Customer Reviews

Black Diamond Apollo Lantern, Dark Gray

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Okay, I admit that I am a flashlight (torch, if you are a Brit) junkie, especially LED types. So that's the bias, but that also qualifies me as somewhat of an expert -- well, somewhat. In any event I am very pleased with the build and design of this LED lantern. It is a quality, durable, functional piece of equipment that will last and serve you well. I may even get another one (his and hers when camping). If you can live with the price tag, then it is a good purchase. Even for seldom needed emergency use, a large package of alkaline AA batteries from Costco and one of these lanterns would be a lot safer and more practical than candles.
Also, as noted in the product description, dimmed down the manufacturer says you will get 60 hours of light. It's not the best intensity of light dimmed to that level, but it would be practical and viable for many uses (similar to 'nightlight' intensity). On 'high' you get pretty good light, but only 15 hours of use using the 4 AA alkaline batteries required. But with a large, discount package of batteries on hand that's not a concern for me, because the shelf life of fresh batteries is years and like I said, they are not too expensive if purchased at a place like Costco. Also, there is a plug-in for an adapter accessory (not supplied) if you don't want to use batteries, but that doesn't appeal to me. I might also add that intensity of light is one thing, but the way the light is reflected is another issue. With some LEDs, sure, you have an intense enough light output, but they cast, or reflect the light in a way that makes it uncomfortable to read by. Not so with this lantern. It is very comfortable to read by (at the high intensity level -- 15 hours duration), and that is important for me.

*UPDATE*: We just came back from camping in the Sierra Mountains and this lamp performed wonderfully. It was like having a mini (not as bright of course) Coleman lantern without the fuss, danger, weight, noise, etc. My wife wants her own now. Well worth the price for this product. Maybe I'll get two more!

**SECOND UPDATE**: Still my best choice for a lot of things, HOWEVER: Remove the batteries from the cartridge that holds the four AA batteries if you are not going to use the lantern for a while. I left mine in one of them (I have two) and they leaked and corroded the terminals of the cartridge and made the lantern inoperable. I had to file and clean, file and clean multiple times to get it working again (and it's still not perfect). Also, I fashioned a metal `cap' to fit over the top as a reflector and it's even better for reading by now.

This lantern has quite a few things going for it. Collapsed, it's very small - about the size of a can of soup. The 3W LED puts out a decent amount of light, even running off 1.2V NiMH AAs (it might be a tad bit brighter w/ alkalines, or their proprietary NRG battery pack, though I'm guessing lithiums might be too much for it). The dimmer works well, and has a clever feedback method - it blinks once at the top or bottom of the range, and then starts over again if you continue to hold. Oddly, the battery level LEDs are covered by the bottom of the diffuser when it's open all the way, but that doesn't seem like the end of the world (they claim 50 hours on a set of batteries, though that's likely dimmed all the way, which is still usable).

LED's are simply amazing and they have caused nothing short of a revolution in the lighting sector. Just go to any high end lighting store on the internet and browse some of the new LED lights and you will quickly understand what I mean by revolution. Some of the lights now available are just downright amazing. Lighting has never been this much fun. While LED lights for camping aren't quite as exciting or revolutionary as some of the stuff being introduced in the home lines, its still worthy of excitement especially for people that are used to old school candle lanterns.

The Apollo from Black Diamond is certainly one of the best options currently available. The Apollo is a 3 watt light which can achieve a light intensity of 50 lumens. The design, with its frosted globe and dual reflectors, eliminates any sort of glare even when your looking right at it. Its really an ingenious design. You simply pull up on the housing and pull down the 3 sets of legs and your done. There is a dimming switch so you can adjust the overall output of the light which is great for extending battery life. The bottom of the legs are coated with a very sticky black rubber thus giving the legs amazing traction. Overall, when extended with all 3 legs down, the lantern is 9.5" high. It takes 4 AA batteries or you can purchase the NRG Rechargeable Battery Kit which is what I definitely recommend. I actually purchased 2 of them so I can backpack with an extra battery. Last but not least it has a battery power indicator with green, yellow and red LEDs which display the amount of battery power left. When using the NRG rechargeable battery The indicator shows the charging status of the NRG battery.

While 3 watts may not sound like much, trust me it is, especially when your in pitch darkness. The Apollo will easily illuminate a 4 person tent. At 11 ounces you wont even notice the weight in your pack. These are available in both black and white versions. Black Diamond also makes a 1 watt version called the Orbit. Its basically the exact same design, just smaller and with 1/3 the overall light output. They are perfect for those times when your going solo as they easily illuminate a 1 person tent or even if you want to read in a bivy sack.

Of course you can use these for other things besides camping. We purchased 3 of the Apollo and 3 of the Orbit lights to use for emergency lighting in our house. We usually lose power in our house at least 2-3 times a year during the stormy summer months. These lanterns are absolutely perfect and much safer than candles. We use the orbits to light up our main hallways and use the Apollo's for our main rooms and bedrooms. We have already had to use them twice for such occasions and they were perfect, vastly superior to what we used in the past. We did have a really big and super bright lantern that we used for such occasions however it took 8 D batteries so it wasn't cheap to keep it operational and it weighed like 8 pounds. I definitely prefer the Apollo's and so does my wallet.

Bottom line - these are outstanding lights. They are designed extremely well, put out plenty of light, are lightweight and are easy to carry around. The optional rechargeable battery is a huge plus as I for one HATE wasting money on batteries. IMO, this is now the best camping light on the market. I cant give this a higher recommendation.

I've purchased about 8 of these for use on safari and in research camps in Northern Kenya and they are still going strong after a year and a half of every night use! Even better we can use them with rechargeable batteries we charge using solar chargers --so great for the environment. They throw off plenty of light and if it works in Africa it works almost anywhere

This is a decent product that gives off a nice bright light. My only issue with it is the price. At half the price, the Coleman 3AA MicroPacker LED Lantern is a better deal with nearly the same light intensity. The Black Diamond Apollo is an overall better product. It delivers a more even light and has a variable dimmer capability to allow for a more customizable lighting level.

We received this as a gift and it works great! Advertised for camping, and I'm sure it will work great for our next trip, but we've already used it for venturing outside in the dark of our backyard. Being battery operated, its perfect for indoors use during power outages. Gives off more light than I would have thought possible from these LEDs. I'm going to send one to my family in FL to keep with their hurricane kit!

I purchased this product roughly 3 months ago and have put it to immediate use.

Light: Quite bright for its size with a great frosted light output. I really like being able to adjust the light output. It is consistent as the battery runs the light doesn't dim. Great light for reading in my tent and lights up a room when the power is out.

Durability: My two year has gotten a hold of it on a few occasions and couldn't break it. I have dropped it a few times and used it as a work light yet still looks brand new. Nothing feels cheap on the light hints the price.

I got my Black Diamond Apollo and was excited to open the package and try it out. I think it's great! Nice package with pull-up lighthouse and pull-out tri legs that restore into a compact footprint. It's perfect for van camping, which is what I need.

The light output is totally satisfactory, also. All in all, a great little lamp for emergency or cabin use that stores very well.

Used this extensively on a 2 month camping road trip across America and functioned great. I even accidentally left it out in the rain in the Badlands and it still worked the day after. Great for table side lighting, hanging in your tent, taking with you to the bathroom, and car light. On my next trip I will purchase a second light for sure.

I bought this mostly because of it's small size. It's basically the same as a soda can with legs. Nice and bright. I love the adjustable brightness (by holding down the main button), and battery life seems to be really good on 4 rechargable NiHM batteries.