Streamlight Night Com vs. Surefire A2

Ok here is quick comparison of those two lights, and can someone please explain why is Surefire almost 10x more expensive???

Streamlight Night Com

2x123 lithium battery
72 lumen xenon
8 lumen two led red
MIL-1472D night vision single led
2.5 hours/28 hours/130 hours
Type II anodized aluminum
5.44 oz/5.43" x 1.33"
around $30

SureFire A2
2x123 lithium battery
50 lumen xenon
3 lumen led
1 hour / 20 hours
Type III anodized aluminum
4.10 oz/5.60" x ???
around $200

:huh2:

potok said:

...... and can someone please explain why is Surefire almost 10x more expensive???.......

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Build quality/ Surefire Reputation

Voltage Regulation :rock:

So the incan won't run dim or yellow until the batteries are depleted

Buy both and test them. If the Streamlight's switch is like their Twin Task series, not really user friendly in a functional way (cycle through the modes.)

Also as said above, fit and finish is better on a SF than Streamlight.

EDIT: SF also conservatively rate their lumens. Streamlight makes good products, but fluff their #'s.

you have the regulated incan, i think that bumps up the price by a lot. plus sf fit and finish, r&d, etc etc

mark

On paper, they don't look like they compare, but in real usage there is quite a bit of difference. Like JasonC8301 said, don't go by the lumen ratings. My rule of thumb is that Streamlight's true lumen ratings are about half of what they advertise. As far as the A2, one has been tested by a CPFer in an integrating sphere at over 80 lumens. Like others said, the A2 has a regulated incandescent beam and a very useful two stage tailcap, the Streamlight cycles through its options. Also, I would never pay retail for a SF product. A2's can be found for $115 on B/S/T. But the Streamlight is still a good light for the money.

Have you handled a Surefire A2?

The quality difference between these two lights is enormous. Not to say the NightCom or Twintasks are bad lights, quite the contrary actually but the A2's build quality is impeccible.

The A2's main beam is much nicer and much brighter IMO.
The A2's main beam is regulated.
The A2's switching is brilliant.
The A2 is for all intents and purposes waterproof (Don't dive with it.)
The A2 feels like an industrial work of art.

All that being said is it 6X the light? Only if you need it for serious situations such as SAR, Military use etc. The NightCom should make a dandy light for the home or car.

If I had to pick one two cell flashlight to own it would be an A2 period, no thought to it at all.

Chris

Don't mean to hijack a thread but you guys are making it real tough not to buy
an A2!

Surprised it takes this newbie to point this out. The A2 also has "soft start" circuitry which allows the filament to warm up before the big jolt 50ms or so later. This prolongs the life of the (albeit expensive) incan bulb.

Later,
Jeff

ooh....you are missing out! LOL seriously, its a light that will do most needed things, unless you really need to see far out there or need to light up the yard like day.

mark

MARNAV1 said:

Don't mean to hijack a thread but you guys are making it real tough not to buy
an A2!

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The A2's main beam is regulated with the patented "soft-start" technology that prevents spike induced deteriation for the incan for longer bulb life.
EDITED, PseudoFed posted it before me.

serious hard anodizing to scratch other lights...[yes I was stupid enough to carry two HA-III lights in one pocket and went jogging as the sun evens on the horizon...now my "claimed hard anodized" inova XO2 has minor scratches]

marxs said:

ooh....you are missing out! LOL seriously, its a light that will do most needed things, unless you really need to see far out there or need to light up the yard like day.

mark

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if your interested in the A2, but can't get yourself to buy one...talk to Carrot...he'll fix that right up....Im a living proof of that

potok said:

4.10 oz/5.60" x ???

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um...im measuring from the old A2...
5-3/16" long with the clickie 5/16" tailcap around 13/16" and bezel 1-1/16" with a clip 2-5/6"

my caliper got run over [fell out of my bag onto the driveway, i was talking on the phone so i didnt pay attention, i started the car and backed up...there goes a brand-spanking new $30 caliper]

so...im using a ruler...as far as i know my measurements tolerances are about +/- 1/8"....OD green flashlight under purple ruler...
one of these days im going to buy professional tools:laughing:

serious use? hmm, not trully save the president, military type. Just need one that will allow me to have bright light so i can set up my camera, and night vision red, so i can change settings in the middle of the night. Oh, well, sometime it is very serious photography

potok said:

serious use? hmm, not trully save the president, military type. Just need one that will allow me to have bright light so i can set up my camera, and night vision red, so i can change settings in the middle of the night. Oh, well, sometime it is very serious photography

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for photography, flashlights are um....not well suited for that purpose, photos that looks good send to be shot under even light, having pure throw and no spill will cause your digital camera to over/underestimate the timing and your result is either overly enhanced or blurred. If your using a standard camera [SLR that uses celluose acetate, etc films] your shots may look morphed, severely underexposed in certain areas, etc


as for the nitecom....i guess you could try the tape over lens method, but for any self-respecting photographer, you'd naturally prefer more professional equipment...for that, Surefire has beamshapers to retrofit their lights for close-range applications...

I dont know much about Surefires accessories, my advice is ask around the forum...or contact size15s, the admin with an admiring degree of technological expertise in the field of surefire lights.

sorry for confusion i didnt mean to use flashlight as light source, but it is done usually in sky photography when you want to shine on earthy object that you want to put in the frame.

potok said:

sorry for confusion i didnt mean to use flashlight as light source, but it is done usually in sky photography when you want to shine on earthy object that you want to put in the frame.

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My mistake, i thought you made the thread because you wanted to do photography

you can opt for an A2 with red leds, might suit your needs.

mark