There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
- Compact form factor but not so small you'll lose it.
- Takes EITHER 1 CR123 or 1 AA (with reduced light output, and it takes lithium or alkaline) - super useful if you can't find CR123's. No additional modification or hardware needed, just drop in either battery type. Can use rechargable batteries, I believe.
- Decent low output, great high output (40lm/350lm ) on CR123. Still very useful outputs with AA (40lm/150lm).
- IPX7 waterproof (limited water proofing, it's not a dive light)
- Clip to your hat for hands free
- Throwy light, better for signaling/visibility, or blinding someone if they happen to be a little too close for comfort.
- Great durability. Machined aluminum, good threads and gaskets to seal it all up. My ironworker buddy dropped his 3 stories onto concrete multiple times before it finally started acting up. It still works today, but it's cranky about cycling thru modes.
- Prices are very reasonable. Such a well built light for $29 on Amazon (sorry Massdrop) is a really good deal if you ask me.
Cons:- Can't recharge the batteries IN the light, have to have separate rechargable batteries and chargers.
- Tailstanding - does an ok job, sometimes the rubber on some will protrude a bit and leave it "wobbly".
- Not floody, which I know you may prefer. I solve this with the ceiling bounce trick, but that doesn't work outdoors.
- Runtime is "meh". CR123 is 14hrs low, 1.3hrs high. It's about the same or worse with AA's. But if you get them at the right price, you can add a couple spare CR123 batteries to your kit for $2-$4. If this is a 3-5 day kit, I'm not sure rechargeable is a huge deal unless you're using it daily and always want it topped up.
The Protac 1L-1AA is in my opinion one of the best high speed-low drag options out there. Anywho, hope this helps somebody!