Help me pick my first EDC Flashlight

So I've finally decided to purchase my first EDC flashlight and I've been doing some reading on the forum regarding which to purchase. So far it seems like the Novatac™ EDC 120P is the light to beat but I'm really not looking to spend over $50 or so. Poor college student budget

The consensus after the Novatac 120P seems to be that the Fenix P2D-Q5 is a good value, I'm also considering the Fenix P2D-CE (mostly because it's cheaper $46 shipped), and also this flashlight (see link below $42 shipped), which was recommended to me on another forum. I have to say for the price it seems like you get a lot, rechargeable battery setup, AA adapter, Al body, however those output ratings seem a bit high and the information they provide seems fairly vague, they also don't list the maker leading me to think it's generic or made by the website themselves.

So keeping my budget in mind which would you get? Feel free to offer other suggestions if they're in my price range. I'm tempted to w/ the generic light based on the good review given to me by another forum member, and the fact it seems very adaptable and it's cheap (comes w/ battery/charger etc), on the other hand it's a no name brand and if I'm going to spend $40+ on a light I want to know that it'll last me for awhile. Of course Fenix has the name and warranty behind them, but they are a little more expensive once you factor in batteries. I wish I had the $$$ to just pick up a 120P but I don't and I'm really going nuts trying to figure out what light to pick... any help you more experience guys could provide would be great. Thanks

http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=234

Welcome to CPF.

Keep the price of batteries in mind.
CR123As are 2 for $20 in local B&M stores. Online they are cheaper only if you buy in bulk. This means a big initial investment.
The Fenix P2D CE does not work properly with rechargeable RCR123A 3.7V batteries. So you are stuck with disposable CR123As

How big are your pockets? I am wearing jeans most of the time and find only AAA lights fit in the tight pockets. So I will recommend the L0D Q4. Also available in olive and red. Don't forget your CPF discount of 8% coupon code CPF8

If AAA is too small for you consider the L1T v2.0 RB80. Uses common AA batteries. Unless you need strobe and SOS you do not need to get the more expensive D series.

The Fenix P2D is a good light. I have the P1D and prefer the rear clickie of the P2D. I'll be converting my P1D as soon as Lighthound gets the Leef bodies back in stock. I wouldn't let the CR123A batteries scare you away. Lowes carries Surefire brand two packs for five bucks. Not very expensive.

I'll agree that CR123 batteries shouldn't scare you away. If you live in the States (we can't tell), you can get SureFire batteries locally for about 20 bucks for a pack of 12.

Fenix gives you great bang for the buck. +1 on the Fenix lights.

-Steve

Fenix offers some great lights to fit your needs. I second the LOD Q4 for a great EDC. It can cover almost all your typical lighting needs and fit unnoticed in your pocket.

If you need more brightness for longer runtime - The P2D or P1D are nice but a little bigger for pocket carry. Another good consideration is a Photon Pro that uses an AA cell. I am sure there are a couple of other cheaper contenders but these are pretty safe bets and are close to your price range.

Duh. Coast/LED Lenser also has some good ones. So does Inova.

IIRC, Coast/LED Lenser has a tactical type rechargeable unit that has decent light levels and throw for under 50 bucks at Sportsman's Warehouse. It's about the size of an Inova X1, so it's pocketable.

Gerber also has some AA sized LED lamps too.

-Steve

I think the Novatac 85P for $99+ free shipping from lighthound is the most over-looked deal around! I just got mine the other day and I absolutely love it! I have plenty of Fenix lights and while they are great lights, the Novatac's are worth the extra $$ to me. I am having flash-backs of my old HDS Ultimate 60 the last couple days since this 85P arrived!

Bottom line if you are on a REALLY tight budget, buy the Fenix. It is still an awesome light that is brighter than the 85P. But if you can come up with a little extra $$, the Novatac could possibly be the last flashlight you would ever need(stress the NEED). With sacrificing some brightness you get a light that is bombproof and is more customizable to how YOU want your light set-up. Which ever light you buy, you will be blown away :thumbsup:

Someone (not me) is selling a Photon Proton on Marketplace right now for a low price.

I like to wear cargo pants when I am not working, and my P3D and L2D fit fine. If I was wearing jeans or slacks, I don't think I would like them for an EDC.

I carry an L0D Q4 on my keychain and I don't notice it in my pockets when I am wearing slacks.

Look at nitecore,itz over you budget but looking iz free.................:tinfoil:

i'd go with the l0d q4, it's small and easy to carry, it uses AAA batteries which can be easily found and cheap, also it is within your price range plus bright enough for everyday common use

Thanks for all the suggestions your input is defn helpful, I'll do a little more research on the new lights you guys mentioned. Did anyone have any opinions of the light I linked to?

Can't comment on the light you linked, but I would recommend a AA light for EDC. When you are out in the world, you can pretty much count on being able to find AA's. You will probably end up needing batteries and not having backups at some point if you edc the light.

This is from my experience edc'ing a novatac 120p + photon and moving to a nitecore DI + arc aaa for the reason I specified.

I think you might like the P2D Q5 better than the Novatac. The Novatac is much tougher, and is far more user-customisable. But you probably won't need something all that tough, and Fenix is made well enough to suffice for normal activities and a bit of abuse. I think the Fenix UI is great, but others disagree - what I like most is the fact that you can set whether it comes on in high or low while it is off by turning the bezel. Of course the Novatac has that and much more, but I personally don't need anything more - the extra options get in the way. And of course the Fenix is brighter and runs 2-3x as long at 100%.

Besides that, I'd like to add in one highly biased opinion. Due to Novatac's response to an email I sent them, which was not only not helpful but actually quite rude, I will never be purchasing from them. Maybe they change once you have purchased one of their products, but I will not stake $200 on that chance.

The P2D is the brightest light near your budget. But you have to be smart about the batteries - in local stores they cost $20 for 2. SureFire sells their batteries for $20 for 12 - they are also good quality cells, so I would recomment an additional initial investment of $20 in SureFire batteries. So that's really $80 for the P2D.

Fenix also makes the L1D at the same price. I would recomment this for your 1xAA EDC. I beleive it is the second best 1xAA - the best, the Nitecore Defender Infinity, is another $20. Since it runs on AAs you don't have to factor in battery cost, although it performs much better on NiMh rechargeables, or lithium non-rechargeables.

whew, OK, to AAAs The Tiablo MA1 is in your price range, and is a very good and bright light. For $15 more I would highly recommend the Liteflux LF2X, just released. This light is even more programmable than the Novatac 120P. It also comes with many useful accesories. It can be set to be much brighter than the MA1, but for a very short runtime. It performs far better on a li-ion rechargeable, but will run on a normal AAA.

I really can't tell whether the light you were looking at is good. But I would not purchase it unless somebody reviews it soon. I would be very surprised if it was brighter than the Fenix L1D. Also, from what is provided, it might not be regulated.

A last note: I have defined EDCs as lights with 1 battery. But you may want to EDC a great all-around light, the light I call the minimag killer I own a Fenix L2D, and it really is a great all-around light. As bright as the P2D and longer running, and uses common batteries.

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask

fireblast713 said:

Thanks for all the suggestions your input is defn helpful, I'll do a little more research on the new lights you guys mentioned. Did anyone have any opinions of the light I linked to?

Click to expand...

I would pay a little more for a name brand that comes with a good warranty. The Fenix you mentioned, the P2D, will probably be significantly brighter than the light you linked.

The Q5 version of the P2D is brighter then the normal P2D(it is $55.20 after the 8% off coupon at Fenix Store, "CPF8", though it is still more expensive then the P2D-CE at $47.90 after discount).

There are some good lower priced lights on sites like Dealextreme(look in the Cree/Seoul/Rebel section), but you would have to put a bit more work to read reviews and wait longer then if you buy from a good store.

It's much cheaper to buy CR123s online. I've also heard the 3.0v rechargeable batteries work with the P2D.

:welcome:

Keep in mind that 4sevens said today in the Fenix R-Bin gossip thread that just because a light isnt a premium model, doesn't mean it has a P4 led. He said he's had a few batches with Q4s!

Another option for a student budget would be to go to Target and get a River Rock 1-AA 1-watt flashlight. I think you can find some reviews on it here.

Having a torch on you all of the time can be useful, and will change how you value flashlights, even if you're not happy not having one now. I wouldn't get any of Fenix's current Line-up, but I do not regret my 2 Fenix lights (hmmm, I was in college :ironic, am EDCing the LxD-CE (P4) until I can get its replacement. They will offer you good performance for your money.

Choose your features and get one of their single cells, then your own charger and cells (check out Target and Walmart, for common places to get AAs). All of them will perform better with NIMH than Alkaline or CZ. If you get a cheap-but-decent kit, it will likely "pay for itself" against to alkies in a few months.

So a forum member saw this thread and ended up offering me a used P2D-CE and I ended up taking it. Also should I be worried about the modifications? He assured me they didn't affect performance, but not knowing what was done to the light, I really don't know what to think about it.

fireblast713 said:

So a forum member saw this thread and ended up offering me a used P2D-CE for $35 shipped and I ended up taking it, was this a good deal? Also should I be worried about the modifications? He assured me they didn't affect performance, but not knowing what was done to the light, I really don't know what to think about it.

-Fenix P2D CE (~1 year old) modded with:
-Lens glowring that glows after light is turned off
-Refocused reflector for smoother beam
-Unpotted head – allowing access to the emitter should you decide to have it upgraded
-Fenix brand holster
-Fenix brand wrist lanyard
-4 cr123 primary lithium batteries

Click to expand...

The 1 year old P2D is likely to be a P2. While this is a good deal, I'd spend the extra $20 to get a brand new spanking Natural P2D Q5 at the fenix-store, which will be MUCH brighter. Use the coupon CPF8 at checkout to get 8% off and get the price down to $55.