LED Lenser X21 - the review

Regular readers will remember that I purchased a LED Lenser x21 in September and that I promised a review after using it in the field. Well this lamp has impressed me on my last three trips. It has several advantages over my old rig (a 500,000 candlepower spot with rechargeable gel battery):

• a focusable beam, the spot is tight and useful for mammals and birds, but critically for me the broad beam produces a lovely flat, white light that is ideal for searching out frogs and other night creatures.
• long battery life - this torch will go all night and I reckon you get about 30 hours from one set of batteries before it starts to wane. My old rig lasted 1.5 hours...
• white light is better for viewing wildlife, you can see more, especially at range.
• my big query at the outset was is this torch robust enough to survive my lifestyle. Well early indications are that it is. Solid German engineering and design...

There are some disadvantages though:

• it only takes high quality alkaline (non-rechargeable) batteries. These can be hard to buy in some countries and it is not a green option...
• the on-off button is not recessed but proud of the casing, meaning that 'negligent discharges' are a problem. 1000 lumens into your own face or someone else's is not good for your night vision! I lost a few 'pinned down' frogs when I accidently switched off the torch during photography. One of the features of the rest of the Lenser range is the recessed on-off switch at the butt end of the torch. Shame we did not get this feature on the X21.

I have shown it to a few birders on my travels and all have been impressed. Despite the cost I think it is a must-have bit of kit. Get ready to have your bag searched at the airport though.

I have seen the light!

Anyone who has spent any time with me in the tropics knows that I am addicted to night spotting. I just love getting out at night and poking around for frogs, reptiles, mammals and birds. The search for the perfect spotlight has taken me from my trusty 4 D-cell Maglite, through a bulky dive torch and onto to 6 volt and 12 volt spotlights with heavy batteries and connecting wires. With the exception of the Maglite all have been prone to wear-and-tear and the number of battery chargers I have gone through in countries with irregular currents beggars belief. Well all that seems to be over now, I have gone tactical... With both my spotlights out of action yet again I was contemplating spending £130 on a new 12v kit at Clulite where I have shopped in the past but then I started looking around at LED stuff and this made a lot more sense.

The LED Lenser X21 - oh my god! It is awesome, superlatives do not exist to describe this bit of kit. I just hope it is robust. Took it for a spin tonight and it rocks. Nice clean white light, good spot beam and a wide beam that is really going to make frogging a lot easier in the future. Pricey though. Chuck the name in google for a laugh at the macho hard-sell and check out 'you-tube' and online forums for a murky (or perhaps well-lit) world of well-informed torch geeks. I bought mail order from Doc at GlowGadgets, great personal service from a guy who only sells the best gear on the market.

Bought a LED Lenser P14 too for back-up, smaller (4 AA) but incredible. If you are short of space or weight just pack this. For close tape-playback work in forests this will be more than enough.

Just a few pretty things seen at night in the last 12 months...

Spotted stream frog Rana picturata (Borneo) - easily one of the most photogenic frogs in Borneo.

The sluggish common mock viper Psammodynastes pulverulentus (Borneo)

Brown wood-owl Strix leptogrammica (Borneo)

Common genet Genetta genetta (Namibia)