Small Tactical Comparison info requested - Eagletac D25Lc2 (850lm) Nitecore SRT3?

Greetings,

Am curious on small tactical edc lights. Brighter the better but must have easy access strobe. Looking for around 500 lumens minimum and price is not really an issue, but looking for something off the shelf. The ET D25Lc2 seems to have the correct UI that will work - wondering if there's anything around that size - smaller is better, slightly larger maybe - but looking for the D25Lc2 to be sort of on the large side of what I'm looking for. Also, the Nitecore SRT3 looks to have easy access strobe from high - are there any others I should be looking at or that people have had great experience with?

Must have easy access strobe, pocket clip, and of course bright & dependable.

many thanks,
RC

RC...

Okay, first forgive me deviating from specs ... but the D25LC2 seems to me to have a completely unacceptable interface for tactical or defensive use, since group 2 changes modes with each press. Also, you mention that the D25LC2 is on the large side of what you're looking for, but while it's longer than the SRT3, it's also thinner (which makes it more carryable IMO). On the SRT3, the interface would be acceptable to me as a defensive light if it's possible to move the ring reliably, under stress, without changing grips, and I'm a bit skeptical that that's possible just based on the pics. I personally don't find the D25LC2 acceptable as a tactical light, period; the SRT3 is acceptable, but it looks like you might give up reliable instant access to strobe, unless I'm mis-reading the picture.

Among the others you might look at is the Klarus XT2C, which has an acceptable tactical UI (i.e., always starts on turbo with true forward momentary that never changes modes), plus easy instant access to strobe from any mode (though I feel that that is over-valued, and that true forward momentary with turbo start is the most important feature). That said, the XT2C has slightly lower lumens than the others.

edit: on the good side, there's a Klarus XT2C L2 out that's 725 lumens; downside, it's as wide as the Nitecore and longer than the Eagletac, so too big for you.

These days I'm using a Thrunite TN12 as my tactical light. With that light, I'm getting incredibly high lumens, use of an 18650, and a proper tactical UI (forward momentary, set to come on in turbo), but given up the ability to easily switch to strobe.

I Have the SRT3, It's a fantastic light. You can throw almost any AA or Cr123 battery at it plus 14500's which I run in it with Eneloops running shotgun. Tough well-made and dependable like the whole SRT Series

The D25LC2 is actually 621 lumens.

Ryp said:

The D25LC2 is actually 621 lumens.

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I think the OP might be referring to the overdriven iG "custom" model, although the Eagtac website has it listed at 850lum also.

RCLumens, I think you may have to define what "tactical" means to you. I would think to most people a tactical light is one that can be operated with a single hand while holding a pistol with the other. Most shooting schools will instruct the shooter to only use momentary-on mode to illuminate a room, before quickly turning off the light and moving from that spot (since you just gave away your position).

The D25LC2 cannot be turned on without going through a full press with an audible "click" to boot. Even if you tried to shoehorn it into tactical duty by going through a full press every time, the very next time you pressed the button (to illuminate a second angle), you'll get strobe instead of steady light.

The SR3, while a great light (I personally love the control ring interface), has the downside that the control ring might get shifted while in your pocket/light holster. So when you press the clicky to illuminate a target, you might get 3 lumen out the front. If the bad guy was in the room, you're in trouble. That's why most tactical lights have a single output mode. KISS principle applies, especially when hopped up on adrenaline.

I think HDS makes a model with a control ring, but the rear clicky always gets you max output, but their output is lower than you're looking for.

On that note, keep in mind that in the middle of the night, to your night-adapted eyes, 1000 lumen bouncing off the white wall in the living room will be blinding. You'll blind the bad guy if he's looking at you, true. But you'll have to squint as you're trying to ID him and see if he's a threat. And if he's not in the room, you've just impaired your own vision. It might be prudent to set an alarm for the middle of the night, and do a mock sweep of your house with your current light to see if you need that much light.

For the longest time I've had the O-light m20 as my gun light, but the fact that it has 3 modes (+strobe) always bothered me. That 360lum light I think was plenty bright. It had a side button which gave you instant strobe when the light was OFF, but when ON, that same button cycled modes. That's not something I'm going to remember in a fight. I recently bought the Surefire p2x single mode and I think it fits the bill even better, it is very bright at 500 lumen, but no strobe (I don't see the need, but that's a different topic).

KQL said:

I think the OP might be referring to the overdriven iG "custom" model, although the Eagtac website has it listed at 850lum also.

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Nah I'm pretty sure he's referring to the LED lumens. ANSI lumens is more accurate, and since, well, most other companies use it, it's easier to compare to.

Greetings all and thank you for the updates on this. Looks like the D25Lc2 has a reverse clicky, so yes, full click then release to turn it on. Group 1 with head fully tightened gives you max with another rapid click to instant strobe though... It's lacking the momentary though... Someone asked me to define my terms of tactical - and would say they're standard. I do have the ET G25c2 mkii for a true tactical light - but am looking for something smaller. If I'm going in field and need absolute tactical, I'm grabbing the G25c2. I'm thinking for more edc, what's the most brightest smallest, most dependable and most tactical style light out there? pocket clip, easy access strobe, small and bright are first. But something so small that you can only use turbo for 1 minute, not so good.

Many thanks for the awesome feedback!!

foursevens quark tactical QT2L-X Burst. 780 lumens. i believe it's more than 780 because it draws 2.7A from a li-ion

the tactical version has a forward clicky. a lot brighter than D25LC2!

RCLumens said:

I'm thinking for more edc, what's the most brightest smallest, most dependable and most tactical style light out there? pocket clip, easy access strobe, small and bright are first.

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"Most tactical" is kinda funny Okay, for tactical at all, most people would say forward switch, with momentary, and pressing the switch does NOT change modes. So anything that doesn't meet that -- like the ET D25LC2 -- does not have an acceptable tactical interface. Of course, if you have some special use in mind that deviates from the definition (you're not using this in conjunction with a handgun etc, just might need to ID a threat), then that's different and maybe reverse clicky with mode progression is ok (although I still think it isn't ok), but as long as you keep saying "tactical", people will keep pointing out that light isn't a fit.

Lots of good suggestions here, but the "easy access to strobe" makes it more challenging. There are a lot of lights where you can preset the light to come on in turbo OR in strobe, but it takes two hands to switch from one to the other, like that Quark Tactical QT2L-X, a number of great ring-based lights, etc. If you want the choice of turning on *either* in high or strobe, or instant access to strobe from any mode including off, the only light I know of in a compact package that meets that is the Klarus XT1C. It's got lower output specs than the lights mentioned here (although you CAN run it with a 16340 for much higher output than the specs say and a much hotter hotspot), but a tighter brighter hotspot which makes it work at least as well for tactical use as the floodier high-output XM-L lights.

Nitecore P12 would most likely fit your needs but if you think a D25LC2 would be too big, then I guess not. I carry a P12 as an EDC light and it's not that big, I don't even notice it in my pocket.

Awesome feedback and thank you all! Agree that forward clicky is the only real way to go - and the SRT3 can go one click from high to strobe and it looks like it can be done one handed. That and the D25LC2 I think are the closest thus far. I might make a trip to CT and get my hands on both to see the comparison myself. I'll update once I pick something up. Cheers all - RC

you could try the new eagletac d25lc2 tactical...after all, it has tactical in the name. features a clicky and has 880 ANSI FL-1 lumens. or the p12, or the t[FONT=Lucida Grande, Lucida Sans Unicode, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif]n12, or the p25c, or the p25lc2 or....[/FONT]

I wouldn't get the Eagletac for tactical use. Its user interface is wacky.

dang it. i knew i was gonna forget the p200lc2