New EDC

Both nice lights but one of his requirements is 4" long or less. Neither of those lights are. If the SC600 is physically too big for him then the Solarforce is for sure.

+1 for the sc600 and illuminationgear.

Thanks for the input. Hmmmmm zebralight is looking pretty interesting but sunwayman keeps tugging at my leg.

Welcome aboard, RobCob!

Usually the best question is what do you have right now as far as lights ?

what's you best or most favorite light ?

I'd buy a used ? shelfqueen D-10

But if you don't have a light at all ...lots of lights work .

Balder se-1 or a xeno tiger e03

I honestly think there is no reason to spend more than 20~30$ on a flashlight

Oh yeah, 4" is a problem but what's half an inch between friends! I'd suggest the Roche is just as pocketable, it looks more slender than the Zebra and should be about twice the lumens. Not knocking the zebra though, I'd love one

LOL! And I'd love a Roche. :)

How come women never say this?

:stuck_out_tongue:

Right now I have a Fenix tk-10, an ultrafire (don't know the model got it off deal extreme a few years ago), and a romisen (same story). The tk-10 works great but its big and uses two cr123s ( I forgot to mention I'm looking for a single cell light) but the other two lights are garbage. The other two work when then feel like it and the cap switch on the ultrafire is horrible.

The zebra lights are very small and fit into a pocket nicely. Much smaller than you would expect. Great warranty and fancy U.I. Plus automatic entry into the “cool guys with zebra lights club” is included. No small thing.

You can get a Zebralight 1xAA which gives you 200 lumens instead of an 18650. This gives you the option of using normal AAs, or NiMH rechargables. Less runtime of course, but I dont know how much you'd be using it at work, and 200 lumens is quite a bit.

If you are gonna get a 18650, I'd spring for an XM-L version that lets you really crank up the lumens if needed. For example the SC600 XM-L zebralight lets you hit 750 lumens turbo mode!

Other good options are Romisen Flood to Throw lights. A CR123 (using a rechargable CR123), an AA, and a 3xAAA are all decent options for a small light. The advantage is that you get a nice EVEN FLOOD light with no hotspot. I use these around the house for working on stuff.

http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-237/Romisen-RC-dsh-C6-II-R4/Detail 18 bucks. CR123. 3.3 inches

http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-180/Romisen-RC-dsh-29-II-R5/Detail 20 bucks, 1xAA, 4 inches.

You can get a generic 3xAAA one which will be a bit fatter than AA but shorter for 10 bucks.

I've checked out all the lights you guys have suggested(thank you)and I think its between the zebralight SC31 and the sunwayman m10r xp-g. Zebralight interface is kinda cool but I can't see how it would be any better/more convenient than a magnetic ring selector. The other factor is if all stated outputs/runtimes are accurate on the manufacturers websites then they are basically both the same. Only difference I see is zebralight rates lumens using OTF and sunwayman uses ANSI. Big difference between the two rating systems?

The Zebralight SC31w has my attention

If your after a M10R, I would recommend the M11R. The M11R is just that much cuter and smaller. And the low mode goes real low (can be a good and bad thing depending on what you like) The M10R has a tail switch which allows momentary on, but if you don't need a tail switch the M11R save on length, and has a far better clip. The M10R clip feels kinda sus because its clipped onto the torch.

I am just tossing up between a natural grey or tan/sand colour M11R. Originally I wanted the sand, but after seeing a natural grey, that light grey finish is really nice too.

The zebra UI is button only, and the button has the advantage of doing more with less finger acrobatics singlehanded. The ring UI of the M11R is intuitive for those who don't want to/ can't work out single button UIs but the button UI allows for more functionality.

I don't have a zebra, but I have other single button UI torches, (Nitecore D10/D11.2, Sunwayman C10A, Novatac 120P, LF2XT) and they all have their pros and cons, but interms of UI between single button and ring, both depend on what you prefer and how you will hold the torch (thumb on tail or on head) and whether you can happily manage the ring.

ANSI should be OTF? I'm not sure but thats what I though? I wouldn't be too concerned with the output between both torches, a difference in brightness of double is noticeable but up close its not a huge difference, so smaller differences are not really significant unless compared side by side. Realistically you can't be running these torches in max for very long anyway because of heat. I only dare run my V10R on max for 30 seconds, up to a minute tops. For that reason I sometimes prefer a lower high level for practical use, although a super turbo mode is very impressive.

M11R

There's a bunch of ways to see how bright a light is and manufacturers tend to use whatever gives them the biggest e-penis number. What it boils down to is that ANSI is more accurate an assessment than OTF, but tends to be a lower number, as it's taken after the light has been on for 3 mins rather than right away. So if they are equal numbers but one is ANSI and one is OTF, go with the ANSI one.

ANSI > OTF

http://flashlightwiki.com/ANSI-NEMA_FL-1

The light is 2.5 inches long, .8 inch in diameter.

Mine hangs on a neck strap like a Coach uses for his whistle. It works on CR123 or 16340 cells.

This light will do 95% of what you need and is always there.

http://www.aimkon.com/catalog/product/a1-eos/

If you choose a battery type, we will be better equipped to offer up some recs.

What kind of runtime is required before needing a cell change ?

Does the light require use of primaries (non-rechargeable) as well as rechargeable cells?

Are you looking for more of a floody beam for area illumination, or will you need to illuminate things at a long distance?

He did post this in the CR123 sub-forum, so I think he's limiting it to that type, which is a good idea since he doesn't want anything over 4 inches.

His last post had it down to Zebralight SC31 and the Sunwayman m10r xp-g, of which I'd choose the Zebralight as it comes with a headband to give you the head mount as an extra option. I would also suggest a Zebralight SC80 which gives you the choice of AA or CR123 but still clocks in at 3.2 inches long.

I pulled the trigger on a zebralight sc31 but then cancelled my order :( I read some really bad reviews not of the light but of their customer service. I also realised once the joy of buying a new light wore off that it would be costing me $100 dollars by the time it made it to me (I live in canada so between express shipping and customs fees). If I can find a retailer/website in canada selling them I will get it that way I can deal with the website instead of zebralight.