# Beamshot comparison 10 budget flashlights



## geek1 (Jul 31, 2009)

Test Setup

Camera: Nikon D40
Mode: Manual
Shutter: 1/5
Aperture: F3.5
ISO: 800
Focal Length: 18mm
White Balance: Auto
Distance: 9 meters (approximately)


The Participants










(from right to left)

9 LED Flashlight 20000mcd - 3xAAA
Romisen RC-C3 Cree P4 - 1xRCR123A
SmallSun ZY-C60 Cree Q3 - 1xRCR123A
UltraFire A30B Cree Q5 - 1xRCR123A
Romisen RC-G2 Cree P2 - 1xAA
Romisen RC-G2 II Cree Q5 - 1xAA
Romisen RC-N3 Cree P4 - 2xAA
Romisen RC-F4 Cree P4 - 2xRCR123A
X2000 Cree P4 - 1xR18650
SpiderFire SSC P7 - 1xR18650


Beam Comparison

(All on fresh batteries)








9 LED Flashlight 20000mcd - 3xAAA








Romisen RC-C3 Cree P4 - 1xRCR123A








SmallSun ZY-C60 Cree Q3 - 1xRCR123A








UltraFire A30B Cree Q5 - 1xRCR123A








Romisen RC-G2 Cree P2 - 1xAA








Romisen RC-G2 II Cree Q5 - 1xAA








Romisen RC-N3 Cree P4 - 2xAA - High Mode








Romisen RC-N3 Cree P4 - 2xAA - Low Mode








Romisen RC-F4 Cree P4 - 2xRCR123A








X2000 Cree P4 - 1xR18650 - Flood Mode








X2000 Cree P4 - 1xR18650 - Throw Mode








X2000 Cree P4 - 1xR18650 - Between flood and throw








SpiderFire SSC P7 - 1xR18650 - High Mode








SpiderFire SSC P7 - 1xR18650 - Low Mode


End


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## Rat6P (Jul 31, 2009)

Wow. first post and all!
nice job


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## applevision (Jul 31, 2009)

Nice!

Thanks for posting these nice beamshots!

Any thoughts you have on each light (build quality, feel in the hand, your impression of beam characteristics, etc.) would also be great--I find that the impressions of folks comparing lights is as important or sometimes even better than the pics/data.


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## ma_sha1 (Jul 31, 2009)

Nice!


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## Wiggle (Jul 31, 2009)

That X2000 flood shot is pretty cool, the lux is so even throughout it looks like the daytime through a peep hole.


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## Kerch (Jul 31, 2009)

Thanks for the useful pics. I have the X2000, and these pics illustrate why I like it so much. As a visual estimate, the flood it produces is 2 to 3 times at intense as you would normally get straight from the emitter.


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## recDNA (Jul 31, 2009)

The X2000 looks really cool. If it were 2 X CR123 I'd prefer it to my Eagletac T20C

On DX I see the 1 X CR123 version and the 3 X AAA version but no 18650 version. Can you help me out?


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## Painkiller1009 (Jul 31, 2009)

sku.14450


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## jeffe (Jul 31, 2009)

Thanks for the pics and your first post. I've been looking for a relatively cheap Romisen or Ultrafire.


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## recDNA (Jul 31, 2009)

Painkiller1009 said:


> sku.14450


 
Thanks. I see it is strictly 18650. I was hoping it would take 2 X CR123. I don't do rechargeables. Too bad.

I wonder if the 3 X AAA is anywhere near as bright?


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## xenonk (Jul 31, 2009)

Those flood-to-throw lights are all direct drive, and the output is going to depend on the voltage of your batteries and the Vf of that particular sample. That places 2xCR123 out of the running without a mod. Three lithium AAAs might also not be a good idea (3x1.7V = 5.1V).


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## Swedpat (Jul 31, 2009)

Thank you geek1 for an excellent first post!

The X2000 Cree P4 provides an impressive beam. I have LedLenser P14 but it does not show the shape of the LED-chip when focused to max throw. It would be interesting to compare them.

Regards, Patric


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## slipe (Jul 31, 2009)

Nice shots – thanks.
I think it is funny that DX called the light the X2000. It has no brand name or markings except the zoom levels. Those are X1, X250, X500, X1000 and X2000. I guess they figured X2000 was the most impressive of the choices.

If you had taken the photos at a faster shutter viewers could see that the odd shape is a projection of the emitter with the circuit almost as clear as a slide projection of a photo.

A great use for that light is picking up channel markers in a boat without getting too much reflection back from the boat deck to ruin night vision. The flood is nice when anchored. I’m working on a bracket for it to hook to the bimini. 

I got the SmallSun CR123 with the mid body clicky. It isn’t a powerhouse by any means but I like the switch placement.

I think the SpiderFire needs an intermediate mode. It is too small and light for the P7 and gets way too hot if run for over 7 or 8 minutes. I prefer the SpiderFire to my other P7 because of the small size and have never had occasion to run it over five minutes except to test it. It would be nice though to have an intermediate mode for occasions where you need good light for an extended period. It is direct drive and the light diminishes over time, but probably not enough to keep it from cooking.


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## chaosmagnet (Jul 31, 2009)

:welcome:

Very well done, thank you!


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## hoffmand (Jul 31, 2009)

Great post. I didn't expect the 1xAA RC-G2 II to have more throw and more spill than the 2xAA RC-N3. Looks like great budget light.


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## recDNA (Jul 31, 2009)

xenonk said:


> Those flood-to-throw lights are all direct drive, and the output is going to depend on the voltage of your batteries and the Vf of that particular sample. That places 2xCR123 out of the running without a mod. Three lithium AAAs might also not be a good idea (3x1.7V = 5.1V).


 
I would need a more complete explanation including the voltage and vF of all 3 battery combos to understand you


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## BigBluefish (Aug 1, 2009)

A very nice post, thanks. 

I think your choice of location for your beamshots was excellent, seems just the type of outdoor space that many of us may have need to illuminate from time to time.

As were others, I was impressed by the flood mode of that X200--that's about as uniform a beam as I've ever seen. As for the throw mode, despite the emitter-shaped hotspot, you could probably light up something in the next zip-code with that kight. Very cool.

What also really surprised me was the improvement in the RC-G2 when the Q5 emitter is used, much brighter hotspot, and what looks like, finally, usefull spill. I think I'll have to upgrade my older P4 RC-G2. This is now one of those "must have" budget lights. 

Thanks again for the great beamshots.


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## BlueFlix (Aug 1, 2009)

geek1, thank you for this awesome beamshot review. Really helps to decide which buget flashlight to purchase. 

The X2000's flood mode is very impressive. 

But a much cheaper version would be the C30 Flood-to-Throw Zooming Glass Optics Cree P4 at only $9.9 

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.18697 

 

A newer version even has 3-modes (Hi - Mid - Fast Strobe) with digitally regulated 600mA current output for under $10. 

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.26798 

 

I am also keen to buy the *SmallSun ZY-C61 Cree P4* 2-AA ($11.66) 

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15457 

 

So really hope geek1 or others could share their beamshot of the above 3 flashlights (if you had bought them). Tks.


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## xenonk (Aug 2, 2009)

recDNA said:


> I would need a more complete explanation including the voltage and vF of all 3 battery combos to understand you





Alkaline AAA: 1.5V
3x = 4.5V
 
Lithium AAA: 1.7V
3x = 5.1V
 
NiMH AAA: 1.2V nominal/~1.4V peak
3x = 3.6/4.2V
 
18650: 3.7V nominal, 4.2V peak
RCR123: 3.7V nominal, 4.2V peak

The forward voltage (Vf) of an XR-E LED like the P4 in the X2000 lights is somewhere around 3.5V, but each sample will vary. On direct drive, it's the P4's Vf and the input voltage that determine how much current it draws. If you get a sample that has a Vf of 2.8V and feed it a battery carrier full of Energizer lithiums (5.1V), it'll probably go .

They aren't regulated despite what DX put in the description. The 3-mode could be (sku# 15160), but I kind of suspect it just has a PWM modulator and no driver.


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## recDNA (Aug 2, 2009)

xenonk said:


> Alkaline AAA: 1.5V
> 3x = 4.5V
> 
> Lithium AAA: 1.7V
> ...


 
SO are you saying that the 3 X AAA version that DX sells will simply burn out the second you turn it on? That seems unlikely.

Are you saying it will produce fewer lumens? If so why?

If you're saying the duration it will run is less but output is similar I'm fine with that. 

I just don't understand exactly how what you've tried to explain to me translates into the actual performance of the flashlight. 

DX markets a 1 X CR123 version and a 3 X AAA version. Are you saying they won't work? They will have dim deams. Or they require new batteries more often?


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## phantom23 (Aug 2, 2009)

hoffmand said:


> Great post. I didn't expect the 1xAA RC-G2 II to have more throw and more spill than the 2xAA RC-N3. Looks like great budget light.


RC-G2 II has new circuit that drives the emitter much harder. Besides it uses Cree Q5. RC-N3 here has P4 emitter (25% less efficient) and 2 mode circuit which is slightly less bright than single mode.They're not quite comparable, RC-N3 with Q5 is significantly brighter and runs for over 3 hours (RC-G2 - 1 hour).


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## recDNA (Aug 2, 2009)

It's funny - on DX they estimate the AAA X 3 version of the X2000 at 100 lumens but no estimate in the 18650 version. Would it be brighter or the same?


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## xenonk (Aug 2, 2009)

recDNA said:


> I just don't understand exactly how what you've tried to explain to me translates into the actual performance of the flashlight.





recDNA said:


> It's funny - on DX they estimate the AAA X 3 version of the X2000 at 100 lumens but no estimate in the 18650 version. Would it be brighter or the same?



Two samples of the same product might not even have the same brightness. That's the way it is with direct drive. DX has a lot of cheap 1x18650 P7 and MC-E lights that are in the same boat.

You do not know how much current the one you order will pull until you have it. The emitters may vary between batches or even within the same batch (even if they're the same flux bin). Input voltage is paramount, which makes the 3xAAA versions the most variable because the light's performance will change depending on the type of AAA you feed it. 

Battery internal resistance also plays a part under direct drive, but that's complicating things even further.

Forward voltage (Vf) = the threshold voltage required before the diode will function. Current draw rapidly rises with additional voltage beyond threshold.
More current = brighter, runs battery down faster.
*Too much* current = LED burns out.

That burnout on three lithium AAAs is unlikely. It was only an example of what could happen if QC at the factory didn't do their jobs and you got a very low Vf emitter that you subsequently loaded with batteries having the highest possible voltage.


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## recDNA (Aug 2, 2009)

xenonk said:


> Two samples of the same product might not even have the same brightness. That's the way it is with direct drive. DX has a lot of cheap 1x18650 P7 and MC-E lights that are in the same boat.
> 
> You do not know how much current the one you order will pull until you have it. The emitters may vary between batches or even within the same batch (even if they're the same flux bin). Input voltage is paramount, which makes the 3xAAA versions the most variable because the light's performance will change depending on the type of AAA you feed it.
> 
> ...


 
Thank you for the explanation. I think it is clearer to me now.

It sounds as though the 3 X AAA with Energizer ultimate lithium primaries may be brighter but burn out faster than the 18650 all other things being equal. I also get that the quality of the bin I receive is a lottery but for 10 bucks sounds like a decent one to try. I've never bought anything from DX but the X2000 does tempt me. I like little flood lights and it's cheap enough to leave at work.


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## don.gwapo (Feb 17, 2010)

I got the X2000 3xAAA at Amazon with the Cree Q5 in it and rated at 240 lumens. In low mode it emits 160 lumens. 240 on high mode then strobe. It outshine and outdistance my Led Lenser P7 in terms throw and flood mode. I used Energizer Ultimate Lithium on both for a while now and got no problems at all.


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## recDNA (Feb 17, 2010)

If it didn't have strobe I'd buy one.


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## shipwreck (Jun 30, 2010)

BlueFlix said:


> geek1, thank you for this awesome beamshot review. Really helps to decide which buget flashlight to purchase.
> 
> The X2000's flood mode is very impressive.
> 
> ...



I just found this thread after posting my review of the C30 here:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/281077

I will say that I am impressed enough with the C30 that I just went ahead and ordered a 2nd one. For $9.52, its a steal.


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## Ian2381 (Jul 1, 2010)

Wow, this thread is the one that made me want to get as many lights when I'm new to the forum and do some beamshots.

A really nice thread.:twothumbs


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