I bought one for my son and compared it to my old E2L (both or rated at 30 lumens). Inside the house the new E1L lit up the back walls of darkened rooms better than my E2L. The E1L clearly had a tighter spot and better throw at 20'-25'. However, in the outside test my E2L had both better throw and more spill. Lighting up trees at 75'-100' or so the E1L was slightly dimmer.
Having said that, I think the E1L is a terrific light for it's intended purpose. I was impressed. It had comparable performance to my old E2L at half the size and only one battery – not to mention 4 times the run time. My son will use it for camping, hunting and general flashlight work around the home and he'll be well equipped.
Scott