LED-holic
Flashlight Enthusiast
My most used and carried lights are the 1AA lights I have. I have a ton of Sanyo Eneloop AA batteries available to use with these lights and the 1AA form factor feels very comfortable in my hand for daily usage.
With that said I did weeks of research on the L1D Q5, NDI, Jet-1 IBS, couldn't really decide which one or two were best so I bought them all to try out and use. After having used each for several weeks now, I've discovered what I prefer and use the most, as well as the pros and cons of each light.
I thought I'd share my personal experiences and findings here in the event that it might be helpful to future consumers who may be in the same boat as me.
Out of the three lights, the light that I EDC and use the most is the Fenix L1D Q5. It's my favorite light, by far. (UPDATE 7/4/08, my favorite light is now the NiteCore D10, with the Fenix L1D Q5 as a very very close favorite 2nd. I often carry the D10 as primary EDC, and the L1D as a back up in a separate pocket or a bag if I have one with me). The original NDI and the Jet-1 IBS are now heavily outclassed by the ND10, imho.
The Fenix L1D is a no frills light, very simple to operate, and has great power regulation so it lasts for a good amount of time. The main reason I like this light the most is because of the rear clickie. Besides the fact that it has very good illumination levels at low / med / high, the rear clickie is the most user friendly and intuitive interface out of all three lights compared here. It's extremely simple and easy to turn the light on / off, and change brightness between lo/med/hi at a whim. I find that I am often turning the light on / off, starting at lo, going to med, and sometimes going to hi to look at things in the dark as I am doing various tasks that range from close up to further away.
I think the biggest attribute of the Fenix L1D / L2D light is the clickie. They've got it right and it makes the lights a pleasure to use.
My next preferred light, as a distant second, is the NDI. The NDI has really great illumination and a very low setting, but two things really stand out that make it not quite as compelling as the L1D. The biggest disadvantage of the NDI is the fact that you have to twist the bezel to go from low to high or vice versa. The NDI I have, I often find that I frequent loosen the tailcap when I try to turn the bezel, thus rendering the NDI useless when I am merely trying to change light output. I have to then use both hands to tighten the tailcap, hold the light solidly and turn the bezel so that I can change light modes. I could put loc-tite or something similar on it to keep the tailcap tight, but I don't have this problem when turning the bezel with the L1D. The rear clickie also feels fragile and I fear I could easily break it if I use it too much. The second disadvantage of the NDI is the crenelated bezel. It makes pocket carry a bit more complex since the sharp edges could tear up my pocket / other items if I'm not careful. This is a minor quibble compared to the first disadvantage though.
Finally my Jet-1 IBS is a third preferred option. The light body is of superb quality, but it is too smooth to hold without adding tape to it to make it grippier. There are three light indentations to hold onto, versus the six indentations in the L1D body which makes the L1D much easier to hold. I love this light, but the biggest flaw is the rear clickie. I had read multiple reviews on this light and the complaints about the rear clickie. I honestly thought people were blowing it out of proportion when they said the rear clickie was hard to engage. I have small finger tips and I can easily manipulate any rear clickie, or so I thought. In reality the rear clickie is every bit as hard to activate as people have said, and then some. I feel like sometimes I am jamming/ hurting my fingers just to turn the damn light on. The light is a great light, the but rear clickie is not acceptable when it's used as a EDC light. The rear clickie would drive me crazy if I was to use it as my primary light. I've seen people mod the rear clickie so that it's more usable. But to me, it's not acceptable for a light that costs this much, to have a rear clickie that is simply unusable out of the box. I still love this light and may consider modding the rear clickie to make it more useful, but imho I shouldn't have to go through that in the first place.
So the bottom line is while I love all three lights, if I had to do it all over again and I could only buy a single AA light, I would go for the Fenix L1D, in a heartbeat. The ease of the rear clickie and changing modes is simply the best advantage from a daily carry and use perspective.
If you've got disposable income and want to collect lights, then by all means the NDI and Jet-1 IBS are mandatory to have in your collection as well.
I hope some future readers find this useful.
7/4/08 EDIT: UPDATED to add NiteCore D10 info as follows:
The NiteCore D10 has now replaced my Fenix L1D Q5 as my preferred primary EDC.
While I still love my L1D Q5 and highly recommend it, here are the reasons I chose the ND10 as my new EDC:
1. Form Factor: The ND10 is shorter and slimmer than the L1D Q5, thus more pocketable. The ND10 is perfect size for an AA light, imho. Any shorter and the lens would be blocked by my palm when I hold it, and it's slim enough to be portable, but big enough to have substance when operating it. Out of all my AA lights, this light's form factor is the best.
2. Clicky feedback and feel: The piston clickie physically feels better than the rubber pen style clickie of the L1D. It's hard to describe how exactly it's better, but the short of it is the piston clickie has a very firm tactile feel, but is such a short stroke that I can very easily and intently activate the piston clickie at will. The other advantage is I can loosen the bezel and use the ND10 as a momentary forward clickie if I wish. The feel and flexibility of this is amazing!
Oh, the silent operation of the ND10 piston clickie versus the audible plastic clickie of the L1D (and other lights with this type of clicky for that matter) is a big difference. I love being able to click silently, such as turning on the light discretely in the movie theater without noise.
2.1 UI/ease of use: On another note, the UI is great on the ND10, but I would rate it as equal to the UI on the Fenix. On the Fenix L1D, once I have clicked it on, it's so easy to go from lo to med to hi that it's pretty much brainless. On the ND10 I have to think a bit more about what I want to do. It's pretty automatic once I played with the ND10 for a few minutes since I got it, but I still have to be more deliberate than the Fenix L1D.
On a very minor note, a good improvement to consider for the ND10 UI is to have a constant memory for the user adjustable setting. In other words, every time you click on the piston, the light will always come on at your last adjusted setting. Then to go to low, either ramp down, or double click for low. To go to high, ramp up, or click and click/hold for high. This would be a better UI than the current UI, but the current UI is still very very usable, so don't get me wrong here.
On a laziness level, the ND10 piston clicky is easier to activate, but once activated, the Fenix L1D is easier to change modes on. But both UIs are very easy to use, les I give the wrong impression. I love both UIs, and have no real preference of one UI over another. Sometimes it's nice to just click on to high without skipping other modes on the ND10, but other times it's nice to have the reassurance that I can always start in lo and swith to med/hi easily on the L1D.
Luckily, I have the best of both worlds by carrying both the ND10 and the L1D. I use the ND10 UI most of the time, and for a change of pace I sometimes use the L1D UI. Perfect combination imho.
3. Grippiness: The knurling on the ND10 is perfect. I added tape to the L1D to make it grippy enough. Don't even mention the Jet-1 IBS in this!! The Jet-1 IBS is so smooth it would be dropped many times unless you add some grip material to it. Strangely, although the NDI has knurling, it still feels a bit too smooth to hold. The knurling on the ND10 is tops in my book. Not too aggressive to wear out your pockets, but so secure to hold in your hand that you'd rarely drop it.
4. High and Low beam: The high beam on the ND10 on eneloopes appears whiter and brighter than my L1D Q5 on high (I rarely use the L1D on turbo), and the low on the ND10 is far lower than the L1D Q5. I used the low on the ND10 at a theater in the dark, and no one else really noticed my light. It's perfect from a low stand point, compared to the L1D, whose low is a bit brighter than I'd prefer.
So there you have it, my new top EDC, the ND10, the best 1AA light to come along yet.
I will have the LF5XT coming shortly, so expect an update soon... :devil:
Update 7/11/08: received LF5XT, first impressions in post below, will add to this section soon.
some pix:
From left to right - all 1AA lights:
Zebralight H50, NiteCore D10, Jet-1 IBS, NiteCore D.I., Fenix L1D Q5
Here's the ones that are able to tail-stand, along with a pocket knife:
With that said I did weeks of research on the L1D Q5, NDI, Jet-1 IBS, couldn't really decide which one or two were best so I bought them all to try out and use. After having used each for several weeks now, I've discovered what I prefer and use the most, as well as the pros and cons of each light.
I thought I'd share my personal experiences and findings here in the event that it might be helpful to future consumers who may be in the same boat as me.
Out of the three lights, the light that I EDC and use the most is the Fenix L1D Q5. It's my favorite light, by far. (UPDATE 7/4/08, my favorite light is now the NiteCore D10, with the Fenix L1D Q5 as a very very close favorite 2nd. I often carry the D10 as primary EDC, and the L1D as a back up in a separate pocket or a bag if I have one with me). The original NDI and the Jet-1 IBS are now heavily outclassed by the ND10, imho.
The Fenix L1D is a no frills light, very simple to operate, and has great power regulation so it lasts for a good amount of time. The main reason I like this light the most is because of the rear clickie. Besides the fact that it has very good illumination levels at low / med / high, the rear clickie is the most user friendly and intuitive interface out of all three lights compared here. It's extremely simple and easy to turn the light on / off, and change brightness between lo/med/hi at a whim. I find that I am often turning the light on / off, starting at lo, going to med, and sometimes going to hi to look at things in the dark as I am doing various tasks that range from close up to further away.
I think the biggest attribute of the Fenix L1D / L2D light is the clickie. They've got it right and it makes the lights a pleasure to use.
My next preferred light, as a distant second, is the NDI. The NDI has really great illumination and a very low setting, but two things really stand out that make it not quite as compelling as the L1D. The biggest disadvantage of the NDI is the fact that you have to twist the bezel to go from low to high or vice versa. The NDI I have, I often find that I frequent loosen the tailcap when I try to turn the bezel, thus rendering the NDI useless when I am merely trying to change light output. I have to then use both hands to tighten the tailcap, hold the light solidly and turn the bezel so that I can change light modes. I could put loc-tite or something similar on it to keep the tailcap tight, but I don't have this problem when turning the bezel with the L1D. The rear clickie also feels fragile and I fear I could easily break it if I use it too much. The second disadvantage of the NDI is the crenelated bezel. It makes pocket carry a bit more complex since the sharp edges could tear up my pocket / other items if I'm not careful. This is a minor quibble compared to the first disadvantage though.
Finally my Jet-1 IBS is a third preferred option. The light body is of superb quality, but it is too smooth to hold without adding tape to it to make it grippier. There are three light indentations to hold onto, versus the six indentations in the L1D body which makes the L1D much easier to hold. I love this light, but the biggest flaw is the rear clickie. I had read multiple reviews on this light and the complaints about the rear clickie. I honestly thought people were blowing it out of proportion when they said the rear clickie was hard to engage. I have small finger tips and I can easily manipulate any rear clickie, or so I thought. In reality the rear clickie is every bit as hard to activate as people have said, and then some. I feel like sometimes I am jamming/ hurting my fingers just to turn the damn light on. The light is a great light, the but rear clickie is not acceptable when it's used as a EDC light. The rear clickie would drive me crazy if I was to use it as my primary light. I've seen people mod the rear clickie so that it's more usable. But to me, it's not acceptable for a light that costs this much, to have a rear clickie that is simply unusable out of the box. I still love this light and may consider modding the rear clickie to make it more useful, but imho I shouldn't have to go through that in the first place.
So the bottom line is while I love all three lights, if I had to do it all over again and I could only buy a single AA light, I would go for the Fenix L1D, in a heartbeat. The ease of the rear clickie and changing modes is simply the best advantage from a daily carry and use perspective.
If you've got disposable income and want to collect lights, then by all means the NDI and Jet-1 IBS are mandatory to have in your collection as well.
I hope some future readers find this useful.
7/4/08 EDIT: UPDATED to add NiteCore D10 info as follows:
The NiteCore D10 has now replaced my Fenix L1D Q5 as my preferred primary EDC.
While I still love my L1D Q5 and highly recommend it, here are the reasons I chose the ND10 as my new EDC:
1. Form Factor: The ND10 is shorter and slimmer than the L1D Q5, thus more pocketable. The ND10 is perfect size for an AA light, imho. Any shorter and the lens would be blocked by my palm when I hold it, and it's slim enough to be portable, but big enough to have substance when operating it. Out of all my AA lights, this light's form factor is the best.
2. Clicky feedback and feel: The piston clickie physically feels better than the rubber pen style clickie of the L1D. It's hard to describe how exactly it's better, but the short of it is the piston clickie has a very firm tactile feel, but is such a short stroke that I can very easily and intently activate the piston clickie at will. The other advantage is I can loosen the bezel and use the ND10 as a momentary forward clickie if I wish. The feel and flexibility of this is amazing!
Oh, the silent operation of the ND10 piston clickie versus the audible plastic clickie of the L1D (and other lights with this type of clicky for that matter) is a big difference. I love being able to click silently, such as turning on the light discretely in the movie theater without noise.
2.1 UI/ease of use: On another note, the UI is great on the ND10, but I would rate it as equal to the UI on the Fenix. On the Fenix L1D, once I have clicked it on, it's so easy to go from lo to med to hi that it's pretty much brainless. On the ND10 I have to think a bit more about what I want to do. It's pretty automatic once I played with the ND10 for a few minutes since I got it, but I still have to be more deliberate than the Fenix L1D.
On a very minor note, a good improvement to consider for the ND10 UI is to have a constant memory for the user adjustable setting. In other words, every time you click on the piston, the light will always come on at your last adjusted setting. Then to go to low, either ramp down, or double click for low. To go to high, ramp up, or click and click/hold for high. This would be a better UI than the current UI, but the current UI is still very very usable, so don't get me wrong here.
On a laziness level, the ND10 piston clicky is easier to activate, but once activated, the Fenix L1D is easier to change modes on. But both UIs are very easy to use, les I give the wrong impression. I love both UIs, and have no real preference of one UI over another. Sometimes it's nice to just click on to high without skipping other modes on the ND10, but other times it's nice to have the reassurance that I can always start in lo and swith to med/hi easily on the L1D.
Luckily, I have the best of both worlds by carrying both the ND10 and the L1D. I use the ND10 UI most of the time, and for a change of pace I sometimes use the L1D UI. Perfect combination imho.
3. Grippiness: The knurling on the ND10 is perfect. I added tape to the L1D to make it grippy enough. Don't even mention the Jet-1 IBS in this!! The Jet-1 IBS is so smooth it would be dropped many times unless you add some grip material to it. Strangely, although the NDI has knurling, it still feels a bit too smooth to hold. The knurling on the ND10 is tops in my book. Not too aggressive to wear out your pockets, but so secure to hold in your hand that you'd rarely drop it.
4. High and Low beam: The high beam on the ND10 on eneloopes appears whiter and brighter than my L1D Q5 on high (I rarely use the L1D on turbo), and the low on the ND10 is far lower than the L1D Q5. I used the low on the ND10 at a theater in the dark, and no one else really noticed my light. It's perfect from a low stand point, compared to the L1D, whose low is a bit brighter than I'd prefer.
So there you have it, my new top EDC, the ND10, the best 1AA light to come along yet.
I will have the LF5XT coming shortly, so expect an update soon... :devil:
Update 7/11/08: received LF5XT, first impressions in post below, will add to this section soon.
some pix:
From left to right - all 1AA lights:
Zebralight H50, NiteCore D10, Jet-1 IBS, NiteCore D.I., Fenix L1D Q5
Here's the ones that are able to tail-stand, along with a pocket knife:
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