Beginner: where to start

[bluesbeat]

Hi, looking to get a decent led flashlight (my first, previously just a couple of older style maglite/mini maglite)
Heard good things about Fenix. I want a good quality general purpose light, preferably that takes 2 x AA's.
Would a Fenix L2D be a good starting point?
Any help/recommendations appreciated

 

[LED-holic]

Welcome to CPF.

The L2D is a great place to start. That's where I started, and I still enjoying having my L2D and use it a lot.

That said, 1AA lights have come a long way, and I use my 1AA lights more because it's more compact and easier to carry.

The top 1AA lights are:
-nitecore D10
-nitecore defender infinity
-Fenix L1D
-LiteFlux LF5XT

You can buy a 2AA light like the Fenix L2D, and simply get a 1AA L1D body and you'll have two of the top AA lights around.

My favorite light right now is the D10 because it's so small and versatile. But you can't go wrong with the L2D and L1D.

PS - if you don't have already, pick up some nice nimh rechargeable AAs to use with these lights. Alkalines are old technology for these lights and don't power them as well as rechargeables. I love Sany Eneloops, very highly regarded here as the next generation of AA nimh batteries. They will save you a lot of money over the long run, and is much better for the enviroment.

 

[bluesbeat]

Thanks Led-holic
I have some Sanyo eneloops which i haven't really used yet and also some Sony Cycle Energy's (I think are rebranded eneloops from what I've read.
Any links to Fenix resellers who may have these on special and ship to Australia would be appreciated as well. cheers.

 

[LED-holic]

Perhaps some Australians can pipe in, but 4sevens.com / fenix-store.com have a discount code CPF8 (8%) and ship worldwide for free. Enjoy your purchases.

 

[bondr006]

Welcome to CPF bluesbeat. FenixStore.com has free shipping world wide. Use the CPF8 discount code at checkout for an 8% discount also. Dave Chow(4sevens), the owner is a really great guy to deal with.

 

[bondr006]

Oops! LED-holic beat me to it. :thumbsup:

 

[superflytnt]

Hey blues, :welcome:

If you don't need the strobe/SOS modes and want to save a few bucks (not to mention get a forward click switch that allows momentary) you might want to look at the L2T https://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=335
It has a really useful low level that runs for a long time and a 150L+ high beam that STILL runs for a couple of hours. Great light!

Good luck and remember to give all of your credit cards, wallet etc. to your significant other (or whoever will protect them from what you are about to become.........................a flashaholic!)

 

[bluesbeat]

Good luck and remember to give all of your credit cards, wallet etc. to your significant other (or whoever will protect them from what you are about to become.........................a flashaholic!)

I'll look at that one as well, thank you.
Hehehe! I can already see that it's gonna be addictive.:laughing:

 

[bondr006]

Addictive he says :laughing: Check out the link in my signature....

I'll look at that one as well, thank you.
Hehehe! I can already see that it's gonna be addictive.:laughing:

 

[roymail]

If you know what eneloops are, you're way ahead of me at the beginning.

I've been around here for a couple of years, and I'm always learning stuff. That's my sig line.

No doubt the L2D is one of the most popular 2xAA lights available today. And, the use of NiMH batts like eneloops and the ability to change levels (which you probably know effects runtime) makes these type of light a very desireable format.

There are other good ones, too, but the Fenix L2D is a good choice.

 

[ThatGuyBri]

+1 on superflytnt's recommendation for the L1T/L2T
The L1D/L2D is great but I do not like all the modes.

The Fenix 20tk looks nice.

 

[roymail]

After going back to the Fenix website, I'll agree with the others who've recommended the L2T. And, the TK20 looks very nice as well.

Decisions, decisions... at least you've got some good choices!

 

[Badbeams3]

Can`t go wrong with the L2D. But don`t feel you have to follow the crowd.

 

[Flying Turtle]

While you're there at the fenix-store don't forget to pick up an E01. It's nice to have that little backup light that's always with you. At least for those times when you don't want to carry the larger light.

Geoff

 

[infection0]

You should take a look in this thread:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=199062

IMO I wouldn't buy Fenix lights just because I like to buy cheaper lights with nearly the same performance. But I would say Fenix is the Lexus of flashlights... if you can and will afford a L2D, go for it.

I haven't had this flashlight myself, but it is rated the highest you can get in that review thread:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.7503

And like others mentioned, you might want a E01... it is dim, but it is also reliable and runs FOREVER (9 hours) on AAA batteries and will serve you extremely well in an emergency. Personally I prefer high power lights, so the E01 is not for me. But here it is:
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=176940

An alternative to the E01 that I use - the Fauxtons: These little things provide a good amount of light with a good amount of runtime on top of it. They are cheap and disposable and fit easily on your keychain for those times you dont have your big light with you.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1100

 

[Gunner12]

IIRC there are Fenix dealers in Australia.

The L2D-CE Q5 would be a great place to start and Fenix Store is a good place to buy the lights from. The L2T V2.0 is simpler and cheaper but also has the Forward clickie(has momentary on) unlike the L2D.

:welcome:

 

[youreacrab]

I've owned just about all of the Q2/Q4/Q5 Fenix lights and the only ones I haven't sold are the L2T and L1T.

Thumbs up for forward clicky lights.

I won't say Strobe and SOS are useless, but they should not be in a general use light. If you don't use them, they tend to become annoying as you encounter them accidentially.