What's the next step for me...after the SureFire L4

[megahurts]

I'm looking to cause some more marital problems and buy another flashlight. I have a SureFire L4 which is awesome, but am wondering what is next. I kind of feel like Michael Jackson consulting my plastic surgeon....there is just never a good time to stop.

I'm thinking that I want something about the same physical size as the L4. Should I hold out for the SF L5 with the CREE? I've looked at the lights at dealextreme and qualitychinagoods but I spent about $150 for the L4. Do you get what you pay for? Or is SureFire just a name? I'm sure this has been asked before but I lack the energy to read every post on this site.

So I ask the LED gurus to show me the way. (BTW- I think I need an out-of-the-box solution. I'd hate to buy a light and screw it up modding it).

Thanks,
megahurts

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

Wait for the new L5, or check it out the Amilite Neo T5.

Cheers.

 

[Chao]

L4 is a good light, I love mine too! I also like the size like L4, E2L, and L1 in hand. Now I am waiting the new cree based L1.
PalmBlaze K2 is a nice cheap light to fill the gap before surefire's new lights available.

 

[TMorita]

...
I kind of feel like Michael Jackson consulting my plastic surgeon....there is just never a good time to stop.
...
Thanks,
megahurts

If you have the same plastic surgeon as Michael Jackson, you may want to hire a new plastic surgeon!

How about a 10x Dominator? If you're worried about your wife finding out you purchased another flashlight, you can always disguise it as a flower vase.

Toshi

 

[yellow]

It sounds as silly as in all the other related treads, but
the Fenix L2D-CE is the better light than the ones mentionned here.

OK, it does not have that WOW-Name and thus You wont win the "my light is the most expensive one"-contest with Your Mag-using friends, and it does not have a forward clickie, but thats the only 2 things it is not way better.

 

[TORCH_BOY]

SureFire U2

 

[LightScene]

"What's the next step for me...after the SureFire L4?"

therapy? rehab? a good divorce lawyer?

 

[greenstuffs]

They are not better in built quality, may be more throw and more light but you are comparing a CREE with 2 yr old Lux LEDS which is not fair. Why don't you compare the built of a Fenix to a Surefire? I would take the surefire beam anyday over the ringy beam of a CREE Fenix.

It sounds as silly as in all the other related treads, but
the Fenix L2D-CE is the better light than the ones mentionned here.

OK, it does not have that WOW-Name and thus You wont win the "my light is the most expensive one"-contest with Your Mag-using friends, and it does not have a forward clickie, but thats the only 2 things it is not way better.

 

[yellow]

waiting for the new SFs to arrive
but I wont get them, the CR123 choice sucks for me.

btw: my 6P with 18650, Flupic and McR 19 XR reflector makes the best beam I have ever seen in a light --> with a Cree.
no rings at all.

If You critic me for not waiting for the new Sfs (which You are right), please get my critic for applying to some "bad cree beam" caused by non suitable focusing device for that led.

back to the original question, it seems we both would give the answer: wait for the new models with Cree (or whatever), right?

PS: built quality[/]. Just got a SF Z59 tailcap for the 6P mod, and the interiors like switch and spring are not what I expect from SF. Furthermore the cap alone costs more than a complete Fenix light. No need to compare built quality if price comes into action, too.
Easy picking: which one is the Tailcap that costs more (alone) than any complete light using the other caps?

 

[zk188]

I would wait for the new L5 to come out BTW the 10XDominator makes my wallet cry.

 

[Luna]

If you get an L4 as nice as I did last, you might just wait even longer.

 

[FlashSpyJ]

I say wait for the new L5!, and the new L1, and the new...Thats what Im doing! And its killing me! I NEED (want) a new light! No I want several new lights! My first SF was also the L4, and I simply must have more of them!

Got the tube to make my L1D CE a L2D CE and its nice! Dont really care for the ringy beam, but that is a very nice light non the less! You might still your hunger untill the new SureFires!

 

[todo]

Depends what you consider the next step up as being. If you want to go up the price ladder then stick with surefire, maybe a U2. If you want to impress someone with what a quality flashlight should with LIGHT and LOTS OF IT get yourself one of the cree fenix's. Surfire quality is completly overrated, and they accomplish that with kick butt marketing, give em credit it works. Or buy 3 fenix's for the same price as one surfire, my guess is the 3 fenix's would outlast the one surfire by 10yrs or more.

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

Depends what you consider the next step up as being. If you want to go up the price ladder then stick with surefire, maybe a U2. If you want to impress someone with what a quality flashlight should with LIGHT and LOTS OF IT get yourself one of the cree fenix's. Surfire quality is completly overrated, and they accomplish that with kick butt marketing, give em credit it works. Or buy 3 fenix's for the same price as one surfire, my guess is the 3 fenix's would outlast the one surfire by 10yrs or more.

What a load of BS! I highly doubt a Fenix would survive 5 years of serious use, let alone outlast a SureFire by 10 years, that's completely nonsense. SF's quality and reliability ain't no damn marketing and that's for sure.

 

[Luna]

I have an old 6R with laserproducts branding on it. Outside of the issues with nicads, it was very reliable.


My U2, while an awesome light, hasn't been so. Broken switchs (physically , not just tables on the most recent one) and a broken lens that I had to find a replacement for (or else not have the light for months on end) seem to diminish my reliability beliefs outside. The incand lights still have my respect in that regard.

 

[zk188]

What a load of BS! I highly doubt a Fenix would survive 5 years of serious use, let alone outlast a SureFire by 10 years, that's completely nonsense. SF's quality and reliability ain't no damn marketing and that's for sure.

It seems todo is just another fenix fanboy just look at his post my exeperince with Fenix P1D off center emitter spotty ringy beam and and poor anodizing.

 

[InFlux]

Sounds like he's ready for a McGizmo! (if you can find one on B/S/T)

 

[Gordov2]

I just got my Fenix L2D-CE and I like it very much. Even with that said though, I am definitely wanting and waiting for the new Surefire L5. It will have a smaller head diameter (by 7mm) than the current L5 and of course the already much ballyhooed 120 lumens instead of 100. There are other additions and updates of which I am not yet aware.

 

[nerdgineer]

...you are comparing a CREE with 2 yr old Lux LEDS which is not fair..

That is an odd statement. I had no idea there were rules in a knife fight (ref. the movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid") or fairness in comparing flashlights.

Unfair is comparing a Surefire to a Colt Python....

 

[carrot]

Hmm... the next step up in price might be a McLux Ti PD-S? I have the HA version, very nice. How about instead of looking for the next light, savor the one you have on the way?