Fenix LD40 vs Jetbeam PA40

[Paolos]

Sorry, I meant to say that I've only seen demos of the PA40's UI.

Yeah, I love how the strobe mode is neatly tucked out of the way on the LD40, but is still easily accessible. It's not instantly available, but you can get to it quickly enough. Having goofed around with it, with friends in the back garden I can confirm that it does have a heck of a disorientating affect (not to mention hilarious to watch - we nearly had to fish my buddy out of the pond, he'd lost all sence of direction).

 

[moshow9]

^^ The LD40 has crazy strobe...

It definitely has a seizure inducing strobe to say the least! Love the LD40 and the UI. I might be interested in the PA40 if it had a better UI and if it wasn't for the Q50 coming out.

 

[leon2245]

There are two options for mode change - with flashlight ON or OFF. Check out this video (the UI demo starts at 4m30s). If I understand correctly, memory activates after only 1 sec

Cheers,

Tam

Thanks! He even accidentally demonstrated too short an elapsed time when trying to use memory mode, then waited the full second or w/e & it worked. Fame is right though, it apparently does have to blink off to change whether using half presses or not. & his example in post 15, if you're on low & press it again too quickly in that situation you'll be in for a BRIGHT surprise!

 

[tre]

I heard the JetBeam has problems with low battery blinking even if batteries are full. I'd stick with the Fenix.

Really? This torch has only landed in a few hands so far....who is having problems?

EDIT: I see by your list of lights that you are a Fenix fanboy.....nevermind.

Well, where did you find a light of my lights? I'm not sure what you've read, I guess it's old.

He found a thread where you posted your list of lights 3 months ago here: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-your-lights&p=3627605&viewfull=1#post3627605

 

[Paolos]

I was seriously considering getting a PA40, keep it or the fenix in the car, and the other in the house. That was until I started reading up on the Zebralight Q50. Same 4x AA's but a LOT more light and pretty darn long runtimes. Supposed to be out in the next couple of months and that will be one I will be looking at very closely!!

 

[Ian2381]

I was seriously considering getting a PA40, keep it or the fenix in the car, and the other in the house. That was until I started reading up on the Zebralight Q50. Same 4x AA's but a LOT more light and pretty darn long runtimes. Supposed to be out in the next couple of months and that will be one I will be looking at very closely!!

haha, thinking the same. I will be waiting two months to decide weather to get a TK41 or Q50. I'm leaning towards the Q50.
I already have the LD40 so getting a PA40 is out of the equation

 

[Animalmother]

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't it only 600 more Lumens for 5 minutes or something? Also it's 500 OTF while the PA40 is ANSI rated right? I didn't even know the runtimes were released yet, please enlighten me because I may way for the Q50 as well. Thanks again guys.

 

[Paolos]

Zebralight have said that the performance is similiar to, but betters that of the sc600. 800 lumen turbo mode for an as yet unreleased time. It's confirmed that it's more than 5 mins though. Details are still sketchy, but it does sound like one he'll of a light. And 800 lumens, even if it's only for a short burst is still an incredible function from a 4x AA light. Plus in case of emergency it will run on 2x AAs albeit at a reduced output. Handy in a pinch. The neutral white one interests me as I like the tint on the LD40, not quite as harsh as the cool. It will depend on the lumen drop though. Ordered the cool sc51 as the neutral tint dropped the lumen count from 200 to 170. Just me being petty, but I wanted the 200. My LD20 is 180 and even though it has the extra battery, getting less just seemed... wrong somehow.

Besides, I like round numbers.

 

[leon2245]

I was seriously considering getting a PA40, keep it or the fenix in the car, and the other in the house. That was until I started reading up on the Zebralight Q50. Same 4x AA's but a LOT more light and pretty darn long runtimes. Supposed to be out in the next couple of months and that will be one I will be looking at very closely!!

Also, no battery carrier involved with the Z.L. if that matters either way to you.

 

[Paolos]

Not terribly concerned about having carrier, although if you manage to damage it you are kinda friar tucked. The battery indicator is a handy feature, especially given that modern lights are electronically regulated to give constant output, but it's hardly a must have. Obviously the pictures of the Q50 haven't been released yet, so I guess we'll have to wait and see what the square, one piece light actually looks like.

 

[StandardBattery]

Of course there is a 99% chance of me getting the ZL Q50 when available, but that didn't stop me from getting the LD40 for a little fun (it won't be here for a couple days yet), as I think it might make a good gift light for someone that needs a bigger light, and I don't like to gift any gear I have not tried myself. I won't be getting the JetBeam.

 

[Paolos]

So given the choice of the two, you opted for the Fenix. That's pretty interesting. Can I ask why you went for it instead of the Jetbeam, given that on paper at least the jetbeam is more powerful?

 

[Haesslich]

I'm going to guess that if there's a light that's got 800 lumens going out the front in a few months, you'd save up for that since the difference between 240 lumens and 440 lumens is far less visible than the one between 240 and 800 lumens.

I have the LD40 myself, and EDC it along with my Quark MiNi and AA2. I've compared the LD40 to the TK35 and some 400 lumen lights - the difference of 200 lumens isn't a factor in real world usage, not with human eyesight.

 

[Deal4]

It's hard to imagine how Zebralight can get around 800 lumens out of a 4 AA light! Not saying they can't, just hard to imagine!
I can't wait till it comes out thought I think I'm going to wait till it's been out awhile so that they can get all the kinks out of the system.
I like the LD40 from Fenix. I think it is a very tough light that should last a long time. I throws well too without leaving you feeling like you are looking down a tunnel. I find that I very rarely need more than 200 lumens so I think the LD 40 is right about where it should be.
But technology marches on.
Like others have said: it's a good time to be a flashaholic!

 

[FlashKat]

I keep reading that you will not notice the difference of 100 or 200 lumens of output from the human eye...that is BS!!! I have the same light with a different LED and the lumen difference of 100 lumens, and you can totally see the output difference.

I'm going to guess that if there's a light that's got 800 lumens going out the front in a few months, you'd save up for that since the difference between 240 lumens and 440 lumens is far less visible than the one between 240 and 800 lumens.

I have the LD40 myself, and EDC it along with my Quark MiNi and AA2. I've compared the LD40 to the TK35 and some 400 lumen lights - the difference of 200 lumens isn't a factor in real world usage, not with human eyesight.

 

[Napalm]

Next we'll hear that a 20 lumens light is roughly equivalent to a 220 one and we should go for the 20 since it has considerably longer runtime. And oh, by the way, don't forget the sunglasses since according to another thread 0.18 lumens is too bright. Welding goggles for the kids and sensitive.

Nap.

 

[Haesslich]

I keep reading that you will not notice the difference of 100 or 200 lumens of output from the human eye...that is BS!!! I have the same light with a different LED and the lumen difference of 100 lumens, and you can totally see the output difference.

If I had the money for two lights and three choices, I'd skip the middle option and go with the Zebra. And I have compared an RB100-toting P3D with a Quark AA2, the L1P with the Quark MiNi 123 R5, and the LD40 with a TK35. There isn't much difference in the first case or second one unless you only shine it at white walls or don't need to navigate anywhere but in short hallways. At any appreciable distance, the two-hundred or even one-hundred lumens don't make an appreciable distance. Unless they're shining in your eyes, and even then it's hard to tell.

The 800 lumens versus 200, OTOH, matters a lot more, especially when there's a hundred meters or more that have to be illuminated. The Zebra looks like it'll be a fun little light. For the LD40 and the PA40, the difference in the top lumens doesn't matter too much, especially not for the $25 premium (BugOutGear says the regular price of the PA40 is $95). At that point, the Zebra or another 800-lumen light is a better deal.

 

[Jash]

Personally I never understood the 4AA thing. I handled an LD40 at a shop last week and it's BIG. I mean, if you're going to buy a light that big, why not just suck up the extra 1/2 inch diameter and go fo an 8AA like the TK41. It'll give you 335 lumens for over 7 hours and that's not even it's max output. And it's a throw monster for an AA powered light.

Plus it's a better looking light, LD40 is ugly.

 

[Haesslich]

Not that big - and unlike the TK41, it's skinny. And the extra weight (100 grams before the batteries are accounted for -with twice the number of AA's needed in the latter) is a big difference in EDC terms. I carry my LD40 with me everywhere in my pack, for example. And it's not designed to look like a Mag, unlike the TK40. If I wanted that, I'd stick with the D-cell driven TK60 and TK70.

 

[spinkid]

Man, This post has me even more anxious for my light. I have a PA40 in my kitchen that my wife bought for my birthday which is Friday. Man has the last week been dragin'.....