Looking for a new light, what are the MUST HAVE features/functions?

ganymede · May 13, 2011

Guys,

The more I read the more I am confused, there are just way too many good choices out there! I would like to know if you are looking for a new light, what are the MUST HAVE features/functions?

On top of:
1) led type, bin, tint
2) reflector size, type and depth
3) throw vs flood, spill
4) run-time
5) efficiency

I have listed down a few features/functions as follows:

1) battery type (AAA/AA/2xAA/CR123/2xCR123/14500/17670/18650)
2) head size, body size and length
3) no of modes (moonlight, lo, med, high, turbo, strobe, SOS, ramping)
4) tail cap battery lock-out
5) type of switch (clicky (forward/reverse/memory), twist, PD, side switch)
6) pocket clip
7) type of body finish

With the number of features and their different combinations here, I feel that I am really lost here! Am I over analyzing it? How do you prioritize which features to have? By the way, I am looking for a light that is more or less the same size as a Maglite AA.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

WarriorOfLight · May 13, 2011

I guess the requiremends depends on the invividual likes and dislikes and the type of light you are looking for.

Example:
It is a difference if you are looking for a EDC light that is all the way in your pocket or you are looking for a bright light that you are using i.e. whne you we doing your dayly night walk.
A pocked EDC light ist for me a CR123 / AA / AAA sized light, a 2xCR123 / 18650 (and similar sized lights) are to large for my pocket.
A light I'd use dayly for a night walk could be a 2xCR123 / 18650 kight or maybe a larger light.
If you i.e. need a light that is as bright as possible and the size does not matter also lights with more than one 18650 would be interesting.

My favorite pocked EDC lights use a single CR2, CR123, AAA or AA cell (LF2XT, SF Titan/T1A, Nitecore D10, Nitecore EX10,...). Larger lights are to big for my pocket.

My favorite bright lights are 1x18650/2xCR123 sized lights. In my case it is a P60 compatible host with a TochLab or Kerberos dropin....

ganymede · May 13, 2011

I will most likely carry my light in a back pack so 2xAA, 2xCR123 or 1x18650 are not a big problem, I am currently looking at:

1) Fenix PD30/31, LD20,
2) Neutron 2A and 2C
3) Jetbeam BA20, BC20
3) Eagletac P20A2 and P20C2 MK II
4) 4Seven Quark AA^2, 123^2

Expired · May 13, 2011

There is a new PD31. I'm waiting to see all of the specs, but plan on getting one.

I think the best way to go about choosing a light, is to decide..
1. How you are going to use the flashlight. (Small tasks/blinding people at a distance)
2. What size of light you want.
3. Which battery type you want to use.
4. More throw or flood.
5. Runtime vs lumens.
6. Features.

Outdoorsman5 · May 13, 2011

ganymede - you are considering most of the things I/we all think about when getting a light, and it mostly depends on what you will use the light for.

For instance the most important things to me regarding my primary EDC light is - size (no more than 4"), must be lightweight, good balance of throw & flood within 30 yds, multiple levels (min of 3, but like more), has a low that's less than 1 lumen for night adjusted vision, runs on Li-ion and primaries (so I can use my favorite rechargeables but have the option to use a primary in a pinch), single cell light, deep carry pocket clip, one-handed operation, does not HAVE to be locked out to carry. So, I carry a Quark AA R5 with the regular UI, tactical tail, deep carry pocket clip, & runs on 14500 producing 200 lumens with great runtimes on all levels.

My favorite secondary edc light is a keychain light running on an AAA. My requirements were weight, size, brightness, multiple levels with a low low, and I wanted it to be more floody - I carry the ITP EOS R5 upgraded edition.

My favorite lights to give as gifts are the 2xAA lights for general use. I feel these lights are among the best for non-flashaholics since they run on common AA batteries and the performance is outstanding. I like to give out - Quark AA2 R5 and the Fenix LD20 R5 for their size, output, multiple levels, ease of use, and all around performance (brightness & runtimes.)

My favorite headlight to go running with (I run before sun up) needed to be small, lightweight, multi-level, with throw & flood, and bright - I run with the zebralight H51w - love this light. I like the neutral tint, but neutral tints are not a must with me...not yet anyway.

My preferences for my secondary light that I run with is somewhat unique to me because I run on unlit trails through the woods. I wanted VERY bright with lots of throw all in a small package running on Li-ions. I chose the Quark Turbo X & use it with one of 4sevens finger grips so I won't drop it. This is currently my favorite light of all of my 30+ lights. So small & bright with tons of throw. It also legos with all of my other quarks, but I like it on the body it came on running on a Li-ion 17670.

My preferences for a super thrower was - throw, brightness, multi-levels, small enough to fit in a jacket pocket, 2 x 18670 batteries, weight was also a consideration. I went with the EagleTac M3C4 XM-L. I love this light with it's range of very low to very bright. The amount of throw coming out of such a small package is amazing. I got to handle a Fenix TK35 recently and liked it better. Throw was similar, but the light was smaller than my ET with a great range of output levels.

My preferences for lights in my cars and emergency kits were - multi-level with a low low, run on common batteries, lego-able so if one breaks it can still be used for spare parts, size & weight (always a consideration for me), not limited to one battery type, and tough. I went with the Quark AA2 mostly plus have the quark AA, quark 123, quark turbo, & a couple of the 18650 bodies. The quarks are among the most versitile lights IMO, and a great system to build on. I don't love the two UI's offerred by 4sevens, but like them well enough. My edc is a quark, my car lights are quarks, my emergency lights are quarks. I have many other brands, but in an emergency I grab the quarks since they are interchangeable with each other.

ganymede · May 13, 2011

Thanks for the reply.

My primary usage for the light will be for EDC in my back pack while traveling and around the house. I won't be carrying it my pants or jacket pocket. I agree with you 2xAA are great for general use, AAs are easily available, I already have a plenty of Eneelops and AA/AAA charger so there will be no additional cost to acquire another charger. On the other hand, a 2xCR123 or 1x17670 or 1x18650 lights are much more powerful, have longer runtime and a shorter body relative to a 2xAA light, the down side is that I will need to buy a dedicated travel charger (I have a Hyperion EOS720iNet3 Charger powered by a 30A power supply at home).

As for size, I would say my limits are 150mm (6") in length and a head diameter of 25-28mm (~1.125")

Outdoorsman5 said:
ganymede - you are considering most of the things I/we all think about when getting a light, and it mostly depends on what you will use the light for.

For instance the most important things to me regarding my primary EDC light is - size (no more than 4"), must be lightweight, good balance of throw & flood within 30 yds, multiple levels (min of 3, but like more), has a low that's less than 1 lumen for night adjusted vision, runs on Li-ion and primaries (so I can use my favorite rechargeables but have the option to use a primary in a pinch), single cell light, deep carry pocket clip, one-handed operation, does not HAVE to be locked out to carry. So, I carry a Quark AA R5 with the regular UI, tactical tail, deep carry pocket clip, & runs on 14500 producing 200 lumens with great runtimes on all levels.

My favorite secondary edc light is a keychain light running on an AAA. My requirements were weight, size, brightness, multiple levels with a low low, and I wanted it to be more floody - I carry the ITP EOS R5 upgraded edition.

My favorite lights to give as gifts are the 2xAA lights for general use. I feel these lights are among the best for non-flashaholics since they run on common AA batteries and the performance is outstanding. I like to give out - Quark AA2 R5 and the Fenix LD20 R5 for their size, output, multiple levels, ease of use, and all around performance (brightness & runtimes.)

My favorite headlight to go running with (I run before sun up) needed to be small, lightweight, multi-level, with throw & flood, and bright - I run with the zebralight H51w - love this light. I like the neutral tint, but neutral tints are not a must with me...not yet anyway.

My preferences for my secondary light that I run with is somewhat unique to me because I run on unlit trails through the woods. I wanted VERY bright with lots of throw all in a small package running on Li-ions. I chose the Quark Turbo X & use it with one of 4sevens finger grips so I won't drop it. This is currently my favorite light of all of my 30+ lights. So small & bright with tons of throw. It also legos with all of my other quarks, but I like it on the body it came on running on a Li-ion 17670.

My preferences for a super thrower was - throw, brightness, multi-levels, small enough to fit in a jacket pocket, 2 x 18670 batteries, weight was also a consideration. I went with the EagleTac M3C4 XM-L. I love this light with it's range of very low to very bright. The amount of throw coming out of such a small package is amazing. I got to handle a Fenix TK35 recently and liked it better. Throw was similar, but the light was smaller than my ET with a great range of output levels.

My preferences for lights in my cars and emergency kits were - multi-level with a low low, run on common batteries, lego-able so if one breaks it can still be used for spare parts, size & weight (always a consideration for me), not limited to one battery type, and tough. I went with the Quark AA2 mostly plus have the quark AA, quark 123, quark turbo, & a couple of the 18650 bodies. The quarks are among the most versitile lights IMO, and a great system to build on. I don't love the two UI's offerred by 4sevens, but like them well enough. My edc is a quark, my car lights are quarks, my emergency lights are quarks. I have many other brands, but in an emergency I grab the quarks since they are interchangeable with each other.

yatsunil · May 13, 2011

I'd say look at the User Interface (UI) first as this is the one thing that will bug you everytime you use the light. I'm still new at this game and have only 10 lights to date but I find myself getting irritated with those lights where I have to click/twist thru many modes just to get where I want. And don't get me started on strobe and SOS modes! I can see their usefulness for cyclist but for edc lights, please keep these modes well hidden! Personally I'm in favour of continuous ramping and for lights that have fixed modes, I prefer them to start from Lo-Mid-Hi. I just don't have the habit of blasting everything with max lumens everytime I turn on a light but that's just me. YMMV!

Outdoorsman5 · May 13, 2011

ganymede said:
Thanks for the reply.

My primary usage for the light will be for EDC in my back pack while traveling and around the house. I won't be carrying it my pants or jacket pocket. I agree with you 2xAA are great for general use, AAs are easily available, I already have a plenty of Eneelops and AA/AAA charger so there will be no additional cost to acquire another charger. On the other hand, a 2xCR123 or 1x17670 or 1x18650 lights are much more powerful, have longer runtime and a shorter body relative to a 2xAA light, the down side is that I will need to buy a dedicated travel charger (I have a Hyperion EOS720iNet3 Charger powered by a 30A power supply at home).

As for size, I would say my limits are 150mm (6") in length and a head diameter of 25-28mm (~1.125")

Like most of us on this forum, you are a flashaholic, and it's probably time you moved up to Li-ion type lights. With that said I'd recommend you get the Quark 123x2 Turbo X...currently my favorite light for size, weight, output, & throw. Runs on 2 CR123 primaries ("primary battery" means non-rechargeable) or you can run it on 2 RCR123 rechargeable Li-ion's or even better one 17670 Li-ion which has more capacity than two RCR123's. Get the AW brand batteries (a cpf favorite) with a charger. You can buy all of these things on 4sevens website:

Turbo X - ClickHere
17670 Li-ion - ClickHere
Charger - ClickHere

Use the cpf discount code for 8% off at 4sevens. The code is - cpf8

ganymede · May 13, 2011

Thanks but I am afraid the Turbo X is too big for my usage, if I am considering a head of that size (1.5") I will probably choose Eagletac T20C2 MK II XM-L HO over the Turbo X.

My limits again are 6" in length and 1.125" diameter head.

Outdoorsman5 said:
Like most of us on this forum, you are a flashaholic, and it's probably time you moved up to Li-ion type lights. With that said I'd recommend you get the Quark 123x2 Turbo X...currently my favorite light for size, weight, output, & throw. Runs on 2 CR123 primaries ("primary battery" means non-rechargeable) or you can run it on 2 RCR123 rechargeable Li-ion's or even better one 17670 Li-ion which has more capacity than two RCR123's. Get the AW brand batteries (a cpf favorite) with a charger. You can buy all of these things on 4sevens website:

Turbo X - ClickHere
17670 Li-ion - ClickHere
Charger - ClickHere

Use the cpf discount code for 8% off at 4sevens. The code is - cpf8

ganymede · May 13, 2011

yatsunil said:
I'd say look at the User Interface (UI) first as this is the one thing that will bug you everytime you use the light. I'm still new at this game and have only 10 lights to date but I find myself getting irritated with those lights where I have to click/twist thru many modes just to get where I want. And don't get me started on strobe and SOS modes! I can see their usefulness for cyclist but for edc lights, please keep these modes well hidden! Personally I'm in favour of continuous ramping and for lights that have fixed modes, I prefer them to start from Lo-Mid-Hi. I just don't have the habit of blasting everything with max lumens everytime I turn on a light but that's just me. YMMV!

I agree with you 100%, two set of running modes with lo-med-hi on the 1st set and strobe-sos on a 2nd hidden set. Ramping is nice but not too sure how reliable it is...

Outdoorsman5 · May 13, 2011

ganymede said:
Thanks but I am afraid the Turbo X is too big for my usage, if I am considering a head of that size (1.5") I will probably choose Eagletac T20C2 MK II XM-L HO over the Turbo X.

My limits again are 6" in length and 1.125" diameter head.

That's a great looking light too, but I see your point on overall size for backpack EDC...that's a big issue for me as well & smaller is sometimes better as my bigger lights often get left behind; however, the Turbo X is plenty small for my purposes. Take a look at the new Fenix PD31 (I heard another one is coming out,) or the Nitecore IFE2, or the Zebralight SC60....all run on a 18650. I have the ZL SC60 & love it...it's also one of the smallest 18650 lights around & very bright with the best UI around IMO.

shane55 · May 13, 2011

I have the Olight M20 S2 and it's great. Well made, great UI, good feel.
I also consided the Eagletack T20C2, but might actually wind up with the Lumintop TD15x instead or the Lumapower Signature Tactical LX.
Meanwhile I just ordered the Skilhunt Defier X2 (introductory special). I like the two-button UI
All the above fit into your size specs.

But for a nice AA unit, the Quark AA^2 is very good. Nice light, and the tactical 2-power modes work pretty well.

peterharvey73 · May 13, 2011

Ganymede, it looks like you've narrowed your choice down to something:
1) small-medium in size,
2) powered not by AA's, but by your choice of more professional 2xCR123's disposable, or 1x18650 rechargeables.
This size means it's not a pocket-sized single CR123 flooder, but a reasonable thower - though it won't be a big super thrower.
This has certainly narrowed the players down a lot.

The Eagletac T20C2 Mk II is a good choice; it has a tail click, and a head twist if I'm not wrong. The head twist actually places the control further forwards than a magnetic ring - good for big hands. Hopefully the head never gets too hot though.
The Et also has a pocket clip, and a tactical rubber ring, rubber tail stand etc.

I have an infinite control Jb TC-R2/RRT-0. I find 3 steps of low med hi not engough, while I actually find 5 discrete steps may be easier to use than continuous ramping? The important thing is whether 5 simple discrete steps gives you a low enough low for use at 2 am in the morning.
To answer your question, infinite control ramping seems to be very reliable in my experience, though be careful because some ring controls may have too much travel - requiring many twists of the forefinger and thumb to go from min to max...

ganymede · May 13, 2011

Both Olight M20 and ET T20C2 MK II are too big for me at this point in time.

Napalm · May 13, 2011

If it's a travel light, I would look for a very low mode (2-3 lux max) that can run for ages (hundreds of hours). Very handy as a discreet nightlight.
Also if you're thinking air travel, you might consider the NiMh AAs again. There are all sorts of new regulations now against Li batteries in planes.

nap.

ganymede · May 13, 2011

Almost forgot about restriction on plane, thanks for the reminder.

peterharvey73 · May 14, 2011

Ganymede, you want a twin battery light that's really compact!

May I suggest you try the Jetbeam BC20 with 2xCR123's for a whopping 305 lumens @ only 23mm in diameter and 123mm in length:
http://www.jet-beam.com/links/pro/bc20.aspx
Or a BA10 if you want only one alkaline battery.
A BA20 for two alkaline AA's, but it seems really long.

Fenix also have a lovely a PD31 with 2xCR123's for 304 lumens @ only 24mm in diameter by 120mm in length:
http://www.jet-beam.com/links/pro/bc20.aspx

The smaller diameter and shorter bodies may compromise the throw just a little relative to the M20, T20C2 and RRT-2 etc all of which are around 33 mm in diameter, but it shouldn't matter too much...

peterharvey73 · May 14, 2011

Oops, link for the Fenix should be:
http://www.fenixlight.com/viewproduct.asp?id=137

ganymede · May 14, 2011

Peter,

Thanks for the reply, in fact I am considering the two lights you mentioned (see post #3 on top).

Things I don't like:

Jetbeam BC20: two modes, low mode that isn't low enough, otherwise it might just be the one, heaviest of the bunch (good or bad YMMV)
Fenix PD31: ringy beam, a LOP reflector will probably put it back to contention
Neutron 2C: flickering PWM
4Sevens Quark: no tail cap lockout, preflash issue (???)
ET P20C2 MK II: largest of the bunch, fairly aggressive knurling compare to the rest, should look at P100C2 instead?

Physical sizes compared:

Model: mass / length / max diameter
JB BC20: 86gm / 120mm / 23mm
Fenix PD31: 64.4gm / 120mm / 24mm
Neutron 2C: 75gm / 124.5mm / 22.1mm
Quark 123^2: 51gm / 114.3mm / 21.9mm
ET P20C2 MK II: 73.2gm / 130mm / 25.8mm

peterharvey73 · May 14, 2011

Hi Ganymede,

So you want twin batteries, very compact, plus a very low low-mode, and an OP reflector for a beautiful beam!
The Et P100C2 is a little weak in the lumens.
The Et P20C2 has compact dimensions plus some 300 lumens from their website; though on photo, it looks bigger than the others?

Have you tried Nitecores?
A month ago I was doing research and shopping around like you.
Nitecores are very thin, compact and a little upmarket.
Try the Nitecore IFE2: http://www.nitecore.com/goods_detail.php?id=20

It has an infinitely variable ring for the miniscule 0.003 lumen low mode that you want, all the way to a decent max of 345 lumens! Infinite control.
A tail end switch.
Is only 1 inch in diameter and 126mm long.
It doesn't seem to have an OP reflector, but the beam profile photograph on their website looks decent...

Looking for a new light, what are the MUST HAVE features/functions?

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