Several years ago I reviewed some lighting options for people interested in hunting anoles at night (Who wouldn’t? Throw that noose away!). At the time I recommended several readily available lights ranging from 300 to 700 lumens, $60 to $500 respectively. Needless to say, most anole enthusiasts were likely priced out of the brightest lights. However, I recently found an option affordable to even our dedicated summer field assistants. A relatively new company to the US, Magicshine, advertises an 1100 lumen light for only $90, the MJ-808U.
Maginshine MJ 808U
Now the first thing we should all do is assume that this is too good to be true. In just a few years our discussion has gone from $500 to $90 for a supposedly superior light. Come on! Online reviews of Magicshine’s products are generally favorable, but mixed. Reviews on mountain bike forums comment on the relatively poor construction and historically bad batteries. Several reviewers have also commented on overheating problems for riders not peddling their hardest.The best part of Magicshine is by far their price. But the last I checked we rarely look for anoles on bikes at night so we will need to take all of this in with some hesitation.
So what about herping? Time will ultimately tell how these lights hold up to our uses. I received my light in the mail earlier this week and have used it twice. To keep my hands free I also purchased the accessory head strap for about $8. I also need to purchase the extension cable as the attached cable between the battery and light is too short to reach my backpack from my head. First impressions, the light is retinal burning bright. I have absolutely no complaints there. I will warn you now, however, that the light gets hot, but has yet to overheat for me. I haven’t fully run down the battery yet either, but it has lasted for over 90 minutes of burn time so far. In summary, my first impressions are as the online reviews suggests, there are both pros and cons to this product, but for $90 why not give it a try. I am cautiously optimistic.
Has anyone else discovered this light yet? If so, please share your reviews with the community.
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Levi Gray
That light sounds interesting and I’d like to hear more about it as it gets more use. Some of the cheaper lights I have tested are not as tough or dependable, so I am often skeptical at first. I tend to really like the Fenix lights not just for the brightness but how tough they are. I’ve never had one die on me, despite heavy use for several years. The Fenix TK41 is less than $120 on Amazon these days and can go 800 lumens for about 2 hours. Runs at 335 lumens (plenty strong for most night work) for over 7 hours.
But stepping aside from the Fenix plug… How does this light compare with the Niterider lights? Might be a good substitute, considering the cost. Niteriders always seemed to be a little expensive for how fragile they are in the field.
Luke Mahler
I’ve been using Magicshine for a couple years now, and no problems so far. I’ve been impressed. I used to use Light & Motion bike lights, which were bright but very expensive, and in my case, apparently very fragile. I’ve had those break in the field 3 or 4 times, which can dramatically change the rest of a trip (the company would usually repair them for free, but it was a major hassle). I switched to Magicshine because they’re just as bright, and it’s actually affordable to get multiple lights and carry backups on long trips (having lots of battery packs is also nice). I think the market for ultrabright bike lights changed dramatically a couple years ago when cheap, high-powered Chinese LEDs started showing up. Magicshine is only one of a whole slew of newer companies that sell these kinds of lights for about the same price.
Ambika Kamath
Luke do you have a model recommendation for the Magicshine lights?
Luke Mahler
I have a couple of the 1600 lumen lights, which are here. Be sure to get the headband, as it doesn’t come with one…
Bob Thomson
I’ll second Levi’s plug for the Fenix lights. I like that they are reasonably cheap and bombproof (in my experience anyway). I’ve been using the tk45 for a few years now. It’s plenty bright and I like that it uses AA batteries. I carry the Sanyo Eneloop rechargeables with me, but it’s nice to be able to swap in standard AAs in a pinch.
All that said, I’m not totally happy with the headlamps that Fenix makes and have been looking for something that is brighter and less of a laser beam spotlight (and also doesn’t cost several hundred dollars). The Magicshine lights seem like a great option for this.
Luke, was that the Magicshine you had with you in the Kingstons this year?
AjaMichelle
I’ve been using both the Magic Shine and Bike Ray lights for night time herping and bike riding for years. They’re fantastic. I love how long the battery packs last with one charge: multiple nights with 12 hours of herping per night (great when you dont have electricity in the field). No complaints here.