So is this P1D CE a no-brainer purchase?

It seems like a great light... tiny, bright, and cheap. A while ago I was thinking of buying a Surefire L2, but then the early Cree-testing stuff started showing up so I figured I would hold off until they were put into production lights... is now to the time to buy? Is the P1D CE good enough to be deemed a "no-brainer?"

I would say there are two items of concern:

(1) Dark Ring in beamshots
(2) Loose threading of twisty (wobbly head, backlash... very crests of threads are all that engage)

I think they will fix these things. If they don't bother you it's time to buy one.

I don't think it's ever good to do a "no-brainer" purchase :b

If you have an extra $70, then yes it is a no-brainer.

As far as the above concerns, they are very minor.

The dark ring is hardly noticeable in normal use. Much ado about nothing, IMO.

The twisty could be considered loose, but I say it's fantastic. I can operate the thing with one hand. That's amazing.

As far as the threads are concerned, I've examined mine and I suppose what EngrPaul said is true. Does it matter? Dunno.

I usually wait some time before buying the "new light in the block" - by then there's usually enough reviews and feedback for me to make a better choice, and there's also the possibility of the manufacturer having fixed any "bugs" from the first iterations.

And the Plain Jane P1, at around $30 less, is still an awesome light.

I had planned to wait for a AA or AAA Fenix/Cree, but with all this talk resistance may be futile.

Geoff

Buy the Surefire L2 first. If you have any cash left, go for it.
IMHO, the value of the L2 has not diminished with the introduction of the Cree XRE. It is still as relevant today as it was three months ago.....


Oh,and listen to Powernoodle and GreenLed.......

I'm never going to purchase a light with such a user-interface. i want on/off/on/off ... not low/high/sos/strobe/whatever.

I'm holding out for the supposed AA version of this light ..... just thinking, what if they don't make one !!

Would a AA battery still be able to push out 135 lumens from a Cree ??

I am debating between the P1D-CE by Fenix and the D-Mini by Lumapower. If the D-Mini had a low/high that would be a no brainer.

Perfectionist said:

Would a AA battery still be able to push out 135 lumens from a Cree ??

Click to expand...

Yes - if you put a 14500 (3.7V Li-ion) in it

The pix in this thread show a Cree modified L1T getting about the same output as a P1 (~50lm) from a single alkaline AA. That in itself is still pretty good.
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=141896

It depends, how long do you think it will be before Surefire comes out with Cree versions of its lights?

It's not a no-brainer for me.
In fact my brain has been doing quite a bit of work on this light.
One factor is the 'loose' twistie. Exactly how loose? Will it become worse over time?
The other factor is the cell it takes. I've never used the CR123A cells and was trying to keep all my outdoor equipment including lights on AA's only . Both for cost and ease of replacements.
10 of the wee things are 30$ (canadian approx)


But, and there always is a but, I've learnt here (thanks everyone) that the better pocket lights all use the CR123As.

So in the end I'm just kidding myself..... everyday I get closer to picking up the phone and ordering one.
:sigh:

BBL said:

I'm never going to purchase a light with such a user-interface. i want on/off/on/off ... not low/high/sos/strobe/whatever.

Click to expand...

I hear you on the interface; it's nice to have a simple, easy-to-use light.

However, if all you ever wanted was a flashlight you could twist on and twist off, the P1D CE would still fit the bill - and give you 70+ lumens while doing it. In other words, when it's in the primary mode it works just like a normal light - you twist left for on, twist right for off. So think of it as a traditional, twisty-based pocket rocket that gives you over 70 lumens for nearly 2 hours on a single CR123 battery. Then consider the other modes as just a "bonus" if you ever need `em. =)

- FITP

I don't like lights where you twist on and off to select the output... but the P1D CE is freakin' sweet! It appears to be almost as bright as my L2 (ceiling bounce), but with a tighter and brighter hotspot, and in my quick trial run it seems to throw as well as my C2. I'd really love it if they made a P1 CE, though.

Sarratt said:

One factor is the 'loose' twistie. Exactly how loose? Will it become worse over time?

Click to expand...

It's not that loose. It's not like it's about to fall off or anything of the sort.

I think people are used to the "use a wrench" type twisties that really require some effort to turn. The P1D isn't like that at all. It's smoooooooth.

Amazing light for the money... Like carrot, I would also prefer a standard P1 CE though...

BBL said:

I'm never going to purchase a light with such a user-interface. i want on/off/on/off ... not low/high/sos/strobe/whatever.

Click to expand...

Exactly my thoughts! That is especially true to me if that light has a twist action.

To me this light is as no brainer a purchase as any light that was ever created. It has more features for the price than any light. I do wish that the interface was Low,Med,High instead of Medium coming first.