Fenix TK 12

I can't believe they are finally making an improved version of the TK11. After all these years too!!

Leaner and a Little Meaner

So, it's half an inch shorter than the TK15, 50 lumens brighter and runs a little longer. I really like it.

Re: Leaner and a Little Meaner

Curse you Fenix! The old TK12 is still one of my favourite and most used lights. Now they go and make it brighter and throw twice as far.

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The TK10 was my first foray into high end lights - glad they are keeping the form alive and upgrading it.

Re: Leaner and a Little Meaner

That's great news and finally a light with true one-hand operation without pinky gymnastics!

The only preliminary gripe is the lack of pocket grip and possibly the cycling operation: it looks like a soft press when the light is on is all it takes to cycle through which can mean changing output accidentally is sort of easy. In that respect a double tap within 0.X seconds would have probably been a better choice but let's wait and see!
For me it's almost a sure buy!

Re: Leaner and a Little Meaner

Nice one, finally some small and throwy flashlight with decent runtime without stupid stepdowns. I see they also simplified the UI which is good. The bad - mode sequence should be low-med-high, not high-med-low. Forward clicky with modes? Not my type, it's very annoying when you need momentary for a little longer than a few seconds (you need to press and hold firmly otherwise it will change mode). And to change mode you need to turn your light off, change mode and turn back on. 3 presses instead of one...

Re: Leaner and a Little Meaner

phantom23 said:

Not my type, it's very annoying when you need momentary for a little longer than a few seconds (you need to press and hold firmly otherwise it will change mode). And to change mode you need to turn your light off, change mode and turn back on. 3 presses instead of one...

Click to expand...

The way I read it is:
If the light is off, you can have momentary for as long as you want without the mode changing.
If the light is on, you do a half press to change modes.

But I could be wrong. . .


I agree that High -> Mid -> Low is just un-natural and an abomination!

Seems like Fenix is getting a lot of overlap in the capabilities of the TK lineup. Unless they plan on dropping some older models. . . But since I just bought a ArmyTek Predator i don't think I'll be needing another pocket thrower for a while!

Re: Leaner and a Little Meaner

Weird, based on the description on Fenix website it seems like a hybrid forward/reverse clicky...

And guys, remember that if this is a "tactical" model, it typically is supposed to come on in high mode first.

Re: Leaner and a Little Meaner

I hope you're right. This pic suggests you are:



I've never seen such switch but it'll be great.

Let's be honest, it's "tactical" with a big quote (""), most of them have never been used as tactical lights.

wjv said:

I agree that High -> Mid -> Low is just un-natural and an abomination!

Click to expand...

It's natural for Ultrafire. If you're using it mostly on high, mode sequence is not so important. But if you use your flashlight mostly on low (most people do) and need some more light, you have to go directly to the highest mode instead of medium (which you need). If you're on low with momentary and accidently release the switch (slightly, just enough to switch it off), when you press it again it will blind you on high. Low-> Mid -> High is even more natural and suitable for more users.

wjv said:

Seems like Fenix is getting a lot of overlap in the capabilities of the TK lineup. Unless they plan on dropping some older models. . . But since I just bought a ArmyTek Predator i don't think I'll be needing another pocket thrower for a while!

Click to expand...

Isn't TK11 discontinued? It came out 3 years ago. If it is I can see no overlapping. I had Predator a while ago and sold it - it's much bigger than TK11/12/15 and has too tight spill which made it unusdeable for me as a EDC.

Re: Leaner and a Little Meaner

phantom23 said:

I

Isn't TK11 discontinued? It came out 3 years ago. If it is I can see no overlapping. I had Predator a while ago and sold it - it's much bigger than TK11/12/15 and has too tight spill which made it unusdeable for me as a EDC.

Click to expand...

Don't know if the TK11 is discontinued. It's still listed on their web site.

Just seems that within the TK11, TK12, TK15, TK22 series there is a lot of distance/lumen/runtime overlap.

I agree that the TK15 has more usable spill than than the Predator. Which is why I'm keeping my TK15 (337 lumen version). The Predator will be used only when a long throw is needed.

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I'm suprised that TK15 with the same reflector and older, less bright emitter outthrows new TK12. How is that possible, XP-G2 supposed to be throwier than XP-G...

Re: Leaner and a Little Meaner

HOLY SWEET MOTHER OF BEJEZZUS!

I've been waiting for this moment for quite a while. But there was an "old" TK12, right? seeing this confused the heck out of me for a second. Why didn't they name it the TK13?

I'm kind of dissapointed that it doesn't appear to use the new "lossless OP reflector". Or at least I didn't see that it does. And is this a new style of switch or is it basically the same functionality the original LD20 had but with momentary now?

And kind of important in my opinion too: does it tailstand? I like the idea of the tail cap being recessed just far enough so that it can tailstand and thus is slightly more protected when taking a fall onto a hard surface.

I'm glad this version won't be using a head twist to change modes. It's the reason this happened: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?370471-Fenix-TK11-R5-Glue-Problem

EDIT: Interesting to see this TK12 is actually slightly lighter than the TK11.

Re: Leaner and a Little Meaner

martinaee said:

HOLY SWEET MOTHER OF BEJEZZUS!

I've been waiting for this moment for quite a while. But there was an "old" TK12, right? seeing this confused the heck out of me for a second. Why didn't they name it the TK13?

I'm kind of dissapointed that it doesn't appear to use the new "lossless OP reflector". Or at least I didn't see that it does. And is this a new style of switch or is it basically the same functionality the original LD20 had but with momentary now?

And kind of important in my opinion too: does it tailstand? I like the idea of the tail cap being recessed just far enough so that it can tailstand and thus is slightly more protected when taking a fall onto a hard surface.

I'm glad this version won't be using a head twist to change modes. It's the reason this happened: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?370471-Fenix-TK11-R5-Glue-Problem

EDIT: Interesting to see this TK12 is actually slightly lighter than the TK11.

Click to expand...

I just wish the tk22, with the lossless reflector, had this UI setup. no side switch, no strobes(?), and tailstands.

Yeah it does supposedly tailstand.

Re: Leaner and a Little Meaner

cland72 said:

Weird, based on the description on Fenix website it seems like a hybrid forward/reverse clicky...

And guys, remember that if this is a "tactical" model, it typically is supposed to come on in high mode first.

Click to expand...

That was my interpretation of the UI ......once I got my head around the fact that I hadn't hopped on a dusty thread and checked the Fenix site. The title and first post kinda stunned me! :huh:

Re: Leaner and a Little Meaner

Up All Night said:

That was my interpretation of the UI ......once I got my head around the fact that I hadn't hopped on a dusty thread and checked the Fenix site. The title and first post kinda stunned me! :huh:

Click to expand...

Did exactly the same, I kept checking the date of the first post!
Now I wish they would have released an hybrid UI similar to the old real TK12: that would have given 3 output levels x 6 possible combination!

Don't want to complain - they finally released a light without a side mode switch, that's all I was asking for!

Re: Leaner and a Little Meaner

I like the modes on this lights. 3 is pretty simple and the difference between them is enough to avoid doubtness of which mode is on. Just wish it could be offered in neutral tint.

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Do you guys think thats an electronic switch?

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I don't think so. It wouldn't recognize the difference between "tap" to change modes and "click" to turn it off.

Re: Leaner and a Little Meaner

phantom23 said:

I don't think so. It wouldn't recognize the difference between "tap" to change modes and "click" to turn it off.

Click to expand...

Oh yeah i did not think of that thanks!

Re: Leaner and a Little Meaner

Something doesn't add up though: if this new switch was a normal forward clicky, from on it would have to be switched off and on again to cycle to the next output level. Instead they just say "tap" here and "tap" there. It might be an hybrid switch half clicky and half electronic?