L1D vs. NDI ? Help me choose for my 1st light!

[shadeone]

Ok, Ive been lurking around here for the past few weeks and just doing research on my first big flashlight puchase. As of right now, all I own is an Arc AAA-P. Ive decided that I want a light with a single AA battery and I plan on running energzer e2 lithiums almost exlusively as I have a TONNNN around my house and Ive had excellent experience with the AAA version. My decision is based on the fact that I have a ton of these batteries already, but also the fact that they are way more readily available just about everywhere I could possibly go. I dont remember seeing any 123s at the only gas station in town on my last camping trip!

This light will be my do-everything light. Bathroom trips at night, automotive work in the garage, evening walks, camping, power outages, and perhaps a light for TEOTWAWKI or some other SHTF related scenario if it arrises.

Ive narrowed it down to two contenders based on numerous reviews on here and other message boards and those two lights would be:
Fenix L1D CE Q5
Edgetac Nitecore Defender Infinity Q5

I have a few questions I need answers to before I make a decision and throw down some hard earned cash on "just a ******* flashlight" as my girlfriend would say!

1. Lumens - First, on Tadgear's NDI page, their description says that the max output for the light is 130 lumens, but farther down the page it says 190... what is it? is it actually possible for the human eye to determine the difference between 130 and 190 anyways? Is the 190 only achievable through using a better battery like the 14440 or whatever it is?

2. Clickie switch - I thenk the NDI wins here with the forward clickie as you can kind of press it for a "temporary on" setting and release it as soon as you want it off again. My question here is, is it possible to modify the Fenix clickie switches to be forward clickies?

3. Camping - There was a post on edcforums a while back where people were talking about taking Fenix lights camping and just about everyone on the thread said that Fenix would defnintely not be a first choice for a camping light. (I do however tihnk this was before th eintroduction of the Q5 Cree LED). I just want to know if either of these lights posesses an advantage as a camping light? Im guessing throw amounts should be about equal?

4. UI - There were some things I have noticed on here that people seem to complain a lot about and that is the fact that the strobe and SOS functions on lights arent really needed and its a pain to have ot scroll past them when switching modes and stuff... If I go with the Fenix, say I was at a movie theater or something and after the movie was over I wanted to light my path out the door but the light was still on turbo-insane-bright mode in my pocket... is it possible to switch modes and have the light turn on in the mode i want it without having to turn it on first and select a setting? I dont want to be that guy that blinded a whole movie theater with a pocket strobe light while trying to find the 12-lumen low mode to exit the theater with!! but yeah, how do Fenix and NDI compare here?

5. Bodies - I REALLY love the knurled body of the NDI because it adds a ton of grip and i do plan on being outside and possibly in the rain with my light. I know the Fenix loses big time here as certain people complain about not even being able to hold onto the light on a dry day! Just want to know here if there are replacement bodies availavble for the 1xAA Fenix lights? I do know there is a Leef body available for the P1D that is absolutely awesome but I have yet to see anything made for the L-series... I guess I could just add grip-tape or a stylish paracord wrap as well...

6. Tailstanding - I know the Fenix wins here but is there a way to make the NDI tailstand? I find this would be a really useful feature with a diffuser as a lantern for inside the tent while camping or in my living room during a power outage or something...

Thats all for now!
Thanks in advance for help!

shade

 

[ViReN]

First, Welcome to CPF

now two words....

Buy Both!


Use both, sell the one that does not suite your requirements during the practical use. One's advantage may not be the case when you use it practically, similarly other's disadvantage may not be that serious in practical use.

www.cpfmarketplace.com is the place to sell the lights

lastly, hide your pockets / money.... it's going to fly soon (like the redbull ) it's gonna have wings

 

[m2usa]

Hi shadeone - welcome to CPF!

I have the NDI and I really like the UI. It is very easy to use, and you can set the light while it is off by just turning the bezel. You will not be subjected to the strobe mode if you don't want it. Mine is set for a mid-low setting (loose bezel) and of course, Hi mode when tightened. Easy.

Where you do lose some functionality, is in the tailstanding. The Fenix can tailstand, but the NDI cannot (at least not in it's original form.) Some here have bought some o-rings, or foam spacers that fit around the base of the NDI and have used them to allow it to stand on it's own.

I like the forward clickie on the NDI as it seems to be easy to use. I have a Jetbeam C-LE that has a reverse clickie that is also easy to use, but I prefer the forward version.

I hope you find what you are looking for here. If not, do what ViReN suggests, and get both! Can't go wrong with that suggestion.

 

[Raindog-]

1 Don´t trust too much in announced lumens. Ndi is a bit bright with NiHm and L1D is brighter with 14500 but without regulation

2 I prefer forward clickie.

3 Camping... the best is a headlamp or maybe a candle but with both Ndi or L1D you can perfectly work around. Despite of L1D tailstanding ... I doubt that anyone will be able to leave it standing on the floor of a tent. Best hang from the ceiling.

4 I never use SOS mode. And strobe just for bike rides at night.

5 Me too.

6 See 3.

Best regards.

Pd. (7... only NDI fault, for me, is I cant unscrew reflector, leaving naked led for a wider beam.) (Is any nitecoreguy listening...? )

 

[hammerface]

You seem to be following the same path I have since discovering this wide world of flashlights a couple months ago. I too started off with an Arc AAA and was blown away and had to have more.

The next flashlight I bought was the 2nd Gen NDI (the supposed 190 lumen) and I am VERY impressed with this light. It's small, very well made, takes one AA (I run lithium AA's), and really friggin' bright!!!! I like the user interface and the programmable low setting. I also like the lanyard it comes with (some don't) and the fact that it takes AA's makes it a great edc due to ease of finding a replacement battery (I just keep 2 spares with me). I would recommend this light (but I am a newb so my opinion may not matter that much)..

I haven't tried any of the fenix lights yet but I will shortly.. once my bank account returns to the land of the living

 

[goodwij]

Hi Shadeone,

I have the Fennix, great light! I have to agree with the previous posts on the usefullness (or lack) for the SOS and strobe features tho. If it were up to me, I'd get the fennix now (don't forget the CPF discount), then the NDI down the road. The fennix store has great service and they deliver about the fastest that I've ever dealt with, mine arrived 5 days after I ordered it. That and the NDI doesn't ever seem to be in stock. But you really can't go wrong with either choice.

Enjoy and welcome,
John

 

[lyrrag]

If you can, get the NDI first because if you don't like it, you can recover more of what the light costs vs. the Fenix by selling on the B/S/T forum.
Don't get me wrong the Fenix is an excellent light but resale value is not as good as the NDI. (Talking about the amount you will recover compared to what the light cost) I made this very mistake and wished I had done what I just posted here.

Otherwise just buy both because they are not the same in feel, looks and size.

I ended up preferring the NDI.

Regards lyrrag

 

[selfbuilt]

This should help you make an output/runtime comparison between the two lights (just scroll down to the second half of the review where they are compared):

NiteCore Defender Infinity: shipping vs pre-production (Olight T15 Q5 added)

The Fenix is less suitable for camping because it's low mode is still pretty bright. The NDI has a much lower low, and is brighter on max on NiMH. As you'll see though, max performance on energizer lithium is pretty comparable.

However, the Fenix tailstands and a diffuser is readily available. Some here have modded their NDIs to allow tailstanding, but it requires a little playing around.

Both are good lights, it's just a question of what is best adapted to your needs. For me, the lower low of the NDI is a big plus (which is why it is my EDC).

 

[shadeone]

Thanks for all the replies guys! This place sure knows how to make a newcomer seem welcome, allthough I have a feeling that you guys are going to be the reason I end up sleeping in the streets with no food to eat!!! haha at least Ill be able to see at night!

I spent a lot of time reading last night and have decided Im probably going to go with the Fenix L1D Q5. For the price with the free shipping and CPF discount from fenix-store, its an insane deal.

The runtimes seem to be better and more regulated with the Energizer E2 Lithiums I have so many of. I will also get the L2D body with a storage cap for extra brightness/spare battery when I need it.

I found out that the lumens claim on the NDI of 190 is not the actual front output lumens, so the fact that adding the L2D extra 1xAA pushes the brightness and throw over the NDI seems good to me.

The slippery surface wont be an issue for me as I am also just getting into the world of 550 paracord lanyards and would love to try some artsy yet tactical wraps on the body as well as a nice wrist strap for the back.

The fact that this thing tailstands is wonderful to me even though it wont stand on a tent floor, it will stand on the top of the ice-cooler .

The whole UI thing I guess I can live with on the L1D, Im not that stupid to not learn how to figure it out and work past the shortcomings (if you can even call them that). The fact that the L1D doesnt have a really low low setting doesnt matter much to me because I carry an ARC (soon to be replaced with a Fenix E01 if the comparison works in its favor) and that is low enough for me for reading and bathroom trips and any other low-mode activities. If its not, I can dim it with a modded chapstick cap or something!

The reverse clickie switch I guess isnt going to bother me that much. However, I did find that the Fenix L2T v2.0 is a forward clickie htat works perfect with the L1D/L2D... now, if I could only find a place ot get just the switch!

Also, my birthday is coming up in a month so maybe I can get the NDI for some comparisons then and save myself some money!

shade

 

[BabyDoc]

For a first light, I would get the L1D, over the NDI. Unfortunately, the NDI has had some reliability issues that need to get ironed out (switch reliability and durability is the biggest problem), whereas the L1D is a well seasoned veteran of a light. I own both lights, and although I prefer the NDI because of its lower low and its accepting rechargables, I think the learning curve and reliability issues would NOT make it my first light purchace. Although EdgeTac, the manufacturer of the NDI, will support the light, they are in Hong Kong. There is only one current US dealer/distributer and they neither have the light or parts for it.


There are many Fenix dealers and they all will support the product they sell. The switch, although a reverse clicky, is much more durable. The L1D is also expandable. You can be a L2D body or a P2D body which gives you additional power source choices that will adapt to the L1D's head.