1x18650, high power, decent/high quality: IFE2 vs T20C2 XML

I've always liked cheap lights to tinker with and modify to fit my needs (my main EDC is a first-gen L-Mini whose body is the only thing left original), but lately the willpower to spend hours fixing my creations has been lacking. I'm getting tired of stripping the light with alarming regularity to fix the switch, or resolder the springs, or clean the hell out of it to minimize power losses, or what have you.

So I'm looking at a proper, high-quality EDC that'll work about as well as my current one, but without all the quality issues.

While browsing random product pages online I came across the Nitecore IFE2, which on the surface seems exactly what I want in a light: high-quality build (I own a Defender Infinity and I always liked its build quality, I assume later Nitecore products kept it up), high-power at 345 lumens, rotary dial so I don't have to bother with modes, and a forward clicky so I can use it as a focus assist light with my camera without it changing modes all the time. It's really expensive for my standards, but quality doesn't come cheap, and just this once I can take the expense.

There's only one problem, and that problem is the EagleTac T20C2 with the XML head. The interface is not as good, build quality seems a bit less impressive and it's less pocketable (might have to grind off that anti-roll ring). But: 720 lumens! It's really easy to forgive defects in a light when it puts out twice as much light as the alternative. The fact that it's noticeably cheaper helps too.

Edit: scratch that - the alternative is now the Zebralight SC600. The T20C2 is not quite pocketable enough.

What do you think? And are there any alternatives I've missed? Note that I can't possibly afford the really high-end lights - anything above $120 or so is a no-go.

They are both good light's I own them both and they are among my favorites, keep in mind the IFE2 is actually under 300lmns OTF and the T20C2 is not 720lmn while using 1x18650 you need to use cr123 for that but it's still really bright it's just not quiet the 720.

The T20 as good as it is is not a regular EDC light unless you plan on carrying a medium sized light in a holster, the IFE2 is ok in the pocket but the clip does not attach to your pocket very tight. If you want to pocket carry then get the Infilux but if your ok with something larger then I would say the T20.

If your really open to alternatives I would most definitely get a Zebralight SC600, it's pocketable and brighter than the above mentioned light's but even more important the UI is really really good.

u should probably have put this in the "recommend..." sub-forum but anyway there are many other 1x18650 choices besides the two you listed. imo sunwayman is a slight tick above nitecore/jetbeam and olight. check out the suwayman V20C and T20CS. jetbeam RRT-2, PC20, olight M20X, which looks like the eagletac t20c2 but with a better UI. still, many others i haven't listed.

The anti roll ring comes off and you get another ring to full the gap if required, also you get a trail standing attachment, diffuser, battery carrier, and a decent holster with the t20c2.i have the 550xml and an r5 drop in, both have great tints, the r5 beam is almost perfect (for me) and don't forget about the drop ins so you can stilltinker with it.

jhc37013 said:

The T20 as good as it is is not a regular EDC light unless you plan on carrying a medium sized light in a holster, the IFE2 is ok in the pocket but the clip does not attach to your pocket very tight. If you want to pocket carry then get the Infilux but if your ok with something larger then I would say the T20.

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You may have a point. I'm ok with sticking inordinately large objects in the pockets of my coat, but when the weather's hot it does have to fit a (relatively large) pants pocket. The T20 has a large-ish head that doesn't look very comfortable.

If your really open to alternatives I would most definitely get a Zebralight SC600, it's pocketable and brighter than the above mentioned light's but even more important the UI is really really good.

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Nice! Ugly as hell, but I don't particularly mind (function over form and all that), and seems to fit my needs just fine, though focus assist might be a problem seen how it can only turn on at full power or low power. It's now the preferred alternative if I decide not to get the IFE2. Well, assuming I can find where to buy one over here, anyway.

alohasurftoad said:

u should probably have put this in the "recommend..." sub-forum but anyway there are many other 1x18650 choices besides the two you listed. imo sunwayman is a slight tick above nitecore/jetbeam and olight. check out the suwayman V20C and T20CS. jetbeam RRT-2, PC20, olight M20X, which looks like the eagletac t20c2 but with a better UI. still, many others i haven't listed.

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I indeed should have and thought I did, but I wrote the post before going to bed and my sleep-addled mnd must have gotten confused. Sorry about that... maybe a mod can move the thread?

The Sunwayman V20C is nice, but I really don't like the fact that it ramps up to full power. When I turn on my light at max I want it to be an instant lightsaber. The T20CS's head is much too big.
The Olight M20X suffers from the same portability problem as the T20.
RRT2 is XP-G; if I get an XP-G it's going to be the IFE2, the only reason why I'm looking at other lights at all is that the IFE2 is not available in a brighter XM-L version.
PC20 cannot run on 18650.

Pending more suggestions, the choice is now between IFE2 or SC600...

Sc600. I have an sc60 and a IFE-1 and I much prefer the UI and efficiency of the zebralight.

Magnetic ring UIs are fun but the hit to runtime is just not worth it to me.

BTW, Sunwayman lights don't ramp on the highest setting. There's a sort of soft start on all levels except max. If you move the ring to max brightness it will come on at max immediately.

Also I should note that my IFE1s control ring is too loose. It would always change brightness when removed from my pocket. Sunwaymans have decent resistance in the ring.

In the end though, I don't need most levels that these infinitely variable lights provide. The efficiency loss is not worth the added customization. Zebralight offer the perfect spread of levels in one of the best UIs I've come across.

Don't forget to keep the beam pattern in mind when making your choice. The ife2 will have a throwier beam with a brighter and more focused hotspot due to the smaller die of the XPG emitter it uses. It will therefore have less sidespill in the beam. The sc600 is a flood beam so it puts out more light but it will be more diffused into the entire beam, so the hotspot wont be as focused. IMHO the beam pattern of a light is just as important to keep in mind as the UI to be sure you get the proper light for your needs and aren't disappointed.

It might be a good idea to have a look at the Spark SL6 before making your final decision. this light is one 18650, about 125mm long and 800 lumens. I dont have this light but i am looking seriously at buying it.

Flucero28 said:

Don't forget to keep the beam pattern in mind when making your choice. The ife2 will have a throwier beam with a brighter and more focused hotspot due to the smaller die of the XPG emitter it uses. It will therefore have less sidespill in the beam. The sc600 is a flood beam so it puts out more light but it will be more diffused into the entire beam, so the hotspot wont be as focused. IMHO the beam pattern of a light is just as important to keep in mind as the UI to be sure you get the proper light for your needs and aren't disappointed.

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I definitely prefer floody lights. Throw is great for law enforcement officers and such, but the only use I could have for throw would be to show off, and that's not nearly enough of a reason to get a flashlight.

I have managed to fix my old modified (XP-G emitter and regulated two-mode driver) L-Mini in a way that should, hopefully, last longer than my previous fixes (replaced the entire tail assembly), so my XP-G needs are currently sated and I won't be getting the IFE2. However, after seeing all the product reviews and beamshots for various XM-L lights, my lust for MOAR POWR is stronger than ever, so a XM-L is still in the shopping list.

kinga said:

It might be a good idea to have a look at the Spark SL6 before making your final decision. this light is one 18650, about 125mm long and 800 lumens. I dont have this light but i am looking seriously at buying it.

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The Spark SL6 is bigger than the Zebralight and from this comparison beamshot doesn't really look more powerful. In fact, if this graph is correct, it's not only less powerful but less efficient too, as it has shorter runtimes. About the only thing going for it is the tail switch - I prefer it to the SC600's side switch, but I can live without it.

Fallingwater, I just wanted to point out that with the SC600, you can preset which of 4 different levels the SC600 turns on to when quick clicking to high (750, 500, 330, or 200 lumens), and you can preset which of 2 levels it turns on to when slow clicking to low (.1 or 3 lumens).

Also, it's almost as quick to access the medium level as well, requiring only a fraction of a second more hold time than the low level, and the medium level can also be preset to come on at either of two settings (21 or 65 lumens).

And, be sure to consider the SC600w, the neutral version, as many folks have found it's warmer tint to be more pleasant, especially outdoors.

By the way, along with a broader beam, the SC600's XM-L LED also gives you a broader hotspot, which I find to be quite useful.

Derek Dean said:

And, be sure to consider the SC600w, the neutral version, as many folks have found it's warmer tint to be more pleasant, especially outdoors.

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I'm not willing to give up 100 lumens for warm color - besides, I tend to prefer cool-white light anyway.

I've found it on eBay for €78 shipped from Hong Kong. Sooooo tempted...

Fallingwater said:

I definitely prefer floody lights. Throw is great for law enforcement officers and such, but the only use I could have for throw would be to show off, and that's not nearly enough of a reason to get a flashlight.

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My personal experience is that "throw", for the vast majority of usage scenarios, is nothing more than a novelty and a nuisance.

Visually, there is a whole lot of information your eyes provide outside of the focal point alone. Hot spots create an amount of contrast that disrupt your eyes ability to effectively use the light spill at the perimeter of the hot spot.

A few years back, I was asked by the N. American Lupine distributor to test out some of the different Edison bike light beam patterns becoming available. Some other pro riders and myself all chose the flood beams after testing, no contest at all.


If someone is curious about "throwers", perhaps the best option is to purchase a laser pointer and get it out of your system.


P.S. Anyone know of a good cycling helmet mount that will work with the sc600? I may try mounting two of them for an extra wide beam pattern.

I really like a light with great throw.

First off its just plain fun.

Second if my dogs get too far ahead or if I hear something in the distance I pull out my TK35 or TK21 and light it up.

If you want an 18650 with an absolutely amazing mixture of both flood and throw try the Zebralight H600. Not sure if the pure flashlight version of this light is as floody but the H version has the berfect beam for me 90% of the time.

Zebralight say both H600 and SC600 have a 80 degree flood, but the H has a very slightly larger hotspot (12 degrees as opposed to 10 for the SC600), so the SC600 should actually throw a tiny bit more. The H600 also seems to have slightly worse heat management, as it can run turbo mode for only 3 minutes, while the SC600 can run for 5.

Realistically though, my main issue with the H600 is that I'm not sure how comfortable the anglehead body is to handhold, never having owned an anglehead...

maxrep12. While you may find "throwers" to be a novelty, I'm sure others, such as myself have a very real need for them. When trying to see something at 100 to 150 feet, a floody light just doesn't cut it. While a floody light works for riding a bicycle, not everybody buys their ligths with that in mind. To think that there is no use for "throwers" is just a little narrow minded.

Fallingwater said:

Realistically though, my main issue with the H600 is that I'm not sure how comfortable the anglehead body is to handhold, never having owned an anglehead...

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Im looking at the H600 as well. having the light in a belt holster facing foward is a pleasant sight to behold on a dark night.
When you see how helpful it is without coming out of holster, you may favor the angle head. good luck with your ZL.

I don't foresee ever carrying it in a holster. That said, it seems the problem has been solved for me - no store that'll deliver here with no fuss carries the H600. Not even eBay Italia has it. Zebralight do, but packages from the US are practically certain to be taxed by customs, while packages from Hong Kong almost never are, and hkequipment carry the SC600 but not H600...

Fallingwater said:

no store that'll deliver here with no fuss carries the H600. Not even eBay Italia has it.

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i was in Bologna back in October, as i was walking through i noticed this store with a big selection of flashlights and torches. i wanted to go in and browse but of course i couldn't. i think it was lunchtime so it was closed.

We have some shops like that - military-wannabe-type, mostly, I don't think we have anything that sells flashlights exclusively. Typically they either sell knockoffs, or if the lights are the real things they're hilariously overpriced (MagCharger at €140? REALLY?!). I'll stick to online stores. There is one decent Italy-based online store for flashlights (this one), but they want €97 for the SC600, while hkequipment only want €72. I'd get the light in 2 days from Italy as opposed to 3-5 weeks from HK, but I don't think that's worth €25 - not for an item that isn't of immediate need.

Anyway... right when I was about to order the SC600 I saw the Thrunite TN12 and indecision has taken me again. It seems slightly less bright and less floody, it's less well regulated, probably has worse thermal management and its modes jump from 100 lumens straight to 700 with nothing in between. But it's more pocketable and the interface is twisty+forward clicky, which is miles better than the Zebralight's as far as I'm concerned.

Gah... decisions, decisions...