Fenix L1T vs. L1S

What is the major difference besides price. One uses a 1 watt and the other a 3 watt but they both have the same output in lumens for the same amount of time. Which one to buy? I will carry it some days and it will also be with me while hiking. Oh yeah, I am new here to so be gentle. I tried to do a search but it would not work. I also read about both on flashlight reviews and still confused.

Welcome to CPF!

I think there are two mayor differences

L1T has a better (scratchresistant) finish and
The L1T can be operated on a higher voltage, so with different batteries.

I've had both lights, and found them comparable in output (on both high and low), with similar runtimes. In addition to the major differences dapyro pointed out (i.e. scratch-resistant hard anodizing and ability to run at higher voltages for rechargeable lithium ion batteries on the L1T), the L1T also has a premium tint LED and an anti-reflective coating on the lens.

The premium tint matters to some, since all luxeon's suffer from the "luxeon lottery" effect (i.e. some variation in tint from pure white - either a bit more greenish/yellow or purple/blue). You never know which you will get. Premium tints are the most white of all types. Especially seems to be an issue on 1AA lights, since they tend to over-emphasize even a slight green/yellow stint, likely due to their being somewhat underpowered.

Just personal preference, but I find the L1S a great light for the price. If you are thinking of going with a 2AA model though, I'd definitely recommend the L2T. Although no difference on 1AA models, the 3W is a clear out-performer when run on 2AA.

Thanks for the replies. That makes more sense now. I think I will spend the extra 10 dollars and get the L1T.

What batteries would you suggest for the L1T? What will give it the brightest output and best run time?

laxbum wrote: "What is the major difference besides price. One uses a 1 watt and the other a 3 watt but they both have the same output in lumens for the same amount of time. Which one to buy?"

As already pointed out the L1T operates over a larger voltage range - so can use more battery types.

The best thing really to say is that the L1T is more versatile -
it can use 2xAA (eg: spare L2T or L2S bodies),
and CR123 bodies (Nekomane CR123 body for the L1T/L2T).

This is simply due to the fact the L1T head is the same as the L2T head.
Whereas the L1S head is different to the L2S head -
in that the L1S head is only spec'd to 0.9~1.7V input
- L2S head is spec'd 0.9~3.3V
(L1T/L2T heads are spec'd to 0.9~4.0V)

The L1T also has a HA (hard anodized) type III finish which is more durable than the type 2 anodizing on the L1S.

Personally I would prefer to get the L1T - it is in fact my at home EDC.

Some of these review threads may be helpful -

Fenix L2S/L1T Combo Review

Fenix L1T on 3.7V Li-Ion - Whoa!

Fenix L1T (vs. L1 v2.5, L2T, Civictor, P1)

Cree XR-E in Fenix L1/2T (vs. UWAJ, stock)
(opening post shows the L1T head on a Nekomane CR123 body)

laxbum said:

What batteries would you suggest for the L1T? What will give it the brightest output and best run time?

Click to expand...

The light will give very similar initial output on typical battery types. On high, you will decline relatively rapidly on alkaline (i.e. only semi-regulated), giving you maybe 1.5 hours to 50% initial output with a good brand alkaline (less on cheapo/no-name ones). But that being said, some inexpensive name-brand alkalines (like rayovac, memorex, etc. ) can be almost as good as as duracells or energizers. Much better output on NiMH or Energizer e2 Lithiums - light remains much brighter longer, with at least 2.5 hours on modern NiMH, and close to 3 hours on lithium.

On low, the light is very well regulated on all types. Expect at ~7-8 hours on alkaline, ~10+ hours on NiMH, and ~13-14 hours on e2 lithium.

Check out flashlightreviews.com and chevrofreak's excellent runtime graphs here on CPF for more details. My own testing matches very closely to chevro's results.

You can also run it on 14500 lithium ion rechargeables (I recommend the protected kind - you will also need a DSP charger). While initially much brighter (closer to the L2T, in fact), it will rapidly decay (although stay brighter than a standard battery would), and then cut-out completely without warning around 40-45 mins or so.

If you are planning on running the light regularly, NiMH is probably the best way to go. If it's only going to be for intermittent use and stored for periods of time (when NiMH would self-discharge), lithium is a great option (great storage capacity in cold conditions especially). And of course, you can always pop in commonly available alkalines whenever the need arises.

Thanks again for all the good info. I just ordered a L1T. It will probably take it forever to get here since christmas is right around the corner. Can't wait.