Now that I've had it for a few days, I am gonna go on record and say the HDS rotary is the best-functioning light ever. The only negative is no clip, but getting a Skinth for it to live in. This light blows everything away; it's genius.
Now that I've had it for a few days, I am gonna go on record and say the HDS rotary is the best-functioning light ever. The only negative is no clip, but getting a Skinth for it to live in. This light blows everything away; it's genius.
I'm too lazy to look it up. How does a rotary HDS even work? Is it like the variable ring on those Sunwaymans?
But to participate in this thread, the Quantum D2 is basically I currently need as an everyday flashlight. It's on a necklace so I don't even notice i have it on me all the time. It's got super-firefly-mode for going into my daughter's room at night without blinding her, and I can ramp it up to look comfortably under the couch. I don't need much else out of a light.
i think the HDS uses that foam QTC crap instead of a magnetic ring.....i could be wrong
the D2 has pretty short battery though right? last time i considered getting a quantum i think it was the runtime that turned me off
At the base of the tail, there is a rotary control. Least is .08 Lumens, most is 200. Variable control fom rleast to greatest.
Why is this better than a normal QTC twisty? Well, for one, there is a small screw that keeps you from going past either extreme; hit the screw at the low end you are at lowest, high end you are at highest. And, the twisty is NOT how you turn on. So, set it to your favorite setting, and that's what it turns on to.
EVEN BETTER, once on, a click-and-hold immediately gets you to HIGH. Double-click gets you to a set 33 lumens. Three clicks gets you to strobe.
It has memory, so you can set it to come on to that 33 lumens or strobe if you want.
Also has Momentary to whatever you are set to. Find THAT in any other twisty.
I have a Fenix LD12 for now over one year and I'm totally satisfied with it. It's a spotter, I have 4 modes (and Strobe/SOS which I never use). The only downside is that it's a tad big for pocket carry, although it's super comfortable to hold and it doesn't have a low light mode. The lowest mode is still kinda bright in a dark black room. I want a ZL flooder at one point and maybe a Quantuum cause I like the design. For my keychain I might go with a Fenix e01 cause the Photon Micro I have atm is only momentary and I'm more for permanent on and off. I was surprised though about the Microstream I got in a GAW. Nice, sleek light and fairly bright. If you look for a small pen light, go for this, not expensive and good overall. Rocks in my skinth in one of the side pockets. Maybe one day I also go for a 500+ lm light just for fun. It's sometimes fun to just light up a whole area only with your light. But that's for playing only, so can't put the money down atm.
Im no light person, but out of the ones I do have with a cr123 I like those lenslights. Its pretty cool. Bright for the size. Last night I lit up an owl on our walk...that was cool! haha
Im no light person, but out of the ones I do have with a cr123 I like those lenslights. Its pretty cool. Bright for the size. Last night I lit up an owl on our walk...that was cool! haha
Ur no light person, but you own a lenslight. *insert skeptical smiley here*
Transmitted via portable electronical cellular modulator butt-blaster
Im no light person, but out of the ones I do have with a cr123 I like those lenslights. Its pretty cool. Bright for the size. Last night I lit up an owl on our walk...that was cool! haha
Ur no light person, but you own a lenslight. *insert skeptical smiley here*
Transmitted via portable electronical cellular modulator butt-blaster
He used to own a Dark Sucks and a Haiku. Not a light guy... riiiiiight.
Post by hybridmomentspass on Aug 9, 2013 5:20:57 GMT -8
i want decent Lm and decent run time. Doesnt have to last for days, or be able to compete with the sun in amount of light given off, just decent. I prefer a clicky, but not necessary. I prefer one that uses an 'off-the-shelf' battery (aa, aaa) prefer keychain carry
EDC a e05 have an e11 in a bag have some other small ones here and there too
Clicky (in the tail) Pocket clip. Single mode. I'm simple. Clean crisp, preferably white light.
I have a Fenix E15 and a Microstream personally. I love and carry the Microstream everywhere.
I have two Surefires that are issue and don't carry them most of the time at work, and never away from work.
The reasons for my needs are my shooting and search/clearing styles make these features K.I.S.S . I don't need a lot of features or confusion in my lights. But I do predict acquiring a couple more personal lights. Same features MAYBE more Lumens, or maybe I'll just be me and get multiple Microsteams.
I'll +1 on "Simple User Interface" as a top priority. I'm also trying to keep the same class of UI for what I carry and what I have for "the house", so my 4 year old can operate it as well. Twisty UI just doesn't work for me for what I need. And I have now discovered that a mode switch that is essentially flush with the body of the light isn't very convenient to find and operate in the dark/night.
Something that either has memory, so I can have it start out low, or that always starts out low. 600 lumens of eye-melting skull penetration right off the bat is not as useful to me.
The moment I read "eye-melting skull penetration", I was laughing, big-time. As a general rule, no matter what light I'm using, if it's the middle of the night, I'll cup the head of the light in my hand, before turning it on, so I don't get any unpleasant surprises. If I have to adjust the output (up, or down), I do it, then. Treat your light like a weapon (never point it at yourself, or anyone else you don't intend to hurt , and you should be okay). Oddly, I don't own a firearm, but I've read that in countless other forums - and it seems to apply nicely, to flashlights (of which I own many, with varying user interfaces, and in varying tints).
Important things to me (in no particular order) are:
LED emitter. I can't think of a single reason to ever buy an incandescent light. They burn out or break, far too easily, and offer very poor performance, compared to today's nicer LED lights. Several years ago, it could be argued that the incandescent light produced a far more pleasant, warmer tint; but many of today's lights are available with so many different tint options (particularly if you're buying a P60 modular light), you can get literally just about any tint you would ever want, with all of the advantages of the incandescent, but none of the weaknesses.
Lithium Ion Battery Compatibility. I prefer a light that runs on the 18650 (or other high-performance lithium ion) battery. Over half of my lights run on this battery. This battery (The 18650, in particular) packs the most punch, for its size, and can be charged hundreds of times. It can easily support a high-powered light (600 plus OTF lumens), without voltage sag. I prefer to have extra power, whenever it may be needed, and smaller batteries are not able to deliver, performance-wise. Since I hugely took part in the Maglite phase (my first "serious" (chuckling) light, I grew accustomed to carrying a heavier light. We've come such a long way, since then, so my needs have changed pretty radically. Now, you can simply dial down the output on a multi-mode light, and have a nice lower-powered light, in that very same housing!
Regulated Output. I refuse to buy a direct drive light (A light that starts dimming, from the moment the voltage drops - pretty much every light in existence, ten or more years ago. I cannot stand that. That is an archaic design. I want that light to maintain its output, without dimming, for a good long while, within reason. A reputable high-powered light will maintain a certain output, before dropping to a lower output, to protect the electronics from overheating. I'm okay with that. After it falls out of regulation, then it can start behaving like an old-school direct drive light; but by that time, I'll already have swapped out the battery .
Glass lens. No more crappy plastic lenses for me. Why would a company even make a light like this any more? Glass offers more scratch resistance, better light transmittance. With a decent bezel, they're well-protected against breakage, when dropped. Are they completely shatter-proof? No, but I have never had a glass lens break on me, even when (occasionally) dropped on its head.
Waterproof to IP-X8 standards, at a bare minimum. I do not like "water-resistant" lights. I own very few of them (7 out of my 70 lights, thus far - and most of them are older Maglites (originally incandescent), the majority of which have been LED upgraded)). In this day and age, it's entirely possible to get a nicely water-proofed light that has a fantastic combination of both, spot and spill, so you don't have to focus the light to get a great beam. You can have the best of both worlds. That's one of the biggest weakness of the focusing light, and I think it's a fatal flaw in a flashlight - an old design. If I want a dedicated flood light, or a dedicated thrower, I'll use one; but then, I am a flashlight junky, and I believe flashlights are tools; with each and every tool being task-specific; which is why I carry so many lights.
Dependable Interface. A light that I have to shake, bang against my palm, turn off and on again, just to make it work, is not a light worth having, in my book. I don't care how inexpensive the light is. It should just work. Period. A light should always come on, when you need it, and it should work dependably. Mode memory (always comes back on where you left it) is great, but not a deal-breaker, if not available, in that particular light. As long as if fits all the other criteria, I'm okay with it.
Tail Stand Capability. There's a real mixed crowd, when it comes to this feature. I admit, activating the light is easier, when the tail cap button sticks out; but it's also easier to accidentally turn the light on. I often use lights, to bounce light from the ceiling (They call that tail-standing). It's extremely useful, in many instances, rather than having to prop up a light, to do the same thing.
Forward Clicky (for momentary) Tail Switch. As long as at least one or two of my EDC lights has this feature, I'm fine. I'm not a fan of reverse clicky lights, for the most part.
Multi-light carry is not for everyone - especially for the minimalists. I am, most definitely NOT a minimalist. If you're happy carrying one light, I'm happy for you. More power to you. I need more than one light, and I don't mind the extra weight. It's not a big deal, but gives me far more options than carrying just one light.
I've heard some of the disparaging remarks all from all sorts of people, during these past three years, since Ive gotten way into the EDC thing - especially where lights are concerned.
"Squirrel Pockets", "McGuyver", "Batman", "Mr. Fix-It", "Inspector Gadget", "Light Man", .....whatever. It no longer bothers me. I have what I need when I need it. I am never without light. I laugh out loud when someone in my family (and who knows that I'm a self-professed flashaholic) asks me, "Do you have a flashlight handy?". My response is usually, "Just one?"
(That's how I justify my flashlight addiction. Works for me :P)
Things that are very low priority for me, in a new light purchase (for the most part) are:
pocket clip (I almost never use them. I hate them. I prefer holster carrying a light, whenever possible. It's not possible, at work, so I resort to the dreaded pocket clip, carried inside a pocket.
super compact form factor (I'm too used to larger lights, to care if any light I carry is super compact.
sub-lumen output (nice to have, but I have plenty of lights that can do that, and I EDC two of them. It' not a must-have, for me, in a new light)
beacon/strobe/s.o.s. - again, nice feature(s), but not really necessary. I always have at lease one light, on-person, that will do all of those things. If a new light has those features, fine. If not, it's not the end of the world.
Last Edit: Aug 24, 2015 18:52:13 GMT -8 by david57strat