Quark AA^2 vs Fenix LD20+

[man scout]

I am looking for an upgrade for the Mini Maglight I have been using for ~15 years. I use it for work and on Boy Scout camping trips. I am looking for a flashlight that will fit in a Boy Scout leather belt clip that hold my Leatherman and has a sleeve sized for a Mini Maglight. I would appreciate any thoughts on the relative merits between the Quark AA^2 and the Fenix LD20+ as well as the prospects for one of these fitting in my belt clip.

 

[ninjaboigt]

:welcome: welcome!

i dont have a LD20+ but i do have a quark AA^2 tactical neutral white.

i choose the quark series because it has alot more knurling for grip. and a better pocket clip.

the quark has a moon mode which is pretty low, but plenty bright for night adapted eyes. so i might say that would be a plus for you.

and when comparing the lumens, quark uses Out The Front ( OTF ) lumens. which means the light is measured after it hits the window and reflector.

Fenix uses Bulb lumens which is measured at the LED it self.

( the quark is using a more updated LED compared to the fenix )

also quark has the neutral tint series which has better colors when out doors. the only ones left at 4seven.com are tactical verions of 123^2 or the single 123 cliped and clipless but no 2AA. so you'd have to buy a single 123 model and take off the body and buy a 2AA body seperately and you'd have a quark AA^2 neutral white tactical light.

hope that helps. also if u purchase from 4sevens.com dont forget to use CPF8 as the coupon code when checking out to get 8% off!

 

[vizlor]

Both are excellent flashlights. If I'd choose one, it'd be the quark because of the accessories.

 

[Federal LG]

What ninjaboigt said...

My vote goes for Quark 2xAA!

 

[vali]

A couple of days ago I did some sort of "comparison" between them in another thread. Since cross-posting is not allowed I'll copy & paste it here:

The first thing to note is that I am a big fan of 2xAA format. I think they are the best compromise between runtime, easy to handle, size, battery type, lack of maintenance (think of average joe with li-ions), etc. If some friend ask me about what kind of light to get for "normal" use, I will tell him to get a 2xAA one. Of course, there are situations where another form factors are more recommended.

I have both Fenix LD20 and Quark 2xAA (warm). There are a couple of differences between them, although not of them objetive, that should lean you towards one of another.

Both of them are quality lights, but the Fenix feels better in the hand. Of course, that's my own opinion/taste. Some complain about the LD20 being slippery, but in my hand it just feels great. The anodized in the Quark started to wear out a bit in the Quark knurling and seems thinner than in the Fenix (I got the Fenix several months before the Quark and there is no sign of wear yet).

I found the threads in the LD20 a bit too thing. Sometimes is a bit hard to start screwing the tailcap after a cell change, but they are anodized both in the tailcap and the body. The quark ones are only anodized in the tailcap (remember, I have the "updated" tailcap wich came with the warm versions) and that can lead to lockout problems, but as I never use it, for me is not a concern.

The switch in the Fenix feels better to, even if the warm Quarks came with the updated-and-not-that-hard-to-press switch. I am not saying that the Quark swith is bad or something like that, but I like the L20 more. Another thing I dont like in the Quark is the battery rattling (not big, but it is there), wich is not present in the Fenix. The Quark have a reversable clip too.

The Quark can tailstand perfectly. The tailcap end is totally flat (regular version) and feels very secure in that position. Yes, the Fenix, can tailstand too... if you like doing equilibrium games. You need a perfect and flat surface to do it, but if you breath too strong near it, it will fall down. I have to note too that the lanyard holes are good but not perfect. If you use the tiny split-ring (included) in one hole, you lose the tailstanding feature, but if you use the two holes, the split ring stumbles against the boot tail and the resulting position is a bit "intrusive" (sorry, but I dont know how to explain this, I am lackin vocabulary here). I think they should redesing it and get something like the Nitecore D10/D20.

But the big, big difference is the real low modes that the Quark have. You get a "moon mode" that its perfect for keeping your night-vision intact (or your wife asleep) with GREAT runtime and the different brightness levels are "better" IMHO. The Fenix "Low" is almost as bright as the Quark medium, but the maximun one is comparable in both. The LD20 have "cree rings" whereas the Quark is flawless (almost perfect, in fact).

I think it summarizes more or less the differences between them. My LD20 is right now almost a shelf queen after getting the Quark (I really like the low modes). If the hipotetically friend I talked about asked me what to get, I will probably say, get a... Fenix TK20 ().

Why? Average people only use flashlights when they need a decent amount of light and for relative short periods of time. The beam pattern/throw is more like the one in the usual incans (tint too) and is almost indestructible.

 

[mooman]

One thing I would be concerned with is if either of these lights will even fit in the holster you described. If the holster has a leather sleeve form fit for the body of a mini mag with the bezel up then neither of these lights may fit. For a third option that will definitely fit you could look at the newer multi level mini mag lights. If most of your uses are outdoors or color rendering is important then I agree with the above posters who stress the importance of a warm or at the very least neutral led. A Fenix TK20 might be another 2 AA option you can look at if you want a neutral tint in a Fenix light but it will also probably not fit in the holster you described.

 

[Cataract]

I have some disagreeing points qith VALI here;

My L2D screws in perfectly and the feel of the threads is just perfect.

On the other hand I have a little difficulty getting both the tailcap AND the head to start screwing on my Quark (I too have the updated version) and the O-rings are a little too big, making it very hard to screw-unscrew the head. This is a major issue with the tactical version, as I often end up unscrewing the tailcap rather than the head.

The beam patterns are perfect on both my lights.

I have the Quark neutral, so the intensity seems pretty much the same, but the Quark does throw a little farther.

I can easily lock-out my Quark with a quarter-turn of the tailcap, but again, the O-ring makes a little friction here.

All my Fenixes (aside the TK40) came with a belt holster that does a great job, but the 4 sevens holster IS better.

As for battery rattle, I get it in my L2D (very very little) but not in my Quark... but I don't care and don't see why a small battery rattle should be an issue... it's not like the batteries will jump out or start crumbling into bits. By experience, I know batteries are not created equal and some brands are slightly bigger or smaller in diameter and even in length, which means that you might find a brand that fits tight enough not to hear any rattle. Also, a perfect fit might mean your batteries could get stuck if a piece of whatever fell into the tube when you put the batteries in, or the battery label was scratched. I prefer to have a little room for comfort when it comes to tube inner diameter.

All in all, if Fenix came out with a neutral LED light and a low low, I would go for the Fenix with my eyes closed.

 

[JohnR66]

Boy, are you in for a surprise if you have not used a LED light yet! Below is the Quark next to a 2AA light. It uses the same bi-pin mini bulb the mini mag uses. Here, I'm using the brighter Krypton version. Its beam is nearly lost in the Quark's spill light.

I chose the Quark AA^2 tactical so I don't have to flip through the modes. I still have a menu of 8 modes to choose from, but I preprogram the mode I want. It has head tight and head loosened mode, So I can have two reprogrammed modes available. It has the forward clicky switch that can provide temporary light silently.

Fenix lights are great lights as well. I had some older versions of them and they held up great.

Don't forget the discount code for CPF members when shopping at 4sevens

 

[vali]

The feel of screwing-unscrewing is good in both lights I have, but sometimes I have to fiddle around a bit to actually start screwing the LD20. Is not a big deal unless you want to do it fast for wathever reason.

About the rattle, could it be Fenix changed the inner body diameter a bit from L2D to LD20?. Using the same batteries (eneloops almost always) they fit almost perfectly to the LD20 but they rattle a bit in the Quark. Could it be some kind of tolerance in the machining?. I am not the first who found that rattling (not a big deal either).

 

[Cataract]

[edit, I made a small attention mistake when first posting this reply]
It could be both a diference in machining and difference in the tooling process or the manufacturing tolerance. I also have noticed that from one batch to the next (this applies to everything including flashlights) there is always little differences. We tend to think that every single object coming off one production line is exactly the same, but it's not. I see many different customers with production lines, and I can tell you even they agree with that. Also, production machines do tend to wear out too. Of course, the manufacturer won't tell you that...

Anyway, I might have come across as totally biased on Fenix earlier, but Quark are great lights too. To make my point shorter I'd say the machining on Fenix seems superior to me, while Quark offers more modes and LED types.

 

[Cataract]

One word of caution for you, man scout,

you'll find that both Fenix and Quark have very good ratings here, and for a good reason. If you start off with one of these, hang on to you wallet. If you get one of these and for some readon the second flashlight you buy is cheaper, rest assured that the next one will be more expensive...

 

[PwntChaos]

bottom line they are both great lights...from what i read and noticed...the bad things are not really that important to most people...you wont go wrong with either....they will serve you well