Fenix LD25, LD40 (link to pic thread)

[firelord777]

That plastic is in no way "cheap". Judging from the looks, it is probably a superior form of ABS plastic, used to manufacture many types of airsoft guns.

At least the head is made from metal, which is needed for heat dissapation. Perhaps all it needs is a strike bezel, it increases appearance and should sell better.
The plastic body also makes it considerably lighter, while compromising little or no strength and durability. I would love to buy that light. It is simply the perfect 4X aa flashlight ever, i love NW, no matter what others say, and my TK20 justifies that.

 

[chenko]

I agree with all that Lucciola said about not bashing plastics (provided they are high quality polymers and not cheap stuff, which is yet to be verified in this case), except that the LD40's body is not meant to be a battery carrier: it has an internal battery carrier.
That said, I find the LD40 a very interesting light, and I'm enthusiast that more manufacturers are developing the very convenient 4xAA form factor! But... that battery carrier doesn't really look much sturdy to me, and that put me off a bit to be honest. We'll wait and see.

 

[offroad]

that battery carrier doesn't really look much sturdy to me, and that put me off a bit to be honest. We'll wait and see.

I hope the reviews on the LD40 and its battery carrier are good, this light really interests me.

 

[rookiedaddy]

more than 2 months after first post in this thread, I finally got my own LD40 and LD25...
here are some photos to share...

first up, the LD40...

if you compare this tail-end with the pre-production unit, you may notice there is a slight different, you can't see the 3 screws... instead, it's covered by a piece of plastic(?) pad... it was also reported that the production unit has a better waterproof design as the pre-production unit has water leaked inside after being submerged in water for 36-hours.

can't comment much about this battery carrier... yes, it feels weak, but since it sit inside the handle, guess this is not an issue. My only annoyance with the battery carrier is it takes some effort (especially if you have very short finger-nail) to remove the batteries.

Comparing the body grip pattern design with Dolphin Micro. It does look good, doesn't it... but it's really an ineffective design as it doesn't gives good grip, infact, it's a little slippery due to the plastic... :shrug:

it's hard to capture with my camera... so I put some pointers in the beam shot. well... I can live with donut hole (like the LD25), but the black-hole is a little distracting... even when using outdoor. Due to the dim center, it gives a false vision that something is moving when I'm moving the flashlight beam around...

The tint is good neutral white... :thumbsup:

Next, the LD25...

the rubber grip is made harder than those in TK20, and the design is not as grippy... in fact... it's as slippery as the LD40... :thumbsdow

double o-ring design at the tail... oo:

no beam shot for LD25... yes, it has donut hole, but it won't affect your outdoor usage. tint is nice neutral tint with slight hint of yellowish-green.

A major annoyance with the LD25 is when using fresh primary batteries (> 1.5V each), the 3 lumens (in camping mode) won't engage... instead, it's as bright as the 45 lumens mode. You can only get the 3 lumens low mode when you have run down the batteries (I did this by running the light in Max mode for 3 minutes)... same annoyance as the LD20 driver...

 

[palembee]

was concerned about the plastic, but you guys convinced me it must be okay, then the black hole in the beamshot!
what to do?
this really does seem like an ideal light, though. love the 4xAA format, and this one has me drooling.
thanks for the pix to rookiedaddy

 

[tandem]

Is it at all possible that too much emphasis is being placed on the doughnut effect? A great many beamshots of lights with XPG emitters exhibit a similar effect -- just reviewing selfbuilt's archive of XPG equipped lights and I can see a number of the common go-to names show the effect. I don't find the Fenix beam any more troublesome than others, but they seem to be getting more grief -- perhaps this is due to their recent apparent standardization on smooth reflectors. I'm more interested in the output and runtime characteristics because I know in real use I won't be moaning about the beam quality in the field.

Just the other day I was at a fire scene interviewing the resident when one of the fire inspectors asked to borrow my LD10. He'd forgotten his light at home. I didn't hear any complaints about doughnut holes but did get a "wow, that's so bright for a small one" out of him.

 

[rookiedaddy]

my "Tiger Stripe" Fenix LD40... :laughing:

 

[Notsure Fire]

Wow that LD40 is thick, would it even fit into the standard fenix bike holder?

 

[Chicago X]

my "Tiger Stripe" Fenix LD40... :laughing:

I really like it !!!

The first 'modded' LD40.....WOOT !!!

Care to share your technique?

 

[rookiedaddy]

@Chicago X, I'm using reflective tape, cut to shape
some say it looks like "shredded carrot"... :laughing:

 

[GunnarGG]

some say it looks like "shredded carrot"... :laughing:

Well, it can't be shredded carrot because I saw he has been around after your post... :laughing:

It looks cool. Does it improve grip also?


About bikemount: It doesn't fit the Fenix bikemount. Maybe if it's possible to change the screws to longer it might work.

 

[rookiedaddy]

It looks cool. Does it improve grip also?

only ever so slightly using bare-hands as it gives a different texture... :shrug:

 

[CyberCT]

I'm definately going to wait for the non-neutral white version of the LD40. It will output more lumens and not have the annoying yellowish tint. I really like the "white" tint of the TK40 and TK45 (a little "whiter" than the TK40).

 

[daf3m]

I 'd love to see more of the LD25..!

 

[vali]

I'm definately going to wait for the non-neutral white version of the LD40. It will output more lumens and not have the annoying yellowish tint. I really like the "white" tint of the TK40 and TK45 (a little "whiter" than the TK40).

How much they waited to sell a TK20 in cool white?

 

[Hevy Lite]

Those looking for more grip on the LDxx lights consider small strips of skateboard tape either on the high spots or in the grooves. There are also a number of various grip solutions for other sports equipment such as hockey stick tape, tennis racket tape, motocross grip tape sheets, various handgun and shotgun grip products, spray on bed liner, etc, etc, etc.....

 

[CyberCT]

Anyone with an LD40 and a LD20 ... can you do some beam shot comparisons between the two? Supposedly the new Fenix light output numbers are OTF, so that 248 lumens of the LD40 would have been labeled as what? 320 lumens at the emmiter? The older LD20r4 I have is rated at 205 lumens, but I believe it's at the emitter, before Fenix changed their rating system.

How much brighter does the LD40 look? Barely brighter than the LD20, or noticable brighter?

 

[liketotallyrandom]

Just received an LD25 in the mail (thanks for the quick shipping, Lighthound). I'm extremely skeptical that Camping Mode, position A is only 3 lumens. The manual says it is 3 lumens, but it seems as bright as a multi-mode mini-mag on high, to me, at first look. Anyone else skeptical about the so-called "3 lumen" setting? I have to go to work now, but I'll try to get some beam shots soon. Maybe I'll change my mind when I see it at night. This is my first Fenix, and it seems very solid. Emitter is extremely well-centered. Finish is flawless.

 

[GunnarGG]

I compared my LD25 to Zebralight SC30w low (3.2 lumens) and Mini AA low (2.7 lumens) and they look about the same all 3 of them.
Somebody mentioned that low on E21 or LD25 was too bright with lithium primaries and also with totally fresh alkaline. After a few minutes on high with alkalines it worked as normal but I guess lithium will keep to high voltage.
What batteries did you use?

 

[liketotallyrandom]

Oh, yeah. Unusually, I am temporarily using alkalines, because all of my Eneloops are at the other house right now. Maybe the fresh alkalines are making the 3 lumen setting unusually bright? I'll check it with Eneloops later this week.