Newbie with a Single Cell AA question

I'm looking to transition from a single cell CR123 to a single cell AA for everyday carry, and for around the house emergency lights. I would like a high level of over 60 lumens for when I need to really light something up, and a low of under 10 lumens for say winter time power outages. I want the lights to be pocket size, and require no more than a single battery. I'm not overly concerned about whether it is a twisty or clicky type. I also want to keep it as simple of a UI as possible. My wife and children who aren't much into flashlights will be using them also.

I don't even know what is considered a good balance between brightness and battery runtimes, and I guess this is my primary general question.

More specifically, I'd like to know is what single cell AA' are considered to have the best/highest brightness levels, versus runtimes, and the best/lowest brightness levels versus runtimes, and fit into the category of light I mention above? In general, I'm most interested in what is considered to be a good high level brightness /battery runtime and what is a good low level brightness / battery runtime considered to be in the AA format. I will use a mix of batteries from Akaline, Lithium, and I'd like to get my first set of Eneloops.

My current EDC and around the house emergency lights have been Fenix and 4 Sevens brand (either CR123 or CR2 battery types). I did recently purchase a Fenix E12 to try out, but I don't really know how it compares in this field against others. I'd like to purchase about 3-4 of these AA lights, and I'd want to keep the price range at around $30, but I'd be interested in knowing if a higher price range of up to say $80 would get me much more in regard to what I'm looking for.

Any help on selecting a light would be greatly appreciated.

In before ZL gang.

Zebralight Sc5 is my recommendation.
I don't own one, yet.

Off the charts performance in small package that runs on a NiMH AA.

WarRaven said:

In before ZL gang.

Zebralight Sc5 is my recommendation.

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I've got my application in for membership in the ZL gang, but it hasn't been accepted yet. A newbie like me can't just walk in and take over the place. :shakehead

I would try the neutral-white Zebralight SC5w, but tint preferences vary.

I also strongly recommend a NiMH charger/tester such as the Opus BT-C700 that can charge, discharge, test, and analyze your batteries. HKJ reviews the BT-C700 on his web site. To learn more about the care and charging of NiMH, see the AskMrWizard videos I linked here.

The SC5w works best on Eneloop Pro batteries that are manufactured in Japan. The Chinese-made Eneloops are not the same product. Here is a CPF post that discusses some of the problems. Other extensive tests were recently reported by "accumulator" on BudgetLightForum.com. In a post entitled Japanese Vs Chinese Eneloop Cycle Testing Results, he reports on testing performed over one year. Lookup the title in your favorite search engine.

A flashlight that is a little closer to your $30 threshold is the L11C Nichia 219 made by L3 Illumination. It has 3-mode and 4-mode versions; I would get the latter. Price is $35.

Thanks all for the info, and links. I'll check them out. Much appreciated.

On a budget, I'd check out 4 Sevens Mini AA, if you want to something Rock Solid but a little more spendy, Malkoff MDC AA.

KeepingItLight said:

A flashlight that is a little closer to your $30 threshold is the L11C Nichia 219 made by L3 Illumination. It has 3-mode and 4-mode versions; I would get the latter. Price is $35.

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Good choice if you want something inexpensive. There's also the L3 Illuminations L10 if you want something even cheaper, and don't mind a twisty light. I would stick with the Nichia version since it is not much less bright, yet has a MUCH better tint. Either the L10 or L10C will provide VASTLY more lumens than the 60 you need.

All the recommendations are much appreciated, and have me doing a lot of Internet research.

I have another question...do the eneloops get you more runtime than a lithium primary in a single AA light like my Fenix E12? Sorry if this is a dumb question. I understand that the lithiums are supposed to be long lasting, but the paperwork with the Fenix lists NiMh batteries for the higher runtimes, which confused my little mind a bit.

100 lumen is a pretty good high for general use...30 is a good level for most tasks.

dmattaponi said:

I have another question...do the eneloops get you more runtime than a lithium primary in a single AA light like my Fenix E12? Sorry if this is a dumb question. I understand that the lithiums are supposed to be long lasting, but the paperwork with the Fenix lists NiMh batteries for the higher runtimes, which confused my little mind a bit.

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Better run times yes, no real boost in lumen out the front.

The light is regulated an this NiMH will allow it to hold that level of output longer then a traditional Alkaleaks.

Nice pocket light. +1

dmattaponi said:

I have another question...do the eneloops get you more runtime than a lithium primary in a single AA light like my Fenix E12?

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eneloops are a game changer
once I got eneloops, I was no longer worried about runtime, and am no longer stingy about saving battery life, like I was when I was worrying about saving money on my expensive lithium primaries

I highly recommend the L11C
since you mention a child using it in a household with non flashoholics.. clicky is easier than twisty for beginners, I think.

the L11C is very similar to your Fenix, with a couple notable differences
1. It has an extra mode that is sooooo low it will run for days as a nightlight. the other modes still give you the higher ranges the Fenix has.. refence the mode specs on the two lights for further illumination
2. The L11C with N219b LED has a better spectrum, and will show reds and yellows better than the Fenix

here is an example of the difference between an N219 Led, and one that is similar to the one in your fenix

the N219 is a more golden color, closer to sunlight.. and it contains MUCH more red light, which can therefore reflect off red objects you illuminate.. For example, when cooking a steak, an N219 will be more useful to see how cooked the meat is, than the LED in your Fenix, which puts out predominantly blue light..

here is a spectrum graph of a light that provides a lot of red like the L11C I link above, Its an L08, the aaa version

and a light with mostly blue like in your fenix

brightest is usually bluest.. not something I personally favor.. hence the 6300Kelvin temperature SC5 would not be my choice for indoor use.. maybe the SC5W, which stands for Warm… 6000k is considered cool.. some people consider 5000K warm.. I lean to the warm side, and enjoy 4500K and N219… that is my strong personal bias.. for indoor use and where color accuracy is desired.

Here is another illustration of what warm and cool look like side by side. the one on the far right is closest to your Fenix. The one on the far left is closest to the L11C Im recommending (its the L08)

Note that the specs given for the L11C on the SBFlashlights web site that Jon linked above are wrong. The packaging below shows the current rating for the L11C. The Nichia version on high produces a nominal 140 lumens.

This quote is from CPF member herbicide. His pics are top notch.

herbicide said:

I received mine - in Nichia 219B - today.

Some initial thoughts -

Nice anodising, though a bit slippery in the hand. The clip's a bit thin, but it's deep and grippy enough to work with my belt and pockets. There's noticeable battery rattle.

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dmattaponi said:

.............. I did recently purchase a Fenix E12 to try out, but I don't really know how it compares in this field against others. I'd like to purchase about 3-4 of these AA lights, and I'd want to keep the price range at around $30, but I'd be interested in knowing if a higher price range of up to say $80 would get me much more in regard to what I'm looking for.

Any help on selecting a light would be greatly appreciated.

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Hard to beat the Fenix E12...........best bang (performance) for the buck in an AA light in my opinion. I've tested lots of single AA lights over the years and for the price the E12 is very well regulated and efficient..........at least at the medium and low modes. When driving it in max mode, the lights with XP-G2 or XM-L will do better. The chart I have shows the most efficient lights that I have tested with the best performer at the top of the list and the worst at the bottom. This was all done with freshly charged Eneloop batteries. I'm describing efficiency as the area under the curve (run time x output). You will note that all these lights are very well regulated.

On max mode, things change a bit. Those that are the most efficient at their medium mode may not be the most efficient at max mode. For one thing not all lights have the same maximum mode and those that do have higher maximums tend to have less efficiency. This is the nature of a single AA battery. My recommendation for single AA is look at the medium mode for the best comparison. And only use and count on the max mode for momentary usage.

On max mode, the most efficient lights I have tested is the EagleTac D25A's XP-G2 either twisty or clicky, followed by Fenix LD12, Jetbeam PA10, SWM S10A, Fenix LD15, Klarus ST10, iTP SA1, D25A XP-G, Fenix E11, Jetbeam BA10, Olight i2, Quark AA R5, Olight T15, Fenix E12 XP-E2, Fenix LD09, Xeno E03, Romisen RC-G2, Crelant V11A. Some of these lights aren't made anymore and I've lost some interest in keeping up with single AA lights now that 18650 has taken my fancy. Note that the E12 drops to the lower end on max mode. I think we can blame the fact that they are trying to get a pretty high lumen value out of it for a single AA and the XP-E2 LED isn't quite as efficient as the XP-G2 or XM-L at higher drive levels.

I currently only have 2 single AA lights in my possession...........EagleTac D25A XP-G2 twisty and the Fenix E12 XP-E2. Both lights are pretty much no frills lights that aren't expensive and have excellent regulation, and are small. Now I should mention that a Zebralight AA will probably take the top spot for efficiency but not by much and they are kind of pricey. I have yet to test a ZL.

Wow, thanks to everyone here for the very helpful and educational info. I've got a lot to think about after reading all of these comments and checking out the recommendations. A lot of nice lights to choose from, and I'm also happy to see the E12 is well regarded.

dmattaponi said:

happy to see the E12 is well regarded.

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congrats!
I suggest you buy One L11C with N219, and share your thoughts compared to the E12..
when debating which one to get, the correct answer is Both!

Highly recommend L11C N219b. I can only notice battery rattle if I purposely shake it hard trying to detect rattle. Like it enough that I think for the holidays I'm going to recommend several people get me those for gifts so I can have free backups.

Hmmmmm, I might have to get an L11C, just to try it out. The 3-30-140 lumen mode is about perfect spacing in my opinion. How is the tint on the XP-G2? I'm not much of a sub 5000k tint kind of a guy though I do like the tint on my Rayus C01 that has a Nichia 219A which is advertised as 5000k.

hiuintahs said:

Hmmmmm, I might have to get an L11C, just to try it out. The 3-30-140 lumen mode is about perfect spacing in my opinion. How is the tint on the XP-G2? I'm not much of a sub 5000k tint kind of a guy though I do like the tint on my Rayus C01 that has a Nichia 219A which is advertised as 5000k.

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When the alternative to a high-CRI Nichia 219B is a cool-white XM-L2, there is a significant trade off of high output for high-CRI and a more neutral white. Here, the trade-off is only 20 lumens. For me, that means choosing the Nichia is a no-brainer, which is just what Jon said above. Remember, it's not just neutral white, it is also high-CRI.