Have you found a way to protect your flashlights' lenses?

I know my EDC lights is going to get some scratches, or a lot of scratches on its lens because its in my pocket all day, but with my other lights I'd like to be able to find some way to protect their lenses so they dont get scratched or dinged up. I bought the Eagletac aluminum folding diffuser and installed in onto the bezel area of my G25C2, but quickly realized that the actual diffuser lens doesnt really seem to accomplish anything useful, as I can just ceiling bounce it without the diffuser if I need to light up an indoors area, but its a great way to protect the main lens when not in use, so I keep it on there, and just fold it back when I need the light.

I wont be able to find a nice folding aluminum lens cover like than for all my lights, so the other option would be plastic/rubber rifle scope lens caps, but I'd probably want to manually test the size of them in a store to see if they fit as opposed to ordering them based on a measurement, then discovering they are either too tight or too loose, then having to return them through the mail and needing to pay for repeated shipments back and forth for different lights.

After all, I was looking at the lens on many of my lights, and they have zero scratches at this point because I've made sure not to scratch them, except my EDC light which cant be avoided. So with 90% of my nice LED lights, their lenses/reflectors are perfectly smooth and shiny with no scratches and I'd like to keep them that way!:thumbsup:


Has anyone else thought of this or figured out a better way to protect your lights' lenses?

Stainless steel crenelated rings or just rings will protect it. But do be cautious because dropping it on the head will crack the lens.

Tiresius said:

Stainless steel crenelated rings or just rings will protect it. But do be cautious because dropping it on the head will crack the lens.

Click to expand...

I've got bezels that stick out further than the lens does on every light I own for the most part, and extended bezels on some, but I'm looking for something that will actually cover the lens completely when not in use....

Buy a decent holster. Or dedicate a pocket to just your light. Never could figure out folks dropping their shinny new phone, light. pocket knife in with a big handful of quarters and junk. I've been carrying the same nitecore d10 for years and it still looks fine. Some nicks from being dropped, but the lens is cherry. I carry it in a holster, but I crawl around attics and crawl spaces all day.

Theres no real way to protect the glass [yes, thats the term for it, "lense" actually defines an optic, not a window ] unless there are designed features that prevents direct contact. Bezel rings are a nice solution. I have not experienced a glass incursion before, but can't say it won't happen. Polycarb and Lexan will not shatter unless the user forcefully contacted it with a pointed object, but borosilicate glass could otherwise. One possible solution would be the use of an over the bezel filter. Kind of like the Surefire F05 except with a clear window. A rubber body would dampen vibration and a sacrifical window to cater blunt trauma. Light transmission and thermal dissipation may suffer, but if you feel the added protection outweigh performance, have at it mate :thumbsup:

Bezel ring with enough recess should give enough protection against hard mechanical impacts, but frequent rubbing a dusty lens with inappropriate cloth is going to ruin the AR coating anyway.

An old-skool Russian camera lens instruction says: "Blow away as much dust as possible, then fog the lens surface with your breath and wipe very gently with a soft, clean flannel cloth. Do this only when absolutely necessary." Of course there are more advanced ways today.

Some of my lights have d-c-fix film diffusers (sticked on or retained by a translucent plastic ring), giving them good protection against damage.

Cheers

This is what I use on some of my lights:

http://www.west-op.com/occlusionfoil.html

Just moisten the surface a bit and stick it on the lens after you cut it to the right size.
I tried this first as a way to smoothen out a ringy beam, then realized that it works well as a protection.
As you see they range from clear to more diffusing.
If you get the more diffusing type I guess you loose some light but not so it bothers me.

Edit: I checked what I am using and that is the 0.1 version. That gives a very slight diffusing effect.
It's not so it looks like a diffuser but more smoothens out the rings a little bit.
If somebody put it on your light without you knowing it you wouldn't notice it next time you used the light.
For white wall hunters it gives a better beam.
It is an excellent way to protect the lens surface of EDC lights that are in the pocket.

If you are more looking for a cap to protect the front end of your light during transport/storage I know that PET bottle caps fits some of my lights,
but of course they are limited in size.
In hardware stores and stores with kitchen / cooking stuff I sometimes find things that can work as diffusers / protection.

Phantom309 said:

Buy a decent holster.

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THIS is my solution for the Quark AA I EDC,
and it was the solution for all my jeans getting a hole in the back pocket from the light placed there
(some of them quite quickly, some needed 2 years of "flashlight pocketing")

... the lens of the Quark did not get any scratches at all during that time. You sure You are not searching a solution for anonexistent problem?

I carry most of my lights in padded zippered knife cases. These cases fit into a large Pelican case. With the exception of a few flashlights a ding here or there is not a problem. I've never broken any glass and I've dropped plenty of them. My handle should be Butterfingers! Also a few of my lights have diffusers which fit over the glass. I like the diffused beam. The all just come off with a little twisting.

If available, get a diffuser cover. If it's a flip-over one, that's even better.

Good examples are Fenix AD401 and Surefire FM34.

GunnarGG said:

This is what I use on some of my lights:

http://www.west-op.com/occlusionfoil.html

Just moisten the surface a bit and stick it on the lens after you cut it to the right size.
I tried this first as a way to smoothen out a ringy beam, then realized that it works well as a protection.
As you see they range from clear to more diffusing.
If you get the more diffusing type I guess you loose some light but not so it bothers me.

Edit: I checked what I am using and that is the 0.1 version. That gives a very slight diffusing effect.
It's not so it looks like a diffuser but more smoothens out the rings a little bit.
If somebody put it on your light without you knowing it you wouldn't notice it next time you used the light.
For white wall hunters it gives a better beam.
It is an excellent way to protect the lens surface of EDC lights that are in the pocket.

If you are more looking for a cap to protect the front end of your light during transport/storage I know that PET bottle caps fits some of my lights,
but of course they are limited in size.
In hardware stores and stores with kitchen / cooking stuff I sometimes find things that can work as diffusers / protection.

Click to expand...

GunnarGG,
That film is an interesting find and something I may look into. A question or two, if I may? These seem to be sold in individual sheets, what size are they? You've also stated that you are using 0.1, when I look at the chart linked at the bottom of that page 0.1 appears to be very diffused. Perhaps you meant 1.0 which seems to provide 100% transmission? I assume these would be reusable after a "trim to fit" as adhesion seems to be of the static type.
Nice find, thanks!

Anyone considered cutting up their iPhone screen protector?

Do you guys realize that the hardest thing in your pockets is the glass lense? I have carried tons of lights with anything and everything in my pockets and have yet to scratch a window.

I'm not sure what you carry, but I have yet to scratch any glass lens or flats on my lights, well, except when I dropped my light in the sand (quartz sand is harder then glass but a bit). Plastic flats, yes, but not glass.

Scratches on the lights themselves I don't mind since that means the light has been used and isn't sitting around looking pretty.

Up All Night said:

GunnarGG,
That film is an interesting find and something I may look into. A question or two, if I may? These seem to be sold in individual sheets, what size are they? You've also stated that you are using 0.1, when I look at the chart linked at the bottom of that page 0.1 appears to be very diffused. Perhaps you meant 1.0 which seems to provide 100% transmission? I assume these would be reusable after a "trim to fit" as adhesion seems to be of the static type.
Nice find, thanks!

Click to expand...

It is actually the 0.1 type I'm using.
The diffusing effect isn't very big and those that are less diffusing have little or no effect on the beam.
Even the 0.1 doesn't give any big difference on the beam.
I'll see if I get a chance to post some beamshots later.

@ganymede:
thats a good idea, haven't tried it though.

@mossyoak and Gunner12,
I'll guess your right. It's probably not that easy to scrach the lens and if it's done it will probably not effect the beam very much.
But I do have a Zebralight with a few scratches in the perifery of the lens that gives some artifacts on a white wall but not during ordinary use.
I made those scratches myself with a sanding paper. Pure stupidity - don't ask

Drove me crazy in the beginning - doesn't care anymore now.

I don't know how easy this mod would be, but replacing the lens with mineral glass or sapphire will help.

When I got my Surefire Backup modded the lens was replaced with mineral glass. I've edc'd my light without a cover and it's been dropped, etc.

Until now there are absolutely no scratches whatsoever on the glass.

Yep. Sapphire is the way to go IMHO. Some lights have that option such as HDS Systems. I'll never buy a watch with anything else than Sapphire (unless it's an Omega Speedmaster for obvious reasons) since it's so effective in completely eliminating scratches.

I like full coverage sheaths. When I carry in a pocket I remove everything but the light.

I have gotten great use out of flip-up scope covers from Butler Creek. I have them on four variants of the EL Blasters.

For some lights that get knocked about in toolboxes I use rubber tips from cane/crutch/chair leg/table legs to keep other tools from scratching them up.

HDS is supposed to be designed with plenty of protection for the glass lens, and that the sapphire lens option is just for bragging about... but its not just for bragging (silly), it keeps me from feeling so bad about rubbing debris off the lens with my finger while its being used instead of stopping to clean it properly.

I've used screen protectors and even just plain 'ol clear tape and either works fine.

I prefer screen protectors though since they're easier to cut, less chance of bubble when applying and easier to remove w/o leaving any residue.