Re: What\'s the smallest brightest LED flashlight
Tom, as cy mentions, you can get the parts for an FF2 through the Sandwich Shoppe for around $165, plus then you have to put it together and tweak it to get it to work reliably. Is it worth the money? That's an extremely personal decision that only you can decide. Some people would say that spending $165 on any kind of flashlight is crazy. But an entry level Rolex watch will cost around 15 times that much.
If you're simply asking about the flashlight's cost effectiveness as a utilitarian gizmo to find something in the dark, then no, there are no flashaholic lights that are worth what we pay for them. It's just like buying a Rolex is insane when you can get a $50 G-shock that tells better time and is tougher and more waterproof. People who buy these lights are looking for something more than utilitarianism. There's a satisfaction in owning something that performs a particular function not just well enough for practical purposes, but as well as anything possibly can, etc. That's the reason for buying these lights. If you just want a nice bright practical light that you can carry in your pocket, try a Nuwai Q3 (3 watt LED) for about $40, or even a Princeton Tec Blast (2aaa xenon) for about $8.
That said, I was surprised to find that I never felt as happy with my Firefly as I do with my McLux, which was my first flashaholic light. I thought I wanted the tiniest possible powerful LED light for EDC'ing, but in practice a 5mm LED is plenty bright enough for most EDC purposes, and the Firefly is a little on the heavy side for putting on a keychain. I guess I'll get the Ion and see how I like it on my keys. The Firefly may replace the venerable UK 2L xenon light in my semi-EDC belt pack.