Haha, yeah. I highly doubt I’ll ever find a light which lives up to my ideal. Hopefully the D25A Ti N219 will keep me happy for a while though.
In any case, for the original poster, there are definitely lower firefly modes than the three lights in the topic. For the absolute lowest low ever (and any level between that and ~500lm), the JETBeam RRT01 should tickle your just-barely-glowing needs. It can go so low that, even if I aim it directly at my fully-night-adjusted eye from 5mm away, I can still barely tell it’s on. And I’m pretty photosensitive. Recent Zebralights also have some rather low modes (ZL’s “0.06lm” and “0.01lm” are both quite a bit dimmer than the L3 L10’s “0.09lm”), and super-long runtime. No easy way to switch quickly between sub-lumen ZL modes though.
I keep mine on 0.06lms and definitely have the reprogramming down pat. Once you spend 10secs and reprogamme it for a situation, it usually doesn't have to change again 'til the next situation.
500lms is prob the max you'd squeeze out of a 14500/AA light, I'd think. Unless you were looking to spend on a larger light.
Replace a Tank007 E09? Probably not. Even the smallest Zebralight is too big. If the size is okay though, then yes, definitely.
Replace a Convoy S5? Not really. The smaller units are only able to do 500lm for a single minute before stepping down to 280, and even then, the runtimes are relatively short compared to a 1x18650 battery. You’d need an 18650 Zebralight if you want it to compete with other 18650 lights. If you only need short bright bursts though, and normally stick to much lower levels, a 1x14500 Zebralight could work. The Convoy still has a more blended beam pattern though, and possibly a better tint (depending on your taste).
There might still be some SC600 or SC600 mkII units on a good sale if you look hard enough, but personally I find those to be too big for most of my purposes. It might make a nice bike handlebar light, but I already have enough Convoys to cover that need.
As ToyK said, if its small enough or bright enough sure, but no way to guess without knowing if its small enough or bright enough.
Since I got my Olight i3s nothing else has spent a day in my pocket. I’ll use one of my SK68 clones with a 14500 from time to time, but I’ve have 100% stopped carrying one in my pocket.
OTOH I don’t like a bunch of not always used junk in my pockets, so I only have minimum keys on my keyring, and the lesser driven cars have there keys on hooks near the door.
OTOOH I may be willing to go one size larger for a light in my tool bag, or more likely lights, or still more likely none in the toolbag all the time with whatever I think I may need added per trip.
I’ve posted this elsewhere, but… FWIW, a size reference. There are a couple Convoys and a SC52, and the ATP i3 is pretty close to the size of the Tank007 E09.
(click for a bigger version)
Sorry about the lens distortion near the edges.
When I’m out of the house, I usually have my DQG Tiny AAA IV (on my keychain), L3 L10-219 (purse pocket), H52 (clipped to outside of purse), and CNQG brass light (another purse pocket… I rarely need it, but it’s pretty). If I’m biking, the Convoy S7 goes on the handlebars. If I think I’ll be wanting to see far away (or wanting to impress someone), one of the two bigger lights might be included too.
Interesting thread. I’m looking for an aa light. I’m not hat fussed by the d25a, though I know it is very popular. The L10 is appealing but the twisty interface puts me off. An SC52 would be nice but I don’t need two zebralights, and it seems silly to spend so much on a light I don’t plan to use very often. UF-T20 might be good if it was modded. S15 is a possibility, but I already have an S10.
Chloe, as far as beam pattern goes, I’ve found that DC-Fix can give lights a really nice floody pattern. I put some SC52 beam shots up, comparing the normal beam to a diffused beam:
I mention it because you seem to enjoy the Preon P0’s flood beam, and have shown interest in other floody lights.
The best light I’ve found for “replace both a Convoy S and a keychain light” is probably my CNQG brass light. It’s about as small as you can get for a 1x18650. Not exactly keychain material though… Bright or small — pick one.
gregs656, I didn’t like twisties at first. I’ve gotten a lot more fond of them though, and less fond of clickies. Part of the reason is because twisties are silent. Another reason is that it works more easily with a handshake grip instead of an overhand or cigar grip. The SC52 gets around that with its side button, but ZL’s button designs have gotten so stiff and recessed lately that they’re hard to activate sometimes (especially with long nails). … which brings up another twisty benefit — no accidental activation in a pocket. They also seem easier to waterproof, and less likely to wear out over time. OTOH, electronic clickies like Zebralight allow a richer UI.
I’m not sure what I think about combo twist/click UIs like the D25A has. I ordered one though, Ti 2014 model with Nichia 219, and I should be able to say more after it arrives. (currently waiting for new stock, ETA unknown)
I tried the eagletac and I don’t think the UI is for me. I also didn’t find the group changing very intuitive. I am very fond of my SC600 (mk2 l2) - but I think having a SC52 as well would be overkill, bearing I mind that the vast majority of the time I use my SC600 is under 100 lumen.
Likewise I am a real fan of my S10, but the S15 wouldn’t really provide me with anything different. A potential benefit is the fact I could use the same diffuser on both.
The more I think about it the more I lean toward the L10-219., though the solarforce z2 is also tempting!
Yes, if you have a SC600, the SC52 would be redundant. I went the other way with that and used my SC52 as an excuse not to get a SC600. The longer runtimes would be nice, but it didn’t seem like it would be worth the extra size and weird clip.
Hopefully the D25A Ti N219 will keep me happy for a while though.
