DHart
Flashlight Enthusiast
I wrote this in a post in another thread, but thought perhaps some members might find this more accessible as it's own PREON thread. And I hope other Preon owners will chime in.
I love the 18650 lights, the 14500 lights, the 16340 lights and have a bunch of each of them. But when it comes down to EDC, I really don't want much size nor weight, especially when I'm wearing slacks or suit pants. So I set out on a quest to find something really small but very potent and versatile. As a result of that quest I ordered a Mini123 and a Preon 1. At first, I thought the MiNi123 was more captivating. But in VERY short order, the Preon stole my interest, in fact it has captivated me ever since I first got it.
The Preon 1 with clicky tailcap and 10440 li-ion is now my EDC (although I often add other larger lights when appropriate) and I doubt that will be changing any time soon.
I've gotten more enjoyment out of this little Preon 1 with a clicky on a 10440 than any new light I've gotten in quite a while. The output is simply stunning on high and is wonderfully useable on low and medium. Beautiful broad beam and the sheer illumination is still fantastic, despite the breadth of the beam!
I see no reason not to use a 10440 if you like to have that stunning output blast on high available when you want it. The rest of the time low and medium meet most needs quite well. The clicky makes the three modes so easy and quick to use... I can't imagine using this light with the twist tailcap... though it is always available if ever needed, as a backup, should the clicky tailcap fail. And the amazing thing about the clicky... even though it protrudes from the tailcap for extra easy use, you can STILL tail-stand the little bugger!
I'm playing with and constantly using my Preon while the many wonderful other lights I also have are playing second fiddle 99% of the time. I just bought another Preon 1 (with clicky tailcap, of course) for my wife and a Preon 2 body for times when only AAA alkaline is available and I still want a strong punch on high, or I just want the longer runtimes from two cells. I prefer the Preon 1 form factor generally, though.
I also found that the gold Preon 1 I bought for my wife is .2 EV brighter on high than my red Preon (which already matched the brilliant output of a Malkoff M60 in my ceiling bounce measurement test). That puts the measured output of her Preon 1 on 10440 AHEAD of the Malkoff M60 by about .2 EV (that's 20% brighter!).
Not that 20% brighter is super noticible to the human eye, but it is a noteworthy increase.
So, thinking about some mix and match fun, I asked my wife she would mind swapping her gold head for my read head... she was fine with that (not being as output obsessed as I) so now we each have two-toned Preons... red/gold & gold/red. These little lights (in the great tradition of Quark lights) are just freakin fantastic in their qualities and lego-ability. They are very potent, very stylish, quite practical, versatile, beautiful, and just plain FUN.
A bow :bow: to David at 4Sevens for devising the Preon line. I became a major fan of these from the moment I opened the package. :thumbsup:
I'm trying to resist the urge to have "the complete set" in all colors. :sick2: (David, you were brilliant to offer the light in an array of wonderful colors... just entices we addicts to buy them all.
)
The only pic I have of my Preon is with the knife that is my EDC and a pistol that I carry when I leave the house. Note the tapered shape of the Preon body... it is an elegant, perhaps "sexy" light indeed. Here it is:
Over sized image changed to link
Image size now reduced... is this OK?
I love the 18650 lights, the 14500 lights, the 16340 lights and have a bunch of each of them. But when it comes down to EDC, I really don't want much size nor weight, especially when I'm wearing slacks or suit pants. So I set out on a quest to find something really small but very potent and versatile. As a result of that quest I ordered a Mini123 and a Preon 1. At first, I thought the MiNi123 was more captivating. But in VERY short order, the Preon stole my interest, in fact it has captivated me ever since I first got it.
The Preon 1 with clicky tailcap and 10440 li-ion is now my EDC (although I often add other larger lights when appropriate) and I doubt that will be changing any time soon.
I've gotten more enjoyment out of this little Preon 1 with a clicky on a 10440 than any new light I've gotten in quite a while. The output is simply stunning on high and is wonderfully useable on low and medium. Beautiful broad beam and the sheer illumination is still fantastic, despite the breadth of the beam!
I see no reason not to use a 10440 if you like to have that stunning output blast on high available when you want it. The rest of the time low and medium meet most needs quite well. The clicky makes the three modes so easy and quick to use... I can't imagine using this light with the twist tailcap... though it is always available if ever needed, as a backup, should the clicky tailcap fail. And the amazing thing about the clicky... even though it protrudes from the tailcap for extra easy use, you can STILL tail-stand the little bugger!
I'm playing with and constantly using my Preon while the many wonderful other lights I also have are playing second fiddle 99% of the time. I just bought another Preon 1 (with clicky tailcap, of course) for my wife and a Preon 2 body for times when only AAA alkaline is available and I still want a strong punch on high, or I just want the longer runtimes from two cells. I prefer the Preon 1 form factor generally, though.
I also found that the gold Preon 1 I bought for my wife is .2 EV brighter on high than my red Preon (which already matched the brilliant output of a Malkoff M60 in my ceiling bounce measurement test). That puts the measured output of her Preon 1 on 10440 AHEAD of the Malkoff M60 by about .2 EV (that's 20% brighter!).
Not that 20% brighter is super noticible to the human eye, but it is a noteworthy increase.So, thinking about some mix and match fun, I asked my wife she would mind swapping her gold head for my read head... she was fine with that (not being as output obsessed as I) so now we each have two-toned Preons... red/gold & gold/red.
These little lights (in the great tradition of Quark lights) are just freakin fantastic in their qualities and lego-ability. They are very potent, very stylish, quite practical, versatile, beautiful, and just plain FUN. A bow :bow: to David at 4Sevens for devising the Preon line. I became a major fan of these from the moment I opened the package. :thumbsup:
I'm trying to resist the urge to have "the complete set" in all colors. :sick2: (David, you were brilliant to offer the light in an array of wonderful colors... just entices we addicts to buy them all.
)The only pic I have of my Preon is with the knife that is my EDC and a pistol that I carry when I leave the house. Note the tapered shape of the Preon body... it is an elegant, perhaps "sexy" light indeed. Here it is:
Over sized image changed to link
Image size now reduced... is this OK?
Last edited:
I do this purely because (and I'm sure you can tell) I am REALLY impressed with this line of lights and I'm just enjoying the heck out of them... 
and I wanted to share my enthusiasm with folks who I think would really enjoy the benefits and fun the Preon line has to offer.
