Light Questions - Color, Selection, and Availability - Surefire, Krill, Photon

Marion David Poff

Marion David Poff

Joined
Oct 8, 1998
Messages
5,403
Good Day,

So, I am kinda in a gear organization and acquistion mode... And I put some ideas together and wanted to ask for some feedback.

What is the general consensus about the best color of light for lower light applications? Or, which color is less likely to leave spectacular spots in my eyes? I would be using a Photon Freedom or a Krill light.

Is there a product that provides the same utility of a 180 Krill? If so, which? And what is the practical difference between the regular and the Extreme? I just need general illumination, preferably without spots in my eyes....

Is a Photon even practical? If I have a Surefire for mass illumination, and a Krill for low light needs..... What purpose does a Photon serve?
 
I have owned the Krill regular and extreme, both in green. They would be useful as emergency signalling devices, but I did not find them useful for illumination, especially the regular. Maybe the other colors would be more useful. I bought a CMG Bonfire Blaze instead and am satisfied with it. It is larger, much bulkier, more delicate, and not as weatherproof as the Krill. However, my main use was as an LED lantern for power outages and travel emergencies, not for hiking/camping, so those factors don't matter. It is switchable between very usable white LED light for illumination and red for a lower light option.

As for the Photons, they disappear on a keychain and are great for those situations where you need a quick flash of light - looking for something in a dark theater, seeing a keyhole at night, etc. They lose brightness quickly and are not useful when you need a prolonged, steady light source.
 
I've seen articles on "Glo-toobs"

http://www.glotoob.com/

I have yet to see one in person, but I've read that they give off much more light than the krills do.

I have 4 krills myself and find very little use for them outside of marking (Even my 180 extremes). They do not provide enough light to do much work.

The photon is your standard LED flashlight and will provide a very nice low intensity task light.

There are many "task" lights that will provide enough light for just about anything. The trick is finding the right light for your application. I'm not sure what you plan to do when the light is on or where you plan to be.

I'm assuming that weight isnt an issue for you, as the krill light is fairly heavy.
 
The white photon on a keychain comes in so handy. I also have a red one but its not as bright as the white.
 
Has anyone here tried the almost-photons from Countrycom that keep being mentioned at the Equipped site? 20 for $20 seems too good to be true.
 
People have given me both the 20 for $20 photons and the heavier duty ones, I think they are $1.50 each and they are both great deals. No they are not as nice as a photon, but they so inexpensive they make up for it.
 
Thanks all.

I think the Photon will do the trick.

What with the accessories available to fine-tune the application....

I think a Photon will cover the uses where a Surefire is too bright, like at arm's reach.. or to see the bottom of my backpack... etc...
 
check out inova's microlight as well. i have 2 of these guys and they are plenty bright. i chose them over the photon because they had recessed LEDs, and they had a much more intuitive constant on switch. battery changes also don't require tools, just a pen or strong fingernail to open the plastic covering.
 
Just an FYI for those looking for Photon lights.

I went searching today for the Photon Freedom light, trying to find the best price.
It was not available anywhere locally, so I went to the web.

Suprizingly (Or not.. actually) the cheapest place was on Ebay. There is a guy selling them for 12.95 + 3.00 shipping. Retail pack.

It was the cheapest (with shipping) I could find. If you do a search on photon Freedom and you should see the auction. He shipped the order the same day.

Just to keep this on the up-and-up, I am not affiliated with him or get anything out of this. I just wanted to let everyone know where I was getting a deal from.
 
UPDATE:

I ordered a Photon freedom from the ebay seller. It shipped the same day, and I received it today (less than 24 hours from ordering). Now, they are in the same state as I am and that would explain the overnight shipping. Nevertheless, very fast.

LIght works great (and you get the attachment clip included). One thing I did want to point out to everyone (which I havent read anywhere) was that there is a small ring of glow in the dark area around the LED. This makes that area glow even when in pitch black.

I'm very pleased with the light.
 
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