Reality check.

[Artisan Bill]

My priorities change with the development of new technology. In the Luxeon days I was mostly interested in increasing brightness, but I continually wanted more run time. My HDS 60 provides just about all the light I need on high but only has a run time of 42min. I used to carry spares which just bugged me. I consider the 60 LM from my HDS to be the bench mark for enough light for 90% of my requirements

Once Cree and Soul arrived and it was possible to produce 60 to 80LM at lower currents, the possibility of enough light with longer run times became my highest priority. Now my LODCE Q4 puts out about as much light as my HDS for over 1 hour on high.

Now that I can realistically expect 60LM from a Lithium AA for around 2 hours I have enough light and enough runtime for just about every EDC requirement I have. Tint is becoming more and more of interest to me.

Lastly the UI in my opinion is the absolute highest priority for modern led EDC lights. I have yet to find my ideal UI, however the HDS and surefire U2 are about the closest around, each for different reasons.

 

[Stillphoto]

First off, great topic Yaesumofo.

Brightness used to be a big deal to me, but then I grew up.

It's sort of like moving from highschool (beer) into college and beyond (mixed drinks and wine). You start off sort of caveman-ish..Me want bright light! Then you start to mature and realize there's more to it than just that.

Don't get me wrong, sometimes I'm still in the mood for a beer, or a really bright light, but for the most part, I've realized that the only time I needed the throw of a light was well...to show off the throw of it.

For 90% of my current flashlight usage, I need to illuminate something nearby (within 10 feet). As flashlights aren't too usefull in daylight, its usually at night or on a dark set that I use one. I've found that the bright hotspot of a light really kills any night vision / eyes adapted to the dark, and usually requires an extra second or two of pupil constriction before becoming usefull. The KL4 head helped reduce that effect, and the mule has really mastered it. I've found that myself and other crew members can work under the light of the mule without losing nearly as much vision as we would using a standard light.

Runtime is luxury available to the mule, that's for sure. I have an awesome head from milky that is a beautiful warm vanilla, but it just really pulls the juice out of the batts. That or it triggers the temp sensor and says game over. Nothing more fun than having a light go out mid usage. I would certainly sacrifice max brightness for a longer runtime.

CRI - of greater importance now than in the past. As I'm a photographer, accurate colors are always what I'm looking for. I light plenty of little things with my led lights (other flashlights, knives, atwoods, etc...tabletop stuff). I've always had a "fun" time dealing with the varience in tints from the multiple flashlights I use on a single shot. Bluish here, greenish there, etc. A neutral-toned light with good color rendering would be the most usefull to me. Let me impart different color casts on my own with gels.

Taking something like the Sundrop light from Don into account, starting off with a color of light closer to either pure daylight or pure tungsten illumination would solve this for me. I know that when I put a cto gel on my light (cto = color temperature orange...converts daylight to tungsten) I'm going to get tungsten balance light, without any super serious spike in other color ranges.

A quick bit of cto/ctb info for you guys from the wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_correction

Personally I think the world would start accepting led lighting as a legitimate replacement for the current technologies if everything started getting switched without them knowing. Meaning things that once had the orangey glow of tungsten wouldnt be replaced with a bluish or pure white led, but an led that emits the same color as before. That doesn't take into account the reality of the switch, involving reliable production, hi quality products, and local governments will to drop the $. Hell the led traffic lights are already starting to go bad around here, big sections of them strobing or not lighting at all.

Thats neither here nor there, back to the regularly scheduled conversation.

 

[Flashlight Aficionado]

In my previous post, I mentioned being able to select the light level before I turn it on was very important. So the UI is my highest priority.

I use my flashlight for everything, day and night. I'll be at work and something falls between the counter and the racks. The place is really bright, but it is dark in that crevice. Most flashlights are muffled by the surrounding ambient light and you need at least 60 lumens to actually see the light.

The reason I need to choose before I turn it on is because of my two opposing uses. When traveling, I need a dim light to read directions. But if I set it on high and lower it incrementally, I will still blind myself while doing sixty. But I can't set it on low, because my flashlight is also has a tactical purpose too. So I always have it on super bright. But I turn it down before I flick it on for other purposes.

yaesumofo - So what do you want in your flashlight? :duck:

 

[ArtFranklin]

Quick post from a lurker...

I was in the market for a replacement back-up personal hand-light. I'm a fireman. The light I was looking for had to work when I needed it, or I could be done. The light must be tough almost hardened. At work, we have a boatload of lightboxes that fail every time the lamp gets bumped or jolted. I've ended up using my back-up light more than I like...
Enter the Ra. Ordered last weekend the Ra85, and am waiting for my card to be charged. This seems to be the handlight to end all handlights-to me. My only concern is if the beam is too 'floody'. Only time will tell...

 

[Anglepoise]

I look forward to improvements in drivers with switching and dimming being entirely electronic. Having a really low low is just as important to me as a good high. I would like to see more driver manufacturers offering micro switches so we can get away from having to rely on electrical paths going through threads that quickly get dirty and diminish the easy flow of voltage and current. Also the UI needs constant monitoring so that it remains intuitive and simple.

 

[cyberpunk]

Excellent thread! This thread will give anybody new to flashaholism, much food for thought.

I very much appreciate extremely bright lights. For me, it doesn't have to be the absolute brightest thing I can get my hands on...but I do like it darn bright.

I've got a couple of SureFire M6's, which satisfy my lust for bright lights. A Q5 drop-in for a 6P does pretty good, as well, and the E2DL's are plenty good at satisfying my needs for bright lights.

Up until recently, "Bright" was the only characteristic that I cared about. I do not use a light for my job, and only need one periodically when I'm outside my house at night, or out and about.

Recently, however, I have found my interests changing. Whereas before, I really did not care about run-time or low-output lights, now those two characteristics are top of the list regarding my next purchase.

I recently had two experiences that drove home my need for a more versatile EDC light than the single-stage E2DL that I currently carry:

1) My wife and I were a bit late getting to church this past Sunday. When we stepped into the room where the service was being held, they had the lights out except for a light on the stage shinning on the speaker. Now, that is common for our church, but this time there was absolutely no light anywhere in the room except for up front, on the stage. The back of the room, where we were, was totally dark (partly because of having just stepped into the dark room from outside, so our eyes had not adjusted).

I had my E2DL on me, and I shined it on the floor, in front of my wife's feet, so that she could make her way through the back without tripping on chairs. Man, did that thing cause a distraction!! It was way too bright in that dark room not to cause way too much attention. As soon as we sat down, I thought to myself, "Man...I should have picked up that SureFire Backup I've been considering." Of course, a dual-stage E2DL would have also done the trick, but the E1B now has me intrigued. Its low setting would have been perfect.

Second - a buddy of mine was recently trapped in an elevator for a couple of hours! He still had light, so he was not in the dark the entire time...but it got me thinking of how ticked I'd be, in the same situation, if I had an insufficient light to provide even a little light for the entire time I was stuck. It really doesn't take much light to light up a small, completely dark space, like an elevator. In a similar situation, run-time and variable (or low) light output would be the only things I care about in my light.

So - these situations have caused me to change my interests a little bit, and run-time and variable output now are my primary considerations to me.

I do have to say, however, that this change regarding lights is mostly because I've satisfied the initial desire for brightness! In my particular case, I first needed to satisfy the need for brightness before I could move on.

 

[Federal LG]

OK guys. things are moving right along in terms of the advancement of emitter technology. Drivers seem to moving along at a slightly slower pace but they are moving along too.

OK we all know how easy it is to buy a flashlight with an insanely bright emitted light.

We also know how to find lights with decent runtime.


We are beginning to see lights with better tints as well.


So what is this about?

What is important to you?
Runtime? Why?
Brightness? Why?
Tint? Why?
Heavy duty?
Combination of any three of these components of the Utility of a light?

Look it is easy to say " I want 'em all".
But that isn't today's reality not really.

I am very interested in why extremely high output is so important to some of you.


I would also like to know why runtime is important to you as it refers to your use of a flashlight.

Do you think that the tint of an emitter is important? what about it's CRI number? Is that important?

Are you just thinking "Ah forget all of this. It is all a bunch of BS numbers just give me a light which works and is cheap"?


Here is where I am at if you care.
I am pretty much past my "I have to have the brightest thing out there" phase. I have plenty of flashlights which are bright as hell. Honestly they don't see that much use.
I have moved closer to pure usability, runtime and I feel myself moving closer to wanting flashlights with great tints and the ability to render colors very well.
I for one am most excited by the new advancements in the area of the quality of light. What about you?
As you may know I am EDCing a Lunasol.
I get a lot of utility from either one. Of late the Lunasol 20 has been my main EDC. What do I get from this light. A lot not the least of which is a over 2 hour runtime on high. 2 good beams, and a very WHITE high beam.
No I don't get the best color rendering. That is OK for my edc porpoises.
I work in the Motion picture industry and use my lights EVERY DAY at work.

That is an important point in this thread. Many people do not use lights at work and have completly different needs for a light.
I for one would be lost at work without a light. Especially at night when working outside. Electricians are always in a hurry to go home and have no problem turning OFF the power making for a very DARK work space.

OK so where are you people at with all of this?
In many ways we are at an amazing place in the development of LED's. New advancements are happening all the time. Some are related to output, some are efficiency, and some related to the quality of the emitted light.
Where are you at?
Yaesumofo

Before my answer, let me say about my "LG´s degrees of importance". :devil:

In a grade scale from 0 to 10:
0 - I just don´t care (for example, the SOS mode). Not important at all.
5 - I care "more or less" (for example, lens of glass or lens of plastic).
10 - I care a lot... very important to me (for example, 2 modes - high and low).

So, when I pick a light, I think this way, applying these grades:

Runtime - 6 - It doesn´t have to be super runtime, but it can´t be like an V8 engine drinking gas quickly... that´s why I like a low mode to. It´s an "economic way to drive".

Brightness - 9 - Oh yeah, brightness means a lot. Even if it is allied with a good reflector or optics.

Tint - 7 - I like the neutral white tints, or the creamy tints. I hate greenish or purpleish tints (hear that, Surefire ?)

Construction quality - 7,5 - I don´t like weak lights... and construction quality matters to me. Overall, I can say that Surefire is grade 9, and all the others are grade 8, or 7. There is no bad construction among the greatest brands on market nowadays (Surefire, Fenix, Lumapower, Novatac...).

Type of battery - 9 - I have a crush on 1xCR123 lights. Due to it´s power and it´s size. I like the combination "power + small size".

Modes - 10 - It´s the most important to me. Because multi modes affect runtime and brightness. I love the 2 modes (high and low) or the 3 modes (low, med, high) lights. If you want brightness and throw, it´s there, on the high mode. And if you want runtime, it´s there too, in the low mode.

Special modes - 1 - It´s those SOS or strobe modes. I just don´t care. For me, it´s useless!

Lens - 5 - I never had any light with plastic lens, but I think I would prefer glass lens. I think it´s more resistant to scratches.

______________________________________________________________

That´s it... in a few characteristics, I can say that I like this kind of light: small, powered by 1xCR123, multi modes (2 or 3 modes only), neutral/creamy tint, good construction, glass lens, and a lanyard hole!

For example: Lumapower IncenDio, Surefire L1, Surefire E1B, Fenix P2D, Fenix P1, Novatac 120... not in this order of preference.

Regards! :wave:

 

[2xTrinity]

Here are my priorities in a EDC light (nearly all of my real-world use). Those with asterisks are features I don't actually have yet

• Variable output
  • LOW low, as in fraction of a lumen
  • moderately efficient at high output.
• Appropriate Beam pattern
  • reasonable throw NOT pure flood
  • narrow spill angle
  • not too much contrast between spill and spot, so it's still useful up close.
  • LF2x is the best I've seen so far for beam pattern in a small EDC
• Neutral White Color Temperature (around 4000k)****
  • Preferably with high CRI at that color temp

Personally I think the world would start accepting led lighting as a legitimate replacement for the current technologies if everything started getting switched without them knowing. Meaning things that once had the orangey glow of tungsten wouldnt be replaced with a bluish or pure white led, but an led that emits the same color as before.

I personalyl think that 95% of the fixed lighting on the market is absolute crap, and would rather NOT see things play out as you suggest.

I want to see LEDs used to their fullest potential, in applications that are not currently possible with Fluoro/HID/Incan, such as using a separable phosphors backlit by blue LEDs to illuminate an entire ceiling with soft diffused white light (similar to fluorescent panels, but flush-mountable, more even, and with better color rendition). Or LEDs doing things like producing neutral white output AND good color rendition at the same time, while still being small and focusable (rules out fluorescent).

Unfortunately, I suspect we're going to see nothing but overengineered kludgy fixtures that, like LED bulb replacements with microprocessors in them so that they start at 3000k and shift to 1500k as they are dimmed mimicing an incan filament, and will still be run in old crappy inefficient fixtures.

I'd rather my lights stay the same color as I dim, especially if I'm only dimming some lights and not others -- it would look better for everything to stay the same color. One time I was in a coffeehouse that completely bucked traditional lighting. They used some high-CCT, high CRI fluoro tubes on dimming ballasts, and I actually quite liked it.

I suspect In reality we're just going to see kludgy incan copy-cats using the same old inefficient fixtures we have today, similar to how we're being offered crappy low quality CFLs instead of more household-appropriate linear fixtures with quality ballasts.

 

[Blue72]

NOT IMPORTANT

Brightness- too much kills my night vision I am happy with a light with no more than 20 Lumen's with a balance of good spill and throw.

Tint- I am a fan of Red lights to preserve night vision so any tinting of white light does not bother me and is hardly noticeable outdoors.

IMPORTANT

Runtime- I like long runtimes so I do not need to carry spare batteries when spending a few nights outdoors.

Size- I do not like things bulging in my pants pocket, the smaller the better.

Common Batteries-I travel a lot it is hard to find cr123 and when you do find them they are a fortune!

MOST IMPORTANT

Durability- I am around water and enjoy outdoor activities and I only carry one light. I need a light that is very water resistant and can handle a few drops on a rock.

 

[crocodilo]

Let's try a short answer, for an EDC flashlight:

#1 Form factor, size and user interface are of paramount importance for the flashlight to be carried and used expediently.

#2 An appropriate beam (brightness, throw, spill, width, tint), consistent with the expected use: lots of indoor and close work, some general use, and a bit of outdoor. You can´t have best of everything, but very decent compromises are attainable.

#3 Runtime, not max brightness, is what separates you from having or not having light. Simple as that.

#4 Next factors up, reliablity, ruggedness and simplicity. When you need light, it must be there for you, no hesitations.

Then comes all else, many other factors.

Price is one of them.

Pride of ownership is also somewhere in the equation, don't deny it.

Special uses will have special requirements. Specific tasks, specific lights.

And keep in mind, an EDC flashlight should have enough headroom in all departments to be able to somehow deal by itself with the unexpected: urban accidents and mishaps, the remote survival scenario, backup a special use light that failed, etc.

 

[xevious]

Really good thread, Yaesumofo.

I see a slight analogy to cars. Some folks crave the biggest and most powerful engine--nothing else will do. Some folks want speed above handling and ride comfort. Others appreciate good power as long as it is efficient, but prefer handling over raw power. Then there are those who want reasonably good power but without sacrificing efficiency. And lastly some who want great utility above all else.

At first, I craved the brighter lights. But once I got a very reasonably bright one and started using it, I realized it was just a little too bright for some purposes. Then when you start burning through your primaries frequently, you start feeling the pain of that wastefulness. There are far more applications for lights that don't need ultra bright output.

The EDC-120P is my favorite light of all time. The brightest setting is very usable when you need it. And then when lower light is necessary you've got ample choice. You can make that light run for an extremely long time on the very low settings. It's simply great.

Tint is important to me. I don't want to look at a green, blue, purple or yellow wall. It doesn't have to be perfect white, but close enough on the warm side. A bad tint is just too distracting.


FWIW, gas prices have finally started to hurt people's pockets. And just as I had anticipated a few years ago, the Hummer is heading towards extinction. The reactive American society couldn't look ahead and be proactive... had to wait until the gas price surge made it too expensive. And what if primaries suddenly became very expensive? You'd see the marketplace getting dumped with the "gas guzzlers" of flashlights. And the EDC-120P (even 85P) would be flying off the shelves.

 

[Buffalohump]

The pursuit of more and more lumens is just a pissing contest IMO. How many people actually need such intensity of light? I would suspect very few. For most I imagine its just a case of impressing friends and neighbours.

I want these things in a light:

1. Durability and reliability (everything else is secondary to a light that works, every time under all conditions)
   
2. Must take rechargeables (For so many reasons, I cannot buy any more lights that accept only primaries)
   
3. Long runtime (Single mode lights don't hold any appeal to me anymore. I want to adjust the output of light to conserve energy.)
   
4. Form appeal (Good design is important. A well designed light is pleasing to look at and to use.)
   
5. Beam quality (I'm not a white wall hunter but I like a certain type of beam with plenty of flood and a nice white tint with a hint of cream. That said my Fenix E1 has a horrible beam but I can still find things in the dark with it.)

Lucky for us, there are many lights available that offer all of the above, and some of them are even affordable to average folks like me.

 

[ampdude]

We are beginning to see lights with better tints as well.

Honestly I have not seen this to be true. My Cree R2 reminds me of the tint of several Luxeon III's that I've had. And regardless of the tint, the spectrum output is roughly similiar on these "white" led's across the board.

There have always been LED's with nice golden tints, sold in premium lights like the HDS. I don't see that these current LED's emit any better of a spectrum than these earlier LED's, they are just brighter.

Anyways, that's my observation on the current state of LED tints.

 

[2xTrinity]

Honestly I have not seen this to be true. My Cree R2 reminds me of the tint of several Luxeon III's that I've had. And regardless of the tint, the spectrum output is roughly similiar on these "white" led's across the board.

There have always been LED's with nice golden tints, sold in premium lights like the HDS. I don't see that these current LED's emit any better of a spectrum than these earlier LED's, they are just brighter.

Anyways, that's my observation on the current state of LED tints.

Neutral or warm white Cree LEDs are not much less efficeint (the 3000k are as high as q2 bin) and give much better results. Also, check out the "sundrop" thread in McGizmo's subforum, about a ~5000k >90CRI Nichia LED optimized for color rendition. While not as efficient as an XR-E if driven all-out, one feature that LEDs have that no incan can ever have is the ability to dim to ~1% without significant color shift, and while actaully gaining efficiency. As I run most of my LEDs at low output most of the time, and only run high output for short "bursts", efficeicny isn't actually a top priority for me. Once price on a good neutral-white Cree comes down, I plan to buy a whole bunch in bulk and upgrade every LED light I have.

There ARE LEDs available with better color rendition that exist, it's just they haven't made it into the "max lumens at all cost" obsessed market.

 

[McGizmo]

I'll throw in my 2 cents.

First and foremost when it comes to light, you need dependable and adequate light. You may only need two lumens for a task but there was a time when the first white LED's couldn't give you 2 lumens unless you overdrove them. The initial white LED's couldn't hold a candle to a candle let alone a "real" flashlight. There was a time here when the big questions was if LED flashlights could ever hope to compete with incandescent flashlights and I am not talking about the paper burners.

Some remember when there were some premium Luxeons that could possibly give you even in excess of 20 lumens and that was at the LED under ideal operating conditions not out the front end of the light. The obvious push then was for more flux. More power.

At some point, I had a flashlight that could give me an honest 40 lumens out the front end. Well for me, that was all I really needed for most applications and in fact more than I needed for most applications. You could take those 40 lumens and collimate them in a tight beam and get out quite a distance or you could let those 40 lumens disperse in a wide flood and see what was what in a whole room.

Many of us now have more than enough light and the mandatory quantity has been exceed to the point that the ability to dim has become mandatory. We can now focus on the quality of the light even at the expense of max or optimal efficiencies.

Before CPF, I didn't have an EDC flashlight and what was available wasn't worthy of consideration as an EDC because I could get by without one and when needed, I would grab a light from tool chest, glove box or what have you. After joining CPF and getting caught up in the LED evolution/ revolution, I started carrying a flashlight and pursued the optimal EDC for my deeds and wants. It has changed numerous times as the lights just kept getting better. What has also changed is my awareness of lights and their uses and in addition to a light I might have on my person, I now have some specialty or task specific lights available for when the need arises and I am quick to grab them because I have learned the value and enjoy being able to do a much better job of illumination when it is called for or desired.

This thread is about reality check and for me and likely many of you, the reality has changed itself, in addition to our awareness of it. It's not over either. There are still wisps of vapor out there that will indeed become reality tomorrow or in months ahead.

For some members, a final and viable destination has already been met in regards to flashlight needs and wants. For others, it is the journey itself that is most appealing and although one might stop and take a break, the wanderlust will get the better of you and again you find yourself on the road to something better or different.

 

[Echo63]

Reliability is one of the most important things for me
i used to work night shift, and managed to kill a few lights (Pelican M11, SL Stinger XP, Maglite bulbs. although i always had a backup (sf6p) i didnt like using my backup (i generally only carried 2 lights with me)
i feel around 60-100 lumens is enough, and an hour of runtime always got me through a night shift.
My U2 is still the light i pick up if im going out of my house at night, in addidtion to my normal EDC
for my normal uses at the moment, nothing beats my 120p, its bright enough on primary (30ish lumens) for normal torch type tasks, on low it doesnt affect my night vision, and throws plenty of light to get to the bathroom in the dark.
and on maximum it is as bright as my U2, if i need something brighter i probably should have planned ahead and brought a Thor.
all i really need from a light is 30-40 lumens, long battery life, reliability and be easy to carry
both my U2 and my 120p fulfill those requirements very well (although i am seriously considering a UB2 Invictus when they come out - gotta have one hell bright light (best ATM is the THor and stock Magcharger - not really practical for EDC - and if i dont EDC it - i wont have it when i need it)

 

[yaesumofo]

This thread really is the best expression of where we are at as a group that I have ever seen. I am amazed.
Don said something about the journey in his post. I have to admit that I relate to that comment. I am definitely on a journey. there are times when I really enjoy the trip and times when I think it is total BS. it sort of mimics life. Isn't that interesting?
Hey guys keep the great posts coming! We really are getting somewhere.
Yaesumofo

 

[Hitthespot]

I'll throw in my 2 cents.

The initial white LED's couldn't hold a candle to a candle let alone a "real" flashlight.

Pretty Funny.

Bill

 

[Hellbore]

To me, the reality check is that only a few rare loonies are going to buy a $500 flashlight, much less carry it around with them all the time

That is, if we're talking about practicality, not fanaticism... Don't get me wrong, I would love to own a Lunasol but I couldn't afford it that's for sure.

I EDC a Jetbeam C-LE which comes in handy every once in a while but for the most part, people think it's odd that I would carry a flashlight. Luckily it is small enough that most people never know I have it Even at the paltry $40 I paid for it, most people still think it's an "expensive flashlight" if I tell them it was $40, which is funny. If only they knew how much enthusiast flashlights really can cost they would not believe it...

All I'm trying to say is that for most people practicality in an EDC light means small size, affordable, decent runtime and decent output. And that's IF you can convince them to carry one at all. In my experience women in particular will place the highest importance on size, preferring the smallest possible flashlight so that it's unobtrusive, but this is only based on experience with a few women I know and they are definitely not flashaholics.

If we're not talking about EDC, most people seem to prefer whatever cheap junk light they can find for the lowest price, not caring about quality lol... If you need proof of this, look at the absolute FLOOD of cheap junk flashlights you see at virtually every store you visit. A lot of people are buying those junkers obviously though you and I probably wouldn't dream of it lol...

I find it so sad to see friends and relatives whip out an "LED" flashlight when the need arises, only to find it's some dollar store wonder with a dim purple beam Oh well, progress is being made, at least LED lights are getting more and more widespread, and early adopters like you guys who are paying hundreds of bucks for fancy lights are helping advance the technology so that some day maybe "normal people" will own decent LED lights with decent color rendition, output, and runtime For now however, I think the masses are suffering with dim purple and blue LED flashlights...

 

[importculture]

For me I both collect and use my lights. It's strange how far we've come over the years. In the middle of last year I started replacing my EDC lights from 2 cell ones to single cell lights. Just recently I finally replaced my last 2 cell EDC and now solely carry only single cell ones. My most used model of light used to be an L4. I liked it because it had alot of flood a nice central spot and a nice color. It did get incredibly hot when used for extended amouts of time though. I now EDC alot of JET II I.B.S's. It currently has most of the features I want in a light. It has incrdible throw for a single cell light but also has a very good flood should I need it. Then there's the candle mode with the head removed. All very useful features. But it also runs well with primaries and rechargeables. I also love being able to select the brightness levels for the three modes available. Which allows me to select the best brightness for any given situation not to mention how much runtime I may require. Another plus to adjustable brightness is that I can choose a brightness that's bright enough for what I need but just low enough that it doesn't generate excessive heat so I can leave it on longer. Then there's the selectable frequency of the strobe. A gripe many people have had with fenix lights. I've heard alot of people saying the strobe speed of the fenix was too slow and thus useless. While I didn't mind the fenix's strobe speed I do find a quicker strobe tends to irritate pets and sometimes people more often than a slower one. I'm surprised that in less than a years time I've been able to get so much from a single cell light. More output and better runtimes and features in a smaller package. Still can't beat the color rendering of the L4's though. Although it's not something I feel I need, I do miss the color of the light that came out of an L4 from time to time.