a flashlight for my knife

C

crbauhs

Joined
Dec 2, 2007
Messages
2,028
ok so i am looking for a lfashlight to carry with my knives now. i am looking at 2 fenix models. the P3D and the L2D. what do you guys recomend? i truly know nothing about lights, i have jsut heard good things bout fenix. hanks ya'll
 
Fenix lights are an excellent choice. Picking which flavor to carry is purely subjective. I happen to prefer the P1D Q5 (1xCR123 twisty) and P3D (2xCR123 twisty), though I have several others. Not much to dislike about them.
 
I would recommend the L2d Q5, easier to find batteries for it in case of emergencies and runtime with a set is very good. Throws a decent enough light 180lumens in turbo mode, good enough for tactical use.

Very sturdy, mine took a fall down a flight of concrete steps. a few small scratches and it still works. Highly recommend it.
 
+1 for you can't go wrong, I bought the P3D rb100 based on the reviews over at www.candlepowerforums.com, and couldn't be happier. If I had to do it again, I _might_ go for something with AAs instead of CR123s, but so far the battery life had been better than expected. I can say for certain I like the shorter length of the P3D, I think it makes the light more pocketable.
 
I was trying to decided between those two lights as well last year. I opted for the L2D. They both use the same LED. They are very close in specs. (you can go to the Fenix website and compare..I wont post them all) A couple of things I like about the L2d was the size. It is a little bigger...it gives me alittle more to hang onto. I like that. Some dont. Also when researching the two lights I read that the P3d will heat up after prolonged use. I cant personally confirm this but read it in a flashlight review article. The L2d didnt have this problem. But the biggest advantage that I liked was that although the specs were nearly identical on these lights, the L2D output and performance was on two AA alkaline batteries. as opposed to the cr123A batteries that the P3d uses. For best performance you will probably want ot use lithium batteries but to be able two just throw in regular AA batteries in it is a big plus to me.
These are amazing little lights. You cant go wrong with either.
 
i saw the surefire lights, but for the ones i liked, they were too expensive. adn yes. i was basing pat of it on purly shallow looks. as for the l2d adn the p3d the big thing im trying to decide beetween is the size of the p3d or the batteries that the l2d use. choices coices...
 
I have a couple of Fenix flashlights, one the LOD CE has a multi function twisty head. It isn't bad most of the time, but when I really need a light I don't want to fool around with that multi function head.

Last week I got a Surefire E1B Backup. It's a great little light. Looks good too.
 
Let’s see if we can find the right forum …
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Rich357 said:
I have a couple of Fenix flashlights, one the LOD CE has a multi function twisty head. It isn't bad most of the time, but when I really need a light I don't want to fool around with that multi function head.
Click to expand...


that's been my problem with the majority of fenix lights.

i have an l1t 2.0 that has only two output settings, and momentary on tailcap.

i have never found a use for all those settings. i only want a low and high.
 
spyderco endura said:
Have a look at the Surefire flashlights.
Click to expand...

I agree, but as you say, they are expensive. I would highly recommend them though, I have three, and my G2 took a drop of about 20 ft, while on, and the filament did not even break! The other G2 has not seen action, and I recently (yesterday) got the E1L Outdoorsman, which is really impressive for the size.

But as I said, I would recommend them. I do not have experience with fenix, so I could compare them to Surefire, but I know Surefire rocks!:thumbup:
 
The fenix lights are very good for a general user, they are plenty tough and really bright for there size. The L2D-Q5 may be the better choice for you because the battery options are eaiser to understand (CR123's get confusing) and you can find AA anywhere. The other option of surefire is very good also there basic model the 6P is a very upgradeable light with so many available LED drop-in's there is a thread at CPF just for them.
 
I say go P3D! I run rechargeable 123 Lithium cells in mine, which I rarely need to charge. I can go for a week of using my flashlight without draining the batteries flat--not consecutively of course.

The 4 setting / 2 setting setup of the P3D is a little annoying at times, but it's thoughtfully set up:

The first on mode at brighter than a keychain light, good for close work or map reading

Second click is a little brighter, plenty bright for most searching tasks and checking out something at a distance.

Third click is plenty bright.

Then you can always twist the bezel for turbo.

It's really a great flashlight overall. And if you're worried about durability, there's a fairly recent thread about a P3D being dropped down an elevator shaft and still functioning perfectly.
 
A lot will depend upon the battery type, beam pattern, and battery life you want. I use mostly the CR123's, and depending upon the light, run times to 50% will vary.

Another choice I would suggest is getting a light that uses the Cree Q5 emitter. Right now, the best there is...but in another few months, like anything electronic, that will be old news.

I have 4 now with another on the way. They are the Surefire L1, Surefire A2 Aviator (an interesting light - a white xenon spot/flood combined with 3 low intensity red LED's. This is a perfect light in dark conditions when you don't want to be flash blinded by turning on a powerful light in the dark. The red LED's don't effect your adapted night vision), A Fenix P1 (single cell CR123 in a keychain size foorprint), and an O-light Special Edition T20 (over 200 lumens). I also have two little AA keychain lights made by KAI Domain. Incoming is the O-light T25.

The best source for info on these can be found HERE. Go to the Market Place and look here for info on the KAI AA lights ($ 15 each, shipping included) or here for info on the O-lights. The Fenix and Surefire are pretty common, so a read on the other two might help.

The Candle Power Forums is a flashaholics dream...
 
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