what lights that you own meet or beat your expectations

What luxeon lights have you purchased with reluctance, and once recieving them, "it", you realized wow this thing is really amazing, especailly for the price. This happend to me with the SL 4AA PP luxeon.

Like you, the Streamlight Propoly Lux 4AA. Also the Dorcy 1W 3D - on fresh alkalines, it is really bright (YMMV depending on Lux bin).

The new (reflector) version of the Inova X1. I didn't really expect the gorgeous beam it produces and its output. I bought it after reading Quickbeam's review. It's my backup at work but I intend to buy more for use around the house/shop and vehicles.

Edit: I know the X1 isn't Luxeon...my biggest pleasant suprise Luxeon-wise was my QIII.

McGizmo's HD45. At first I thought I'd go for the 5W version only and bought the 3W because I couldn't wait for the 5W ... but now I really prefer the 3W version ... it has grown on me and replaced the 5W in my hand at night.
bernie

Kiessling said:

McGizmo's HD45. At first I thought I'd go for the 5W version only and bought the 3W because I couldn't wait for the 5W ... but now I really prefer the 3W version ... it has grown on me and replaced the 5W in my hand at night.
bernie

Click to expand...

bernie,I never thought I would see the day that you would like a 3W over a 5W.

Yeah ... it was my coming-out
To my rescue I can say that the 3W is a Joker-LED though and thus floodier than a normal LuxIII, but still ...

Surefire L4/Scout light

Nuwaii QIII

Fenix L1P

River Rock 2xAAA

New style Inova X1

My first "real" light - a Surefire E2e. Lovely build quality, nice smooth beam, easy to pocket... when I first bought it for $85 (at a gun show) I had a little buyer's remorse... until I lit that baby up that night.

Even though the E2e isn't necessarily my preferred EDC it's still my fave.

Two that stand out as exceeding expectations for output would be the Streamlight Propolys (both 4AA and 3C), and the LEDBeam 3C. The LEDBeam 3C would fall a little short on quality of construction, but maybe not by much considering it's cost.

original mcgizmo mclux tk, the first true white light from the flashlight instead of the yellow of an incan,
then, the PR, never have i seen so much light come out of a small package
it was awesome

When I bought my first Inova, the X0 I truly had no real expectations as I had not started reading here nor seen any reviews on them so I was completley taken in by how good it is. I was very hopeful when I bought the X03 that it would be as good and it exceeded what I had hoped. All my X1s both old and new have done the same so I can honestly say every single INova I have bought so far has more than happily surprised me.


Now I am considering the X5 because I want a long running floody type light to balance out things and the biggest reasons are my high expectations of Inova products now, and the excellant reivew UnknownVT gave it recently.

Surefire A2 Aviator

Beat my expectations:
White light brighter than P60 bulb, almost as good as a P90 bulb.

LED:
Although bright, it is not blinding when I am doing close up work.

The Fenix L1P. When I first saw it in pictures, I thought it looked big (for an AA light) and not very pretty. But everyone kept hyping it, so I had to order one. Huge surprise, I nearly couldn't find it amongst the foam peanuts it came in. That, and as my first Luxeon light, I couldn't believe just how much light came from such a tiny thing.

My first luxeon, an Arc LSL, certainly met all expectations which were pretty high. I had resisted the purchase because of the high price, but jumped when they were offered for $60 (including 2 AA tube). Still my "best" light.

Geoff

For me, the lights that met or exceeded my expectations have been the following:

Fenix L1P
Inova X1 (new version without the optic)
River Rock Jupiter LED lantern
Brinkmann 3 Watt LED flashlight
Princeton Tec EOS

Almost every (good) light has something about it that impresses me, if not I would not keep it. The Fenix lights have good wow for the dollar, but as of recent purchases, I have got to say that the FF3 really impressed me. Upon ordering, I thought it was a decent looking light and had the Flupic, but once it was in my hand, I could not put it down. Works great, awesome output, and feels just perfect in the hand. This one blew away my expectations!

My first Luxeon light a Sandwich Shoppe BB500 drop-in mod for minimags. It was the hook that really kicked flashaholism into gear. Amazing stuff for 2002.

nFlex 8AA WX1S LuxeonV "2D Mag" mod. Multiple output LuxeonV that puts out an amazing amount of light, has great throw and with head removed, the ultimate flood light. NiMH powered for "free photons", great runtime and can automatically dim down and shut off (sleep mode) The sheer usefulness of it made all the work and money putting it together worth it.

Peak Mediterranean with 2AA body. Punch of a BB500 R2H mod but cool running, HA-III, twistie or clickie switch and pure white beam. Feed it alkaline, NiMH or lithiums depending on your needs at the time. It is so good I don't have a need for other 2AA LED lights.

DSpeck Fire~Fly III I think of it as a keychain version of my LuxV Mag. Programmable output with 75+ lumens of max blast when needed. The shortest LED light I have that just happens to be the second brightest light I own. After reprogramming it a few times, checking the other user interfaces I am content with UI4 level 2, level 11 and max. It rests on my keychain ready to adjust to meet my needs.

VB-16. It's my brightest light, even surpassing the ProPolyAA. And, it's the most versatile, too. Bargain priced considering everything it does. I'm surprised this light isn't the talk of the town. Considering everyone's zeal to keep buying the smallest light, myself included, I'm surprised everyone isn't jazzed in also having the most useful light. Afterall, in everyday use, most of us aren't in back country, or on patrol. We're able to reach for most any light we choose to use for everyday tasks.

I will also mention the Fire Fly III. I wasn't sure what to expect but the light has quickly become one of my favorite lights.

I can't forget to also mention my all time favorite which is the Arc LSH-P. Even today this little gem with a twisty is awesome. Its hard to believe that this little light is at least three years old.

The Pacific is another light that surprised me as well. Very nice and small.

Yet another vote for Doug Speck's Fire-Fly III. Here are the lights I need: a keychain light, always with me; a light w/ low output for reading in bed while my wife sleeps, a bicycle helment light with 1 hour+ runtime that's BRIGHT, with good spill; a strobe, for cycling at dawn/dusk when driver's have a hard time seeing me; a "wow" light--very high output--to justify my hobby.

The Fire-FLy III is all of the above. And more positives come to mind: it's completely modular, so you could, if you want, change the emitter. The fit/finish are superb.

Everyone should have at least one.

Jack