peak carribean vs mediterranean

Help me interpret these results for carribean and mideterranian.
Carribean appears to be winning on all counts. It produces only slightly less throw than mideterranian, it has more output and a nicer run time curve. It is also $10 cheaper. So what's the verdict? Why'd I go mideterranian instead of carribean?

If I do decide to go with one, what body type should I get? I have matterhorn in HAIII but it's getting scoffed. I do prefer it to stainless (I think). Is there any advantage to it?

Finally are there similar tiny lights like these two that won't break the bank (a la HDS)? Quickbeam's glowing review of the carribean makes me think that there isn't.

I have long admired the Caribbean due to Quickbeam's review. His comparison chart of all the single CR123a cell lights he has reviewed (posted somewhere on CPF and hopefully he will add to his website) showed how favorably it compared to everything else out there. For less $$, you get less performance. Alternatives like the Q3, Amilite, and ALX2611 (the latter two which I own and use) put out less total light for the run time. The Med has it's strengths, but for all around, I think the Caribbean is awesome. I have been eyeing one up a while now.
You are correct that the only difference seems to be the Med has a more concentrated beam, but puts out less total light (70% less by my calculation of total output x run time) for less time (~1:30 vrs 1:50) than the Caribbean. I think the decision comes down to does the slight (5%) increase in throw make the Med a better light for you? I honestly don't know why the Med costs more.
I vote Carribean, even the HDS can not match what it pulls from a battery.
As for type, that's also up to you. I expect the HAIII to hold up for a long time even if it gets scratched. HAIII is still not as strong as steel. I'd get a keychain body so I can add the momentary switch.

The Caribbean is a great light. Very impressive combination of output, throw, runtime and small size.

I like my Fire~FlyIII a bit better, mainly because it's smaller, has more output and has adjustable brightness. It doesn't get any hotter than the Caribbean, and the regulation seems to work at least as well. It is a little heavier due to the copper heatsink. It's about $20 more ($120), or $30 more if you want the Nano charger and battery.

Review: http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=109517

A less expensive super tiny light is the Orb Raw Ns. About $95: http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=110428

An even less expensive, quality tiny light is the Orb Raw 1W. About $61:
http://www.theorb.co.uk/orbraw.php?PHPSESSID=82a92e2273bdc47a441bca70aba54692

Thanks for that. FireFly looks neat, but over a $100 is a psychological barrier for me. I won't go there just yet.

NS looks funky, but what's the diff between RAW and RAW NS? They are also using some funky batteries.

The difference between raw and carribean is battery type and adjustable brightness. I haven't handled any Raws, but I have a peak led matterhorn and it's an extremely solid flashlight. I'm inclined to go with carribean just on this basis alone, but I figure adjustable brightness might be nice.

Thoughts?

The Carribean and mediterranean use the same LuxIII LED and same 1.5 watt regulator. The difference you see is the luxeon lottery at play.

I went for the mediterranean for the larger head which gives better throw and much better cooling for the LED. Throw the 2AA body on and it will fit in a minimag type holster since the head will stop it from falling out of the loop. I've run mine for an hour straight to illuminate things without holding it in my hand to aid cooling. The light gets ever so slightly warm since there is more mass to aid in cooling the regulator/LED. It has more output and throw than my BB500 R2H (IMS reflector) minimag and runs much, much cooler on two NiMH cells.

If a CR123A pocket light is your thing, get the Carribean since the extra mass for cooling is not needed. A Fire~Fly III will be on my keychain soon but the Med 2AA will still be used as my work EDC in a holster since it can handle long runtimes in hot environments with decent runtime.

I second everything BentHeadTX said (2nd time this week!). I definitely recommend either light as a first light as I don't think you'll be disappointed with either. The Caribbean was my first 'foray' into "expensive" lights, and indeed it was what broke the barrier for me as far as pricer lights go. BentHeadTX and the other previous posts pretty much outlined the difference between the two, and basically they are the same light only using different reflectors.

the Mediterranean uses a larger reflector that gives you more throw and is able to handle the heat better over long periods of having your light on, although this becomes more an issue only if you are using rechargeable li-ons in your light.

the Caribbean has more balance between throw & flood, is a more compact size, and as Quickbeam (flashlightreviews.com) mentions, a great all-round light.

eart: "over a $100 is a psychological barrier for me. I won't go there just yet."

Ah, that's how I used to feel. Many flashlights later, $100 now seems cheap

Personally I'd recommend the Caribbean. It's not a flood-oriented beam by any means. Rather the hotspot beam width feels a little narrow to me. It has good throw for such a small light.

I have the pocket body Caribbean which is somewhat shorter than the key lug body. Think about which body style you want. The Caribbean is a great light; you'll be very happy with it.

However when you first use it you may think: "That it? $100 for a simple twist switch light?". But after a while it becomes obvious why it's worth that. Many little fine details -- fit and finish, output, regulation, etc.