Surefire T1A - I get it now

run4jc

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$239 for a small pocket light? Surely you jest!! I've read post after post - I'm a CPF regular (almost too regular for my wallet!) and talked myself out of the T1A so many times. "The tint is too bluish..." and many other comments held me off. So I bought one of the limited edition Quark 123T neutral white lights and absolutely love the light - the low is low, it's my only warm tint light and it does a great job. But....as an owner of 5 Surefires - all purchased in September - the siren song of the T1A would not stop. So I broke down and ordered it from that 'junction' that sells batteries - it's worth it to me to pay for the service dealers like Battery Junction and 4sevens provide - and the light just arrived. Wow!

I get it.

What an amazing little package. No photos of unboxing - there are plenty of those - and no beam shots, although I will do some Quark Vs. T1A comparisons, but I did take the following photos.
What an AMAZING LOW! This is as low as I could get it, and the emitter is just barely lit:

4015463614_2f7d0909ef.jpg


Bumped it up just a bit....

4015463654_eb5e6f43e1.jpg


Here's a side by side with the little Quark - a terrific light in its own right:

4015463684_4dc98fcf82.jpg


It's worth adding to the collection...big money for a small light, but it definitely fills a niche!

It'll be doing a lot of EDC duty!

PS - no blue tint to mine - it is more of a 'pure' white...

:D
 
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F250XLT

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These can be had on the secondary market for about $150, nice light for the price.
 

batmanacw

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Andover, Ohio
This is very high on my list of lights I have to have. The twisty action is cool as hell.

I am really pleased to see Surefire trying to be innovative instead of resting on past accomplishments.
 

run4jc

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Re: Surefire T1A - beamshot/comparisons

For fun I compared the T1A with a neutral white Quark 123T and a Surefire C2 with Malkoff M60F drop in:

Quark - light is at an angle to the wall - about 5 feet away (unfortunately I let the light from the T1A bleed into the lower right corner of the photo:

4016817848_eabf82347e.jpg


Side by side - both on high - didn't have time to tweak my camera and capture the lows of both:

4016055481_8f6a2ab4c3.jpg

Surefire/Malkoff Corner shot:
4016819570_8093ab415f.jpg


T1A corner shot - on high:

4016820504_65ae841a75.jpg


The Surefire C2 Malkoff M60F pair:

4016821808_befa690e87.jpg

4016822740_d297511938.jpg


Although I own a better camera, a DSLR, this is a point and shoot and is, of course, on full auto. If you want to see the Exif data, visit this link.


T1A on high:

4016816896_f99028020c.jpg
 

Kestrel

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Oct 31, 2007
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Willamette Valley, OR
(Though there is currently one benefit the T1-Ti has over the T1A - its width. The top of the HellFighter's handle has a circular grove along the length of the handle, and the T1-Ti rests absolutely 100% perfect in that grove. So I now have my T1-Ti velcro'd onto my HellFighter (; ...)

Now that sounds like a great pair. :huh: Pics?
 

lrp

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Aug 16, 2003
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I've pondered buying one myself, they look very nice for a edc!
 

kts

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Dec 5, 2007
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It sure looks blue compared to the Quark :green:
 

run4jc

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Thanks for sharing! (And thanks for emptying my wallet, because you know damn well that I need to order one now...)
Resistance is futile...I tried to fight it! Finally gave up - and you know what, I'm glad I did - it fills a niche.
I've read your reviews - you have far more knowledge and experience with these lights than I do. And you have an M6!!
Get a T1A - you'll absolutely love it...
:twothumbs
 

DimeRazorback

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May 3, 2009
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Australia
:shakehead

I have been procrastinating with the T1A for a while... but it recently jumped a few places up my list.

Lately there have been a few positive posts about it, and now I just want one more and more!!

:shakehead :broke:
 

DimeRazorback

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May 3, 2009
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When comparing warm or neutral lights to cooler ones they always look blue in the face.
Even with a set colour temp.

For eg. some people were shocked at "how blue" the A2L was compared to the A2 in my beamshots.
Shown here:

P8082209.jpg


Fact is, I was just showing the beam shapes not the tints, and even with set colour temp, cameras still have to adjust to the different colour temps in the pics.
Which in turn makes them both look less then realistic.
 

BSBG

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May 6, 2007
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USA
I picked up a T1A a few weeks ago and it has become a favorite of mine as well. The tint is cool, but by no means unbearable as some suggest. Very handy, easy to carry, great beam and super low for dark-adapted tasks.
 
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