Which flashlight?

FireInvestigator said:
When you buy a Surefire, you are buying a TON of advertising and marketing. Really.
I own four Surefires, from a 9N down to several others including a custom combat light. They are nice, real nice.... but a fenix L2D CE (Cree)AA will blow them all so far into a ditch performance wise, surefire would need a tow truck to pull them out if they ever went head to head. Some will argue they are chinese built blah blah blah... I got past that. I use mine every single day, prolly around four times a day. I get a ton of comments like, "What the hell kinda light you got there buddy, some CIA top secret light?"....it really is bright. Morimotom, another fine poster here and dare I say f'ellow brother in arms' did an awesome comparison thread here...hold on, lemme find it. okay, here it is> http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=492160
and another> http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=495284
So, You have more then a couple guys here who REALLY put thier lives and occupations on the line with their gear telling you they use 'em.... I dont know everything and never claim to, but I have been a FF/LEO for over 23 years and I think I know a little about these kinda tools. Why? because I have to come home every night to a gorgeous sweetheart and two cute 9 and 11 year old daughters.
Click to expand...

Alright, you have officially persuaded me. I'm going with the Fenix L2D CE. After all the great praise and reviews I've read for Fenix, seems like I can't go wrong.

I'll keep you guys posted when I get the flashlight. Thank for all the help.
 
Ludwig,
If you are a member of Costco or know somebody who is, I highly recommend their RayOVac LED headlight. You can read about it here. http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=168138

The thing is only $15. In terms of brightness and flexibility, it blows away my other more expensive $40 headlight. It's shockingly bright for its price, has 3 brightness settings + blinking mode. The battery pack, which rides on the back of your head, has a red LED so you can be seen from behind. The red LED can blink or not as well. It uses 3 AA batteries.
 
another vote for the fenix cree series. i've been REALLY pleased with mine.
 
Yeah, see...I dont know everything, or sometimes I forget some things like a headlamp. You gotta have at least two of them. I bought some mainstream LED headlamps for my Bullard Hardhats. I dont put lights on my fire helmet, nor do I put door chalks on them or anything else. the damn things are heavy enough as they are without all the probbie (new Firefighters) gear I see some of the greenies attach to them.
Like Bucktool said, they are not very expensive, I doubt I spent more then 15 bucks on them apiece.

Well done ludwig, I'm sure a few guys on your SAR team have great Surefire lights...wait till they see your fenix and how much brighter it is.... then kill em with how much you paid. ;)
 
wayne37 said:
This is one reason I don't post much, somebody asks for suggestions
( and thats all it is ) and somebody comes along and kicks you in the sack !
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wayne37,
Please dont take offense, If I owe you an apology, hey..I'm sorry. you are right. Nothing wrong with a little debate. I used to be a huge surefire guy. Couldnt convince me otherwise. I still use and love my Surefires. But I was reading up on fenix, saw everyone talking about them (on another forum,CP) and decided to pull the trigger and buy some. When something really lives up to the hype, I'm going to be on that bandwagon. Why? Because somebody a helluva lot smarter then me is going to invent something better and lower cost then fenix. I'll buy one of those as well.
 
By the way, I've had three Fenix lights: the E0 "dart" (like the Arc but better), the L1D with a Luxeon LED (before Crees but still was a great light before I "lost" it), and my current EDC, the L0D CE, a terrific keychain light. All of these performed flawlessley.
I can imagine that the 2AA Cree light would be an efficient, really really bright light and I've heard a lot of good feedback about these.
Also, I've had terrific experience with David at www.fenix-store.com, with super delivery times and quick replies to any questions I've had.
 
If you would be wearing a hard-hat then get the UK 4eLED with the hard-hat attachment. The thing throws out a good amount of light, lasts for 20 hours, is waterproof to 20 ft, and rated for hazardous environment. If you need more throw than that look at the UK 4AA dive light, I can't remember what it is called off the top of my head, it is the same size as the other light and has a throw similar to much larger, higher-end lights.

These can be had for under $50 each
 
Ludwig said:
Alright, you have officially persuaded me. I'm going with the Fenix L2D CE.
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Good choice, Ludwig. If you haven't yet pulled the trigger on your purchase, however, you might also want to consider the Fenix L2D Premium RB100. It's essentially the same light except with the new Luxeon Rebel LED. It'll give you the same basic runtimes with maybe a 20 or 25% increase in output in turbo mode. The increases in output are even greater if you opt for the CR123 powered P3D Premium model (approx 200 lumens in turbo mode). I just received mine last week (P3D) and am very happy with it thus far.
 
1. Surefire L4 - 100 lumens LED uses CR123A (2)
2. Surefire E2D - 65 Lumens HID lamp CR123A (2)
3. Fenix P1D CE - 135 Lumens LED -ONE CR123A

These are the best small lights and pack a lot of light for the size and energy source. The LED's last a long time on the 123A. AA or AAA can't compete.
 
Bronco said:
Good choice, Ludwig. If you haven't yet pulled the trigger on your purchase, however, you might also want to consider the Fenix L2D Premium RB100. It's essentially the same light except with the new Luxeon Rebel LED. It'll give you the same basic runtimes with maybe a 20 or 25% increase in output in turbo mode. The increases in output are even greater if you opt for the CR123 powered P3D Premium model (approx 200 lumens in turbo mode). I just received mine last week (P3D) and am very happy with it thus far.
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I saw the L2D Premium RB100. I actually canceled my order for the basic L2D CE to get the Premium for an extra $6, but I ended up uncanceling because I wanted to try out the new Cree LED :p

It's good to hear that you're happy with the P3D. I spent a lot of time reading about flashlights, and even though I have the L2D on the way, I feel like I could use another smaller flashlight for EDC. Please don't tell me I've been bit by a different kind of bug :eek:
 
Ludwig said:
I saw the L2D Premium RB100. I actually canceled my order for the basic L2D CE to get the Premium for an extra $6, but I ended up uncanceling because I wanted to try out the new Cree LED :p

It's good to hear that you're happy with the P3D. I spent a lot of time reading about flashlights, and even though I have the L2D on the way, I feel like I could use another smaller flashlight for EDC. Please don't tell me I've been bit by a different kind of bug :eek:
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Oh, you are so history..dude. ;) Yeah....flashlights are pretty dang addictive. Like a knife, you always need or find yourself using one. Cant think of anything much more important then staying out of the dark.
 
mete said:
Standard AA or AAA ? That's not much light . Could you use a headlamp ? I would say give up AAA just look at AA and of course LED. www.Pelican.com has lots of choices.
Click to expand...

Not true.....

Did you know the Fenix L1D-CE on a single AA battery is actually brighter than the SureFire 6P, G2, and Streamlight Scorpions of this world (xenon, 2xCR123A), and about as bright as the now legendary SureFire 9P (3x CR123A)?

Please take a look at Post #30
in the thread -

"Practical" Beamshots?

The Fenix L1D-CE using a single AA sized 3.7V Li-Ion rechargeable 14500 is going to be even brighter

StairL1DceNiFocusDeSat.jpg
StairScorpionDesat.jpg
StairsSF9Pdesat.jpg
StairL1DCELiDesat.jpg


Note: these beamshots all have the exact same exposure and have the color removed/desaturated to directly compare the brightness without the distraction of color.

The new Fenix L1D and L1Tv2 Rebel editions will be as bright.

Even better - did you know that the single AAA Fenix L0D-RB80 or Fenix L0D-CE would be even brighter using a single AAA sized 3.7V Li-Ion rechargeable 10440?
StairFenixL0Drb80LiDesat.jpg


--
Vincent
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Well, the L2D Cree arrived today and . . .




I couldn't be happier :thumbup:

For some reason I was expecting a larger flashlight, but this thing is so slim, very easy to carry. The different outputs are nice, and dang this flashlight is bright. It'll make a great addition to my SAR pack.

The L2D is a bit too big for EDC though. Time to do some shopping again. You guys have any recommendations for a nice, compact flashlight for EDC?
 
Ludwig said:
You guys have any recommendations for a nice, compact flashlight for EDC?
Click to expand...

An EDC flashlight may have to fulfill different needs to your primary light.

For me it's a personal and close-task light - I actually carry 2.

A yellow Photon II - these lights are so small that they are almost not there on a keyring - so therefore are always on you..... I chose yellow because I see well under yellow light and it affects whatever semi-dark adaption I've acquired - plus its battery life is rated at 120 hours.
One can get "clones" for as cheaply as under $1. White is (obviously) a more general purpose color.

The other pocket light I EDC is the Dorcy 1AAA - which has long been a favorite on CandlePowerForums.com (CPF) - please click on this thread -

A Classic Revisited - Dorcy 1AAA

they're under $6 at a local WalMart and run about 6 hours on a single AAA alkaline.

However if you're looking for more of a pocket rocket - then let me point you at -

Fenix L1T v2 RB80 - 1xAA, high-low levels

Fenix L1D-CE - 1xAA, same head as the L2Dce you got -
so you could just get the L1D body from http://Fenix-Store.com

Fenix L0D-RB80 or Fenix L0D-CE - both 1xAAA, 3 levels - good on either alkalines or rechargeable NiMH -
but ridiculously bright on 3.7V rechargeable Li-Ion 10440 (it's brighter than your L2Dce) -
but understand the possible dangers of using 3.7V Li-Ion 10440.

Look at the beamshots I posted in Post #33 above.

--
Vincent
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Esav Benyamin said:
LEDs aren't the weak glow they used to be.

The Surefire G2 was a 65 lumen, 1 hour flashlight.
I just got the G2L, which is 80 lumens, 12 hours usable light.

That makes lithium 123 batteries a lot easier to justify.
Click to expand...

Excellent info! I've been about ready to buy a G2, though I prefer LEDs for their greatly increased battery life for normal uses.
 
UnknownVT said:
An EDC flashlight may have to fulfill different needs to your primary light.

For me it's a personal and close-task light - I actually carry 2.

A yellow Photon II - these lights are so small that they are almost not there on a keyring - so therefore are always on you..... I chose yellow because I see well under yellow light and it affects whatever semi-dark adaption I've acquired - plus its battery life is rated at 120 hours.
One can get "clones" for as cheaply as under $1. White is (obviously) a more general purpose color.

The other pocket light I EDC is the Dorcy 1AAA - which has long been a favorite on CandlePowerForums.com (CPF) - please click on this thread -

A Classic Revisited - Dorcy 1AAA

they're under $6 at a local WalMart and run about 6 hours on a single AAA alkaline.

However if you're looking for more of a pocket rocket - then let me point you at -

Fenix L1T v2 RB80 - 1xAA, high-low levels

Fenix L1D-CE - 1xAA, same head as the L2Dce you got -
so you could just get the L1D body from http://Fenix-Store.com

Fenix L0D-RB80 or Fenix L0D-CE - both 1xAAA, 3 levels - good on either alkalines or rechargeable NiMH -
but ridiculously bright on 3.7V rechargeable Li-Ion 10440 (it's brighter than your L2Dce) -
but understand the possible dangers of using 3.7V Li-Ion 10440.

Look at the beamshots I posted in Post #33 above.

--
Vincent
http://UnknownVincent.Shutterfly.com
http://clik.to/UnknownVT2006
http://clik.to/UnknownVT2005
http://clik.to/UnknownVT2004
http://clik.to/UnknownVincent
Click to expand...


Thanks for the advice.

I was ready to just get an L1D CE, but I'd rather save the $50 for a new knife. Buying just the L1D body is a good idea, but I think I'm going to go with the Dorcy. I've been looking into an Arc AAA too, seems like those get nothing but good reviews.

I'll keep everyone posted.
 
Hard to beat surefire , pelican is my choice for a dive flashlite . somany lights out there you might go to lighthound.com check out what they have . Any questions call , John is a very cool guy to deal with and will help you .
 
Working In the bush I usually have my Petzl Zoom headlamp with an upgraded krypton bulb (super bright and not too heavy, it fits nicely on my climbing helmet too). I also carry a Petzl Tikka LED headlamp for around camp and reading at night. I would highly recommend either of these.

I have recently acquired a Surefire 6P, I haven't had this one long enough yet to put it through it's paces, but my first impressions are good.

A Fenix L2D is next ...
 
For 2AA you cannot beat the feinx L2D premium 100 rebel 175 lumens.
has sos mode strobe mode and 3 other lower light modes
this would be your edc for life on joke get it.
eliteled.com has them for $58.00 it will waste the Princeton Tec Attitude and Impact II
 
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