SureFire L4 vs SureFire E2e

RickDennis

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Sep 16, 2004
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I'm looking at the SF L4 and the E2e. I know the run time and the brightness are very good on the L4, but I think the light spread is very wide. It seems like more of a flood light.

Is the spread tighter on the E2e? For general purpose use, (house, care, outdoors) which is the best light to go with? It seems SF offers so many options it's hard to know which is the best choice.

Thanks for helping me with this issue. You guys have been great to respond to posts.
 

Hoghead

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Jun 25, 2003
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Minnesota
I recommend the L4 with a Pila 168S battery.

The L4 is a little brighter, but the light is more spread out.

The E2e is cheaper and has more throw.

If you are going to use 123 batteries and especially if you're not going to use it much the E2e is a great light. If you are going to use the light a lot the L4 with Pilas makes more sense to me.

My favorite Surefire for use with 123s is the A2. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif
The A2 replaced the E2e for my use. I like that the incandescent lamp of the A2 is regulated.

You won't go wrong with any of these lights. They are all great. The E2e and the L4 are both a little shorter than the A2.

Each light has its advantages:

E2e - lower cost
L4 - can use Pilas
A2 - dual out put
 

BobVA

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Aug 10, 2003
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North VA
L4 is a lot more practical for me, but the allure of long throw is hard to break. For what I do every day (look for lost parts in a carpet, poke at wires behind the desk, working under a car dash, etc.) the L4 flood is most practical.

That said, it's sure fun to light up the top of a tree with a tight incandescent beam... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

Stanley

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Welcome RickDennis! The E2e on the stock MN03 Lamp Assembly definitely has a tighter beam and longer throw. If you need something for general use, I'd suggest you go the Led way. You can get an E2O (Outdoorsman) which essentially has a MN02 LA, for a little less throw but longer runtime. On top of that you can get the KL4 (just the bezel of the L4) or the KL1 and then you can swap out the bezels as and when you like it. The KL1 will be dimmer than the KL4, but you get a pretty good output for about 4 hours or so, as compared to 1 hour on the KL4. The modularity and flexibility of the E series of lights is just wonderful. Get one or the other, you can always swap it around later...
 

Chop

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Jul 22, 2003
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Louisiana
Hey RickDennis,

Welcome!

If you are shooting for just one light right now, I'd have to go with the L4. It is just a more practical light with a few advantages that make it a better deal than the E2e.

1. No worries about replacing the lamp. Not only will losing the lamp be a PITA, but they aren't cheap either.

2. The ability to use rechargeable Pila batteries. Once you make the rather steep initial investment in the batteries and charger, batteries are no longer a concern.

3. You can run the L4 at reduced levels of light by either using a two stage switch or just running the KL4 on either a single battery using a battery spacer or you could just run it on a single cell body.

The L4 does also have its disadvantages too though.

1. It gets hot when used for long runs. You can take care of this by running it at a reduced level.

2. Not much throw. No much you can do about this without modifications.
 

ResQTech

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Jan 15, 2003
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NJ, USA
Go with the L4. Yes it is more expensive, but it's beam is really a lot more useful. There are few times where I need such a small light that can throw like the E2e. The throw of the L4 is more than enough for my uses.
 

CajunBabe

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Aug 30, 2004
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Houston, Texas
I have both and agree with the earlier posts, the L4 is the way to go over the E2e. When taking a walk at late evenings/night especially in the winter months when it gets dark earlier, I find myself most always favoring the L4. I don't leave it on my whole walk but rather use it as a "check things out" light or to alert a on-coming car so battery life hasn't been an issue.
In any event, I think you would be happy with either light.

CajunBabe
 

RickDennis

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Sep 16, 2004
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Thanks for the nice welcome Al - and for your input too. You don't think the throw of the L4 is too wide? I take it you like the A2 because of the dual function light. Just curious, what don't you like about the E2e? Thanks again for responding.

Rick
 

RickDennis

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Sep 16, 2004
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Thanks Cajun Babe and to all of you who have been so gracious to respond to this post. And for any of you who have opinions, I'm all eyes.

Just wondering, isn't that wide throw distracting when you're checking things out? In either event, it looks like I've stumbled on a hobby that's going to cost a few bucks over some time. Now I know why as a kid I was always infatuated with flashlights. Of course I never had anything above the standard Wal-Mart issue. But what the heck, it was still a flashlight that gave me a good reason to play in the dark.

I'm also interested in a light that will serve me well when things go bump in the night. Maybe I'm asking too much from one light.

Beyond my first quality flashlight (whatever that is), what would be a good second choice? SL Strion?, SF A2?

Thanks again. Everyone has been very helpful in their answers. I had no idea there was such a passion or following in the flashlight world. Nice to have this resource.
 

Stanley

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Canberra, Australia
Rickdennis, to answer your question as best I can, I'd say that the wide flood from a light like the L4 will, on the contrary be better for you (or your eyes) when shining at something in the dark. Apart from the bright white light illuminating everyting within range and your eyes being able to see everything in true colour, the area illuminated is also nicely and evenly lit up, with exception to the side of the beam circle. Picture an incandescent which is more like a spot light, when you shine it on a object that is in mid range, the centre of the beam illuminates the object you're looking at and the area surrounding it may not be evenly covered. Hope you got the gist of what I was trying to explain there... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

Something else that might be cheaper (your 2nd choice) for the purposes you've mentioned could also be the SL TL2 or TL3 Led. From what I've read on the reviews, its really bright as well, for a Led light. Else something less flashy but just as functional is the SL Twintask series of lights.
 

Sean

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Actually, I think it's more distracting to have a tight beam when your checking things out in the dark. That's what I didn't like about my A2. The beam hotspot would blind you and there was not enough side spill to be useful. With the L4 it lights up "everything". /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif It will not throw as far, but for me it's much more useful than the E2e. Also, the run time is longer, considering that the E2e is steadily dimming as you use it.
 

KevinL

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I would definitely go with the L4.....why? Because you can have both.

Both?

The L4 is probably $130 if you look around, plus you can pick up a compatible E2e bezel + lamp for $30 maximum (rough prices only). $160 total.

If you were to buy an E2e, that would be ~$80, plus $100-$125 for the KL4 conversion bezel. Easily $180-$200.

If you need to tip the scales in favor of the L4 even more, the stock L4 comes with the Z57 clickie switch, which is valued at around $35 on its own. That's included in the purchase price of the L4. I'd buy the L4 plus bezel, except that I'm holding out for the U2.
 

Deanster

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Feb 17, 2002
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Seattle
I'm a clear and obvious 'throw junkie'. I like the Pelican-style super-narrow pencil beams, and abhor the typical LED 'flood' beam. My Arc LS, X5, etc. all do fine duty, but I don't really enjoy them, just use 'em.

However, the L4 is far and away my favorite light. I realize now that my previous problem with floods was that they were too dim, and didn't really flood the area, so much as make the whole place somewhat less dim.

The L4 is bright, big beam, and does an amazing job. When I've popped it on in dark areas, I've had non-flashaholic people say things like "I thought it was a helicopter searchlight!" and "It's like the sun!". (both exact quotes).

I bought an e2e after the L4, because so many people had had such good things to say about it, and the idea of a long-throw incandecent in the L4 package was appealing.

The e2e has less than 5 min runtime in the 9 months since I've bought it, and to tellt the truth, I'm not quite sure where it is at the moment - haven't seen it in a couple months.

Meanwhile the L4 is my EDC light in my carry bag, and is on its third set of batteries. It's a rare day when it doesn't get at least a few seconds use.

My only complaint is that the L4 sure does get toasty after 10 minutes or so on. It's not uncomfortable to hold, but I do get to worrying about the LED after a while.

anyhow, L4 vs. e2e is a no-brainer, IMHO, even with the extra cost factored in.
 

Toecutter

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Jul 26, 2003
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I like the L2 better thant he L4. Yes, it is a longer flashlight, but it has a low mode that is quite bright (15 lumens) and lasts 18 hours. The high beam is very bright @ 100 lumens. The high beam is brighter than the L4 and doesn't have a donut hole in the middle of it. The L2 stays cooler than the L4, which can get very hot. I also like the long clip on the L2 better as it secures the light in a pocket better. The L4 clip is too short and not as stable.

That being said, I would get both an L2 and the E2. The L2 is better indoors, while the E2 is better outdoors. The flood light led outside isn't as functional as the throw of the bulb. Inside, the floodlight is much better. You really need both lights IMHO.

If you only want one light, get an A2 in white LED. It is bight enough on low to see up close and navigate around a dark environment. It also has a very sweet incandescant beam that holds its output due to regulation.
 

dsl

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Aug 30, 2004
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How odd I would see this post now. Just today I decided to order the E2e and the L4 conversion head. Total price $220.00 if I ordered just the L4 $160.00 I figure $80.00 extra and I dont have to make that difficult choice, well worth it
 

cia

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Aug 26, 2004
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I have a E2o I have been using as a EDC flashlight all summer.
Today I got my first LED flashlight. The surefire L4.
The L4 gets my vote.
 
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