What's your favorite stock 1x CR123 light and why?

[jcalvert]

I just found this at GoingGear.com's sub forum at the MarketPlace and it looks very interesting to add to the list.

Klarus NT10 XPG-R5,
http://goinggear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=14_128&products_id=2140

John

 

[CarpentryHero]

Wowsa, nice Find. Dual switches too
Anyone try it yet? It's making me rethink buying a zebralight oo:

 

[recDNA]

Dereelight Shorty with Javelin head.

It gets better as each dropin gets better.

Great pocket clip.

Incredible customer service.

Works first time every time.

With an IMR16340 and 3 mode Dereelight R5 it does about anything you'd want a EDC to do.

 

[jcalvert]

Wowsa, nice Find. Dual switches too
Anyone try it yet? It's making me rethink buying a zebralight oo:

Hi CH,

I'm not surprised you're here trying to help me out! That's what you do...help! Like so many others have done on CPF and continue to do now! lovecpf

I assume that the Klarus line is so new, nobody has had a chance to try one yet. But, what you said about rethinking the ZL is exactly what I thought vs. ZL SC60 which I had already placed on my short list.

I'm sure Marshall at GoingGear.com will do a YouTube video in short order.

John

 

[CarpentryHero]

I do what I can with what I have, thanks jcalvert.
I'll keep an eye out for the video. Wonder if goinggear ships up here.

I need to rethink my shortlist of future buys too.

 

[Monocrom]

SF L1 Cree.

It just does a bunch of things well. Was hoping to send it off to MilkySpit so he could work his magic on it. But Scott never got back to me. Oh well, even in stock form it's an excellent overall light.

 

[stoli67]

Ti RA 170 Clicky

For the above mentioned points...

I like the fact that it is programmable... and I can get to each of the four levels quickly.

Almost indestructable.... different batteries will work


Haiku XP-G is my second choice.... beautiful design .... always gets comments!

 

[Joe Talmadge]

My fave 1x123 is the one I carry every day no matter what: Qmini-123A. Small enough to fit anywhere, great performance. Despise the UI, but the performance and form factor are so great, it ends up in my pocket anyway. How to improve: Aeon-style UI instead of twist-then-untwist-to-change-levels

My fave "bigger" 1x123 right now is the Quark 123 Tactical. Again, small, great, performance, great beam, solid build. I'm convinced the UI could be improved, though I haven't quite figured out how I'd like it to do so. I think mainly, it should be easier and less time consuming to change levels, while retaining the characteristic that you don't get into level-change mode by accident.

 

[kyhunter1]

Surefire E1B. Bombproof, pocketable, bright enough, good throwing beam with useable spill, two mode simple fwd clicky UI. It get's packed more than anything else I have.

 

[wyager]

Look at the CPF must have list.... obviously the HDS/Ra clicky. There's really not even any reason to ask this, LOL.

 

[Black Rose]

I don't have that many 1xCR123A lights, but of the ones I do have my Fenix P2D Premium 100 (with Rebel 100 LED) is my favorite.

It has well spaced levels, turbo level is a twist away, and most importantly it has a beautiful neutral beam.

 

[tre]

I have a few thoughts on this BUT I don't own an HDS light to compare with.....yet.

Anyway, I have a ton of lights go in and out of here in a search for the holy grail of lights (I have yet to find it). I find it fun trying them all. My favorite EDC UI so far is the Zebralight. It is 100% pure one handed operation. I love the push button on the side so I can hold it like a normal flashlight. I really love the fact that I can turn it on high or low with one click (long press for low, quick press for high) - even an HDS RA clicky can't do this. I can give it 2 quick presses and get medium from off. I can hold the button while the light is on and ramp through the output levels. I can program one of 2 output levels each for low, medium or high. It remembers my settings for low, medium, and high lumen levels and I can change that easily at any time (6 total levels). For me it is the perfect UI. The beams are nice - not perfect but nice. All models have a neutral option (if they don't, they will). The SC60 cool is the only tint I find to be pretty objectionable - it is too blue for me (I'm really becomming a tint snob). The SC30 and SC50 cool tints are fine. They are all nice floody beams. If you want some throw in your EDC, then you don't want a Zebralight. Even my quark 123 XP-G has a lot more throw. Some users do seem to report reliability problems but I wonder if that was the old ones? I have three and use the SC50 and SC60 every day - no issues. These lights have held my attention longer then any so far - and that says a lot. As I said before, I can't wait for the SC51 neutral. It will be as bright (or brighter) than most cr123a lights, smaller or the same, and uses SAFE AA Eneloops - perfect.
Oh, the SC30 is also the smallest CR123a EDC too (close to the quark mini and its ITP clone). That is why I threw in the SC50 and SC60 because they are more the size of a cr123a light.

Edit: low is a super low (which I love) .2 lumens or can be programmed to be 2 lumens.
High is 200 + lumens (270 for the SC60)
as I said above, either mode can be accessed directly from off - (long press for low, quick press for high) - even an HDS RA clicky can't do this.

 

[jcalvert]

Look at the CPF must have list.... obviously the HDS/Ra clicky. There's really not even any reason to ask this, LOL.

wyager,

Feel free to laugh all day long, because I honestly think your right about the HDS products.

The responses to my query have been awesome, but only after I adjusted my question, thanks to wantusa. I sincerely appreciate all of them, but after fully understanding and then acknowledging what the HDS Clicky has built into it, thanks to Belstaff1464 in a PM, I don't think it can be beat, but maybe matched. I personally appreciate the subjectivity, loyalty and preferences of each member's favorite small-EDC light. In fact, it's the inherent subjectivity of the question and the subsequent variety of responses that make questions like this one so informative and educational.

I will be looking into each and everyone's responses to see which ones will be of the greatest interest to me in the near term. I can see myself trialing several diiferent models over the next several months and coming up with my own favorites list that will undoubtedly evolve with the introduction of new and novel ideas for small-EDC flashlights.

Like some have stated on the forum for similar questions, one's favorite light is the one they use and rely upon most often, no matter what anyone else thinks about their choice.

Thanks again for all the responses as I will probably wrap up this thread when entries begin to dwindle, at which point, I will finalize my compare/contrast reviews of each and then pare the list down to all the ones I believe that I will want to trial based on my preferences and personal needs. When I finish that process, I will share the results and see what kind of feedback I get from there.

All the best to everyone,
John

 

[tre]

I can see myself trialing several diiferent models over the next several months and coming up with my own favorites list that will undoubtedly evolve with the introduction of new and novel ideas for small-EDC flashlights.

This is what I do. The marketplace is such a great place to sell lightly used (almost new) lights. Think of it as a small rental fee to try a new light and subsequently sell if it is not your cup of tea. It is also a great place to find lights that you may just be curious to try. Most lights are under 13 ounces so it is very easy/cheap to send them out first class mail. People around you are going to think you lost your mind during your recovery when you order a light meter (about $30 on amazon) and start measuring Lux values to help you evaluate lights.

 

[Joe Talmadge]

Love love love the HDS. Especially love the UI. The main reason I carry my Quark tactical more often is because of the size, the Quark is just easier to carry. But I have to admit, if I'm going to be working with the light, really using it, changing levels, etc., the HDS is what I reach for.

 

[richpalm]

HDS=too rich for me... $180 for an EDC? Paid much less than that for my M3C4. (oops... forgot it said stock light)

Thinking on a Sunway M10 though.

Right now I use my modded Longbow with a wide open Madmax and a P4 when I want a 1-cell light.

Rich

 

[Jash]

Quark 123 Tactical that lives on my keys. It's always there when I need it. It's the XP-E version which has a sharper beam and more throw than the XP-G version.

Set on max, it shines a good amount of light a long way for such a small light, and the tint is perfect.

 

[Captain Spaulding]

The HDS clicky like everyone else. I prefer my High CRI out of the three I own.

My SF E1B is nice too, but it doesnt work with RCR123 and I hate that about it. I have been running it on 3.0V LiFePO4 batteries and its ok like that.. guilt free lumens still. Its great on primaries though.

I agree with Yowzer too, I do also love my Jetbeam RRT-0 very much as well. I have several lights with the control ring, but like it in the 1XCR123 format the most. It gets carried quite often, the clip makes it ride nice and low in my pocket, and the switch never gets activated on accident. Even with the custom bezel, it fits good in my front pocket.

 

[nbp]

Raaaaaaa Cllllliiiicccckkky orrrrrr Twwwiiissstttyyy! HDS if you want to call them by that name. I don't. They're great.

 

[Belstaff1464]

HDS=too rich for me... $180 for an EDC? Paid much less than that for my M3C4. (oops... forgot it said stock light)

That's for the top of the range 170T ($189). The cheapest model is the EDC 120lumens and is much more affordable at $99. This is great value and will do 95% of the top of the line model. You still get the same engineering, features, UI, durability, build quality and great customer service. You will be getting 95% of the light for almost half the price. That's a steal in my book !!