Surefire L1 Cree or E2L Cree

My neighbor asked me which one, as he can only afford one. I don't own either, so I came here for some help. I have owned the older model of E2L in the past. I know the L1 has a 2 stage switch. A ML1 is out of his reach.

what are the beam characteristics of each? Spill vs. throw? What is the tint like on each?

Thanks for any help you can lend.

I have only played with the new L1 in the store briefly, so I can't really offer any meaningful comparison. I'll just share some info on the E2L Cree.

The tint on mine is very good. It is very white leaning toward a cool white. There is some green at the very edge of the beam as is often the case with lights that use optics. The beam is very very good. It is very much like a reflector with spill and a nice wide hotspot. It is easily the best optic I have ever seen. The E2L is nicely balanced in terms of spill and throw.

I use my Surefire E2L Cree more outdoors than indoors and its consistent 45 lumen output works well for nighttime walks, checking for animals, etc. A 10 lumen light is not bright enough for my applications.

The E2L emits a constant 45 lumen output for over 9 hours on a set of batteries and runs cool despite being in constant use for extended time periods.

More E2L Cree comments in this thread.

I guess it depends on what size light is preferred. It also depends if he wants 65 lumens for 1.5hrs or 10 lumens for 16hrs of the L1 as compared to the constant 45 lumens regulated for 9hrs like the E2L. From what I've seen the beams are similar but the L1 is slightly more powerful on high. I recently purchased the E1L for backpacking and mountaineering use. I literally lost sleep deciding between it and the E2L, and L1 but ultimately deciding on the lightweight and simple E1L.

It just didn't seem that the L1 was as efficient as the E2L and E1L. The E2L has 70% of the L1's power on high yet runs for 6x as long and is only slightly heavier. To me that just doesn't quite add up. I'm still waiting for the E1L to show up. I'm curious as to how long the E1L will stay in regulation and how useful the light will be at 10 hours of runtime.

The big plus for the L1 (and L2) lights in my mind has been the flexibility to have a lower output/longer runtime beam for general use with a higher output/shorter runtime beam available when needed.

The new L1 has significantly shortened the extremely long runtimes (from ~ 150-200 hours on low) of the earlier versions, but the high beam is truly bright now and even the low beam is quite bright - more or less equal in functional terms to the earlier high beam. The beam quality is very good, finally a good compromise between all-flood and all-throw. The new compact size is also nice. Putting it all together, it's a very useful and flexible light, IMO.

I couldn't agree more:

JNewell said:

The big plus for the L1 (and L2) lights in my mind has been the flexibility to have a lower output/longer runtime beam for general use with a higher output/shorter runtime beam available when needed.

Click to expand...

Multi-stage lights make a lot of sense for "normal" flashlight use - people don't *really* need a bright beam all the time.

Tell him to go for the L1. It is always frustrating buyinga light and then wondering, should I have gone for the brighter one. Just get the L1 and keep it on low except for the times he really needs a bright light and then he can press the button all the way down.

I have a couple of Cree L1's and they're very nice lights. The guy may prefer a clicky over the two-stage twisty, though. Also, the E2L runs at it's rated output for the first 9 hours. The advertised claims on the L1 put its first stage at 16 hours at a significantly lower output. Granted, the E2L also uses two cells to do so. Six of one, half a dozen of another...

Let us know what he decides.

PS - I would, obviously, recommend the L1.

The thing about the clickie, though, is that the track record is a lot less positive than the twisties. I just made an L4 out of an E2L in BK HA and I'd prefer a LOTC to the clickie.

My E2L is a KX2 on an older flat side E2O body with Z52 LOTC. I am not a fan of the Z57 clickies either.

Thank you very much for all the input. The only problem is that there are wonderful arguments for both of these lights. I'll let him decide, unfortunately he can't get both. :goodjob:

The biggest plus for the L1 is that it is a single cell light. He can get the flexibility of two stages, and with a spares carrier with 4 cells, he'll have more than enough light to last a long time.

If the E2L ran on 17670s that might be a different story. As it stands though, if he's using primary cells, I think the L1 is more practical and more useful for general use.

If a person can only afford one light, then I would have to recommend the light that is more versatile. The L1 has two levels of light, is smaller than the E2L and only takes one battery. Lower low and higher high. The twisty tailcap should be more reliable than the clickie.

Pokerstud said:

Thank you very much for all the input. The only problem is that there are wonderful arguments for both of these lights. I'll let him decide, unfortunately he can't get both. :goodjob:

Click to expand...

You didn't mention your friend's intended use for the flashlight. Outdoors? Indoors? EDC?

I prefer the "clickie" type switch over the "twisty."

Currently have 3 of each the new Cree L1 and Cree E2L. They
are both absolutely wonderful, usefull, and well thought out
torches.

Throw and tint will vary slightly, no two of my current six are
identical in these respects.

I have one E2L-C that absolutely ROCKS beyond belief. It has
an amazing white tint, great beam, and throws like a monster!

While I'd be hard pressed to choose between them if only one
could be had, one factor makes the choice very easy...

The pocket clip.

IMO the short clip and long head on the L1 makes it carry very
high and loose, so much in fact that the L1 is no longer EDC'd
as it was always coming unseated.

So my vote (assuming he will be carrying the light), is the E2L.

Aside from the Surefire M6, the A2 has been the most ideal
light in my 15 years of using and owning nearly every SF light.
But the new E2L Cree is quickly nipping at it's heels!:naughty:

The E1L is an excellent package, however if I was to only have one light I would, without a doubt, go with the L1, for 3 reasons;

1. The SF clickies (or any clickes for that matter) are less reliable and are more difficult to make reliable than the momentary/twistie of the L1.

2. The E1 is small which is both a benefit and a curse, for prolonged use I think a slightly larger light is more comfortable to use.

3. Having a low mode is a very real benefit when you only have one light to rely on.


Also, get a Nite Glow ring or similar and attach it a split ring attached to the pocket clip - if you only have one light its important you know where it is and if you drop it in the dark you can find it quickly.

Hope this helps
Hodsta

parnass said:

You didn't mention your friend's intended use for the flashlight. Outdoors? Indoors? EDC?

I prefer the "clickie" type switch over the "twisty."

Click to expand...

Bingo! Parnass hit it.

What's your friend going to use the light for? That's by far the most important consideration in choosing a light (then comes price and all the other stuff, in my list, at least).

Can we use 17670 in E2L-C? Any noticeable output loss/ tint change?
Can we use RCR123 on the L1-C? Overvoltage? Can it run high and low mode?

darmawaa said:

Can we use 17670 in E2L-C? Any noticeable output loss/ tint change?
Can we use RCR123 on the L1-C? Overvoltage? Can it run high and low mode?

Click to expand...

If there is a rechargeable solution for these lights it will be great. However, it was stated elsewhere in this forum that the internal diameter of the E2L Cree is somewhat smaller than previous generation. It does fit the SF batteries nicely