Tempest UK
Flashlight Enthusiast
ICON Modus 1 & 2
Vital stats (taken from www.myiconlight.com):
Output: 50/6 lumens (Modus 1), 100/10 lumens (Modus 2)
Runtime: 3/70 hours (Modus 1), 3/72 hours (Modus 2)
Length: 4 inches (Modus 1), 6 inches (Modus 2)
Weight: 2.8 ounces (Modus 1), 4.7 ounces (Modus 2)
Battery: 1x AA (Modus 1), 2x AA (Modus 2) - ETA (07/02/10) - Li-ion rechargeable batteries are safe to use in the Modus.
Let me make one thing clear before I start. My expectations for these lights were very high, and in my eyes these expectations have been exceeded. However, I know that a lot of CPF tends to focus on military/LEO/tactical/etc style flashlights and these people might get a bit of a shock. I love the styling and I'm pleased to see such a refreshing approach to flashlight design, but I understand that it won't be to the taste of everyone.
Size comparison:
The styling of the Modus is the work of Paul Kim (of SureFire fame), so there's a lot of experience behind this design, despite it being radically different from anything I've seen from SureFire. I'll let the photos do the talking. ICON is PK's attempt to provide stylish, aesthetically pleasing flashlights to a wide audience. Outside of CPF, a flashlight isn't something that people would consider as a fashionable item, but then the Modus is probably quite unlike what they're used to.
The "open architecture" or ribcage style (dubbed a "potato peeler" style by CPF) will be familiar to those who've used the Rogue models, but it's far more striking on the Modus. This exterior portion of the body curves outwards and fits very comfortably in the hand. The curved shape of the flashlight is one of the things that makes it look so striking and unusual, but it actually makes it one of the most comfortable lights to hold that I've used. These ribs have a certain amount of flex to them, and I found myself absent-mindedly squeezing them in my hand like a stress toy. I think it's this design that makes people want to pick them up and use them, as Size15's has commented, when they see the Modus.
The optic of the Modus:
I'm probably not the target market for ICON, just as I'm not the target market for SureFire, so I'll relay the reactions of some other people to the Modus. Some of this relates to the Rogue, but the Modus has generally been better received. Despite owning around 100 SureFires and carrying one just about everyday, they've never attracted any comment or attention. In a very short period of carrying ICON with me, they've drawn a considerable amount of attention, even from complete strangers. I assure you: being asked about your flashlight by someone who's a complete stranger, and presumably not a light-obsessed member of CPF, is a deeply strange experience. Hopefully this is an indication that the ICON lights have the broad appeal that PK intends for them to have.
I don't have the technological wizardry to produce runtime graphs and such but, as far as I can tell, the Modus has the same regulation as the Rogue. To summarize – after 10 minutes on high, the light will begin to dim very gradually. Upon swtiching the light off and on again, however, the light will kick back in on high again. Rinse and repeat. In reality, the "dimming" is actually very hard to notice, and doubt even CPFers would imediately notice that their light is dimming, especially when the light is actually being used rather than shone at a white wall. I think this regulation is one of the best features of the ICON lights and suits their target market well. If you're only using your light for short periods of time, rather than taking them on night expeditions through the mountains, into caves, or through a warzone, then having the light come on at its brightest every time becomes more important than flat regulation for hours on end.
The user-interface remains the same as the Rogues. Click once for high, click off and on again for low. A gap of more than (roughly) 2 seconds will see the light return to high when switched back on again. The switch is slightly different, however. The rubber used on the Modus' switch feels a lot stiffer than that of the Rogue. As with the Rogue, the switch is raised for ease of use, though not quite as much. I can't quite decide which I prefer – I prefer the stiffer feel of the switch rubber on the Modus, but the Rogue's switch is significantly more raised and was somewhat easier to use (but really, it's a switch – it's not hard either way) as well as being larger.
A comparison of the Rogue and Modus switches:
As may be expected from a light using an optic, the Modus does, unfortunately, suffer from rings and artifacts. For an optic, though, it does provide a very usable amount of side-spill. The beam-profile is very similar to that of the SureFire E1B/E2DL. I don't know how the optics themselves compare physically, but the beams are very similar with perhaps slightly more spill on the Modus. Thermal management works extremely well, with both lights staying very cool during extended periods of use on high.
Close-up of the LED:
I was disappointed that no lanyard was included with either of the Modus models. With the Rogue, the included lanyard was threaded through one of the "ribs" on the body of the light, and the lanyard itself was probably the best I've ever used. Seeing as the Modus also uses the "ribcage" design, I'm sure a lanyard could have been used in the same way. I hope that the ICON lanyards are included with the Modus in the future. Actually, I hope that they are included with SureFire lights as well – I really do prefer the design.
I suppose that any recommendation of whether or not you should buy a Modus comes down to the stlying. I'm sure a lot of people will be turned off by the rather unusual design – it's a far cry from the deluge of grey, Type III anodised "tactical" lights – but do we really want to see the same designs over and over? The 6P is a classic and often imitated design, and one that I'm fond of, but I don't want to see it over and over forever. ICON is treading new ground, and I'm happy to see some completely fresh designs being brought to the table. PK is trying something new with the Rogue and Modus models and aims to bring quality, stylish flashlights to a whole new audience.
Many thanks to PK for providing the samples
I look forward to new ICON models in the future...and the Modus in different colours!
If the lovely English weather decides to stop trying to drown me, then I'll try to get some beamshots posted.
Links to larger images:
Modus 1 & 2
http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/5812/modus12.jpg
Size comparison:
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/7982/modussize.jpg
Optic:
http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/9282/modusoptic.jpg
Head and tail:
http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/3628/modusswitchoptic.jpg
Switches:
http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/9886/modusswitchraised.jpg
LED:
http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/602/modusled.jpg
Regards,
Tempest
Vital stats (taken from www.myiconlight.com):
Output: 50/6 lumens (Modus 1), 100/10 lumens (Modus 2)
Runtime: 3/70 hours (Modus 1), 3/72 hours (Modus 2)
Length: 4 inches (Modus 1), 6 inches (Modus 2)
Weight: 2.8 ounces (Modus 1), 4.7 ounces (Modus 2)
Battery: 1x AA (Modus 1), 2x AA (Modus 2) - ETA (07/02/10) - Li-ion rechargeable batteries are safe to use in the Modus.
Let me make one thing clear before I start. My expectations for these lights were very high, and in my eyes these expectations have been exceeded. However, I know that a lot of CPF tends to focus on military/LEO/tactical/etc style flashlights and these people might get a bit of a shock. I love the styling and I'm pleased to see such a refreshing approach to flashlight design, but I understand that it won't be to the taste of everyone.
Size comparison:
The styling of the Modus is the work of Paul Kim (of SureFire fame), so there's a lot of experience behind this design, despite it being radically different from anything I've seen from SureFire. I'll let the photos do the talking. ICON is PK's attempt to provide stylish, aesthetically pleasing flashlights to a wide audience. Outside of CPF, a flashlight isn't something that people would consider as a fashionable item, but then the Modus is probably quite unlike what they're used to.
The "open architecture" or ribcage style (dubbed a "potato peeler" style by CPF) will be familiar to those who've used the Rogue models, but it's far more striking on the Modus. This exterior portion of the body curves outwards and fits very comfortably in the hand. The curved shape of the flashlight is one of the things that makes it look so striking and unusual, but it actually makes it one of the most comfortable lights to hold that I've used. These ribs have a certain amount of flex to them, and I found myself absent-mindedly squeezing them in my hand like a stress toy. I think it's this design that makes people want to pick them up and use them, as Size15's has commented, when they see the Modus.
The optic of the Modus:
I'm probably not the target market for ICON, just as I'm not the target market for SureFire, so I'll relay the reactions of some other people to the Modus. Some of this relates to the Rogue, but the Modus has generally been better received. Despite owning around 100 SureFires and carrying one just about everyday, they've never attracted any comment or attention. In a very short period of carrying ICON with me, they've drawn a considerable amount of attention, even from complete strangers. I assure you: being asked about your flashlight by someone who's a complete stranger, and presumably not a light-obsessed member of CPF, is a deeply strange experience. Hopefully this is an indication that the ICON lights have the broad appeal that PK intends for them to have.
I don't have the technological wizardry to produce runtime graphs and such but, as far as I can tell, the Modus has the same regulation as the Rogue. To summarize – after 10 minutes on high, the light will begin to dim very gradually. Upon swtiching the light off and on again, however, the light will kick back in on high again. Rinse and repeat. In reality, the "dimming" is actually very hard to notice, and doubt even CPFers would imediately notice that their light is dimming, especially when the light is actually being used rather than shone at a white wall. I think this regulation is one of the best features of the ICON lights and suits their target market well. If you're only using your light for short periods of time, rather than taking them on night expeditions through the mountains, into caves, or through a warzone, then having the light come on at its brightest every time becomes more important than flat regulation for hours on end.
The user-interface remains the same as the Rogues. Click once for high, click off and on again for low. A gap of more than (roughly) 2 seconds will see the light return to high when switched back on again. The switch is slightly different, however. The rubber used on the Modus' switch feels a lot stiffer than that of the Rogue. As with the Rogue, the switch is raised for ease of use, though not quite as much. I can't quite decide which I prefer – I prefer the stiffer feel of the switch rubber on the Modus, but the Rogue's switch is significantly more raised and was somewhat easier to use (but really, it's a switch – it's not hard either way) as well as being larger.
A comparison of the Rogue and Modus switches:
As may be expected from a light using an optic, the Modus does, unfortunately, suffer from rings and artifacts. For an optic, though, it does provide a very usable amount of side-spill. The beam-profile is very similar to that of the SureFire E1B/E2DL. I don't know how the optics themselves compare physically, but the beams are very similar with perhaps slightly more spill on the Modus. Thermal management works extremely well, with both lights staying very cool during extended periods of use on high.
Close-up of the LED:
I was disappointed that no lanyard was included with either of the Modus models. With the Rogue, the included lanyard was threaded through one of the "ribs" on the body of the light, and the lanyard itself was probably the best I've ever used. Seeing as the Modus also uses the "ribcage" design, I'm sure a lanyard could have been used in the same way. I hope that the ICON lanyards are included with the Modus in the future. Actually, I hope that they are included with SureFire lights as well – I really do prefer the design.
I suppose that any recommendation of whether or not you should buy a Modus comes down to the stlying. I'm sure a lot of people will be turned off by the rather unusual design – it's a far cry from the deluge of grey, Type III anodised "tactical" lights – but do we really want to see the same designs over and over? The 6P is a classic and often imitated design, and one that I'm fond of, but I don't want to see it over and over forever. ICON is treading new ground, and I'm happy to see some completely fresh designs being brought to the table. PK is trying something new with the Rogue and Modus models and aims to bring quality, stylish flashlights to a whole new audience.
Many thanks to PK for providing the samples
I look forward to new ICON models in the future...and the Modus in different colours!If the lovely English weather decides to stop trying to drown me, then I'll try to get some beamshots posted.
Links to larger images:
Modus 1 & 2
http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/5812/modus12.jpg
Size comparison:
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/7982/modussize.jpg
Optic:
http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/9282/modusoptic.jpg
Head and tail:
http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/3628/modusswitchoptic.jpg
Switches:
http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/9886/modusswitchraised.jpg
LED:
http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/602/modusled.jpg
Regards,
Tempest
Last edited:
