the fenix preflash if famously MUCH bighter and lasts longer.... except annoying preflash, fenix pd's didn't have this "feature" :)
the fenix preflash if famously MUCH bighter and lasts longer.... except annoying preflash, fenix pd's didn't have this "feature" :)
the fenix preflash if famously MUCH bighter and lasts longer.
1. Fenix has sexiest design (only old pd30/q5, without knurling on the body, newer one less attractive, grip vs look - I prefer look)
2. Very pleasant pd30 button, oh, I love that feeling, quark reverse button stiffer and at night "click" can awake my son (that's why I use MiNi's as night watch light)
3. Clip on the quark - yeah, it's awesome, Fenix clip is worse by design: it will scratch anodizing, rattling over body and overall much stiffer (my old pd30 didn't have clip, so I judge on tk12 clip, I cannot stick it even to my jeans pocket, very-very stiff; from pics I see PD30 has the same system)
4. For general purprose fenix "low" 6-11 lumens is great while navigating over the house at night, you'll need to skip moonlight and low on quark, when going to the medium. But for deep night walking 6+lm is more than enough, 1-2lumens, no more required for night adopted vision.
5. For "night watch" mini's are better, that's why I choose tactical for EDC: I need two modes - medium and max, where medium suits on almost all usage scenarios with very pleasant warm non-blinding wide beam even for closework (now I do not need a diffuser)
...and now I know everything about quark preflash :ohgeez:
4sevens, please, do something with preflash :bow:
PS: I cannot use 4sevens headband with 123^2, only with mini AA (too stiff), and nitecore design is better with top-band: it is difficult to ajust beam direction to be exact the same to your eyes direction, even when you're looking forward.
I'm outrageously indecisive. ...
I'm outrageously indecisive. I actually think I'm going to stick with the Fenix for a few reasons:
1) I got lucky with the tint, it's a little green down low and a little blue-purple up high but it's something I can deal with, and to my eyes it's pretty close to white-white (the tint is inferior to that of the Q5, but that's to be expected)
I use flashlights as a candle frequently, and no problems with any tailstand-capable, including PD302) I never use candle mode and I little like the slits on the rear of the Fenix since they make it easier to hit the button with my fat fingers
I don't care about this feature, just funny effect :)3) The Fenix has a rippled bezel edge so you can see when the light is on while the bezel is down, something I do ALL of the time
My TK12 has one chip on crenelated bezel, and all of 123^2 has it on the knurling. It's typical for hard anodizing: on the edges knurling is suspectible to chip, that's ok. PD30 didn't have anodizing chips and scratches after 1,5 years of careful usage (all of other lights used the same way)4) Apparently the Fenix is more rugged, which is important to me because I beat the crud out of my light (although I've heard that subjectively the anodization on the Quark is better)
Moonlight is useful when you awake in dark night: the spot didn't blind you and do not attract attention from anybody sleeping5) The low setting on the Fenix is perfect for my uses, I feel like I would never use moonlight mode except for the closest of reading, and I've gotten used to cupping the bezel in my hand to hide most of the light when doing this with my Fenix.
PD30 Q5 isn't throwy at all, comparing to XP-E quarks and comparable with XP-G, Warm White quark 123^2 is almost flood, beam profile is very close to the mini aa, so quarks regular reflector cannot tighten the beam. I think this is due to the thick phosphor on the warms, which changes the light distribution: more to the front, less to the sides, meaning front part of the beam cannot be tightened by default reflector, required deeper and bigger reflector, but that's ok, flood beam is pleasant.6) The throw. I have no doubt that the Fenix will outthrow the Quark because of the smooth reflector, which is a significantly more "spilly" light.
Quark MiNi AA XP-G cool white have the same problem with donut hole, bigger brothers - don't. All of my fenixes are XR-E, so there's noticeable cree rings, which is annoying, but in real life usage nearly not visibleThe donuts were REALLY, REALLY, REALLY bothering me.