Which 4-AA light do you like better: Fenix LD41 or Jetbeam PA40?

These 2 lights are so similar you'd have to assume that these 2 companies designed them to compete against each other. The Jetbeam PA40 has a carbon composite body with aluminum head, and the Fenix has an all aluminum body. They both run on 4-AA's. They have fairly similar max brightness with the Fenix at 520L and the Jetbeam at 468L. They have fairly similar modes, with the Fenix LD41 with: Low/5L Med/80L High/190L Turbo/520L. Whereas the Jetbeam PA40 runs at: Low/2L Med/50L High/220L and Turbo/468L

The run times arent too far off either, but the Fenix seems to have a little better low run time even though its low is 5L and the Jetbeam's is 2L. But the 2 lights look fairly similar, except the Fenix is a little more square-ish and the Jetbeam is a little more rounded and ergonomic looking.

I have never used either light. The price of the JB PA40 is $69 and the price of the Fenix LD41 is $76. The one advantage I see is that the Fenix LD41 uses the newer XM-L U2 and the Jetbeam uses the XM-L T6, which probably explains the difference in both cost and max brightness. The Fenix has 2 switches on the rear, with one for power and the other for mode switching. Its got momentary too. The Jetbeam has just one switch, but its got a low battery indicator light. I dont know if it has a momentary feature like the Fenix. The Fenix LD41 seems to tail stand, but I dont think the PA40 will do the same.

I'm thinking that one of these just might be the multiple AA light I was looking for to get my friend to buy, because they are simple to use, they use common AA batteries which he always has lots of, and either one could be a good indoor light for a non-flashaholic who might have trouble with complicated UI's. Have you used either or both of these and which do you like better and why?

http://www.batteryjunction.com/jetbeam-pa40.html

http://www.batteryjunction.com/fenix-ld41.html

I personally like the double switch of the Fenix better, and the Fenix is also completely completely made out of aluminium. Can't go wrong with any of the two lights, both are amazing lights for sure

I used to own both but I gave the LD41's away as gifts because of the straightforward UI. PA40 is amazing but its interface needs getting used to, so I was worried that it will be annoying to my uncles.

In the short time of ownership, I found out that the heat dissipation is much better on LD41 where the heat actually travelled to the tail end instead of concentrated in the head like on PA40.

Also, LD41 is wobbly tail-standing because the main switch boot slightly protrudes even switched on. But PA40 cannot tail-stand by itself at all.

All in all, LD41 wins because of the simpler UI.


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I like the PA40 better. I don't have the LD41 I have the LD40, but I like the Jetbeam better because of the "carbon fiber" plastic body. I use this light in the winter and those aluminum lights can get cold on the hands. Have to put them on hi for a while to warm them up. The non-metalic body is better for me as a light for the truck in the winter because of this. And the single switch is not that hard to get use to espicially with the memory.

whiteoakjoe said:

I like the PA40 better. I don't have the LD41 I have the LD40, but I like the Jetbeam better because of the "carbon fiber" plastic body. I use this light in the winter and those aluminum lights can get cold on the hands. Have to put them on hi for a while to warm them up. The non-metalic body is better for me as a light for the truck in the winter because of this. And the single switch is not that hard to get use to espicially with the memory.

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In addition to the plastic body, the slightly lower low also has me planning on getting a PA40.

whiteoakjoe said:

I like the PA40 better. I don't have the LD41 I have the LD40, but I like the Jetbeam better because of the "carbon fiber" plastic body. I use this light in the winter and those aluminum lights can get cold on the hands. Have to put them on hi for a while to warm them up. The non-metalic body is better for me as a light for the truck in the winter because of this. And the single switch is not that hard to get use to espicially with the memory.

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You know I never thought of the issue of these aluminum lights getting cold in winter because mine spend their time indoors all warm, or in my pocket all warm, plus I dont use my lights professionally. But I dont know of too many polymer bodied higher end lights aside from this light and a few Surefires, so I have never owned one. But the fact thats its not made of aluminum which would tend to be cold if you had to use it a lot during the winter would be a plus for some people.

The light is usually warm when you pull it out of your pocket, but if you have to use it for a while they get really cold when they're made of aluminum!

Has anyone been able to swap emitters on either the Fenix or the JetBeam?

kaichu dento said:

The light is usually warm when you pull it out of your pocket, but if you have to use it for a while they get really cold when they're made of aluminum!

Has anyone been able to swap emitters on either the Fenix or the JetBeam?

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I am still trying to figure out if the emitters can be swapped in ANY non-P60 light! I started a thread a while ago listing a few lights I own like the Jetbeam PC10, PA10, but I never got any response....

I've been interested in the 4xAA format ever since I got my first blaze orange Buck Light back in '91 or so, but the one thing I hate in the snow is a cold blue tint reflecting back at me. I can handle the true neutral of my Nichia 119, but still for the snow, prefer the warmer incan-like tints.
Maybe I'll just need to get one and see if it can be accessed or not.

LD41 is slightly brighter and has better throw. Based on just beam character PA40 is more comfortable, smoother and better tint(I have the neutral). The aluminum body of LD41 feels slippery and it's a bit difficult to put on and off the light with one hand without that the light glides away a bit in the hand. In this case the carbon fiber body of PA40 provides better grip and it works perfect with one hand. But I prefer the low-high order of LD41 rather than high-low of PA40.
Conclusion: if I will keep only one of them it will be PA40.

Owned both. Kept Ld41 mainly because of UI. Pa40 goes high --> low. Fenix goes low --> high. Pa40 doesn't really have momentary because, if you lightly click it quickly, each time it goes on, you actually switch through the brightness modes. LD41, because it has a button for mode switching and a actual button for the on/off, does have a true momentary. LD41 seems to throw further. LD41 handle isn't as easy to actuate the buttons because of the bigger butt though. All in all, LD41 > PA40 to me for my uses. PA40 was traded away.