Need to find the right flashlight.

I would like to know if anyone has the 'perfect' flashlight for me. I'm looking to use it for the following things and would prefer only using one flashlight for all. Currently I have a maglite xl100 I got for less than half price which is retty good in some respects, but I've been considering the fenix ld10/ld20. I've also researched other brands. Please let me know if anyone has a good match for the following criteria.

- Very low output mode for preserving dark adaptation while stargazing (not sure what level of light this is, but I've been told the ld20 would be too bright on low...?)
- Accordingly, require a red filter accessory
- Small enough to pocket carry reasonably well (I find a AA mini-mag reasonable. The XL100 is decent, but it feels 'fat' for it's small length)
- Reasonable runtime/brightness
- Diffuser accessory (for use as camping lantern, etc.)
- NiMH compatibility
- Good mix of throw vs. spread (I don't need to spot something 500,000 feet away, but I also don't need to see everything in my backyard )
- Reasonably lightweight (hiking, etc)
- Lanyard style for hanging (in a tent for instance)a
- Preferably takes one or two AA or AAA batteries (no 3+ cell lights please)
- Ultra durable (could use as a weapon or to jack up your car)
- Budget around $50

Wow ... has there been a lot of "help me find a flashlight" thread or is it just me? :shrug:

Personally, I find Fenixes to be a bit too spill heavy for my taste - that said I can't say the 4Sevens Quark will improve throw much over a LD10/20 but I do like that it has the low-low moonlight output.

luisdent said:

Essentially, I want an EDC light with stargazing low-brightness levels as well as options for hiking/camping (diffuser lantern style), lanyard to hang form tent possibly.

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Ah, the Holy Grail!... a single light that can do everything, and completely anathema to the flashaholic creed!!!

First thing that comes to mind would be a Quark AA. Diffuser and prism accessory available, RGB filter kit available, Lego-able with most other Quark parts/accessories, comes with a nice lanyard, holster, and cool finger loop holder-onner thingy... (sorry, brain fade time).

I bought my wife an R2 model last year for xmas right before the xpg versions came out, along with both the prism/diffuser accessory and the RGB filter kit, as we do a lot of amateur stargazing (we have a 10" Zumiel Dobsonian and are active in our local club) and she finds it meets all her needs for both stargazing and other uses. Her only complaint is that she wants it to have more run time; odd complaint considering she uses it in moon or low modes most of the time... :thinking:

Quark AA. LD20 low will be too bright. It is for me.

So it's $30 to get a red filter??? I only see the red filter for the prism module. That's $10 for the filter, $20 for the prism module. Say wah? Tell me there's another way?...

Otherwise, I think the Quark has trumped the fenix for my needs.

How about a Photon Proton? You might have to make your own diffuser for it, but it might work for everything else.

You described the quark perfectly... it's just above $50 shipped for an AA^2 in neutral white (often preferred for camping). I'm not sure about the diffuser... You could probably just stick a wider-than-usual bottle cap over it or something. It has moon mode, which will not blind you at night and lasts for hundreds of hours of on time at the minimum. It's rated at 30 days of being left on, but recent testing shows those numbers to be very conservative. Actual run time was longer.

A Fenix LD10 R4, ~55$, seems to fit your needs pretty well including budget particularly if you can take advantage of free accessories occasionally offered with this light.

I bought mine and included in the price others were charging were a red filter, a white cone diffuser (ideal for camping), and an orange traffic wand. Is the 9ish lumen low too much light with the red diffuser installed? Maybe it is... I'm not a serious stargazer, we only drag our scope out a few times a year.

tandem said:

A Fenix LD10 R4, ~55$, seems to fit your needs pretty well including budget particularly if you can take advantage of free accessories occasionally offered with this light.

I bought mine and included in the price others were charging were a red filter, a white cone diffuser (ideal for camping), and an orange traffic wand. Is the 9ish lumen low too much light with the red diffuser installed? Maybe it is... I'm not a serious stargazer, we only drag our scope out a few times a year.

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Well, Ironically, I only want the red filter for star parties, etc. Despite what most people think, red filters are not required to preserve night vision adaptation. Simply very low light. I would much rather have the lowest possible usable light that the quark offers. However, red does help preserve night vision when the light is brighter and would make sure I'm kosher at a star party.

I read in another post on the forum somewhere that the olight brand filter fits the quark aa2. Does anyone know how 'well' it fits?

I want a quark!!! haha. Too bad about the bright flash on activation, but everything else seems great.

luisdent said:

I want a quark!!! haha. Too bad about the bright flash on activation, but everything else seems great.

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The flash varies from light to light, and person to person. I think tacticals get it the worst, but I have an AA^2 tactical and the pre-flash is probably around a lumen, maybe 2. It's dimmer than low mode and brighter than moon mode (although the flash is a lot less noticeable for me in the night time). The flash is definitely a bummer for some people, but it's really just an aesthetic issue. There are no reasonable "real-world" implications (although some would argue that a .0005 second flash would ruin your night vision or something) of the flash IMO.

go for the quark. dont think about the price, think about your satisfaction. and honestly quarks are very reasonably priced. Ive purchased about 5 quarks myself. I like warm tint, so id suggest the quark AA2 warm tint, along with a single AA body.

i never use moon mode (0.2 lumens) because i live in the city, and theres too much ambient light. all i can say is i cant see anything with 0.2 lumens. LOL but if i was out star gazing, 0.2 lumens would be very useful.

the quark seems to fit your needs best.
good luck!

The XP-G Quarks are quite floody. It has a bright centre that fades smoothly into the spill. It's a lovely beam and I wouldn't even bother with a diffuser unless you want a prefectly even amount of light from edge to edge.