I wanted to take a look back at some of the single-cell Gerber lights. All are under $20, and except for the Sonic, all are still available. All of the lights came with batteries, but for my tests, I used new Energizers from the same package so I know everything is fair. I didn't do runtime tests, as I simply don't have the time. Photos have been shot, but my SD card reader isn't cooperating right now.
The Sonic is a carry-over from when Gerber took over CMG. It runs on one AAA battery, and will operate on an alkaline (an Energizer is included), NiMH, or Nickel Cadmium. The Sonic is available in black or silver body colors, but both use one white 5mm LED. The beam is a little un-uniform, with the typical blue tint that's common to 5mm LEDs. The light is 3" long, including the exposed LED. Body thickness is 1/2". The light uses a twisty tailcap to operate; tighten to turn on, loosen to turn off, with a momentary-on if you push the tailcap in when close to the "on" position. Battery change-out is done through the tailcap. The tailcap is drilled for a lanyard or keyring, but none is included. Output is 7 lumens, and it's the same on an alkaline or NiMH cell. The beam is pretty floody, but again, has the common blue tint. The body has a knurled portion right near the head, and the tailcap has knurling as well. This makes one-handed operation easy. The head looks a bit bullet-shaped. I'm not sure whether the finish is painted or anodized; my black Sonic hasn't been used much, but shows a lot of wear. No way is it Type III anodized. The Sonic was $6 when I bought it four years ago. For that, it's good. Not great, but good.
The Tempo is an updated version of the Sonic. It's advertised as having a metallic green finish, but all nine of mine look like a dark gunmetal grey, almost black. The Tempo runs on one AAA battery, and will operate on alkaline (an Energizer is included), NiMH, or Nickel Cadmium. The light is 2-15/16" long and 1/2" thick at the body. Like the Sonic, it uses a 5mm LED. However, it's recessed in the head by a hair. The Tempo uses a twisty just like the Sonic; tighten to turn on, loosen to turn off, with momentary-on when close to "on". Battery switch is done through the tailcap. The tailcap is drilled for a lanyard or keyring, but none is included. Output is 9 lumens, and alkaline cells were a tad brighter than NiMHs. The beam is floody, but not so much as the Sonic. Tint is a more blue color than the Sonic, but not as bad as some Fenix E01s. One-handed operation isn't as easy as the Sonic due to the lack of knurling, but it's still very manageable. The finish is better than the Sonic; probably Type II. As an interesting aside, the head from a Streamlight MicroStream will thread on to the Tempo and work just fine. Way more output. The Tempo was $8 when I bought it on close-out three years ago. For a brighter light, better build quality, and longer battery life, I greatly prefer the Tempo to the Sonic.
The Firecracker is the larger version of the Tempo. The Firecracker runs on one AA battery. An Energizer alkaline is included, and the light will also run on NiMH or Nickel Cadmium cells. This is also the only light in this mini-review that will use higher-power batteries: 14505 and 14500 both increase the output, but not that much and I don't recommend either. The Firecracker comes in the same color as the Tempo. The light is 3-15/16" long with a 3/4" diameter body. This one uses a 5mm LED also, but it has a TIR lens for much better throw. The same twisty applies here. The back of the tailcap looks like it's a clicky, and it even has a black button, but it does nothing; the light is twisty-only. Battery change is done through the tailcap. The tailcap is drilled through the side for a keychain, as opposed the the Sonic and Tempo, which go through the top. Again, no keyring is included. Output is 18 lumens; alkalines and NiMH cells gave the same output. With 14505 or 14500 cells, output went to about 25 lumens, but the 14500 heated up in under a minute. The beam is very tight and has a very, very light blue tint. One-handed operation is easy due to the size of the light. The finish is the same as the Tempo, probably Type II. The Firecracker was $11 when I got mine two years ago. For what it is, I like it for that price.
The last light reviewed is the Gerber Infinity Ultra. It runs on one AA battery, and it came with an Energizer alkaline. NiMH and Nickel cadmium are also supported. The Infinity Ultra (referred to as the IU from now on in this review) comes in black, olive drab green, and red body colors. The 5mm LED is available in red or white; mine is white. The IU is 3-1/4" long with a 3/4" diameter body. The LED is recessed pretty deep in the head. The very same twisty as the other lights is included in the IU. Battery is changed through the tailcap. The tailcap is drilled through the top for a lanyard or keyring, but again, none is included. If you're going to put one on, skip the keyring. All of the split rings I've tried marred the finish pretty bad, and wouldn't fold down. The tailcap is the same as the Sonic, but enlarged for the AA-sized body. Output for the IU is 6 lumens, all flood, and output is the same no matter what battery you use. The beam is a bit blue and splotchy, but both of those can be fixed in three minutes by polishing the LED itself with some 0000 steel wool. One-handed operation is very easy because the head is "jimped" as is the tail. The IU is the only light that comes with a pocket clip, and it comes installed bezel-up so you can clip it to a hat. The clip can be positioned bezel-down if you prefer, or removed completely. Anodizing is Type II. The IU was $16 when I got mine, and I see them selling regularly for $18 or so. This is the floodiest light I own, even against the Fenix E01. For a task light, it's not bad.
While Gerber has never "been there" like Streamlight, 4Sevens, Fenix, or even EagleTac, they deserve some credit for their low-price lights. I look at the ThruNite, SureFire, JetBeam, and NiteCore lights as CPF favorites, but the Gerbers are "there" like Energizer, MagLite, Rayovac, and Dorcy; good enough for most Joe Averages.
The Sonic is a carry-over from when Gerber took over CMG. It runs on one AAA battery, and will operate on an alkaline (an Energizer is included), NiMH, or Nickel Cadmium. The Sonic is available in black or silver body colors, but both use one white 5mm LED. The beam is a little un-uniform, with the typical blue tint that's common to 5mm LEDs. The light is 3" long, including the exposed LED. Body thickness is 1/2". The light uses a twisty tailcap to operate; tighten to turn on, loosen to turn off, with a momentary-on if you push the tailcap in when close to the "on" position. Battery change-out is done through the tailcap. The tailcap is drilled for a lanyard or keyring, but none is included. Output is 7 lumens, and it's the same on an alkaline or NiMH cell. The beam is pretty floody, but again, has the common blue tint. The body has a knurled portion right near the head, and the tailcap has knurling as well. This makes one-handed operation easy. The head looks a bit bullet-shaped. I'm not sure whether the finish is painted or anodized; my black Sonic hasn't been used much, but shows a lot of wear. No way is it Type III anodized. The Sonic was $6 when I bought it four years ago. For that, it's good. Not great, but good.
The Tempo is an updated version of the Sonic. It's advertised as having a metallic green finish, but all nine of mine look like a dark gunmetal grey, almost black. The Tempo runs on one AAA battery, and will operate on alkaline (an Energizer is included), NiMH, or Nickel Cadmium. The light is 2-15/16" long and 1/2" thick at the body. Like the Sonic, it uses a 5mm LED. However, it's recessed in the head by a hair. The Tempo uses a twisty just like the Sonic; tighten to turn on, loosen to turn off, with momentary-on when close to "on". Battery switch is done through the tailcap. The tailcap is drilled for a lanyard or keyring, but none is included. Output is 9 lumens, and alkaline cells were a tad brighter than NiMHs. The beam is floody, but not so much as the Sonic. Tint is a more blue color than the Sonic, but not as bad as some Fenix E01s. One-handed operation isn't as easy as the Sonic due to the lack of knurling, but it's still very manageable. The finish is better than the Sonic; probably Type II. As an interesting aside, the head from a Streamlight MicroStream will thread on to the Tempo and work just fine. Way more output. The Tempo was $8 when I bought it on close-out three years ago. For a brighter light, better build quality, and longer battery life, I greatly prefer the Tempo to the Sonic.
The Firecracker is the larger version of the Tempo. The Firecracker runs on one AA battery. An Energizer alkaline is included, and the light will also run on NiMH or Nickel Cadmium cells. This is also the only light in this mini-review that will use higher-power batteries: 14505 and 14500 both increase the output, but not that much and I don't recommend either. The Firecracker comes in the same color as the Tempo. The light is 3-15/16" long with a 3/4" diameter body. This one uses a 5mm LED also, but it has a TIR lens for much better throw. The same twisty applies here. The back of the tailcap looks like it's a clicky, and it even has a black button, but it does nothing; the light is twisty-only. Battery change is done through the tailcap. The tailcap is drilled through the side for a keychain, as opposed the the Sonic and Tempo, which go through the top. Again, no keyring is included. Output is 18 lumens; alkalines and NiMH cells gave the same output. With 14505 or 14500 cells, output went to about 25 lumens, but the 14500 heated up in under a minute. The beam is very tight and has a very, very light blue tint. One-handed operation is easy due to the size of the light. The finish is the same as the Tempo, probably Type II. The Firecracker was $11 when I got mine two years ago. For what it is, I like it for that price.
The last light reviewed is the Gerber Infinity Ultra. It runs on one AA battery, and it came with an Energizer alkaline. NiMH and Nickel cadmium are also supported. The Infinity Ultra (referred to as the IU from now on in this review) comes in black, olive drab green, and red body colors. The 5mm LED is available in red or white; mine is white. The IU is 3-1/4" long with a 3/4" diameter body. The LED is recessed pretty deep in the head. The very same twisty as the other lights is included in the IU. Battery is changed through the tailcap. The tailcap is drilled through the top for a lanyard or keyring, but again, none is included. If you're going to put one on, skip the keyring. All of the split rings I've tried marred the finish pretty bad, and wouldn't fold down. The tailcap is the same as the Sonic, but enlarged for the AA-sized body. Output for the IU is 6 lumens, all flood, and output is the same no matter what battery you use. The beam is a bit blue and splotchy, but both of those can be fixed in three minutes by polishing the LED itself with some 0000 steel wool. One-handed operation is very easy because the head is "jimped" as is the tail. The IU is the only light that comes with a pocket clip, and it comes installed bezel-up so you can clip it to a hat. The clip can be positioned bezel-down if you prefer, or removed completely. Anodizing is Type II. The IU was $16 when I got mine, and I see them selling regularly for $18 or so. This is the floodiest light I own, even against the Fenix E01. For a task light, it's not bad.
While Gerber has never "been there" like Streamlight, 4Sevens, Fenix, or even EagleTac, they deserve some credit for their low-price lights. I look at the ThruNite, SureFire, JetBeam, and NiteCore lights as CPF favorites, but the Gerbers are "there" like Energizer, MagLite, Rayovac, and Dorcy; good enough for most Joe Averages.
