Fifth Unit Flashlight Shootout

Beamshots of 5 of my current lights vs. 5 I just got from FifthUnit.com.

1st row: Pelican MityLite 2xAA, ElektroLumens XM-3 2xAA, Unnamed 2xCR123A
2nd row: Unnamed 1xCR123A, MXDL 3W 3xAAA, 5th Unit 1W Headlamp 3xAAA (low beam)
3rd row: 5th Unit 1W Headlamp 3xAAA (high beam), 5th Unit Ultrafire Mini 1W 1xAAA, 5th Unit Ultrafire 1W 1xAA
4th row: 5th Unit 10W K2 2xCR123A (low beam), 5th Unit 10W K2 2xCR123A (high beam), 5th Unit Superfire 12V 3xCR123A

As I was hoping, the 10W K2 is a real upgrade from my XM-3. Battery life is probably in the pits so I'll keep the XM-3 around, but the K2 is a great thrower.

The Superfire 12V is a real scorcher, both figuratively and literally. You can feel the heat on your hand when you hold it in front of the light!

The Ultrafire Mini AAA was the surprise. It was brighter than the Ultrafire AA and generally lit up the room. Should be a great emergency light.

The plain Ultrafire AA was a bit of a disappointment, but it's not bad. Maybe it'll do better on lithiums--I tried both the AA and AAA on alkalines (NiMH didn't work).

The headlamp is more than decent even though it has a complete no-name LED. About as bright as the XM-3 in high mode, and in low mode more than adequate to read a book or whatever.

A long time ago I thought my MityLite was a real pocket rocket--and compared to a minimag, it was! How times change...



-Scott

Is that last light in the row, the Superfire, an Incan or LED?

havand said:

Is that last light in the row, the Superfire, an Incan or LED?

Click to expand...

That's an incandescent, sold here:
http://contents.fifthunit.com/html/products.5th/sku.686.html

-Scott

I think I'm going to get that headlamp. Looks good enough. I haven't seen the price yet, but I'm betting it's pretty cheap. I think I might have to get that 10w K2, too. This is an excellent and very informative comparison. Thank you!

Certainly! The headlamp was cheap--about $6. They have a new 3W model (for about twice the price), but mine is the older 1W and is still more than adequate for my purposes.

-Scott

Scott,

Thanks for the info. and beamshots. Were you running the 10w K2 on RCR123As or primary cells?

Don't forget the Ultrafire 602A1 AA is designed for 3.6v rechargeable too.

Then it's bright.

And on nimh, Alkaline or lithium, mine are brighter than my L1P, just.

I have the K2 10w that is one stage. Nice throw... pretty solid build quality. I'd compare to Nightcom for built quality.. half the price

Anyone tried the CR2 light from fifthunit?

Thanks for the beam comparisons, Scott. I've been wanting to get some of their lights but some have been on backorder, and others I wasn't sure if they'd turn out to be total lemons.

I wonder about the longetivity of the AAA? Wanted to get a few as gifts for friends.

Great post!

Do you know how long the batteries will last in the 12V and K2 lights?

I also like the Ultrafire AAA but how does it compare to the E1?

Hi all--I just got back from my (long!) camping trip. I also got a shipment of some 10440 and 14500 cells as well as another headlamp, but I haven't gotten to try them yet.

A few things:
The AA and AAA lights, which were disappointing on alkalines and NiMH, ran great on E2 Lithiums. Sadly, it's an expensive option but they do have the advantage of a long shelf life. I think the LiIon cells will work great, though.

The 10W K2 was a great light. I ran it on rechargable 123's. Runtime was at least an hour, I think, though it's hard to keep track of that sort of thing.

The 12V Superfire was fun to use, but the runtime was just absurd. Probably in the 10-15 min range on rechargable 123's. Usable only as a means of checking out a noise in the dark or some such; not as a primary light. It really did light up the inky blackness, though.

I'll try to write up more later, especially once I try out the 10440 and 14500 cells.

-Scott

Look forward to the real world results, Scott!

I have also been favorably impressed with my 10W K2, and just ordered a VIKA, which looks to be a similar light with a turbo bezel.