Fenix E21 Arrived!!!

I was impressed at how thin the body is. Then again, all my lights are cr123, 17670 and 18650. Very narrow body design. Tailcap is a forward clicky with a solid feel when pressed in all the way.

Didn't like how Fenix used high capacity 2500 Mah NiMH batteries (unknown brands) for their testing. It throws off the Alkaline users and their actual run times. Surefire and 4sevens uses their own primaries and provides accurate run times for primaries.

Like all SMO reflectors with an XP emitter, there is a dim dark spot in the center of the hotspot. There doesn't look like a significant difference between the low and high modes. Only slightly brighter--a similar comparison is the Surefire U2's 5th level vs. 6th level.

The machine quality is pretty good but for the gnurling, I prefer a more aggressive feel like 4sevens lights. Build quality looks and feel pretty solid like all their other lights.

This light is for my sister as a general use light. I'm just a bit concerned about the low level being too bright for the middle of the night. I'll have to get feedback from her in 2 weeks after she's used it for a bit.

Tiresius said:

This light is for my sister as a general use light. I'm just a bit concerned about the low level being too bright for the middle of the night. I'll have to get feedback from her in 2 weeks after she's used it for a bit.

Click to expand...

Yes! 45 lumens is WAY too bright for the middle of the night. My wife wakes up sometimes when I use my Quark on the 3 lumen mode (at which I promptly get yelled at), and the 0.2 lumen mode is actually enough light to make your way around if there is absolutely no other light around, but I don't like it, too dim.

Pity about the dark area in the hotspot. Seems a lot of XP-G lights with smooth reflectors have this. Let's hope the XM-L doesn't suffer the same fate.

Jash said:

Pity about the dark area in the hotspot. Seems a lot of XP-G lights with smooth reflectors have this. Let's hope the XM-L doesn't suffer the same fate.

Click to expand...

It has XP-E in the Fenix E21/nw

I got my Neutral version this weekend, pretty impressed. Like you said the 2 modes are too close together, my only real criticism. If it had a true low setting it would be a Surefire E2L AA Outdoorsman killer at 1/5 the price.

Around 5 lumen at night + or - is plenty of light for me. 40 or above is really over doing it unless you hear that bump in the night!

Why majority of flashaholics order neutral white? Is cool white not really "cool' to the eyes?

I dont have any led light at the moment. Still waiting for the shipping. So i havent seen a led light in person.

Batang Regla said:

Why majority of flashaholics order neutral white? Is cool white not really "cool' to the eyes?

I dont have any led light at the moment. Still waiting for the shipping. So i havent seen a led light in person.

Click to expand...

Hello Batang Regla :wave:
"Cool White" is just that, its an intense white light that is around 6000K (on the Cool side) others describe some cool lights as having a "clinical" AKA hospital tint. Cool White tints can also have traces of blue some worse that others depending on where they rate on the Kelvin scale.

So many flashaholics prefer neutral white tints because they offer better color rendition AKA things look more natural to your eye especially outdoors. Neutral White is usually around 4000K-47000K but varies. Neutral white tints can also penetrate fog better, this is because they are not so intensely white like (cool whites) are. If you shine a cool white tint led at fog you will most likely be blinded from the white of the light bouncing off the white fog and back at you. Neutral white leds generally have lower output than their cool white brothers however most flashaholics take the lower lumen tradeoff for the higher color rendition that neutral tints offer. So basically, Neutral white tints are better outdoors than cool white tints, but cool white tints look and are brighter. Hope my rambling helps.

I've got 3 E21 Neutrals on the way for Xmas Gifts.:thumbsup:

bladedude, I appreciate your detailed and layman's explanation.

I ordered E21 cool white. It will be use for finding things, checking parked cars. (side mirror theft, breaking glass to steal laptop)

Is this cool white a retina damaging light? If I focus this to a bad guy he cant see me clearly while i approach him?

Your Welcome Batang

I do not the exact measurement and lux readings for the E21 but based on what I know 150 Cool White lumens coming from an Xpe emitter in a smooth reflector will cause someone to have a serious spot in their eye if you shine it at them!:devil: It will disorient a person and mess up a person's night adapted vision but no permanent damage should occurr from this light. I think you will be really happy with this light and be wowed by the brightness it offers. Be careful though flashaholism is easily acquired as I discovered not long after my first high-output led.

mine is on its way! a NW one! now the waiting part ...

nutcracker said:

It has XP-E in the Fenix E21/nw

Click to expand...

Yeah I know. Bad memory. Thanks for the correction.

Still poor that Fenix can't make a smooth reflector light without the dark spot. They should look at making an o/p option so they might actually sell more lights.

I was going to get one but not with a smooth reflector.