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Old December 6, 2008, 12:07 PM   #1
hihosilver
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recommendation for the brightest mini flashlight

I carry a small flashlight (.50"dia X 3.5" long) in my coin pocket along with knife. I already carry so much crap, I would like to stay with a flashlight the same size, but brighter. Can anyone recommend the brightest light in this size package? Battery type and or recharchable does not matter. thanks for input
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Old December 6, 2008, 12:58 PM   #2
Bond007
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For a small carry flashlight, or one I can toss into my briefcase and forget about, I use the Fenix P2D. However, they recently came out with a slightly improved PD20. They're pretty small, run on a single CR123a battery, have long run time and are very very bright.

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Old December 6, 2008, 02:00 PM   #3
Cerick
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Check out wolf eyes products, I have a bigger one but it is very good. I also had a small coast flash light which was really bright.
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Old December 8, 2008, 09:06 PM   #4
Delta1067
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I would recommend the JetBeam Jet II Pro from bugoutgear.
http://www.bugoutgearusa.com/jetiipro.html

Here is a review of several comparable lights that use (1) CR123a battery:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/...d.php?t=201117
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Old December 15, 2008, 10:16 PM   #5
revance
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I have a Fenix L0D (2.9" x 0.6") on my keychain that I have been very happy with. I always have something brighter nearby, but a max of 75 lumens (emitter lumens) out of such a small package using one AAA battery is pretty nice to have on a keychain.


There are a lot of brighter 1xCR123 lights, but the extra thickness makes them awkward for pocket/keychain carry.

https://www.fenix-store.com/product_...roducts_id=191

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Old December 16, 2008, 01:26 AM   #6
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I know I am behind the times but I like the surefire G2. Its bright (maybe not the brightest) But its a bright crisp white light and it lasts. $30
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Old December 19, 2008, 11:23 AM   #7
hihosilver
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I went with the Fenix LOD. 75-80 lumens at the size of a chapstick. Little sucker is bright. thanks for the recommendations.
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Old December 19, 2008, 02:34 PM   #8
chris in va
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Only thing about that Fenix, no tail switch. You have to twist the lens cap, and it has all those goofy 'modes' like flash, low/high etc.
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Old December 19, 2008, 05:52 PM   #9
revance
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The modes aren't too bad on it because they always start in the same mode. I thought not having it "remember" the last mode would be bad, but I like it much better than the lights of mine that do that. It always starts on medium -> low -> high -> strobe -> sos.

Definitely not a tactical light, but OP didn't request that, he wanted something really small. Nothing this small would ever be "tactical" because it would be way too easy to fumble and drop in a high stress situation.
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Old December 19, 2008, 06:27 PM   #10
hardhit
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I have the fenix TK11 it has two modes, turbo and general,general mode is 60 lumens and produces a eye searing 225 lumens in turbo mode i have the Rechargeable lithium-ion 18650 battery’s but it will also run well on CR123 battery;s it produces a brilliant white light and is by far the best torch iv ever owned considering its size.
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Old December 20, 2008, 10:43 AM   #11
whiskey
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NiteCore SmartPD D10

NiteCore SmartPD D10 - the single AA model. The also offer the EX10 which is a CR123 light.

Check out the youtube video on it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irqhuV8Xo_A

The cool thing in these lights is the microprocessor that allows you to quickly and easily change the level of brightness to increase battery life.
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Old December 20, 2008, 12:13 PM   #12
hihosilver
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im more than happy with the lod. The size is what sold me since i keep clipped in my coin pocket. Plus, ebay had "buy now" at 42bux or make best offer. I offered a qty of 2 at 31 bux each and thet accepted. Bought one for my dad for christmas. Everyone at work was ammused yesturday that a light the size of a chap stick could be so bright.
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Old December 22, 2008, 11:04 PM   #13
A Macker
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I like the Surefire products, I use a E2ED. Not exactly a mini, but Surefire has smaller lights in their product line that I would not hesitate to buy if looking for a smaller light.
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Old December 25, 2008, 11:37 PM   #14
summerman
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fenix

I have the fenix p3d and it is 220 lumens, Very very bright. If you shine it on your palm it hurts your eyes to look at your palm. I purchased the sngle cr123 ones also and they are great. They are the leader in compact, reasonable lights. Nothing compares. Trust me I've looked.
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Old December 26, 2008, 01:37 AM   #15
Crosswire3
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+1 for JetBeam!

I got one of the first Jet-I Pro lights and can't say enough good about it. Not only does it look amazing, but it is built amazingly well and has the simple features readily accessible. Their customer service is also great. I would highly recommend BugOutGearUSA.
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Old December 26, 2008, 02:18 AM   #16
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+1 Fenix.
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Old December 26, 2008, 02:20 AM   #17
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+1 for Fenix. I have a couple of them and love them.
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Old December 26, 2008, 11:33 AM   #18
i6pwr
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I have the Fenix P3D, a 215 Lumen predecessor to the P30, it is ridiculously bright for the $$$..the CREE is a great LED.

Only thing I don't like is having to tap the switch to get desired brightness, but I generally run it full blast so it's not too much concern, it will light up house #'s for me across the street.
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Old December 26, 2008, 02:10 PM   #19
stephen426
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I have a Surefire Backup and it is an incredibly bright light. It uses a single CR123 Lithium battery and produces 80 lumens of light on high beam. It also has a low beam setting that produces 5 lumens which lasts for much longer. It has a very sturdy feel to it and is very well built. They are pretty expensive though at $149.

I also have a Surefire L2 LumaMax which is a dual output LED light. They are pretty expensive though at $195 and they are a bit larger. The light putput is greater than the Backup, but only by a small amount. The battery for the Backup seems to last longer too.

I have a Surefire 6P and a G2 as well, but those are incandescent lights that only have single stage output. They require 2 CR123 batteries and they chew up batteries like bubblegum.

I recently tried a couple of flashlights from batteryjunction.com. They are the Lumapower Encore and the Olight T20. Their build quality is no where near Surefire's and I believe their lumen output ratings are bogus. They claim 120 lumens for the Luma Power and 200 lumens for the Olight. The Olight is marginally brighter than my Surefire Backup, but the Luma power is definately dimmer, despite being rated 40 lumens brighter. This was done with brand new batteries and I used the same ones in my Surefire to make sure light output differences were not caused by a difference in battery output. When I called Battery Junction, they claimed that Surefire underated their lights and that I could return my purchases for a restocking fee if I wanted. I would recommend that you avoid this website.
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Old December 27, 2008, 09:54 AM   #20
EastSideRich
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+1 for fenix

Just received (yesterday) a P2D and a P3D Premium.
Man they are bright!! The strobe is kind of neat, but I'm not sure if it would be any more effective than just shining it in someones eyes without the strobe.
Both are very small (about the size you are looking for) and would be very easy to throw into your pocket.
They also came with an extra tailcap button cover and some extra O-rings.
They even came with a little holster thing.
From my little experience with them, I would say they are winners.

Last edited by EastSideRich; December 27, 2008 at 12:37 PM. Reason: correction - both came with holster
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Old December 27, 2008, 04:56 PM   #21
sylathnie
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+ 1 for Fenix and +1 for Nitecore. Both are very nice lights. I love the very low low on the Nitecore and the very nice UI. I have carried a fenix P3D for years now and it has never let me down.

Last edited by sylathnie; December 27, 2008 at 04:56 PM. Reason: Spelling fail.
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