I like my Liteflux lights (LF2 and LF5) a lot and this seems to be more of a direct competitor to the LF5 than anything else on the market right now. To compare the Nitecore seems to be basically a two stage light with 100% and a user selectable mode - somewhat like the P1 and user adjustable modes on the LF lights if P1 is fixed at 100% and user adjustable is accessed through loosening the bezel?
Yeah, I guess the NiteCore's closest competitor is the LF5. They're both multi-mode lights with programmable brightness.
As far as features and modes, though, the LF5 wins handily. The Nitecore is essentially a 3-mode light: 1) 100%, 2) strobe (at 100%) 3) user-selected level. The LF5 has what... 7 or 8 modes, and all of them are user-adjustable. The Nitecore's only "programmable" mode is the user-selected mode which the light goes into when the head is loose.
The ramp up/ramp down is MUCH more noticeable (and I think better) on the Nitecore. It's much quicker from one extreme to the other. I always have trouble with the Lightflux when it's bright trying to see if it's actually dimming or not. No such problem with the Nitecore. When it gets to where you want, push the button to turn it off, and it comes on again later at that brightness.
The LF5 is MUCH more programmable, but it's also much harder to program. You can program P1 and P2 on the LF5 to be whatever you want them to be - twist a little for a little light and a lot for a lot, or twist a little for a lot and a lot for a little. Either level can be set for whatever intensity you want. (Mine is set for P1 at a low low and P2 at full bright).
With the Nitecore, tight bezel is 100% and loose bezel is whatever you set it to be. You can tighten or loosen the bezel before turning it on to get the level you want (though if you turn it off in low and tighten the bezel, it will come on in low for a split-second then bump up to high).
Strobe is much easier to get to on the Nitecore (start at tight, then quickly loosen and tighten), but it's not programmable. The LF5 has 2 strobe modes which are both programmable, but again only if you have the patience to do so.
One of the downsides of the Nitecore is actually strobe's accessibility. It's easy enough to get into that it can be done accidentally. The light senses if the head is loosened, and if it's tightened again quickly it changes modes. There is just enough play in the threads that if you loosen it slowly, or torque it while you do, or put some pressure on the head, it can lose contact and regain it again and activate strobe without you intending to do so. I've done it a couple times, and so did my wife when she first looked at it. The easy "fix" for this is to twist quickly and aggressively going from tight to loose so it gets far enough away to not make "accidental" contact again and switch to strobe.
I've never been a big fan of the Seoul emitter, but I like it a lot more after having my LF5 and LF3. The beam is much more diffuse and smooth. In the snow last night the cree rings were VERY noticeable, and the cree has a much more defined hot-spot. Of course, this does make it much more of a thrower. As far as throw, the Nitecore is second only to the P3D in my collection.
I really wish they would throw a Rebel into the Nitecore.
Strong Light with NiMH 
