Fenix L0D-CE Comparison Review

[UnknownVT]

The long awaited Fenix Digital L0D CE Cree XR-E based 1x AAA light -
on loan through the kind courtesy of 4sevens (http://Fenix-Store.com)

with accessories -

included: pocket-clip, split (key)ring and spare O-ring.

Size -

the L0D-CE is a fraction longer than my L0P-SE - and looking at the photo more closely one can see the head on the L0D-CE is just a bit longer.

The L0P-SE head will fit on the L0D-CE body - but not the other way round.. the threads seem to want to bind - and I tried more than once - but I did not want to force anything.

Heads -

Part 1 -
compared to a L0P-SE (mod with UWAJ - about as good a LuxIII for this application) using Alkaline AAA

vs. Fenix L0P-SE Special both on default/Medium -

It's pretty obvious that the Cree based L0D-CE is quite a bit brighter.

vs. Fenix L0P-SE Special both on Low

similar difference in brighteness on the Low.

vs. Fenix L0P-SE Special both on High

So - not surprisingly the Cree based L0D-CE shows similar gain in brightness at all three levels over the L0P-SE (with UWAJ mod)

I have heard some ask is the default/Medium level on the L0D-CE as bright as the High on a L0D or L0P-SE?

L0D-CE on Medium vs. Fenix L0P-SE Special on High

simple answer is Yes.....

Cree dark halo - well there is a very slight hint of a dark halo - like there is a less so hint on the L0P-SE (LuxIII) -
- if one looks carefully at the head - the reflector goes up to nearly the LED dome, hardly showing any of the silver surround -
so the dark halo is very slightly there - probably will only bother the most critical.

Current draw readings -
AAA alkaline battery 1.418V open-circuit

Medium = 0.28A
Low = 0.13A
High = 0.75A

Part 2 - using 3.7V Li-Ion rechargeable 10440 - in Post #14

Part 3 - "Practical" Stairway beamshots -in Post #39

Part 4 - L0D-CE on primary alkaline AAA vs. Fenix P1D-CE on primary lithium CR123A - in Post #49

 

[Valpo Hawkeye]

Great stuff!

 

[daveman]

Sweetness, the thing's barely longer than the tiny P1.

 

[Gimpy00Wang]

Mmm...

- Chris

 

[9volt]

fenix-store has/had them

 

[LEDninja]

A bunch of people has got them & posted their impressions on this thread:

Fenix L0D CE – A quick first look and my impressions
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=150553

Still waiting for mine but Canada Customs is in the way.

EDIT

L0D-CE
Current draw readings -
AAA alkaline battery 1.418V open-circuit

Medium = 0.28A
Low = 0.13A
High = 0.75A

My curent draw at the battery for the L0P-SE Special on UWAJ

Alkaline AAA 1.516V Open-Circuit
NiMH AAA 1.344V o-c

Medium
Alk =0.28A
NiMH = 0.27A

Low
Alk = 0.13A
NiMH = 0.13A

High
Alk = 0.82A
NiMH = 0.80A

Looks like runtimes will be the same with the CE having a bit more on high.

---

The description said lobster claw so I paid an extra $6 for a pocket clip. Now I have 2. Time to find out what other AAA lights a Fenix pocket clip will fit.

 

[frisco]

Is the UWAJ a stock emitter for the LOP-SE?

Just wondering why you would do a back to back against a modded light?

Sorry if this sounds stupid..... I'm not familiar with the LOP-SE

Thanks, frisco

 

[wojtek_pl]

Soo.. There is no 'lobster claw' key chain clip ? Pity...

 

[UnknownVT]

frisco wrote: "Is the UWAJ a stock emitter for the LOP-SE?
Just wondering why you would do a back to back against a modded light?
Sorry if this sounds stupid..... I'm not familiar with the LOP-SE"

No, the UWAJ is not a standard emitter for the L0P-SE (that is why I made it clear it is a "UWAJ Mod") -
and reason I used it is simple - it's the closest light I have.
(there is also a secondary reasoning - that a UWAJ is probably as good a LuxIII as one could use in the L0P-SE application - so one is comparing the new Cree against the best of Luxeon III's)

I gave the link to the full review of that Fenix L0P-SE Special (link) in my opening post above,
and if you care to please take a look specicfically at Post #22 (link) in that review thread -
that is a direct comparison of the L0P-SE Special (with UWAJ mod) to a stock L0P-SE -
which shows there was very little difference between it and the Stock version.

 

[gadgetnerd]

I got my L0D-CE today and will try to post a few beamshot comparisons with my L0D.

In the mean time here's my take:

- Very much brighter than the L0D for any given level
- Wider less intense hotspot and much brighter spill than other fenix lux lights.
- My L0D-CE has slightly greenish beam with a few ringy artifacts (much less severe than my P1D-CE). Interestingly there is actually a small dark spot right in the centre of the hotspot.
- PWM frequency is the same as the L0D (ie annoyingly slow)

In terms of overall light output (and allowing for differences in beam characteristics as described above)
- L0D-CE medium = L0D high
- L0D-CE low = L0D medium
- L0D-CE high > L1T high (all 3 comparisons running freshly charged NiMH)

Recent experiences have taught me to set my expectations a bit lower with new fenix lights, but I have to say I'm very impressed with this one. L0D is officially retiring from EDC duty after only 5 weeks!

 

[BobbyRS]

Great review! I would be interested in seeing the beamshots and comparisons with a Li-Ion 10440 cell in the L0D CE vs. the L0D. Plus, since I have a Millermod L0P, I would like to see the comparison to that as well if anyone can produce. Again, great review.

 

[EngrPaul]

All three pictures look the same to me

I had the same brightness results fitting Seoul emitters into my Fenix AAA's, but a smoother beam like stock.

But this thread is not about me... thanks for another exclellent review!

 

[redduck]

Does L0D CE has a better regulation? I understand L0D is not regulated.

 

[UnknownVT]

BobbyRS wrote: "I would be interested in seeing the beamshots and comparisons with a Li-Ion 10440 cell in the L0D CE vs. the L0D."

Your wish is (almost

) my command....

Part 2 - L0D-CE on (AAA size) 3.7V Li-Ion 10440 -

Let's play in more "serious" company - how about the stunning Cree based Fenix P1D-CE?

L0D-CE on 3.7V Li-Ion 10440 vs. Fenix P1D-CE on primary CR123A both on High

The L0D-CE on 3.7V Li-Ion 10440 is brighter than the fabuolous P1D-CE on a primary CR123A - this is pretty remarkable for a light that's using an AAA battery.......

OK, not fair - the L0D-CE is using a 3.7V Li-Ion and the P1D-CE is not..... so....

L0D-CE on 3.7V Li-Ion 10440 vs. Fenix P1D-CE on 3.7V Li-Ion Rechargeable RCR123 both on High

amazingly the L0D-CE still looks brighter to me - maybe the hotspot is not quite as concentrated -
so speculation/guesswork - either the regulating circuit is not quite allowing the P1D-CE to be direct-driven, or maybe the Cree XR-E is a brighter bin?

These comparison beamshots at comparable levels are a good way to see/compare the Cree "dark halo" - the L0D-CE seems to have minimized it....

How about as good as a Luxeon III based light can get for now - the Fenix P1D (without CE designation) -

L0D-CE on 3.7V Li-Ion 10440 vs. P1D also on 3.7V Li-Ion Rechargeable RCR123 both on High

I don't like using the term "blow away"....
... so someone else can say it

This is a truly remarkable performance from such a dimunitive light -
I called my Fenox L0P-SE special (UWAJ) a gem among jewels of a light -
I am running out of superlatives for this L0D-CE

Current draw -
10440 Open-Circuit voltage = 4.03V
Medium = 0.38A
Low = 0.17A
High = 1.11A

 

[frisco]

Hey Unknown, Thanks for connecting the dots for me. Great work!

Thanks, frisco

 

[Stingray]

How does the LOD-CE compare to the PID-CE with both on primaries

 

[cheapo]

you mind testing the runtime on high with li-ons?

 

[Mike abcd]

Mine just arrived. It took 6 days to travel the 800 miles from Atlanta vs 10 days for my P1D CE shipped over Christmas. Weird because I get USPS first class mail deliveries from other vendors in 2-3 days from all over the US.

I just did some VERY crude measurements on total output. I've got an Extech meter but used a large styrofoam cooler that I haven't cut holes in yet for the light being tested or the light meter. The meter sensor is hung by its' cord vertically at the mid point on the "short" side near the bottom. I just laid the top of the cooler on at a slight angle to make enough space to shove the head into the cooler and aimed the LED at the far opposite corner near the bottom. No light is striking the sensor directly and moving the aiming point around only gives a few per cent variation.

I did say it was crude

Comparisons are to my P1D CE readings on medium assuming the P1D CE is 59 lumens. The L0D CE used a 1000 mA Maha Powerex AAA that was charged last night and was run in the L0D CE 2-3 minutes before the test.

L0D CE Lumens
Primary ~13
Low ~5-6
High ~40

I think all of these measurements are about 10% low because my P1D CE appears to be an overachiever. Mine measures at least 10% higher Lux @ 1 meter than the one tested by Doug at flashlightreviews.com (3000 vs 2700 on high, 1600 vs 1400 on primary). The crude total output tests I've done so far comparing it to my other lights vs FR and other tests seem to confirm the total output is also 10% higher. L0D CE on high reads within a few per cent of my SL PP 4AA Luxeon that I picked from 6 that I bought as gifts and looks to be 40-44 lumens although the SL absolutely kills it on throw.

I also have an L0P SE but comparisons to that are pretty worthless as it only puts out about 60% (throw and output) of what FR got. I've been trying to get 4sevens to replace it for a month now but he still hasn't responded on that or to my request over 2 weeks ago for a new body for my P1D CE with VERY loose threads.

A few other impressions. Threads seem very tight and it looks like it will work reliably with one hand which is a first for me on a Fenix twistie.

I never liked my L0P SE. Not only was it much dimmer than others tested but the overall beam diameter was so large that the spill intensity was VERY low and basically worthless on Primary and low. The L0D CE has a MUCH smaller total beam diameter and the spill is MUCH brighter and looks very useful even on the lower settings. The beam is very similar to my P1D CE, relatively speaking although the hot spot seems a more diffuse and less intense with a larger portion of the output in the spill. First impression is that even the low on my L0D CE will be FAR more useful than primary on my L0D SE. Same thing for the medium vs high comparison. Heck the low on the L0D CE looks fairly usable compared to high on my L0P SE...

PWM rate on primary/low is 100 Hz which is the same as my L0P SE. Strobe rate is 8 HZ, same as P1D CE. Measured with an optical tachometer I use for checking rotor speed on r/c helis.

Mine seems to have a bit more beam artifacts than UnkownVT's beam shots but I'm not a white wall hunter and I doubt it will bother me in actual use. My P1D CE doesn't.

I'll try to measure Lux @ 1 meter later and might do a run time on primary to get a look at the regulation which I expect to be far from flat even on NiMH.

Overall, definitely a keeper and it looks like it will kick my Nichia modded gen 2 Dorcy AAA out of my pocket. that's something my L0P SE couldn't do. Hopefully 4sevens will eventually do something about my L0P SE and I can sell it at a loss. Otherwise I'll try modding it with an SSC P4 either making it useful or putting it out of its' misery...

Mike

 

[nightstalker101]

The listed current draws are:

Current draw -
10440 Open-Circuit voltage = 4.03V
Medium = 0.38A
Low = 0.17A
High = 1.11A

When useing the Ultrafire AAA lithium ion battery, whouldn't the current draw be 2.22C (Isn't this pushing it?)

 

[paulr]

(Note: this has turned into a mini-review but I'll leave it here for now instead of posting a separate review thread, since lots of people are getting these lights and having too many separate review threads probably isn't good).

Mine just arrived. It's sure bright for such a tiny light, and that's with an Eneloop NiMH cell that I haven't even charged! (They come pre-charged in the package). Informal ceiling bounce test makes me estimate it puts about about 1.5x as many total lumens as my stock L1p. The hotspot is larger and less intense than the L1p's so the L1p will have more throw. The L0D-CE hotspot seems to darken slightly in the center, no big deal. Its spill beam is much brighter than the L1p, which I like. After about 1.5 minutes on "high" it was noticably warm in my hand, but certainly not uncomfortably so.

It came with a pocket clip, a small split ring (not pre-attached to the light), and a spare O-ring. It did NOT come with a lobster claw clip--maybe some people got lucky and received those. It wasn't advertised as coming with one so no problem, it woulda been nice though. The "head" section is about 3 cm long, i.e. the seam between the head and body is almost in the middle of the light, unlike (say) the Arc AAA whose head is way at the front. This has an interesting consequence, that the pocket clip pretty much has to attach to the head section rather than the body section, and that means if the light is clipped to a ballcap, the clip immobilizes the head and so you have to somewhat awkwardly reach back to the tail section to turn the light on and off. Not a really big deal, but overall, the pocket clip is sort of an afterthought, it looks weird on the light (shiny against black), and it bangs into the little hex bumps when you turn the bezel. I put it on the light at first but have now removed it. It's conceivable that I'll put it back later, but it's somewhat more awkward than the clip on an Arc.

The split ring also wasn't attached to the light when it arrived (it was in a tiny ziploc bag along with the pocket clip and spare o-ring). I had to put it on myself, a somewhat awkward operation without a split ring pliers (I used a SAK pliers and a small screwdriver). It would be nice if they did this at the factory.

The UI is fairly ok for a light this small. I don't see much need for multiple levels in bigger lights but for an EDC like this, being able to control the intensity-runtime tradeoff is worthwhile. I could do without the blinking and SOS modes. The PWM flickering is very noticable when you move the light around, or sort of subliminably noticable in normal use--if you look at the light (not straight into it of course) it seems to shimmer a bit. It also acts like a strobe if something is moving while you're illuminating it, which is weird. Obviously I'd prefer that they use reduced current instead of PWM both to eliminate the flicker and to run the LED and battery more efficiently, but I can understand if there's technical obstacles to getting P1D-like circuitry into the L0D's smaller space. The strobe effect was noticable when I stood the light in candle mode in the bathroom and took a shower, and later used the light to get up in the middle of the night for a glass of water. The strobing froze the water as it was coming out of the shower and faucet. It's a "digital" way of looking at things that I'd rather not get used to. The saying goes: all the world's an analog stage, and digital circuits only play bit parts.

My unit just says L0D (not CE) on the light and the package is an L0D package that has a sticker on it saying it's a CE. I dunno if they'll update the engraving later. I can tell it's not a Luxeon by looking at the small square LED die. The build quality is about like my L1p, i.e. no obvious loose threads or outside finish probs, but not at the level of something like an HDS. There are some machining marks inside the battery tube and like the L1p, the switch is just a center spot and contact ring on a PCB, a little bit cheesy especially for a high-current light like this. But given how many L1p's are out there operating ok, I guess it's functional at least in the near term. Actually I wonder whether those contacts are more subject to wear because of the twist switch than the L1p (where you make and break that contact only on changing the battery, and rely on the clickie for turning the light on and off).

Overall length is just a mm or two longer than the Arc AAA (including the keychain lug), and a tad shorter than the Peak Matterhorn 3-led, so the length is fine. It is noticably thicker than those two other lights though. I haven't yet compared the weights. IMO it's largish but not unacceptably so for use on a keychain (I'd say the same thing of even the Arc, and currently have a pair of coin lights on my keychain). The extra thickness for the battery tube seems unneeded (the hex flats could instead have been a round tube of smaller diameter). On the other hand since the light is black and is so small, it's easy to misplace, something I for some reason didn't find as much of an issue with the Arc. Since there's extra metal in it maybe there's someplace to mill a slot for a tritium marker. That would make the light much easier to find in the dark. I hope they offer it in natural finish and even in silver color (if possible) soon.

The Arc AA-style tailstand thing works ok, though the little cutout where the split ring nestles so you can stand it flat has a sharp corner that can catch the inside of your pocket or even nick your finger. I don't want to whack it with a file because that would cut through the HA finish. Maybe they could round off that corner a little before they apply the HA coating.

This Li10440 stuff scares me a bit, it sounds like the light is basically running direct drive and the cell is putting out way more than the LED's Vf, the LED is overdriven outside of spec and the cell itself is unprotected and delivering current at around 2.5C. The overdrive even applies for low and medium brightness modes, i.e. the LED is getting slammed with that high current during the "on" parts of the PWM cycle. All in all I'd treat the 10440-L0D CE combination as a minuature USL, i.e. an impressive but potentially dangerous gadget intended more for exhibitions than for normal use as a flashlight.

Potential buyers: I want to emphasize that this is a great little light, all the things I'm complaining about are just quibbles. No matter how good something is, there are always ways to make it better, and part of flashaholism is the never-ending search for such improvements.