Surefire New L1 or new E1L?

Surefire states that the L1 on High puts out 15 lumens for only 2 hours and the E1L puts our 25 lumens for 4 hours. Why is the high setting on the L1 so much more inefficent compared to the new E1L outdoorsman? which would you pick?

Surefire's lumen ratings for their LED flashlights are terribly inaccurate. The two lights put out the same amount of light, and the L1 is actually a bit more efficient. My favorite combination is to use a Surefire Kl1 head on a Vital Gear FB1 body. It's smaller, lighter, more attractive, and cheaper than the E1L.

Hello Scudinc,

I've been looking for an E1L but wonder what the Vital Gear FB1 body with KL1 head together would cost.

Best Scouting wishes,

Bagheera

The VG body is about $30, and Ctechlite has a group buy going on that will allow you to get it for even less.

I have both the new L1 and the E1L and while I have not done any runtime comparisons, I will tell you that to my eyes, the new L1 on high and the E1L seem to put out the same amount of light.

As far as choosing one over the other, it really all depends on what you are looking for. If you want the smaller, easier to carry flashlight and do not care about the two levels of light, get the E1L. If the two levels of light are important to you and you do not mind the increased length, get the L1.

The suggestion I usually have for people who are trying to choose one light over another is to find a local dealer that has both lights and play with them yourself.

Or, you could just go with the standard CPF response and buy 'em both. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Beware, the 4-hour rating on the E1L is one hour high and 3 hours of declining useful light. I think the high on the L1 is the whole two hours...