Fenix P1D -CE vs. Dexlight Sapphire 3 Watt Cree

After lots of research on CPF I've come down to these two lights.My main use will be for extreme close up digital photography.I will use only AA NiMh cells.
I would appreciate as much pro and con on these two lights any of you can give me.

You want to use only AA NiMH? Then the P1D-CE is not a good choice because it runs on CR123 batteries. Take L1D CE instead if you want to use 1 AA Nimh, or L2D CE if two (the runtime will double and turbo will have 120 instead of 90).
Fenix are much better in terms of regulating the output, and much better runtime. (and very good customer service)

+1 on L1D-CE. Don't know about a Dexlight but in general, no manufacturer has beat Fenix for circuit efficiency yet. If they come anywhere close in output, they've been way short in runtime.

The Dexlight uses PWM( about 100 Hz I think) which might mess up the picture. The Fenix uses current regulation and has no flicker but current regulation will change a LED's tint.

Gunner12 said:

The Dexlight uses PWM( about 100 Hz I think) which might mess up the picture. The Fenix uses current regulation and has no flicker but current regulation will change a LED's tint.

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If I eliminate the photography requirement. Which is the better light ?

For photography you'll want a nice smooth beam ... that rules the Fenix out as it doesn't have an OP reflector. Otherwise the Fenix is better.

I would personally go with the Fenix because.........If you buy the dexlight and you need to return it for some reason, there could be a lenghty turnaround. There are several Fenix dealers and returns are very quick. (Thats if your stateside)

Have the L1D and love it!

Nic said:

For photography you'll want a nice smooth beam ... that rules the Fenix out as it doesn't have an OP reflector. Otherwise the Fenix is better.

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Great input ! The Fenix is highly spoken of . But in which aspects is it better than this Dexlight ?

Fenix advantages:
1. no manufacturer has beat Fenix for circuit efficiency
2. The Dexlight uses PWM - i.e. it flickers except in high mode
3. If you buy the dexlight and you need to return it for some reason, there could be a lenghty turnaround. (There could even be a lengthy wait to receive it in the first place.)

Dexlight advantages:
1. cheaper
2. does efficiency really matter that much?
3. smoother beam

LightScene said:

Fenix advantages:
1. no manufacturer has beat Fenix for circuit efficiency
2. The Dexlight uses PWM - i.e. it flickers except in high mode
3. If you buy the dexlight and you need to return it for some reason, there could be a lenghty turnaround. (There could even be a lengthy wait to receive it in the first place.)

Dexlight advantages:
1. cheaper
2. does efficiency really matter that much?
3. smoother beam

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Is the dexlight inferior as to quality of workmanship and reliability ?

For photography it is not possible to use the dexlight on the pwm enabled mode: low and medium. The pulsations will affect the light caught by the camera, even if you don't move.

People who ordered the Dexlight are just getting theirs so relibility is undetermined, but the Dexlight is pretty much a rebranded and remachined Jetbeam MKIIX so reliability should be simular. The Dexlight is less likely to slip from yor hands due to the knurling. The quality of the Dexlight and the Fenix should be simular.

Reviews:
Dexlight(beta), one, two, three
Jetbeam MkIIx, one, two, three, four
Fenix L1/2D-CE, one, two, three, four

If you get a Fenix you can probably just throw some tissue paper or whatever infront of the light to diffuse it and smooth out the beam.

All beamshots using freshly charged AW's Protected 14500's The Fenix L1D CE used Ultrafire 14500 (AW's Protected 14500 would not fit).

Dexlight X.1 3W Cree @ 85"



Fenix L1D CE @ 85"



Dexlight X.1 3W Cree @ 85" Stepped down exposure.



Fenix L1D CE @ 85" Stepped down exposure.



Left, Dexlight X.1 3W Cree. Right, Fenix L1D CE @ 85"



Left, Dexlight X.1 3W Cree. Right, Fenix L1D CE @ 85"

I would stay away from that Dexlight. The UI on that light is HORRIBLE!!! Probabley the worst of any light on the market. Fenix lights in general are great, but for what you will be doing I think they are most likely not your best option.

Have you seen the twistie Dexlight? It sells for $23.95 and is basically the same thing as the Jetbeam C-LE, which is a very nice light. It has a very smooth beam without as much throw as the Fenix series, which is what you want if you will using it up close.

adirondackdestroyer said:

I would stay away from that Dexlight. The UI on that light is HORRIBLE!!! Probabley the worst of any light on the market. Fenix lights in general are great, but for what you will be doing I think they are most likely not your best option.

Have you seen the twistie Dexlight? It sells for $23.95 and is basically the same thing as the Jetbeam C-LE, which is a very nice light. It has a very smooth beam without as much throw as the Fenix series, which is what you want if you will using it up close.

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What is UI and why is it horrible ?

bp044 said:

What is UI and why is it horrible ?

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It means "User Interface" and is basically how the flashlight works. Have you ever used a multi level flashlight? It is pretty much all the rage right now and most pocket lights have at least two levels if not more.

The Dexlight 3 Watt you are looking at has a rediculous amount of levels (16 I believe) and the way it works doesn't make alot of sense.
The Dexlight that sells for $23.95 works ALOT better. You rotate the head and the light turns on it its medium output level. If you turn the light back off and then back on within 1 second (or so) it will go to the low output level, if you turn the light back off and then on again when it low output it will then turn onto the highest output. If you turn the light off for longer than a second and then turn it back on it will go to the default mode (Medium). This really is a pretty basic UI and it works pretty well for most people. It also has a Strobe and an SOS mode which come after the high mode, but you don't have to use them if you don't want to. Think of them as a safety feature that is there just in case.
My main suggestions is that you get a light with a textured reflector and a light that is easy to use. You aren't going to want a blinding hotspot if you are planning on using it up close, and you definetely don't want a light so complicated to use that it could give someone a headache.

Since you're using it for macro photography, the blinding hotspot would be an issue...
However, an L1DCE with Scotch Magic Tape (the translucent kind, not the transparent kind) over the lens makes for a very smooth beam with almost no hotspot. Should be good for lighting purposes and I believe the UI should be better than the 16-level Dexlight (I don't own a Dexlight).

Apart from that, it should fulfil all your requirements. Get L2DCE with 2AA for brigher beam.

adirondackdestroyer said:

I would stay away from that Dexlight. The UI on that light is HORRIBLE!!! Probabley the worst of any light on the market. Fenix lights in general are great, but for what you will be doing I think they are most likely not your best option.

Have you seen the twistie Dexlight? It sells for $23.95 and is basically the same thing as the Jetbeam C-LE, which is a very nice light. It has a very smooth beam without as much throw as the Fenix series, which is what you want if you will using it up close.

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I like the UI on the Dexlight X1. The Dexlight X1 UI works very similar to the Fenix and it is only when you put it into 'Advanced' mode that you have 11 output levels to cycle through. It offers a lot of choice in terms of features. It IS a very nice light, though given a choice for an EDC I would go for Fenix because of its circuit efficiency. I haven't noticed any flicker on either. The cheaper Dexlight V @ $23.95 is similar, but only has the 'Basic' modes (like Fenix). Check out the DealExtreme website for info ...

Nic said:

I like the UI on the Dexlight X1. The Dexlight X1 UI works very similar to the Fenix and it is only when you put it into 'Advanced' mode that you have 11 output levels to cycle through.

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How do you put the light in and out of the "Advanced Mode"?