to maximum output is something to write home about. Earlier LED's, not as efficient as the XPG, wasted more energy - waste in the form of heat. The XPG, however, converts more of the available power into lumens and loses less through heat. As a result, and despite its relatively small size, the El Capitan runs much cooler than the Pacific driven hard with the same 3.7v battery. This is also partly due to the effectiveness of Peak's heat management methodology. The circuit board and heatsink, like those of all Peaks, are potted (totally encased) for protection against shock and moisture in a heat-transferring epoxy. The El Capitan uses the same reliable circuitry Peak has used in all its Rebel and P4 lights. The positive contact at the rear of the head is a very solid gold-plated brass button. No soft solder blob to deform. 

The LED used in the current production is an R4 bin Cree XPG in lower power units, with an R5 now being installed in higher power lights. However, as indicated above, when the R5's become available in quantity these will be used exclusively, Colored XPE's may be available soon on special order. 

Unlike the Eiger which is produced in wide, medium and narrow beam profiles, the El Capitan is available at this time in just two profiles - medium or narrow, both with collimating optics. The relatively shallow Kili head does not permit the use of a longer reflector that might ordinarily be required for a narrower beam. But Peak now employs a collimating optic for the XPG to achieve a narrower beam profile for a much tighter hotspot and greater resulting throw. The LED and optic are protected with a lexan window. These are not the same optics used in the Eiger. They are new optics sized for the El Capitan head, but the beam pattern in the medium is very similar to that of the Medium Eiger which has a broad hot spot with respectable (but not dramatic) throw and a wide, even spill. The narrow profile, although it doesn't affect total lumen output at all, produces a substantially smaller hotspot and an increase in apparent intensity estimated by Peak at 85% above that of the medium. 

The beam profiles with either optic are beautiful: very, very clean without any rings or unevenness or shadows or artifacts of any kind. The medium configuration is ideal for the general uses of lights of this size. The medium El Capitan was not designed to be a thrower - it delivers instead a huge volume of light over a wide area within a reasonable range. The narrow, on the other hand, especially with LiIons, is definitely in the thrower category. 

I will post some beamshots, but please be patient - I haven't yet learned how to capture them.

A particular advantage of the El Capitan (like the AAA Eiger) is that it is manufactured and can be ordered in any one of eight different power levels ranging from fairly dim and very long-running (Level 1), to maximum brightness with little if any regard for runtime (Level 8). You pick. It is, however, a single level light with no strobes, SOS mode, or variable outputs. 

Performance with a single 1.5v cell is dramatic. I never believed an ordinary AA battery could produce so much light. But with a 3.7v Lithium Ion battery the output of this state of the art light is simply unbelievable. Not too long ago, much larger lights using two CR-123 lithium batteries for 65 to 120 lumens were classed and marketed as tactical. The El Capitan would serve very well as a pocket backup to a duty light for a LEO. 

There is a vast difference in performance from the Level 1 to the Level 8 lights. Total lumens at Level 1 should be low enough to satisfy most anyone slinking around the house at night without waking others - something in the neighborhood of 7 lumens with alkaline and 16 lumens with a LiIon. Level 4 output should be about 16 lumens with alkaline and 35 lumens with a LiIon. Output at Level 8 with an alkaline is said to be about 54 lumens, and approximately 130 lumens with a 3.7v LiIon. Note that these values are for the R4 bin XPG. The R5's should increase total lumens by another 10% or so.

I am not much of a judge of tints and still like the nice blue tints on my old 5mm's, but I can't see any tint at all in the El Capitan. I was specifically told that mine has a very slight greenish tint, but neither I nor anyone else I've shown it to can detect any color at all, even when compared to other lights against bright white walls and paper. Anyway, from what I've seen with my old, lying eyes, the tint, or lack of it, is perfect. The Cree XPG is apparently delivered in bulk kits which contain emitters of varying tints. These new Peaks are therefore going to be subject, like all others using these Crees, to the "tint lottery" about which much has previously been written.

More compact and more capable than the trusted Pacific, with performance equal or superior to much larger and far more expensive lights, the El Capitan sets a very high mark for a new class of lights. And like all Peaks, it is beautifully made with many build and performance options. It is a superb light, built to serve and to last.





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## NutSAK (Dec 9, 2009)

Another excellent and very comprehensive review! Thank you very much!

I would like to point out again:



Dances with Flashlight said:


> Then came the AA Pacific models. Peak designed and built this light around the P4 LED



The Pacific was designed around the Luxeon. It was later updated to the SSC P4.


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## mightysparrow (Dec 9, 2009)

Thanks for the very helpful and well-written review! You helped influence my purchase decision- I am closer to making up my mind to purchase an El Capitan.


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## Zeruel (Dec 9, 2009)

Thank you for your review. :thumbsup:

I'm quite sure they can if I'm not wrong.... El Capitan's head can be used with other series' bodies (like Eiger's), right?


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## RAGE CAGE (Dec 9, 2009)

Zeruel said:


> Thank you for your review. :thumbsup:
> 
> I'm quite sure they can if I'm not wrong.... El Capitan's head can be used with other series' bodies (like Eiger's), right?


 
They are interchangable with Kiliminjaro (AA) bodies and......searching...

"The El Cap body and head are .71" in diameter"....maybe only the kili unless you browse thru the cad drawings in the Peal sticky to look for another .71" diameter head. The Kino Bay body may work also.


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## Dances with Flashlight (Dec 9, 2009)

NutSAK said:


> I would like to point out again: The Pacific was designed around the Luxeon. It was later updated to the SSC P4.



And you are right, again. I keep forgetting that.

ZERUEL: Rage Cage is correct, I'm pretty sure. The El Cap head will interchange only with Kili and Kino Bay bodies. I can't think of any others that would fit. Eigers and Baltics are definitely too small in diameter; Pacifics and Caribbean's are too large.


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## John_Galt (Dec 9, 2009)

Very nice review! I'm definitely going to have to wait until compact optics become available for the XP-G to purchase one. The brass looks cool.

With the momentary switch, how do you keep the light in constant on? By tightening the head?


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## post tenebras (Dec 9, 2009)

Thanks for another great review!

I'm going to hold off on this one in the hope that Curt will offer a narrow optic in the future.

I love Peak lights, but I hate the challenge of obtaining them. :shakehead


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## Zeruel (Dec 9, 2009)

RAGE CAGE said:


> They are interchangable with Kiliminjaro (AA) bodies and......searching...
> 
> "The El Cap body and head are .71" in diameter"....maybe only the kili unless you browse thru the cad drawings in the Peal sticky to look for another .71" diameter head. The Kino Bay body may work also.





Dances with Flashlight said:


> ZERUEL: Rage Cage is correct, I'm pretty sure. The El Cap head will interchange only with Kili and Kino Bay bodies. I can't think of any others that would fit. Eigers and Baltics are definitely too small in diameter; Pacifics and Caribbean's are too large.



Thanks for the info. Looks like I have to get the whole light then, I've only got Eigers left. :laughing:


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## RAGE CAGE (Dec 9, 2009)

Dances with Flashlight said:


> REVIEW - PEAK'S EL CAPITAN XPG AA / 14500 / 14250​
> 
> *Now, an important point about battery length: AW's protected 14500's seem to be measurably longer than most other AA/14500 cells - too long for an El Capitan set up for standard AA's or unprotected 14500's. The added length of a protected 14500 is troublesome even with the momentary body. The bottom line is that the length of these protected cells prevents turning down the head of the light far enough to completely cover the O-ring. But there is a solution: on request Peak will furnish the light with a shorter negative contact to remedy the situation for those who intend to use the protected 14500's.*


 
Excellent review as always...I sure hope readers take special notice of your AW cell comment as they are extremely popular here.


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## defloyd77 (Dec 9, 2009)

Great review! Is there a 2AA body that will work with these?


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## Dances with Flashlight (Dec 9, 2009)

No 2AA El Cap body yet, but the thought of a beautiful brass Peak in between an Eiger Penlight and a 2AA Caribbean sounds really great.


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## Henk_Lu (Dec 10, 2009)

Great, comprehensive & informative review on an outstanding little light! :thumbsup:

The stainless steel with knurling looks very nice...


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## defloyd77 (Dec 10, 2009)

Any chance for a beamshot?


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## regulator (Dec 10, 2009)

Thank you for the very informative review. The El Captain looks to be a great pocket light. 

I would love to see a beam comparison of the El Captain and Eiger medium if possible. I think Curt may have mentioned that the Captain beam may be slightly more narrow than the Eiger medium optic (which is fine with me).

I purchased the Pacific in AA pocket tube when it first came out due to it being one of the most compact AA lights with a nice output/runtime balance - and the El Captain is even smaller and slimmer!


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## Curt R (Dec 12, 2009)

Battery update:

Bob at RMSK has informed me that the 14500 Lithium-Ion batteries that he sells with the El Cap is protected 
and fits without problems. The batteries from AW may be a little bit longer. 

We will be shipping a small quantity of #8 Narrow beam El Caps to RMSK on the 15th of Dec. 
He should have them by Friday.

Curt


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## Dances with Flashlight (Dec 17, 2009)

regulator said:


> I would love to see a beam comparison of the El Captain and Eiger medium if possible. I think Curt may have mentioned that the Captain beam may be slightly more narrow than the Eiger medium optic (which is fine with me).



I'll try to post some worthwhile beamshots this weekend. The comparison between the Eiger and El Cap in medium is simple to describe - both beams are beautiful, the El Cap being brighter. As soon as I can pick up a narrow El Cap I'll post shots of that as well.


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## AFAustin (Dec 17, 2009)

Walter, great review! I'm a little behind in my reading, and just came upon this tonight. 

I always loved the Kili style, size, and form factor, and looks like El Capitan gives it performance to match. 

Thanks again for this very well written review. 

Andrew


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## BentHeadTX (Dec 18, 2009)

Looking forward to the El Cap medium and narrow optics beam shots, thanks! Really interested in how the optics and XP-G go together, a reflector is too large so optics are the wise choice.


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## Fooboy (Dec 18, 2009)

How much is it?


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## Dances with Flashlight (Dec 19, 2009)

Fooboy said:


> How much is it?



http://www.em-mgt.com/LED/El Capitan.html


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## ZRXBILL (Dec 19, 2009)

WOW that brass El Capitan is really calling my name. There is just something about brass that I find so visually appealing.oo:


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## Dances with Flashlight (Dec 19, 2009)

ZRXBILL said:


> WOW that brass El Capitan is really calling my name. There is just something about brass that I find so visually appealing.oo:



+1 The weight and rock solid feel of a brass flashlight is also appealing in this age of plastics and aluminum. Stainless steel comes close, but there just isn't anything quite like brass, especially when it's polished.


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## Lebkuecher (Dec 20, 2009)

VERY NICE REVIEW!!

Thanks


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## Yapo (Dec 27, 2009)

The light looks great! But ive been wanting something brighter at 100+ lumens on alk/eneloop AAs.

I love how it uses a collimating optic lens as more light goes to the hotspot and alot of recent optics like those in new surefires give a nice smooth transition to minimal spill.

I find the greater amount of light going into the wide spill from normal reflectors is wasted especially when using at longer distances. (Would rather more of that light go into a brighter and/or larger hotspot)

I wish more lights used optics as they can give both wide or narrow beam(or both in Led Lenser) in the same sized package!


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## Woods Walker (Jan 2, 2010)

This is a great review and want one in brass. Would be looking for one around 10-20 lumens for good runtimes. Will have to review the whole level thing they got going. At these lower levels the LED shouldn't heat up and think maybe brass will transfer the heat away better than SS but don't know for sure.


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## Dances with Flashlight (Jan 2, 2010)

Woods Walker said:


> This is a great review and want one in brass. Would be looking for one around 10-20 lumens for good runtimes. Will have to review the whole level thing they got going. At these lower levels the LED shouldn't heat up and think maybe brass will transfer the heat away better than SS but don't know for sure.



Thanks. I wouldn't worry at all about heat - even at the higher power levels it hasn't been an issue from my experience. And runtime at the lower power levels with this efficient emitter will be phenomenal.

ps. Brass is a great choice!


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## toby_pra (Jan 4, 2010)

Very nice review...


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## Raymond3 (Jan 8, 2010)

"Operation is as simple as it gets: twist the head on, and twist it off."

Could you tell us if you are able to twist it on and off with one hand? TY


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## Dances with Flashlight (Jan 8, 2010)

Raymond3 said:


> Could you tell us if you are able to twist it on and off with one hand? TY



Yes, easily. A strong hand is not required. The O'ring fits snuggly but not so much that it makes twisting difficult. The overall length of the light allows an adequate grip of the rear of the body tube with one or two fingers. And the head has generous flats and the body is knurled, so there wouldn't normally be any slipping. 





​


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## J33psr0ck (Jan 11, 2010)

I am still learning how to use my camera with manual settings so I don't have any camera info here other than I am using a Sony DSC-H2 camera on auto exposure. If I can capture some longer distance shots that look helpful or informative, I will post them.

Using the El Capitan #8 narrow, Here is a comparison between a fresh Eneloop and a fresh AW 14500. Dances with Flashlight let me borrow an AW 14500 and a charger so thanks to him for the Lithium-Ion comparison. 

2.5 Ft. Shot with a fresh AA Eneloop





2.5 Ft. Shot with a fresh AW 14500


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## Dances with Flashlight (Jan 11, 2010)

Thanks for these beamshots. They are unquestionably far better than any I have taken, but do not seem to reflect the huge increase in output offered by the LiIon 14500. Could you describe the different outputs with the two batteries and perhaps even try some different shots that illustrate how much more light is produced by the 14500?


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## J33psr0ck (Jan 11, 2010)

Camera Info: Sony DSC-H2, 1.3 second shutter speed, f4.0.

El Capitan #8 narrow, Here are a couple more comparison shots between the Eneloop and the AW 14500. I think these shots definitely demonstrate the difference between the 2 battery types. 

These shots are taken of the 6 foot block wall and an aloe plant in my backyard at a distance of 6 yards.

Eneloop





AW 14500





These shots are taken of the back of my house (which clearly needs to be painted btw) at 10 yards away.

Eneloop





AW 14500 - The colors in the lower left portion of the picture of the reflectors on my sons bike.


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## carrot (Jan 11, 2010)

SWEET! I want one!

Edit: can anybody tell me what brass is like as a flashlight material, and how it holds up to (ab)use and daily wear?


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## Dances with Flashlight (Jan 11, 2010)

Thank you very much. That's what I see when I use 14500's in the El Cap.


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## AFAustin (Jan 12, 2010)

carrot said:


> SWEET! I want one!
> 
> Edit: can anybody tell me what brass is like as a flashlight material, and how it holds up to (ab)use and daily wear?



carrot,

Most of us Peakaholics really love the brass---it is one of the things that makes Peaks special. It wears well, develops a nice patina over time---or you can polish it up from time to time if you prefer it shiny. The relative softness of brass makes the threads smooth, and even smoother over time with use.

The heaviness of the brass gives the lights real "heft", which I enjoy more for keeping-around-the-house lights rather than for carry lights. That's just my preference, and I know lots of Peak fans happily tote their brass. Actually, on a small light, such as an Eiger, it likely wouldn't be much of an issue.

I think every flashlight lover should have at least one Peak brass in his/her collection. But, then again, that may just be my Peakaholic pride showing....

Cheers,

Andrew


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## Dances with Flashlight (Jan 12, 2010)

+1 for what AFAustin said.

Matterhorns & Eigers and Baltics in brass don't weigh so much that you really notice and I've carried them all on keychains regularly. The only brass Peak that I wouldn't want to carry around at all is my 2AA Caribbean - it's like a tire iron! Any of the other brass Peaks, such as the El Capitan and the Pacific, are fine for pocket carry though probably too heavy for keychain use.

The brass does hold up very well to ordinary, daily wear and tear. It is not so soft that it's an issue, and I've dropped mine I don't know how many times when fumbling for keys without any visible damage. None of my brass Peaks have been marred at all by keys or knives on keyrings, or by the Leatherman or spare .45 magazine in my backpack. But if dropped from a sufficient height onto a hard surface you could ding the brass. 

I'm pretty much addicted to polished brass Peaks. Probably need some Brassadone or something.


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## George1 (Jan 12, 2010)

Great outdoor shot comparisons. They are very helpful. Is the AW 14500 protected or unprotected? Is it a tight fit in the body? Thanks for the information.


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## J33psr0ck (Jan 12, 2010)

Geroge1, It's a protected AW 14500 cell. The battery fits like a glove. It slides right out if I tilt the flashlight upside down with the head off.


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## George1 (Jan 12, 2010)

Thank you for the information. I thought I read somewhere that some, including AW's, 14500's might be slightly longer than others and not allow the head to screw past the O ring in the El Caps. Good to know the protected AW's work.


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## RAGE CAGE (Jan 12, 2010)

Increased distance and outdoor beamshots says it all visually explains the difference between the primary and Li-Ions- same thing with the Eiger- you have to see it to beleive it.


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## HarryN (Jan 12, 2010)

Thanks for the review - looks like an interesting light.

HarryN


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## BentHeadTX (Jan 12, 2010)

Sweet!

With the Eneloops, I want one! With the 14500's and narrow optics, I'm going to GET one! How long will the #8 narrow run on a 14500? Does the light ever taper off or is it bright then the BMS board protection kicks in on the battery? 

My birthday is next month so I want a #8 narrow El Cap with two 14500 protected and a dual bay charger. The El Cap #8 narrow will be my new bicycle helmet light just in time for March so I can get my legs back. I'll run the 14500 with Eneloops as backup if I go for a long ride along with an E2 lithium as a backup to the backup... 

Does the HA-III get really hot when running the 14500? Can it go an hour on the 14500? Maybe I should call Curt and ask what power level will run an hour on the 14500 so I can have decent run time.


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## Brasso (Jan 22, 2010)

FYI,

I ordered some UltraFire protected 14500's from Battery Junction. They are even longer than the AW's. They will NOT fit. They must mean the unprotected cells.


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## Dances with Flashlight (Jan 22, 2010)

I don't have any Ultrafire protected 14500's, but the El Capitan battery compartment should be long enough to handle any protected 14500. Call Curt if you need a shorter negative post.

One of the benefits of Peak's momentary switch is that it seems to easily accomodate batteries of different lengths. I've installed a half dozen momentary switches from other Peak lights into an El Cap and all of them have handled every AA battery I've tried, including AW's protected 14500's, without a problem. Longer Ultrafires should also work with the momentary switch since its length can be easily adjusted.


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## eyeeatingfish (Feb 2, 2010)

I dont see runtimes listed anywhere....

And was this review of the narrow or the medium beam?

I am thinking of this light for my grandma or wife. Having trouble figuring out which brightness to choose. So I guess it depends on the runtime. For example If #8 runs for only 30 mins then its probably fricken bright and I dont want that little runtime.

And how does this thing compare to something like a nitecore D10 on high? (thats what I currently have as EDC) or other better quality chinese AA


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## Dances with Flashlight (Feb 3, 2010)

This review was of an El Cap with the medium optic and its a great choice for the casual user. Haven't done the math or any runtime tests so I can't express an opinion with any certainty, but the El Cap uses a very efficient emitter and I have yet to see any decline in output over time with any of the batteries I've used. In any event, even at level 8 runtime is well in excess of an hour. With comparable batteries, total output of the El Cap easily equals or exceeds that of any other comparable light. Of course, Grandma shouldn't be loaded with LiIons (unless she packs a weapon or is herself a member of CPF).


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## Dances with Flashlight (Apr 11, 2010)

An El Capitan with a Mini Griptilian​


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## fisk-king (Jul 24, 2010)

Thanks to this review I ordered my first Peak light. Great review & the fellow at RMSK(Bob?) was very nice & helpful.:thanks:

one El Capitan #0 S.S.


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