I think you have to buy it from “Drop” to get the Nichia/Al version now.
FW3A
i like its form, it’s so compact, so pleased to hold. But…
the switch is too sensitive, of course i can untwist a little to lookout, but i dont want to do that 10 times a day
Right, if I'm going to lockout a light I'll bring my D4 anyway. FW3A's entire job IMO was to fix that.
Yeah, I’ll have to go with the FW3A as well. Great light, but with all the QC issues and the fact it pocket-activates way too easy, just means I can’t carry it. It’s a shelf-queen.
Take the metal switch cover off and just use the stock rubber boot. This completely changed how practical the light is to me and I’m paranoid about accidental activation.
Olight E3 EOS. it’s good quality but it lives inside my drawer because single mode 90 lumen is not ideal for me.
Thrunite T1
I had high hopes for this light. It appeared to check most of my boxes for a small, compact, 18350 light. It has direct access to firefly, turbo and last mode used. It has stepless dimming so great versatility. Bought it, love everything except one tiny detail. If you turn the light on in firefly, you’re stuck.
They programmed it so that firefly is all by itself and you cannot increase brightness unless you turn the light off and access either last mode or turbo. For some weird reason, they programmed it so that if you hold the button down in firefly mode, you enter lock out instead of dimming. Why this made sense to them, I have no idea! They ruined a great light!
Built-in charging, XHP 50, 1500 lm using 18350, compact, stainless bezel, clip and lanyard hole. It checked all my boxes and then let me down.
I want to love it, but I guarantee it’s going to sit in a drawer. Back to my nitecore EC11 I guess.
Yeah, same dealy with my Folomov Camp D4.
Excellent hardware and performance, grating UI.
BLF GT, due to its size and weight.
the jetbeam e10r.
So frustrating. I was so excited to get this. thought it would be the perfect edc. I really like my two other Jetbeam lights and use them all the time. the e10r has a really long press to turn off and I just wish everything was quicker. Plus I went out of my way to find a jetbeam 14450 to put in it and after 5 seconds it fried. Now it only takes regular batteries. won’t even turn on with the 14450.
this^ as well. I loved this light for a long long time when I thought this was the best a small light could be. That has definitely changed.
Thanks to BLF and its mind trust, I’ve been able to avoid many lights that I almost bought but learned later I’d likely have disliked.
Most of the time a flashlight I’ve got falls to the bottom of the interest lineup when it is replaced by a superior light.
One light that I really liked for its overall design but could not stand the UI… was the original BLF D80. The mode memory and poorly spaced brightness levels with embedded strobe made for a very, very cumbersome flashlight. Now there’s a new D80 that has come out that uses the original shape but introduces numerous improvements, especially concerning the UI.
Not sure of the model but I have a Fenix that has served me well. It runs on 4 AA’s, and is rectangular at the battery section. Very bright and reliable. But I HATE that both switches are on the tailcap and they have very little differentiation. I recently got an Astrolux FT03 and it is awesome for a thrower. This would have been IDEAL if it had the switch on the end and get rid of the glow(Want to leave it in a car and not run down so I have to unscrew the end….) . In a pinch I don’t want to be rolling around the light looking for the damn switch!! Or trying to decide which switch on the end to press. Or screwing it together…
Here is what I want, maybe you guys know of one- 2 18650’s in series for longevity. one button on tail, ramp mode like FT03, no glow buttons, some zoom but not screw turn like my Cometa, and normal spring pressure on the switch. (I have one that is very hard to press-otherwise excellent). Is this too much to ask??
Fireflies PL47. Amazingly small form factor. Good battery. Good output. Gets really hot. Don’t want it attached to my forehead.
The worst, for me, is the ergonomics. I just can’t find any comfortable way to work the switch.
My old hands just don’t work that way.
Hah agreed. That UI…
FW3A - Nothing the Emisar D4 and now D4v2 haven’t done.
Small? Not that small lol, Emisar w/ 18350 tubes are smaller
Power? Bested by D4, 4 vs 3 LEDs
Multitude of Emitter choices? Emisar done it before, but tbh, I don’t need 4000 lumens in a light. I need reliability and sometimes throw or CRI depending. I prefer an angle-light that can function as a headlamp and pocketclip lamp tbh.
Cost? Not that cheap, about slightly less than D4 but I prefer D4v2 for so many reasons
Button-location? Subjective, I personally prefer non-tailcap buttons
All in all, meh
Also the GT4:
$350 for a mere 24,000 lumens in a hilariously-large form factor? Nah I’d rather buy the R90ts or any of the other high-powered, active-cooled offerings offering extreme throw and/or > 50k lumens.
Copper edition lights - Really dudes? I’ve a copper E07 and this thing’s like at least 3x heavier than my aluminum versions, doesn’t really function that much better as a heatsink vs aluminum, so all in all you just spent way more money for a light that functions far less like a light. Remember guys, weight (and form factor) matters alot in our hobby.
So do perceived quality and value of materials. Ever heard of “Curb Appeal.” It can add/subtract thousands of dollars to real estate. Iffn one wants to invest in flashlights, or even recover your expenses, I think you are better served by the extra options.
Olight M2R - Checks all the boxes for my EDC needs but the gimmicky magnetic tailcap charging kills it for me. I work in a heavy manufacturing environment (welding and machine shops) and it literally pulls metal filings out of the air and shorts out the switch.
FW3A. I have 2 and both are super annoying. They have to be super tight all the time or they flicker.