Help me choose a light for friends birthday

Hey guys,
I need your help in choosing a light for a friend whom I am on the verge of converting to flashaholicism. He seems quite fond of my surefires, especially my M4

His only flashlight to date was an energizer db incandescent, which I naturallly modded with the 6V mod and P60 lamp

Now I need to push him over the top, but I cant spend too much money....
So I have a poll to see which lights you guys think I should get him...

It doesnt have to be incandescent or LED....

And feel free to post other suggestions

THanks guys

Maybe you would want to get something simple like the G2. It will help him get used to using/buying 123A lithium batteries (I assume he hasn't before). The G2 is a nice flashlight and a great starting light (it was my first nice flashlight). You just might make him addicted to flashlights.

The G2 is certainly the most affordable surfire. I don't know how deep your pockets are, but My L4 is a pint sized flood monster! Nearly the output of my U2 in full brightness, ~75 minutes of full regulation. Bring your buddy into a dark room and turn this baby on, he will be impressed!

When I show my co-workers my lights, most of them are much more impressed by the high powered incandescent lights rather than the leds.

Everyone* here on CPF knows the pros/cons of led v. incan, but you get more wows from the average person when you show them an eyeball burning incandescent over an efficient led with a 4 hour run time.

I'd say the E2e is a nice starter light, since it's so upgradeable, plus it's slimmer. If you don't want to spend too much money, change my vote from E2e to G2.

Skip the G2 for sure. If you go that route get him a 6P. If not, either the E2e, or E2L should work nicely. I wouldn't reccommend a L4 off the bat, because its only useful out to 25 yards.

My first choice would be an E2L with a F04 beamshaper, next an E1L.

Also make sure to let him know that you can get 123 for a buck online so he doesnt end up spending 14 bucks on 2 123s at walmart.

carrot said:

I'd say the E2e is a nice starter light, since it's so upgradeable, plus it's slimmer. If you don't want to spend too much money, change my vote from E2e to G2.

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I agree with Carrot, it was my first surefire, and I loved it as a small pocketable EDC light and when it was dark it really lit up a room or outside was very impressive, it may cost a bit more than a G2 but it has a few extra minutes of run time before the batteries need changed, and it can be converted later to LED with a K1 to become a LED E2L.

I vote for

G2, with the extra efficient Digilight 9V high pressure lamp (175 lumens, draws 800ma). Then just get a DSD charger with 2 protected 123s. Still relatively cheap, a serious pocket monster, rechargeable *protected* cells...maybe even throw in a red filter if your funds are ok, oh and a cheapie open top quick detach holster .

Note: You must get quality protected cells for them to fire up the extra efficient 9V high pressure lamp.

Woops, and an UCL lense...the plastic may melt. This should all come upto a price of a good SF LED light but imho, a much better option for impressing a non flashaholic, and for turning him into one...plus it's a package.

Non-flashaholic? Get him an L1P (or an L2P) - the batteries will be more familiar to him and the Lux will get him hooked.

If you stick to a SF, I'd give an L1. I won one at the SHOT SF/CPF party, and is one of the best presents someone has ever given me thanks: PK!)

Another vote for the E2E, its small size makes it ideal as an EDC.

greenLED said:

Non-flashaholic? Get him an L1P (or an L2P) - the batteries will be more familiar to him and the Lux will get him hooked.

If you stick to a SF, I'd give an L1. I won one at the SHOT SF/CPF party, and is one of the best presents someone has ever given me thanks: PK!)

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Agree, the batteries should be the genarally available ones.
Since your friend already has a light with the impressive P60 globe, I'd go the other way, a 2AA MiniMag with a MJLED in it.
I give those away as presents, and with Lithium AA's (won't leak), they are a present that requires no further expense for 20-40 hrs, for many non-flashaholic users this may be years....

Somehow I missed that he already has a P60 light. I think the L1 might be a better choice than the E2e... but he might just love the smaller form factor (and similar output) of the E2e over the P60-based light you made. (More details on that mod please?) He's your friend, and since you should know him best, it really is your call. Don't just blindly go with what the majority says.

the energizer double barrel is just a simple mod where I get a 4 AAA energizer torch which is arranged in parallel by default, rewire it to be in series, and then solder a P60 lamp minus the springs to the switch assembly. Its actually 2 mods in one, both of which are on quickbeams website in the mods section

Those are all Surefire choices, and I'm not really familiar with them.

If you really want him to really use it, get something that runs on AA's or possibly C cells. Maybe the Fenix L2P.

I've seen people refuse to buy stuff based on the battery type needed. I worked retail, i know.

<deleted> repeated.

Hey, I modderated myself. Can I do that?