This light is so bad it’s kind of a meme here. We try very hard to be a really friendly, welcoming place, and it doesn’t give a person a good first impression when they ask for input and get roasted. I don’t want to sound like some kind of gatekeeping douche. We can advise some truly excellent lights for very little money, but for some unfortunate reason that model is kind of crappy and was marketed to death.
I saw you mention a list of uses in another comment, the Thrunite you were advised to get is a great one. Another budget option that’s still of good quality is a Sofirn SP31. It comes with a battery and charger, and would be everything you need to get going. Also a world better than that thing.
I got a Sofirn SP31 off amazon for like 40 bucks with a battery & charger included. 1200 lumens on turbo, and pretty easy to fit in your pocket. Been loving it since I got it a couple months ago.
Been my EDC for years, does 90% of what the Modlite does for 10% of the cost (but meets my needs completely).
For experienced opinions, checkout r/flashlight
My bad, you’re right
This is the one I have:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FKJDH93/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_1430AFNVW1HJ3HJ253XM
Edit: I actually have both because I went to buy a spare and accidentally bought the one without a tailbutton. I do not recommend that model at all.
I keep my lights on the 1300 lumen mode (turbo) and the side activated model is way too easy to activate in your pocket or IWB. Have legit burned myself because of it.
The SP31 (tail button model) is activated by the tail button and I’ve had no issues with it
The Sofirn SP31 V2.0 is pretty throwy and comes with a battery and charger. It's dual button so the tail clicky turns out on and off, while the e-button up front adjusts through 5 brightness levels. $32 after $4 coupon.
Sofirn SP31 v2.0 Tactical Flashlight Ultra Bright Cree XPL HI LED Max 1200 Lumens, Features 5 Modes and Hidden Strobe SOS with Rechargeable 18650 Battery and USB Charger https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FKJDH93/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_.540Db44B9CC1
Woohoo!
Hello flashlight seeker! You may find our arbitrary list of popular lights to be a useful starting point.
For more personalized recommendations, check out this guide for posting some extra info about your needs/wants.
Otherwise, the community suggested budget starter light is the Convoy S2+ with 4000K and 7136x6 drivers. A good alternative that includes a battery is the Sofirn SP31. For a smaller, keychain light, take a look at the Rovyvon Aurora A3x. For a headlamp, check out the Wowtac A2S. For higher-end alternatives, see the Zebralight SC64c LE (EDC) and H600Fc Mk IV (headlamp).
For a non-18650 light, the AA ThruNite T10 II or Lumintop Tool, and AAA Lumintop IYP365 or Sofirn C01S are all good choices. We strongly suggest Eneloop NiMH rechargeable batteries for AA and AAA lights. GL!
^(BOT IN TRAINING. PM WITH SUGGESTIONS AND CONTRIBUTIONS. SEE MY) ^(WIKI) ^(FOR USE.)
>Is Fenix a low quality lamp compared to others?
No. They make good quality products. Their flashlights are very well built.
>Am I paying too much?
Eh... Maybe. You can get equivalent stuff for cheaper, though the build quality won't always be as good. This depends on the brand, of course.
>Help me out here.
There are a few main reasons we don't really talk about Fenix here. I'll try to sum it up in a short list.
The Sofirn SP31 V2 is remarkably well regulated, which is particularly impressive when you consider the price.
Zebralight is known for using really high quality drivers with excellent regulation. Olight is actually known for using pretty great drivers too so their stuff might be worth a look as well.
If your looking for a flashlight I highly recommend either the Sofirn SP31 or the Wurkkos FC11 both are amazing lights for around $30~ on amazon both come with a battery and charging solution and both have 1200 and 1300 lumen max output respectively its all up to preference if you like a rear tail clicky or side switch.
I just assume this will be your first 18650 light and you probably wont have batteries or a charger on hand so these would be the best bang for buck starting lights.
For a good first light if you are just stepping into the game I always recommend either the Sofirn SP31 or the Wowtac A1S both on amazon for around $30 or less and come with an 18650 and charging solution with a turbo of 1000+ lumens. Since this is your first light you probably don't have cells or a dedicated charger unless you are a vaper.
For a headlamp take a look at Wowtac A2S its under $30 on amazon and performs well comes with battery just like the first two recommended.
You might be able to get a Sofirn Sp31 from Amazon by Saturday. Below is link. Sofirn Sp31
Well, the sofirn sp31 v2.0 would be your closest direct replacement it also comes with a battery and charging solution. Another good go to is the Wurkkos FC11 has similar outputs but only a side switch BUT it has a magnetic tail also comes with battery.
If the kit will be stored for a long time or exposed to high heat or cold, I'd recommend choosing a light that accepts CR123A batteries. The Sofirn SP31 is a good choice if you really need Amazon. But the REI deal on the Fenix PD32 mentioned by /u/erasmus42 is insanely good. This would be my first choice. They ship to store free if there's an REI near you.
Hey OP, I messed up the link to the light.
It’s the SP31 not SP32
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FKJDH93/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_1430AFNVW1HJ3HJ253XM
Yes, 15JJLJKC for SP31v2, LINK: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FKJDH93
Hi do you have any discounts for this flashlight https://www.amazon.com.au/Tactical-Flashlight-Features-Rechargeable-Battery/dp/B07FKJDH93
If you don't care about CRI or color temp then you can go with a low CRI cool white emitter and that will give you better efficiency (more brightness and runtime). You can look for something with better regulation (brightness won't slowly dim as you use the light). IDK if you'll be able to find it within your price range but it's worth looking. Here are a bunch of suggestions and runtime graphs (you'll have to scroll down just a but in the runtime graph links).
For comparison, here's an FC11 runtime graph. As you can see it's not very well regulated so it slowly dims as the battery drains. It also can't maintain it's high mode, as demonstrated by the stepdown before it settles around 200 lumens and slowly drops from there. Not great as far as brightness and regulation go.
The Wowtac A7 is better and will give you about 4 hours of good runtime on high starting at 300lm and dropping to 200lm slowly before it takes a steeper turn down. Graph. The A6 graph looks similar, just a little brighter and correspondingly a little less runtime. Both of these are pretty good for this price range.
The Sofirn SP31 V2 looks to have really fantastic regulation. Look how straight the graph lines are and how sharp the stepdowns are! Runtime on high isn't super impressive but it's over 400lm almost the whole time so that makes sense. You can always step down to medium for more runtime with this one.
Last up is the Sofirn SC31 Pro which pushes your budget a little at $40. However, the runtime graph is perfectly flat after thermal stepdown and until low voltage protection kicks in. Eight hours of runtime, but it's just under 200 lumens which isn't particularly bright. Should be fine for most things though.
It's worth noting that none of these come with particularly high capacity cells so you could replace the cell with a 3500mah one for any of these lights and get some more runtime.
I find anything above 1000 lumens works pretty well. I have a couple of these and carry a few extra batteries with me on night rides. Sofirn SP31 v2.0 Tactical... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FKJDH93?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I don't have a link to just the clip but the light it came off of is here. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FKJDH93/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_ZNQ6FbR9ENVZ7
Since this is your first step into the 18650 game and you don't have cells nor a dedicated charger on hand yet ! Check out the Sofirn SP31 OR the Wowtac A1S both for $30 or under from amazon both comes with batteries and a charging solution, solid output sitting at a 1000+ lumen turbo.
No sense breaking the bank yet...... that comes later..... =D
WELL THEN ! since you want something to start I always recommend either the Sofirn SP31 or the Wowtac A1S both on amazon for around $30 or less and come with an 18650 and charging solution with a turbo of 1000+ lumens. Since this is your first light you probably don't have cells or a dedicated charger unless you are a vaper.
IF you really want to drop closer to the set budget pick up an Emisar D4v2 tiny as all hell and dumps 4k+ lumens solid throw (not thrower levels BUT very impressive) and pick up some cells and a charger.
But again don't rush start small.... you will end up spending more than you want to overtime..... =D
If you are just stepping into the game I always recommend either the Sofirn SP31 or the Wowtac A1S both on amazon for around $30 or less and come with an 18650 and charging solution with a turbo of 1000+ lumens. Since this is your first light you probably don't have cells or a dedicated charger unless you are a vaper.
BUT IF you are just chasing most lumens out of $50 then I would say cant go wrong with an Emisar D4v2 they punch out 4000+ lumens running on a single 18650 but sadly no charging port though if fancy yourself as a fellow enthusiast then it wont make to much of a difference ;)
A few thoughts
Temperature: As far as temp goes, if you're going to be in those low temperatures for long periods of time, then I'd worry about battery performance and health. If it's just for a minute or two while going from inside a vehicle to inside a structure or vice versa where there's heat, I wouldn't worry about it. The light should retain enough heat inside your pocket to be fine and it'll warm back up just fine once you get somewhere with heat.
Mode Switching: Ten-tap lights have a high-strobe-low mode group so maybe use that group instead of the low-medium-high group if you use high most of the time. It also might be worth considering a dual-switch light because typically the tailswitch is just on-off and the side switch is used to change modes while the light is on.
Recomendations: My first thought reading this post was a Protacl 2L-X but you're already aware of it so I won't dwell on it.
Here is a list where I plugged in your parameters (except lumens because the lumen filter doesn't work how you think it would, and because you can always switch to a lower mode if it's too bright). As you can see there are a lot of options.
Two that jumped out to me are the Sofirn SP31 V2 which is a nice, inexpensive representation of dual switch lights. It's a little longer than a Protac 2L-X but the diameter is about the same.
The other is the Nitecore P10GT. This one works like any other dual switch light, but BOTH switches are on the tailcap which is really nice. Main switch is for on/off and the mode switch is for switching modes while on. It also goes to momentary strobe if you press it while the light is off.
Edit: formatting and links
I would suggest going with Sofirn SP31 or the Wowtac A1S both the required features you mentioned all coming in at $30 or less so you wont be breaking the bank compared to many of the suggestions listed from other replies.
If you like the PD35 and want something similar take a peak at the Sofirn SP31 produces 1200 lumens comes with a battery and charging solution for $30~ as for a lantern cant beat the BLF LT1 in my opinion for the price including 4 18650 cells to power it you can get it on amazon for around $80~ but you can find discount codes around to drop the price further if your willing to have it shipped from china.
Cool!
Sofirn SP31 v2.0 Tactical Flashlight Ultra Bright Cree XPL HI LED Max 1200 Lumens, Features 5 Modes and Hidden Strobe SOS with Rechargeable 18650 Battery and USB Charger https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FKJDH93/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_boK8DbK09325D
If the above is not on sale anymore then Sofirn 1000 Lumens Rechargeable LED Flashlight 18650 Battery Included, Super Bright EDC Pocket Light High Lumens, 5 Modes for Camping Hiking, SC31B https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WJWZ9P8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_nmK8Db41E6CA9
Sofirn SP31 v2.0 Tactical Flashlight Ultra Bright Cree XPL HI LED Max 1200 Lumens, Features 5 Modes and Hidden Strobe SOS with Rechargeable 18650 Battery and USB Charger https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FKJDH93/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_oUB8DbGMA5DXT does sale price count? If not: Wsiiroon LED Flashlight, Best Pocket Flashlight Super Bright with 5 Modes, Waterproof, Zoomable, Portable with Clip for Working Camping Emergency-2 Pack (Batteries Not Included) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R5MG16Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_IVB8DbQHYZZZ0
I do cell phone repair, this would be hella helpful
Thanks! I'll go for a Sofirn SP31
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FKJDH93/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_3ma1Db3KYG2E6
Here we go https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FKJDH93/
From the format of the post I'll take it as a first light I assume you probably don't have 18650 batteries or a dedicated charger, Then I highly recommend either the Sofirn SP31 or the Wowtac A1S both on amazon for around $30 or less and come with an 18650 and charging solution with a turbo of 1000+ lumens.
Its but a taste and first step into the game you will soon find yourself with more lights then imaginable.... =D
Thanks :)