Recommendation? Flashlight

[Planterz]

(Incidentally, I also carry a Rovyvon Aurora A8X on a keychain. It's the Nichia/red/white/UV model, so I don't need a separate UV light. I find myself using the red LED quite a bit too. Quite bright for such a small red LED.)

I've got the same one, as well as the A5x with the green glowing body. I should come up with some quick detach system for my keychain for when I want to slim things down, since the A8X UV really does replace 3 different lights (adequately, although not as well). I honestly probably don't need the Sofirn SC01, but it's so tiny and nice to use that I like having it regardless. The low is great for getting around without blinding myself, and the high is impressively bright for being so small. The fact that low-to-high just requires you to twist it more (rather than the annoying on-off-on method of mode changing) makes it even better.

Incidentally, if you didn't know, Rovyvon, Nitecore, and Jetbeam are all part of the same company, which is why there's so many different of these keychain lights (Nitecore TIKI, Rovyvon Aurora, Jetbeam Mini) that seem almost identical. Great family of lights regardless. The amount of light they put out for their size is crazy, especially when you remember that it was just a (seemingly) few years ago that LEDs were barely matching the output of smaller Surefire incandescent flashlights. There's almost no reason not to have one on your keychain.

BTW, I was disappointed that my old A5x stopped working after less than a year. But they have a 2 year warranty, and after emailing them a screenshot of my order and a quick video of it blinking oddly, they sent me a brand new one in 2 days(!) via Amazon.

I did also try another lookalike by Astrolux because they offer one with a 4000K 95+CRI SST20. It's not great. The USB cover is large and sticks out, meaning it'll likely pop out in your pocket. It turns on with a single press, meaning it's very easy to accidentally turn it on in your pocket, and most annoyingly, a double click from off (which turns on all the other ones) goes directly to a max-level strobe. A shame, because otherwise it'd be great - it has a smooth ramping interface (press and hold to brighter/dimmer) with a very low moonlight low, and it's the only one of this style I've found with a warm/neutral high CRI LED. The Nichia 219C Rovyvon is pretty good, but it could be better with a warmer bin or a Luminus SST20. It does have a lockout mode, but it takes 5 clicks and flashes a bunch (white, red, blue, like a cop car) and just isn't practical.

For clarification, in my first post I said the Rovyvon A8x had a 5000K 92CRI LED, but their website says it's a 4500K 90+CRI LED. I don't know that I believe it though. I have a 5000K Cree XP-L Hi FW3A and it's warmer than the Rovyvon. The side light is also advertised as being 4500K, but I'm sure you'll agree that it's warmer than the front light. The front light on the Rovyvon does, to my eyes, have better CRI than the 5000K Cree, despite the whiter tint. It's not as good as my 4000K 219C Jetbeam RRT01 or my SST20 lights, but it's definitely not the harsh white 6000 or 6500K that is the XP-G3 of the 650 lumen A5x. The discrepancy in perceived tints might be a result of the optics (TIR as opposed to reflector or bare), or they might actually be 5000K 90+CRI LEDs. I'm thinking that it's the optics creating different tints - this is a known phenomenon that crops up when people compare lights with different optics but same LEDs, such as Convoy S2 vs Lumintop FW3A (reflector vs TIR).




Anyway, S Seth Green the Lumintop FW3EL might interest you. It's essentially a FW3A that's modified for simplicity. It's only sold in one place (can't mention it, but it's very obvious and you can find it very easily) and with the appropriate discounts it's under $40 shipped, plus you can return it within 30 days, no questions asked. It has the SST-20 LEDs I've been raving about, a simplified UI without the crazy modes that most of us don't have any use for, and a customized battery. The battery is both a good thing and a bad thing though. It has a built-in USB port for charging, but it's also proprietary, and it looks like you might have to go through the manufacturer (in China) to order a spare. I'd also recommend getting the 10507 optic (if you'd prefer it a bit less floody), the stainless steel bezel, and the deep carry pocket clip while you're at it. Pretty cool that it comes with the glow gasket installed.

Here's a quick and crappy pic of some of my lights.



From left to right, Olight Baton 3 (proprietary 16340), Acebeam TK16 Osram (16340), Lumintop FW3A with 18350 battery tube, Mecarmy PT16 (16340 but accepts 18350), Jetbeam RRT01 (18350), Jetbeam Raptor RRT01 (18350), Lumintop FW3A (18650), Seeknite A01* (AA/14500), Lumintop Tool UV (14500).

*(the Seeknite is a rebranded Convoy, one of many rebrands)

Note that the longer FW3A is the only 18650 battery light pictured, yet is barely bigger than the Raptor and the Seeknite. The FW3A puts out far more light than any of the other lights (except the other FW3A), yet packs a 3000mAh or 3500mAh (depending on brand/model) battery, whereas the 18350 batteries are barely 1/3 the capacity (1000-1300mAh) and the 14500 batteries are 900mAh. If you were to chart a lumens vs volume ratio, the Lumintop FW3A would undoubtedly be one of the champs.

I don't have a Noctigon or Emisar, or even a FW4A, but being 4 LED lights, they're going to be bigger in diameter than the 3 LED FW3A. I really like the ~1" diameter of the FW3A and I'm not sure I'd want to EDC anything bigger around. The Mecarmy pictured, for example, although is also a 3 LED light, and short, is a real chunk of a light because of the larger bezel. If you happen to have some wood dowels or PVC, or even a prescription or OTC pill bottle that has a similar diameter to these lights, it might help you to get a physical idea of how big you want, or don't want, a flashlight to be if you plan to actually carry it in your pocket.

On a side note, the best thrower of all the lights above is the second smallest, the tiny Acebeam TK16 with Osram LEDs. Apart from the FW3As, it definitely has the most "holy crap!" factor out of all of them.

 

[Pomsbz]

Although I've long lusted after a Lumintop FW3 of one type or another, I have a bunch of BLF A6 lights, they're ridiculously cheap, the UI is great and they've been solid workhorses. I'm not sure I'd pocket EDC the Lumintop anyway, it's a bit thick for that at which point the A6 is pretty much all you could really ever need. That said Planterz free free to persuade me otherwise. I'd actually be interested in the FWAA if it would actually take an AA battery which is a must for my EDC should I run out of juice while out and about. You can get AA's everywhere. That and it's not got a built in keychain hole, I don't want the clip if it's on my keychain. I currently have an Eagletac D25A Clicky on the keychain and it's replacement will probably just be the mkII of the same light.

 

[Scott321]

Looking for a small to medium sized flashlight with clip and rechargable battery w charger. Under $200 new. Thanks!

I'm going to go a little against the grain here if you're looking for an EDC flashlight. I have a lot of flashlights ranging from $1 to $200 (with batteries). As much as I like the ones with higher CRI, higher output, more modes including moonlight, fancier materials, etc., my most carried light right now is a Streamlight Macrostream USB. I use it as a supplemental light to my work lights, to identify things across my property (pie shaped acre), and for lighting up unlit walking paths.

It's simple, small, thin, and light. It has a bright spill for area, has a hotspot that is just enough to reach out to the edges of my property at 500 lumens high, and floody enough that at 50 lumens low it isn't overpowering when walking a path at night or checking the mailbox, and the runtime on low is over 8 hours. It has a reversible clip that I've used as an impromptu headlamp with a baseball cap while working on attic insulation, has a micro USB port for charging, and is thinner and lighter than my 18650 and 2xCR123 flashlights. It also has momentary on, but you need to wait about 1 second in between shots or it will switch from high to low.

It's not my favorite light by far and is outclassed by even cheaper lights, but it is a workhorse for me and can be picked up locally. The biggest downside is that it takes a proprietary 14500, but if you don't mind losing the charging feature you can use generic 14500 Li-ion rechargeable batteries (WILL NOT WORK with AA's or NiMH AA's). Also, some of the other 14500 and 16340 lights might be worth looking into... they might have more options but I've grown to appreciate the simplicity of the Streamlight for general purpose. The 16340 lights might have a little more reach in general (slightly larger bezel).

That being said, the Fenix LD30 mentioned earlier is just a tad larger, has a simple enough UI, has momentary on, has a more significant hotspot, more than double the output, and significantly more runtime for comparable output levels. It is one of my go-to's for general purpose lights if the weight of the 18650 isn't as much of a concern. However, to keep this small size, it does not have an integrated charging port. You can fit in 18650's that have a charging port though... I did put DC-fix on the lens to widen the spill and slightly soften the hot spot for my purposes... for the record, I prefer the beam and color rendition on the Acebeam TK18 w/Nichia LED's to the Fenix LD30 (plus the Fenix doesn't have a moonlight option), but I prefer a momentary-on with my EDC's, and the electronic switch on the TK18 slows that down (one of the reasons I have not tried the FW3A, Noctigon, or Emissar lights yet).

One last suggestion... I generally pay closer attention to runtimes and lumen output on the mid and high modes rather than the Turbo modes when judging my light purchases. I use Turbo often, but usually for short bursts lasting only a few seconds, e.g. for identifying an animal at the other end of my yard, NOT for prolonged use, e.g. searching for a dropped tool in my yard at night or working under a car hood during the day/in a lit garage. For sustained 1000 lumen and up, you really want to look at the larger, not-pocket-friendly lights for the increased surface area for cooling.

 

[Seth Green]

Before ordering a light like an Emisar, Noctigon, or certain Lumintops, you should read up on them and the Andruil interface. If all you want is something simple, then these might not be what you want. In addition to the light you'll also need a good charger and the correct 18650 batteries, which are not your typical cells. These lights will only work with high-drain (you'll want 20A continuous or higher) unprotected cells. The lights themselves will have low voltage protection so overdischarge isn't an issue, but there's still other risks with unprotected cells that you should be aware of. The batteries themselves aren't always easy to track down either. And as mentioned earlier, the Andruil interface is not for the casual user.

Deadpool has been very helpful with info and links to track down all the required chargers and batteries. I may find the Android interface to be too complicated for my needs. Time will tell!

 

[Seth Green]

EXCELLENT explanations Aaron! Couldn't have said it better myself.

Totally agree with that last line! I didn't think it would be the case before I switched to warm white, but it absolutely is!

(Incidentally, I also carry a Rovyvon Aurora A8X on a keychain. It's the Nichia/red/white/UV model, so I don't need a separate UV light. I find myself using the red LED quite a bit too. Quite bright for such a small red LED.)
I didn't know that Fenix was located in CO. I may need to go visit them soon. Thanks!

Totally agree again. Lol. I actually get annoyed with the Anduril interface sometimes, if I haven't used it for awhile. Sometimes simple is better. Been thinking about getting a FW3EL for the simpler modes.

Also, the Fenix HQ is walking distance from my house... Between them and the Spyderco outlet also being close by, it is dangerous!

 

[SpyderPhreak]

(Hmm, can't reply to you because of your reply inside of the quote. S Seth Green )

"I didn't know that Fenix was located in CO. I may need to go visit them soon. Thanks!"

Yeah, they have a showroom/store too! It's in the Ken Caryl area near C-470 and Ken Caryl. It has been closed due to COVID though, and I don't know for sure if they have opened back up yet or not (Google says they're still closed).

 

[SpyderPhreak]

I've got the same one, as well as the A5x with the green glowing body. I should come up with some quick detach system for my keychain for when I want to slim things down, since the A8X UV really does replace 3 different lights (adequately, although not as well). I honestly probably don't need the Sofirn SC01, but it's so tiny and nice to use that I like having it regardless. The low is great for getting around without blinding myself, and the high is impressively bright for being so small. The fact that low-to-high just requires you to twist it more (rather than the annoying on-off-on method of mode changing) makes it even better.

Incidentally, if you didn't know, Rovyvon, Nitecore, and Jetbeam are all part of the same company, which is why there's so many different of these keychain lights (Nitecore TIKI, Rovyvon Aurora, Jetbeam Mini) that seem almost identical. Great family of lights regardless. The amount of light they put out for their size is crazy, especially when you remember that it was just a (seemingly) few years ago that LEDs were barely matching the output of smaller Surefire incandescent flashlights. There's almost no reason not to have one on your keychain.

BTW, I was disappointed that my old A5x stopped working after less than a year. But they have a 2 year warranty, and after emailing them a screenshot of my order and a quick video of it blinking oddly, they sent me a brand new one in 2 days(!) via Amazon.

I did also try another lookalike by Astrolux because they offer one with a 4000K 95+CRI SST20. It's not great. The USB cover is large and sticks out, meaning it'll likely pop out in your pocket. It turns on with a single press, meaning it's very easy to accidentally turn it on in your pocket, and most annoyingly, a double click from off (which turns on all the other ones) goes directly to a max-level strobe. A shame, because otherwise it'd be great - it has a smooth ramping interface (press and hold to brighter/dimmer) with a very low moonlight low, and it's the only one of this style I've found with a warm/neutral high CRI LED. The Nichia 219C Rovyvon is pretty good, but it could be better with a warmer bin or a Luminus SST20. It does have a lockout mode, but it takes 5 clicks and flashes a bunch (white, red, blue, like a cop car) and just isn't practical.

For clarification, in my first post I said the Rovyvon A8x had a 5000K 92CRI LED, but their website says it's a 4500K 90+CRI LED. I don't know that I believe it though. I have a 5000K Cree XP-L Hi FW3A and it's warmer than the Rovyvon. The side light is also advertised as being 4500K, but I'm sure you'll agree that it's warmer than the front light. The front light on the Rovyvon does, to my eyes, have better CRI than the 5000K Cree, despite the whiter tint. It's not as good as my 4000K 219C Jetbeam RRT01 or my SST20 lights, but it's definitely not the harsh white 6000 or 6500K that is the XP-G3 of the 650 lumen A5x. The discrepancy in perceived tints might be a result of the optics (TIR as opposed to reflector or bare), or they might actually be 5000K 90+CRI LEDs. I'm thinking that it's the optics creating different tints - this is a known phenomenon that crops up when people compare lights with different optics but same LEDs, such as Convoy S2 vs Lumintop FW3A (reflector vs TIR).




Anyway, S Seth Green the Lumintop FW3EL might interest you. It's essentially a FW3A that's modified for simplicity. It's only sold in one place (can't mention it, but it's very obvious and you can find it very easily) and with the appropriate discounts it's under $40 shipped, plus you can return it within 30 days, no questions asked. It has the SST-20 LEDs I've been raving about, a simplified UI without the crazy modes that most of us don't have any use for, and a customized battery. The battery is both a good thing and a bad thing though. It has a built-in USB port for charging, but it's also proprietary, and it looks like you might have to go through the manufacturer (in China) to order a spare. I'd also recommend getting the 10507 optic (if you'd prefer it a bit less floody), the stainless steel bezel, and the deep carry pocket clip while you're at it. Pretty cool that it comes with the glow gasket installed.

Here's a quick and crappy pic of some of my lights.

View attachment 1612710

From left to right, Olight Baton 3 (proprietary 16340), Acebeam TK16 Osram (16340), Lumintop FW3A with 18350 battery tube, Mecarmy PT16 (16340 but accepts 18350), Jetbeam RRT01 (18350), Jetbeam Raptor RRT01 (18350), Lumintop FW3A (18650), Seeknite A01* (AA/14500), Lumintop Tool UV (14500).

*(the Seeknite is a rebranded Convoy, one of many rebrands)

Note that the longer FW3A is the only 18650 battery light pictured, yet is barely bigger than the Raptor and the Seeknite. The FW3A puts out far more light than any of the other lights (except the other FW3A), yet packs a 3000mAh or 3500mAh (depending on brand/model) battery, whereas the 18350 batteries are barely 1/3 the capacity (1000-1300mAh) and the 14500 batteries are 900mAh. If you were to chart a lumens vs volume ratio, the Lumintop FW3A would undoubtedly be one of the champs.

I don't have a Noctigon or Emisar, or even a FW4A, but being 4 LED lights, they're going to be bigger in diameter than the 3 LED FW3A. I really like the ~1" diameter of the FW3A and I'm not sure I'd want to EDC anything bigger around. The Mecarmy pictured, for example, although is also a 3 LED light, and short, is a real chunk of a light because of the larger bezel. If you happen to have some wood dowels or PVC, or even a prescription or OTC pill bottle that has a similar diameter to these lights, it might help you to get a physical idea of how big you want, or don't want, a flashlight to be if you plan to actually carry it in your pocket.

On a side note, the best thrower of all the lights above is the second smallest, the tiny Acebeam TK16 with Osram LEDs. Apart from the FW3As, it definitely has the most "holy crap!" factor out of all of them.

I was hesitant initially with the A8X, to see if it was good enough to replace a regular UV and red light. You're right, it doesn't work as well as a dedicated UV or red light, but it's at least 70% for most of what I'd usually use either for, generally up close work. So it's kinda nice having those options in such a tiny light that easily fits in your pocket, and that you can always have with you. I would agree that the white side lights are warmer than the Nichia.

My first A8X, one of the first lots available for sale anywhere, was actually defective (the UV light didn't work right). Customer service was easy to work with, responsive, and had a replacement to me by express air from China in less than a week (because there were none left of the first shipment in the US at that point). That really impressed me!

Yeah, I'm aware that they're under the same umbrella as Nitecore and Jetbeam. I have quite a few Nitecore lights too (my all-time favorite fishing headlamps is the Nitecore HC50), and a few Jetbeam. All decent quality.

I remember the early days of "high-power" LEDs well (I have a CPF account older than my BF account; I'm LEDmodMan there). I had a LOT of fun modding lights (maglights especially) with Luxeon 1's, V's, and later, the III's. It seemed like such a big deal when the Luxeon III's finally came out. Looking back on that (well, it was ~15 years ago...), we are truly spoiled now. Thinking that a tiny little, pocketable, rechargeable LED light can out-perform a 35-watt HID light from back then just gives me big warm fuzzies, lol.

I actually generally EDC an Olight S1R BatonII, and different earlier variants of it before that. Small, user friendly, plenty bright, and not horribly expensive. And I LOVE the magnetic tail cap! If I'm going to be camping or something, I might carry something bigger and more powerful, but it works for my true EDC. I actually just gave my son a Baton 3 with the new charging dock for his birthday, as he wanted a good flashlight. The simple UI is nice, and it's easy to make it routine to keep it charged every week or so, then I don't have to worry about it dying when it's needed. I have a spare battery if necessary too.

ETA - Ah, that answers it!!! I didn't realize that the FW3EL was only available at that place! No wonder I wasn't seeing it at any dealers, or in any other colors but gray. Thanks for clearing that up!

 

[Hickory n steel]

Streamlight microstream USB, can't beat it for $35.
It's the perfect size for pocket carry, it's rechargeable via a micro USB port in the side, and it'll to 250 lumens for 1.5hr.
I've had mine a couple months now and love it.

 

[GB940Rookie]

Looking for a small to medium sized flashlight with clip and rechargable battery w charger. Under $200 new. Thanks!

Let’s us know what you decided on and how you like it

 

[GB940Rookie]

One last suggestion... I generally pay closer attention to runtimes and lumen output on the mid and high modes rather than the Turbo modes when judging my light purchases. I use Turbo often, but usually for short bursts lasting only a few seconds, e.g. for identifying an animal at the other end of my yard, NOT for prolonged use, e.g. searching for a dropped tool in my yard at night or working under a car hood during the day/in a lit garage. For sustained 1000 lumen and up, you really want to look at the larger, not-pocket-friendly lights for the increased surface area for cooling.

good advice right there

 

[Dadpool]

Deadpool has been very helpful with info and links to track down all the required chargers and batteries. I may find the Android interface to be too complicated for my needs. Time will tell!

Anduril is super simple in daily use. Click to turn on or off. From off, click and hold for low (moonlight). Double click for turbo. From on, click and hold to ramp up/down in brightness. Four clicks to lock/unlock (so you don't set fire to your pants). That covers 99% of my usage.

I have to look up how to change the aux LED behavior, and some of the more esoteric functions, even after years and many Anduril lights. But as a daily driver UI, it's superb.

Most times when I buy a light that doesn't use Anduril, I wish it did.

 

[Planterz]

Anduril is super simple in daily use. Click to turn on or off. From off, click and hold for low (moonlight). Double click for turbo. From on, click and hold to ramp up/down in brightness. Four clicks to lock/unlock (so you don't set fire to your pants). That covers 99% of my usage.

I have to look up how to change the aux LED behavior, and some of the more esoteric functions, even after years and many Anduril lights. But as a daily driver UI, it's superb.

Most times when I buy a light that doesn't use Anduril, I wish it did.

My favorite feature of Andruil is actually the lockout. For those that haven't used it, as Dadpool said, 4 clicks (when off) locks it out, but unlike other lights, you can actually still use it. Pressing and holding the button when locked out gives you a momentary very low moonlight. Pressing twice and holding on the second press gives you a brighter low. Very useful feature. You can also simply untwist the head a smidge to lock it out.

 

[Planterz]

Although I've long lusted after a Lumintop FW3 of one type or another, I have a bunch of BLF A6 lights, they're ridiculously cheap, the UI is great and they've been solid workhorses. I'm not sure I'd pocket EDC the Lumintop anyway, it's a bit thick for that at which point the A6 is pretty much all you could really ever need. That said Planterz free free to persuade me otherwise. I'd actually be interested in the FWAA if it would actually take an AA battery which is a must for my EDC should I run out of juice while out and about. You can get AA's everywhere. That and it's not got a built in keychain hole, I don't want the clip if it's on my keychain. I currently have an Eagletac D25A Clicky on the keychain and it's replacement will probably just be the mkII of the same light.

The FW3A is barely 1mm thicker (1.5mm, actually) than the Manker BLF A6, but significantly shorter (a big more than 1").

The Seeknite A01 (2nd from right in my pic above), as I mentioned, is a rebranded Convoy T2, and has a 4000K SST20. I can't remember if I bought it because the T2 wasn't available with that particular LED, or just because it was a few bucks cheaper. The interface is stupid simple - low, medium, high, click twice quickly for strobe, no memory mode. The pocket clip is not great, but the light is cheap enough that you can drill some holes in the tail cap to add a better clip (I plan on trying this) without feeling bad if you screw it up. It works fine with both regular AAs (including 1.2V NiMH) and 14500. However, protected 14500s cells are a very tight fit, and might not fit at all. The Lumintop that come with the Tool (with built-in charging) do not fit, and the Trustfire 900mAh protected I bought do, but tightly (you have to unscrew both ends and push it out).

It does use PWM on low and medium, and on low it's extremely noticeable. PWM dimming can be a good thin for high CRI lights because it prevents tint shift, but at low frequencies it's distracting and obnoxious.

I'm not sure I'd recommend this light to anyone who was interested in anything but a very cheap and potentially bright flashlight, or as a base for modding.

I've looked heavily at the various Eagtac lights. They do make a D25 MK11 with the SST20 4000K. Also a 365nm UV one, but I'm happy with my Lumintop Tool UV so far. I think the only reason I haven't tried one is that I'm happy with my FW3A. The smaller size is appealing, but the FW3A is small enough that I EDC it without wishing I had something smaller.

I was disappointed, but not surprised that the FWAA wouldn't use regular AAs. I was actually reading reviews of it last night - from what I gather I get the impression that it's made for hobbyists as a toy rather than a practical EDC. Reportedly it starts at over 2000 lumens on turbo (very quickly ramping down), and suffers from heavy output drops at all of the higher output levels.

 

[Seth Green]

I've got the same one, as well as the A5x with the green glowing body. I should come up with some quick detach system for my keychain for when I want to slim things down, since the A8X UV really does replace 3 different lights (adequately, although not as well). I honestly probably don't need the Sofirn SC01, but it's so tiny and nice to use that I like having it regardless. The low is great for getting around without blinding myself, and the high is impressively bright for being so small. The fact that low-to-high just requires you to twist it more (rather than the annoying on-off-on method of mode changing) makes it even better.

Incidentally, if you didn't know, Rovyvon, Nitecore, and Jetbeam are all part of the same company, which is why there's so many different of these keychain lights (Nitecore TIKI, Rovyvon Aurora, Jetbeam Mini) that seem almost identical. Great family of lights regardless. The amount of light they put out for their size is crazy, especially when you remember that it was just a (seemingly) few years ago that LEDs were barely matching the output of smaller Surefire incandescent flashlights. There's almost no reason not to have one on your keychain.

BTW, I was disappointed that my old A5x stopped working after less than a year. But they have a 2 year warranty, and after emailing them a screenshot of my order and a quick video of it blinking oddly, they sent me a brand new one in 2 days(!) via Amazon.

I did also try another lookalike by Astrolux because they offer one with a 4000K 95+CRI SST20. It's not great. The USB cover is large and sticks out, meaning it'll likely pop out in your pocket. It turns on with a single press, meaning it's very easy to accidentally turn it on in your pocket, and most annoyingly, a double click from off (which turns on all the other ones) goes directly to a max-level strobe. A shame, because otherwise it'd be great - it has a smooth ramping interface (press and hold to brighter/dimmer) with a very low moonlight low, and it's the only one of this style I've found with a warm/neutral high CRI LED. The Nichia 219C Rovyvon is pretty good, but it could be better with a warmer bin or a Luminus SST20. It does have a lockout mode, but it takes 5 clicks and flashes a bunch (white, red, blue, like a cop car) and just isn't practical.

For clarification, in my first post I said the Rovyvon A8x had a 5000K 92CRI LED, but their website says it's a 4500K 90+CRI LED. I don't know that I believe it though. I have a 5000K Cree XP-L Hi FW3A and it's warmer than the Rovyvon. The side light is also advertised as being 4500K, but I'm sure you'll agree that it's warmer than the front light. The front light on the Rovyvon does, to my eyes, have better CRI than the 5000K Cree, despite the whiter tint. It's not as good as my 4000K 219C Jetbeam RRT01 or my SST20 lights, but it's definitely not the harsh white 6000 or 6500K that is the XP-G3 of the 650 lumen A5x. The discrepancy in perceived tints might be a result of the optics (TIR as opposed to reflector or bare), or they might actually be 5000K 90+CRI LEDs. I'm thinking that it's the optics creating different tints - this is a known phenomenon that crops up when people compare lights with different optics but same LEDs, such as Convoy S2 vs Lumintop FW3A (reflector vs TIR).




Anyway, S Seth Green the Lumintop FW3EL might interest you. It's essentially a FW3A that's modified for simplicity. It's only sold in one place (can't mention it, but it's very obvious and you can find it very easily) and with the appropriate discounts it's under $40 shipped, plus you can return it within 30 days, no questions asked. It has the SST-20 LEDs I've been raving about, a simplified UI without the crazy modes that most of us don't have any use for, and a customized battery. The battery is both a good thing and a bad thing though. It has a built-in USB port for charging, but it's also proprietary, and it looks like you might have to go through the manufacturer (in China) to order a spare. I'd also recommend getting the 10507 optic (if you'd prefer it a bit less floody), the stainless steel bezel, and the deep carry pocket clip while you're at it. Pretty cool that it comes with the glow gasket installed.

Here's a quick and crappy pic of some of my lights.

View attachment 1612710

From left to right, Olight Baton 3 (proprietary 16340), Acebeam TK16 Osram (16340), Lumintop FW3A with 18350 battery tube, Mecarmy PT16 (16340 but accepts 18350), Jetbeam RRT01 (18350), Jetbeam Raptor RRT01 (18350), Lumintop FW3A (18650), Seeknite A01* (AA/14500), Lumintop Tool UV (14500).

*(the Seeknite is a rebranded Convoy, one of many rebrands)

Note that the longer FW3A is the only 18650 battery light pictured, yet is barely bigger than the Raptor and the Seeknite. The FW3A puts out far more light than any of the other lights (except the other FW3A), yet packs a 3000mAh or 3500mAh (depending on brand/model) battery, whereas the 18350 batteries are barely 1/3 the capacity (1000-1300mAh) and the 14500 batteries are 900mAh. If you were to chart a lumens vs volume ratio, the Lumintop FW3A would undoubtedly be one of the champs.

I don't have a Noctigon or Emisar, or even a FW4A, but being 4 LED lights, they're going to be bigger in diameter than the 3 LED FW3A. I really like the ~1" diameter of the FW3A and I'm not sure I'd want to EDC anything bigger around. The Mecarmy pictured, for example, although is also a 3 LED light, and short, is a real chunk of a light because of the larger bezel. If you happen to have some wood dowels or PVC, or even a prescription or OTC pill bottle that has a similar diameter to these lights, it might help you to get a physical idea of how big you want, or don't want, a flashlight to be if you plan to actually carry it in your pocket.

On a side note, the best thrower of all the lights above is the second smallest, the tiny Acebeam TK16 with Osram LEDs. Apart from the FW3As, it definitely has the most "holy crap!" factor out of all of them.

That's a sweet collection! I have a feeling I'll have more than a couple by the end of the year lol. Thanks for all the info and explanations. I purchased a Emisar D4V2 from a very helpful member( thanks @ Dadpool!) and am looking forward to putting it thru it paces