Help Me Find a Flaslight That Actually Fits My Usage

OK, I'm definitely into good lighting, but not into flashlights as much, which is why I need the community wisdom here.

I'm an automotive mechanic. 99% of my lighting needs are covered with a headlamp. However, there's some things I do on a regular basis for which a headlight held in the hand isn't really suitable and/or I've already got something on my head that precludes wearing a headlamp. I bought a Streamlight MicroStream last week based off of the reviews here on CPF and I hate it. It's exactly what I don't need. The hot spot is so hot that it blinds me and the area around the hot spot is so dim as to be useless. I think if the total number of photons were diffused throughout the beam, it might be about right, but then it also might be a little dim. I've also got a Fenix LD20+ and a Romesien RC-N3 that I use for cycling. I haven't tried the RC-N3 for car work, but I have tried the LD20+. The beam on the LD20+ is almost ok. Just a little wider hot spot and it'd be perfect. The lowest and next-to-lowest brightness levels are also correct for what I need to do. However, the thing overall is too big and too expensive for what I want it to do. It's too long and won't fit some of the places I need it to go and the weight plus length makes it really difficult to hold in my mouth and aim with my lips.

The form factor of the MicroStream is basically perfect. Small enough to put in my mouth, drop in a pocket and not wish I hadn't, and will fit everywhere I need it to. The price is also right! The beam is just terrible. The LD20+ has a better beam (though not perfect) and more useful brightness, but it's too big and heavy. So I guess I am saying I'm looking for a 1xAAA flashlight with a fairly wide beam?

Any suggestions?

Try putting some scotch tape on the lens of the microstream to diffuse the light.

Just did the Scotch tape trick with the MicroStream. Results are mixed. Beam is better but still not right. The hot spot is considerably tamed, which is excellent. It no longer gets bright enough to blow out detail and hurt my eyes. Big plus there. However, rather than directing most of the photons out of the hot spot and into the existing semi-bright "spill" area, the photons are just flung out in all manner of unseemly directions. By wasting so much light, the thing is a little bit dim now, but not by much. It's like I had a 10* hot spot before with a 45* dim spill around it pre-tape and now, after tape, I have about a 25* "warm" spot and 120* of uselessly dim spill. I think what I'd like is about a 35-45* even disk of light.

Scotch tape is still better than bare, I think. I'll use it a couple of days like this and see what happens.

ITP A3 EOS upgrade. Use a regular alkaline battery for your mechanic work and when you wanna get some extra boost out of it, use a Li-Ion 10440. It can handle the 4.2v just fine. For $22 you can't go wrong. Simply a very good AAA light. Make sure (if you choose to go this route) that you get the upgrade model. It has the high, medium, low option.

Jackasper said:

ITP A3 EOS upgrade. Use a regular alkaline battery for your mechanic work and when you wanna get some extra boost out of it, use a Li-Ion 10440. It can handle the 4.2v just fine. For $22 you can't go wrong. Simply a very good AAA light. Make sure (if you choose to go this route) that you get the upgrade model. It has the high, medium, low option.

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Just took a look at it. It's too spotty still. I want something more of a pure flood than that.



Although the price is enough to kill me, what about the SC51Fw?

Look at the preon 1 and 2. imo best pen lights out there. you can find video reviews on youtube http://www.youtube.com/results?sear...=1839l2640l0l3588l5l4l0l0l0l0l171l635l0.4l4l0 and selfbuilt has a review posted http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?258156-4Sevens-Preon-Review-(1xAAA-amp-2xAAA)-RUNTIMES-BEAMSHOTS-and-more!

EDIT: I have the preon 2 and ld20 and you say the ld20 beam is almost what you want but you need more flood. The preon 2 is very floody

weez82 said:

Look at the preon 1 and 2. imo best pen lights out there. you can find video reviews on youtube http://www.youtube.com/results?sear...=1839l2640l0l3588l5l4l0l0l0l0l171l635l0.4l4l0 and selfbuilt has a review posted http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?258156-4Sevens-Preon-Review-(1xAAA-amp-2xAAA)-RUNTIMES-BEAMSHOTS-and-more!

EDIT: I have the preon 2 and ld20 and you say the ld20 beam is almost what you want but you need more flood. The preon 2 is very floody

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If I'm understanding this correctly, the Preon 1 is 1xAAA and the Preon 2 is 2xAAA but only the Preon 2 is floody? That's a shame, I find 2xAnything lights to be really hard to hold and aim with my mouth, not to mention their length becomes a problem in engine bays.

they use the same head. both are floody

EagleTac PN20a with diffuser.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?285300

enomosiki said:

EagleTac PN20a with diffuser.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?285300

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OK, now that is hot!

williaty said:

Just took a look at it. It's too spotty still. I want something more of a pure flood than that.



Although the price is enough to kill me, what about the SC51Fw?

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+1 on this. might just be the light you need.

roadkill1109 said:

+1 on this. might just be the light you need.

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Reading about it, the guys that like throwers are going "ooo, it's so floody, what good is that" while the guys who like floods are saying "huh, well, I guess it's diffused but it's really not an even flood".

I'm wondering about using the H51Fc (which everyone seems to agree is very floody) headlamp module but just held in my hand. I don't know if the 90* bend in it would be an asset or a problem.

1xAAA, wide beam? That screams out Fenix E05.

Zebralights seem to be floody and some come with a head band which would be handy in our trade.

The xeno e03 xm-l is quite floody too.

I already have a Petzl Tikka XP headlamp that I use every day in the shop. It's quite good for what it is, but it's difficult to shove it into places because the headband gets all tangled up in the crazy number of parts cars have these days. It also doesn't work to hold it in my mouth very well due to its size and the presence of the headband. So I'm looking for a flashlight to augment what I already have. I'm wondering if the H51Fc held in my hand (since the headband comes off of that one) is what I'm looking for at this point. It's 1xAA rather than 1xAAA, which is a bummer, but it seems closest beam-wise so far.

+1 on the Fenix E05. It's pretty much the smallest AAA light made, inexpensive, and pure floodlight.

Also, someone mentioned the preon 2, it is very floody. Maybe get the preon 2 and a preon 1 battery tube?