Personally , I'm extremely satisfied with the Fenix E0! As you can see from my post count and join date I love lights and I've been here long enough to have a good idea of my needs and what to expect from various configurations.
The Rigel in the E1 was something new for me and although I've decided it isn't "all that" for me, that is mainly because I've realized that the efficiency of emitters right now is such that a single level AAA light doesn't have the photon capacity to serve my needs as a primary light. The E1 is a cool little light but I personally find that it isn't the AAA "sweet spot" light I need. The brightness above and beyond other AAA lights comes at too great a sacrifice in runtime for my use as a with-me-when-my-keys-are-backup light.
The E0 really hits that sweet spot!!! I find the light level to be quite adequate for a huge variety of tasks. Of course , the area that needs to be illuminated and ambient light will certainly effect my perception of it's adequacy from situation to situation. The output from the E0 is certainly adequate to illuminate small circuit boards and flashlight parts in my lit kitchen as I hold the light with my lips and work with my hands. The output is fine for looking under a desk , in a computer case, illuminateing a defective car instrument panel, looking into a breaker box (or many other utility boxes in dark environments), getting to the bathroom at night, looking for something I've dropped in a dark theater, picking up after my dog during his evening walk, reading as my woman sleeps, lighting up a tent or getting around a campsight, etc.
Of course, I wouldn't even think of useing it to spoil an intruders vision as a defensive tactic or look for my dog if he runs off at night. That would be silly. The E0 has a particular intended use and that really must be understood if folks are to be happy with the purchase. Those who buy without getting the information about the light when it is so readily and easily available have only themselves to blame for their dissatisfaction. I think we are all guilty from time to time of misplaceing blame when we become unhappy with a situation. It really isn't fair to make post after post in hopes of souring others on the light because one makes a buying decision based on ignorance.
My only gripe with the E0 , and this may be unfounded, is that the anodize is very different than other natural HA that I'm familiar with. I suspect this is due to the thickness of the oxide. I suspect that the E0 oxide layer is thinner than that specified as "Type III". This is just a suspicion.
I love the fact that I can now carry 10-16 hours of very functional brightness on my keychain. To me this means that just by changeing the battery as a precaution, once a year, I will most likely have enough light on tap to get through most emergencies and even in a longer term blackout situation, I can supplement very bright cr123 based lights and preserve their harder to obtain energy with ubiquitous (and even handcrank rechargeable, IIRC) AAA's!
The E0 has a very nicely thought out design (and I feel superior) when compared to the Arc AAA. I do think that the Arc uses higher quality materials and may stand up to destructive abuse better but only time will tell if the Fenix has any problem with hard use or harsh environments. The Fenix will have to put up with a very dirty, salty, humid environment during it's life with me. Most likely it will also receive an unfair share of hard drops , abrasion, and bumps between my body and steel, stone, and wood. It will get wet and I will certainly ***** and let you all know if it doesn't stand up to it.
There is no doubt in my mind that Fenix and it's dealers have a nice profit built into the twenty-dollar-shipped price tag but as long as it sells, that is their perogative and relative to other 5mm/AAA keychain lights I don't think the price is unreasonable. I'm sure competition will heat up soon once mag updates the solitaire . Either way, the Fenix E0 is a fantastic option to have if it suits and it's nice that the number of lights in this category continues to expand and diversify.
