SureFire L2 vs A2. Which one ?

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif spent plently of hours reading the forum and still can't choose between the two. Never had a SF in my hands, so surely I will not be dissapointed anyways. Btw becoming a flashaholic I decided to own at least two SF's - E2E (mostly for santimental reasons) and L2 or A2 for EDC.
The last two are nearly equal in size, functionality and price. The L2 has little more brightness in high mode and much more in low mode, which is fine with me. The L2 is little bit longer, which is also something I can live with. What the incandescent light of A2 can do more for me?
Well - in general in what purpose the L2 is more useful than the A2, and vice-versa? recharging option is not of big interest of me, because both flashlights have low-power mode.
Thanks!

The A2 will have decent throw and decent flood. It's incan beam is a great compromise.

The L2 doesn't throw much but puts out a great flood. It has been described as a "wall of light."

Of the two, I prefer the A2 for it's throw and slightly smaller size. I also prefer the A2's low mode (the L2's low mode is almost too bright).

Don't forget that the A2 offers colored led light in low mode for preserved night vision if necessary, which is why it was deemed the pilot light. The incan also shows colors differently than the led, you choose whether it is better. The LED life is no match for the incan however unless you use the flashlight a great deal, I doubt bulb life will be much of an issue. Here is an idea. Buy the A2 and build your own LED from parts offered here at CPF. Or you can buy a custom made Led light here at CPF with similar or greater light output in a smaller/handier package at a similar cost. My first flashlights were SureFire's but ever since I became a CPF member, building my own and purchasing unique mods is much more satisfying.

Pixel,

You can't go wrong with either one. They're fantastic lights and feel great in the hand. I own both, but EDC the A2, and overall use it more. But I am out in the fields and the woods a lot. If I were mostly indoors or aronud the house, I would use the L2 more.

The A2 throws better, but the L2 is brighter.

The A2 has a better low beam for preserving your nightvision, but the L2 low-beam is brighter and in terms of artifacts and color quality, has a much nicer low-beam (but it is too bright for dark adjusted eyes, in my opinion).

Both have simply lovely ergonomics and are a delight to use.

Buy both! LOL!

Or either one. As I said. You can't go wrong. Get the A2 for throw and outdoor use, and the L2 for flood and/or indoor use.

Please let us know if you have other or more specific questions.

welcome to cpf pixel and hold on to your wallet!

as JS said both are excellent lights. if you get A2 which is one of a few regulated incand in the world.

a few of us have been using 2x R123 li-ion without damage to A2.

I wish the A2 could take Pila batts.

If you want to have two lights, buy the L2 and A2. The E2E really won't do much that the A2 won't do better.
The only advantages the E2E has are that it is smaller and cheaper but the A2 is as bright and it is regulated, not to mention the LED beam.

The A2 offers better color rendering from the incandescent beam than the L2 in high, but depending on the luxeon lottery, the L2 may offer a better white beam color in low than the 5mm LEDs used in the A2. You can also get the A2 with colored LEDs. A2 bulbs are expensive and hard to find, but they seem to last a long time.

Follow js's advice, then buy the A2 if only one light is in the question.

Buy both for the strengths of each otherwise.

Bill

I used to EDC and E2E, then I got an A2 and I almost never carry the E2E now. The combination of the A2 bulb and LEDs is perfect for my use. We live out in the country on 20 acres so it's pretty dark here at night and using the LEDs on the A2 gives me plenty of light for walking across my land at night and I like knowing I can instantly go to the bulb setting if I need to light something up. John

Sorry if this is thread-napping, but since you're already talking about the L2 and it is "better to post in an already existent thread" rather than starting a new one, here's my question:

Does the L2 suffer from that "donut" that some people complain about in the L4? Maybe it's not that much of a problem, but I'd like to have you folks lean me in a certain directions, because it's been months and I still can't make up my mind between the L2 and the L4. I really like the L4 for the size and the clicky, but the L2 seems to be a little brighter and has two stages, and the way you can momentarily press either level would probably be very useful. (now selling my self on the L2)

I am very interested in the L2, the L4, and the A2, but I'm afraid I'm going to like them so much that I won't use my larger more powerful lights. On the otherhand, these Surefires are really small, especially the L4 and the A2, and I'd probably be more likely to actually carry one of them around in my pocket than I would something larger. Right now, the Jil 1.3w is the only light that ever really gets carried around with me. The other lights just sit next to me in my truck waiting to get used.

Trahsman,

My L2 does not have the donut, except at absurdly close range (like 3 inches), but I don't know whether I just got lucky or whether all of them are like that.

The L2 on high is not really noticeably brighter than the L4, I don't care what the numbers say. Plus, the L2 on high falls off the starting mark steadily, whereas the L4 stays at the same brightness, IIRC.

Also, the L2 is significantly longer than the L4. If you think you don't really need the two stages, and you like the grip and action of the L4/clickie, then go with it. It's cheaper, can take Pilas, and is smaller.

Personally, the larger size of the L2 is a plus for me, and I really like the two-stage feature and grip. The L2 feels much better in my hand than the L4 does. But that's just me. YMMV.

Oh, and switching gears, I should also mention that you can make the L4 into a two-stage light with a McGizmo McE2S two-stage tailcap. $50 or thereabouts, IIRC. Select the right resistor, and you can have the low-beam of your choice. But it's the same as the A2/L2 tailcap in that it is not click-on click-off. It is twist off/low/high or push off/low/high.

Hope that helps.

Thank you ppl,
To be more precise, my concern is to build small, well balanced and technology/company representative collection of tactical lights and EDC's. You know, like a small museum "who is the best in the last 2 years in pocket torches".
I choose SureFire to represent both Luxeon V and incandescent type flashlights. Need both of them.
As I understand the L2 is preferable EDC within urban areas for it's white flood, whereas A2 is preferable in distant outdoors, because of it's throw and incan light. Already choose L2 for Luxeon V, but now the question shifts: E2e or A2 for incan? Looking in the specs E2e seems to have more light muscle than A2: 60 vs 50 lumens, and also battery life
is 75 vs 50 to E2e. But E2e is unregulated as I understood. What that number - 75 min, means for an unregulated incan then?
Basically I like the idea getting both of them L2 and A2 despite their very close characteristics and high price.

It means that for 50 minutes, the A2 will have constant non-dimming/non-yellowing light. the output will be exactly the same for 50 minutes. The E2e will dim over it's 75 minute runtime.

Pixel,

The A2 is every bit as bright as the E2e, except perhaps for the first 1 or 2 minutes of runtime, but even then the A2 will throw farther.

I totally, and unhesitatingly recommend the A2 over the E2e. I have both, and I love the E2e, but if I had to choose, I would go with the A2 in a heartbeat. The regulation is worth every minute of runtime you sacrifice. Here's how I see it:

The A2 can be run right to the very end of its high-beam runtime because (1) you still have the LED's after the batteries stop driving the incan, and (2) the beam is every bit as bright and perty and pleasing from the first to the last minute. With the E2e, I was constantly wondering "should I change the batteries yet?" and I'd often drop new ones in, then go "hmmm. Nope. Still OK" and put the old ones back in, or maybe say "yep. It's time." I rarely ever extracted the full 75 minutes from the batteries. And, BTW, I think 75 minutes is a bit exaggerated.

Anyway, trust me, the A2 wins hands down over the E2e, although I love the E2e, and would buy another one if I lost mine. It's such a cute, small, bright, pleasing light. I keep mine on the kitchen table as an around the house light. Or sometimes stick it in the glove box for a trip.

Wow, sounds like you answered your own question, get the L2 and A2 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif And said above.

I had an E2e and had to sell/trade it, my U2 replaced it (and the L2 I had too.) I found that unregulated lights slope down during their life span, it just gets dimmer and dimmer. The A2 stands out in this fact because it is an incandescent light that is regulated.

If the E2e runs out of batteries/blows a bulb, and you do not have a SC3 spares carrier handy, then you are out of light. With the A2 you blow the bulb or run out of regulated light, you have the 3 X 5mm LED's to get by, better a little light than no light.

Or you can get an A2 and an L4 with a McGizmo two stage switch as stated above.

"The A2 can be run right to the very end of its high-beam runtime because (1) you still have the LED's after the batteries stop driving the incan"
wow, I didn't know that. Will the L2 behave the same /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif?
well you both beat me to the punch - I will go for A2. But don't get me wrong - as I stated in my first post I need E2e not for EDC, but for santimental reasons. What flashlight can be considered as SureFire icon? Read somewere, every policeman in USA have them. Isn't it good candidate for a museum? It just has a history behind. OK,I will look for a second-hand one, maybe in this forum.
Now this is an offtopic mod-question. Can McGizmo thing allow me to convert an A2 into 3-stage light. As an astronomer I very appreciate if A2 had one red LED and two white and possibility to switch between them.
My dream flashlight is pocket device with:
- powerfull Luxeon or incan bulb (for throwing);
- 3-5 white LEDs for long-life flooding (walking in the dark);
- 1-2 red LEDs for night-vision preservation (reading maps, walking in the dark);
- powerfull green laser for star pointing.

The only think that tries to combine these is this .
but it is ugly, large and the laser is weak.

I doubt that every police officer in the US has an Ele, but I'm sure a lot do have them.

I think more officers are more likely to have the 6P. The 6P put Surefire on the map in some ways. Perhaps you were thinking of the 6P and not the E1e?

Pixel,

The L2 is regulated on low, but not on high. The A2 is regulated on high, but not on low. And you should get an E2e. It's a great light. I was only saying that if you have to choose one over the other, the A2 wins.

As for McE2s turning the A2 into a three stager. Nope. Won't happen. For three+ stages, it is best to go to something like the HDS or Arc4 or other uC controlled light. But, I don't know of a red/white/high three stager. Probably is one out there at Wallmart or something. Go take a look. But for astronomy (which I do also, BTW--even taught astronomy lab for a semester and got to play with the Clark refractor and dome and all. Very cool) just get a dedicated red light, or get an A2 w/ red LED's. Although, for astronomy, I think it is best to have a plastic light so that you can put it in your mouth without having to pay the dentist thousands of dollars to put caps on your teeth after you've ruined the enamel on the HA finish. LOL! Seriously, though, you CAN learn to grip an A2 or L4 or what-not by your teeth through your lips (Ginseng does this), but I'd prefer not to learn that skill. Most astronomy web-stores or catalogs sell a cheap, variable intensity, red LED flaslight, IIRC. Just get one of those and use it only for astronomy. Just one man's opinion, of course.

"The L2 is regulated on low, but not on high. The A2 is regulated on high, but not on low."
Again - big news for me. Why this info is not available in SF site. And why the heck someone will need regulated low? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
As for astro-parties I know - I bring with me 20mw green pointer, a red Photon freedom, and a X5 for general camping use. And I still miss another one - more powerfull red flooder for searcing things around. The idea was that these can just be combined in one device.

Any light that will do all that will not do something very well. I think most people would agree that the A2 is the most technologically advanced Surefire, given the soft-start and regulated incan, the flawless switch, and the excellent output...but it was made for a specific task, the airplane cockpit. Just turns out it is an excellent general use light with multiple capabilities. If I were deciding which might go in a museum, it would be the A2.