Question: Surefire L1 vs INOVA T1

Hello everyone!

I'm new to this forum and as usual will start my "career" here with a question!


In my search for the "perfect" flashlight I started with buying a Surefire G2 and after one year switched to an Inova T1, mainly because its LED and for saving batteries...

Although I really like the Inova T1, mainly because of it's range, I recently found that I would like to have the ability to dim the light when neccessary (reading in the dark, etc...).

This has brought the Surefire L1 to my focus. The only thing I could not find out is how it behaves at illuminating things at a distance. Although I read through the Reviews at flashlightreviews.com where the Surefire L1 seems to have a better throw than the Inova T1 I'm still not complety sure how this can be applied to the light's range...

The main question is: How does the Surefire L1 compare to the Inova T1 regarding range? Is it superior, inferior or on par with the T1?

thanks in advance

regards
matt-x

Throw is the ability to light up distant objects better, so the L1 will outdo the T1 in that regard.

Welcome!

Question... what exactly are you after? The L1 is a fine light, but has minimal sidespill, but very decent throw. I'm also not thrilled with how long it is for a single cell light. Also, though it offers great runtime, I find the low setting to be a bit too low.

The T1 is a bargain, but it's far from my favorite light... too wide/chunky and I don't like the uneven beam.

Used L1s can be had for a decent price, but new ones aren't cheap... for a bit more money, you could get an single cell Aleph I or II with a 2 stage clickie. The Aleph I has great throw and a nice spillbeam and with the 2 stage, you get to select how low you want your low to be.

Thanks a lot for your answers!

Concerning size I have found that the Inova T1 i own is pretty much what I want. Although I understand that there are smaller single cell lights on the market I have no need for such. They are less comfortable to hold and get lost more easily. With the L1 being only slightly larger than the T1 I think I will be happy with it's size.

I also have found the "lightsaber" beam of the T1 to be very useful for my needs. As I said, throwing decent light at distance is what I am looking for.
The L1 seems to have slightly more sidespill than the T1 - that's also okay as long as the two are at least on par regarding range.

The low setting will only be used for reading - so it can't really be too low

As for the "uneven beam" of the T1: I have never noticed this and I don't care too much for this as long as the light suits my needs - and up to now it did perfectly!

regards
matt-x

The reference to the uneven beam was meant more concerning the spillbeam... I like wide spillbeams on most of my lights. The hotspot of the T1 is quite nice for such a small light.