SF A2 - Hmmm, this thing can kinda throw!

No, it's not a Tiablo A9s or my Boxer 10W HID, but I just bumped it against my L1 Cree and U2. While the U2 throws more light in a very useful way (the U2 is way underrated here - wow!), and the L1 is pocket sized and very strong thrower for it's size with a clean white beam, the A2 incan surprised me! It easily outreaches either of it's brothers!

I think this guy is a keeper! Time to get that Aviatrix mod!

YUP, I agree. I don´t even know why Surefire still rates the A2´s incan beam at 50 lumens. It is obviously way brighter with more throw and more spill than my Kroma at 50 lumens, and McGizmo tested it for 80 lumens in his integrating sphere. And if you asked me (of course I don´t know much anyway) I´d say it´s close to 100 or over.

I notice that incan lights can out throw, to my eyes, led lights that have the same lux rating. Case in point, MikeLip's observations with the L1 Cree, and A2. The L1 Cree and A2 have similar lux figures at one meter, about 3300 lux, and both may have simiiar lumen rating, the A2 having been tested close to 80 lumens, and the L1 Cree about 85, or so. My eyes just seem to pick up that more red-yellowish beam of an incan compared to the white, white of an led light.

Bill

I don't know about all that. I do know it's pretty bright! I also compared it to my trusty companion of 30 years, my TruGrit in 3D configuration. While the TruGrit could pound the Surefire into the ground like a nail (it probably contains more aluminum in it's bezel ring than the entire A2 has), it's output, which wowed me back in 1975, looks pathetic now.

I should never have put them side by side

Bullzeyebill said:

I notice that incan lights can out throw, to my eyes, led lights that have the same lux rating. Case in point, MikeLip's observations with the L1 Cree, and A2. The L1 Cree and A2 have similar lux figures at one meter, about 3300 lux, and both may have simiiar lumen rating, the A2 having been tested close to 80 lumens, and the L1 Cree about 85, or so. My eyes just seem to pick up that more red-yellowish beam of an incan compared to the white, white of an led light.

Bill

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Oh, there was no contest. The A2 whomped the L1 Cree. Of course the L1s beam is wider, whiter and round rather than sorta football shaped. But I continue to be impressed by the ancient hotwire technology here

And the LEDs put out quite a lot of light themselves! I am starting to see the attraction of the A2!

I agree. The P61 at 120 lumens always out threw the early 120 lumen cree lights, even the smooth reflector lights like the P1DCE. Part of this has to do with SF underating and other overrating, not just incan vs. led alone.

The A2 definitely throws well. I love my A2 :rock:

As mentioned before it is a great versatile light. Has good/decent throw for everyday use and good low lighting from LEDs. LEDs are enough to light up a room, read without burning your retina and look around in dark.

I wanted the aviatrix mod, but I like the lower light of LEDs. It lets me do all tasks I want to do in decent light. If I need to really light something up I use the incan.

I am planning on leaving it as is and getting a Q5 dropin or Malfoff for a 6P or Z2.

Yep, it's a great light. The really nice thing about it is, that after a year or two (heck, it could be next month), when next super-LEDs are out and we all laugh at those silly Cree lights, the A2 will still not be outdated or obsolete. I doubt we'll ever see another regulated incan like it, so it will probably always remain a unique and special light.

True, to me it is in a class of its own.

LED61 said:

YUP, I agree. I don´t even know why Surefire still rates the A2´s incan beam at 50 lumens. It is obviously way brighter with more throw and more spill than my Kroma at 50 lumens, and McGizmo tested it for 80 lumens in his integrating sphere. And if you asked me (of course I don´t know much anyway) I´d say it´s close to 100 or over.

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Conservative estimates are usually a surefire way [no pun intended ] to hold and sustain the trust of their customers over the all to common grossly-inflated speculations other company's throw out as advertisements...inova for one thing, coast for another:shakehead

it would be unfair to compare the throw of the A2 to something with a turbohead...while the A2 is ideal in both flood and spot, its relatively incomparable to say a light using a P60 lamp assembly. Doug at FLR says the same...if you compare his numbers [arbiturary values that only applies to his reviews] the P60 outthrows the A2 by approx 1500 lux.

Im personally just sureprised the A2 can cast a relatively perfect beam despite three 5mm bore holes in the already small reflector...plus the fact the beam output is much whiter

its really, as said above, a class of its own, not much surefire can improve in terms of incandescent on this matter. there was a thread years ago [I was digging up the archives] where Size15s said something about the possibility of regulated incandescents in the C2, M2 lights [respectfully named C2D, M2D] when the A2 first emerged as "digital plus series"

I really hope surefire goe back to that again and creates something regulated with a turbohead that once and for all, beat the pants off the the 1MCP spotlights that throw like nobodys business with absolute white light [for the first few minutes] and make it pocketable like an M3T

Daniel_sk said:

The A2 definitely throws well. I love my A2 :rock:

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Me also!

PK has said on several occasions that SureFire stopped all incandescent R&D a few years ago and now focuses on LED and HID technologies.

The M3D/T proto-type makes it into my top 10 SureFires of all time. Such a shame SureFire didn't progress regulated incandescent lights when they had the chance. It's too late now.

Size15's said:

PK has said on several occasions that SureFire stopped all incandescent R&D a few years ago and now focuses on LED and HID technologies.

The M3D/T proto-type makes it into my top 10 SureFires of all time. Such a shame SureFire didn't progress regulated incandescent lights when they had the chance. It's too late now.

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This makes me wanna cry :mecry:...

Size15's said:

PK has said on several occasions that SureFire stopped all incandescent R&D a few years ago and now focuses on LED and HID technologies.

The M3D/T proto-type makes it into my top 10 SureFires of all time. Such a shame SureFire didn't progress regulated incandescent lights when they had the chance. It's too late now.

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Al, why too late ? never too late!! there are voids incan fills that LED or HID will never be able to fill IMHO. A more powerful regulated incan could be a big hit.

LED61 said:

Al, why too late ? never too late!! there are voids incan fills that LED or HID will never be able to fill IMHO. A more powerful regulated incan could be a big hit.

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they say never say never but I get the impression SureFire have moved on.

As long as they don't stop producing A2s any time soon Because, on the day I get wind production is being stopped, I can see myself stocking up...

Regards,
Tempest

Size15's said:

PK has said on several occasions that SureFire stopped all incandescent R&D a few years ago and now focuses on LED and HID technologies.

The M3D/T proto-type makes it into my top 10 SureFires of all time. Such a shame SureFire didn't progress regulated incandescent lights when they had the chance. It's too late now.

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Oh, no. That makes me sad to think it was that close. Even the regular M3 is one of my favorites. That would have been a hit!....:shakehead

Size15's said:

PK has said on several occasions that SureFire stopped all incandescent R&D a few years ago and now focuses on LED and HID technologies.

The M3D/T proto-type makes it into my top 10 SureFires of all time. Such a shame SureFire didn't progress regulated incandescent lights when they had the chance. It's too late now.

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Just to satisfy my curiosity... what are "Al's top 10 SFs of all time"?

I find that my A2 gets out-thrown by my U2 by quite a large margin... but that the A2 still is no slouch.

Grox said:

Just to satisfy my curiosity... what are "Al's top 10 SFs of all time"?

I find that my A2 gets out-thrown by my U2 by quite a large margin... but that the A2 still is no slouch.

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The "MiniBeast" proto-type is in there, as is the A2 and L2 and M6.
I guess the ICE, M3T and Titan as well plus a couple more proto-types without names... I've not really thought about it in any detail