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Thread: 2019: Higher Lumens and Still All Surefire Handheld Lights Seem to Suck

  1. #1

    2019: Higher Lumens and Still All Surefire Handheld Lights Seem to Suck

    I was thrilled to see Surefire release new lights with higher lumens after all these years of stagnation. I haven't been paying much attention to their lineup the last couple years and am now analyzing what to buy and everything seems to suck. Although it's possible they are amazing and I just don't know what's good. Please enlighten me on handheld lights because maybe there's a current SF model I will buy and love.

    Here's what I think I want:

    Either an always high super tactical light that gives 400+ lumens on one CR123 / 1000+ lumens on two CR123s

    OR If I do have a dual mode low/high light, then one of two systems seems good:

    Press in on the tail cap a little bit and get a little bit of light. Press more on the tailcap get a lot of light. This means under stress, I push hard and I get the full light. Under not stress, I can think about what I'm doing and push gentler, and even if I accidentally push too hard, it's "not stress" so it doesn't matter. I want the system to FAIL high, not low.

    OR the other method I would allow is a twist of the front lens area to switch between high and low. So I can carry it around on high all the time. This assumes the twist is tight enough to not disengage by accident.

    Here's what Surefire thinks I want:

    Push in one time and get high, push in a second time within 2 seconds and it turns into low. Okay, but what if I just want to flash a momentary bright light, let it turn off for a second, and re-flash another momentary bright light, as in how you would actually do things in a Craig AMIS world? Well, you can't do that, I guess because the light will think you want low mode on the second press.

    Or some other weird series of presses on the tailcap to do the thing. No thanks.

    That's not to say that Surefire doesn't offer some models that do what I think I want, but each has problems:

    The Tactician has dual mode output with a twist head. But the tailcap doesn't support push deep for constant on. You have to twist the tailcap for constant on. I like the push deep for constant on that exists on my SF Scout lights. I think push deep for constant is superior than twist for constant, because you can push deep with one hand. And if you intended to do momentary on but FAIL, you fail to constant on, but you can press again to undo your failure.

    The Fury Intellibeam... okay I am not smart enough to understand how it works. There's some auto-adjustment happening which sounds like a failure waiting to happen. I want to tell the light what output I want, not the other away around.

    The E2D Defender... great! High output 1000 lumens on 2 cells. Seems like a nice light. Only problem is the ridiciulous crenelated bezel. So every time I take it to the airport will be a coin flip if TSA wants to take it away. And if NYPD or another overzealous agency sees it, it could mean arrest. For the benefit of what? If I pop someone in the face with the crenelated bezel is that going to be more effective than the non crenelated bezel? Will the bad guy even notice right away or will it take 20 seconds before he starts bleeding and by then the fight is already over, one way or another. And now I have to deal with his high vascular facial blood getting all over me and worry about HIV. Enormous potential downsides, virtually no upsides. It looks cool on Instagram, okay.

    Then you get to stuff that seems decent like the G2Z and Aviator, but both have anemic light outputs for the battery capacity. I feel like I'm buying 4 year old light technology at full price. The G2Z is 20% less powerful than it should be for being dual cell and the Aviator is nearly half as powerful as it should be.

    I reiterate that maybe my desires in what I think I want in a light are wrong. I am open to hearing that and with a consensus of several posters, I will buy a light that I wouldn't otherwise buy and try it out.
    Last edited by powell556; 03-12-2019 at 07:30 PM.

  2. #2
    Um... the EDCL2-T and it’s little brother do exactly what you want. I carry one daily.

    https://www.surefire.com/illuminatio...t-edcl2-t.html

  3. #3
    Site Supporter JSGlock34's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    USA
    What about the Surefire D3FT? 500 lumens, a single 123A battery, always high.
    "When the phone rang, Parker was in the garage, killing a man."

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by El Cid View Post
    Um... the EDCL2-T and it’s little brother do exactly what you want. I carry one daily.

    https://www.surefire.com/illuminatio...t-edcl2-t.html
    It's twist for constant on, instead of push deep for constant on. Maybe I'm wrong and I don't need push deep for constant on. I can envision situations where I'm one handed and want constant on. But maybe the knurling is strong enough that I could twist it one handed, if I switched the grip in my hand? Not optimal since I'd have to task fixate for a couple seconds on the light, but maybe that's fine.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by El Cid View Post
    Um... the EDCL2-T and it’s little brother do exactly what you want. I carry one daily.

    https://www.surefire.com/illuminatio...t-edcl2-t.html
    exactly. and they've had this system for a long time. The old LX2, then the EB2, and now the EDCL2T all have the same configuration, with more lumens at each new release. I've edc'd each one and upgraded with each new release.

    OP, the want for a high only setting isn't needed due to the progressive nature of the tailcap. I think SF has it just right with the EDCL2T
    Last edited by theJanitor; 03-12-2019 at 08:06 PM.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by powell556 View Post
    It's twist for constant on, instead of push deep for constant on. Maybe I'm wrong and I don't need push deep for constant on. I can envision situations where I'm one handed and want constant on. But maybe the knurling is strong enough that I could twist it one handed, if I switched the grip in my hand? Not optimal since I'd have to task fixate for a couple seconds on the light, but maybe that's fine.
    How much low light training have you done? On a duty/defensive light I don’t need or want constant on as a feature. And you’re concerned about use under stress, so anything that pushes to stay on will end up on when you don’t need or want it. Additionally lights with high lumen output get hot quickly. My EDCL2-T is my fighting light that can be used for admin tasks if I need it in a pinch. My daily carry admin light is a Streamlight Microstream USB. With 250 lumens and an S clip it can be carried damn near anywhere. For $30 it’s a steal and I have them stashed all over.

  7. #7
    also adding the opinion that the "gas pedal" switch makes a very good strobe possible, without having to fumble for a strobe setting

  8. #8
    The R in F.A.R.T RevolverRob's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Gotham Adjacent
    I do not like constantly variable light brightness. I want the simplest system, either being a rotary proper (like the HDS Rotary) or a two-mode, that has a positive switch between modes (head twist or tail twist being the most common approach), and a clicky tailcap (i.e., not the Surefire of twist to get constant).

    I carry two-mode lights, FourSevens Quarks. Unfortunately FourSevens no longer makes a two-mode Quark, so that reduces the number of available options.

    The current two lights I'm aware of that are clicky-type and have high/low via head twist are the Malkoff M61 w/High-Low Switch and the Elzetta with a High-Low tailcap installed.

    The Malkoff uses a head twist. The Elzetta a tail twist.

    The Malkoff has 450 OTF measured lumens high, 100 OTF lumens low.

    The Elzetta varies depending on if you're using the 1, 2, or 3 cell body - 1 cell = 415 lumens high/15 lumens low, 2 cell = 650 high/15 low, 2 cell = 900 high/30 low.

  9. #9
    Site Supporter CCT125US's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Ohio
    Another vote for the EDCL2T. Carry one daily, great for checking on kids, walking the dog and scanning the fields. Size to output ratio is great, as is the gas pedal.
    Last edited by CCT125US; 03-12-2019 at 08:37 PM.
    Taking a break from social media.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by JSGlock34 View Post
    What about the Surefire D3FT? 500 lumens, a single 123A battery, always high.
    That looks almost perfect. I'd prefer bezel down clip, not this goofy looking hybrid, because it looks like it will be hard to actually run it tip down. But that's the least compromise of the other lights, so I will probably get this one, barring any better recommendations.

    It has the same goofy looking clip that the E1B Backup has. It's possible it works amazing and just looks goofy. Anyone have experience with it?

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