River Rock 2AAA vs. Fenix LP1 for everyday carry.

So obviously the Fenix is a brighter light. But for those who own both, how much brighter? Is it worth 5 times the price of the River Rock? I notice it doesn't even have a pocket clip. I've also heard the latest run have a plastic reflector. (please refrain from the "it saves weight" comments, give me a break. And it's just a cost saving measure.)

I carry a Surefire G2 in my coat pocket and have the River Rock clipped to my left front pocket. How is the throw of the Fenix?

The throw is pretty good for a light of it's size. The reflector is small but the beam is narrow. The fenix in it's pouch on your belt is barely noticeble. I don't have the RR light, b/c I have an ArcAAA on my keys that has the new Nichia CS led in it, which is suprisingly bright.

The IMS reflectors are plastic too, it won't melt from the luxeon, and won't break either, so why do we care if it's plastic or metal? (other than they could pass on the savings).

The River Rock is a competent light for it's price ($10!) for sure, but IMHO, it is in an entirely different class from the L1P (which, while being 4x as much $$, is still way cheaper than virtually any light of its quality out there).

Fenix: Throws well with a good combination of hotspot and spill. Perfect WHITE beam. Very compact. Nice constant on/off switch if you don't mind reverse clickies. Excellent finish.

RR 2AAA: Throw is ok. Beam has artifacts. VERY BLUE tint (mine may be an especially blue unit). Somewhat compact. Momentary on with screw down constant on switch. Regular old type 2 finish.

I won't get into batteries since both lights get decent use out of common cells. Really, whether it is worth the money for the Fenix is a matter of opinion. For me, its a resounding YES since the light is small enough to disappear in a pocket and has the output associated with larger lights using a true, hand-picked bin luxeon rather than a "blue white" .5 watt LED, all on 1AA. That said, if money is especially tight, the 2AAA does a more than adequate job at most things.

Buy them both !

Well, I own two Fenixes and three River Rocks... I like them both, but they just aren't really comparable lights... The Fenix is brighter, has more throw, is shorter, and is better quality overall. The River Rock is smaller in diameter, has a bit wider spillbeam and is cheaper.

I like them both, but if I could only have one light period, there's a LOT better chance it would be the Fenix rather than the River Rock.

Any comparison beamshots which can show how bright and
long reaching is the Fenix against River Rock 2AAA ?

My frame of reference is River Rock 2AAA and the Costco 2AA
Those are the two lights that I like the most in terms o
of delivering most bang for the buck.

- Vikas

InfidelCastro said: "...obviously the Fenix is a brighter light. But for those who own both, how much brighter? Is it worth 5 times the price of the River Rock? I notice it doesn't even have a pocket clip..."

I've had both lights. Ditto everything Solstice said.

The RR 2AAA is a great light for the price but the Fenix far surpasses it. The Fenix has far superior output, throw, beam quality, and beam tint. IMO it's well worth the price increase.

The Fenix has tremendous throw for a 1x AA light. Unfortunately I gave my RR 2AAA and three L1Ps away as gifts so I can't do a beam shot.

While the Fenix has a lanyard and holster, it doesn't have a pocket clip which IMO is a bad oversight. But you can use an old Minimag or CMG Infinity clip.

You can use an e2 lithium AA in the Fenix for even lighter weight and increased runtime.

Ignoring the huge cost difference, my choice would easily be the L1P. The RR 2AAA is slimmer but longer. For me, that makes it almost as intrusive for pocket carry as the Fenix which is obviously a LOT brighter.

I actually like the Dorcy 1AAA modded with a Nichia LED from Grumpy's group buy a LOT. It easily exceeds my threshold for very useable light and just disappears in my pocket unlike the RR 2AAA or L1P.

Since modding a Dorcy 1AAA with the Nichia, I've stopped carrying the RR 2AAA. The RR 2AAA has a brighter hot spot but the difference in spill is very small. The Dorcy 1AAA is so small, I tend to always have it in my pocket even when the L1P is on my belt or in another pocket. It even produces useable light in ceiling bounce in a good sized room and has a very nice spill. I'm going to try grinding the rubber tail flat since it works so well.

I've only been here a few weeks so judge my opinion in that context. So far, I've only bought and played with the Dorcy 1AAA (stock & Nichia modded), RR 2AAA, Fenix L1P, SL PP 4AA Lux & Dorcy 3D.

Mike

I've been using both for sometimes, I can't find any flaw on both or otherwise. The RR AAA is definitely good for it's value. I'd prefer the L1P for EDC, it's got better throw and you can put clip from Gerber Infinity.

This is not a fair comparison as these lights have far too many differences. However, they are both excellent lights for their respective classes.

Throw in Lithium AAA's in the RR light, and you get great battery life and some weight savings.

Same goes for the Fenix... put in a Lithium AA.

I'd go for the L1P for EDC due to its shorter length, HAIII coating which is better suited for the pocket environment.

I have both and like both. If I could only have one, I might even go with the River Rock 2AAA because of the form factor - I like the slimmer light when clipped to my pocket.

For in-pocket carry, I'd opt for the Fenix because it's shorter.

All four of my Nuwaii .5w 2AAA lights are whiter beamed than the two River Rocks that bought as gifts, so the blue tint isn't as much of an issue for me because my Nuwai's aren't very blue.

Actually, if my Nuwais were as blue as the River Rocks that I handled, I would choose the Fenix with little hesitation because I'm not very fond of strong blue tints. I've had my Nuwais since last January and the only difference I could see between my Nuwais (besides tint) was a little difference in the tail cap design.

I've got both the RR AAA and Fenix L1P. I like them both, but use the Fenix more for EDC and keep the RR around the house for when I go bumbling around the house in the dark. The RR is a definite bargain at $10 and works great as long you don't need much illumination beyond about 10 feet (IMO). The Fenix is much brighter and has a lot more throw. Here's my quick and dirty beamshot of the two (with freshly charged NiMH and about 1 foot from the wall): http://www.duke.edu/~jk17/RRAAA_vs_FenixL1P.jpg