Compared to the Jetbeam PA40 (which I consider to be the gold standard for 4xAA lights):
-the LD41 will be 8mm shorter than the PA40,
-the LD41 and PA40 have the exact same diameter of 40mm,
-the LD41 will actually weigh 5g less than the PA40, despite the LD41’s being fully aluminum vs. the CF composite body on the PA40,
-the LD41 will have a higher high of 520 lumens vs. the high of 468 lumens on the PA40.
-the LD41 will have longer runtime on low, and will actually be brighter than the low of the PA40 as well (LD41 low is 5 lumens for 160 hours, PA40 low is 2 lumens for 150 hours)
-the LD41 will tail-stand,
-the LD41 will have momentary on,
-the LD41 will throw further than the PA40
Am I missing something here? I realize that the tail cap design might not be the sexiest thing we’ve ever seen, but at least it’s functional. IMHO, the lack of tail-standing on the PA40 and LD40 ruins the lights.
From what I gather no price has been announced yet. My guess is that we’ll see a slight increase from the LD40—maybe somewhere in the $65-$75 range?
How do you guys think this light will do at that price? The light is going to be superior to the Jetbeam PA40 in all measurable ways, and the Fenix brand seems to be more popular, so I think it could do well.
The only issue I can foresee is if Fenx tries to price it too high.
I see on the link in the first post they are available for pre-order for $76.95.
Im a little jealous of the slightly higher output but the PA40 has the looks and feel that I love.
The LD41 has been in the making for some time, but it looks like a rushed attempt to get 1 up on the PA40.
Hopefully JetBeam stick with the carbon fibre composite and smooth feel and up the output a little… but I won’t be replacing my PA40, I love it too much.
Ok, so it’s been way too long since I visited (and contributed) to this thread.
I did end up buying the LD41, however I sent it back right away because the tint was terribly green, and I just couldn’t live with it.
Beyond the tint, here are some other things that stuck out to me:
Good:
-The beam profile was very nice, and I think it was the perfect combo of spot and spill. I have not personally handled a PA40, but I’d make an educated guess that this light is a little bit more “throwy” (though neither lights are truly “throwers”).
-Beam quality was very good, and the smooth reflector did not leave as many Cree rings as I expected.
-The battery carrier had absolutely zero rattle. Like seriously…it didn’t rattle at all. To achieve this, Fenix machined a groove into the body of the light that corresponds with a protruding piece of plastic on the carrier, which makes it so that the carrier fits very snugly.
Bad:
-Tint was horribly green on my sample.
-The light was larger than I was hoping for. I probably should have known better as I had already seen pics and read the dimensions, but still I was hoping for something smaller and thus it counts as a drawback in my book.
-Tail-standing was not nearly as secure as I had hoped it would be. Let’s face it, the LD41 has a polarizing (if not odd) design, and we all thought that aesthetics were sacrificed in favor of super solid tail-standing, so this was a major drawback IMHO.
Essentially, if you’re the type that has the PA40 and is happy with it’s performance as a 4xAA light, then I’d personally advise that you stay away from this one and just keep enjoying your PA40.
I honesty doubt that you’d see a difference in terms of brightness between the two anyways. Furthermore, the option to go with NW vs. CW (and IIRC you also get the choice of OP or SMO reflector) makes me think that the PA40 is the better choice.
