Help Me! Photon Freedom DS or Arc AAA DS

[MikeG1P315]

As the title says... I've recently lost my Photon Freedom CS and am looking to replace it. I am aware that the first response of many will be "they're completely different!" so before you hit that reply button, let me state my quandry:

With rare exception I used my Freedom on max brightness. So the ramping feature is not a big deal to me. The few and far between occasions I used a lower brightness I could have just as easily used the max, so this is not a concern to me, otherwise the choice would be easy.

Obviously the Freedom is smaller, but the Arc AAA is not overly large, so this also is not a primary factor.

Also, I am aware the Arc AAA is 2x more expensive up front, but if the AAA battery (which is cheaper) will run the light at max longer than the 2x2016 (which is more costly) in the Freedom, the initial cost will be more than compensated for over the life of the light.

Primarily, I am seeking input with regard to overall brightness (which is brighter? Freedom or Arc AAA?) and runtime (which runs longer at max power? Freedom or Arc AAA?) and durability (plastics of the Freedom vs. construction of the Arc AAA.) Your input is greatly valued! Thanks everybody!

 

[mossyoak]

get the Arc, the freedom is nice for a keychain, but if you actually need to use the light for more than finding a keyhole, youll want the arc.

 

[Ilikeshinythings]

Well the Arc AAA DS is an awesome light. It's tough, relatively bright, and it has a great run time. I actually bought one for my GF because I figured she should have a light. In retrospect, I am happy I bought it for her because she's had plenty of good use with it, but if I were to do it all over again I would not buy her another one. Instead, I would go for one of the many single AAA lights that utilize a higher powered LED. If you run a search you will come across plenty of lights. One example is the Fenix lights www.fenix-store.com has them. The L0D is really nice and plenty bright for about 40 bucks. There is a discount "CPF8". Also, they offer free shipping. This is just one example. The Arc is an awesome light, but it can not come anywhere near the output of lights using better LED technology, so until Arc decides to put a higher powered LED in their lights I wouldn't buy another one. Just my .02!

 

[paulr]

If it's about pure cost effectiveness, and your usage pattern for a keychain light is typical (i.e. a few minutes of operation per month), you can't beat the 45 cent Fauxton. It is about as bright as the Freedom CS on max, lasts a pretty long time though it gets dimmer as the batteries get weak, and is cheap enough that you can treat it as disposable (they are sold in bags of ten).

The Arc AAA is more like a nice wristwatch, well-made and long lasting, and enjoyable to use if you're into that sort of thing, plus it's made by a CPF'er, but if all you care about is cost and functionality, it's not that attractive an expenditure. As a flashaholic (someone who buys and uses flashlights for enjoyment and appreciation as well as for functionality), the Arc is one of my favorite lights and I've had a bunch of them over the years. It is a marvelous little tool and companion.

The Fenix L0D is consumer electronics, sort of like a Nintendo. It is very appealing to the gadget crowd. It does put out a tremendous amount of light for a thing its size. It is in some sense higher-maintenance than the Arc, because (on its max setting) it kills alkaline batteries almost instantly, so you have to run it on L92 lithiums ($$$) or nimh rechargeables (= futzing around). In my curmudgeonly view, it is not so pleasant to use, because it has a lot of settings and modes that make my mind feel cluttered when I use it, so I prefer lights with just one mode even though there is a loss of flexibility. But I'm in a minority and the light is very popular here, so you might very well like it.

As for brightness: the Freedom DS with brand new batteries probably is brighter than the AAA-DS, but becomes dimmer after a short while. It stays usable (dimming steadily) for many hours. Changing batteries is a pain in the neck because 1) it uses 2x2016 coin cells so you have to order them from somewhere or else pay a lot for them; and 2) the actual battery changing operation is finicky (you've probably done it so I don't need to tell you). The Arc AAA will gives you months or years of usability on a 25 cent alkaline AAA cell available anywhere, and it is trivial to change them.

There is also the Fenix E0 which is sort of a cheaper and uglier knockoff of the Arc AAA-CS. It is set for slightly lower power so it is a bit dimmer but the battery lasts even longer. I shouldn't knock it since I don't have one (I do have an L0D) and it's objectively probably a good value.

The Peak Matterhorn should also be mentioned: www.peakledsolutions.com -- it's similar to the Arc, not quite as bright but with a more neutral beam color, and (these days, if the holiday coupon still works) costs a little less.

 

[this_is_nascar]

As the title says... I've recently lost my Photon Freedom CS and am looking to replace it. I am aware that the first response of many will be "they're completely different!" so before you hit that reply button, let me state my quandry:

With rare exception I used my Freedom on max brightness. So the ramping feature is not a big deal to me. The few and far between occasions I used a lower brightness I could have just as easily used the max, so this is not a concern to me, otherwise the choice would be easy.

Obviously the Freedom is smaller, but the Arc AAA is not overly large, so this also is not a primary factor.

Also, I am aware the Arc AAA is 2x more expensive up front, but if the AAA battery (which is cheaper) will run the light at max longer than the 2x2016 (which is more costly) in the Freedom, the initial cost will be more than compensated for over the life of the light.

Primarily, I am seeking input with regard to overall brightness (which is brighter? Freedom or Arc AAA?) and runtime (which runs longer at max power? Freedom or Arc AAA?) and durability (plastics of the Freedom vs. construction of the Arc AAA.) Your input is greatly valued! Thanks everybody!

If the variable brightness capabilities of the Photon don't interest you, I'd have to suggest the Arc-AAA light. To me honest, the variable brightness and interface (UI) are the real selling features of the Photon line of lights, for me anyway. If it weren't for that UI and ability to control brightness, I'd have no reason or desire to own them.

 

[Ilikeshinythings]

Well said, Paul! I really like the L0D for many reasons, not the least of which is the low mode puts out more lumens than the Arc while also getting over 8 hours of battery time. One thing I have to point out about the L0D is that default mode (the mode that always comes on when you turn the light on) is medium mode which will get you 2 hours on an alkaline and probably over 4 on a store-bought (albeit expensively) E2 lithium AAA.


Oh yeah, and American made lights (Arc) do seem to be both simpler AND longer lasting in most cases than lights manufactured in China (Fenix)..not to mention they don't get scratched by your keys after one day of use...not that it's a big deal really.

So original poster, ask and you shall Receive...x 10

 

[:)>]

By all means get the Arc! The AAA-P w/the DS is a wonderful light and if you don't mind the size difference between it and the Photon, then you can benefit from the extra runtime that the AAA battery provides.