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По умолчанию Object/Subject Review: Crelant 7G2CS [In Progress]

Review in Progress

Crelant has long been known for it's excellent thrower, arguably best-in-class, the 7G5. Recently, Crelant has been expanding and diversifying it's product line. Now, they are releasing their CS series, which feature a side switch used to select from infinitely variable output.



Thanks to MD Lightsource for providing the 7G2CS for review.

I’ll be reviewing the 7G2CS in two sections: first, I’ll discuss the light objectively (the facts about the light itself), then I’ll discuss the light subjectively (my impressions about the light's performance when used for specific applications). If you have any other specific applications you'd like the light tested for, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

4-Minute Overview

Below is a video "quick review" you can watch in just a few minutes, if you're not up for reading the full review right now:

[video=youtube_share;E_uwnbFZ72k]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_uwnbFZ72k[/video]
This video is available in 720p HD, but defaults to a lower quality. To select the playback quality click the settings button (looks like a gear) after you've started the video.


Objective

Manufacturer's Specifications

Price: $55




Packaging




The 7G2CS comes in a brown box with a cover that slides off. A sticker on the side shows the specs overview, and stickers on the top indicate it as a "Zombie Apocalypse Survival Light".



Inside the box, the light is packed in a plastic bag inside a foam cutout, with the accessories on top and the spec sheet underneath.

Construction




The 7G2CS is made from aluminum, covered with black HAIII type anodizing to resist scratches and dents. Also, a stainless steel ring at each end helps prevent damage in the event of an impact (and adds to the style as well).

The user manual claims the
7G2CS can run from either two CR123 lithium primaries, or a single 18650 lithium-ion rechargeable battery. However, the manual also claims it can accept up to 8.5 volts, and the max voltage of two 16340 lithium-ion cells would be 8.4 volts, so technically that should be an option as well.

Now, let's take a closer look, starting from the front and working back.



The 7G2CS uses a Cree XM-L LED in a smooth reflector. As a point of style on these "zombie" lights, the o-ring between the reflector and lens is green glow-in-the-dark (GITD).

In practice, because of the position of the ring, not much light from the 7G2CS itself gets this ring, so if it's going to light up, it's usually from energy absorbed from ambient light.



The head of the 7G2CS has grooves cut in regular intervals around the head. These don't seem much for heat dissipation, but rather for style and a bit of grip.



Near the base of the head, the 7G2CS has a side switch to select either the dimmest setting or a user-selected output. This switch has a rubber cover, surrounded by a stainless steel ring. The button raises up above the surrounding area well enough to be easy to press, but not so much that it gets caught on anything.



Opposite the button is a similar flat potion, blank. Between the button and the flat, a few grooves are cut to help with heat dissipation. Not beng very deep or large, it's hard to tell if these actually dissipate much heat, but the can't hurt.



The body of the light is smooth, with the Crelant logo and the model information printed on the side. A rubber removable grip ring sits in a groove at the rear of the body. Behind the grip ring is a small, loose metal ring with a small hole for the lanyard attachment. This ring is also removable , but you have to remove both the tail cap and the o-ring underneath first. The hole on the lanyard ring is too small for the lobster-claw on the included lanyard, but a small split-ring is also included to make the connection. If you're going to use this lanyard, you'll probably need to leave the split-ring on most of the time and take the lanyard on and off as needed.



The tail of the light is mostly covered with a raised band of knurling. The rubber switch does not extend beyond the stainless steel ring, so the light can do a stable tail stand.

Now, it's time to take the light apart!




Without the use of tools, the
7G2CS comes apart into several pieces. The head assembly can be taken apart by putting pressure on the grip ring and twisting it, though this might void your warranty. Otherwise, the light is designed for the part of head containing the reflector to be unscrewed, leaving the emitter exposed for "candle mode".



If you choose to open up the head, you can remove the reflector and replace the o-ring and lens for a sort of "mule mode". This gives an even wash of flood light, while still keeping the emitter protected.



Here, you can see the
7G2CS with the top of the head removed for "candle mode", and this is a use of the light advertised by Crelant. The emitter is surrounded by a white plastic centering piece, which also helps to bounce the light forward in a diffuse fashion when in candle mode.



At the connection of the head and body, a spring is used to make electrical connection with the positive battery terminal. On my sample, the spring is a little bit slanted., but it does not seem to affect performance in any way.



On the body, the threads to the head are non-anodized, allowing the light to make electrical connection even if the head is a little loose. The threads to the tail are anodized, which will help them hold up to wear better and also prevent the light from making an electrical connection when the tail is loose. This can be used as a mechanical lockout, to keep the light from turning on accidentally during storage or transport.



Like the head, the tail also uses a spring to make connection to the battery, and like the head, the spring on my sample is also slanted.



As an accessory with the "zombie" lights, the
7G2CS comes with a green GITD rubber switch cover. My sample came with the black switch installed. The green switch can be swapped in by taking apart the switch assembly, which requires a tool (see more below).



With batteries inserted, they extend a bit beyond the end of the battery tube.

Now, with the use of a tool the light can be taken apart a little farther. A pair of metal tweezers can easily be stuck in the two holes inside the tail to unscrew the tail assembly.



First, you can unscrew the retaining ring, a combo of metal and plastic. Beneath that is the switch, and the plastic switch positioner, then the rubber switch cover. If you wish, you can here take out the black switch cover and replace it with the green GITD switch cover.

If you choose to do this, you must be sure to put the switch assembly back together correctly, and get the metal retaining ring screwed back on tightly. This metal ring is the electrical connection between the switch and the wall of the tail cap, so it must be screwed down tight into the right position (it gave me a scare when I first replaced the switch cover and the light didn't work until I tightened the ring down further).



Here, you can see the light operating in candle mode.



And here, the light is operating in "mule" mode, without the reflector.

Dimensions




Accessories



As a "Zombie Apocalypse Survival Light", the 7G2CS comes with several accessories: holster, lanyard, GITD lanyard, spare o-rings, GITD switch cover.



The holster has the Crelant logo on a tag, and the light can fit in either head up or head down.



Both lanyards have lobster-claw clips and a split ring.



The GITD switch cover seems to have the same dimensions as the black on it replaces.

User Interface

The 7G2CS is an infinitely variable light, using both a tail switch and a side switch.

The tail switch is a forward-click mechanical switch, and it's used to turn the light on and off. Pressing the button half-way down will activate the momentary on function, and the light will turn on at maximum brightness until the switch is released. Pressing the button all the way down will turn the light constant on, starting at maximum brightness, and the light will stay on until the tail switch is pressed again.

The side switch is used to control the output level of the light. Basically, the
7G2CS has two modes: minimum brightness, and user-selected brightness level. The light always starts in the user-selected mode when turned on, and the user-selected mode always starts at maximum brightness (so you always start at max brightness when you turn the light on). To switch between the minimum brightness and the user-selected level, you give a quick click to the side switch. When on the user-selected output mode, you hold the side switch down to change the brightness. While you hold the switch down, the output will decrease slowly until it reaches minimum output, then increase again until it reaches maximum. At the maximum output, the light will flash on and off to let you know you've reached the maximum, then begin to decrease again. At any time, you can release the switch and the output will stop at that level. When you hold the switch again, the light will resume increasing or decreasing output, whichever it was doing last. When you switch back and forth between the minimum mode and the user-selected mode, the light will remember the output you selected last, but when you turn the light off the memory will be cleared and it will start back at maximum.

You can see a video of the UI in action at the beginning of this review.

Action Shots

You can click on any of these shots to see them full size.

Light in Hand



White Wall (Min, Max)
ISO 100, f/3.3, 1/20"


BeamSlice


MugShot (With Reflector, Without)


Indoor Shots (Turbo)
ISO 100, f/3.3, 1"


Outdoor Shots (Control, Low, Medium, High, Turbo)
ISO 100, f/3.3, 2.5"


Performance

Submersion: I submersed the MT25 in about a foot of water for an hour, turning it on and off and switching modes (using both switches) during that time, and the light shows no sign of water entering or damaging the light.

Heat: After running the 7G2CS on max brightness for 10 minutes, the light was noticeably warm. After 20 minutes, the light was hot, but not painful to hold, and it didn't get any hotter throughout the rest of the time it was on.

PWM: To test for pulse-width modulation, I viewed the various brightness levels of the 7G2CS through my camera using a very short exposure. Using this method, I was unable to detect any PWM in the 7G2CS. It does, however, have some small amount of flickering at times when adjusting the infinitely variable brightness.

Drop: I dropped the 7G2CS from a height of about 1 meter onto various surfaces including grass, packed dirt, carpet, and wood. The light shows no cosmetic damage and still functions normally.

Reverse Polarity Protection: Crelant gives no indication that the 7G2CS has any reverse polarity protection, so I recommend being sure to always insert the battery in the correct direction.

Over-Discharge Protection: Crelant claims that the 7G2CS gives a flash at 3.0V and shuts down at 2.75V. During the runtime test, I did measure the light flashing off near the end (around where 3.0V would be), and after the light turned off I measured the battery to be at 2.73V (the protection circuit had not been activated. This is a little lower than many people like to let their batteries run down, but it does keep you from relying on your battery's protection circuit.

Spectral Analysis


All light that we see as white is actually made up of several different colors put together. The relative intensities of the different colors in the mix are what determine the tint of the white we see. For example, cool white LED's have a lot of blue, and warm white LED's have more red or yellow. This measurement was done on a home made spectrometer. The plot below the picture is corrected for the spectral sensitivity of the human eye. Note: the peak in the 900nm region doesn't really exist, it's a piece of the second-order spectrum that's showing up here because of the high intensity of the light source.

Output and Runtime

Coming Soon...
ANSI FL-1 runtime ratings are the time it takes for a light to fall to 10% of it's original output (counting from 30 seconds after turning the light on). *Note: The output on Turbo drops after a few minutes, but maintains a fairly constant output for another hour, at a level still well above the high output.

The vertical axis of the graphs below represents a relative brightness measurement using a home made light box. The horizontal axis is time in hours:minutes:seconds. Runtimes are stated in hours:minutes:seconds. These graphs may be truncated to show detail.

Mode Comparison


This graph has been truncated to show detail. While the light has a significant drop in output a little after three hours, it maintains a very low output for quite a long time, finally turning off at almost 18 hours.


more coming soon...



Throwing Distance

ANSI FL-1 standard for stating a light's throwing distance is the distance at which the peak beam intensity (usually at the center of the beam) is 0.25 lux. I calculate throwing distance and candela (lux at 1 meter) by measuring peak beam intensity at five different distances and using the formula lux*distance^2=constant.

Peak Beam Intensity: 9787cd
Throw Distance: 198m


Subjective Review

Quick break down:

+ Stylish
+ Bright
+ Infinite variability
+ Fairly low minimum
+ Stainless steel rings at both ends
+ Candle mode and mule mode
+ Good grip while still comfortable and smooth
+ Springs at both ends of battery tube

- A little larger than might be necessary
- Not output regulated when using 18650
- GITD o-ring in head doesn't actually get much light for charging
- Two-stage startup

The new 7G2CS is a very impressive offering from Crelant. While before they seem to have focused on large lights designed mostly for throw, with the 7G2CS they show they're branching out into other styles of lights. The 7G2CS still has the same quality and style that I've come to expect from Crelant.

The first that that really strikes me about this light is that before you even turn it on, it just looks good. While many manufacturers take the easy road and just cover the bodies of their lights with knurling to give them grip, Crelant uses design features to give the light some style while still keeping the functionality of grip. I like that the body is smooth, and grip is achieved by the elements in the head and the grip ring. It might look even better if the tail had been left smooth as well, but I suspect that would make battery changes more difficult. The smoothness, combined with the GITD and the stainless steel rings at both ends show that Crelant put some good thought into making this light look good, and it's paid off for them.

Other than just being smaller than normal for Crelant, the 7G2CS is part of their first series to give a shot at infinite variability, the CS series. The CS series uses a side switch to control the output, and while I haven't tested other from this series yet, I have to say that the UI of the 7G2CS is pretty well done. One thing I don't like is that when you first turn the light on, it kind-of has a two stage startup, in that it initially comes on at about half brightness for a fraction of a second and then hits full brightness. My favorite thing about the way Crelant has used the side switch to give infinite variability is that you have quick access to both the minimum and maximum brightness at all times. When the light is on, clicking the side switch takes you back and forth between the lowest brightness and the brightness you select, and turning the light off then on again will bring you straight back to the maximum brightness. This is very useful for situations where you want to get to the max or min brightnesses quickly, because the ramping of the infinite variability does take a little while.

I also really like the ramping pattern of the infinite variability as you hold the side switch. While I said it takes a little while, it's actually only about 18 seconds for a full path down then up again, about 9 seconds each way. I've found this to be pretty much perfect, any faster and I would feel like I was playing a slot machine trying to get the brightness I wanted. Any slower, and I'd get bored waiting. Also, the brightness ramping appears to be pretty well "visually linear". Many lights with infinite variability spend too much time at either the low or high brightness settings, making it hard to get the brightness you want. I find the ramping of the 7G2CS is pretty much just what I would like it to be--not too fast, not too slow, and easy to get a low, medium, or high brightness at whatever level you like.

Another really nice feature of the 7G2CS is the candle and mule modes. The 7G2CS has a very low minimum, lower than most lights this size, and you can really take advantage of that by either just unscrewing the head assembly for candle mode, or taking the time to remove the reflector for mule mode (you can see pictures above). I've gotten good use out of the mule mode, I find the even beam without the reflector is great for getting around the house at night. On minimum output, the light is dim enough that it doesn't ruin my night vision, and I can gradually increase the brightness if I want to light up an entire room.

There is really only one serious negative I've found with the 7G2CS--it does not appear to have output regulation. Many infinitely variable lights struggle with this, but at least are regulated on max output. On the 7G2CS, the output starts falling regularly right away, and keeps falling.

So, the 7G2CS is a great option for an 18650-sized infinitely variable light for use at short- to midrange. If you are looking for a similar interface in a different style, Crelant's got a few other sizes available in their CS series.

Long Term Impressions

I'll fill this part in after carrying the light for a while. If nothing get's added here, either I find nothing else worth noting about the light, or I end up not using it often.
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