I received a 100mW 532nm Green Keychain laser from DinoDirect and here is my unbiased review:
Disclaimer: This thread is loaded with 9 images (I could add more later if anybody wants
any specific shot) so it may take a while to load. All pictures were taken with a Nikon D90 18-105mm f/3,5-
5,6 lens, using +4 and +8 lenses for the macro shots. I'm very sorry for the chromatic aberration introduced
on macro shots but it's physically impossible to eliminate chromatic aberration. All pics were retouched with
Photoshop CS5 and optimized for visibility and fast loading on forums so they may have noise and artifacts
due to compression and forced lighting.
I'm very sorry about the terrible image quality, I couldn't get the lighting right on them this time, the weather wasn't helpful either.
First off, I have to congratulate DinoDirect on the packaging. They shipped everything in a regular padded cardboard envelope... but the laser was inside another transparent plastic bag with 'DinoDirect' on it. The extra protection is appreciated. One thing, though, before opening the envelope I shook it and found out it rattled. It was the keychain part moving inside the box; I highly suggest using the plastic bag to ship the endcap separately (just put it outside the box but inside the bag) so it doesn't damage the laser during transit.
In addition, I received a free gift, pictured below.
I really appreciate the free gift. It shows the company cares, even if you think it's a cheap item, keep in mind that shipping thousands of these does have a numerical impact on the company.
Now on to the laser...
It arrived in a hard plastic box with two neodymium magnets that allows it to be tightly closed.
I have to emphasize on the fact that they shipped the laser with a 10440 rechargeable battery (for the price, it's amazing).
The laser is really, really small. Here's a comparison between the laser itself and the 10440 battery:
The body is decent quality, threading is good enough, I can't ask for more at this price point. It's just like a typical Newwish long pen but smaller and thinner.
I would have preferred a bit more weight to it, but it would make it bigger, obviously.
As most laserists around here, I like disassembling electronics... and I did too! If you take the "QC Passed" sticker on the front cap you can unscrew it, revealing the module...
It has a better lens mount than most other cheap pointers, such as Romisen 30mW lasers which have plastic threading for the lens.
Here's the back of the module, which I couldn't take out no matter how much momentum I applied (didn't try with heavy pliers because I believe I would've destroyed the host).
I haven't tried burning with it, but the laser is indeed powerful. I can't verify its exact power but I compared it to my Photonic Disruptor Pro and it was a little dimmer than it, which means it should be close to 70-80mW.
One thing I have to point out, as you may have imagined, the host is not suited for long periods of usage. I found out about this while I was setting up the camera to take a beamshot; I had the laser on for 20 seconds (used an o-ring) and when I touched it...WOW that thing was HOT... And that is why I didn't take beamshots of this laser.
Despite the above-skin temperature (>30°C, room temperature was 8°C, so keep in mind it could get hotter on a summer day), there wasn't a visible drop on power but I'm sure that if I had left it on for 20 seconds longer something terrible would've happened.
Furthermore, divergence is awful. I'm sorry I have to be so blunt about it, but it's just really bad. The following picture was taken with the laser shone at a curtain 3,5 meters away from the aperture:
(No Photoshop on this one, had a radius of about 2mm @ 3,5m of distance).
Now you might say... "But can't you fix it turning the lens mount in/out?", to which I'll answer "I tried unscrewing the lens with Chuck Norris' teeth and not even with that could I fix it". There was simply no way to modify the lens' position, I believe it was also glued.
I know that they are probably glued after they're mounted in the manufacturing process but if this is the result we get then I highly recommend DinoDirect lets them know that they should leave it unglued so we at least can try to fix them ourselves.
To conclude, I'm really grateful to DinoDirect for giving me the opportunity to test their service, shipping and products first hand. I hope to be doing business with you in the future. I recommend this laser for fun and casual pointing, but not for long sessions. I would be using this laser as a personal keychain if there was a way to fix its divergence.
I do have to stress on the fact that communication was very pleasant (via PM's) and it reflects great service on DinoDirect's part, which is much appreciated irregardless of the product I received. I wouldn't have any doubts if I were to buy anything from them, they are a 100% serious company.
Link to the product: 100mw 532nm Open-back Green Laser Pointer with Keychain( igniting matches) - DinoDirect.com
Disclaimer: This thread is loaded with 9 images (I could add more later if anybody wants
any specific shot) so it may take a while to load. All pictures were taken with a Nikon D90 18-105mm f/3,5-
5,6 lens, using +4 and +8 lenses for the macro shots. I'm very sorry for the chromatic aberration introduced
on macro shots but it's physically impossible to eliminate chromatic aberration. All pics were retouched with
Photoshop CS5 and optimized for visibility and fast loading on forums so they may have noise and artifacts
due to compression and forced lighting.
I'm very sorry about the terrible image quality, I couldn't get the lighting right on them this time, the weather wasn't helpful either.
First off, I have to congratulate DinoDirect on the packaging. They shipped everything in a regular padded cardboard envelope... but the laser was inside another transparent plastic bag with 'DinoDirect' on it. The extra protection is appreciated. One thing, though, before opening the envelope I shook it and found out it rattled. It was the keychain part moving inside the box; I highly suggest using the plastic bag to ship the endcap separately (just put it outside the box but inside the bag) so it doesn't damage the laser during transit.
In addition, I received a free gift, pictured below.
I really appreciate the free gift. It shows the company cares, even if you think it's a cheap item, keep in mind that shipping thousands of these does have a numerical impact on the company.
Now on to the laser...
It arrived in a hard plastic box with two neodymium magnets that allows it to be tightly closed.
I have to emphasize on the fact that they shipped the laser with a 10440 rechargeable battery (for the price, it's amazing).
The laser is really, really small. Here's a comparison between the laser itself and the 10440 battery:
The body is decent quality, threading is good enough, I can't ask for more at this price point. It's just like a typical Newwish long pen but smaller and thinner.
I would have preferred a bit more weight to it, but it would make it bigger, obviously.
As most laserists around here, I like disassembling electronics... and I did too! If you take the "QC Passed" sticker on the front cap you can unscrew it, revealing the module...
It has a better lens mount than most other cheap pointers, such as Romisen 30mW lasers which have plastic threading for the lens.
Here's the back of the module, which I couldn't take out no matter how much momentum I applied (didn't try with heavy pliers because I believe I would've destroyed the host).
I haven't tried burning with it, but the laser is indeed powerful. I can't verify its exact power but I compared it to my Photonic Disruptor Pro and it was a little dimmer than it, which means it should be close to 70-80mW.
One thing I have to point out, as you may have imagined, the host is not suited for long periods of usage. I found out about this while I was setting up the camera to take a beamshot; I had the laser on for 20 seconds (used an o-ring) and when I touched it...WOW that thing was HOT... And that is why I didn't take beamshots of this laser.
Despite the above-skin temperature (>30°C, room temperature was 8°C, so keep in mind it could get hotter on a summer day), there wasn't a visible drop on power but I'm sure that if I had left it on for 20 seconds longer something terrible would've happened.
Furthermore, divergence is awful. I'm sorry I have to be so blunt about it, but it's just really bad. The following picture was taken with the laser shone at a curtain 3,5 meters away from the aperture:
(No Photoshop on this one, had a radius of about 2mm @ 3,5m of distance).
Now you might say... "But can't you fix it turning the lens mount in/out?", to which I'll answer "I tried unscrewing the lens with Chuck Norris' teeth and not even with that could I fix it". There was simply no way to modify the lens' position, I believe it was also glued.
I know that they are probably glued after they're mounted in the manufacturing process but if this is the result we get then I highly recommend DinoDirect lets them know that they should leave it unglued so we at least can try to fix them ourselves.
To conclude, I'm really grateful to DinoDirect for giving me the opportunity to test their service, shipping and products first hand. I hope to be doing business with you in the future. I recommend this laser for fun and casual pointing, but not for long sessions. I would be using this laser as a personal keychain if there was a way to fix its divergence.
I do have to stress on the fact that communication was very pleasant (via PM's) and it reflects great service on DinoDirect's part, which is much appreciated irregardless of the product I received. I wouldn't have any doubts if I were to buy anything from them, they are a 100% serious company.
Link to the product: 100mw 532nm Open-back Green Laser Pointer with Keychain( igniting matches) - DinoDirect.com
Last edited:
