Fenix vs Olight vs Maratac

I've read through the threads of interest in the review section, and determined that Fenix and Olight seem to be the best brands to go with for a AAA/AA flashlight. What is your opinion? I've also thrown the Maratacs into the mix, since a lot of people seem to like them.

I plan on getting one of these for every day use, camping, and maybe world travel.
I've read that the Fenix LD10 and Olight T15 are very similar, and I was wondering how the Maratac AA compares. Looking for the best throw with the longest battery life, in the smallest package.

AAA
Fenix LD01
Maratac AAA

AA
Fenix LD10
Olight T15
Maratac AA

Thanks for the help. I also just found Titanium Innovations UlluminaTi, and it appears to best both of the AAA lights. If only I could find something on its battery life. I like that it's L/M/H. (Too bad it appears to be discontinued) I think the Maratac falls behind in the AA category since it's a twist.

Very good lights that you listed. Just a thought...
Lumapower Trust Model 1
Thrunite Neutron 1A
4Sevens Quark AA
Zebralight

Not trying to change your mind here, however, I have several of the lights you listed and the ones I listed as well. By looking at your criteria, brightness and runtimes are high on most peoples list and if you are trying to decide between the AA or AAA format, in most cases the AA format will do much better. Also, most of the lights I listed run on 3.7v Li-Ion batteries (14500) in addition to Ni-MH, primary and lithium rechargeable which will will just about double their output. I'd not discount the Maratac simply because of the twisty UI. Many lights use this feature. OH, and by the way, :welcome:

For AAA I say 4Sevens preon revo and for AA you can't beat Zebralight.

You might look at the sunwayman lights. They have respectable runtime and are well built, according to selfbuilt reviews. I own the m10a and am impressed with the medium beam and brightness. Having 10 hours of runtime on medium on a single AA is great and they have the control ring to adjust brightness. You can check out the reviews of the sunway lights at goinggear.com

Good luck.

Tony

Jackasper said:

Very good lights that you listed. Just a thought...
Lumapower Trust Model 1
Thrunite Neutron 1A
4Sevens Quark AA
Zebralight

Not trying to change your mind here, however, I have several of the lights you listed and the ones I listed as well. By looking at your criteria, brightness and runtimes are high on most peoples list and if you are trying to decide between the AA or AAA format, in most cases the AA format will do much better. Also, most of the lights I listed run on 3.7v Li-Ion batteries (14500) in addition to Ni-MH, primary and lithium rechargeable which will will just about double their output. I'd not discount the Maratac simply because of the twisty UI. Many lights use this feature. OH, and by the way, :welcome:

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Thank you. I checked out a comparison of the Thrunite with a LD10, and the Thrunite appears to be more floody with a tighter beam. Not sure if I like that.

Is there a thread that covers flashlight terms?
Flood: Spread of the hotspot through the entire beam
Throw: Overall amount illuminated by the light at the farthest distance
Beam: The diameter of the projected light you can see
Is this correct?


The Zebralight SC51 does appear to be better than all of the others.

Still checking the others yall listed out.

For AAA light the 4Sevens Preon ReVO and Klarus lights are also very nice. You can see a lot of AAA light comparisons and also a few AAA reviews on my website.

HKJ said:

For AAA light the 4Sevens Preon ReVO and Klarus lights are also very nice. You can see a lot of AAA light comparisons and also a few AAA reviews on my website.

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I've been digging through your comparisons for that past couple of days. :ironic:
Thank you for putting in all of that work.

Alright.. I think I've made a final list of AAA flashlights.

AAA
Preon ReVO (More flood) $47 Al/$57 SS *Longer lasting than Preon1*
Fenix LD01 (More flood) $40 R2 Al/$50 R5 SS
Klarus MI10 (More throw) $40 SS?/$49 SS
Maratac (Uknown) $24 Al/$28 SS

All appear to have low around 3 lumens and a high around 80 lumens.
All are L/M/H, except for the Maratac which is M/L/H.

If only I could get the actual runtime on these, with beamshots as well..

I've decided to abandon AA flashlights and go with CR123, since they have better lighting and runtime for the same size. So, AAA for a pocket flashlight to carry if I might need one. CR123 for a larger pocketable flashlight when I know I'll need one.

Expired said:

I've been digging through your comparisons for that past couple of days. :ironic:
If only I could get the actual runtime on these, with beamshots as well..

Click to expand...

Did you miss my reviews? They include runtime graphs and estimated runtime for all settings.

The Mi10 is basically the same as the ReVO, but does use a slightly older led (i.e. a little less brightness). The Klarus MiX6 is also very close to ReVO, but has M/L/H/Strobe (This light will be in my next AAA comparison).
I do usual only include outdoor beamshot, not white wall beamshots, but I suppose you have seen them.

I couldn't find anything on runtime. I got a lot of stuff on brightness, brightness on different modes, weight, and price.
I prefer the outdoor beamshots to the whitewall.

Dug a little more. So...
Runtime: ReVO > MI10 > LD01
Brightness: LD01 > ReVO > MI10
Weight: LD01 > ReVO > MI10

ReVO it is. I'm still wondering how the Maratac stacks up.

Expired said:

I'm still wondering how the Maratac stacks up.

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Maratac is basically the same as the ITP or Olight Mini. I.e. you can get a good idea about it reading that review (Maratac is probably using a older, less bright led).

HKJ, you are a wise man. Thanks for all of your input and reviews