I really wanted to like this light. I'm a Fenix fan from way back and own more Fenix lights than any other brand. The list of features seemed about perfect for what I was looking for. As it is, I'm so disgusted I'm not even going to bother with a real review. Suffice to say it's almost everything people buy Fenix brand lights for. The quality of the build is excellent and the light level spacing is well thought out. The onboard recharging seems to work as advertised. The UI is reasonably intuitive and the side button is easily pressed.
The button is so easily pressed that Fenix saw fit to include a lockout feature. This is absolutely required and would be great if it worked like it should. It does not. A lockout should turn the light off. That's the purpose of having a lockout feature, so when you accidentally press the button the light doesn't come on. Not so with the RC11. Once the lockout is engaged, pressing the button blinks the flashlight twice, at 150lumens. Whenever it's pressed. Bump the light in your pocket? Blink twice at 150 lumens (that's bright enough to show through denim). Bump the button while orienting the light in your hand? Blink twice at 150 lumens. Pick the thing up off the table and bump the button? Blink twice at 150 lumens. Set the light to come on in low? Don't forget you're in lockout mode. If you do and you try and turn on the light, BLINK TWICE AT 150 LUMENS. Fenix hasn't really given this light a lockout feature at all. What they've done is find a way to give it a new, really bright, utterly useless and incredibly annoying blinky mode.
In the short time I've had this light I've grown to hate it. Not for what it is but for what it might have been. The power of an 18650 in a minimalist package. It's just the right size and weight to feel good in the hand. It provides brilliant light for exceptional run times at the touch of its well-placed button. Rechargeable anywhere you can find a USB port. And none of that matters. This light needs a lockout feature because sooner or later that side mounted button WILL be pressed accidentally. It needs a lockout feature that turns the light OFF until you decide to turn it back on again. The manual says the blinking light is there as an indicator that the light is in lockout mode. You know what a great lockout indicator would be? If the light did nothing when you pressed the button.
IMHO this light isn't just let down by this "feature", it's ruined by it. I'm sure there are people who will be ok with how this works but I'm sure not one off them. This one's going back.
The button is so easily pressed that Fenix saw fit to include a lockout feature. This is absolutely required and would be great if it worked like it should. It does not. A lockout should turn the light off. That's the purpose of having a lockout feature, so when you accidentally press the button the light doesn't come on. Not so with the RC11. Once the lockout is engaged, pressing the button blinks the flashlight twice, at 150lumens. Whenever it's pressed. Bump the light in your pocket? Blink twice at 150 lumens (that's bright enough to show through denim). Bump the button while orienting the light in your hand? Blink twice at 150 lumens. Pick the thing up off the table and bump the button? Blink twice at 150 lumens. Set the light to come on in low? Don't forget you're in lockout mode. If you do and you try and turn on the light, BLINK TWICE AT 150 LUMENS. Fenix hasn't really given this light a lockout feature at all. What they've done is find a way to give it a new, really bright, utterly useless and incredibly annoying blinky mode.
In the short time I've had this light I've grown to hate it. Not for what it is but for what it might have been. The power of an 18650 in a minimalist package. It's just the right size and weight to feel good in the hand. It provides brilliant light for exceptional run times at the touch of its well-placed button. Rechargeable anywhere you can find a USB port. And none of that matters. This light needs a lockout feature because sooner or later that side mounted button WILL be pressed accidentally. It needs a lockout feature that turns the light OFF until you decide to turn it back on again. The manual says the blinking light is there as an indicator that the light is in lockout mode. You know what a great lockout indicator would be? If the light did nothing when you pressed the button.
IMHO this light isn't just let down by this "feature", it's ruined by it. I'm sure there are people who will be ok with how this works but I'm sure not one off them. This one's going back.
