X7 led lenser hp8437 flashlight will outrun the competition! - Coast LED Lenser X21 High Performance Flashlight w/ FREE T7 LED Tactical Spotlight

November 12, 2008. Just got my Led Lenser X7 yesterday. Took it out for a field test with Led Lenser H7 and Led Lenser P14 to compare with. X7 on Low Beam approximately = H7 with dimmer switch on about 65% (a little past half way). My guess it that it's anywhere from 80 to 100 lumens at this setting (1st click). High Beam (2nd click) is definitely bright. It's not overpowering (unless you shine it in somebody's eyes)- not overwhelming, but a really good light. Couldn't honestly tell much difference between High Beam and Max Beam (achieved by pressing & holding switch). On flood setting saw a dark ring around outside of beam. There is spill outside of that. The the beam inside of that ring is quite even- beautiful light. Not as white of a beam as the H7- more yellowish, but not by a lot. It is technically one hand focusable, but I found it's more practical to use a second hand to focus the beam. (The P14 in comparison is much easier to focus using only one hand) The sliding mechanism for the focus beam uses some sort of grease to allow smooth gliding. You see it when you use the end piece slider to focus the beam to a spot. The P14 in comparison has an entire head that slides back and forth. I doubt that either one is waterproof. I wonder how the X7 would do over time in a desert environment such as Iraq or the Sudan. Also, I should point out that there are no guarantees made by Led Lenser as to this flashlight being weatherproof, shockproof, or even water resistant. This is an amazing flashlight, but again, I'm not sure how impact or weather resistant it is. As far as beam throw, I was easily seeing things 800 ft. away. I say easily, because you can see things much farther, but I'm talking about EASILY. This flashlight would be amazing for hunting/camping trips, and I would imagine could serve as a spotlight in survival/rescue situations or even to light up a small crowd on flood focus if necessary. The attachable shoulder strap comes in handy. The flashlight only weighs about 3 lbs. But I found that by wearing it at waist height using this strap I not only had a handy light any time I need it but that I was able to carry it and barely know it was there! Very comfortable! Overall, I give this flashlight a 3 1/2 stars out of 5. Don't buy it if you're looking for overwhelming brightness- I'm sorry to say you'll be sorely disappointed. My research puts this light at 267 times brighter than full moon (full moon = 4 lumens), or approximately 1/100 the brightness of the noonday sun (100,000 lumens). At High Beam (which apparently begins to fade after about 10 hours) it operates at 75% power or 800+ lumens (which is still at least 200 times brighter than full moon). It is in fact brighter than a car's headlights (this includes low beam, high beam or both at the same time! I checked!) And the potential of having a focusable beam at this brightness opens up doors of possibility. But it is nowhere near close to the brightness of some of the lesser run time HID flashlights available on the market. However, for an LED Flashlight, I stand with LED Lenser - it IS the brightest handheld non-rechargeable factory made LED flashlight on the market today. If there is another greater, I don't know of it.
Pros: Long Battery Life - Runs Cool to Warm, NOT Hot!
Cons: Not guaranteed weatherproof

This review was written in the old system and had content requirements that are different than reviews written today.