The SF A2

[carrot]

Mmm... thanks for making me love my A2 even more. As I said in my own review of the A2, the ad for the light in PopSci was what got me to where I am now (CPF!) for better or for worse.
... I think I need to buy another. Or two.

 

[nc987]

Call me an oddball but the A2 has absolutely no appeal to me. I am not trying to knock it I just dont see what it can do that my U2 cant do. Ive used every A2 color combination out there and I have yet to be impressed. The main beam is nothing to scream about. If I need a red light or something i just use a filter. Not to mention the Kroma is coming out soon and will be able to do everything the A2 can do but better with different levels of output on all lighting sources.

Also, just curious, how long as the A2 been out?

 

[mountaineer]

:wow: Now that was good . The A2 is next on my "light to buy" list .

Great job . Im going to print this post out for refrence .

Kenny

 

[UVvis]

that was the best " i love my light " ever , however i ll keep my GLADIUS

I have to agree. I really do like the A2, but I like my Gladius more for its functions. The A2 is nearly the perfect incandescent light, if it were shorter I would like it more.

Great post up there.

 

[dangerman]

It was great to read your post and see I have company as a fan of the A2.

The A2 made me a flashaholic. I found it mentioned on the net and eventually ended up at the CPF. The A2 then went on to became my first "serious" flashlight purchase. I loved what I saw about it but couldn't rationally justify the cost with my needs. But I still wanted one. I agonised for weeks before buying and it is still my most expensive light, but I have no regrets.

The low light setting is a perfect example of less being more. At first I was a little disappointed with the tint and brightness. But long term use has made me realise how it is nearly perfect for many tasks which do not require bright light. Such a very useful level of light that lets me see whats going on but keep some night vision (and not wake the baby)!

The High setting still brings a smile to my face. I still remember the first time I nervously tried it out. I was just so delighted. Great for seeing out a fair way and impressing non flashlight people. I just try not to mention the cost, since they never get that part. The wife still doesn't fully understand the whole flashlight thing but she learned to accept it.

Lastly I also love the feel and look of the light. It really exudes that feeling of quality , of being well built.

 

[rscanady]

BUMP for an excellent post! Thanks


P.S. I have 2!

 

[bwaites]

What the A2 does that no LED so far has done is color rendition, as Jim mentions above.

I like my U2, I like my U binned Aleph3 with two stage, but the A2 is the light that goes EVERYWHERE with me.

Bill

 

[Kiessling]

js ... :thumbsup:

... and dito. A2 is a marvel, and even I as a LED guy can say this with all of my heart!

AND ... it can change beam profile form low flood to high spot ..... which is really useful, too.

bernie

 

[hector]

Brilliant!

Now I have no choice but to get one. I have the L2 and e2e, and couldn't agree more with your descriptions of them. I have a T3 which throws well, but you don't need that much light all the time. Sure you could carry two lights, but it's not as much fun to have it all in one package.

Thanks again.

 

[onlinewarlord]

Now I'm starting to think that I "need" a second A2....

Well there are 5 different versions right?

 

[cobra-ak]

yeah I am going to get another A2

 

[wquiles]

Fantastic post Jim :goodjob:

Not only I agree with your statements about the A2, but it has been my EDC for work and even while travel for the last several months, and one of my main lights for walking at night due to the excellent color rendition - what a light!

Will

 

[js]

Thanks everyone for your kind words and appreciative posts! This A2 thread of mine was a LONG time in the making, and your responses make it all worth while. Thank you again.

 

[Bob_G]

For me the most interesting thing about the A2 is simple - the incan beam. I'm reasonably certain that it's just a by-product of the basic design, but the spot is actually a useful size- almost ideal for near to mid distance, where most people need light most of the time. I'm sure if they wanted to they could have found a way to have some silly little spot, but they didn't, to their eternal credit as far as I'm concerned.

Because of your post I dug it out of the car (side note: it seems like the perfect emergency car light to me, so I never get to use it!) and took it for my nightly dog walk, along with an Aleph 2 (DB700 U-bin) and they were very similar in range and spot size. I live in the country, it was a dark night, and we take long walks, so a good environment for comparing two similar but at the same time very different lights. If you wanted to get serious and make a scientific study of the performance of the two lights, you could spend as much time and effort as you wanted and still come to a :shrug: Two things stand out though - outdoors, our eyes like the light produced by something burning hot, and the A2 low is freakishly perfect for walking around in the dark in familiar areas.

It's also the only SF I own (had an L2 but sold it.)

Oh, nice job

 

[ths11]

js,

I've been eagerly waiting for this review ever since you mentioned you would do one on the A2...and what can I say...you never disappoint (except when you cancelled the 2nd run of M6-Rs that I was waiting day and night for :mecry: ).

On a side note; I got the black (SupremeCo) version since it was a bit cheaper, and I liked the look of the black. It has a 4-sided body. I'm not sure but I think I heard somewhere that the newer A2s have a round body, but all the pictures I can find seem to have the same old 4-sided body. I am thinking that a round body might fit better in my hand (as well as being an excuse to get another one). Could someone verify this?

Thanks for the fantastic review! :bow: :goodjob:

Surefire might be getting a suprise barrage of A2 orders soon. :laughing:

 

[js]

ths11,

You're most welcome, and I'm sorry I cancelled the 2nd run, but there was just nothing else for it. I'm still only just past halfway on the 1st run!

Here is a picture of an E2e with Balrog BE2 body (leftmost), a black A2 just like you have, a HA-NAT three-rounded sides A2, and a HA-NAT L2 with square sided body:

I actually prefer the square-sided body to the three-rounded sides body, but they are both comfortable and pleasing. I'd certainly be happy with either one. I have two A2's--the black one shown in the pic, and a HA-NAT with square-sided body (not shown) whose tail cap was sacrificed for this thread--although the rubber was all soft and squashed out from lots and lots of use, so it was time for a new tail cap anyway. The three-rounded sides A2 shown in the picture above is actually SilverFox's yellow-green LED A2 on loan to me so I could check out what a yellow-green LED A2 was like.

Anyway, does any of that help? What was your question again? :thinking:

 

[makar]

great post js! :thumbsup: i feel exactly the same about the a2.
marc

 

[liteboy]

wow, couldn't read the entire post but it made me take out my A2 and caress it for a lil bit...

 

[The Porcupine]

Outstanding post, Jim! Thanks for taking the time!
If I didn't already have an A2 (a gift from my best friend, no less!) I would have to buy one now!

 

[rabbit]

WOW! I bought my A2 because of Size15s's recommendation on here, been my EDC since and you are so right!

Thanks for sharing!