Looking back, which light are you now embarrassed for giving so much high praise for?

ledmitter_nli · Jun 28, 2013

"Back in the day" I was such a n00b and I thought the Fenix PD32 was the absolute BOMB! Today my taste in lights has evolved to mostly expensive SureFire's paired with even more expensive drop-ins.

Even the PD32UE can't compare. Then again I've graduated to a much higher spending bracket for my lights. So it isn't fair.

Reading the The 2013 Flashaholic's "Must-Have" List sparked this topic idea. I just don't get some of the choices in there. But when you look at the post counts it all makes sense

DMitchell · Jun 29, 2013

A higher price does not always correlate into better performance in every particular case. Do a search for Surefire vs. Fenix.

whiteoakjoe · Jun 29, 2013

Some of the lights listed in the must have thread, are there because of what they were at the time they were introduced. No one thinks a model A or a 63 Corvette is state of the art today but still collectors dream cars. I have a 6P surefire that I keep original just for that reason, I want to have the piece of history that it represents, and to me its a must have as a Flashaholic. 60lm and 1hr runtime! but I still love that 6P. I could never part with my Department issued Mag-Lite 4C it and I have been through a lot together. and its a must have (a mag-lite anyway) for any flashlight lover. My PA40 neutral, is far from state of the art but I just love the carbon fiber(ish) body for cold weather and its all I need for my truck stocked with lithium's? I still recommend that light to people. I'm not ashamed of my classics, because they are classics.

ledmitter_nli · Jun 29, 2013

DMitchell said:
A higher price does not always correlate into better performance in every particular case. Do a search for Surefire vs. Fenix.

Not unless the SureFire is modified. You can't compare a brand that trail-blazed the interchangeable P60 lamp assembly to what are basically chinese cookie cutter lights

Comparing size-vs-size, a stock SureFire doesn't feature the brightest outputs with the most modes, but a high quality drop in easily fixes that.

ledmitter_nli · Jun 29, 2013

whiteoakjoe said:
Some of the lights listed in the must have thread, are there because of what they were at the time they were introduced. No one thinks a model A or a 63 Corvette is state of the art today but still collectors dream cars. I have a 6P surefire that I keep original just for that reason, I want to have the piece of history that it represents, and to me its a must have as a Flashaholic. 60lm and 1hr runtime! but I still love that 6P. I could never part with my Department issued Mag-Lite 4C it and I have been through a lot together. and its a must have (a mag-lite anyway) for any flashlight lover. My PA40 neutral, is far from state of the art but I just love the carbon fiber(ish) body for cold weather and its all I need for my truck stocked with lithium's? I still recommend that light to people. I'm not ashamed of my classics, because they are classics.

I get that, classics and anything that where mainstays for a long period of time might be chosen by collectors. But I don't think that's a "collectors" oriented thread. It reads more like, "what's the must have of 2013?"

DMitchell · Jun 29, 2013

ledmitter_nli said:
Not unless the SureFire is modified. You can't compare a brand that trail-blazed the interchangeable P60 lamp assembly to what are basically chinese cookie cutter lights

Comparing size-vs-size, a stock SureFire doesn't feature the brightest outputs with the most modes, but a high quality drop in easily fixes that.

There are a multitude of reasons why someone would want a Fenix light, or any other light in the price class over a Surefire host, and dropin.
- The heat transfer issues of the P60 format
- Preferring a specific interface over P60 dropin interface
- Many other lights are much easier to pocket than the fat P60's width
- Switch location; no P60 host I personally know of has the switch by the head
- Runtime; very unlikely that any P60 dropin will match Fenix's constant current, all things being equal
- Compatibility; or the ability of many dropins to fit correctly
I've got some decent P60 hosts of my own from: Oveready, Surefire, Pila, and Elzetta, with L.E.D. dropins from Malkoff, and CustomLites. I don't consider any of them better in every area to many of my Chinese counterparts.

WilsonCQB1911 · Jun 29, 2013

Looking back, which light are you now embarrassed for giving so much high prais

Can this not be a "why does Surefire cost so much" thread? I really liked the topic, lets not ruin it.

For me, I don't know about embarrassed, but the last light I had gotten was the LX2 back when it first came out and hadn't looked at lights since. Well, I got back into it a few months ago and found out that the market had boomed since then. One of the first lights I got was the AAA Thrunite and I was just in awe. Didn't think there could be anything better, since I was working off the old paradigm. Several dozen more lights since then has certainly changed my perspective.

DMitchell · Jun 29, 2013

Re: Looking back, which light are you now embarrassed for giving so much high prais

WilsonCQB1911 said:
Can this not be a "why does Surefire cost so much" thread? I really liked the topic, lets not ruin it.

I agree, to bad the original poster had to ruin it.

Here is my embarrassment:
"Back in the day" I was such a n00b and I thought the Surefire 6P was the absolute BOMB! Today my taste in lights has evolved to mostly cheaper Fenix lights.

Even the Surefire C2 can't compare. Then again I've graduated to a much lower spending bracket for my lights. So, it's more than fair.

Reading the 2013 Flashaholic's "Must-Have" List I understand that more expensive lights are at an advantage when it comes to research and development. I also understand that it is possible for someone not to prefer the specific philosophy of an expensive manufacturer or custom maker and find what he or she is looking for in a lower price bracket.

Gentlemansflashlight · Jun 29, 2013

What kind/brand of drop ins and where do you buy them?

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WilsonCQB1911 · Jun 29, 2013

Looking back, which light are you now embarrassed for giving so much high prais

DMitchell said:
I agree, to bad the original poster had to ruin it.

Here is my embarrassment:
"Back in the day" I was such a n00b and I thought the Surefire 6P was the absolute BOMB! Today my taste in lights has evolved to mostly cheaper Fenix lights.

Even the Surefire C2 can't compare. Then again I've graduated to a much lower spending bracket for my lights. So, it's more than fair.

Reading the 2013 Flashaholic's "Must-Have" List I understand that more expensive lights are at an advantage when it comes to research and development. I also understand that it is possible for someone not to prefer the specific philosophy of an expensive manufacturer or custom maker and find what he or she is looking for in a lower price bracket.

Really? I mean seriously? I see what you did there. I think everybody does. Let it go.

DMitchell · Jun 29, 2013

Re: Looking back, which light are you now embarrassed for giving so much high prais

WilsonCQB1911 said:
Really? I mean seriously? I see what you did there. I think everybody does. Let it go.

Mikeg23 · Jun 29, 2013

Re: Looking back, which light are you now embarrassed for giving so much high prais

I had lots of 2AA Incans when I was young and was pleased when I got my 2D mag. I carried a mag solitaire for years and when I turned 17 I started carrying my mini mag all the time for work and school. It wasn't long I was looking for something brighter.

I found a dorcy 2AA that had 4 5mm LEDs and I thought it was amazing. It wasn't long after that I started looking at Surefires and Streamlights and realised that Dorcy wasnt really that impressive. I gave that dorcy a lot of praise haha

euroken · Jun 29, 2013

Re: Looking back, which light are you now embarrassed for giving so much high prais

My first high powered light was LED LENSER P7. It was the most amazing light I had ever seen...yes...I'm embarrassed

reppans · Jun 29, 2013

Looking back, which light are you now embarrassed for giving so much high prais

Before discovering the online flashlight market here at CPF, I had a thing for the Black Diamond and Petzl headlamps and lanterns that the brick and mortar camping stores always stock. I find them junk now: plastic cases, highs too low, lows too high, red lens to compensate both wasting batts and unnatural tints, PWM, always starts on high, inefficient, etc, etc.

The massive difference between the online and brick and mortar markets for portable lighting continues to amaze me.... and the vast bulk of the general population only know the latter.

ledmitter_nli · Jun 29, 2013

DMitchell said:
There are a multitude of reasons why someone would want a Fenix light, or any other light in the price class over a Surefire host, and dropin.
- The heat transfer issues of the P60 format
- Preferring a specific interface over P60 dropin interface
- Many other lights are much easier to pocket than the fat P60's width
- Switch location; no P60 host I personally know of has the switch by the head
- Runtime; very unlikely that any P60 dropin will match Fenix's constant current, all things being equal
- Compatibility; or the ability of many dropins to fit correctly
I've got some decent P60 hosts of my own from: Oveready, Surefire, Pila, and Elzetta, with L.E.D. dropins from Malkoff, and CustomLites. I don't consider any of them better in every area to many of my Chinese counterparts.

I guess you haven't seen my drop ins

I think lights with a digital head switch only are annoyingly counter intuitive vs a quality forward tail button clicky. Show me a Fenix light with a Nichia 219 LED (or 4 of them). Or a Fenix with a tint bin of your choice.

Run time? My 1X18650 1,100 lumen quad Nichia 219 can do 3.5 hours @ 400 lumens. 1,700 lumen quad XP-G2 [R5-3C] @ 600 lumens - about the same. Not bad at all. Heat? Just step it down like all the other lights that step down. Size? A single 18650 host offers the greatest compromise considering everything that you're getting. Or choose a host for a smaller battery. Haven't seen compatibility issues with dropins except by those created by amateurs.

Either way, these are all material items that can be purchased. Never meaning for anyone to take it personally (in case it was).

adnj · Jun 29, 2013

Any small Maglight.

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DMitchell · Jun 29, 2013

ledmitter_nli said:
I guess you haven't seen my drop ins I think lights with a digital head switch only are annoyingly counter intuitive vs a quality forward tail button clicky. Show me a Fenix light with a Nichia 219 LED (or 4 of them). Or a Fenix with a tint bin of your choice. Run time? My 1X18650 1,100 lumen quad Nichia 219 can do 3.5 hours @ 400 lumens. 1,700 lumen quad XP-G2 [R5-3C] @ 600 lumens - about the same. Not bad at all. Heat? Just step it down like all the other lights that step down. Size? A single 18650 host offers the greatest compromise considering everything that you're getting. Or choose a host for a smaller battery. Haven't seen compatibility issues with dropins except by those created by amateurs.

Either way, these are all material items that can be purchased. Never meaning for anyone to take it personally (in case it was).

Anything you have posted within your last post negates none of the absolutes I have listed above, or the hundreds more that I could come up with. That fact that you believe the P60 format offers "everything" there is to every flashlight consumer shows how close minded and delusional you really are. Tonight I'm gonna carry my Preon Revo in my pocket, and shine my Klarus XT 30 into the sky just for you. :laughing:

ledmitter_nli · Jun 29, 2013

DMitchell said:
Anything you have posted within your last post negates none of the absolutes I have listed above, or the hundreds more that I could come up with. That fact that you believe the P60 format offers "everything" there is to every flashlight consumer shows how close minded and delusional you really are. Tonight I'm gonna carry my Preon Revo in my pocket, and shine my Klarus XT 30 into the sky just for you. :laughing:

What part of "greatest compromise considering everything that you're getting" did you not understand? Struggle with it a bit longer.

PS. Enjoy your angry purple tinted lights.

carrot · Jun 29, 2013

The Maglite Solitaire

Search · Jun 29, 2013

Re: Looking back, which light are you now embarrassed for giving so much high prais

DMitchell said:
"Back in the day" I was such a n00b and I thought the Surefire 6P was the absolute BOMB!

Me too. So much I bought another and a 6PL last week

Albeit it mostly for collection purposes

Looking back, which light are you now embarrassed for giving so much high praise for?

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