I had some fun with my Surefires last night.

[Big_Ed]

Over the weekend I was up in Northern Wisconsin visiting a buddy of mine who owns a drive-in theater. I worked there last summer, and used my Surefire L1 every night with really good results. Since the end of the season in October, I have acquired several more Surefire flashlights. I figured even though it was well below zero degrees F last night, it was the perfect opportunity to play with my newer lights and compare them all. Sorry, no beam shots.

The lights I compared were (in no particular order) 6P with Malkoff M60, E2DL, G2L, L1 Cree, E1B, E1L, and E2L. I compared them all with each other in two different eyeball tests, ranking them by throw and spill.

In the throw comparisons, the target was the drive-in screen (talk about BIG white wall hunting!). I stood in front of the snack bar and aimed at the screen, a distance of approximately 310 feet. I ranked the 7 lights by apparent brightness of the spot each one put on the screen. Ones with multiple brightness levels were tested on high.

Throw results from brightest to dimmest:
1- E2DL, hands down!
2- 6P with Malkoff M60
3 & 4- E1B, tied with E1L. Both appeared identical.
5- L1
6- E2L (just barely dimmer than L1)
7- G2


As for the spill comparisons, I aimed each light about 10 feet or so in front of me and determined the brightness of spill at or near my feet.

Spill results from brightest (or most usable in my opinion) to dimmest:
1- 6P with Malkoff M60
2- E2DL
3- G2
4- L1
5 & 6- E1B tied with E1L. (both had just barely less/dim spill than the L1)
7- E2L (barely less than E1B and E1L, I think because it is slightly dimmer to begin with. Spill was the same size, though)

I know these comparisons are very unscientific, but it gave me an idea of which lights are best suited for outdoor use depending on if I need throw or spill. Numbers (like lumens) are one thing, but actual use is even better for determiningoverall usefulness. I also shined these lights into the woods surrounding the drive-in. The E2DL was outstanding! It has a very slight warm tint, which made the trees a bit easier to see than the Malkoff, it's closest competitor.

Too bad it was so cold. I would have really enjoyed playing with my lights all night. Oh well, I'll just have to wait till next summer!

 

[kicken_bright]

Wow! I didn't know the E2DL would out-throw a malkoff! what bin is surefire using in that light? Whatever it is, apparently they have done their homework when it comes to lens shape optimized for throw! Most other LED throwers require huge reflectors!

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

The E2DL is truly in a class of its own. Nothing in that size comes close...

 

[Gunner12]

It's not the bin or the amount of output that makes the light throw well, it's the optic. From what I hear it's a great thrower for its size. I wonder what I'll be like if the LED was overdriven?

If you want more throw, go for a larger light with a larger and deeper reflector but the optic of the E2DL makes it a great thrower for its size.

Edit: The Surefire optic might focus more of the light into the hotspot then the Malkoff does. If true, less light is needed for the same throw. The sharper cutoff(from the beamshots I've seen) can also make the E2DL seem like a better thrower.

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

That's not the only reason... The Malkoff M60 also uses an optic.

 

[1996alnl]

That's not the only reason... The Malkoff M60 also uses an optic.

Agreed,a flashlights performance is because of the sum of it's parts.,and Surefire has a way of producing some lights that perform extremely well.
Where else can we get a light that throws a beutiful beam as well as a E2DL with only one inch diameter bezel?
I'd love to see a beam shot of a E2DL pumping out 300+ lumens through that optic..now that would freak people out.

 

[Illumination]

The E2DL is a fantastic light as is the M60 drop-in. I have both and consider both to be "best of breed".

Both lights have their purpose, and both are at the pinnacle of current design. The laser spot of the E2DL provides for impressive throw with little wasted light; however, in many cases the spill of the M60 makes that the more useful light. Both show the benefit of optics vs. reflectors.

Both are great...I for one can't say one is better than the other.

 

[Illum]

I'd buy an E2DL if somehow you can remove the teeth...it wreaks havoc on fabric over time

 

[Sgt. LED]

Buy a KX2C head. It's the same thing just without the teeth.

 

[Illumination]

I'd buy an E2DL if somehow you can remove the teeth...it wreaks havoc on fabric over time

I guess that is what the new LX2 will be for....

 

[mbw_151]

I'm really suprised that the your E1L rated the same as your E1B and more throw and better spill than the L1 or the E2L. Is your E1L stock? My 2 stage E1L doesn't throw as far as my older single stage E2L. Both are rated 45 Lumens and have about the same spot size.

 

[jblackwood]

You guys can see from my sig what lights I have. I've got a 6P and a Malkoff on the way. I thought Lumens were the key for determining throw but after reading this thread, I'm smacking my forehead in wonderment. Now I've got to procure an E2DL for myself! :shakehead

Much props to the OP. Great reading!

 

[EasySt]

For those concerned about the teeth on the E2DL, just get an F04 Diffuser cap. It turns the light into one of the best little floodlights around.

It slips off instantly and easily and goes back on just as fast. It's cheap ($14 for the F04 Diffuser or $9 for the F05 Red or F06 Blue filters) and the lens can be easily removed from them if all you want is to smooth over the teeth.

It makes the light a mere 16th of an inch longer with its lens removed or an 8th of an inch longer with its (diffuser or red or blue filter) lens in place.

With the diffuser cap, my E2DL is both my best pocket thrower, AND my best pocket flood. It's my #1 every day carry light.

 

[MrGman]

Your results are not surprising and pretty much consistent with numerous other posts that have objectively compared the Malkoff 60 and E2DL side by side. They both use optics but are different optics. One is designed for a tighter beam pattern (smaller angle of output) and the other has more of a spread, 8 degrees, that being the Malkoff. The beauty is that both don't waste much of the light bouncing off a reflector but transmit it through the optics to where it is intended. For the guy who thinks lumens determines throw, no, its LUX that determines the better throw, thats the amount of energy in the hot spot measured at a distance away from the source. Lumens is the total amount of energy captured in an integration sphere from the source. High lumens does not mean high lux in the hot spot.

As I have said in other posts I have a 260 lumen rated Tiablo A10 with a very tightly focused hot spot that is a lot brighter (in that small spot) than my 700 lumen Malkoff Triple Drop in a 4C maglight. No one will argue that the Tiablo has more lumens total output than the Triple drop (because it obviously doesn't) but the hot spot is clearly much brighter.

The E2DL is a good beam pattern for throw in a pocketable torch. Can't argue that since I have seen it myself.

It would be nice if Gene Malkoff could get a similar tight beam pattern optic design to put some of his M60's in.

I am waiting for the genius to come up with a simple screw in replacement bezel crown with a fully AR coated aspheric lens in it to make any pill in a 6P or Solarforce L2 host into a spot thrower. The crowns unscrew and the glass window (lens) comes right out of the Solarforce Bezels. That would be a great feature to have a good aspheric drop right in there.

In the mean time the Tiablo A10 punches a hole in the night sky pretty good and shows what happens when you put well over 200 lumens into a tight spot.

 

[Cosmo7809]

"I had some fun with my Surefires last night."
When I read the above I thought "Again on the wrong forum! What is going on with me!"


I've been eye balling that E2DL for a while now and I think this put me over the edge... Now just have to get a good price or make a trade.

 

[My3kidsfather]

The SureFire E2DLed has been a great light to use at work for the past six months. It is surviving constant vibration and cold (recently as cold as -35 and -40C.) without fault. And you get comments about how bright it is. I carry along a 6P with a drop-in Q5 and 17670, a Dereelight CL1H, Inova UV, and the E1E is always in my pocket. Just trying out a Pelican Mitylite incan for use in the cab of the engine. Have been helping the guys find better lights too, than just a switch lamp, a few from DX like the Ultrafire C3 Cree, the Romisen RC-C3, and Romisen RC-G2. They seem to like them and appreciate the price for beginning lights. Have just ordered a UltraFire WF-503B Cree R2-WC as something new to try out as a beginner light. Twenty-five bucks and your in the game.

You could do worse than a E2DL It's the pinnacle in my game.

 

[Strauss]

I always love a good night out in the darkness to compare different torches....looks like you had a great area to do this in!

I myself am another lover of the Surefire E2DL. I purchased mine the day after Christmas. The first thing that came to mind after playing with it that night was, how did I get by all this time without one! The local gun store had 4 of them to chose from, so I was able to pick out the best tinted one Compared with my M60'd 6P and EagleTac T10L, this E2DL out guns both in throw, and seems to be right with them in overall brightness. I am 100% confident that my E2DL is putting out somewhere in the neighborhood of 180-200 lumens out the front. Once you factor in the small format of the E-series, the 2 levels of output, and the "death-hold" clip that it has, and this light has sneaked right into my 2-cell EDC format slot.

I use my E2DL 5 nights a week at work since the day I purchased it, and I am still on the original batteries that came in the light! This light has made me stop carrying my 6P M60 set-up as I get nearly the same overall output, more throw, 2 stages of output, all in a smaller form factor. And that is a big statement for the E2DL, as nearly everyone on this board knows how great of a set-up the 6P with an M60 drop-in is :huh:

 

[Big_Ed]

I'm really suprised that the your E1L rated the same as your E1B and more throw and better spill than the L1 or the E2L. Is your E1L stock? My 2 stage E1L doesn't throw as far as my older single stage E2L. Both are rated 45 Lumens and have about the same spot size.

I was surprised at the output of my E1L (two stage) as well. It's totally stock. It's virtually identical in output to my E1B. The only visible difference is the tint. The E1B is very slightly greener when compared to the E1L on a white wall. I think I just got a really good E1L. It's an over-achiever. My E2L is dimmer than my E1L on both high and low, and I figure it's about as bright as it's supposed to be.

 

[Illum]

Buy a KX2C head. It's the same thing just without the teeth.

O-rly?

gotcha:thumbsup:

 

[cruisemissile]

E2DL- now that's what I'm talking about..!!
I gots mine.!