Help with driver mA ratings please?

I was looking at the convoy M2 Cree XM-L U2, although this company offers many version of this light.

• Convoy M2 Cree XM-L T6-3C 2-Group 3/5-Mode LED Flashlight
  M2 T6-3C 2100mA 2-Group 3/5-Mode: $22.41
• Convoy M2 Cree XM-L T6-3C 2-Group 3/5-Mode LED Flashlight
  M2 T6-3C 2800mA 2-Group 3/5-Mode: $22.79
• Convoy M2 Cree XM-L U2-1B 2-Group 3/5-Mode LED Flashlight
  M2 U2-1B 2100mA 2-Group 3/5-Mode: $22.41
• Convoy M2 Cree XM-L U2-1B 2-Group 3/5-Mode LED Flashlight
  M2 U2-1B 2800mA 2-Group 3/5-Mode: $22.7

Can someone please explain to me what I should be looking for here the price difference is nominal. Also does a 2800mA driver have to take a 2900 mAh cell? I have the orbtronic Panasonic cells protected 18650 2900 mAh NCR18650.. So can I purchase the XM-L u2-1B that has a 2800mA driver and put my 2900 mAh cells in this? Also what is the advantages vs these different choices. Thanks everyone!

2100 mA vs 2800 mA is a very small difference in output... Assuming the manufacturer is honest about those ratings. Who knows if he is? If he is, I'll be you a buck you're getting either three (2100 mA) or four (2800 mA) 700 mA AMC7135 chips on the driver. This means that the lights will dim gradually as the battery voltage falls below about 3.6v, so the last half of the battery capacity will gradually dim. This stretches battery life, but runs dimmer. That's good for some people.

What does 2100 mA vs 2800 mA mean for output? Not much. That's (+30%) or (-25%) output. It will make a difference in some situations, but practically speaking you'll notice the runtime penalty with higher output first. +30% output won't be a stunning difference.

2100 mAh vs 2800 mAh is completely different. That's capacity. It means, roughly, that the cell can give 1 amp for 2.1 hours (1 amp times 2.1 hours) or 1 amp for 2.8 hours (1 amp times 2.8 hours). Draining a cell very fast reduces its available capacity. You'd get a nice boost in runtime. Some of the new 3400 mAh cells don't fit in all lights.

Oh, I suggest a light without flashy modes. They annoy most people.

mA is the current driving the LED.
Higher value means higher light output.
And the slight difference in price is due to the extra chip they put in to up the current from 2100 to 2800mA.

mAh is the charge that the battery can hold.
The higher the xxxxmAh on ur battery, the longer your battery can keep running.

And don't worry, ur battery will do just fine.

JonK

Sent from my Awesome phone from somewhere in the mountains

Thank you . I ordered the 4th choice light, as a backup to my Streamlight protac hl thanks for the info