davecampbell
Contributor
Xtar was gracious enough to provide me with a DL1 laser to review after I expressed some interest in one. The plan was to use it on a recent trip to Curaçao, where we would be doing a mixture of day and night diving, but sadly the laser was held up in customs, and arrived two days after our departure. Our local diving season begins in a couple weeks, so I'll use it soon underwater, get some photos/video, and update with the outcome. In the meantime, I'd like to give my initial impressions.
The DL1 ships in nice retail packaging, and includes the "light", a protected Xtar branded 3600mah 18650, a lanyard, and 2 spare o-rings. The battery is shipped in place, with a plastic isolator installed, to prevent accidental turn on in transit.
Machining is all very good, and the anodizing is very even. The lens is AR coated, and the magnetic switch works smoothly. Threads screw together nicely, and the o-rings were lightly lubed upon receipt. It has a nice weight to it, and feels good in the hand. Overall, build quality is pretty high, especially considering it's not overly expensive.
The beam is bright, and does what you would expect it do. It's a green lazer, and it works well. Perhaps even a little too bright, but use underwater will determine if this is true. On dry land, the lazer travels much further than you would ever realistically need, as a pointer.
I've included a shot with a D26 2500 , the DL1, and an 18650 for scale.
There are a lot of positives, but there are a couple areas I'd like to see some improvement. I'd love to see the addition of the mechanical lock that Xtar commonly uses on it's lights. The edges of the tail cap attachment point are a bit sharp for my liking. We're not talking razor sharp, but a little chamferring would go a long way here. Lastly, the body is a little smooth, and could benefit from some texturing of some sort to increase grip.
All in all, I'm pretty pleased with the DL1. If it performs as I expect it to, and doesn't leak (which I don't expect it to) I'd say it's a very handy tool, and a good value. Used as a pointer or as a signaling device in an emergency, I'd be happy with the purchase.
Update with findings after underwater use, and photos/videos to follow in the coming weeks...
The DL1 ships in nice retail packaging, and includes the "light", a protected Xtar branded 3600mah 18650, a lanyard, and 2 spare o-rings. The battery is shipped in place, with a plastic isolator installed, to prevent accidental turn on in transit.
Machining is all very good, and the anodizing is very even. The lens is AR coated, and the magnetic switch works smoothly. Threads screw together nicely, and the o-rings were lightly lubed upon receipt. It has a nice weight to it, and feels good in the hand. Overall, build quality is pretty high, especially considering it's not overly expensive.
The beam is bright, and does what you would expect it do. It's a green lazer, and it works well. Perhaps even a little too bright, but use underwater will determine if this is true. On dry land, the lazer travels much further than you would ever realistically need, as a pointer.
I've included a shot with a D26 2500 , the DL1, and an 18650 for scale.
There are a lot of positives, but there are a couple areas I'd like to see some improvement. I'd love to see the addition of the mechanical lock that Xtar commonly uses on it's lights. The edges of the tail cap attachment point are a bit sharp for my liking. We're not talking razor sharp, but a little chamferring would go a long way here. Lastly, the body is a little smooth, and could benefit from some texturing of some sort to increase grip.
All in all, I'm pretty pleased with the DL1. If it performs as I expect it to, and doesn't leak (which I don't expect it to) I'd say it's a very handy tool, and a good value. Used as a pointer or as a signaling device in an emergency, I'd be happy with the purchase.
Update with findings after underwater use, and photos/videos to follow in the coming weeks...
