Question for anyone with a Fenix E21

LEDrock · Apr 25, 2011

If you own a Fenix E21, what do you think of it? I can't find very much info on it here and only 1 review on youtube, where the reviewer said there wasn't much difference between the 2 modes. Probably was using alkalines, which can cause that problem.

I've heard that the beam is a bit tight, so I guess it's more of a thrower. I like that it has only 2 modes that alternate by using the forward clicky. I know about this from reading the specs on 4sevens.com. I also like that the 2 levels are 50 lumens (for general use) and 150 lumens (when you need alot of light or throw). Other lights seem to be either too low or too high, such as the Quarks with lumens of .6, 4, 19, and then a big jump up to 83 lumens. I think that's too much of a jump. 50 sounds about right.

Anyway, what are your opinions of the E21?

kj2 · Apr 25, 2011

orderd mine last week. Can pick it up this week.
I like my E20, there for I orderd the E21. Will use it for daily use. (EDC)

GunnarGG · Apr 25, 2011

LEDrock said:
I've heard that the beam is a bit tight, so I guess it's more of a thrower. I like that it has only 2 modes that alternate by using the forward clicky. I know about this from reading the specs on 4sevens.com. I also like that the 2 levels are 50 lumens (for general use) and 150 lumens (when you need alot of light or throw). Other lights seem to be either too low or too high, such as the Quarks with lumens of .6, 4, 19, and then a big jump up to 83 lumens. I think that's too much of a jump. 50 sounds about right.

Anyway, what are your opinions of the E21?

I don't have the E21 but do have the TK20 and LD25. As far as I know you change mode by twisting the head on the E21, the same way as TK20 and LD25. It's a very good UI.
The TK20 has simililar output levels as the E21 and so does the LD25 in general mode and I think they are well put. I do prefer neutral white and recommend LD25 instead but I think the E21 is a good light if you prefer cool white.
I do also think my LD25 that is a little more floody is better than my TK20 with a tight hotspot, maybe the E21 is somewhere in between.
If you like more throw or flood is of course depending on your use of the light

LEDrock · Apr 25, 2011

GunnarGG said:
I don't have the E21 but do have the TK20 and LD25. As far as I know you change mode by twisting the head on the E21, the same way as TK20 and LD25. It's a very good UI.
The TK20 has simililar output levels as the E21 and so does the LD25 in general mode and I think they are well put. I do prefer neutral white and recommend LD25 instead but I think the E21 is a good light if you prefer cool white.
I do also think my LD25 that is a little more floody is better than my TK20 with a tight hotspot, maybe the E21 is somewhere in between.
If you like more throw or flood is of course depending on your use of the light

Strange! On 4sevens site, it is described as using the button to select the modes. I've been doing a little more looking around on the internet using Google, and everyone else (and you) says you twist the head to change modes. Did it undergo a recent change? Or is it not correct what it says on the website?

wrencher · Apr 25, 2011

I too am interested in this light. The only thing holding me back is lack of pocket clip. Would like to use it
in pocket of my coveralls. Mechanic on construction equipment.

wrencher

GunnarGG · Apr 25, 2011

It is strange. If you look at other sites even Fenix pictures show it as a twist UI (but not on the pictures on 4sevens site):
http://www.thephotonshop.co.uk/page19.htm

Anyway, I think this UI is easy.
The on/off button is only on/off.
Before you turn the light on you can make sure it is in the level you want.
You can switch from low to high and back or vice versa without a lot of other modes or strobing.

LEDrock · Apr 25, 2011

wrencher said:
I too am interested in this light. The only thing holding me back is lack of pocket clip. Would like to use it
in pocket of my coveralls. Mechanic on construction equipment.

wrencher

Yeah, I just discovered this too. I had assumed it had a clip. I also notice it's a bit longer than most of my other lights, and by the picture on the site, it seems to be perfectly round, which means it will roll around since it doesn't have a clip. No holster either. How is it supposed to be carried??? Too big for a pocket, yet no holster to put it in or clip to clip it to a pocket or belt. Makes me wonder. Still on the fence on this one.

If I buy it, it would be my first leap into the world of more expensive lights. Only lights I have so far came from department stores. Oh, and it'd be my first internet purchase too!

mrpink · Apr 25, 2011

LEDrock said:
Yeah, I just discovered this too. I had assumed it had a clip. I also notice it's a bit longer than most of my other lights, and by the picture on the site, it seems to be perfectly round, which means it will roll around since it doesn't have a clip. No holster either. How is it supposed to be carried??? Too big for a pocket, yet no holster to put it in or clip to clip it to a pocket or belt. Makes me wonder. Still on the fence on this one.

If I buy it, it would be my first leap into the world of more expensive lights. Only lights I have so far came from department stores. Oh, and it'd be my first internet purchase too!

I bought a holster from deal extreme.Sometimes ill use a lanyard. At this price point this is the best 2XAA imo. i bought it to keep it in my car and take abuse. but i cant bring myself to do it. Its well made, simple, great manufacturing and it the lighting part...it does that, well. and again, the price is right.

hellokitty[hk] · Apr 25, 2011

Fully tightened bezel is max, slightly loosened (or more) is low. It's independent of the tail cap.
Under the certain conditions, it's true the high doesn't look that much brighter.
It's a bit of a thrower yes, it does have spill though.
If you really want, I can take beamshots for you tonight, but only if you specify what shots you want.
Doesn't tail stand is the biggest flaw for me.
It's a very solid light though.

Structurefire · Apr 25, 2011

The E21 is a great flashlight. I prefer the neutral for better color rendition and no noticeable loss of brightness, however those seem hard to find right now.

Yes, its a simple twisty like the TK11. It's inexpensive, well built, and bright. The output is a nice combo of throw and spill. It runs amazingly well on alkalines, but I prefer to use lithiums for extended runtime. Eventually I will buy some Enloops. The two modes are perfect.

Maybe some tiny cons: It heated up once but I have not had this happen again. It's long so it's not going to go in your front pocket. It rolls like a ball on uneven surfaces, but this is solved by installing the lanyard.

For the price, I don't think you can go wrong. It will blow anything from Walmart, Home depot, etc. away. Good luck.

kj2 · Apr 26, 2011

Just picked my E21 up at the local dealer. The light has a very narrow bright white spot. (the spot of the E20 is roomier, but the E21 is brighter)
Will test it tonight when it's dark, wanna see how far this light comes

LEDrock · Apr 26, 2011

hellokitty[hk] said:
Fully tightened bezel is max, slightly loosened (or more) is low. It's independent of the tail cap.
Under the certain conditions, it's true the high doesn't look that much brighter.
It's a bit of a thrower yes, it does have spill though.
If you really want, I can take beamshots for you tonight, but only if you specify what shots you want.
Doesn't tail stand is the biggest flaw for me.
It's a very solid light though.

I appreciate the offer but I ended up deciding against it when I discovered the measurements of the light were larger than ones I already have--both length and diameter. Not having a clip was something else I didn't like, because my current favorite light has one and makes carrying it much easier and keeps the light from rolling around when I set it down. I would want to get a light even at $40 that surpasses what I already have for much less.

I actually had ordered the light yesterday only to change my mind today and cancel. I hope 4 Sevens will still want me as a customer later on.

I'm actually considering a Quark 2AA tactical, but not sure yet.

NotRegulated · Apr 26, 2011

I specifically bought the E21 because:
- the IE (high/low level) is NOT changed via the tailcap. It is "on" or "off", and you know exactly the level of brightness because you pre-selected it.
- it is forward clickly,
- it's uses AA's (alkaline and rechargeable for everyday use and emergency use, and lithium's for cold weather use or extended storage).
- It's a neutral LED for good color rendition
- it throws well but has very good spill
- is inexpensive and sturdy

The E21 is perfectly round so it does roll around when laid on an uneven surface, however, that design makes it fit well in holsters.

For use in your car, the E21 with lithium AA's or a Surefire G2L with lithium 123's would be best.

Animalmother · Apr 26, 2011

Doea this have good throw?

mazingerz9 · Apr 26, 2011

How's the beam pattern? I would like to purchase one just to have around the house and scanning my backyard for critters.

hellokitty[hk] · Apr 26, 2011

mazingerz9 said:
How's the beam pattern? I would like to purchase one just to have around the house and scanning my backyard for critters.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?291103-Fenix-E21-R2-arrived-pictures

kj2 · Apr 27, 2011

mazingerz9 said:
How's the beam pattern? I would like to purchase one just to have around the house and scanning my backyard for critters.

for using this light around the house is great. Got mine delivered yesterday. Tested it in my backyard. Give enough light for simple indoors or close-by outdoor stuff.

JCup · Apr 30, 2011

LEDrock said:
If you own a Fenix E21, what do you think of it? ...where the reviewer said there wasn't much difference between the 2 modes. Probably was using alkalines, which can cause that problem.

I've heard that the beam is a bit tight, so I guess it's more of a thrower. ...

Anyway, what are your opinions of the E21?

My neighbor's wife recently came over in a tizzy, a runaway 9 year old was in the greenbelt behind our homes, she was looking for him. I handed her what I thought of as a thrower, my Surefire 9P with Malkoff M60. The situation was resolved, the boy rounded up by the cops and taken home. Next day, the lady asked me to order her one of those lights, as she was amazed at the brightness. When advised this would be upwards of $100, she changed her mind, but I told her I would find a similar light at under $50. Searching around, I ended up ordering the E21. Wanted a handheld with a good throw, mid sized, reflector like the SF, and common battery setup.

It arrived in a few days from Amazon, $35 shipped. I put L91 lithiums in it. Compared to my Surefire, a similar beam pattern (not as perfect a hotspot as the Malkoff) with nearly as much throw. It has a fair amount of spill. Rugged and a bit hefty, excellent metal work and finish.

I found links claiming to get 18 hours on low with lithiums.

I am amazed at the amount of light from an inexpensive 2xAA setup. Fenix is apparently going for lower price points on the "E" series, but I see little compromise with quality. I agree that the difference between low and high seems slight compared to the ratings, but Fenix now rates output based on standard tests, and the output from this 2xAA is very good compared to anything in my collection until you get to the TK40 or similar

My neighbor was thrilled. I ordered another one for myself to setup with lithiums as a backup light. It would be a great setup for heavy duty use with Eneloops, too. I see little downside, although it is not exactly compact. There are much smaller/lighter options like the Quark Mini AA2, but this one is a good value that will provide impressive throw, and can run effectively on low power with alkaline batteries in a zombie war situation.

Thumbs up here.

candle lamp · Apr 30, 2011

You can see beamshot of E21(R2 version) here.

I couldn't find any problem in using two 1.5v alkarines. I use 1.2v Eneloops normally because of its better regulation & lower cost than alkarines.
Also I can distinguish the brightness difference between the 2 modes in using alkarines.

Wfs29223 · Feb 17, 2013

Great flashlight. Well worth the money.

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