Mo13
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This is my first review for this forum, and I hope it helps anybody looking for information on this particular laser. Hopefully there will be many more to come. So, without further ado:
LINK>>BudgetGadgets 50mW CR2 Handheld
All ratings are on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best. Price is kept in mind for the ratings, so a 10 here does not necessarily mean it is better than a $500 50mW laser that has a 7.
First Impressions: 9
This laser has a very comfortable feel to it. It has a nice weight and a great tailcap switch which makes extended use a breeze. The dot is incredibly bright right out of the package with the included battery, so you won’t have to wait to play with your new toy. It might be too bright to use inside for too long without goggles, but outdoor use over distances is perfect (as long as it doesn’t reflect back into your eyes)! The price is only $31.10, which makes this laser a great buy for the common laser enthusiast, and the serious spender.
Shipping/Packaging: 10
Shipping was free and took only 8 DAYS from China to Florida, which is by far the fastest shipping I’ve ever experienced from a China based website. The laser came in a bubble-wrap padded envelope and was labeled as a gift with a $10 value.
The option of including a padded tin gift box is offered for an additional $2.33, but I opted not to get it since the laser is for me and not a friend. There is one 3.0V CR2 battery included, but I recommend buying a few rechargeables to save money in the long run.
Unlike DX, BudgetGadgets does ship to the US. I experienced no problems getting the laser through customs.
Build/Design: 7
The laser is made up of three parts: The tailcap, the body, and the head which houses the diode. All three components screw together smoothly and tightly, with no wobbling on the inside or out (a major issue with my LS50 Pen-Style).
The on-off tailcap switch has a solid design and, as stated before, makes extended use for experimenting very easy.
The diode is held in place with two drops of glue. This could make removing a bit of a challenge, but still possible for skilled hands.
The material seems to be brushed aluminum, giving it a beautiful medium-gloss shine. The smoothness of the metal makes it a bit slick in the hand; however the included strap will prevent any accidental dropping when in clumsy hands.
Compared to the LEDShoppe 50mW Pen-Style: Over 9000!
Without any exceptions, the BG50 greatly surpasses the LS50 in every way imaginable!
The LS50 (LEDShoppe.com) is a popular pen-style laser recommended to me as the best “Beam Laser” available for under $50.
While the beam is impressive in the night sky, it’s almost invisible in a lit room and the divergence is so poor, the beam disappears after only 50ft (15.24m). At a distance of only 10ft (3.05m), the dot from the LS50 measures 1cm, and is surrounded by a circle of spill with a radius of 1.5ft (.5m). At 120ft (36.6m), the dot from the LS50 is the size of a Frisbee, and the spill covers a whole doorway!
It bears repeating: The BudgetGadgets 50mw surpasses the LEDShoppe 50mW in every category, and I will list the details of the BG50’s performance below.
Visibility/Performance: 9
Dot- The dot of this laser is remarkably small at close ranges (>20ft, >6m); I estimate it to be no more than 2-3mm. The quality is a clean TEM00, even at greater distances. At 10ft (3.05m), the dot’s spill only measures with a radius of 1.5in (3.8cm). (Sorry, the glare in the picture makes it appear larger. The bright center is the dot and spill.)
Goggles are required for any up close work, since the dot is so bright. At night, the dot is bright enough to compromise your night vision, so keep that in mind when using it for stargazing.
Here is a picture comparing the dots of the BG50 (left) and the LS50 (right).
Beam- In a well lit room, the beam is visible and razor thin. In a dimmed but still lit room, the beam is easily visible and impressively bright. Neither of these compare to the beam at night, which cuts through the air like a wire and seems to go on forever. It’s almost too bright to point out stars, since looking at the beam is enough to make you lose your night vision temporarily. In the simplest terms: The beam is more than enough to impress anyone around, and will leave your friends jealous. ;-)
My cheap point-and-shoot camera cannot perform well enough to get a beam shot in a lit room, but here are some night shots of the beam. Again, I have a very cheap camera and these pictures really don’t do the beam justice.
Divergence- The divergence (how big the dot gets as it gets farther away) of this beam is great at only 1.51mRads. For those of you unfamiliar with mRads, I’ll make it simple by saying that the dot from the laser only measured 2.25in (5.72cm) at a distance of 120ft, which is a really good divergence compared to other cheap lasers shown (see the LS50above).
Burning: 5
Although 50mW lasers are not usually intended for burning, this laser does possess some burning capabilities. While the laser cannot engrave or produce smoke on hard black plastic, it is able to burn a hole through a black garbage bag in less than 5 seconds, and cut through electrical tape in less than 7 seconds. Also, in less than 5 seconds, it can pop black balloons from up to 5ft (1.5m) away.
Overall: 9
This laser’s performance went above and beyond all of my expectations for such an inexpensive device. I’d recommend it to anyone looking to buy a high quality greenie without breaking the bank. This laser also makes an excellent gift for any geek. One thing I can’t stress enough is that THIS IS NOT A CHILD’S TOY! This laser CAN do serious damage if pointed in the eye of any person or animal, and should always remain in mature hands. That being said, it’s an excellent product at an incredible price.
Feel free to ask me any questions about anything I may have left out or made unclear.
EDIT: UPDATE!!! There is now a Youtube Video Review of this laser. Watch it Here: BudgetGadgets 50mW Laser Video Review
LINK>>BudgetGadgets 50mW CR2 Handheld
All ratings are on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best. Price is kept in mind for the ratings, so a 10 here does not necessarily mean it is better than a $500 50mW laser that has a 7.
First Impressions: 9
This laser has a very comfortable feel to it. It has a nice weight and a great tailcap switch which makes extended use a breeze. The dot is incredibly bright right out of the package with the included battery, so you won’t have to wait to play with your new toy. It might be too bright to use inside for too long without goggles, but outdoor use over distances is perfect (as long as it doesn’t reflect back into your eyes)! The price is only $31.10, which makes this laser a great buy for the common laser enthusiast, and the serious spender.
Shipping/Packaging: 10
Shipping was free and took only 8 DAYS from China to Florida, which is by far the fastest shipping I’ve ever experienced from a China based website. The laser came in a bubble-wrap padded envelope and was labeled as a gift with a $10 value.
The option of including a padded tin gift box is offered for an additional $2.33, but I opted not to get it since the laser is for me and not a friend. There is one 3.0V CR2 battery included, but I recommend buying a few rechargeables to save money in the long run.
Unlike DX, BudgetGadgets does ship to the US. I experienced no problems getting the laser through customs.
Build/Design: 7
The laser is made up of three parts: The tailcap, the body, and the head which houses the diode. All three components screw together smoothly and tightly, with no wobbling on the inside or out (a major issue with my LS50 Pen-Style).
The on-off tailcap switch has a solid design and, as stated before, makes extended use for experimenting very easy.
The diode is held in place with two drops of glue. This could make removing a bit of a challenge, but still possible for skilled hands.
The material seems to be brushed aluminum, giving it a beautiful medium-gloss shine. The smoothness of the metal makes it a bit slick in the hand; however the included strap will prevent any accidental dropping when in clumsy hands.
Compared to the LEDShoppe 50mW Pen-Style: Over 9000!
Without any exceptions, the BG50 greatly surpasses the LS50 in every way imaginable!
The LS50 (LEDShoppe.com) is a popular pen-style laser recommended to me as the best “Beam Laser” available for under $50.
While the beam is impressive in the night sky, it’s almost invisible in a lit room and the divergence is so poor, the beam disappears after only 50ft (15.24m). At a distance of only 10ft (3.05m), the dot from the LS50 measures 1cm, and is surrounded by a circle of spill with a radius of 1.5ft (.5m). At 120ft (36.6m), the dot from the LS50 is the size of a Frisbee, and the spill covers a whole doorway!
It bears repeating: The BudgetGadgets 50mw surpasses the LEDShoppe 50mW in every category, and I will list the details of the BG50’s performance below.
Visibility/Performance: 9
Dot- The dot of this laser is remarkably small at close ranges (>20ft, >6m); I estimate it to be no more than 2-3mm. The quality is a clean TEM00, even at greater distances. At 10ft (3.05m), the dot’s spill only measures with a radius of 1.5in (3.8cm). (Sorry, the glare in the picture makes it appear larger. The bright center is the dot and spill.)
Goggles are required for any up close work, since the dot is so bright. At night, the dot is bright enough to compromise your night vision, so keep that in mind when using it for stargazing.
Here is a picture comparing the dots of the BG50 (left) and the LS50 (right).
Beam- In a well lit room, the beam is visible and razor thin. In a dimmed but still lit room, the beam is easily visible and impressively bright. Neither of these compare to the beam at night, which cuts through the air like a wire and seems to go on forever. It’s almost too bright to point out stars, since looking at the beam is enough to make you lose your night vision temporarily. In the simplest terms: The beam is more than enough to impress anyone around, and will leave your friends jealous. ;-)
My cheap point-and-shoot camera cannot perform well enough to get a beam shot in a lit room, but here are some night shots of the beam. Again, I have a very cheap camera and these pictures really don’t do the beam justice.
Divergence- The divergence (how big the dot gets as it gets farther away) of this beam is great at only 1.51mRads. For those of you unfamiliar with mRads, I’ll make it simple by saying that the dot from the laser only measured 2.25in (5.72cm) at a distance of 120ft, which is a really good divergence compared to other cheap lasers shown (see the LS50above).
Burning: 5
Although 50mW lasers are not usually intended for burning, this laser does possess some burning capabilities. While the laser cannot engrave or produce smoke on hard black plastic, it is able to burn a hole through a black garbage bag in less than 5 seconds, and cut through electrical tape in less than 7 seconds. Also, in less than 5 seconds, it can pop black balloons from up to 5ft (1.5m) away.
Overall: 9
This laser’s performance went above and beyond all of my expectations for such an inexpensive device. I’d recommend it to anyone looking to buy a high quality greenie without breaking the bank. This laser also makes an excellent gift for any geek. One thing I can’t stress enough is that THIS IS NOT A CHILD’S TOY! This laser CAN do serious damage if pointed in the eye of any person or animal, and should always remain in mature hands. That being said, it’s an excellent product at an incredible price.
Feel free to ask me any questions about anything I may have left out or made unclear.
EDIT: UPDATE!!! There is now a Youtube Video Review of this laser. Watch it Here: BudgetGadgets 50mW Laser Video Review
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