brightest AAA

Just wondering if the fenix lod q4 at 75L is the brightest AAA out there for a modest price??
:thinking:

From my readings, the KD 1XAAA SSC buckle light is the best 'bang for the buck'

http://www.kaidomain.com/WEBUI/ProductDetail.aspx?TranID=3241

build quality is not on par w/ Fenix for obvious reasons, only type II anodizing but the brightness is the same if not more than the fenix on 1XAAA Nimh.

i just ordered one and cannot wait.

Agreed. Probably the brightest AAA out there right now, excluding custom built lights.

Even though the kd puts out 100 L and the fenix lod q4 75 L, should I be worried about build quality/durability issues since one is 15usd and the other 46 usd?

you're only out 15bucks

you can buy 3 of the KD's for one fenix.

I posted this on another forum when someone asked about the Surefire G2 vs Fenix P3D. The part relevant to this post is that the Fenix L0D Q4 with a 1.5V lithium AAA primary outshone a mini maglite 2 AA with a 100 lumen terralux drop-in. I thought the mini mag had AA lithiums but when I check afterwards, they were alkaline. Here's the post:

Our camping trip got postponed a couple of weeks due to flooding in our campsite. We didn't feel like pitching our tents in running water. So the long distance beam shots will have to wait.

But I didn't want to keep you waiting so here are some outdoor beam shots from closer range. These were taken from about 15 feet or so. All of the lights had batteries that have been in various stages of use except the L0D Q4, which is new, and the G2 incandescent which has been my camping light. I haven't changed the batteries in about 4-6 camping trips of 2-4 nights each, and when I turned it on, they were dead so the G2 got a fresh batch. All lights were on maximum, if they had multiple settings.

I found it interesting that the L0D Q4 with its 75 lumens out threw the mini-mag with the terraLUX drop-in supposedly throwing out 100 lumens. Also, the incandescents have excellent throw, but the Q5 LEDs throw very well too and have a better spill beam.

My pick for the best overall outdoor light will be the G2 with the BugOutGear premium Q5 drop-in along with a Petzl Tikka XP headlamp. I will confirm my guess on our next camping trip.

Oops, the picture without text is the Fenix P3D Q5.

Over sized images changed to links

The buckle light falls short of it's 100 lumen claim.

Also, I found these using the search function

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/182231&highlight=AAA
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/184069&highlight=AAA
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/184831&highlight=AAA
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/184529&highlight=AAA
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/183945&highlight=AAA
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/179957&highlight=AAA
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/181269&highlight=AAA
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/180227&highlight=AAA

etc., etc

Absolute brightest? Probably LOD Q4 on 10440's

dammit that "pay $XX" button is wayyy to easy to press...argh!

Crenshaw

hanzo, your photos are too large - the CPF limit is 800 x 600 pixels.

Please resize them.

It's not officially supported, but the L0D CE (MAKE SURE it's Cree!) will output nearly 156 lumens on a 10440 lithium 3.7v battery.

Khaytsus said:

It's not officially supported, but the L0D CE (MAKE SURE it's Cree!) will output nearly 156 lumens on a 10440 lithium 3.7v battery.

Click to expand...

And the Q4 will put out around 180+

Marduke said:

And the Q4 will put out around 180+

Click to expand...

Oh yes, I put a Q5 in my Lo-Ti and it absolutely rocks! It's unreal with a 3.7v Li-ion. Soon I plan to have an R2 in there :tinfoil:

Ok.....I've read all the possible threads on AAA Led's.....done all the research about build quality/brightness....now I want to know what you guys have to say about these 2 lights and which one to buy....

1. fenix lod ce q4, 75L, type III hard anodized $46
2. KD 1AAA SCC, 100L, type II hard anodized $15

My dilemma....I originally was going to buy the fenix...then found the KD and the great price, but after reading lots of posts....not sure about KD biuld quality/longevity??

Thanks guys:thinking:

Had to move this question from the LED section due to the rule about not posting similar threads

sj29 said:

Ok.....I've read all the possible threads on AAA Led's.....done all the research about build quality/brightness....now I want to know what you guys have to say about these 2 lights and which one to buy....

1. fenix lod ce q4, 75L, type III hard anodized $46
2. KD 1AAA SCC, 100L, type II hard anodized $15

My dilemma....I originally was going to buy the fenix...then found the KD and the great price, but after reading lots of posts....not sure about KD biuld quality/longevity??

Click to expand...

Are you going carry only one of the above lights at times? If it's your only source of light at times, you may want to invest in the higher quality of the two. If you intend to carry one of the above along with another light, you're still covered if something goes wrong with the less expensive and well made.

Ken

Thanks Ken......I think this will be a single carry for now.....at least until I save up for the next purchase.......
The fenix lod q4 is probably the one.....just not sure about the durability of the KD

Whenever I can find a product that is significantly less than another comparable product, I usually buy the cheaper of the two first. Then if I'm left wanting more from the light I'll consider spending more on the other version(s).

In this case the KD is 1/3 the price of the Fenix, so I'd definitely try the KD first. (which is why one is on its way to me from DX )

violatorjf said:

Whenever I can find a product that is significantly less than another comparable product, I usually buy the cheaper of the two first. Then if I'm left wanting more from the light I'll consider spending more on the other version(s).

In this case the KD is 1/3 the price of the Fenix, so I'd definitely try the KD first. (which is why one is on its way to me from DX )

Click to expand...

I think the optimal word here is comparable. If the two lights are indeed found to be comparable, it would be wise to choose the less expensive. Some users have suggested however that the Fenix is actually higher quality and therefore they may not be comparable quality. In fact, it may well be that a buyer is getting the quality that they are paying for in each. If this is the case, it's simply a matter of wanting more quality and willing to pay more or being ok with less quality and happy to pay less.

Ken

violatorjf said:

In this case the KD is 1/3 the price of the Fenix, so I'd definitely try the KD first. (which is why one is on its way to me from DX )

Click to expand...

The buckle light? I thought it was KD only?

Marduke said:

The buckle light? I thought it was KD only?

Click to expand...

:duh2: You're right, meant to type KD...guess I'm just used to ordering from DX.

Ken - you may be right about the quality. I will definitely share my thoughts on the light after some use. I don't have the fenix light, so I won't be able to do straight comparisons, but I will share my opinion as far as the quality and output for the $15 price tag.

violatorjf said:

:duh2: You're right, meant to type KD...guess I'm just used to ordering from DX.

Ken - you may be right about the quality. I will definitely share my thoughts on the light after some use. I don't have the fenix light, so I won't be able to do straight comparisons, but I will share my opinion as far as the quality and output for the $15 price tag.

Click to expand...

I look forward to hearing the review. We gain much insight from each other on CPF.

Thanks violatorjf