Nitecore Defender Infinity- get one or not?

[Mr_Moe]

Hey all,
last year I was about to order a Nitecore Defender Infinity, but it was sold out here and I got a nice Sunwayman light instead. I just found a seller in Europe who still has some. What do you guys think, the light is already a bit outdated, is it still worth it? I like the design and can live with it being less efficient and less bright than some other more up to date flashlights. But there are other lights I could get for the money. Hopefully some of you who have and perhaps still use yours can chime in and share some thoughts. To buy or not to buy?

Thanks.

[Kilovolt]

I preordered my Defender Infinity from Nitecore on CPFM when it was introduced and had not yet been made. It is true that upon receiving it I had some initial problems which I am happy to say that I could solve without returning the light (very accurate cleaning of the threads + replacement of o-rings). There was a long thread here where many users exchanged tips on the subject. Since then the light has operated flawlessly and is still going strong.

You know that by current standards NDI is comparatively inefficient and the amount of light it puts out is not staggering. NDI is however a true milestone in the story of variable level flashlights and it is for this reason that I still use mine happily and would advise you to get one. It is like having in your pocket a small piece of history and this is quite rewarding for people who like these things. If on the contrary you go for performance or state of the art technology NDI is not for you.

[Mr_Moe]

Kilovolt, grazie mille for the reply. You're right, it's not really efficient by today's standards, but the NDI has this "something" that appeals to me. I don't have that often, so efficiency wouldn't matter that much. Since I carry two lights most of the time, one less efficient won't be a problem at all. Lights are supposed to be fun too, not just stats.

[Myrakas]

NDI may have less lumens, but lumens are not everything.... I have r2 D10 (similar to NDI) and it throws better than Zebralight sc51, though sc51 lights up wider area and is more floody.

[Ti²C]

if you can catch one at a good price, those are nice lights, especially if you can get the latest version with the xp-e r2 led and it's nice smooth beam.
it feels very solid in hands : thick walls, square threads, agressive bezel.
the simple UI with the forward clicky is what i miss the most when i switch to other lights.

however there are some cons:

-the tint on mine was on the uggly blue side of the cool-white, but they are easy to open for a led-swap.
-the led was not very well centered : doesn't affect the beam and also easy to fix.

[Zeruel]

Nice and easy to use. Form factor is also one-of-a-kind. Still packs a punch in the dark, especially with a 14500.
Tip: You can get a D11.2 ti clip and install on the NDI.

[Mr_Moe]

NDI may have less lumens, but lumens are not everything.... I have r2 D10 (similar to NDI) and it throws better than Zebralight sc51, though sc51 lights up wider area and is more floody.

Exactly how I feel, the mode I use mostly on my fav light is the 4 Lumens low. You have to appreciate the low modes.

if you can catch one at a good price, those are nice lights, especially if you can get the latest version with the xp-e r2 led and it's nice smooth beam.
it feels very solid in hands : thick walls, square threads, agressive bezel.
the simple UI with the forward clicky is what i miss the most when i switch to other lights.

however there are some cons:

-the tint on mine was on the uggly blue side of the cool-white, but they are easy to open for a led-swap.
-the led was not very well centered : doesn't affect the beam and also easy to fix.

With my luck I'll get a nasty tint. Solid build with thick walls is what I'm looking for. And the bezel looks great too. I'll have to check which version is available.

Nice and easy to use. Form factor is also one-of-a-kind. Still packs a punch in the dark, especially with a 14500.
Tip: You can get a D11.2 ti clip and install on the NDI.

Can't say what exactly it is, but the formfactor is very good, I really like the look of the NDI.

Thanks for the input guys, and thanks for sharing some pics.

[BarryG]

I carry a Haiku and Pocket Rocket daily but still wish that I had my NDI! I had one of the limited silver ones, #357, and sold it to a co-worker a few years back when I got a Jet-I Pro. I offered to buy it back from him for the same price and even more but he loved it and wanted to keep it.

Great EDC size and still crazy bright to the unenlightened. Can run 14500, lithiums and even Alkies in an emergency.


Barry

[Animalmother]

Looks like the skyray s-a1 is a clone of this. I had the s-a1 r2 bin wonder how it actually compares to the nitecore. Mine also had a ultra low mode.

[F250XLT]

I've still got two of them, definitely worth purchasing for the right price.

[Hogokansatsukan]

It's the only light I have three of that are exactly the same. I keep them in bug out bags and it's the light I lend to folks I trust not to destroy it as they are very easy for a novice when set up bezel tight- bright, bezel loose - dim.
Still love these lights. Get one. You won't be dissapointed.

[wentworth]

Although it's not that bright in comparison to my other lights, I love my defender infinity. Never had a problem with it.

[nightshade]

If the price is right, I say get it. Great light and not picky about the chemistry of the "AA" that it's fed. It wasn't that long ago that 60 lumens was considered "tactical".
The NDI easily surpasses that.

[BigBluefish]

I would buy one, if they price is acceptable to you. I had three of them for a couple of years. The latest version, IIRC, used a cool white XP-E, R2 bin. It had a very smooth beam. (There was also a cool white XR-E, R2 bin, with a bit more throw than the XP-E.) The first version used the XR-E Q5 bin, and I had a tough time telling the difference in output between that one and my XP-E R2 version. There were also some made with the Osram Golden Dragon emitter. I never saw one of those, but I've had a couple of lights with that emitter, and they have a great beam with a tight spot and good throw.

My favorite was one with the XP-E Q3 with a 5A or B neutral tint emitter, which had a smooth beam, decent output and throw, and a very nice, almost warm incan-ish tint.

They are no longer the brightest or most efficient lights, but they offer a respectable high, and a second mode you can set yourself, and a strobe which stays out of the way in the UI. This should handle most lighting tasks pretty well.

[7histology]

I also would advise you to get one. Great light, small, bright and versatile.

[Mr_Moe]

Thanks again. Still waiting for a response whether they actually have any in stock, or in one case whether they ship to Germany. Hopefully. There's one (I suppose) chinese online store that have them. Supposedly 200 in stock, I doubt it.

[Kilovolt]

@ Mr Moe: I tried to answer your PM but I got this message


The following errors occurred with your submission

• Mr_Moe has exceeded their stored private messages quota and cannot accept further messages until they clear some space.

[BigBluefish]

They show up, although infrequently, on the Marketplace. You should you keep a look-out over there.

[shelm]

i am wondering why the prices are still that high for such dated flashlight models.
i am now more interested in T2 and T5 torches hehe

[Mr_Moe]

@ Mr Moe: I tried to answer your PM but I got this message...

Sorry, my inbox was full. All good now.

@BigBlueFish: I'll keep an eye out. Thanks for the hint.

[GarageBoy]

I had an early one that my was my first XRE light
Loved the UI, but mine ended up being flakey (wouldn't go into ramping, wouldn't change modes) and had to go in

[Mr_Moe]

Woohoo just ordered a NDI GDP from a European seller. Hopefully it works without any flaws. Can't wait! Yippie.

[Kilovolt]

Woohoo just ordered a NDI GDP from a European seller. Hopefully it works without any flaws. Can't wait! Yippie.

Excellent, you will not regret this purchase.

[Mr_Moe]

The seller has tried the light at my request and says all the modes work fine. I'd like to get the other versions too... Haha.

Edit: wow, I got the very last one available. Can you believe that?

[Mr_Moe]

The NDI came in the mail today. Can't wait for it to be dark. The Osram GDP is really tiny, but the light seems plenty bright nevertheless. All the modes work flawlessly, fortunately. It's not the most aggressive (compared to the Xeno E03 V2) but the knurling is good, size is good too. The light looks even better in person. What has me worried is the lanyard attachment points. They are really thin and I don't know if they are robust enough. Do you use yours with a lanyard? To sum my first impression up: I wouldn't mind having another NDI, or two. An NDI 2.0 with a little Infilux mixed in would be great.

Thanks again for all the input folks!

[Kilovolt]

Welcome to the club!

[shelm]

Congrats to the purchase
Enjoy your new light!!

why does nobody in the thread care about manufacturing dates? i prefer my lights fresh off the production machinery

[Mr_Moe]

Some things can never be outdated. Perhaps they're for connoisseurs.

[F250XLT]

The NDI came in the mail today. Can't wait for it to be dark. The Osram GDP is really tiny, but the light seems plenty bright nevertheless. All the modes work flawlessly, fortunately. It's not the most aggressive (compared to the Xeno E03 V2) but the knurling is good, size is good too. The light looks even better in person. What has me worried is the lanyard attachment points. They are really thin and I don't know if they are robust enough. Do you use yours with a lanyard? To sum my first impression up: I wouldn't mind having another NDI, or two. An NDI 2.0 with a little Infilux mixed in would be great.

Thanks again for all the input folks!

The GDP version is my favorite I think.

Welcome to the club!

I love the original "Strong Light" markings.

[shelm]

you're surely one of them!!
Have a great weekend with lots of darkness during the night!

best wishes, shelm