lightlover
Flashlight Enthusiast
I haven't chosen to call this Legend LX VERSUS SureFire E2.
I was surprised to find that there was such resentment towards SureFire from some people on the board. All it took to show it was a Legend ......
I am a SureFirer, that is, a convinced enthusiast of SF products. Yes, they are expensive, and even so they have their quirks, and some limitations. (But the limitations are clearly stated.)
Using Lithiums is not cheap. But the LX uses Lithiums too ......
However, to compare the $20 LX versus the $56 E2 is unfair and very optimistic – All you have to do is try to compare them.
The E2 is relatively expensive, the LX is relatively cheap, and it shows in both lights. You do tend to get what you pay for.
(It seems to me like CPF recently went through a "Collective Hysteria" about the LX.) (Which does show that we are a community, I suppose.)
What are the prices of other 2-cell Lithiums, I really don't know ? Is that why everyone went searching everywhere for it, because it's a price breakthrough ?
My LX beam is OK, not perfect. I'd say its beam quality is equal to a badly adjusted SF P60 lamp.
I actually have such a P60 - it happens sometimes - and I know that SF Customer Service would replace it, if I bothered to complain about it. But it's still good, just not what you'd expect from SureFire.
Both my LX and my dodgy P60 are definitely workable in *real life*, but they don't pass the *white wall* test for beam purity.
Long ago, I thought that the lack of focusability in the SF range was a strange omission. But the truly amazing and practical balance between central accent and surround in the E2's MN03 made me realise that it wasn't really such an advantage. The LX is cute in that it can focus reasonably well, but it always introduces some flaws in the beam. Which isn't what I personally want. Once I set it to the optimum focus, I leave it that way - until I have to re-focus it because it's moved itself somehow.
The LX is noticeably brighter than an E2 with the 60 Lu MN03, but the trade-off there is less runtime, and of course, lesser beam purity.
The build quality of the LX is not comparable to the E2 at all. No way. (Don't make me laugh, please.) I use mine without the rubber grip, and for that, I had to smooth out the sharp edges of the exposed body. The rest of the torch isn't built much better, you can see that much expense has been spared.
Over on the SFDB, I've posted frequently that I would love to see a less expensive range of SureFires, so that more people can buy without blanching at the cost. Owning the LX has made me think twice about that. I still believe that SF's are "generously" engineered, but - how would they produce a SureFire *Minor* ? If it were anything like the LX, then it wouldn't be able to carry the SF name.
On the scale of both lights, the LX is considerably bigger at the business end. I regard a Mag 2AA kind of size to be OK for everywhere carry, but the large bezel removes the LX from that consideration. (Saying that, I would use the SF M3 as an everywhere torch, but that's a different animal to these two. And I don't have one (yet), so it's academic ...... )
The LX's heavy switch button is OK for me, but it's been rejected because it's too difficult, by a couple of friends who wanted to borrow a torch. On mine, the plastic guides for the switch spring have already broken off - hope that doesn't affect the use of it. But if they're unnecessary, why are they there - anyone know ?
(The LX's switch has misbehaved on one occasion, actually.)
Is Brinkmann service is equal to SureFires bountifully interpreted "If it breaks, we fix it" warranty, and do they promise ongoing support for old models ? I don't think that Brinkmann are set up that way.
All in all a useful $20 light, nice reflector, and it does light up an area. Otherwise, the Legend is no big deal.
lightlover
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I was surprised to find that there was such resentment towards SureFire from some people on the board. All it took to show it was a Legend ......
I am a SureFirer, that is, a convinced enthusiast of SF products. Yes, they are expensive, and even so they have their quirks, and some limitations. (But the limitations are clearly stated.)
Using Lithiums is not cheap. But the LX uses Lithiums too ......
However, to compare the $20 LX versus the $56 E2 is unfair and very optimistic – All you have to do is try to compare them.
The E2 is relatively expensive, the LX is relatively cheap, and it shows in both lights. You do tend to get what you pay for.
(It seems to me like CPF recently went through a "Collective Hysteria" about the LX.) (Which does show that we are a community, I suppose.)
What are the prices of other 2-cell Lithiums, I really don't know ? Is that why everyone went searching everywhere for it, because it's a price breakthrough ?
My LX beam is OK, not perfect. I'd say its beam quality is equal to a badly adjusted SF P60 lamp.
I actually have such a P60 - it happens sometimes - and I know that SF Customer Service would replace it, if I bothered to complain about it. But it's still good, just not what you'd expect from SureFire.
Both my LX and my dodgy P60 are definitely workable in *real life*, but they don't pass the *white wall* test for beam purity.
Long ago, I thought that the lack of focusability in the SF range was a strange omission. But the truly amazing and practical balance between central accent and surround in the E2's MN03 made me realise that it wasn't really such an advantage. The LX is cute in that it can focus reasonably well, but it always introduces some flaws in the beam. Which isn't what I personally want. Once I set it to the optimum focus, I leave it that way - until I have to re-focus it because it's moved itself somehow.
The LX is noticeably brighter than an E2 with the 60 Lu MN03, but the trade-off there is less runtime, and of course, lesser beam purity.
The build quality of the LX is not comparable to the E2 at all. No way. (Don't make me laugh, please.) I use mine without the rubber grip, and for that, I had to smooth out the sharp edges of the exposed body. The rest of the torch isn't built much better, you can see that much expense has been spared.
Over on the SFDB, I've posted frequently that I would love to see a less expensive range of SureFires, so that more people can buy without blanching at the cost. Owning the LX has made me think twice about that. I still believe that SF's are "generously" engineered, but - how would they produce a SureFire *Minor* ? If it were anything like the LX, then it wouldn't be able to carry the SF name.
On the scale of both lights, the LX is considerably bigger at the business end. I regard a Mag 2AA kind of size to be OK for everywhere carry, but the large bezel removes the LX from that consideration. (Saying that, I would use the SF M3 as an everywhere torch, but that's a different animal to these two. And I don't have one (yet), so it's academic ...... )
The LX's heavy switch button is OK for me, but it's been rejected because it's too difficult, by a couple of friends who wanted to borrow a torch. On mine, the plastic guides for the switch spring have already broken off - hope that doesn't affect the use of it. But if they're unnecessary, why are they there - anyone know ?
(The LX's switch has misbehaved on one occasion, actually.)
Is Brinkmann service is equal to SureFires bountifully interpreted "If it breaks, we fix it" warranty, and do they promise ongoing support for old models ? I don't think that Brinkmann are set up that way.
All in all a useful $20 light, nice reflector, and it does light up an area. Otherwise, the Legend is no big deal.
lightlover