Looking for the tiny and the usual

First things first. YOU GUYS ARE EVIL! Oh my God, i just wanted a Flashlight, never heard of things like lumen, Throw, Flood, etc.. and now im surfing through sites of Zebras, Fenixes, Eagletacs ands JetBeams There should be a warning when entering the site like "May cause addiction".

To my search. A while ago i bought a Maglite because i thought its a known brand and it sure is good. But i think "quite useless" points it best. To the lights:

The absolute small and light one:
Price Range: <100$
Length: I don't care. Just small and tiny.
Width: I don't care. Just small and tiny.
Throw vs Flood: Definitively Flood (Reading in the dark)
Runtime: min. 2 hours.
Durability: Not Important
Switch Type: Slide or Click or ?. No momentary switch.
Importance Queue: Size, Output, Runtime

The Minimag style, usual one:
Price Range: <150$
Width: I prefer a long narrow light for outer arm pocket.
Length: max. 6 inch.
Throw vs Flood: balanced tending a tad bit to flood (walking in the forest)
Runtime: min. 2 hours.
Durability: Very Important
Switch Type: Slide or Click or ?. No momentary switch.
Importance Queue: Output, Durability, Runtime, Lenght

Most important of course is, that it should be buyable through the internet. I thank everyone for helping and hope that Stasikoff soon starts "selling" his MC-E :naughty:

My current "favorite" small light is the nitecore extreme r2. Small single cr123a or rcr123 comp., great looking, $90-!00.00, infinate light setting, combines flood and throw. Just a great all around light. Second choice is any jetbeam light depending on size. i have all their lights and the rrt-2 is one of my favorites then the jet iii military. Mostly throw with their lights and the build quality is second to only a select few. I have a RA clicky on the way (based on all the threads on these) but I can not comment on it as of yet. Hope this helps.

Chef

For the small and light one to be used for reading, it's hard to beat the hands free flood of a Zebralight on one of the lower levels.

For walking in the forest I recommend staying with a warmer tint (neutral) LED. Take a look at the neutral white Quark AA squared Tactical or the neutral white Quark 123 squared Tactical depending upon your choice in battery type and output.

small flood: Zebralight H50. Size, output (100 lumens maximum), runtime (3 days on low, 20 hours on medium, 45 minutes on high), flood, durability, versatility: this light has it all.

minimag-replacement: Fenix TK20. Size, output (150 warm lumen in a nice beam, enough throw and enough flood, I use it for nighttime biking on unpaved trails and I cycle quite fast), durability (there's a thread somewhere here with pictures of a TK20 used by a caver, it looks like hell but it doesn't fail. I can't remember one single TK20 failure report on CPF.), runtime (1.5 hours on high, 10 hours on low, if you use good NiMH cells, 1/3 of that if you use alkalines), and because of it's warm tinted emitter the woods will look a lot more realistic.

For the small light (1 AAA class) don't overlook the LiteFlux LF2XT. Fully programmable and a nice reading light, too. Worth the price (about $65 shipped).

Geoff

Flying Turtle said:

For the small light (1 AAA class) don't overlook the LiteFlux LF2XT. Fully programmable and a nice reading light, too. Worth the price (about $65 shipped).

Geoff

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+1

chkurepnts

waddup said:

chkurepnts

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colour me stupid but i dont get the above

JBorneu said:

small flood: Zebralight H50. Size, output (100 lumens maximum), runtime (3 days on low, 20 hours on medium, 45 minutes on high), flood, durability, versatility: this light has it all.

minimag-replacement: Fenix TK20. Size, output (150 warm lumen in a nice beam, enough throw and enough flood, I use it for nighttime biking on unpaved trails and I cycle quite fast), durability (there's a thread somewhere here with pictures of a TK20 used by a caver, it looks like hell but it doesn't fail. I can't remember one single TK20 failure report on CPF.), runtime (1.5 hours on high, 10 hours on low, if you use good NiMH cells, 1/3 of that if you use alkalines), and because of it's warm tinted emitter the woods will look a lot more realistic.

Click to expand...

+1 for headlights but i would suggest the H501W, you may lose a few lumens but the warmer tint is great for reading esp on low.

+1 for TK20, tough as nails and great warm tint, i got myself a Romisen RC N3 warm white for a lot less from shiningbeam, so if you wish to have another 2xAA option with a warm tint and durability is not a factor, you can check that out too, have a look here

Are you going to use li-on rechargeables?


The best you can do is purchase a Solarforce L2m hosts = $20 or so plus to get 10%~15% more visible out the front lumens you need the UCL lens. Both are sold at lighthound.com and here in CA they show up in 2 days flat. Then the WF-139 charger and AW 2600mAh 18650 cell. With 1A at the tail the 2600mAh cell will give you 2 plus hours of 230 lumens.

Then go to Malkoff devices and get an M30. This will give you a 230 P60 drop-in. AS time goes by and you feel the need for more options just purchase one of 100's of P60 drop-ins. The M30WF will be show real colors and have flood type beam.


You can read here what these lights really make out the front. Most manufactures list emitter lumens which you will never see, but thanks to MrGman and his IS Sphere we can see what these lights really put out the front of course.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/229135




Now if a Surefire 6P type light is too big.... You can get a Aleph 17500 body, VME head, and Surefire clickie. Stuff it with a M30WF and you have the best money can buy with versatility to boot. This will take AA Alkalines, AA NiMH rechargeables, or AW 17500 li-on cells. Here is mine. This is super thin and about 4in in total lenght. The best part is you will have a Mallkoff Devices drop-in which is a must. Malkoff sell a single CR123 hosts that with the same VME bezel or head the entire light will be 2.75in lengh and have 230 lumens with the same M30. My GF uses it on her keys to scare cats, but they so far the cats don't budge.

I thank everyone for the fabolous help. This really showed me the right choises. As i already thought about Fenix and Zebralight, your help marked the right Flashlights for me, which are:

Zebralight H50: Not warm like 501w, but has a wider Flood

Fenix TK20: Definetively what i was looking for! I am a Truck driver in the Military and have already destroyed 3 Flashlights. In the reviews in this forum it really talks about a tank in the pants with nice flood and good Spot. Paired with the usable Runtime makes it the perfect choice for me, which i even could take to the patrol with me.

Thanks again everyone for your help

P.S. @bigchelis: Ill check your post later, as i will be on a assignment(?) next 3 Weeks. But be sure that im beware of your great post and thank you too. (Even with pictures!)