Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Extremely powerful and versatile, December 13, 2007
Having tried out a regular L2D-CE and being impressed I decided to see if this Q5 was any better. Essentially, the Q5 is exactly like the L2D-CE with the same battery runtime but is brighter on all modes. This is what really peaked my interest in this light. As advertised, it lives up to this claim much to my joy as companies don't always deliver what they promise.
The turbo mode of 180 Lumens (vs 135 for the L2D-CE) is just incredible power for such a small flashlight running on just 2 AA batteries. For those wondering if I can really see the difference between the two, the answer is absolutely yes. This flashlight is astonishingly bright on Turbo mode, so bright that's it's like someone shrunk a larger handheld spotlight into something as small as a mini-maglite!
To me though the coolest thing about this flashlight is being able to run it on "Low mode" (12 Lumens) for 80 hours straight if you run Energizer E2 Lithium batteries (around 55 hrs on low mode on Alkalines) but having the ability to switch to different modes, all the way up to an incredible 180 Lumens if you really need a bright light.
I bought this as an outdoors\camping light because of the its extreme runtime on Low mode but also having the versatility of a brighter light if needed. FYI Low Mode (12 Lumens) is about as bright as a late model mini-maglight (non-LED) if not brighter so this mode has enough light most basic tasks.
The clicking tailcap is easy to use and seems to work well so far. Overall just a monster flashlight in a very small package.
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40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
ideal everyday carry light, April 11, 2007
This powerful flashlight sports a Cree XLamp 7090-XR module. Cree XLamp 7090-XR modules are the newest LED technology and have the highest efficiency (lumens per watt) of all LED modules currently on the market, beating out even the latest generation Luxeons by a comfortable margin.
Because of its high drain nature, this type of flashlight functions better with NiMH or lithium batteries than with regular alkaline batteries. I will probably put some low self discharge(Rayovac Hybrid or Sanyo Eneloop) NiMH batteries in it. For car use, I prefer the 2 AA size because it is much easier to hold than the puny 1 AA size and the batteries last longer and it's brighter than the 1 AA version to boot.
Take the battery life specs with a huge grain of salt as the stated battery life at different settings are grossly optimistic. There is a HUGE variance between the specs and objective battery life test results reported on a well known flashlight review site. At the 135 lumen Turbo mode, the specs state the batteries last for 2.4 hrs., but actual 3rd-party tests show that alkalines last only 41 minutes and 2650mAH NiMH batteries last only 1 Hr. 50 minutes. At the 80 lumen level, the spec says 4 hrs., but tests show 1 Hr. 41 min. with alkalines and 4 hr. 51 mins. with 2650mAH NiMH batteries. Keep in mind that the 3-rd party test results are based on measurement when the output falls to 50% of the starting output, but the battery life drops off like a rock after the 50% mark, especially with NiMH batteries, so the 50% mark is a good measure of practical battery life.
At 6" long, it's about the same length as a 2-AA Mag-lite, only it's slightly thinner than the Mag-lite, especially in the head area. I'd rate it as only dunkable. The o-ring seals are not tight enough for it to be diveable.
Like many fixed focus LED flashlights, this light has a rather wide beam. This means the beam radiates out from the light source at a somewhat large angle. This makes it an ideal light for close range use, but it doesn't work that well as a long range spotlight because the throw isn't all that great. Even at the turbo setting with its very large 135 lumens, the beam is so wide and so diffuse beyond 20 feet (think of it as a very bright floodlight) that it's essentially useless beyond 50 ft. to 60 ft. This is not a design flaw of the light. It's just a design philosophy of Fenix that it favors a beam with a broader angle for close range use. A narrow spot beam doesn't give good coverage for objects up close, plus a tight spot beam will be far too blindingly bright up close. Fixed focus lights always involve some compromise. In terms of my personal use, more than 99% of the objects I ever illuminate with a flashlight are well within the 50 feet range, so to me a broad beam pattern definitely is more useful than a tight spot beam.
Its lowest setting at 9 lumens has about the same brightness and intensity as a 2AA Maglite with a xenon bulb. Combined with the broad beam, the lowest setting gives the perfect light source for map reading inside a car without interfering with your night vision. And when you need a brighter beam, just gently push the tail button once or twice to toggle to the higher intermediate settings, or twist the front cap to switch to the turbo mode. The SOS mode is kind of a nuisance, but you can quickly bypass it.
The instruction doesn't show the owner how to properly attach the lanyard. The tailcap has two holes and the lanyard has to thread through both holes using a paper clip in order for the lanyard to function correctly. If the lanyard is only threaded through one hole, the flashlight won't stand firmly on its end. The notch in the endcap is not needed if the lanyard is fastened correctly. To do this, thread the lanyard through one hole starting from the outside. Then thread it back out the other hole starting from the inside. Then pass the hand strap through the tiny loop of the string. Once it's done this way, you'll see you don't need the notch. The notch is only needed if you threaded the first hole starting from the inside out, which you shouldn't have done.
I'm not sure what the previous reviewer's complaint about the holster is all about. The back of the holster is made with a double ply webbing. There is an opening between the two plies for the belt to slip through to form a secure attachment without requiring the owner to buy anything extra. An alternative method of attaching the holster to the belt is to buy a cheap carabiner or keyring and attach it to the plastic ring on the holster and then hook the carabiner or keyring to the belt or backpack or something.
Lastly the sales literature's reference to "6 output levels" is marketing fluff. It's actually only 4 output levels, i.e. 9, 40, 80, and 135 lumens, along with two additional output modes besides the steady mode. The strobe mode is at the 135 lumens level and the SOS mode is at the 80 lumens level.
It's a very versatile light, not cheap, but definitely worth the $55 price.
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24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
As good as it gets in a small light, March 4, 2007
I own several Cree based Fenix lights, all provide incredible performance by any standard that AAA and AA cell lights are judged.
Fenix CE lights I own are:
L0D CE - 1 AAA battery
L1D CE - 1 AA battery
L2D CE - 2 AA batteries
P1D CE - 1 CR123 (3 Volt)
These are all versatile and bright beyond anything in the past that used conventional incandescent bulbs. The first time someone who has only experience with conventional flashlights uses one of these new generation Cree LED lights, they are literally astonished at how powerful they are. The smallest light, the L0D (single AAA battery), on its bright setting is more powerful than a 2 D cell Maglight. The L1D on a AA outperforms a 3 cell easily and the L2D had more punch than a 6 cell. And all will run longer as well.
The L0D CE is a very tiny single AAA pocket light has more output than a 2 D cell incandescent and will probably be sufficient for most people as an EDC (Every Day Carry) flashlight. I carry one and it's all I need 99% of the time.
The L1D CE is a single AA pocket light with an output that leaves little to be desired. An excellent EDC by any standard.
The L2D CE (2 AA) will rarely leave a user wanting something more powerful. It's incredibly bright at its highest output while still having a dim (9 lumens) mode that can be used to light a menu in a restaurant without blinding the rest of the guests. I personally would have preferred the dim mode to be even more dim, probably around 5-6 lumens, but 9 is still OK, and at that level it will run for days.
Being just slightly longer than a 2 AA Mag, the L2D is not really a pocket light, but with the addition of a pocket clip on the tail end, it slips into and rides quite comfortably in a side pocket. I've carried it this way all day in a suit without being aware of it and it makes almost no bulge.
The L2D has 6 output levels (see specs) and their easy to select. I find some of the outputs that are common to all Fenix CE lights (strobe, SOS) to be mostly useless, but neither do they get in the way. At the highest output level (Turbo Mode), of 135 lumens, the L2D can nearly serve as a backup headlight for a car and it will maintain that level for over 2 hours!
The P1D CE uses a single CR123 (3 volt battery) and it's small enough to be a pocket light, although it is a bit fat and will make a fair sized lump. It essentially shares the same attributes as the L2D CE with regard to output. It has fewer output choices (2 vs 6 for the L2D CE) but still remains a very small, very powerful light.
I cycle a lot and I've used the L2D CE (also the P1D CE) as a headlight on my road bike. Even on a fast, heads down ride with speeds of 20-25 mph, it's very good on High Mode (90 lumens) and excellent on Turbo Mode (135 lumens), equaling the output of my conventional 13 watt halogen bike light that uses a 2 pound water bottle battery. And all that from a couple of AA batteries! Incredible!
A word about batteries:
These lights don't function at their best using common alkaline batteries. Alkalines have some trouble delivering the high current that these lights want if they're to perform at their best. Although some people might object to the higher cost of the top quality batteries, let's be frank about it; if your comfortable paying $40-$75 for a pocket light when you could grab a 2 AA light a WallMArt for a couple of bucks, then the cost of batteries isn't likely to be a much of an issue. What you want is performance, and that's what these lights give you. Feed them well and don't complain.
The L0D works best using a Lithium battery and you'll get quite a bit more run time from it as well.
The L1D and L2D use AA batteries. Alkaline batteries work reasonably well but for best performance use either high quality rechargeable NIMH batteries (2500MA) or disposable Lithium batteries. Both will give better brightness and runtime over common Alkaline batteries.
No one can go wrong with any of these lights and all of them represent nearly the "State of the Art" at this time in personal or pocket lights while still maintaining a reasonable cost.
AFH
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