Received my Pico Light - mini review

It is awesome!
It's much smaller than I thought it would be.
It is perfect for keychains.
I am very impressed with how this light has been designed from the amount of friction to turn on the light to the size of the clip.
AWESOME!

The light pattern on the wall is PERFECT. I have a lot of flashlights and I spend a lot of time on flashlight forums, so I have seen plenty of beam patterns as projected on the wall, etc.
It has a huge flood, but the focused part of the beam in the middle is very strong. It has a perfect balance between throw and wide beam.

It is quite a bit brighter than the Photon Freedom lights I have with fresh batteries.
However, I don't think the PICO light is even close to 10 lumens.
I have several other lights that have regulated output. Several of them are made my fenix.
The 9 lumen setting on my Fenix lights is MUCH brighter than the PICO light.
That's fine with me.

The price that was set for this product is proper. So many companies set prices high and then stop producing or refining a product because sales volume isn't sufficient. The sales volume at $9.95 will be sufficient. Smart call.

I'd love to see one but with the shipping charge it goes from $10 to $15 or more. Then, I'd have to go out and start buying new batteries of a type I wouldn't otherwise use.

I'd wondered why this light instead of the Photon considering the Photon has what, 10x the run time? I suppose brighter is better but the Photons are pretty dang bright. I've also got 4 Fenix E01's and find them pretty small but large enough to handle with about 20 hours of run time total in a single AAA.

I don't mean to sound like I'm knocking this little flashlight I'm just wondering if it really fits a niche not already served.

I believe one of the primary criteria for the Pico light was that it had to be inexpensive enough to include in the upcoming PSP+.

I love the Fenix lights but I think it's safe to assume that an EO1 would have caused an unacceptable financial impact on the PSP+.

Well, the Princeton button lights retail for less than $10 I believe and have 10-12 hour run times. Longer battery storage life too.

But Doug has thought about this more than I have and am sure he has his reasons which will probably be addressed in a FAQ when the + kit comes out.

Just got mine today too, and agree it's smaller than I anticipated, and it's nice and bright. The only thing that worries me is that there is nothing to protect the LED bulb. Anyone else think that may be an issue?

My wife loves it, so it looks like I'll be ordering another. It will also get on quite a few gift lists next holiday season.

Are you saying there is no glass or plastic lens over the bulb?

It is recessed in the crown of the light, right? Lots of LED lights are designed like that, no worries. LEDs are TOUGH.

As for why this design, not a Photon, for me it is simple: harder to turn on accidentally. If I have a light that will throw light for X duration, I want to know that it isn't going to get shorted by Y just because I had it in my pocket. Yes, it is a new kind of battery, but they are small and inexpensive if you know where to look. And it is physically a lot more robust than the coin light.

Correct, nothing over the bulb. It isn't recessed very deep, in fact, the top of the bulb is nearly flush with the rim.

Just FYI, the Fenix E01 also does not have a protective lens. I was surprised when I got mine. So far, no problems.

That is all it needs. So long as nothing can catch it from the sides, the LED isn't likely to have anything go wrong with it. The danger there is just bending a lead or pulling it out. If that doesn't happen, it is probably as strong as the body *laughs* My Infinity has the same design, so do a lot of lights, never heard of a problem.

I'll certainly give it the benefit of the doubt. I love the size compared to my Streamlight Key Mate, and now I want to downsize everything on my key chain. I've recently gone from a Gerber Clutch to Leatherman Squirt P4, and now I also want to switch from my Zebra F-301 pen to a Pico Pen. Anyone know where I can get one cheap? (Maybe I should open another thread for this topic?)

Anyway, as long as the exposed LED isn't an issue, everything else seems great on this little light. The clasp is good quality and the metal housing is certainly superior to plastic.

The biggest problem I had with the Photon is the high risk of the button getting pushed - and the light turned on - while it is packed in the PSP.

Doug gave a procedure for putting his Photon into a demo mode (though that link to how to put it back in demo mode on http://www.equipped.org/dr_photon.htm appears to have died ... it told the user turn demo mode on by pressing the power button while inserting the batteries), which made it turn off after a given time.

The Photon demo mode is kind of a pain, plus a big risk of not working as expected when under a high-stress condition. This would include not realizing its in demo mode and/or not remembering how to take it out of demo mode.

This might be a silly question, but what about pocket lint? I received a non-brand LED flashlight as a gift a year ago and it is/was really bright, but I've found that the little depression in front of the LED is almost always filled with fuzz. I always remember to blow that out before using it, but there seems to be a constant layer that needs a damp paper towel to remove. It's just one thing that's a bit annoying.

Why not just build them with covers?

Doug's version of the Photon light sold by Aeromedix includes a slim little plastic clip that pops onto the light for use as a detachable lanyard. Take the lanyard string off, attach the clip to the switch-side of the light, and now it cannot be switched on. Pop off the clip when needed and you can switch on the light. This is how I carry the yellow Photon in my pocket.



I realize the Pico Lite approach was mandatory to maintain a reasonable price on the new PSP. However I prefer the Photon's slim profile, adjustable beam, easy 1-hand operation and (most importantly) lithium cells, so that's what I'll be toting for an ultra small light.

I'm not trashing the Pico, I just wanted to point out that it is easy to carry the Photon and protect against switching it on accidentally. This approach would certainly be a PITA for an EDC light, having to constantly remove & replace the clip. But for a dedicated kit light, I like it.

I do the same with my photon except I use the smaller clip that came with it. The one that mounts to the hat clip.

Ordered three Picos (one for each family member) from Lifeview last week and received them yesterday. Great service. I have been carrying a Gerber Tempo for nearly a year used it quite often. Lately it had been giving me problems though and I would have to stretch the contacts so they would work properly. Anyway, the Pico came out and I had to have it. My DW and DD thought it was cute so I got them one too. There is no comparison between the two. The Pico is much brighter and definately easier to carry. I am amazed at how small it really is. Great job on the design. Now lets see that knife!

I have not had a chance to review this Pico light yet, so I still carry the Photon. The problem with the Photon is that it can accidentally get turned on. The "demo" mode is not real useful, but you can easily set it to momentary on by pressing the switch a few times fast. It will then on turn on when it is pressed and turn off when released. If you hold the switch down for a few seconds it goes back to normal mode. I know this does totally alleviate the problem but it minimizes it.

I just got my Pico the other day...I love it. It is MUCH smaller than I expected! It is now around my neck. I am going to order a few more of these..they are nice little unobtrusive lights. And bright!!! I cannot believe how bright these things actually are! This is my new favorite toy!