Help me choose:Fenix LP1 or Peak Caribbean?

I thought I had the fenix picked out because it uses AAs. However, I keep jumping back and fourth from the Fenix and Caribbean. I'm not sure if im ready to buy 123a batteries. Is there a rechargeable verson of 123a batteries even available? The Caribbean is very much brighter, but I think the Fenix would probly be enough light. It's hard for me to tell becuse this will be my first led light. I won't be using the light for antying special, just as a EDC and possibly showing it off. Please help me decide one and for all.

There are rechargeable 123 cells but they mostly run at a higher voltage and aren't safe for all lights. There are lower voltage R123s as well but many report less than ideal performance. Keep in mind, this could be dated information.

On the Peak... seems like a nice bright light but the Fenix does everything I need a single battery light to do, looks nice and impresses most folks. Of course, most of them don't like that it cost 2, 3 or 4 times as much as a Maglite, but you can't please all the people all the time.

lite,
Those two lights are quite different from each other but the decision is yours. I have the "Caribbean with larger head" (Meditteranean) and run the optional 2AA body to feed it NiMH batteries. Also have two Fenix L1Ps that I use for a bicycle helmet light and bicycle handlebar light.
Output, the Mediteranean beats the Fenix L1P with both of them running NiMH AA cells. Throw a lithium AA into the L1P and it brightens up some but the Med still wins noticably. If you want small, the Caribbean with the flat end body makes it very small... and more bounce to the ounce that the L1P. But you PAY for that advantage!
As far as the durability of the HA on the bodies... the Peak is very durable but the Fenix is much easier to scratch...can't have the world for $43. The Peaks can take a lot more abuse than the Fenix and still look good.
Beam quality is not as good with my two L1Ps VS my two Mediterraneans (one as 2AA and other with CR123A lithium battery) One L1P is very white with the other having a bluish tint.
Heat output, the L1P runs cool since it runs at a lower power level with the Caribbean running hotter. If you want the Caribbean but are worried about heat, the Mediterranean runs very cool with the larger head to get rid of the heat. The larger head is... well, larger so take that into account for your needs. It does not bother me but your mileage may vary.
Switching options The L1P has a tail clickie that generally does not give much problems but can. The twistie on the Caribbean is a very reliable switch as twisties are. You can add a momentary switch to the Caribbean if that is your thing or a clickie when used with the 2AA body. The Kroll clickies will wear out after a year of use but are easy and $5 to replace. By the time you wear the clickie out, Peak will have their own more reliable design to upgrade the light with.
As I said, they are quite different lights but if I could only have one... my nod would go to the Caribbean for it's many battery options, body options, switching options, aluminum/brass/stainless steel construction and other various options.
You could also buy both (this is the CPF motto!) The L1Ps make great little bike lights but I prefer the Peak for EDC use. Been beating the crap outta Peaks for 16 months and have never had one fail but everyone's needs are different. Good luck with whatever you choose.

The Caribbean is without a doubt the better light, though naturally the improved output/contruction come with the expected cost. It can safely handle the 3.7v li-ion cells.

Thanks for the input. BrentHead could you please give me a little more info on that Meditteranean with the 2AA body? Is this an extra thing that i would have to buy so i could use AAs with it? What's the beam difference compared to 123 batteries? Runtime wtih NiHA? And how much bigger does it make it? Maybe if you could post a pic it would help. Aslo what difference does the big head on the Meditteranean make compared to the caribbean?

Thanx

liteManiac, I know you narrowed your choice for your first LED flashlight to the Fenix LP1 and Peak Caribbean, and asked only about those two lights. Like BentHeadTx, I have the Peak Mediterranean and Fenix LP1. I agree with eveything BentHeadTx said, which I think was a very good analysis of the two lights. As between the Peak and Fenix, I would go for the Peak if the cost difference is not an obstacle, and you are okay with using CR123 batteries. As a CPF member, you can buy CR123 batteries from Battery Station for 1.00 each.

I cannot resist, however, suggesting that you consider the Jil CR2 1.3 (up) or Jil Intelli for your first LED flashlight. They are roughly in the same price range as the Peak. I think that if I were to do it over again, and had the Jil Intelli been available, I would choose the Jil Intelli for my first LED flashlight. CPFer goldserve (apparently a flashlight genius, along with several other CPF members) created a modification to the Jil DD (direct drive) that you can buy from Warren aka liteMania by going to the Dealers Corner of CPF. If the Jil Intelli seems too complicated, then consider the Jil CR2 1.3(up).

Both the Fenix and Peak are good choices, however. Good luck on buying your first led flashlight, but be careful. It may not be your last.

LiteMANIAC:

Welcome to CPF.

1. Get the Peak Carribean or Mediterranean. All Peaks are tough little jewells.

2. If you want to avoid buying lights that'll wear out, become obsolete, boring, or eventually just gather dust, avoid jumping onto the flashlight Flavor-Of-The-Month bandwagon.

3. Buy your lights with specific uses/purposes in mind... just like you'd buy a tool at the hardware store for a specific task. Buying lights just because they look neat-cool-trendy can be a waste of your $$.

4. Get over your trepidation re CR123 lithium batteries. They tend to have better (flatter) "Discharge Curves" than alkalines in the type of lights you'll wind up buying as your Flashaholic horizons expand. Now that you're a member here, buy 'em cheap on line from BatteryStation, or AmondoTech, or by the dozen from BrightGuy or Surefire (for $1-1.50 ea.). Just don't buy 'em at the grocery store or other places where the Illumination-Illiterate folks do.

5. I urge you to spend a week reading everything here (use the Search function) and at FlashlightReviews.com.

Enjoy the journey. This place is special, and you'll never be the same.

liteMANIAC said:

I won't be using the light for antying special, just as a EDC and possibly showing it off. Please help me decide one and for all.

Click to expand...

Based on this the Fenix should be the logical choice; it is small with clean lines and is very bright if you use lithium AA's (available at a buck a pc from Bat. Stn.)
This is my EDC now after carrying a Q3 for quite awhile and several others before that.

For what you spend on it you don't have to worry if something better comes along in the future- you can afford to buy it too :huh2:

K