So I got my Wolf Eyes Cree for my G2 today

[jfindon]

Fits perfect, no gap between the head of the flashlight or anything. I'm using half dead CR123s right now that wouldn't work with the P60 lamp but it does work with the Cree, it just doesn't seem too bright so they must be pretty dead. I have a box of 123s coming my way and they should be here any day now, so after I have a fresh set of batteries I'll try to take some pictures and compare them.

I'll check the voltage on these two batteries to see how dead they really are.

EDIT: Batteries are about 2.85v, would that cause a big decrease in brightness with this new lamp?


EDIT 2: Well, I noticed that I can actually see the light dim about 2 seconds after I turn it on, so I guess they are pretty well dead and this isn't near what I should expect in terms of output.

 

[ThinkOfTheChildren]

Sorry to hear that you are disappointed thus far, but if the batteries are so drained that they won't even power the P60, I wouldn't consider them a fair test for the drop-in. I hope your new batteries show up soon and give you better results.

If you are seeing a visible dimming after 2 seconds, it either means the unit is defective or it's dropping out of regulation. Given the fact that the batteries won't power the P60, plus WE's track record, I'd wager it's the latter. While I fully admit that I know little about reliably measuring voltage on lithium primaries, my limited understanding is that most testers aren't taking a reading under load (particularly the kind of load that a high-output light wants to draw).

 

[jfindon]

Yeah, I'm totally expecting much better results when I get the batteries. They will be here tomorrow, I emailed SureFire today because I never got a tracking number.

I also thought about it not being regulated and that's why it was dimming.

Either way, after seeing a comparison at the candlepowerforums, I'm expecting much better results tomorrow.

 

[untamed]

Looking forward to the beamshots! TIA!

 

[Cougar Allen]

Lithium batteries don't show any no-load voltage drop until they're very depleted -- measuring voltage is usually considered pointless because it'll show a perfect 3 volts even when it's practically dead. Yours are showing 2.85 -- it's time to get the bugle and play Taps.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

I bet they work fine in an Inova X5T.
(That's where I use all my depeleted 123's.)

 

[jfindon]

Got my batteries, and as I suspected the light is MUCH brighter now. I'll see what I can do for pictures, I've never tried taking any of the light before.

EDIT: Ok, here is my first attempt. It's all I can do right now because it's light out, so I went to my garage. From where I was standing to the end of the door it was about 15.5 feet.





Click thumbnails. I'm sure you can tell which is which by the color. The WE seems to have more spill if that's the correct word, there's more useful light. It also has a tighter center spot.

 

[ThinkOfTheChildren]

The WE seems to have more spill if that's the correct word, there's more useful light. It also has a tighter center spot.

Yep, that's the correct terminology.

A few tips for beamshots:
I'm not sure what settings you used, so I don't know if this even applies to your shots, but always shoot in manual mode so that each light gets the same settings. If you don't have full manual control, then a beamshot with two lights side-by-side is good (but not possible here since here you are using one body). If you are letting your camera change any settings automatically, however, it will compensate for brightness differences and give misleading photos.

Also lock your camera into a set white-balance (I usually use the "sun" setting) so that it isn't trying to compensate for tint either.

It looks like the hotspots are overexposed in your shots (note parts of the garage door disappearing). This is an easy one to fall into, since your camera's light meter will most likely try to balance all available light in your composition to recommend exposure settings. Again, this can lead to misleading shots: if I overexpose two lights, and one is significantly brighter, I can easily make them look the same since no brightness registers past the overexposure. In general, bracketing shots is the easiest way to ensure a fair comparison: take shots of each, then dial down a stop or two and take more shots, repeating as necessary.

Aaaaaanyway.... great job on your first beamshots, despite my ramblings. I'm sure someone out there has a more comprehensive guide if you are ever feeling really nerdy about it.

Enjoy your new light!!