Looking for the very best pocket size flash light. Any suggestions?

LEDBE
Both myself, my wife(a nurse, it's small and good for night shifts) and an employee have THIS FLASHLIGHT. It uses a quality emitter, is water proof, will take all AA sized batts(1.5V-3.6V), etc. There are many good lights out there though.
 
Wow, awesome recommendation. 150 Lumens, in my pocket. It seems like the one you have referenced is a better deal than the one I linked to in my OP. I think I will go ahead and order it. I am suddenly noticing an urge to have lots of different flashlights. Is this normal? Thanks.
PS - do you have any opinion on the light I linked too?

Edit - what battery should I use in this light to get the best performance? I think, (without knowing any better) that I would like an L-ion rechargeable setup. Any recommendations? Thanks.
 
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If you are looking in the 50$ range there are many other more reputable options imho. I recommend browsing http://4sevens.com for some very high quality options, along with top notch support. Which no one will argue is better than at DX. The MJP is a great version of the Liteflux LF2, if you are technically savvy you will enjoy learning how to set it up to your liking. I personally have an LF2 on my keychain and rotate between many AA and rcr123 sized lights for my primary edc. One thing you will hear inevitably around here is that 2 is 1 and 1 is none. Good luck and enjoy your stay.
 
I think this belongs in the LED Flashlight section rather than Spotlights & HID, so I'm moving it there now.
 
Sorry about posting a pocket light question in the spotlight forum. Noobie mistake.
I'm not entirely concerned about the price so long as I am getting what I pay for. I just recently found this one,
http://www.surefire.com/maxexp/main/co_disp/displ/carfnbr/0/prrfnbr/24531/E2D-LED-Defendersupandreg-sup
which to me seems pretty awesome. But I have no real knowledge or reference to base my decision on so I'm seeking the opinions of the established flashaholics. As of this posting I have not yet checked out what you suggest Thujone. I'm going to click the link in your post after submitting this one.
Thanks.
Edit - Awesome review Decide. Thank you. Had I not just recently found the unit I link to above I would likely have gone ahead and ordered it based on the high quality rating you give the Extreme III.
 
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If price is no object, Then I would definitely go for a surefire. They come with a lifetime warranty, which is excellent IMHO.

Get a surefire,you wont be disappointed.
 
SureFire lights are excellent. But they only make CR123 lights.

If you want AA or AAA lights, look at www.4sevens.com

I took my Fenix L2D Q5, L1D Q5, E01 backup, NiteCore D10 to a sunset train ride this past weekend. The stunning performance from those lights were amazing. They lit up distant canyon walls as if my lights were powerful search lights.

I was completely delighted and blown away with how great the lights performed.

It's a great great time to be a consumer of flashlights right now. :D
 
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What are the pro's and con's of AA / AAA vs CR123 Li ? Is it a matter of availability and cost of replacement?
 
AA offers the greatest flexibility. Take a light such as the NiteCore D10 for example. It can run off absolutely any AA sized cell in at least 7 different battery chemistries. You can use NiMH for safe economy, e2 lithium primaries for extreme temps and long term shelf life, lithium ions 14500 cells for maximum output, or plain old alkaline if nothing else is available or in an emergency.
 
RlxdN10sity said:
What are the pro's and con's of AA / AAA vs CR123 Li ? Is it a matter of availability and cost of replacement?
Click to expand...
There used to be big difference. CR123s are / were more reliable, compared to the vastly inferior alkaline AAs which tended to have much less power, more sensitive to temperature variations, and generally not good performers.

Now AA / AAAs are offered in lithium variants, and low self discharge (LSD) rechargeable batteries like the excellent Sanyo Eneloops provide reliable power that does not lose large amounts of charge just by sitting on the shelf make these batteries more competitive compared to CR123s.

If we didn't have better nimh AA/AAAs or lithium AA/AAAs, I would probably switch to CR123. But with these power sources available they provide nearly or as good performance as CR123s but are cheaper over the long run.

The other advantage is if you run out of power, you can pick up cheap AA/AAAs for use any where in the world, for back up / emergency use.

That and the fact I can use AA/AAAs in my other devices means it's one power type I can keep stocked up and use in all my devices.
 
For terminology and to decide more what you are looking for you may wish to check out my guide to flashlights, linked in my sigline.
 
RlxdN10sity said:
What are the pro's and con's of AA / AAA vs CR123 Li ? Is it a matter of availability and cost of replacement?
Click to expand...

AAA obviously offers the smallest size.

Of all my lights, my AAA light gets carried most often now. It's simply so small and light it is far more pocket able than an AA light. I can even clip it on my sleep pants and I forget that it's there. :)

4sevens is a good seller who stands behind his products.
 
Availability and cost are two factors to consider. Other factors include:

- Safety. Generally speaking, the differential is less when using primaries (a.k.a., disposables). There's a big difference when using rechargeables.

- Archetype. If you're looking for powerful LED flashlights (over and above what is necessary for everyday needs), the upper food chain is dominated by CR/RCR 123 and 18650 fueled torches.

- Form factor. A slim AAA may fit on a keyring. The single AA or 123 might be pocketable. The 2xAA, 2x123, or 18650 may be holstered. What is most suitable for you is a matter of individual taste.

- Time/effort. If you're the type that doesn't like to be bothered with details (simple things such as mismatched cells, over-discharging batteries, or overcharging batteries), then I'd suggest avoiding the Li-ion rechargeables and, for simplicity's sake, stick to AA's and AAA's.

- Interest level. If you're a budding flashaholic, now is as good a time as any to learn about these things. The Welcome Mat.
 
I've owned two of the MJP III's and while they are OK, they a) are large compared to others of its type, b) have an absurdly complicated user interface (10 page user manual), and c) will destroy their electronics if you use the High setting on 10440 for more than a few seconds (you can confirm this with the distributor).

If you want "best" pocket/keychain flash, I'd recommend the Draco. http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=166864

It's as good a beam as the ArcMania, and it's High setting can be used without damaging it. It's also a lot smaller, and much prettier, IMHO.
 
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How do you define Best? Brightest? Most modes? Most battery option? Smallest?...

The Extreme III uses the same circuit as the Liteflux LF2X(or was it LF2?), so you those might interest you too.

:welcome:
 
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