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NiteFLUX Photon Max Extreme

LightPriceClaimed LumensRuntime Battery TypeLight head weightBattery WeightInstalled WeightLumens per gramLumens per dollar
Photon Max Extreme$480.0013502hrs 40minLithium Ion151g419g517g2.612.81
Light Meter charts and comparison table available here.

Description:

This review won't be very long since this light is structurally identical to the NiteFLUX Photon Max that we reviewed last year. The case, mounting and accessories are all the same so please refer to the other review for our impressions on the design and packaging. The Photon Max Extreme is distinguished from its predecessor by it's gold paint on the cooling fins. This gold paint is also seen on the Photon 8 Enduro which we will be reviewing shortly.

So the big news with this light comes in one number, 1350. That is 1350 lumens compared to the old one at 800 lumens. Most of our other high end LED lights from the shootout come in at under 1000 lumens as well. Naturally, we were giddy with anticipation to see if this light would measure up to its numbers.

The light comes in a very handy satchel bag that protects the light during transport and opens up nicely for setup. The light head features three LEDs and is fairly big but surprisingly light at 151 grams. The case is a mix of plastic and aluminum molded together in a design that includes nine cooling fins and five vent holes.

The battery is a neoprene wrapped unit slightly smaller than a coke can. The switch is on the battery and has very nice action to it.

Features and Specifications:

- Headlight with Helmet bracket weights - 136grams
- Headlight no bracket weighs - 115grams

The Photon Max headlights also come equipped with temperature sensing, in normal riding conditions it will not come into play but if the headlight was to get too hot it would activate a automatic throttling back of the power consumption to reduce the thermal load on the LEDs. In severe conditions (hot and a standstill for a long period and the light was on highest beam setting) or accidental situation like switching-on of the headlight inside a sports bag could raise the temperature to a point where the temperature sensor would alert a electronic micro controller inside the battery canister which would then throttle back the power to headlight allowing it to cool.
Photon Max Extreme Light Head & Accessories:



Mounting:

The light mount adapts to both standard and oversized handlebars and can be installed firmly without tools. It can be swiveled left to right to aim the light and seems to have the perfect amount of resistance dialed in to the swivel action.

Operating the light, the user has to scroll through 4 light modes including flash mode. This is annoying and unecessary for our tastes. The ideal light has a bright and a dim mode. And the flash mode should be hidden somewhere since it is annoying and blinding. We're told that there is a race mode on this light and we believe that should be the default setting for all.

Light Meter Measurements:

img_3074.jpg

We measured a 70 Lux! This compares to the regular Photon Max at 50 Lux. This handily beats the Dinotte 800L at 55 Lux and the Light and Motion Seca 700 at 52 Lux. The Photon Max Extreme truly delivers in the same compact lighthead as before.

And just as impressive is the width and cleanliness of the beam pattern. The light was very wide and it threw very far. Plus it was very clean and consistent with no hot spots.

On the trail, this light is just about perfect. One can see far and wide and it is ideal for both singletrack and fire road. This is one of those bar lights where no helmet light is required.

Strengths:

  • incredible brightness at 1350 lumens and 70 lux on our measurements
  • The beam pattern is just about perfect in width and consistency
  • excellent airflow and cooling design
  • handlebar mount allows left to right aiming
  • excellent value given the light output
  • handy carrying case

Weaknesses:

  • battery is big and light switch is better on the light head.

Bottom Line:

So again, the folks at NiteFLUX continue to impress. In this arena of ever evolving LED lights, this company continues to charge on forward. The light measurements and beam pattern photos speak for themselves and this light is at the head of it's class.

We wish the light switch was on the light and the battery was smaller and out of the way. But really, these are minor issues that do not detract from this brilliant light

Beam Pattern Photos:

Photon Max Extreme



Beam Pattern rollover and side by side comparison page available here.

Value Rating:

5 out of 5 Stars



Overall Rating:

4.75 out of 5 Stars



Read or write reviews:

NiteFLUX PHoton Max Extreme User Reviews



Word from the manufacturer:

NiteFLUX Photon Max Extreme

The Photon Max Extreme utilizes the latest in High-Watt Multi Chip LEDs to deliver a ground breaking 1350 Lumens of light from a single115gram triple LED headlight. Making it the brightest and lightest triple LED headlight in the World today!

The Extreme shares the same pioneering fully optimized sculpted Forced Air Cooling chassis as the standard Photon Max. This revolutionary Forced Air Cooling headlight design is more than just a fashionable design statement, the Forced Air headlight housing design spent 2 years in development and has been in production for 3 years now, and is still remains as one of the most radical cutting edge proven headlight designs on the market.

Multi Chip LED's produce significantly more heat, NiteFLUX have always clearly understood the importance of heat sinking so our product range has always be engineered to have plenty of "head room" allowing the product handle significantly more power demands if required. The Photon Max headlight chassis is perfectly matched to handle the additional wattage and heat created by using 2 x 8 watt multi chip CREE LED's. A strategically placed temperature sensor that is integrated into our own custom LED substrate is linked to a central micro processor ensuring that the LEDs are never thermally overloaded.

With a 550 Lumen increase over the standard Photon Max, this triple LED 1350 Lumen lighting system will satisfy even the most light-hungry riders.

Four well spaced power levels extend runtimes and allow you to match light outputs to the situation at hand.


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