High end 2D LED light?

By now it looks like LED's are efficient enough to run from AA and AAA batteries at high outputs with decent run time. But what if nitecore or fenix or one of the other similar manufacturers produced a 2D sized light? A step up from the venerable maglite, with all the features we are used to--high output, regulation, super long battery life from the D cells, multi level or programmable output, HAIII for durability, etc.

I notice there is another thread about a Brinkmann 2D cree light--why not something like that, but better?

Would you guys be interested in something like that?


Sorry if this has been posted before. I tried searching but "2D" is too short and I kept getting 500 results.

I would like a 1D to run on a standard rechargeable or lithium 3.7 or 3AA to 1D short and chunky :thumbsup:

There was a fenix questionaire a couple of years ago. In it, I asked about a D cell version of their lights. I can't say that they will actually make one, but it would be nice. It would be a real L2D.

I've always liked the idea of a Photon Pro head on a 1D body; would be a fantastic "candle" with well over a month of runtime..

ive already got a 2D maglite so ill probably just put a p7 dropin in there at some point and call it a day. i wouldnt want one with an XR-E, because i dont need that kind of runtime. id rather just have an AA light with an XR-E and 3 sets of AA batteries.

I'd like a 4d with multi-levels. Can you imagine the runtime with low set at 50 mah or so!

the photon proton does have an ideal button setup for a 2D light. Use button to turn on/off/adjust brightness and rotate head to get spot/flood. The size of a D cell means you could get a pretty big reflector in there with potential for serious throw.

the battery life is what gets me though might run for 6 hours at 150 lumens or something.

As you mentioned in the first post, the Brinkmann 3W 2D Digital Dimming Light does everything you are looking for - see review here:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/193331

You can get it now at Target for $8 and you can build (or have someone machine it for you) a fancy aluminum housing for a couple hundred bucks and you will end up with a high end 2D led light. :wave::wave::wave:

with the aftermarket parts that are available for the 2D Mag, you can build your own that is just what you want. The Mag is a great host platform and between Malkoff, terralux, Black Bear, and the custom fabricators available online you can alter the battery set up, change the reflector, upgrade the window, choose from many different LED's, improve the switch, add an aspherical lens... I've even seem some very fancy machining done on the bodies. You can take a Mag and spend as much as you want and make your own custom high end light. There really is no limit to what you can do to a mag with a little time and a lot of money.

You can get it now at Target for $8 and you can build (or have someone machine it for you) a fancy aluminum housing for a couple hundred bucks and you will end up with a high end 2D led light.

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well the way i see it, either i can build a light for a couple hundred or one of the manufacturers here can build a much better light (with their experience) at a much lower cost by mass producing.

I mean, im just a college kid. I dont have the means or skills or money to build random lights. I wanted to see if there is interest in such a light--something that is a step up from a maglite in the $50-75 range.

but I guess i am most interested in the switch--are there kits to change the switch on a maglite to some other style?