help please, infinity ultra or arclight aaa le ?

hi im gonna do a last minute xmas buy, so help me out please, which is brighter? the infinity ultra or arclight aaa le? also how good is the power regulation on both the lights? resistance to dimming as the battery depletes. and the person getting the lights uses nimh batteries only, would that affect light output? thx this is my first posting on this cool site.

merry xmas to all kevin

They are both about the same in brightness though some have claim that their Ultra is *marginally* brighter. ARC has a 5-7 hour run time while the Ultra has a 15-20 hour run time. Using Nimh batteries will definitely affect the output. It will be lower than using a fresh alkaline (for both ARC and Ultra) or than using Lithiums (For Ultra)

To me the choice comes down to runtime versus size. I have the Ultra and absolutely love it. I'm sure a Arc is in my future as well. Both are great lights with similar output and circuitry.

I found out, as many before me have. You have to have both!

The arc AAA in my opinion is the ultimate keychain light but I doubt you'll find an LE at the moment...they seem very scarce. Might find the non-LE. I bought a few LE's from BrightGuy a few weeks ago but they are out now too I think.

The ultra is a better value if you aren't concerned with it being a little bigger...... and if you are willing to pay premium shipping, any number of online places could get some to you before Christmas.

What is the use for this light?
Keychain?
Occasional or heavy use?
....what?

It matters for the selection.

If you plan to only buy one LED light the rest of your life...get the ARC.

If you ever will own two... there are alternatives.

I agree ikendu
I have both.
I love both.
I wear flashlights around my neck on a leather lanyard.
I hate to look like too much of a geek... but if it is around my neck, under my shirt etc, then I will have it when I need it.
We all have stories how flashlights saved our bacon.
Keep in mind that the Infinity has the lithium battery option (cold use).

BTY.... wife likes it best when I wear the arc.... .
It puts a smaller dent in her when I hug her.

Ken

I have an Ultra, and I've found the output doesn't drop much till the voltage gets to one volt. So I think a NiMh would work just fine. Because of the long run time I think an alkaline battery makes more sense. In intermitant use, I think self discharge would be an important consideration. At .50 a piece, I think alkaline is the way to go.
Ted

I was thinking along those lines myself... I ordered the ARC AAA LE and they were out of stock until February

Went to the ARC forum and it would seem that ARC is only going to sell the LE themselves (in Feb, called the Premium) for $40 + shipping. I figure it will run about $45 for the little thing.

I could get a Brinkman running a Badboy 400 (regulated LS) for that! So, I am inclinded more towards the Ultra, basically the same thing as the ARC AAA (expect it uses a AA) a little brighter, can use lithiums, runs a lot longer and I can buy two of them for the price of a ARC AAA... and not wait two months to get it.

Maybe CMG can make a AAA Ultra, that way the ARC AAA will not be a question. Hey CMG.... what about a AAA?

I have both, and love both lights. For me, I keep the Arc on the keychain because it is slightly smaller, so doesnt cause as much of a bulge in my pocket. I keep the infinity in my glovebox with a lithium battery. (When I go camping, I use the infinity as my EDC, due to the usefulness of the longer runtime)
The Ultra with a fresh lithium is slightly brighter than the Arc, but for all intents and purposes, the brightness difference is a non issue. Both will be used for basically the same reasons.
Since 95% of the time when I am using the light, it is just for intermittent usage, I dont normally need the extra runtime of the ultra.
The ultra is much easier to find than the Arc, and is significantly cheaper in battery costs to use. Also, the ultra is cheaper than the Arc. If cost is a prime consideration, you may want to go with the ultra.
If size makes a difference, then the Arc may be a better choice. If I was always going to wear the light on a lanyard instead of in my pocket, then I would go with the ultra. In a pocket, the Arc is a better choice because it is smaller.

Given that you need it for Christmas, you may only be able to get the Ultra. Arc "AAA" and LE are hard to come by now. I have both lights myself and like them both. IMHO the brightness is pretty much the same in real world use. Both are well made and should give years of service without doing anything more than changing batteries and lubing the seals and threads. If I could only have one of the lights, I would take the LE, smaller package, better finish and overall quality I think.

I also have both, I like the arc because it fits my keychain much better. The size of an arc is smaller in diameter than a AA itself, just a bit longer. The Ultra is too big for my keychain. I wish the Ultra would come with foam retainer as well, cause the battery rattles inside.

My new Ultra is much brighter and has a bigger hotspot than my Arc AAA LE (fresh batteries in both). I keep the former in the car with a lithium battery. I used to use the AAA as my EDC, but now use an Arc LS as primary light with a Photon 3 as backup.

I have both too.....Personally, I find that the CMG outshimes the ArcAAA and its even brighter when it runs on Lits

I wanted to sell my ArcAAA cos' the CMG Ultra have the option to run on Litium which appeals to me as it would require less check of battery power over extended time....Basically the same reason why people opt for Surefires and the like due to the long shelve life of the batteries even during intermittent use.