FENIX E35 V3.0 FLASHLIGHT upgrade?

[sidpost]

I have been using a FENIX E35 V3.0 FLASHLIGHT. This flashlight has been my companion for about a month and I really like it overall. However, the power button really isn't protected so that limits its use more than I would like.

I'm finding I reach for it instead of my Maglite 2xC-cell flashlight even though I really like it and it has been my daily companion in vehicles and the house for years in various LED forms.

I want to stay with the 21700 battery options as it seems to be a popular well supported trend in EV cars so, technology should evolve with nominal cost increases and obsolescence is unlikely as well.

The FENIX E35 form factor and beam options are a good mix of my normal routine needs so, I'm not really looking for a better light saber though, some more spill would be okay. What I need is a power button that won't be accidently activated in a bag, pocket or, holster.

I would like to stay in the sub-$100 MSRP range but, I'm not hard fixed on this price point for the right flashlight. If there is a good sale I'd appreciate a pointer there as well though, I suspect I'm using the more common vendor sites for chargers, batteries, lights, etc. in general.

TIA,
Sid

 

[aznsx]

I don't really have a specific recommendation, but a couple of thoughts. That 'UI' is fairly widely used by Fenix in 'side switch only' lights, one of which I have used, and I agree it's less than secure against unintended activations. As is typical in engineering, and often other things as well, you may need to address both 'what I'd like to improve', and 'what would I be willing to give up or compromise on to get it'. Your current light is fairly short, and that benefit is likely from a tradeoff with largely two other things. To get really good control + secure operation, you may need to go to a tail switch (tail cap pushbutton) to achieve that satisfactorily. That will almost certainly increase overall length. While I'm less certain about this, to get better spill / flood performance, you may need to consider a more conventional reflector design in place of the TIR optic your current light uses, and that will likewise increase overall length. That optical component performance is of course also impacted by the specific emitter used, as they often function in concert to affect emission / beam pattern.

So that short overall length you enjoy is largely at the cost of using a 'side switch only' for primary (and secondary) control operation, and use of a TIR optical component vs a conventional reflector. While others will undoubtedly have specific suggestions, I can really only point out the directions I imagine you'll need to look in to address / improve on either of those two aspects of your current light. Fenix probably has a 21700 light that would get you improvements on one or both of those aspects, but it will undoubtedly be longer, and may be in a model with lower max output.