newbie help!

Hello there guys! I am a newbie when it comes to flashlight collecting. I have already started with the MiniMag and the Mag Solitaire. I thought i am the only one who has the habit of carrying a nice torch in his pocket all the time. It turns out alot of guys are doin the same thing with BETTER TORCHES!!! :twothumbs

I am planning to get my next one but i am still confused with my choices. I am planning on buying the Fenix L2D, the Surefire 6p or the E2E or Z series combat light and the Mag lite 4D. Can anyone help me out with my choices? My primary considerations would be a good beam strength and a good beam throw. I would use them for general household use and for car use.

Among those i have listed above, which would be the best choice and would offer me more "bang-for-the-buck"?

To the Fenix L2D owners, are they as tough as the Minimags? Thanks guys and please ENLIGHTEN me on being a flash-a-holic!!:candle:

First and foremost, :welcome:

There are many nowadays that can fit ones budget and requirements. Always fit the light to the requirements...won't go wrong that way.

You should also consider whether you are going for rechargeable option or just use primary batteries. The format of the batteries also plays a part in picking the right one for your needs.

Many brands to choose from but all comes with its pros and cons. Choosing the right one first time round shall benefit greatly so in order for us to really recommend any particular light, you should firm up your requirements......

thanks for the reply jumpstat! it made me re-think my options. to be more specific about my uses, id want something reasonably small but powerful enough to eclipse my Minimag. I have had for 10 yrs and I am lookin around for a worthy upgrade. Well to be more specific, something in the range of 100-150 US dollars would be my price target.

Right now, I might decide against the mag4D since i would be using the flashlight as a constant pocket buddy when i go on ER duties. The minimag has served me well but I am now set for an "upgrade". Any opinions or feedbacks regarding the Fenix or the surefire models i have mentioned? Right now I am forced to chose 1 for the time being, other models would come later as i get hooked into this hobby.

A million thanks to you dude!

glasgow said:

To the Fenix L2D owners, are they as tough as the Minimags?

Click to expand...

Welcome to CPF.

I would say at least as tough. It is a much better light in so many ways, and one I would definately recommend to anyone, and certainly to someone starting out. The only thing - compared to the MMag - is that it is a little longer, so some people may find it harder to pocket. I do carry mine in my pocket sometimes, but usually carry a single AA light. There are many good single AA lights that will outperform a MMag. Fenix L1D, Olight T-15 [or T-whatever the AA model is], a few Jetbeam models, the Photon Proton Pro to name a few.

Take a look at the REVIEW forum here, and at FlashlightReviews [which hasn't had new lights reviewed for a while, but is still the gold standard for reviews IMHO]. Look at the beamshots. I think a lot of new flashlight fans tend to put too much weight on how well a light throws without realizing that flood / spill is important too. Of course it depends how you will be using the light.

Welcome to the forum!

+1 for the L2D. and get yourself an L1D body tube to go with it (like around 12 dollars plus shipping) and you'll be able to use 2AA or 1AA depending on your needs, their interchangeable. I had 2 L2Ds and got 2 L1D bodies and now can convert them to L1Ds, so it's like I have 4 lights!

Dantor, that's a great idea.

thx LED_Thrift, just passing what I've learned here, but you know he's gonna end up getting them all! lol SFs are great lights; someday...

If you want low priced and good output, look at the Cree/Seoul/Rebel sections of Dealextreme for well reviewed lights.

LEDs have come a long way. Now 2 AA lights can out lumen the 6D Maglite pretty easily and out throw them if the light had the right reflector.

How much throw do you want? You can get 100+ meter throw from a flashlight less then $30(Well, it will require rechargeable special batteries). This one is one of the best throwing LED light available. Minimag length but thicker.

The L2D-CE Q5 would be a great place to kick off this hobby. Fenix Store also has a 8% off coupon for CPFers, "CPF8".

Hows this for durability?

The Welcome Mat would also explain a lot of the terms.

:welcome:

You bet if I can type something to MiniMags



lets start:
a very nice to grip light, with its knurling and such
a very nice to look at light - colored anodizing
but
sucks heavily in output, tends to turn itself on in pocket, bulb lasts 1.5-2 sets of batts before

the L2d wins in every dept one can think of (brightness, several light levels, runtime (at same output than that dim MM), ruggedness of finish, rugedness overall, ...), only the MM is cheaper.

Get an L2D and You wont regret it - even Your buddies who carry SFs 6P will get a light beating. Their lights are simply worse in output and runtime ...


PS: for this shot here, I unscrewed head and tail of my L2P (I have no D-CE), that it has the lenght of 14.7 cm Fenix-Store mentions.
I would say: that 1 mm it is longer to the MMs will be more than equaled by the larger diameter of the MMs head --> pocketing will be about the same.

The L2D should make a great light for you.There are also upgrades for your Mini-Mag that improve it considerably but it won't be as impressive as the L2D.
Another light from Fenix that you may want to consider is the LOD CE.
The LOD CE uses one AAA and is close to the size of your solitare but offers much better output.The LOD CE is nice because it is so small yet offers performance you would expect from a bigger light.

Guys!! thank you so much for giving me all those tips and advice on picking out my next upgrade. I am overwhelmed by the responses i received from you guys within 2 days of my thread posting. Keep all those tips coming in because Dantor maybe right...i might end up getting the whole lot!! heheh!

I really hope someday i would be able to post WORTHY pics of my collection here. It would really silly to post pics of my Solitaire and Minimag! I checked out some of the posts that you guys have around the forums and all I can say is that they are all AWESOME!:wow:

You guys are the best bunch! I feel right at home around here already! I hope to hear more from you guys! Keep me ENLIGHTENED!:thumbsup:

:welcome: Enjoy your stay here....

:welcome:glasgow. First do what i did when i first came here read,search and ask before you buy trust me it will save you in the long run +1 on the LD2 i got one as soon as they came out love the thing.

This is a good, but long read. It lets you weed out mnay of the mediocre lights. Just beware of the lead time for orders from Dealextreme, they can take up to six weeks. That said, my last order shipped in 4 days. You also might want to read th thread on Li-ion batteries. It is VERY educational. Good Luck!

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/176577

Welcome to CPF!!
If you are looking at someting pocketable then I would definitely suggest a one cell light. As mentioned, take a look at the L1D or O-Light at the Fenix Store. David (the guy who runs it) is a memeber here (CPF name 4sevens) and is well respected for his customer service. He also does not charge for shipping. Fenix lights are a great bang for the buck IMO and are a good introduction into this hobby. The L1D is particulary good for newbies because it uses readily available AA batteries.
Since you mentioned your budget was $100-$150, you may want to take a leap to a higher end brand like Surefire. The L1 is a great light. It is made tough and has two useful levels. It takes a CR123 battery though (which a lot of high end lights do). These batteries are pricey in stores so everyone here usually buy them online with prices starting from $1.50 per cell. I caution you to not go too crazy at first (like me and many others did) until you find out what your preferences are. There are many things to consider such as battery types, user interfaces, switch type, aesthetics, size, etc. Keeping researching because there is a lot of information here. Have fun!

The L2D comes with a holster so you can hang it on your belt if it does not fit in your pocket.

Reviews:
http://flashlightreviews.com/reviews/fenix_l1dce-l2dce.htm
http://flashlightreviews.com/reviews/maglight_minimag.htm
http://ledmuseum.candlepower.us/ninth/fenixl2d.htm
http://ledmuseum.candlepower.us/ninth/fenixl1d.htm

You really got me thinkin here guys but all good cheers to you all for sharin' all your thoughts regarding my quest for my "next ONE", hehe!

Nice links you sent me there Gunner12! It made my jaws drop! that DRee lights are BEAM THROWERS! I want those lights too! PErfect for giving my noisy neighbors a nice sunburn! hehe! :devil:

To Oddjob, thanks for givin me the link to the Fenix store and to Mr. David. I would like to hear from him soon. I am really amazed that people who are enthusiasts as well as the ones who are involved in the manufacture ( like Mr. PK of SF) and the ones who are in sales of all the good lights out there converge on this forum.:thumbsup:

And to all the guys who gave me their tips, THANK YOU SO MUCH! You make my search a lot easier and fun! Keep them comin because all of them adds up to me on bein a full-fledged FLASHAHOLIC!!:thumbsup:

Actually, you'll need something like this to give your neighbor sunburn(Just remove the UV blocking window).:devil:

First, LEDs. Then, Multi LEDs, then you realize you want even more power. Highpower Incan mods, HIDs... It will never end.

Enjoy your stay!