Help choosing a compact LED flashlight

[CPFled]

Hi dear Candlepowerforums & and it's wise users,

Im in bit of a situation. I'm looking for a flashlight a LED one, but the market is very big and overwhelming for a guy like me that don't really have much knowledge about flashlights at all.

Maybe it's best if i list a few specs.

• The size.

I would say around 13cm, not longer that 15cm.

• Has to be LED.

• The design

I prefer a metal body. I don't like it covered in rubber.
If it's rechargeable thats a huge plus too, but i can live with ordinary batteries.

And i like it to be as powerful as my criteria allows it to :o)

I hear Surefire is one of the better brands.
Surefire E1B Backup & E2D LED Defender are properly what i found to be the closest to what I'm looking for.

But i really need some help here. Are there brands that make better compact flashlight than Surefire? Maybe even point out a few models you think fit my criteria the best?
Are there perhaps something else i should consider before choosing a flashlight?

All help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[peterharvey73]

You have given us your preference for length at 13 to 15 cm.
Can you give us your preference for head diameter?
One inch, 1.333 inches, 1.5 inches, 1.666 inches, or 2 inches?
The head diameter will really help to find what you want...

 

[jhc37013]

The Zebralight SC600 is my favorite light, it runs on one 18650 Li-Ion rechargeable.

 

[CPFled]

Thanks for the fast answer.

Just to be clear it can be smaller than 13cm, but i don't want it larger than 15.
I just saw the advertisement for the Nitecore ex11.2 which also looks interesting, regardless it being kind'a small. But no close store anywhere near me.


The Nitecore ex 11.2 is said to be 21.5mm, and it shouldn't be any smaller than that. It's hard to find a exact diameter, but lets say not bigger than 45mm. Im not sure how many inches that is, sorry.

 

[Changchung]

The Zebralight SC600 is my favorite light, it runs on one 18650 Li-Ion rechargeable.

+1

 

[CPFled]

That Zebralight does look like it got some power, unfortunate i prefer flashlights without too big "curves".
Klarus NT10 is closer to having the looks i like.

 

[swan]

Check out the just released jetbeam rrt-21.

 

[peterharvey73]

Wow, 150 mm long and 45 mm wide is a large range.
You see the three Jetbeams below? The big one on the right is the RRT-1; it's roughly 162mm long by 48mm wide - and somehow I don't think you want anything near 45 mm wide?
"Compact" is either 25mm wide, or 1.333 inches @ 33mm wide maximum; beyond that is not so easy in the pocket.
There are two major types of compacts:
1) single CR123/16340 battery size,
2) 2xCR123 in-line, or 1x18650.

You say you like something that looks like the Klarus NT10, means that you really want something only 100mm long by 25mm wide! Single cell CR123.
You also say that you don't like big curves, meaning that you want something with straight parallel sides?
Try the Jetbeam RRT-0 with a 2mm slightly widened head, such that the magnetic ring is raised 1mm so it can be more easily felt in the dark, plus the slightly widened head gives a bigger reflector for more throw.
However, that slightly widened head can be felt as a bulge in the back pocket of your jeans, and it's also a bit less comfortable to hold on the four fingers over the top overhand grip.

For straight sides, try the Sunwayman V10R aluminium: neat looking, compact, magnetic ring, and reasonably bright.
Both the RRT-0 & the V10R have continuously variable brightness adjustments and a super low low so you don't blind yourself when you get out of bed at 2am in the morning.

There are also Lumapower Incendio V3 Upgrades, Thrunite 1C & 4Sevens Quark 123 which also have straight sides, no magnetic rings, no continuously variable brightness controls, but pack an XM-L emitter for a lot of lateral flood, but not much longitudinal throw.

All these smaller 100mm long by 25mm wide flashlights are powered by a single CR123 or a rechargeable 16340 battery...

Jetbeams RRT-0, RRT-2, RRT-1.

Jetbeam TC-R2 [nee RRT-0 in Ti], Sunwayman V10R in Ti.

 

[CPFled]

Your absolutely right Peter, and I'm sorry for being so difficult. And yes, i like something with straight parallelish sides :)
It also seems i confused diameter with circumference for some very odd reason, i must have been tired or something :S
Im shooting for something around 25mm +/- in diameter.

I posted a few models i liked to give a better picture of what I'm looking for, and now it seems i have much more to consider :)
The Jetbeam TC-R2 is quite expensive, but it packs much power. Max. boost only for 35 min though. The design is nice, but i wish it came in black instead.
And then the RTT-0, not quite as powerful, but more affordable and it's max lasts longer.

Im also seriously considering the rrt-21 as swan mentioned. I just now realize it may be too big for what I'm needing right now. But i have bookmarked it as i may want a more powerful flashlight later.
To make things more clear to me, and perhaps others, i will list pictures and some of their specs below:

Jetbeam RTT-0

High Mode 270 Lumens, 45 min (The UK site says max output 255 Lumens for 1 hour)
97mm
IPX 8 standard waterproof
Around 90£

Jetbeam TC-R2

High Mode 320 Lumens, 35 min
IPX 8 standard waterproof
Haven't found a UK store. But it's 250$ on Jetbeam USA.

Klarus NT10

230 Lumens, 1 hour
93mm
IPX 8 standard waterproof
Around 50£

Nitecore ex11.2

200 Lumens, 1 hour
76mm
IPX 8 standard waterproof
Around 50£

As of right now, I'm leaning mostly towards the Jetbeam RTT-0. It got a decent output, and great looks. But i kind'a want the last 50 Lumens the TC-R2 offers, but is 50 Lumes noticeable? The difference in price is after all quite large.
Im also confused about RTT-0 here it says 270 Lumens for 45 min. But here it says 255 Lumens for 1 hours. (click on the picture for specs. Which one is it? :S

I still take other models in consideration as they are posted, and i will try to list them in this post too.

And once again i will thank everyone for their time and contribution, you guys are awesome! :o)

 

[peterharvey73]

As of right now, I'm leaning mostly towards the Jetbeam RTT-0. It got a decent output, and great looks. But i kind'a want the last 50 Lumens the TC-R2 offers, but is 50 Lumes noticeable? The difference in price is after all quite large.
Im also confused about RTT-0 here it says 270 Lumens for 45 min. But here it says 255 Lumens for 1 hours. (click on the picture for specs. Which one is it? :S

The science behind flashlights can be complex.
I have both the TC-R2 & the RRT-0 S2.
Although the TC-R2 S2 is rated at 310 lumens & 35 mins run time, it appears as a less bright, warm yellow hotspot!
The RRT-0 S2 [although also an S2 emitter] @ your 270 lumens & 45 minutes run time, appears as a brighter, cooler, white hotspot!
So apart from the brightness in total lumens, there is also the tint factor - with the cooler white tints actually appearing brighter and more efficient than the warm yellow tints.
Not only does the RRT-0 S2 have a brighter more efficient tint, the battery also lasts your 45 minutes, rather than 35 minutes.
The RRT-0 also comes in an R5 version, which is a slightly older version with 255 lumens and 1 hour run time; there's been a misprint on one of the ads.

Furthermore, be careful of all titanium flashlights.
They look great to match your wrist watch, however they are darn heavy, and the polished surface feels slippery in your hands when you use the four fingers over the top overhand grip and start pressing the tail end clicky.
A light aluminium flashlight with a matt annodised surface has a far better grip.
Be careful, both Al and Ti will scratch if you mix them with your keys and coins as my wife did...

 

[BadBulb4U]

I am sure this question will be asked many more times and for a good reason. What is a great flashlight to carry and satisfy your needs. I have been on the hunt for the perfect flashlight for years. The last two years I've been hunting hard and we have alot of choices. Today I bought a Surefire E1B. When I got into my Jeep and turned it on at 12 noon, it was lighting up my floorboard more than I could believe. I couldn't wait til the sun went down to compare against some of my favorites in my collection. A little while ago I went outside with a InceDio V3+ neutral tint, the SF E1B, a Sunwayman V10R Ti, a SF E2D Led and the Sunwayman V20C. The SF E2D threw the farthest, then it was the Sunwayman V20C, with the SF E1B close behind. The Sunwayman V20C has the greatest spill and overall light output, but its not what I consider compact. The E2D has tore up many a pockets, I now only carry it in a holster. For the incredible light output and great clicky switch (no tail standing with this guy) and compact size, I will be carrying the SF E1B on a daily basis with my Olight M20 Warrior. The M20 isn't the brightest, but its using 18650 rechargeables, seems tought as nails and I like it. I carry 2 or 3 flashlights all the time. I cannot control the sun, but I am never in the dark. :twothumbs

 

[ico]

Sorry for double post

 

[ico]

I suggest the Fenix LD20, has multiple modes using the twist of the head, so you do not really need to tackle all modes at once.
Length is 15mm with a diameter of 25mm at the bezel.

You can use this for a checklist of all your preferences Try This

 

[peterharvey73]

Look at the four tables of test results below by Selfbuilt, who tests the flashlights to ANSI standards.
The first table, the flashlights run on CR123 primary disposable batteries @ 3 volts.
Notice how the Jetbeam BC10 R5 which is related to the slightly bigger more expensive brother RRT-0 R5 throws a whopping 105 meters, better than the 87 meters that the Thrunite Neutron 1C with it's new fancy XM-L emitter.

In the second table, the flashlights run on rechargeable 16340 @ 3.7 volt batteries which boost the brightness.
Thus, the BC10 now throws a whopping 167 meters.
By comparison, the Thrunite Neutron 1C fancy dancy new XM-L throws only 111 meters.
A 4Sevens Mini 123 R5 is well off the pace at just 101 meters.
A brand new 4Sevens Mini X 123 XM-L will be even worse off than the R5 version, but it will have a very floody bright lateral spill - if that's what gets you excited.

Now in the 3rd table, the flashlights are powered by one Eneloop AA Ni-MH @ 1.5 volts, the Fenix LD10 throws just 91 meters.
[AA batteries are long, and have say 2000 mAH capacity, but not much voltage for power, so we can't expect too much here].
In the 4th table, the flashlights are powered by 14500 higher voltage Lithium ions @ 3.7 volts, so the Fenix LD10 throw increases to 124 meters.
[Lithium 14500's have a whopping 3.7 volts, but the capacity diminishes to just 750 mAH]!

By comparison, a Fenix LD20 uses 2xAA NiMH Eneloops for a flashlight that is thin yet a whopping 150 mm long, but it throws only some 110 meters.
On 2x14500 3.7 volts higher voltage lithiums, the LD20 will throw a little further, but will it match the Jetbeam BC10, and the RRT-0?

 

[TyJo]

Check out the HDS rotary or clicky.

 

[LEDninja]

...But no close store anywhere near me...

...lets say not bigger than 45mm. Im not sure how many inches that is, sorry.

CPFled can you let us know roughly where you are. Fill out the location in your profile will help in the future as well.
CPF is mainly a North American forum. Many of the flashlights discussed here are not easily obtained outside the US.

You could be looking at the older brands rather than the latest brands because they have the time to set up distribution worldwide.
It would be easier to find Maglite, Fenix, LedLenser than many of the torches discussed on CPF locally. If you need a brick and mortar store you are down to Maglite and LedLenser.

Hint.
Google (Advanced search) 'flashlight name' or 'flashlight brand' but limit the region to your country. That is usually the fastest way to find dealers in your country. There are many small online dealers that would follow the flashlight forums and stock the most popular brands. You would still have to order online unless the store warehouse is physically in your town but someone has already cleared customs for you.
(I googled Nitecore region United Kingdom and got a list nitecore.co.uk, heinnie.com, edenwebshops.co.uk, ledfiretorches.co.uk etc., etc., etc. Do the same but select your country in the region pulldown.)

-----

I hear Surefire is one of the better brands.
Surefire E1B Backup & E2D LED Defender are properly what i found to be the closest to what I'm looking for.

Surefire uses disposable CR123A batteries which are very expensive if bought locally in small quantities. $20 (£12.5) for 2 in my area.
This applies to many of the other bright small flashlights as well. Keep battery costs in mind!

-----

1AA
Zebralight SC51 (many different versions).
2AA
Fenix LD20.
4sevens Quark AA2 regular, tactical models.
If you do not mind twisty and low>medium>high Quark MiNi AA2.

-----

Do not be influenced by lumen numbers alone. Both these flashlights are 180 lumens. Combinations of different emitters and different reflectors make a big difference.

BTW not all flashlight manufacturers rate their lumens the same way (household bulbs are required by law to have their lumens testing done in a specific way). One torch manufacturer's 900 lumens may only be as bright as another's 450 lumens. Caveat emptor!

 

[CPFled]

Wow, thanks a lot to all of you for your info. I gotten a lot out of this, and i think now I'm ready to choose my flashlight.

I understand now that i may need to import my flashlight, so i need to find a good place to buy the RRT-0 S2 as i decided to be my first flashlight. But I'm sure not the last :)
Im from Denmark, and it doesn't seem like a good place at all to buy flashlights, not the ones I'm interested in that is.

Im going to try use that defined google search to find a shop in the UK, but fist i will try out of some of your links LEDninja.

What still confuses me is that those dealers i have found say that the RRT-0 S2 is 255 Lumens for 1 hours, and not 270 for 45 min.
Even here they claim it to have the 255 Lumen, and being the S2 version and not the R5.Link
If i can't find at store that sells that specific model i may import it from the US.

 

[SoulLessGinger]

IDK if batteryjunction ships overseas, but they have good prices on Jetbeams. I have the RRT-2 and while it is great for what I use it for, it is a bit throwy for an EDC.

I think something like the 11.2 would make a better EDC. The huge wall of light a floody light like that or the Quark puts out is every bit as impressive as the focused beam of the rrt's. The xm-l emitters are great for tons of flood in an EDC. Personally

I carry a Thrunite Neutron, great light but it doesn't have the flat sides you specified.

 

[Stainz]

I wholeheartedly endorse a Surefire E1b Backup as a great carry light. Mine has been clipped to my pants pocket for several years - my most used flashlight. It sits on my nightstand for those middle of the night 'nature' calls - important because we have six inside-only cats who sleep wherever they want - and stepping on one in the dark can be loud and painful to both parties. I use it on low (5 lumens) most of the time, but the high power is great for checking my front/back yard at night. I got a deal on mine, supposedly 80 lumens on high then, paying right at half the current list price at a local dealer. I thought I had lost it recently - went to another store to pay the list for another one, but they were out of stock. I found my old one after I returned home - happiness! The Surefire CR123a's are excellent quality - and reasonable - $25/12 at two local stores. One of the largest Surefire dealer's on the west coast takes international orders. They have the Backup at list ($160) with free stateside shipping and 12 CR123a's - I don't know what the price to Denmark would be. Google Surefire dealers!

Regarding lumen ratings... I have a Fenix light rated at 170 & 220 lumens - they look to be the same relative brightness/beamspot size on my ceiling as that of the Backup.. The beamspot produced by my Olight M21 Warrior is slightly larger - noticeably brighter - and has a wider spill area than the Backup. It should - it runs on two CR-123a's and is rated at 500 lumens! Remember, the human eye responds logarithmically to light changes - it takes a large change to be noticed. Of course, not every maker rates their light output the same way, either. Good luck!

Stainz

 

[peterharvey73]

If you want a thrower, the Surefires are excellent throwers.
That's because in addition to using an aluminium reflector, they also use optics in the lens to focus the hotspot.
Thus the hotspots are focused and bright to give maximum throw, however as a trade off, there isn't much lateral spill.
Have a look at these two videos:
1) Hotspot only Surefire M3LT-S: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho2jMNhXb9E
2) Hotspot and flood Thrunite Catapult V3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8YwnsBExIM
Surefires may be intentionally designed for throw at the expense of lateral spill so that they can be attached to rifles and guns.

Flashlight beams have four factors:
1) hotspot brightness,
2) hotspot size/width,
3) spill brightness,
4) spill size/width.
All of these four factors added together gives us the total lumen output.
However, the hotspot brightness alone determines the throw.
The remaining three factors like hotspot size, spill size and brightness gives us the practicality.

So at the end of the day, it's horses for courses - it all depends what you want.
a) All flood like a candle, or a fluorescent lamp.
b) A balance between flood and throw? For practical purposes, just imagine a flashlight with no lateral spill?
c) Or an emphasis on throw with a compromise on lateral spill? Surefires and their optics are great here.
d) If you want a super emphasis on throw, even better than Surefire optics and with virtually no lateral spill at all - try a flashlight with no reflector, and an aspherical lens like a DEFT or DEFT EDC @ www.omglumens.com.
e) For the greatest throw possible, presently we must use a laser! The best throw, but useless as a light.

We must be careful because most people will find aspherical lenses and special Surefire optics very throwy, but inadequate in lateral spill for general use.
Most people want the best throwing conventional light with a bright hotspot for throw, but they also want a wide hotspot combined with a wide and bright lateral spill for practicality...