This thread is for the real head-scratchers... those lights that make you wonder "what were they thinking?" They come SO close to perfection, then drop the ball and do something REALLY stupid. (Are you listening, manufacturers? Here is a thread that can help you avoid these blunders in the future!).
Here are the ones I can think of:
Sunwayman C21C - the light that had the most promise for my needs, but completely failed it. Where is the moonlight modes? Why no pocket clip on an angle-headed light? Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Zebralight everything: Almost perfect lights. Change one TINY thing in the UI and they would be! Short press from off to activate "low", long or double-click for "high". I keep blinding myself at night trying for just the right length "long click" for moonlight, I only get it right about half the time. COMPLETELY ruins these lights for me! At least offer some kind of super-buried toggle option so people who like the UI the way it is can keep it that way, and people like me can stop blinding themselves with unwanted turbo mode.
Nitecore SRT series - my current EDC (SRT5). Get rid of the stupid, annoying flashing blue/red "cop" mode, and replace that ring position with a battery level indicator mode and these lights would be almost perfect. Offer a Neutral-White version and replace the blue emitter with green and they would be completely perfect.
Sunwayman V11R - Add a "ball bearing and spring" friction-maker to the ring instead of relying on grease. Offer NW or high CRI emitter as a standard option. Offer an 18650 extender tube. I'd gladly pay extra. Such a disappointing near-perfect light!
JETBeam RRT0 - Years ago, I bought some Neutral White RRT0 Raptors. The old magnetic ring with 4-indent models, before continuously variable models existed. Loved them, but the low was too bright. Now, you have a beautiful full-variable ring with nice super-low, but no Neutral White emitter to be found. Why? So lame.
EagleTac D25A Clicky - Perfect in every way, but one. 14500 Li-Ion destroys the moonlight mode. Ouch! So close to perfection - it's even available in Titanium with N219 emitter! So sad.
Sunwayman D40A - Perfect! Except... High-Med-Low mode cycling. Must have had their heads on backwards that day!
Eagletac D25LC2 Color - A near perfect multi-color 18650 light... except... where are the true low/moonlight modes? Makes it completely useless for most of what I want a RGB-emitter light for. Plus - what's up with the red/blue flashing "cop" mode? Does anyone over about 8 years old actually think this is cool somehow? Maybe it's an Asian thing or something... everyone I know just thinks it's retarded. Much more useful would be mix the green and red emitters to make a flashing yellow emergency/caution flasher. There might actually be a few buyers who would actually use that!
Most manufacturers: What's up with all the cool-white garbage? I understand for super-throwers where every lumen counts... but for pocketable EDC lights? JETBeam is the worst offender - not a single Neutral emitter to be had in their entire lineup, but so many other manufactures are almost as bad... The flashlight buying public CAN'T be that stupid (well... maybe...), there have been so many years of super-bright glaring washed out putrid purple-blue-green emitters, buyers are starting to want something that looks better. C'mon guys - make it happen!
Here are the ones I can think of:
Sunwayman C21C - the light that had the most promise for my needs, but completely failed it. Where is the moonlight modes? Why no pocket clip on an angle-headed light? Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Zebralight everything: Almost perfect lights. Change one TINY thing in the UI and they would be! Short press from off to activate "low", long or double-click for "high". I keep blinding myself at night trying for just the right length "long click" for moonlight, I only get it right about half the time. COMPLETELY ruins these lights for me! At least offer some kind of super-buried toggle option so people who like the UI the way it is can keep it that way, and people like me can stop blinding themselves with unwanted turbo mode.
Nitecore SRT series - my current EDC (SRT5). Get rid of the stupid, annoying flashing blue/red "cop" mode, and replace that ring position with a battery level indicator mode and these lights would be almost perfect. Offer a Neutral-White version and replace the blue emitter with green and they would be completely perfect.
Sunwayman V11R - Add a "ball bearing and spring" friction-maker to the ring instead of relying on grease. Offer NW or high CRI emitter as a standard option. Offer an 18650 extender tube. I'd gladly pay extra. Such a disappointing near-perfect light!
JETBeam RRT0 - Years ago, I bought some Neutral White RRT0 Raptors. The old magnetic ring with 4-indent models, before continuously variable models existed. Loved them, but the low was too bright. Now, you have a beautiful full-variable ring with nice super-low, but no Neutral White emitter to be found. Why? So lame.
EagleTac D25A Clicky - Perfect in every way, but one. 14500 Li-Ion destroys the moonlight mode. Ouch! So close to perfection - it's even available in Titanium with N219 emitter! So sad.
Sunwayman D40A - Perfect! Except... High-Med-Low mode cycling. Must have had their heads on backwards that day!
Eagletac D25LC2 Color - A near perfect multi-color 18650 light... except... where are the true low/moonlight modes? Makes it completely useless for most of what I want a RGB-emitter light for. Plus - what's up with the red/blue flashing "cop" mode? Does anyone over about 8 years old actually think this is cool somehow? Maybe it's an Asian thing or something... everyone I know just thinks it's retarded. Much more useful would be mix the green and red emitters to make a flashing yellow emergency/caution flasher. There might actually be a few buyers who would actually use that!
Most manufacturers: What's up with all the cool-white garbage? I understand for super-throwers where every lumen counts... but for pocketable EDC lights? JETBeam is the worst offender - not a single Neutral emitter to be had in their entire lineup, but so many other manufactures are almost as bad... The flashlight buying public CAN'T be that stupid (well... maybe...), there have been so many years of super-bright glaring washed out putrid purple-blue-green emitters, buyers are starting to want something that looks better. C'mon guys - make it happen!
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