Good News
This little light is makes a great general purpose EDC flashlight but is also suitable for tactical use. At about 3.75" long and about 0.75 in diameter it's definitely a compact light but with a rated output of 90 lumens it really performs. Throw isn't impressive, but that's what one should expect from a light of this size. The output is very white with a nice uniform beam, none of the rings or colors sometimes seen with the CREE LEDs.
It uses a SINGLE AA--but that doesn't mean you sacrifice runtime--just the reverse. Expect about 1.5 hours from a high-performance AA if you use the light in high-output mode. If you don't need blinding light, you can loosen the head slightly and the output drops to around 10 lumens while the runtime jumps to hours and hours of constant ontime. You can use rechargeables like I do if you want to really save money, and the new Low-Discharge NiMH batteries (Imedion, Eneloop, etc.) mean that you don't need to recharge every month like the old rechargeable batteries forced you to do. The Low-Discharge batteries hold a charge for more than a year.
Bulb life? It's a Rebel Luxeon LED so figure on many THOUSANDS of hours. In fact just figure it's never going to be an issue.
The switch is in the tailcap--touch it for instant on, push it in until it clicks for constant on. This is different from the normal FENIX switch operation which typically requires you push the switch all the way in and doesn't give you a good option for instant on/off. The tailcap switch protrudes so you can't stand the light on its end, but it's light and small enough to easily hold in your mouth for small jobs.
No modes like the Fenix L1D/L2D lights which are afflicted with a strobe, 4 different light levels & even a morse code SOS. If you want you can just leave the head fully tightened on the L1T V2.0 and use it exclusively in high mode--forget it even HAS the low mode until the lights go out and you want the extra runtime.
Finish is black and the light body is aluminum. Price--under $50.
Take this review and go shopping for similar performance in the same size & price if you want a real eye-opener.
For comparison, I own a Surefire 6P with the standard bulb. The Fenix L1T V2.0 provides 50% more runtime in high-output mode, is 50% brighter, puts out whiter light and is much smaller and lighter. And the Fenix uses only 1 AA compared to the two CR123 batteries of the Surefire. It has a lower purchase price and let's not even get into the bulb life issue...
Bad News
Fenix has discontinued this light. If you think it sounds like a good product, drop them an email. You can still get the L1D CE, but there is no way to avoid the "mode gadgetry" of those lights. I used an L1D CE for the better part of a year but finally got tired of accidentally "strobing" myself.
This little light is makes a great general purpose EDC flashlight but is also suitable for tactical use. At about 3.75" long and about 0.75 in diameter it's definitely a compact light but with a rated output of 90 lumens it really performs. Throw isn't impressive, but that's what one should expect from a light of this size. The output is very white with a nice uniform beam, none of the rings or colors sometimes seen with the CREE LEDs.
It uses a SINGLE AA--but that doesn't mean you sacrifice runtime--just the reverse. Expect about 1.5 hours from a high-performance AA if you use the light in high-output mode. If you don't need blinding light, you can loosen the head slightly and the output drops to around 10 lumens while the runtime jumps to hours and hours of constant ontime. You can use rechargeables like I do if you want to really save money, and the new Low-Discharge NiMH batteries (Imedion, Eneloop, etc.) mean that you don't need to recharge every month like the old rechargeable batteries forced you to do. The Low-Discharge batteries hold a charge for more than a year.
Bulb life? It's a Rebel Luxeon LED so figure on many THOUSANDS of hours. In fact just figure it's never going to be an issue.
The switch is in the tailcap--touch it for instant on, push it in until it clicks for constant on. This is different from the normal FENIX switch operation which typically requires you push the switch all the way in and doesn't give you a good option for instant on/off. The tailcap switch protrudes so you can't stand the light on its end, but it's light and small enough to easily hold in your mouth for small jobs.
No modes like the Fenix L1D/L2D lights which are afflicted with a strobe, 4 different light levels & even a morse code SOS. If you want you can just leave the head fully tightened on the L1T V2.0 and use it exclusively in high mode--forget it even HAS the low mode until the lights go out and you want the extra runtime.
Finish is black and the light body is aluminum. Price--under $50.
Take this review and go shopping for similar performance in the same size & price if you want a real eye-opener.
For comparison, I own a Surefire 6P with the standard bulb. The Fenix L1T V2.0 provides 50% more runtime in high-output mode, is 50% brighter, puts out whiter light and is much smaller and lighter. And the Fenix uses only 1 AA compared to the two CR123 batteries of the Surefire. It has a lower purchase price and let's not even get into the bulb life issue...
Bad News
Fenix has discontinued this light. If you think it sounds like a good product, drop them an email. You can still get the L1D CE, but there is no way to avoid the "mode gadgetry" of those lights. I used an L1D CE for the better part of a year but finally got tired of accidentally "strobing" myself.
(though the Fenix's are quite the nice value).
