Spyderco Forums

Let us know how you like the Olight. I like the looks of them.

ZrowsN1s wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 03, 2018 3:04 am

I know you already picked one out, but for anyone else reading, for $30-35 the best bang for your buck is the Nightcore TIP with the 'CRI' bulb.
4 settings, 1-240 lumen = (46hr-30min run time), usb rechargeable li-ion battery, bout the size of a car fob. You can put a lanyard on it, or attach it to your keychain. It's the smallest/brightest flashlight I've been able to find.

The CRI bulb is more like natural sunlight than the 'cool white' bulbs on most flashlights, so color fidelity is high, once you get used to it, it's hard to go back to the 'cool white'. I carry one every where.
https://www.nitecorestore.com/Nitecore- ... 17-cri.htm

I have TIP's on my keychains, gave one to my kids and their wives last year for Christmas. I think the newer TIP's are 360 lumens. Nitecore didn't put the clips on them until a year or two ago. The light needed the clip to prevent accidental turning on. It also covers the micro charging port. My kids all love their TIP's..me too. :) I have the copper and the SS model which is new this year. Nitecore store had some good deals on these for their Black Friday sale. Great little lights.

Tdog wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 03, 2018 6:09 pm

....
I think the newer TIP's are 360 lumens.

Yep. The standard ones are 300+. I have the 2017 CRI edition. They are 240 lumen because they use a bulb with high color fidelity, I think the trade off is worth it. Especially if you're looking at anything up close. I work in IT and it's really handy for telling colored wires apart. The orange wires can look brown, etc., in the wrong light.

Not, $50 - about $100 after you sign up to their email (discount) Big fan of this flashlight if anyone is interested.

Malkoff MDC SHO.
I use Surefire CR123 Batteries.
Fits in the Victorinox leather sheath.
C

ZrowsN1s wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 03, 2018 9:43 pm

Tdog wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 03, 2018 6:09 pm

....
I think the newer TIP's are 360 lumens.

Yep. The standard ones are 300+. I have the 2017 CRI edition. They are 240 lumen because they use a bulb with high color fidelity, I think the trade off is worth it. Especially if you're looking at anything up close. I work in IT and it's really handy for telling colored wires apart. The orange wires can look brown, etc., in the wrong light.

Thanks for sharing that, didn't even realize they came with different bulbs.

I've got a couple of single AA lights for my coats, but I've found this is the most useful flashlight I've ever owned. Great for work.

https://www.amazon.com/Fenix-HL23-Headl ... B00SAD8D7Q

I carry a Fenix UC35 to work and on camping trips.

I carry a Fenix PD22 during the day.

Both are great lights. I'm pretty loyal to Fenix, that make great products that last for years and years. They're my Spyderco of the flashlight world.

The UC35 does 1000 lumens, has a great pocket clip, and my favorite feature is the integrated USB charging. You never have to replace batteries, just plug in the same cable you'd charge an Android with.

The PD22 is a lot more compact and easier to pocket. It goes up to 300 lumens I think, which is plenty for most uses. It has a great deep carry clip, making it very comfortable to EDC. I use a Fenix ARB-L16-700U battery with it. The battery has an integrated USB charging port. Not quite as convenient as charging the light itself, but still a big step up from disposable batteries.

They have a newer version of the PD22, the PD25. That's where I'd recommend starting your search. It's about the perfect EDC form factor IMO. I clip mine to my left front pocket.

I tried the TIP, and its really handy, but the battery life is a lot shorter than the Fenix lights, and they're easy to break. Mine got smashed and fell apart, its mostly plastic with a thin sheet of aluminum. My Fenix PD22 has been run over by cars and you can't even tell.

A good headlamp is also invaluable. I carry a rechargeable Nitecore one I found on clearance for $15 on all my hikes and camping trips.

I finally received my shipment from Olight today. I don't have a lot of experience with any of them yet but they certainly seem like nice lights. I have to say the two tiny ones I got are pretty remarkable considering how small they are. The price was right too. :)

flasharry wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 26, 2018 2:14 pm

check out the Fenix E18R - small, USB rechargeable..

Interesting that you bring up the FENIX brand of flashlight. Because they are attaining some respectability in the past few years. One lady police Officer I know here where I live constantly brags about her Fenix flashlights and jokingly tells me what a fool I am for buying Surefire products :rolleyes: . As far as the lower priced flashlights I've got to say that the Fenix brand is getting more respectable as time goes on.

The reason I stick with Surefire is similar to why I stick with Spyderco on the knife sector. Their customer service is just outright awesome and I've found those Surefire units to be extremely dependable even under terrible weather conditions and especially in the extreme cold we've had in the past two winters. Now that I have a charger for 123-A batteries it is now getting really cheap to run these high quality, high tech flashlights.

If it’s value you want - look at Solarforce! I’ve been using their cheapest 18650 host, with a stainless bezel (to avoid dings) and a Sportac 2-mode triple mule drop-in, for several years now.

I do love all those little brass & copper AAA lights though. The Olight i3e is my most used as it’s just soooo tiny.

Sharp Guy wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 04, 2018 11:02 pm

I finally received my shipment from Olight today. I don't have a lot of experience with any of them yet but they certainly seem like nice lights. I have to say the two tiny ones I got are pretty remarkable considering how small they are. The price was right too. :)

Glad to hear!

I dunno about value but I bought a Thrunite TC12 earlier this year and apart from the clip it has been a good light, very bright and has held a charge for a reasonable time considering I use it on the brightest setting the most.

The rabbit hole for flashlights is about as deep for flashlights as it is knives, there are so many options.

Edc floody lights, a few I can recommend
-Convoy s2+ - single xpl-hi led, 18650, available with 18350 battery tube. 1000 odd lumens.
Great host for modding if you want to play around. Variety of colours and other options.

-Convoy t2 AA. Similar to s2+ but smaller

- Jaxman e2l triple. Triple led 18650/18350. Similar to convoy s2+. Great little light, easy to mod. With a driver upgrade and spring bypass you can start fires with it if you want to push the envelope a bit.

- Emisar d4. 18650/18350 quad led. Firestarter out of the box. Cheap, well made, fun light. Available in titanium if you want fancy. Side clicky, ramping user interface.

Those brands also offer throwy lights if your after a bit more throw but with their larger reflectors aren’t as edc friendly. The Emisar D1s is my favourite 18650 thrower.

Goodluck, lots of good lights previously mentioned too, you’re sure to find something you like that will blow away the old modded maglight!

Tims wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 06, 2018 12:47 pm

The rabbit hole for flashlights is about as deep for flashlights as it is knives, there are so many options.

Haha! Yeah I can see how this could go if I let it. When I got back into knives it was a similar situation. I wanted to buy one, maybe two, new knives. I ended falling head first down that rabbit hole. I have no plans to get as carried away with the flashlights.

Tims wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 06, 2018 12:47 pm

Goodluck, lots of good lights previously mentioned too, you’re sure to find something you like that will blow away the old modded maglight!

So far I'm very happy with the Olight I bought. I think I got a great deal on it and the other little lights I bought with it. Believe or not, after having a Mini-Maglite of some kind in my toolbox for 25 years I kind of miss it. For $20 I'm going to replace the one that died with a Mini-Maglite Pro. I know the S2R II blows it away performance-wise but there are some features I like about the MML. I also have that fiber optic attachment that comes in handy for illuminating tight spaces.

Tims wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 06, 2018 12:47 pm

The rabbit hole for flashlights is about as deep for flashlights as it is knives, there are so many options.

Edc floody lights, a few I can recommend
-Convoy s2+ - single xpl-hi led, 18650, available with 18350 battery tube. 1000 odd lumens.
Great host for modding if you want to play around. Variety of colours and other options.

-Convoy t2 AA. Similar to s2+ but smaller

- Jaxman e2l triple. Triple led 18650/18350. Similar to convoy s2+. Great little light, easy to mod. With a driver upgrade and spring bypass you can start fires with it if you want to push the envelope a bit.

- Emisar d4. 18650/18350 quad led. Firestarter out of the box. Cheap, well made, fun light. Available in titanium if you want fancy. Side clicky, ramping user interface.

Those brands also offer throwy lights if your after a bit more throw but with their larger reflectors aren’t as edc friendly. The Emisar D1s is my favourite 18650 thrower.

Goodluck, lots of good lights previously mentioned too, you’re sure to find something you like that will blow away the old modded maglight!

Ooooh.... tasty! I have a couple of Astrolux, which are fun. For work, though, I find anything with more than 2 modes is a hindrance.

I agree mate. Fun as it is to play around with different modes, I always go back to simple. The last build I did uses a driver with literally 100 odd programmable modes and I usually have it set at a simple low, med, high. Speaking of which if you are keen to try a triple with a simple user interface, the Jaxman e2l is low, med, high.
Ramping UI is simple too and probably my favourite, it’s very intuitive. Hold to increase or decrease light.

Tims wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 07, 2018 3:47 am

Ramping UI is simple too and probably my favourite, it’s very intuitive. Hold to increase or decrease light.

I've been using my Emisar D4 the most lately when I want a big light for this very reason. It's not very throwy, but it is BRIGHT and the UI is natural. The Black Diamond Spot headlamp is my go to as well for this reason.

Olight has another sale on that runs through Monday (12/17/18).

I’ve had really good luck with Fenix and Streamlight. I have a Streamlight Scorpion and a Fenix P35D. Love them and very bright.

Another aspect I really like about all of the Surefire flashlights I've owned over the years is the fact that they can take really harsh abuse and handle harsh environments as well. I can't tell you how many times with my original Surefire E2D Defender that I've dropped it on hard surfaces and gotten it soaking wet ( submerged) on several occasions and I've never had a failure not even once. I've owned at least a dozen Surefire flashlights over the years and they have been exposed to all kinds of weather conditions ( hot & cold) and again no failures. I've also found the units that use the "123-A" batteries to be very dependable as well. And now you can get those in rechargeables.

Now I do like some of the less expensive flashlights and Fenix and Four Sevens seem OK for an inexpensive unit. And for indoor uses those cheaper flashlights are all right in most cases but when I need something really dependable I'll stick to Surefire.