AA vs CR123...have your views/usage changed over time?

When I first started learning more about light related issues via CPF I started thinking about CR123's more. Most of the advantages are on the side of CR123 rather than AA.

Most of my initial lights were 18650 so it wasn't much of an issue. Later I tried a few lights that used CR123 and some seemed brighter and some didn't. It was always a hassle to get the batteries at a reasonable price. I know that you can order in bulk online or get Surefire at Lowe's but it's still less convenient than finding AA's.

Recently I've purchased some Zebralight headlamps and use NIMH in them for the most part and I'm seeing little reason to use CR123's...to the point where when it's time to give someone one of my lights (as a gifl) I just weed out the CR123's.

The voltage matching benefits (for LED's) are still there but unless they become cheap and available everywhere they are just not worth it to me anymore...even after becoming "enlightened" I also like the form of a single AA over a single CR123.

Have most of you after becoming aware of the many advantages of CR123's gradually switched from AA to CR123 or how many of you come back to AA as I have?

For me the issue is just with small single lights anyway. For larger lights I use 18650 rather than 4 or 8 AA's.

I do get the alkaline sag and leaking thing and agree and for the most part use lithium AA primaries or NIMH with the occasional alkaline for a AAA keychain light.

What are your thoughts?

i jumped on rcr123's right away but resisted 18650's for a long time because i didn't want to invest in another charger and all the start-up costs of a new format. then it seemed that most of the really good p60's were optimized for 18650's so i bit. now that AA lights have gotten so good i've happily gone back to them and really see no reason to return to lithium. my LD40 has put my malkoffs on the bench and my main pocket light is my D10. i'm pretty happy with them

I never really got in to lithiums except by necessity. I have a Surefire E2e that I was gifted ages ago and obviously feeds on CR123s, I also have a couple HuntsLights (well had, one has vanished sadly) that run on two of them as well. I didn't really know of any good affordable light back then that had reasonable output and ran on AAs. Things changed a lot since then and everything I own runs on AAs with a couple AAA lights (most notably the LD01 that lives with my car keys). They're less hassle for me, easy to come by primaries if I need to (if my NiMH cells run out) and has let me build up a battery collection and charging infrastructure that supports various other items around the house and most importantly my camera flashes.

The E2e still lives in my car and I like the CR123s for their shelf life and reliability in that setting. I'm either going to eventually convert that light to LED or replace it with a new CR123 based LED light at some point. It's not like I'm ever in my car without my LD01 either so I have options there in any situation.

I still use CR123 powered lights. In fact, of the 50+ lights I have, only a few are AA and AAA which comprised of about 20% of the entire collection. I do like AA lights like the Zebralight H51Fw, but other than the offerings from Zebralight I have yet to see any other AA light that offers me the sort of output that a CR123 light could. Sure, some could be fed 14500 for the extra power but so can most CR123 lights use 16340, 17670 or 18650. To achieve higher output on commercially available AA alkaline or NiMH, one would need a two battery configuration for that and they are usually too long for my liking. Lights like the Fenix TK40 series are just too impractical when it comes to changing out batteries, and since alkaline and NiMH are heavier batteries the 8 cell configuration of the TK40 just means it is a much heavier light than one powered by CR123 or 18650.

I only started flashlights 4 months ago in April, so I have gone with the most compact size, highest voltage and highest milliamperage format.

I only use AA Eneloops when I'm forced to - with my Energizer Professional Hard Case headlight, and my new Fenix HP12 R5 headlamp.
These two headlamps had to use AA Eneloops because CR123's esp 16340's lack capacity, while 18650's are too large and heavy.

I will never go back to NiCad or NiMH in mobile phones, camcorders, or even cordless drills and cordless lawnmowers...

started with AAs,
now 1*14500 for EDC, 18650 for everything else...

atm nothing beats Li-Ion

Like most I guess , I also started with AA's , but have since shifted to CR123 entirely.
I like the high output and long runtimes CR123 cells deliver.

I have AA lights (mostly 1 and 2 cell), cr123a lights, 18650 lights, 26650 lights, NiMh C cell lights, and NiMh D cell lights. Too many batteries! I am actually weeding down my collection a little and trying to get rid or most of the cr123a cell lights. I will keep a couple because I like their ability to handle the high ambient temps (of a car/boat) during the summer, and their 10 year shelf life. They have their use but it is limited in my collection. I'd rather use a 1AA, 2AA, or 18650 light. If I need a small light with more lumens than an AA will put out, I'll just grab an 18650 light (My new M40a is every bit as bright as most single 18650 lights though). I really don't need anything in between.

I also like to use rechargeable cells. I find the capacity of rcr123a too low to really be useful to me which again points me in other directions. Since single cell AA lights like the Thrunite Neutron AA and Zebralight SC51 put out as much light as a single cr123a cell light, I don't really see much need for cr123a lights anymore.

To sum it up, my view has changed over time and I don't see the need to own cr123a cells lights anymore (for the most part).

I don't have any CR123 lights. I built my collection exclusively on eneloops, I have lights from 1xAAA up to 4xAA, they cover all my needs. And just in case I would fancy to play the lighthouse, I could get the Fenix TK70 and still stay in the NiMh realm.

Nap.

Love and own many CR/RCR123 lights, but the Zebralight sc51w has me appreciating Eneloop AA's a lot more recently for small lights.

I reluctantly use CR123 cells when necessary. At some point I might go lithium ion but for now eneloops get it done. I love that the one charging system does everything around the house and is safer for my household (wife and young children). Also I find that I prefer longer and slimmer profile of AA and AAA format

I do appreciate the long lifespan of cr123 cells for lights that don't get used that much

I have all sorts of lights with all sorts of cell dependancies. Truth is, my tastes change over time and back again.

I see the choices as a Menu, lots of benefits for all types at all times. Sometimes you want discreet and small, sometimes you have to have a D-cell light or larger!

After all, who wants to eat the same thing all the time when there are so many tasty things to savour? Why have allegiance to only one type.

The two lights I have both run on AA's (Fenix TK40 and LD20 R5), and the reason I bought them is AA availability and cheapness. However, I am constantly thinking about going to 18650's now, way brighter lights, shorter tubes/smaller light and far greater output is what makes me consider this.

Plus I am starting to dislike lights that need more than one battery, and single AA lights just aren't going to cut it, not bright enough, while single 18650's kill everything in their dark path.

I have many lights and have found myself going back to AA's. When I first became interested in flashlights it was because I was a member of a Search And Rescue team. Back in the 1990's we used Surefire lights and I was amazed by the 60 lumen output from such a small package. For several years I used nothing but CR123 lights. As I got older,and my knees gave out a I switched to disaster relief. About a year ago I went to an area that had pretty much been devastated by flooding. I took a Surefire LX2 and a Quark Mini with a Preon on my keychain. After several days and nights with only generators for power I managed to use up my supply of CR123's. For the next couple of days I used my Preon while I looked for CR23's to no avail. During that time I cannibalized a clock and an old TV remote for additional AAA's.

I then decided to look at AA and AAA lights when I got home. Since then I have found several AA lights that put out over 200 lumens on turbo and small single cell AA lights that produce over 100 lumens. I have carried them on many trips and it seems that I can always find AA cells. What about my CR123 lights? I always bring at least one high output CR123 light but find I only use it when I really really need the throw.

So I guess my answer is that yes, I have come come back to AA lights but only because the batteries are much easier to find in an emergency situation. BTW I'm now looking at single cell CR123 lights that can also use 2 AA batteries.

I have a few cr123 lights but was unused due to expensive batteries, now that AA lights are bright enough i'm not looking on getting a cr123 light. But one of my current edc is AA, 14500 ,16340 and cr123 compatible, moded a Solarforce L2M to take different batteries, just need a spacer(rare earth magnet) in using cr123 battery.

CR123 has never been a favorite of mine, to the point of being a deal breaker in my preferences. I dont even consider a CR123 only design, sadly this keeps a lof of Surefire and Fenix models off my list. Fortunately there are more than enough models that readily accept superior cell formats.

There are far too many really GOOD rechargeble chemistries for me to even consider it.

The only light I ever use CR123 in is my SF-A2, because the LEDs run forever in that thing.

Usage has changed, but views haven't.

I used to run CR123 lights exclusively. Then a need arose for a heavily used EDC light and AA Eneloops entered the mix. (in a Quark Mini AA)

I still have no reason to abandon CR123 though - in my backpack resides a Quark Mini 123 as a backup light, along with an extra battery. It'd be pretty hard to match the low size/weight and potential output (in either brightness or runtime) with any other battery type.

Then I have a 6P/M60 - if I ever needed a lot of runtime here I'd get an MD2 host and go 18650, but for now this light rarely sees more than 5 minutes use per week so I'm fine with CR123 there.

I do have to say though - with the way LED's are improving the AA form factor (using Eneloops of course) is starting to get a LOT more viable than it was a couple years ago.

Nope, AA format is still the best for me. AA's are cheaper, have better availability, and I can choose the most suitable chemistry for each situation(Alkaline/NiMH/Lithium). CR123 format does not really give me any useful benefits.

I really don't know why you would use CR123 lights unless you need the extra performance. Most people don't need lights that go over 200 lumens. AA batteries are cheaper and more widely available. I never use CR123 lights because I don't need the extra performance. Now that AA lights are bright enough no point to get a CR123.

I have been open to using both AA and CR123 battery lights, but have been buying more AA lights than CR123 lately due to their improved performance.

AA battery choices (alkaline, NiMH, LSD NiMH, Energizer Lithium) and capacities have steadily progressed while CR123 battery options and technology are stuck where they were 5 years ago.