Both of these seemed recommended and I am currently waiting on and Ultrafire HL from fast tech so hopefully that will be covered. I have a trip coming up in 2 weeks (March 15) and I would like to be able to get my light by then (I know the HL won’t be in), so I would prefer domestic shipping if possible. I will have one AA light (possibly one of these) and my old Black Diamond headlamp. Any recomendations on either these or possibly another torch would be great. If it’s less than $30 that would be even better. (would like high med low settings though)
any disadvantages to a twisty other than I can’t lock it like I can a button like the S15? L3 looks like a nice budget option, hadn’t considered it before, thanks
The Olight baton range are good value for money I think. The fact that the S15 can be run on 1 or 2 AAs is useful, especially when the run times are significantly improved when running on 2 - selfbuilt on CPF measured a 3.5x increase in run time (on medium IIRC).
I have an S10 and am seriously considering an S15.
My twisty Olight I2 eos is my favorite AA EDC because twisty makes it very compact but I can still operate it with one hand. It looks very similar to the L3 Illumination L10.
The T10 (or Saber) is a very nice light and small enough to be worn on a lanyard around your neck if you wish.
The Archer is significantly larger but with higher output and a much tighter hotspot (better throw). 4 modes plus strobe, forward tail clickly to activate and twist head to change modes. Fully supports Li-Ion 14500s as well if you later want to go down this path. It is a very nice light.
Excellent review of the Thrunite Archer by Ezarc here: https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/15470
+1 for the Olight S15 but it is floodier than the Archer.
The Zebralight SC52 would also be worth looking at but is outside your preferred budget.
I don't know if you have read up much on the various options you can choose from but in general, smaller emitters such as XP-E and XP-G will give better throw than XM-L based lights, even though the overall lumens output might be lower. Reflector diameter and depth is also a factor with larger or deeper reflectors giving better reach.
You really can't expect to illuminate objects far away with a single AA light but it might be in your interests to try to find some beamshots for comparison.
A floodier light is better for general close-up illumination and tasks such as map reading. In a AA format, the XM-L lights or those with textured (orange peel) reflectors usually provide a more even beam with less of a defined hotspot.
Oh, and be sure to budget for a pack of decent AA NiMH rechargeables to power your choice. These lights do not respond well to alkalines, suffering a drop in performance and a high chance of damage due to the cells leaking. Eneloops are widely regarded as about the best AA available but there are other brands preferred by some.
I have the L10, the T10, D25A Mini, MT-1A, BA-10, a T10S that will be here Monday and several other EDC style AA lights I can’t think of right now, and the one I carry the most is the L10 with the Nichia 219 in it. I also have the XP-G2 version but the 4 mode 219 is just about the perfect AA flashlight. I’ve been meaning to buy the 3 mode but I don’t really mind that extra twist.
The T10S does look interesting but it might be a little bulky for EDC. I’ll have it in a couple days since it’s available Amazon prime. Not bad ordering on a Friday afternoon and getting it the next Monday. Personally I would go with the L10 or maybe a D25A Mini or Clicky. The D25A mini and L10 are about the same size. The Eagletac uses PWM so the tint is good with the XP-G2 and it also has a deep carry clip, though you can get a clip-on clip for the L10.
I noticed a couple people are confusing the T10 which is a twisty from before they changed the name to Saber, and the T10S which is a clicky and brand new model only released about a week ago.
I think that might be a good suggestion. I very much prefer a small 18650 flashlight to a big and bulky AA flashlight of the same or similar size. Or even bigger…
For me, the main reason to have a single AA flashlight is the small size. I have an old twisty NiteCore EZAA on my keychain. Very small and handy. I am thinking of upgrading to Sens AA. But many of the other suggested flashlights also seem to be small and handy.
The single AA flashlight that I use the most, after the NiteCore EZAA, is actually a Hugsby P2 Cree Q5-WC with TIR optics from DX. Amazing light, also takes 16340 and 14500, but it is dated and expensive now and is mainly a thrower. But I will most likely keep using it for several more years to come. I once bought four of them and have them laying around at strategic places. By the door, in the woodshed and in the cellar.
The Fenix E12 just came out. I think it would be ideal for camping. It’s pretty throwy since it uses a TIR optic so it doesn’t have the wide flood like a reflectored light. But you can always make a DIY diffuser if you need it floody and it tail stands.
It’s AA and has some pretty nicely spaced modes. 8 lumen on low, 50 medium and 130 high. I measured and it pulls 1.4 amps on high out of an Eneloop so it’s not simply maxing out performance while sacrificing efficiency and runtime.
It doesn’t have memory so it will always start on low. That can be an advantage or disadvatage. If you don’t need an immediate emergency “I need max brightness NOW” then it’s ideal as starting on low every time will guarantee you won’t wreck your night vision by temporarily blinding you. It also only has a reverse clicky. I like this actually because I can change modes while it’s on with the switch instead of needing to twist the head or turn the light off and half forward click. Plus being used to budget lights I’m just used to reverse clickies.
And best of all only about $30 shipped and you can be sure of the quality since it’s Fenix. Getting a generic Chinese light can be a gamble unless you know the quirks of the light and how to give them a good disassembly and tune up.
Be careful, the link is deceptive in saying “fenix-e12-xml2” because it actually runs the xp-e2 emitter according to the Fenix website. I love Fenix lights, but after using my Tank007 E09 for a while, I’m more cautious about running it on high for too long. The E09 is rated at 110 lumens and gets hot pretty quickly. If the Fenix E12 does in fact output 130 lumens, I can imagine it running just as hot, if not hotter, even if it’s the next gen of that emitter. The XP-Es just have a lower ceiling so I don’t like them being pushed as hard.
It actually doesn’t run too hot. I ran mine on high and since it only draws 1.4 amps from an Eneloop it certainly doesn’t get as hot as some of my Chinese AA generics that pull upwards of 2.2 amps.
It never gets so hot that it’s uncomfortable to grab after tailstanding. In your hand it’s not gonna get hot so I’m not even worried about it getting so ot as to damage the LED. If it did I’m sure Fenix would put in a limited turbo timeout like on their higher powered lights.