Nice call! :+1: . I have one and didn’t even cross my mind to suggest it. It’s sort of a trail clicky. And the magnetic tailcap is sure to come in handy. And it’ll accept every 14500 I have and AA’s of course.
how about Nitecore LA10 - they call it a camp lantern. Available with Cree XP-G2 or Nichia high CRI emitters, small size with built-in retractable diffuser. I have not used or even handled that light - anyone here with hands on experience that could share your impressions?
MSRP is $30, but I just saw it for under $20 with a quick Google search.
link to Nitecore product page (Nichia CRI):
and to Nitecore product page (Cree XP-G2):
Try to go with a neutral white emitter! Is softer for the eyes.
I cant think of any lights that will suite your requirements right now.
How about Acebeam M10?
It sounds like a zoomie flashlight in flood mode should work for you. The hard part is finding a good zoomie that’s AA/14500.
The three AA/14500 zoomies that I have are the SK68 clones, this single mode Meco skinny zoomie, and the single mode Coast HP1. I think these are cheap enough for you to try and experiment with.
If we’re at SK68 clones - I highly recommend Hugsby V1 - here’s the review: Hugsby V1 (SK68 type) review.
Best AA/14500 zoomie. Has solid pill (thin shelf, but still it’s not hollow), great fit&finish. Only the driver has next mode memory…
==easier to find but harder to operate
==usually you can position a pocket clip so that it ‘points to’ a side switch, can find it without looking
wle
Just an FYI, the T10 in that review was the 1st gen with an XP-G. The current T10 has an XP-L for the emitter.
I guess I should have typed more. I saw that it was an older LED….which is why I said “the T10 compared to in the review” instead of just a general reference to T10, but I wasn’t sure what exact difference the XP-L made…so I kept silent. 
Thank you for pointing it out though for info’s sake. :+1:
To get a wall of light with no hotspot for closeup work I would highly recommend a TIR optic of 60 degrees. Smoothest pattern light that i have, and have seen. Nichia 219c 90+ CRI 4-5000K would be my suggestion for a LED. And I would urge you to reconsider the 14500 battery, it has a very low charge and won’t last more than 20 minutes in the best of occasions. 18650 would be my suggestion if possible.
Just a heads up… ANY light with a focusing reflector dish is going to have some form of a hot spot in the beam. No matter how small or how severely orange peel’d the reflector surface is. Most of the recommendations in this thread will not meet this requirement.
So your choices are limited… AA, PURE flood, low-low candle mode.
The Zebralight SC52Fw meets all your criteria except price and the tail clicker.
If you don’t mind a little DIY ingenuity, you can add a layer or two of frosted scotch tape over the lens to diffuse the hotspot on any light…. doing that will surely open up some more options for you.
Good Luck!!… I am also severely near-sighted. I can’t even read the clock on my nightstand!!
No worries, I just wanted to make sure it was clarified for the original poster. It can get confusing when looking at a model that uses different emitters over subsequent generations.
I have an E11 on order but it hasn’t arrived yet so I can’t make a direct comparison. That being said the current T10 (NW) has a slightly larger (and also less intense) hot spot than either my Klarus Mi7 or ZL SC5W.
How about the nitecore LA10? it will do everything you need, except a really low-low mode. Although if you retract the dome diffuser, it may reduce it down to single digit lumens OTF… depending on the optical design.
Its a twist switch though, but it tail stands very stable with a magnetic base… the latter is something no tail clicky has,
I have a similar vision problem and like the Zebralight SC5Fw with the frosted lens because of the wall of light and warm tint and although it has a side switch it is easy to find. My other favourite is Olight S2a Baton which has a TIR but cold white tint :rage: :person_facepalming:
One can turn any light into a flooder (similar to a frosted lens not a real mule) with some dc-fix over the lens, i believe a lot of BLFers have some, i do if you need, i can send it for free.
solarforce Z2
Its not a 14500 light. But still small enough to pocket/shirt carry can be bought in the 7135x4,6,8 convoy s2+ and buy a pocket clip. 3 mode group no blinks. Good long run time, tail clicky. And mostly a flood light.
I have a couple of the sk68s mentioned there ok but seem to fall apart after awhile. But for $3 can’t expect much 1 out of three has really held up well. The others work still but loose lenses, or the tail cap assembly gets pushed in.
Given the close-in working distance you want, and a completely smooth wall of light, I’d recommend an aspheric lens zoomie like an SK68, or a mule (unscrew the front bezel from said light).
As much as I dislike zoomies for their steep lumen-loss as you “zoom in”, if you keep it in wide-flood mode, you’d have exactly what I described above.
Aspherics are unbeatable as far as that goes.
I’ve always liked flashlights but only really got into them when I was diagnosed with myopic macular degeneration along with dome shaped macula. Right eye is still fine, but the left one’s central vision is distorted as all hell. The avastin injections lessened the fluid, but the macula still scarred.
As others have suggested, since macular conditions lead to sensitivity to light, a nice neutral tint is best. And since you specified a flooder, I love my BLF A6. the 3D tint is wonderful, not too warm, with a hint of rose, so not too orange and definitely no green.
I know you wanted a 14500 light, but if you get either the 18350 shorty tube or buy the Astrolux S1 with the tube, the light becomes super small… Plus you have the option of going back to the 18650 for extended runtime.
There is the astrolux S2 which is a 14500 light, but it’s bulkier than the S1 with the shorty tube and it’s more of a thrower.
Robby
I am definitely open to an 18650 light. I went through my toolbox and found one of the lights I had forgotten about. It is a SolarForce L2P with a 3 mode XML drop in. It is a low, Med, Hi light with memory of the last mode used. I like it a lot. Now If it only had a moonlight mode and I could make it a true flood beam without the hotspot…it would be perfect.