fenix ld41 vs olight s65

the candle

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Sep 20, 2012
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Hello, I'm kinda new to this but lil by lil I am becoming a flashlightcohoolic lol ,anyway I don't know what light is better and I know there is a TON of you guys whith experience, I know cause I've been reading here for a while and the experience is HUGE... So plss HELP.

- the ld41 has the really nice dual swich, nice out put, but kinda ugly.

- the s65 looks nice but the on and off looks cheap ,is it durable ?

- ld41 has 520 max lumens 76+ $$, s65 has 700 max lumens 99+ $$. Is the s 65 worth the extra 25$$?? On every perspective craffman , lumens , durability, looks, sexyness, which is better light for the money pound per pound???

- I'm looking for a AA powered light I'm open to new options

- Help.
 

Obsessed

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Between those two, I'd probably go with the S65. While Fenix is a very good value, I'm not sure if it's quite up to Olight's quality, so I'd give a point to Olight in terms of durability. I'd say it looks better, although honestly both are ugly IMHO. Lumens, while it isn't everything, it does account for something, and while 180 lumens won't be earth shattering, it will be noticeable. The Fenix does have a lower low, at only 5 lumens.

If you're open to others, I'm sure there are plenty of other lights that others can recommend. I'm not a super flashaholic quite yet, but I am well versed with Sunwayman lights as I have found them to be most aligned with what I look for in a flashlight. They make the M40A, which is a 4xAA light with an XM-L U2 putting out 645 lumens. It is much better looking than either of the two above lights, and I'd say the craftsmanship is at least equal to the Olight, if not better. Some people will scoff at the magnetic control ring, but I love them, and it gets 35 hours at 30 lumens...good enough for me.

I'd say just be open to other suggestions, and don't zero in on a choice just yet. See what others have to say. I'm sure there is a light for you, but it may or may not be one of the ones mentioned above. There are a ton of choices, and a ton of things to consider (including personal preference). Just a thought.

Oh, and :welcome:
 

jdhermit

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I'll give a reply from limited experience, but from someone who is looking at these 2 lights also.
I've got a Jetbeam PA40, very similar to LD41. Love it. Feels good in hand, even though might not be "pretty" to some.
Thinking of picking up LD41, just cannot determine if it'll be substantial improvement over my PA40.

Olight S65 might be a good light quality wise. Hard to judge for me, I have an Olight i3 which has taken a beating and works flawlessly. I *did* hold it in my hand at Going Gear, and did not fall in love with it from a "feels good in your hand" perspective.

I will be going again to same store in the next couple weekends to try out the LD41 and also the Fenix TK41...I think that one will be nice, with a decent bump in output from LD41. Looks to be same size as 2D maglite, if specs are right.

TK41 more of a thrower though.

Love my PA40. Wouldn't trade it for nothing. Its the one light I've bought since looking at them that I haven't regretted spending money on. (and that has not had any problems)

JD
 

hiuintahs

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I was OK with the Olight S65 other than the fact that the tint on the beam was the most yellow-green of all XM-L lights I've owned. I don't know if that was just mine or if they might all come that way. I ended up selling it.
 

Bwolcott

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I disagree with Obsessed's response of the Olights being better quality I find them about the same if not the fenix lights being better
 
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AirmanX

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I own the fenix LD41, or rather; owned it. I had it for a while and ended up giving it to a co-worker who was in need of such a light. When I did own it, it performed beautifully and I had no problems with it. The beam quality was pretty nice (no outrageous green-yellow tint) and it held up to a lot of torture at my work. I kind of regret giving it away, actually. I have also heard the S65 has an unbearable green tint, so I guess it comes down to personal preference. I'd go with the LD41, though.
 

the candle

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Guys tank you so much it helped A LOT, sory to reply so late but I didn't tink any one was going to help. THANK-YOU.
 

Gunner12

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In the end, it comes down to what you prefer. I haven't owed any 6 AA or 4 AA lights, so I can't speak from experience, but I have read that the LD1 is surprisingly comfortable. The S65 would probably handle similar to a 2D light with a small head, but the 6 AA batteries. According to the manufacturer runtimes, the Fenix actually runs longer at a similar output to the S65 (190 lumen for 7+ hours vs 200 lumen 5+ hours).

:welcome:
 

the candle

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The sunwayman m40a is SeXY or very SEXY but kinda price-e, how does the on and off work ?it looks not to tactical ,is it durable? Would it hold a few years?
 

Obsessed

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Granted, the M40A has been updated twice since that review. It now features an XM-L U2 LED. :)
 

the candle

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Multiple AA , the m40a its really nice but the on and off rim it doesn't look durable and kinda not tactical. Is it easy to use? Does the macnetic rim feels nice?
 

hiuintahs

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Might want to consider snagging you a Jetbeam PA40 4AA light for $39.99 on Ebay while they are still available. I wasn't looking for a multiple AA light but did buy this one just because of the price. Now that I have it, I rather like it. Cree XML T6. Beam pattern is good on it for a smooth reflector and the mode spacing is good. Has 4 output levels and remembers your last mode after you turn it off.
 

papageorgio

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Does anyone have a a Quark AA2 Turbo that they can compare to LD41 AND the S65? Just curious how the throw compares on the 2 lights. In Specs, it looks like the S65 has a little bigger reflector, but its textured. The Quark is the throwiest light i own now, but I'm looking for more a light that will throw just as well, but also light up everything else too. Thoughts? Can anyone tell me how these lights compare to a Quark Turbo? I'm having a hard time finding a Video that shows a Quark Turbo. GoingGear has some, but just the regular reflectors. Any help would be awesome.
 

crazigee

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I used an Olight as my primary light for about a year and was very pleased with it. It was very reliable and worked everyday, until it suddenly stopped. What was disappointing was the **** poor service I got when it stopped working. The company first returned the light un-repaired. Then after sending it back to them they denied having received it. I sent them the tracking number, which showed it had been delivered,but they still denied receiving it and told me I that it wasn't their problem and I was pretty much SOL and would have to buy a new light.

I was very happy with my Olight while it worked. Just don't expect any after sales service.

I would suggest the Fenix. I have several Fenix lights and I've been very happy with them. They aren't quite as bright as some other lights in the same category but I find they are more than adequate. They are also very rugged and reliable. I've only had one problem and Fenix's after-sales service was fantastic.
 
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Overclocker

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many chargers only hold 4 at a time, just saying ;)

i'd go with the pa40. 90% the performance of ld41. difference isn't even noticeable. and jetbeam's got that very very nice 2 lumen low
 

chanjyj

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Between those two, I'd probably go with the S65. While Fenix is a very good value, I'm not sure if it's quite up to Olight's quality, so I'd give a point to Olight in terms of durability. I'd say it looks better, although honestly both are ugly IMHO. Lumens, while it isn't everything, it does account for something, and while 180 lumens won't be earth shattering, it will be noticeable. The Fenix does have a lower low, at only 5 lumens.

With my experiences with Fenix and Olight lights, I've always found Fenix to be far more reliable. Caveat: I abuse my lights. YMMV.
 

asval

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Jetbeam PA40 might be another light to consider, it's a slightly cheaper ld 41 clone
 
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