Nitecore D10 or Liteflux LF5XT

[orcinus]

Exactly. The lower board in the D/EX10's head has components on both sides. The one in LF5XT does not. So that actually makes them the same in terms of complexity, except LF5XT's switch is in the tail instead of head.

Also, high-quality micro switches can survive somewhere in the range of TEN million (or tens of millions) activations. The lower-spec ones are in the range of a few millions, like i've mentioned before.

Just to make things clear - i'm not trying to say one's better than the other. To me they are both (actually, three) very nice lights, but with widely differing intended audience and approach to UI. I happen to like both, though i am a bit biased towards the LF5XT, being a gadget freak

Edit: Oh, and apologies, Yaesumofo, for presuming you didn't try the light before criticizing it.

 

[baterija]

Call me crazy but I will give up useless features like strobes and choices between how the light changes intensity (linear vs log) any day for a simple to operate robust design designed to last for a really long time.

Maybe a more accurate wording word be "I will give up features that are useless to me like strobe." Funny thing is I just ordered an LF5XT. Part of what sold me is having the always available strobe and max without resetting any of my other levels. (I'm looking at programming mine as 2 or 3 modes - Med-high, minimum low, and maybe a medium level in that order - and operating in momentary mode.)

The OP made his decision. To get back to the question he was asking anyway for someone who might be facing the same decision. I see them as radically different lights that don't share much aside from being 1xAA, a non standard switching mechanism, and having variable brightness. They may both be useful for some users needs. The LF5XT is a jack of all trades, at the price of added programming and design complexity (and a hard cash extra cost of about $25 ). It can compete well against AA lights that serve many varied needs. The D10 fits a niche that is important to many, and appears to do it pretty well at a great price.

Maybe one of these days I will look at buying a D10 and modding it with a red led. A durable red light, with long run time, I could always start at low and ramp up to just enough light. Now that would be useful.

 

[yaesumofo]

Re: Nitecore D10 or Liteflex LF5XT

you are kidding right? There about 20 parts there. Seems to me to be a lot of parts. OK I know there are lots of lights with lots of parts. Even the mini mag has quite a few parts. BUT when compared to the D10 this light has a lot of parts. From a pure reliability standpoint when you design devices with lots of discrete components the potential for failure is higher.
There are no less than three etched boards two of them are circuit boards on this light. First of all it doesn't take a lot of force to crack one of these. Break one trace and the light will be dead.

Look, The LF5XT is a really great light.. For some things. OK? BUT The guy asked which one. I gave him an answer and told him IMHO why. You guys are entitled to your opinions just as I am mine. But please don't argue with the reality that this light is designed with LOTS of parts in it and with each part the potential for failure goes UP. It is real. Look at the picture. Better yet take apart your unit and look at the parts and the quality of the electronic components yes and the switch. Really do it. Again IMHO this light is OVER COMPLICATED both in design as well as in terms of it's programming and UI. This is all I have to say about it. The OP has made a decision anyway.
Yaesumofo

Top quality or not. The switch used in the LF5XT will still last a lot longer than the normal forward or reverse clicky switches we are used to. It will probably outlast you, so what are you complaining about really? If you want to complain about switches the LF5XT is not the place to start.

I can't see what all the parts you are talking about are either. As far as I can see the LF5XT and the D10 both have the same basic parts except for the switch that's on the circuit board in the D10 and by itself in the LF5XT.

 

[orcinus]

Re: Nitecore D10 or Liteflex LF5XT

Look, The LF5XT is a really great light.. For some things. OK? BUT The guy asked which one. I gave him an answer and told him IMHO why. You guys are entitled to your opinions just as I am mine. But please don't argue with the reality that this light is designed with LOTS of parts in it and with each part the potential for failure goes UP.

I'm not putting your opinion on the line here. I have nothing against opinions. However, this is about facts, and you seem to oversimplify and distort them

1. Yes, this light is designed with a lot of parts in it. Just like most modern lights, including D10 and/or EX10.

2. No, it doesn't have a much larger than average number of parts compared to other similar lights out there (perhaps just slightly larger).

3. Claiming that EACH and EVERY part is a potential failure point is equal to spreading FUD. In what mode would a brass retention ring fail during everyday use? Or a spacer? The heat sink? The battery tube?

4. No, LF5XT is NOT less reliable than a D10/EX10 by design. In fact, they should be au pair in that regard.

5. Small number of parts != real world reliability. Else keychain lights would be the most reliable lights on the planet

 

[yaesumofo]

Re: Nitecore D10 or Liteflex LF5XT

It just so happens that the ARC AAA on my key chain has suffered through YEARS of heavy abuse and continues to operate as it did when brand new. The light only has maybe 5 components including the O-rings. and yes I consider this light to be among the most reliable flashlights ever built.
You are correct.
Yaesumofo

5. Small number of parts != real world reliability. Else keychain lights would be the most reliable lights on the planet

 

[orcinus]

I've meant the plasticky button cell ones with 3 parts

Anyway, the fact you were able to see what an LF5XT looks like completely disassembled doesn't mean anything unless you see what other lights look like completely disassembled. Most photos you'd see around here are of lights that have been partially dismantled and most of them you can't disassemble to their elemental parts without ungluing or even breaking some of it.

The fact you CAN do that to a stock LF5XT doesn't mean it's less reliable or more complicated - it means it's a ton more serviceable and easier to fix.
Just take a look at what the head assembly looks like for EX10:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/201752

I've counted TWELVE major parts just by looking at the incompletely disassembled parts. That's without the o-rings. And that's just the head!

 

[Snow]

I absolutely love my LF5XT, but I am still planning on picking up a D10 just for fun. They are two different lights and I look forward to comparing them in use.

 

[clintb]

If number of items comprising unit design = increasingly unreliable, then why are the majority of cars not broken down and on the side of the road? Matter of fact, in the photo above, I see four parts out of the 21, which could fail. The rest have almost zero possibility of failure. So, the Cree emitter, the two circuit boards, and the switch. That's it. A reflector fail? Uh, crazy to even count that. A brass retaining ring? Riiiight.

 

[alibaba]

The \
Funny, I've sold my 2 most recent lights (D10 and LF5XT), but continue to hang on to two old HDS's (one Basic and one Ultimate, both I Seoul modded), as well as all of my older lights that I find useful for certain purposes (Milky Cree modded Surefire L2, Seoul modded Gladius, P1D, L2D, Arc premium, Zebra H30.) Where is the D10 or LF5XT so superior to these other lights?

I just didn't find a use for them that the others weren't already handling very well.

Just curious as to why you bought them then?

As for the post claiming something like "or else keychain lights would be the most reliable lights in the world" I just had to laugh because I DO consider my Photon II DS/2032 to be the most reliable personal lighting device made by man (LOL OK, at least that I own). I agree with yae that the fewer parts the better, the simpler the better which is why I carry a D10. But hey, both lights are available so if you like the LF5 better then by all means buy/carry one!

 

[orcinus]

Here we go again...

Even if, IF, i agree that less parts = more reliable and more parts = less reliable (which i do not), the claim that LF5XT is less reliable DOESN'T STAND. Because the number of parts is comparable. About 15-16 for EX10 vs. 18-19 for LF5XT.

The difference being mostly made by the non-movable and irrelevant parts, like brass rings.

 

[Gatsby]

Sort of the $1M question these days isn't it? I have an LF2 on my keychain and find that the P4 in this little light produces an excellent flood type beam so I haven't moved to the LF2X. It has also proven to be very reliable and rugged under that use. I have an LF5 and for the most part like it a lot. I have it programmed the way I like it and it does what I need it to do pretty well. The UI is for me pretty good, as good as anything that doesn't say HDS/Novatac/Ra I suppose.

But I generally prefer a clickie style operation. Maybe it's my holdover from my old ARC LS which was my first "good" light (other than a AAA on my keyring), and the dreadful Arc4+ I had which was a wonderful light aesthetically and theoretically but not so much in use. And I sometimes wish I still had my HDS EDC B42 back since I find in real world use that interface to be excellent - the ability to move directly to any level always appealed to me and I like (and continue to like) the really low low on it. But I always found the 1" diameter to be not so convenient for pocket carry in most settings, and would have liked a bit more oomph at the top end even though I used max on that light somewhat infrequently.

So I've longed for a AA/14500 size light with a similar interface as the HDS/Novatac lights, or perhaps easier stated longed for an LF5 with a clickie interface. As for the LF5 other than the twisty, I also wish it had a bit of knurling but overall like the style. So one would think I'd have gone ga ga over the LF5XT but a couple things have put me off on it. First - and given the lights I've really liked this should not be a surprise perhaps - I despise the styling of it. I liked the Arc LS, and the Arc 4 was a better looking light than the HDS but the HDS worked. I like a simple look with some knurling for grip in a pocket/EDC light. I also lament the loss of a really low low since I use that on my Jil JCR2IT, my LF2 and my LF5 a LOT (and used it a lot on the HDS) - moving around the house late at night it is a key feature and perhaps the most used setting. Those two things, plus the price, have kept me from pulling the trigger.

I infinitely prefer the look of the D10 - and like the simplicity of the piston drive although I've always figured that if I have a digital light I might as well be able to program it and have some customization. So the basic premise that it is a one level light isn't my ideal, or even a two level light with ramping, etc... But I'm warming to the idea of setting the brightness more in a real time manner based on my needs and I like the low low. Still, if they'd have just added a tiny bit of the HDS/Novatac UI to the light - the ability to remember the user setting and to jump directly to min, to max and back to the remembered user setting it would be perfect. Argh.

Still I am tempted for the clickie, the low low, the small size and design, and a bit more output (easily accessible versus the multi twists of the LF5) than the LF5....

I feel like the D10 is the right light, but I generally agree with MCHLWise on a lot of lights and he seems inclined the other way.

Doggone it I may just try to pickup a Novatac 85 and call it a day... :hairpull:

 

[gadgetnerd]

Hi Gatsby. You're not the first to notice that neither the LF5XT nor the D10 are the perfect light...the perfect light being one with the styling, piston drive and low low of the D10, and the perfect beam and flexible UI of the LF5XT.

It all comes down to what compromise you're prepared to make. I didn't want to compromise so I got both, but do actually prefer the LiteFlux.

By the way, the LiteFlux is not nearly as ugly in the hand, sort of like the Ra Twisty.

 

[JohnF]

<<Just curious as to why you bought them then?>>

An excellent question, and one my wife asks at least once/month! I can buy, try, and if it doesn't find a position (pocket, car dash box, toolbox, computer desk, 2 on every counter in the house, plus a half dozen in the nightstand drawer) than it can be sold within a couple of month for $10 buck less than I paid. I can afford that every other month or so just for the flashaholic of it. A new light has to have a knock-out punch over an existing light to get into the rotation<g> It's just that the D10 and LF5xt had some stiff competition and neither created their own position.

Otherwise, I could wind up with a whole lot of lights...

John F
LV, NV

 

[JohnF]

Sorry, duplicate.

 

[LED-holic]

Hi Gatsby. You're not the first to notice that neither the LF5XT nor the D10 are the perfect light...the perfect light being one with the styling, piston drive and low low of the D10, and the perfect beam and flexible UI of the LF5XT.

It all comes down to what compromise you're prepared to make. I didn't want to compromise so I got both, but do actually prefer the LiteFlux.

By the way, the LiteFlux is not nearly as ugly in the hand, sort of like the Ra Twisty.

It's a bit strange, but over the several days since I got the LF5XT and the D10, I find myself even more drawn to the D10 and less attracted to the LF5XT.

The D10's simple, intuitive UI and compact size is more attractive than ever. The LF5XT's complexity, UI delay, and longer size is being more difficult to handle as I get spoiled by the D10.

I feel LF5XT's UI is not as flexible as it could be. In other words, I can't ramp up or down as easily with the LF5XT to get to all output levels as easily as I can with my D10. Sure I can have 3 or more settings, 15%, 30%, 100%, and be able to go each setting quickly. But with the D10 I can go to min, max, anywhere in between with barely a thought any more. With the LF5XT I can only go to 15%, 30%, and 100%. If I want, say, 5%, or 50%, or 70%, I have to go through the hassle of programming it again. Not as easy or enjoyable as the D10.

I feel that the LF5XT's UI is more limited even though it's supposed to be more flexible, than the D10's "single mode" which allows me to go to any output I choose within seconds.

Don't take me the wrong way here though. If the NiteCore D10 had never shown up when it did, I'd be happy as pie with the LF5XT. However, since using the D10 and falling in love with the light, it's really colored my perception of other lights. I can no longer go back to plastic clicky lights as my EDC, and there are certain things that I find harder to live with, like limited modes of output (even when it's up to 5 modes) of most other lights. So if I never had experienced my D10, I'm sure the LF5XT would be top light next to my L1D right now.

This is truly a case where it makes sense to buy both lights. One shouldn't choose one over the other until he/she has had a chance to own both and decide what they want. In my case the choice is now crystal clear what I prefer. But I am still very glad I have had the chance to play with both. :twothumbs

 

[Lite_me]

I feel LF5XT's UI is not as flexible as it could be. In other words, I can't ramp up or down as easily with the LF5XT to get to all output levels as easily as I can with my D10. Sure I can have 3 or more settings, 15%, 30%, 100%, and be able to go each setting quickly. But with the D10 I can go to min, max, anywhere in between with barely a thought any more. With the LF5XT I can only go to 15%, 30%, and 100%. If I want, say, 5%, or 50%, or 70%, I have to go through the hassle of programming it again. Not as easy or enjoyable as the D10.

This is a good point. Should you be performing a task where you want j-u-s-t the right amount of light, it's quick and easy to set with the NiteCore Smart PD's. :thumbsup:

 

[itch808]

it's quick and easy to set with the NiteCore Smart PD's. :thumbsup:

I think you should change that to slow and hard. My PD sucks. I should've gotten a LF5XT.

 

[83Venture]

I have one of the original LF2s. I have it programmed at P1 - Lowest possible, P2 about 30%. if I need a little more I just press the head twice and go to the default 50% setting. If this is all I need I twist back to P1 setting to accept. if I want more I just let it ramp up from the 50% setting to what I want.

This way I have 3 modes, up to 50%, readily available plus ramping. Works pretty well but I also wish to find a clickie with similar abilities.

 

[Lite_me]

I think you should change that to slow and hard. My PD sucks. I should've gotten a LF5XT.

I understand what you're saying. It's just that my 2, especially the D10 are working great. It appears that the switching is better on the D10s. At least there's less complaints about them. The 2 I've had were perfect.
You might want to look at my post here on the EX10s.. https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2567085#post2567085

 

[lnh]

I've ended up preferring the LF5XT over the D10, although it's nice having both. Once getting it programmed to my liking, it's just simple to use and very reliable in terms of the light predictably doing what I want.

Of course no light is perfect. The styling of the LF5XT could be more attractive, and the knurling might be a tad more aggressive. For me it would be even better without a crenelated bezel. I'd like to see Liteflux do some other lights with this same interface (RCR123, 18650).

It really comes down to personal preferences. What makes it work for one person just doesn't cut it for another. For me the idea of the PD is intellectually and logically attractive, but as an actual implementation their operation isn't at the top of my list. The force required to operate the light is way too much for my liking. The D10 in particular is very stiff feeling and lacks almost any tactile feedback. This is probably because the D10 has a longer piston than the EX10.

The shortcuts work, but I can't always get the timing right 100% of the time. Also when ramping up or down the light sometimes weirds out and stops ramping or double flashed or something else without releasing the button. For me the best part of the Nitecores is their low-low.

For me I really like the LF5XT and I'm ambivalent about the Nitecores.