Beginer flashlight for edc

hi,
i have recently started to carry a maglite (only a small one 2AA batterys) around with me everywhere as part of an edc, i have only ever collected lowcost torches that i have liked, however now that im older i would like to get a more expencive flashlight somthing around £40 but not any more than £50, which i belive is $78, i am looking along the lines of somthing like a fenix L1D Q5 or the nitecore d10, i would really like some advice in regards to any other brands as i am new to this area of the market and havent really got any really good quality torches, so please bear this in mind in your reply.

thanks very much in advanced
your comments are very much apreciated:twothumbs

IF THERE IS ALREADY A POST REGARDING THIS, IF YOU WOULDNT MIND LEAVING ME A LINK TO IT THANKS :twothumbs

easy for me, but ...

EDC --> Fenix E01: price, ruggedness, size and runtime

"use" light:
Ni-Mh charging equipment available: 2AA light like Fenix L2D, LD20
no Ni-Mh equipment: single 18650 light + cells + charger (cheaper, more power in cell, same size than 2 CR123 lights, a bit shorter than 2AA)
--> Jetbeam Jet III models with I.B.S. brightness setting

... nothing running on CR123
... no single cell light (except for 18650 and EDC AAA)

I have a D10 and love it, it will knock our socks off when you compare it to your mini mag (on high) or it can actually get dimmer than your mini mag (on low) for nite time navigation around the house. also it is variable output is very nice. If you want strobe and SOS modes go with the fenix otherwise (although some newer fenix models dont have strobe or sos) Realy it all boils down to your preferences

Ohh the nitecore has much better knurling and makes holding the light way easier

When I hear EDC, I think of pocket carry. For me that means small. As in watch pocket small. For this, I like my Orb lights (Raw and Al 100), a JiL DD and a Fenix L0D.

If I were going to get another small light for EDC, It would be either the LiteFlux LF2X, or the Fenix LD01. Both are plenty bright for 90% of anything that you would need and are solid performers. The price is well under what you set as a limit, too. :thumbsup:

I will also put in a vote of confidence for what Youfoundnemo said. The D10 is an awesome AA light. Simple UI, good performance on lithium primary cells and excellent knurling.

testno2283 - welcome. Nice to see someone else buying with pounds not dollars.


If your only previous EDC was a Minimag then you will be very pleasantly suprised.

Either the Fenix LD10 ( New style L1D CE) or the Nitecore D10 will keep you happy for ages.

The ORB NS or AL are really great and bright and tiny, their manufacturer, Rob, is a great chap to deal with and they are made right here in England to boot! I think you can pick one up for about £50 including charger.
They are beautiful, but not as blatantly rugged as the other two.

Have a search on these forums and good luck.


Be lucky...

I cant comment on Fenix (dont have one )
but the D10 I can ..... its a great light :thumbsup:

Save a little more money and grab a 2nd hand Novatac from
the CPFMarketplace :devil:

I can vouche for the D10 but even moreso for a Novatac. You can buy a 120P from the marketplace in like new condition incredibly cheap and it's a VERY rugged and very functional light. It's renowned for its perfect beam pattern and huge number of levels of light (22, but you program a few of them to be accessible within a simple touch or two) and reasonable output (120. A mini mag may put out.. Em.. 10?) while being smaller than a minimag.

I strongly don't recommend Fenix. Bad experiences with very bad tinted emitters, off-centered ones, damaged reflectors, overrated output, and in general not great experiences have soured them for me.

The Orbs only last on maximum brightness for a few minutes and are pretty much a novelty item to say "Hey, look, I have a tiny flashlight that's really bright" which is not really what you want for a beginner EDC.

I can vouch for both Nitecore and Fenix. Quality is quite good, proving the Chinese are quite capable of making good kit when they care to, and both companies have shown interest in continually renewing and upgrading their models over time. In the end you just have to pick the one you think you'll like better. I lean more towards the D10/EX10 because I like the interface and lack of strobe better, but I do have about a dozen Fenixes and I like them too.

You may be interested in reading my flashlight guide, linked below.

Check this thread for Maglite drop-ins and mods.

For other brands, also look at Eagletac, Liteflux, Olight, Lumapower, and Jetbeam.

How will you use the light?
What type of user interface do you prefer?

:welcome:

:welcome: I have a Nitecore D10 and it's amazing! My wife has wrapped it up as my Christmas Present so I can't play with it for a few days but it's an awesome light. I also have the Fenix L1DQ5 and that is also a great light but the D10 is just so much brighter and for me that's a factor. My wife now EDC's the L1DQ5 and I will use the D10. You can't go wrong with either light. I think they are small enough for EDC, at least for me. But some people like the Photon lights which are good and the Fenix L01 (AAA batteries) is a good light. I will probably buy one of those after the Holidays as a spare keychain light. I like all my battery powered lights and gadgets to use the same size batteries and AA is perfect for radios and lights, not to mention TV remotes, Wiimotes etc... Plus we have massive sales on AA batteries locally for Energizers for $10.99 for 24 batteries!
Plus I have the Sanyo Eneloop batteries and those are awesome! I think you will be amazed by the D10 it's brilliant!
Tiff

Welcome to CPF!
Another recommendation for the D10. It has a simple interface and no annoying strobe or SOS. These are not bad to have if you do not have to cycle through them all the time like you do with the LD10. The Fenix L1T v2.0 is a simple 2 stage light. Click for on and tighten or loosen the head for high and low.

hey testno,
my 1st true EDC "torch" (i dig the way you say that), was a fenix p2d q5. of course it led me to more and more torches but it is a fantastic light to consider.
recently the nitecore EX10 was voted the 2008 FLASHLIGHT OF THE YEAR by the CPF members. you can't argue with that!. does'nt matter if you're a beginner or a full blown flashaholic you should check this torch out. with that many knowledgable people choosing it above all others this is the light for you. if batteries are an issue the D10 was a close runner up. you will be well served with either.
please let us know what your final choice is?

Look at one of the flashlight checklists such as

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/96884

This contains a lists of features that are available in different flashlights. You are the only one who knows what is important to you. Prioritize by what is most important. Sometimes you can get everything you want, sometimes you have to compromise. Decide what you want and they try to find a flashlight to match you needs.

Get it over with and go straight to Novatac, HDS/RA.

hi guys thanks alot for your replies its helped alot, i think im probally going to look at the d10 however i still havent check out all the ones that other users sugested, so i will keep you posted but thanks again. and thanks for the checklists link its serving quite well, i will maybe fill it out and drop you the answers here if you wouldnt mind specifying a couple of more specific ones however it has still been very helpfull and i will keep you posted thanks again
matt

maxa beam said:

I strongly don't recommend Fenix. Bad experiences with very bad tinted emitters, off-centered ones, damaged reflectors, overrated output, and in general not great experiences have soured them for me.

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If you order through fenix-store.com you get an unconditional lifetime warranty on all fenix lights:twothumbs

I agree the orbs, while small and bright, very bright... do not last long enough to warrant being your only EDC. I would say go for the Nitecore, as I have read many good things about them and I chose the Nitecore Extreme(after about a week of research and numerous threads) to be my next EDC... assuming Santa brings it this year

What about a Jetbeam Premium Element? Cree Q5, dead simple UI, and a forward clickie tailcap.

My personal pick would be a single-cell CR123 light. Buy a handful of CR123s with your purchase and they'll last a while. Lithium cells might be expensive, so their advantage shines (no pun intended) in weight, runtimes, and resistance to the elements. My personal recommendation would be an Eagletac P10C. It's small, dual level, very tough, and can be had from the Eagletac store for under $60USD. Use CPF8 coupon code for a discount. They're selling crenulated bezels as a $9 add-on now, as well.

gallonoffuel said:

My personal pick would be a single-cell CR123 light. Buy a handful of CR123s with your purchase and they'll last a while. Lithium cells might be expensive, so their advantage shines (no pun intended) in weight, runtimes, and resistance to the elements. My personal recommendation would be an Eagletac P10C. It's small, dual level, very tough, and can be had from the Eagletac store for under $60USD. Use CPF8 coupon code for a discount. They're selling crenulated bezels as a $9 add-on now, as well.

Click to expand...

as im kinda new could i please ask what a crenulated bezel is thanks

testno2283 said:

as im kinda new could i please ask what a crenulated bezel is thanks

Click to expand...

See Here


It is a metal ring you put on the head of a light, usually via threads on the inside of the head. The metal piece has little cutouts. Sometimes it is also called a "strike bezel" because I guess it could be used in self defense if need be.