Fenix E1... Why no Love?

How come I don't see a lot of Fenix E1 praise? Looks like the emitter is better protected than the E01, and color tint is not as blue as its Nichia sibling. Spec sheets say its 2 more lumens than the E01.

I tried the search tool... no dice

thanks

I hadn't even heard of this light until you mentioned it, guessing its a bit old....I guess the main reason ppl don't praise it much is because, according to flashlight reviews, it is teensy bit bright and has 15% the runtime, hardly seems worth it. Plus its 50 % more expensive.

It got quite a lot of love when it came out. I put a better led in mine and still use it now and then (it stays more or less permanently in my medipack because of its small size and neutral tint)

Great little light and would have been even better if it came out in an upgraded version with a Cree, Rebel, Seoul or Osram in it.

Sverre

Hmmm, it's only got a 3 hour battery life which is probably why it doesn't get as much love as the E01, which has 11 hour sun time and 10 hour moon time. Plus it's a bit more expensive as mentioned above.

I really liked mine and still have one left, others being much appreciated gifts. I really like having the LED under glass instead of bare like the E0 and E01, nice as those lights otherwise are.

If the E01 could have been in an E1 form factor, I'd gladly have paid another $5 for it.

The E1 is caught between a rock and a hard place.... Or between the E01 and the L0D.

Maybe Fenix is listening, and will make an upgraded emitter version in AAA, and AA form factor. I'd buy both at the same time.

It was popular back in the day, but it was kinda replaced by both the E01 on the cheap end, and the LOD on the other. The current LOD Q4 gives you nearly 3x the brightness for the same runtime on it's primary mode in the same exact form factor.

The E1 has a real tiny hotspot, too small to be useful. I gave all 3 of mine away to non-flashaholics who were impressed with the brightness of the hotspot.

I keep hoping Fenix brings it back in an updated form. Single level light...Q4 or Q5. Same electronics.

The E1 was my first Fenix..I still use it around the house.

I also got 3 LODs and other Fenix models, but I like the E1 for its simplicity.
It would be cool if they made a Q5 model, 1 level..80lumens:twothumbs

I will never buy a light with a exposed led, like the E01 or arc:sick2:

kts said:

I will never buy a light with a exposed led, like the E01 or arc:sick2:

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Well there is no glass to break in an E01. One thing less to go wrong.

If you go to the Muyshondt website, there is a link to his blog where he talks abotu a project in development that sounds very promising - a twisty AAA light with a high-grade emitter, glass lens, and not just one, but two low-output modes.

My E1 still sees occasional work as a lamp. I've got it hanging from the floor lamp beside my chair. I always liked the smooth twisting and regulation of the E1. After painting the throat of the reflector (thanks Mchlwise) with a sharpie the ringiness disappeared. Definitely an old favorite.

Geoff

I still have the two I bought originally plus one I got cheap on ebay. I put a buffed piece of screen protector on the one I use most and it diffuses the beam nicely. The chapstick cap trick works on these too.
I usually got a lot more than 3 hours runtime on mine. I seem to remember there was a lot of variation in runtime with some of these lights.
They would be great with a new emitter. My vote is for about 20 smooth lumens since I wear mine around my neck and use it for closeup work in partially dark environments. No PWM was another benefit! They were also lightweight and smooth twisting. The body cross-section was closer to triangular than hex like the L0P. I think this made them lighter weight and more anti-roll, but you still had to lay the light on the edge of the table to get the anti-roll effect. The head and tail were totally round.

Can you elaborate on that trick with a Sharpie? I'd be interested in trying that.

At the time the light was expensive compared to the E01 and has no where near as much runtime. The L0D-ce lights took advantage as they had multiple brightness settings and are fitted with cree leds

The Sharpie trick involves simply painting the inside of the throat or neck at the bottom of the reflector. That's the short cylindrical section just above the LED. If I remember those old posts, folks had varying degrees of success seemingly depending on the Sharpie used. For me, it made a big difference. This trick came from a post by member "mchlwise".

Geoff

The Fenix E1 was unique at the time of it's introduction in that it is able to provide adequate general use output/throw AND perfectly flat/constant regulated output on a common aaa ALKALINE battery.

The E0's runtime plot is also relatively flat (and much longer) on alkalines but with much lower output/thow that is more suited to close up tasks.

The L0P/L0PSE/L0D/L0DCE variants are capable of much greater output/throw but really need NiMH or Lithium cells to perform since output drops like a rock using alkalines in these.

I would like to see one of those with a Rebel 100, a Golden dragon or a Cree XP-E.

It should have a flat output, and 3-4 hours runtime with an alkaline.

Smooth beam for indoor / close-work.

Who can tell me how many lumens would this light have?

I agree, a golden dragon or cree xp-e for sure. I bet they are just around the corner.

Ble said:

I would like to see one of those with a Rebel 100, a Golden dragon or a Cree XP-E.

It should have a flat output, and 3-4 hours runtime with an alkaline.

Smooth beam for indoor / close-work.

Who can tell me how many lumens would this light have?

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