fyrstormer
Banned
I don't normally buy aluminum lights, but every now and then I check the major brands to see what they've come up with lately. Jetbeam's RRT-0 has spoiled me forever regarding what an expensive single-cell aluminum light should be capable of, but I've been looking for something to keep in my car to ward off the late-night breakdowns and emergencies that would inevitably occur if I drove unprepared. Murphy's Law, you know?
Enter the Fenix E11.
I like it. Being an AA light and having a clicky switch means it's not as short as, say, an AAA twisty like the E05, but it's nice to have the clicky switch for those times when my hands will be frozen numb while changing a tire in the middle of a blizzard. (the switch is a forward-clicky, btw.)
Here's a picture of the E11 posing next to some comparable lights and the batteries they use. The McGizmo Sapphire is included because it's the same size as the Arc AAA and Fenix E01 that almost everyone here is familiar with.
I saw in the official literature that it has two modes; I wondered how that would work, and whether there would be a memory function to remember which mode I used last. Well, as it turns out, it's a twisty-clicky setup just like the Jetbeam E3S, so the clicky switch turns the light on or off and the twisty switch selects the brightness mode. So the short answer (now that you've read the long one :devil is it does remember the last mode by virtue of the tightness of the head. Works for me; I don't like lights that don't remember their most recent configuration.
So, physically and functionally the E11 is most similar to the Jetbeam E3S, which is a little smaller, a lot prettier, and has the option to use a pocket clip. So why did I opt for the E11?
1. The E11 weighs half as much as the E3S, at 47g vs. 91g including lithium AA cells;
2. The E11 has grip-enhancements on the sides, which will help in non-ideal conditions;
3. #1 and #2 combine to make the E11 very easy to hold with my teeth;
4. The E11 has no exposed fragile parts that could break if dropped/stepped on/run over;
5. I wanted a light that I could leave to bake in my car's glovebox without feeling bad;
6. The E11 costs half as much as the E3S.
I noticed that the E11 was pretty widely panned by flashaholics when it was released, but there are many different roles for flashlights to fill, and I think the E11 does a nice job of being a durable tasklight/backup light. It walks the line between being too nice to treat harshly if necessary vs. being a cheap piece of junk that's unpleasant to use. The fact that it uses an AA and produces decent brightness is a plus as well, because it means I can get a new battery at any convenience store on the planet. CR123s are great if I have the opportunity to plan ahead, but with this light I don't need to plan ahead, and that's even better.
And now for some beamshots. This first one is a comparison of the low and high settings on the E11. The low setting would be better if it were a little dimmer, but it's not a huge problem.
The next two are 3-way comparisons between the E05 XP-E, E05 XP-G, and E11 on low and high settings. (for the record, I much prefer the XP-E emitter in both the E05 and the E11 vs. the XP-G in the other E05.)
And the last two are comparisons between the Jetbeam E3S and the E11, first both on low and then both on high. The E3S has somewhat wider and brighter spill than the E11, as would be expected from a light using a reflector instead of a TIR optic. The E3S' XP-G emitter also has a snow-white tint compared to the much more neutral tint of the E11's XP-E emitter.
So there you have it. I think the E11 is worth the $27 price of admission, assuming you have need of a simple AA-powered tasklight with a basic (though still appreciated) multi-mode feature.
Enter the Fenix E11.
I like it. Being an AA light and having a clicky switch means it's not as short as, say, an AAA twisty like the E05, but it's nice to have the clicky switch for those times when my hands will be frozen numb while changing a tire in the middle of a blizzard. (the switch is a forward-clicky, btw.)
Here's a picture of the E11 posing next to some comparable lights and the batteries they use. The McGizmo Sapphire is included because it's the same size as the Arc AAA and Fenix E01 that almost everyone here is familiar with.
I saw in the official literature that it has two modes; I wondered how that would work, and whether there would be a memory function to remember which mode I used last. Well, as it turns out, it's a twisty-clicky setup just like the Jetbeam E3S, so the clicky switch turns the light on or off and the twisty switch selects the brightness mode. So the short answer (now that you've read the long one :devil is it does remember the last mode by virtue of the tightness of the head. Works for me; I don't like lights that don't remember their most recent configuration.
So, physically and functionally the E11 is most similar to the Jetbeam E3S, which is a little smaller, a lot prettier, and has the option to use a pocket clip. So why did I opt for the E11?
1. The E11 weighs half as much as the E3S, at 47g vs. 91g including lithium AA cells;
2. The E11 has grip-enhancements on the sides, which will help in non-ideal conditions;
3. #1 and #2 combine to make the E11 very easy to hold with my teeth;
4. The E11 has no exposed fragile parts that could break if dropped/stepped on/run over;
5. I wanted a light that I could leave to bake in my car's glovebox without feeling bad;
6. The E11 costs half as much as the E3S.
I noticed that the E11 was pretty widely panned by flashaholics when it was released, but there are many different roles for flashlights to fill, and I think the E11 does a nice job of being a durable tasklight/backup light. It walks the line between being too nice to treat harshly if necessary vs. being a cheap piece of junk that's unpleasant to use. The fact that it uses an AA and produces decent brightness is a plus as well, because it means I can get a new battery at any convenience store on the planet. CR123s are great if I have the opportunity to plan ahead, but with this light I don't need to plan ahead, and that's even better.
And now for some beamshots. This first one is a comparison of the low and high settings on the E11. The low setting would be better if it were a little dimmer, but it's not a huge problem.
The next two are 3-way comparisons between the E05 XP-E, E05 XP-G, and E11 on low and high settings. (for the record, I much prefer the XP-E emitter in both the E05 and the E11 vs. the XP-G in the other E05.)
And the last two are comparisons between the Jetbeam E3S and the E11, first both on low and then both on high. The E3S has somewhat wider and brighter spill than the E11, as would be expected from a light using a reflector instead of a TIR optic. The E3S' XP-G emitter also has a snow-white tint compared to the much more neutral tint of the E11's XP-E emitter.
So there you have it. I think the E11 is worth the $27 price of admission, assuming you have need of a simple AA-powered tasklight with a basic (though still appreciated) multi-mode feature.