Fenix LD01 Medium>Low>High or Low>Medium>High

Hi all,

I've often read that people don' t like the settings of the Fenix L0D/LD01
Medium>Low>High

and they would like more

Low>Medium>High

What do you think about that? Which order do you prefer? And why if you like Medium>Low>High?
I would like more Low>Medium>High.

I like the way it is. Having it turn on with medium offers a good amount of light for a reasonable run time, and I think thats the most useful mode.

The AAA lights (better : keychain lights, otherwise I forget the P1D) are the only ones where I like it that way and they are also the only ones that Fenix programs that way! :thumbsup:

As it is a little light which you mainly need as a keychain light, you normally want some output when you switch it on.

For the bigger lights with a clicky, I preffer a start on low.

I was wary of the med -> low -> high cycle of the LD01, until I got one. Yes medium is the right choice for a key chain light, and keeps the light accessible to non-flashaholics (most are surprised that a light could have multiple levels) who have enough trouble switching it on the first time.

I did show it to one of my female friends, who thought it was awesome and asked if you could turn it straight onto high, for self defense purposes. I told her no, perhaps I should get her a liteflux and program it that way. Though I suspect she'd buy more time throwing her keys and flashlight at a would be attacker rather than try to blind them with 80 lumens

(Actually now that I think of it more, something with more punch and a forward clicky would be better for that purpose, I'll get her an L1T)

I usually go for low with my L0D's, which is actually about as bright as I wish medium was, with low being just light enough for pitch black visibility. When I got my first L0D I was really happy with the three levels but have since become spoiled and picky, now wishing for a low on all my lights even lower than my D10 or 120P will do.

My favorite UI to date is the L1D type and I wish that Fenix would come out with a true low. I know the L0D interface will never change, but I wish they were customizable anyway. Guess I'm the odd man out.

I prefer it the way it is. But I do wish there was some quicker way to switch modes.

I think this calls for a poll

I kind of like the med low hi now that I have it in my hand.

Low is not low enough though.

I like it high med low.

med low high

What are the difference between the Fenix L0D and the LD01 ?

From what I can see the descriptions are

L0D goes Primary - > Low -> Max -> Strobe Mode -> SOS Mode (Max at 75l)
and the
LD01 goes Med -> Low -> Max (Max at 80l)

So is Primary the same as Med? Is this right?

Tim

LD01 has a higher PWM, redone reflector, and no strove or SOS. The LED bin was also changed, but that is minor. The circuit is also slightly more efficient.

Southernlight said:

What are the difference between the Fenix L0D and the LD01 ?

From what I can see the descriptions are

L0D goes Primary - > Low -> Max -> Strobe Mode -> SOS Mode (Max at 75l)
and the
LD01 goes Med -> Low -> Max (Max at 80l)

So is Primary the same as Med? Is this right?

Tim

Click to expand...

Yes, Primary is medium and I personally like it that way.

The improvements were:
(1) Increase the PWM frequency of medium and low to eliminate the awful distraction that the older, slower PWM caused. (biggest improvement to me)
(2) Eliminate the two blinking modes that most considered a nuisance, leaving 3 modes instead of 5.
(3) Upgraded the LED to a Q5.

And on top of all that, they lowered the price a couple of bucks.

The only downside is the lack of smoothness in the beam - the 'Cree rings'. I've got an older one that has an extremely smooth beam, but the PWM bugs me and you have 5 modes to cycle through. It's noticeably not as bright as the new Q5, but that wouldn't concern me, if I didn't have to deal with the PWM.

The new LD01 is not winning any contests creating excitement, but for the price point, it's still one of the best values out there. Time seems to have reasonably proven it's dependability. I don't hesitate to recommend it.

I would prefer something like a 5 lumen low > medium (in the teens) > high (maximum output for an hour of runtime). I think switching between modes on my LD01 is pretty quick, so I don't mind the 3 "clicks" to get to high or the 2 "clicks" to get to medium. Lubricating your light makes the twisting a lot more pleasant. I think all lights should go from low to high, personally. I really like my Zebralight .

The single AAA is the best option for me as an in my pocket around the house at night light. I think I'd prefer "low > med > high", however as nars42 mentioned you can switch over pretty quick.

I could live with "med > low > high" but like many others, if I only get one wish I'd like the low to be real low.

Tim

how much low should low be, in your opinion? 5 lumens?

HighLumens said:

how much low should low be, in your opinion? 5 lumens?

Click to expand...

Even less than 5 IMHO but we will ever agree on this one!

HighLumens said:

how much low should low be, in your opinion? 5 lumens?

Click to expand...

The low on my 120P is set down to .08lumens now, and I wish it could go down to about 1/3 of that. I've been messing with it in Tokyo the last couple nights and even on that low of a setting, I can see it hitting the ground underneath street lights, which means it will be far brighter than I'd like it to be when I'm in the pitch black but just want a little trail correction before turning it back off again to keep my night vision.

Low>Medium>High with a 2 lumen low.

that way i don't get blinded when i start out.
i can always crank it up, but if it starts out too bright i lose my night vision.

low->med->high would do it nicely for me.

In fact it's the reason I haven't bought an LD01/L0D yet, because most of the time I just need a small amount of light, for checking dark cupboards, inside PC cases, checking for potholes etc.

The reason I want to upgrade from my E01 is that I want to be able to take my flashlight camping with me, and then I'd want higher output available to me for night hiking, and for "heavy duty" use.

coyote has a good point about night vision.

With only 3 light levels, it really doesn't matter that much to me. Furthermore, with a twisty, my fingers are on the barrel of the light when I turn it on. After that, a turn or two more to get it to the level I want isn't a big deal.