CoffeeAchiever
Newly Enlightened
I finally succumbed to temptation this week and purchased a SureFire E1e from OpticsHQ. The big brown truck dropped off the package at my office about two hours ago. I also got a set of beam filters for it, the F05 Red and F06 Blue. I plan to use the filters during my upcoming camping trip.
I first had the opportunity to handle an E1e after reading about them at a local outdoor store last month. I came away impressed. Two recent threads started by CPF members Ty_Bower "Tempted to buy an E1E" and GadgetTravel "In praise of 15 perfect lumens" pushed me over the edge.
I must admit that I did have some reservations about paying so much for "only 15 lumens". GreenLED's "CPF specials" thread pointed me to great deal at OpticsHQ - thanks greenLED! The discount I received was the icing on the cake for me.
Now that I have my E1e am I pleased with my purchase? In a word, yes! True, SureFire's LED bezel assembly in the E1l does put out more lumens for a longer period of time than the E1e's incandescent MN01 lamp assembly. After trying both the E1e and E1l I seriously considered getting the LED one. However, I really do prefer the overall look of incandescent bulbs over LED's. So, the E1e (in HA-III-BK) it was.
As GadgetTravel says in the opening post of his thread, the E1e is a SureFire and has a "perfect beam". Mine is round, even, very white and appears to be at least twice as bright as the AA Minimag that I keep in my desk drawer. SureFire's MN01 lamp really does make my Minimag's krypton bulb look like a sick yellow joke.
In addition to quality of the E1e's beam, this flashlight just feels good in my hand. The momentary action of SureFire's z57 clickie tailcap is the best I've yet tried. It works just as well as my SF 6P's z41 tactical tailcap. I love the look of SureFire's HA-III-BK finish. Black is my color of choice. I just wish that SureFire still offered the A2 in HA-III-BK (but my wallet is grateful that they don't!).
As a recent convert to SureFire flashlights I've come to realize that less can be more. Although I love the brilliant white beam that my SF P61 and DigiLight DRB-9VHP lamps produce, there are many times that less light is required to do the job. Reading a map, looking for something in the tent, hiking after dark (all tasks where I plan the give my F05 red filter a try), etc. These are all tasks that I previously used my Minimag for.
Now that I've got an E1e, I suspect that my Minimag will be taking a well earned retirement.
I first had the opportunity to handle an E1e after reading about them at a local outdoor store last month. I came away impressed. Two recent threads started by CPF members Ty_Bower "Tempted to buy an E1E" and GadgetTravel "In praise of 15 perfect lumens" pushed me over the edge.
I must admit that I did have some reservations about paying so much for "only 15 lumens". GreenLED's "CPF specials" thread pointed me to great deal at OpticsHQ - thanks greenLED! The discount I received was the icing on the cake for me.
Now that I have my E1e am I pleased with my purchase? In a word, yes! True, SureFire's LED bezel assembly in the E1l does put out more lumens for a longer period of time than the E1e's incandescent MN01 lamp assembly. After trying both the E1e and E1l I seriously considered getting the LED one. However, I really do prefer the overall look of incandescent bulbs over LED's. So, the E1e (in HA-III-BK) it was.
As GadgetTravel says in the opening post of his thread, the E1e is a SureFire and has a "perfect beam". Mine is round, even, very white and appears to be at least twice as bright as the AA Minimag that I keep in my desk drawer. SureFire's MN01 lamp really does make my Minimag's krypton bulb look like a sick yellow joke.
In addition to quality of the E1e's beam, this flashlight just feels good in my hand. The momentary action of SureFire's z57 clickie tailcap is the best I've yet tried. It works just as well as my SF 6P's z41 tactical tailcap. I love the look of SureFire's HA-III-BK finish. Black is my color of choice. I just wish that SureFire still offered the A2 in HA-III-BK (but my wallet is grateful that they don't!).
As a recent convert to SureFire flashlights I've come to realize that less can be more. Although I love the brilliant white beam that my SF P61 and DigiLight DRB-9VHP lamps produce, there are many times that less light is required to do the job. Reading a map, looking for something in the tent, hiking after dark (all tasks where I plan the give my F05 red filter a try), etc. These are all tasks that I previously used my Minimag for.
Now that I've got an E1e, I suspect that my Minimag will be taking a well earned retirement.
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