Newbie needs help with L4&L5

Hi Guys,

Between Sure L4 & L5, does anyone know which has a better throw? What is the difference between these two apart from sizes? I am thinking using it for Pila 168s, apparently the output will still be the same using 168s, is it true?
Please help.

SA(Miki)

L5 has more throw.

L4 is a brighter wall of light (corona is brighter). Both have similar, possibly the same Overall output.

I prefer the L5, because the size fits my hand better. The L4 is a tab bit too small for me.

L5 is a lot longer and more expensive

Yeah, more expensive....but at the price of these lights (neither are cheap), how much of a difference does $20 make?

I've got some beamshots comparing the L4 and L5 here.

The L4 is smaller and easier to carry, produces a short range wall of light and heats up pretty good.

The L5 is larger with a larger reflector so it throws farther and has a tighter beam. It doesn't get as hot.

Both put out the same amount of light (lumens) with SF123's or Pila's.

I have both and agree on what others said. The L5 is an excellent flashlight to walk the woods with, but it's a bit big to EDC. The L4 is also really good as a walking light, but it gets a little hot if you don't move. Both runs in perfect regulation on a Pila 168S Li-Ion cell for about 50 min with about the same overall output. If you can bore out the L5 body (or get a modder to do it) you will be able to expand that runtime to about 80-90 minutes using a 2400 mAh 18650 bare Li-Ion cell. I would say, that the L5 has about 60-80% more throw than the L4. It's still a very nice medium floodish light, but with a hotspot that throws quite good in dark surroundings. FWIW my L5 has a throw that is equal to my KL1-4th. but of course with a lot more overall output.

Jan

The L4 is a great flashlight for short-range and medium-range tasks. I recently got two Pila 168S cells and a charger, and I find that I use my L4 a lot more now that I don't have to worry about the expense of 123A batteries.

The L5 throws better, but not immensely better. As others have said, the L5 is a lot larger than the L4. The L4, unlike the L5, has compatibility with E-series accessories like the E2e and KL1 heads.

I recommend the L4. If you need an LED light that throws, look toward something like the Streamlight ProPolymer Luxeon, which out-throws the L5 and costs a lot less, too.