Best Solar LED Motion Light for Home Security

While browsing Amazon I noticed that there were hundreds of different motion lights. These are meant for home security, to brighten your yard or outdoor space. A lot of manufacturers claim that their lights are extremely bright but they often fall short when put to the test. I ordered four different LED motion lights and wanted to see which one was best.

Not Recommended: Amir Solar Lights Outdoor, 77 LED

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The Amir light has 77 LEDs and a small solar panel. It uses one 18650 battery. The unit we received had a finicky switch that wasn’t always reliable.

This light was problematic for us and didn’t always turn on when it was supposed to (whether via the switch or motion sensor). In addition to having a smaller solar panel, it also had the least sensitive motion detector.

Honorable Mention: Sieges 60 LED Solar Lights Outdoor with Remote Control

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This one has 60 LEDs on one side and a large solar panel on the other. It also comes with a handy remote control to turn the light on and off manually (as opposed to automatically turning on due to motion). This uses a large custom lithium ion battery.

This is a good all around choice. It’s easy to mount, has a large solar panel and is decently bright. Its notable feature is the remote control which is useful for a variety of situations when you don’t want to rely on the motion sensor.

Runner Up: Drawgreen Bright LED Outdoor Spotlight

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This is more of a spotlight with a solar panel that swivels. It also uses one 18650 battery. One thing to note about this light is that it turns on gradually unlike the other lights that turn on instantly.

The Drawgreen is geared more toward lighting a smaller dedicated area instead of a wide area like your entire yard. It also has a feature where the light stays on at a low level and brightens when it senses motion. I definitely like this light but feel that its more for special cases where a direct light is needed.

My Top Pick: Sunforce 82 183 – 180 LED Solar Motion Light

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The Sunforce model has 180 LEDs and runs on three rechargeable double AA batteries. It has three panels with two that swivel to help direct the light where you want it. It has a larger motion sensor than the other three models I’m testing and a separate solar panel that can be mounted further from the light for more flexibility.

The Sunforce model was the brightest light overall and had a great motion sensor. The two light panels that swivel help cover more surface area. The separate solar panel allows maximum flexibility for mounting this light. If needed, you could even mount this light indoors and have the solar panel outside.

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The Moment Case and Lenses for Pixel 2 XL

After receiving the Pixel 2 XL and being impressed by its photo quality, I’ve been considering getting the Moment Lenses. Although I have a few cameras already (DSLR, micro four thirds, GoPro, and more) I felt there was a place for the Moment lenses and Pixel 2 XL combination in my arsenal. Luckily they were having a holiday sale and I was able to pick up the Moment Case in Walnut, the new Wide Lens, and the Tele Lens at a discount.

First Impressions of the Moment Lenses and Pixel 2 XL Case

Moment Case for the Pixel 2 XL

The unboxing experience was great and the packaging is well designed. The Pixel 2 XL case in Walnut feels solid and snaps on and off the phone easily. It’s by no means a slim case. It adds a little bit of bulk but it feels like the perfect balance of weight and width to support the lenses. The buttons on the side are flush with the case but are easy to find. Each lens comes with its own felt pouch for storage and a lens cap. The lenses attach easily and securely to the case.

Moment 18mm Wide Lens Review

Moment 18mm Wide Lens

The build quality on the 18mm Wide Lens is great. The lens has a good weight to it and feels well built. I used a focus calibration chart to test the lens and the lines remained straight and retained their sharpness. The Wide Lens also shows little light loss.

Moment 18mm Wide Lens on Pixel 2 XL

Moment 60mm Tele Lens Review

Moment 60mm Tele Lens

Moment 60mm Tele Lens on Pixel 2 XL

I bought the Tele lens to enhance the Pixel 2’s portrait mode and in hopes of getting some shallow depth of field when shooting video. Unfortunately I discovered that the Pixel 2’s portrait mode gets confused when the lens is in use. Additionally, the image quality is disappointing. The resulting images are soft, especially in the corners. It is noticeably less sharp and has some barrel distortion. Both the Wide and Tele lens exhibit some color fringing but it is much worse on the Tele lens. There is also significant vignetting with the 60mm Tele lens.

Moment Wide Lens vs Moment Tele Lens

Moment Tele Lens Vignetting

The Tele lens does add some depth of field when shooting videos on the Pixel 2 XL but for me it’s not worth the loss in image quality. Overall, the 60mm Tele lens did not meet my expectations.

Conclusion

I would definitely recommend the Moment Case and the 18mm Wide Lens. Instead of the 60mm Tele lens for portrait use, I prefer the Sirui Portrait Lens. It is not made for telephoto shots, but it’s much sharper around the edges for portrait shots within 10ft.

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