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Detailed
Information:
I have always thought it amusing that someone would want to bring a candle lantern into tight quarters like a tent for illumination. Just the idea of having such a ready source of combustion surrounded by all that nylon makes me twitchy. The Diamond Camping light is designed to take the place of the candle lantern, providing a flameless source of wide area light.
The body of the lantern is machined aluminum which has been anodized with a silver finish. There is a fine texture of ridges which run around the body which help improve grip. The stand/hang loop on the end of the light rests flush until released for use.
The bezel is a bit of an puzzler to me. There is a clear dome to protect the LEDs and allow the light to escape in all directions. That part I get. What is confusing to me is the reflective post in the center. Why bother? If the post wasn't there the light from all the LEDs would go in all directions unimpeded, which is what you want. Why reflect the light away from the center? It just seems like useless bulk to me.
Output is, not surprisingly, fairly directional. The
end of the LEDs serves as a collimating lens and sends
much of the light forward, as is typical of almost all
5mm LED lights. Very little light actually goes out
to the sides relative to the light projected forward.
As a result, you can use this light very effectively
as a 6 LED flashlight for finding your way to the campsite.
Enough light is projected to the sides, however, for
it to work well enough as an area lantern. Runtime is
unknown. Since the light is unregulated, it will dim
throughout the usable life of the batteries.
The switch is a simple on-off click switch with a rubber cover on the tailcap.
The light is sealed with an O-ring for water resistance and should be able to withstand rain and splashes.
Ergonomics: Not much to report here - it's supposed to be hanging in a tent or sitting on its stand. Carried in the hand it is comfortable if a little heavy.
The 4 AA batteries which power the unit are placed in a sturdy carrier which is then placed into the back end of the light. I'm not a big fan of battery carriers like this one as it just adds one more piece of equipment that can be lost or break, rendering the light useless.
No accessories come with the light. Bulk packaged in
a white cardboard box.
What I Liked: Water resistant,
Tough/impact resistant, Expected long battery life,
Bright
What I Didn't Like: Uses battery
carrier, Light mostly projected forward - not well dispersed,
Heavy
Conclusions: As a replacement for the common camping candle lantern the Diamond Camping light has one big advantage: No open flame. However for hikers/backpackers I don't think this would be the best choice. It's large and heavy, and when backpacking, every oz. counts. For car/truck campers and the like, or for bringing it out on your back porch, this "lantern" should work out just fine. Additionally it can be used as a regular flashlight if the need arises.
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