Fenix L1T V2.0 Review--excellent flashlight.

**JohnKSa** · December 30, 2007, 06:32 PM

Good News

This little light is makes a great general purpose EDC flashlight but is also suitable for tactical use. At about 3.75" long and about 0.75 in diameter it's definitely a compact light but with a rated output of 90 lumens it really performs. Throw isn't impressive, but that's what one should expect from a light of this size. The output is very white with a nice uniform beam, none of the rings or colors sometimes seen with the CREE LEDs.

It uses a SINGLE AA--but that doesn't mean you sacrifice runtime--just the reverse. Expect about 1.5 hours from a high-performance AA if you use the light in high-output mode. If you don't need blinding light, you can loosen the head slightly and the output drops to around 10 lumens while the runtime jumps to hours and hours of constant ontime. You can use rechargeables like I do if you want to really save money, and the new Low-Discharge NiMH batteries (Imedion, Eneloop, etc.) mean that you don't need to recharge every month like the old rechargeable batteries forced you to do. The Low-Discharge batteries hold a charge for more than a year.

Bulb life? It's a Rebel Luxeon LED so figure on many THOUSANDS of hours. In fact just figure it's never going to be an issue.

The switch is in the tailcap--touch it for instant on, push it in until it clicks for constant on. This is different from the normal FENIX switch operation which typically requires you push the switch all the way in and doesn't give you a good option for instant on/off. The tailcap switch protrudes so you can't stand the light on its end, but it's light and small enough to easily hold in your mouth for small jobs.

No modes like the Fenix L1D/L2D lights which are afflicted with a strobe, 4 different light levels & even a morse code SOS. If you want you can just leave the head fully tightened on the L1T V2.0 and use it exclusively in high mode--forget it even HAS the low mode until the lights go out and you want the extra runtime.

Finish is black and the light body is aluminum. Price--under $50.

Take this review and go shopping for similar performance in the same size & price if you want a real eye-opener.

For comparison, I own a Surefire 6P with the standard bulb. The Fenix L1T V2.0 provides 50% more runtime in high-output mode, is 50% brighter, puts out whiter light and is much smaller and lighter. And the Fenix uses only 1 AA compared to the two CR123 batteries of the Surefire. It has a lower purchase price and let's not even get into the bulb life issue...

Bad News
Fenix has discontinued this light. If you think it sounds like a good product, drop them an email. You can still get the L1D CE, but there is no way to avoid the "mode gadgetry" of those lights. I used an L1D CE for the better part of a year but finally got tired of accidentally "strobing" myself.

FirstFreedom · December 30, 2007, 07:52 PM

Thanks for the excellent info, JohnK! I'm really starting to become a flashlight junkie, thanks to you guys on here, as much or more so than a gun, knife, sword/bayo, and optics junkie!

So far I have acquired, in quality lights
-Black Bear Borealis
-Black Bear Bear Cub
-Fenix L2T
-Surefire 6Z (2-CR123) (or is it a 6P - have had this one for years)
-Browning 4-AA light - not sure which model (this one is made by Pelican, it would appear)
-Black Diamond "Helion" headlamp
-Streamlight headlamp
-Streamlight TLR-2 pistol light/laser
-Streamlight keychain light
-Streamlight rechargeable home light

I'm getting a Fenix L0D (1-AAA) keychain light this week. My wallet says Curse ye scalawags and your expensive recommendations.

(though the Fenix's are quite the nice value).

P.S. Guys, FWIW, I'd recommend avoiding the Coast brand lights - I've had 2 that worked well at first, but turned out junky, particularly the flying saucer style keychain light.

Jim Watson · December 30, 2007, 08:46 PM

There is a similar light, the OLight T15, that has multiple settings for brightness, strobe, and SOS, but has a memory function. Turn it off, turn it back on and it goes back to the previous setting, not square one.

http://12.162.177.110/products/product.aspx?pid=6404

Do you have any information on its quality?

**JohnKSa** · December 30, 2007, 09:01 PM

I'm not familiar with that light, but I'd want to know exactly how "various modes are accessed by pressing the tail cap switch". That was basically how the L1D worked. It always came on in the same mode (depending on the head position), but if you started messing with the tailcap switch (e.g. trying to turn it off and on in a relatively short amount of time as taught in some tactical flashlight methods) you'd end up selecting another mode instead of just turning it on and off. If you turned it off and let it sit for a couple of seconds before trying to turn it back on it would finally go back to the original mode.

I thought I could deal with it, but after using it for nearly a year I decided that the irritation factor was too high... Simple is better.

Also I found that the Rebel Luxeon LED produces a noticeably nicer (whiter and more uniform color) light quality output than the CREE even though they both operate at roughly the same brightness levels.

litework · December 30, 2007, 09:12 PM

Quote:

There is a similar light, the OLight T15, that has multiple settings for brightness, strobe, and SOS, but has a memory function. Turn it off, turn it back on and it goes back to the previous setting, not square one.

http://12.162.177.110/products/product.aspx?pid=6404

Do you have any information on its quality?

This site has pretty informative reviews on some popular brands:
http://www.lightreviews.info/reviews.html

Jim Watson · December 30, 2007, 10:18 PM

Thanks.
The Olight sounds better than the Fenix --Ds but they are all almost as complicated as a cel phone. I will likely go with one like JohnKs

EliteLED.com shows the L1T V2.0 in stock.

**JohnKSa** · December 30, 2007, 10:20 PM

Get it quick, Fenix has been out of them for awhile now and listed them as discontinued in November, IIRC.

litework · January 1, 2008, 10:05 PM

Quote:

For comparison, I own a Surefire 6P with the standard bulb. The Fenix L1T V2.0 provides 50% more runtime in high-output mode, is 50% brighter, puts out whiter light and is much smaller and lighter. And the Fenix uses only 1 AA compared to the two CR123 batteries of the Surefire. It has a lower purchase price and let's not even get into the bulb life issue...

I like Fenix lights, but I think it’s time you upgraded your 6P. For around $55 dollars, you can drop in a Malkoff Devices M60 Q5 lamp that will outperform anything made by Fenix, including their newest T1. That’s the beauty of having one of the most common lamps and flashlights on the market. Even the 60L lamp with 80 Surefire lumens (Surefire doesn't tend to overstate the lumens on their lights like other brands-including Fenix), would be a serious upgrade to your current light.

I think Fenix sometimes overdoes it with the “modes.” My P1D has three illumination levels, a strobe and an SOS. It’s a great light, but I really can’t tell the difference between high and turbo. One of those could be eliminated. The strobe can be useful as can the SOS, but my two-mode T1 is my favorite Fenix light.

**JohnKSa** · January 1, 2008, 11:35 PM

Quote:

For around $55 dollars, you can drop in a Malkoff Devices M60 Q5 lamp that will outperform anything made by Fenix, including their newest T1.

But it's still too big and heavy to carry every day and still takes two CR123 batteries instead of one AA rechargeable. But being the gadget junkie that I am, I'll add it to my wishlist anyway!

I completely agree on the Fenix modes. The L1T V2.0 had only two modes--like the T1, I guess.

Dunno about Fenix's lumen ratings as I can't test them directly. I will say that in every situation where I've had to opportunity to compare a Fenix light to someone else's light, Fenix's rating has held up to within my ability to eyeball the difference. For example, my L1T V2.0 is noticeably brighter than my 60 lumen Surefire flashlight and very similar in brightness to my Luxeon upgraded Maglite which is rated at about 110 lumens.

Jim Watson · January 2, 2008, 12:20 AM

Allright, allready.

I ordered a L1T V2.0 from ElitedLED.com and got confirmation that they had it and that it was sent out Monday. It wasn't much extra so I got the two-AA body to soup it up if I get the urge.

skeeter1 · January 2, 2008, 07:02 PM

I'm a die-hard flashlight junkie, and the latest ones I got I found on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/2-x-3Watt-3-WATT...QQcmdZViewItem

Two 3-watt Luxeon flashlights that I got straight from Hong Kong for <$20, including shipping (took about a week). Kept one for myself and gave one to a shooting buddy of mine. Very bright, and run on 3 AAA batteries.

I was going through so many batteries in everything (especially the scanner -- that thing eats batteries) that I've switched over to NiMH batteries for just about everything and buy them here:

http://www.all-battery.com/

I've yet to have one of the high-capacity NiMH batteries go bad, and some of them have been recharged dozens of times.

**JohnKSa** · January 2, 2008, 11:28 PM

Quote:

I've yet to have one of the high-capacity NiMH batteries go bad, and some of them have been recharged dozens of times.

Theoretically, a good NiMH battery should last for hundreds of charges. When they don't, it's usually the result of abuse or a poor quality battery charger.

If your batteries come out of the charger HOT then they won't last as long as they should. If you run your batteries completely down in a multi-battery device then you will eventually reverse-bias one of them which destroys it. If you use them in very high drain devices such that they get HOT during use then they won't last as long. That last one's hard to avoid depending on your application.

Get a good charger that keeps the batteries cool during charging and recharge them when they first start to show signs of running down and they'll last long enough to be obsolete before you need to replace them.

skeeter1 · January 3, 2008, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Theoretically, a good NiMH battery should last for hundreds of charges. When they don't, it's usually the result of abuse or a poor quality battery charger.

Right you are, sir. I've got three microprocessor-controlled rechargers, from all-battery.com, and they've worked well for me. They recharge 4-AA's in about 2 hours, and even 4-Ds in about 10hrs. I can leave the batteries in them for weeks and not worry about them. They're fine with the high-capacity NiMH batteries, but I doubt the rechargeable alkalines that they sell in the grocery store would survive even one cycle. These are only meant for NiMH and NiCd.

Jim Watson · January 5, 2008, 08:29 AM

My Fenix L1T ordered on JohnKSa's recommendation came in yesterday.

I LIKE it!
I have bigger lights, brighter lights, smaller lights, etc., but this looks like being the most useful of the bunch. Bright enough, portable enough.
It does not have so many options as to be confusing; just off, momentary, on at the switch and high-low at the head. That is enough. All those other settings on later models are just eyewash added because it could be done cheaply on the control board and give them something to advertise.

**JohnKSa** · January 5, 2008, 01:33 PM

Glad you like it. I carry mine all the time--dunno how people who don't carry flashlights get through the day!

grymster2007 · January 10, 2008, 04:07 PM

Quote:

I'm getting a Fenix L0D (1-AAA) keychain light this week

Just ordered mine. Got my brother, son and son-in-law all Surefires for either birthdays or Christmas in the last couple of months and realize I don't have anything other than Mag-lites. Looks like this will be a start. So Merry Christmas to me!

grymster2007 · January 15, 2008, 10:48 PM

I got the LOD today. I somehow got the gift-boxed red one in my cart and was not pleased (with myself

) when I opened it. It's not even red, but more like metro-orange/pink!

.... Then I tried it. Now you flashlight afficianados might chuckle at ol' Grymster, but I find this thing amazing. I have any number of Mag-Lites and other, really crappy flashlights and none of them hold a candle to this little gem!

Only real problem with it is it's size. I'm afraid I'll lose it!

I'm so please now that I'm considereing it's color a good excuse to give it to Mrs. Grymster and ordering me a more gender appropriate color. And then... I think I'll need a big light too... and then a medium one

December 30, 2007, 06:32 PM	#1
JohnKSa Staff Join Date: February 12, 2001 Location: DFW Area Posts: 24,985	Fenix L1T V2.0 Review--excellent flashlight. Good News This little light is makes a great general purpose EDC flashlight but is also suitable for tactical use. At about 3.75" long and about 0.75 in diameter it's definitely a compact light but with a rated output of 90 lumens it really performs. Throw isn't impressive, but that's what one should expect from a light of this size. The output is very white with a nice uniform beam, none of the rings or colors sometimes seen with the CREE LEDs. It uses a SINGLE AA--but that doesn't mean you sacrifice runtime--just the reverse. Expect about 1.5 hours from a high-performance AA if you use the light in high-output mode. If you don't need blinding light, you can loosen the head slightly and the output drops to around 10 lumens while the runtime jumps to hours and hours of constant ontime. You can use rechargeables like I do if you want to really save money, and the new Low-Discharge NiMH batteries (Imedion, Eneloop, etc.) mean that you don't need to recharge every month like the old rechargeable batteries forced you to do. The Low-Discharge batteries hold a charge for more than a year. Bulb life? It's a Rebel Luxeon LED so figure on many THOUSANDS of hours. In fact just figure it's never going to be an issue. The switch is in the tailcap--touch it for instant on, push it in until it clicks for constant on. This is different from the normal FENIX switch operation which typically requires you push the switch all the way in and doesn't give you a good option for instant on/off. The tailcap switch protrudes so you can't stand the light on its end, but it's light and small enough to easily hold in your mouth for small jobs. No modes like the Fenix L1D/L2D lights which are afflicted with a strobe, 4 different light levels & even a morse code SOS. If you want you can just leave the head fully tightened on the L1T V2.0 and use it exclusively in high mode--forget it even HAS the low mode until the lights go out and you want the extra runtime. Finish is black and the light body is aluminum. Price--under $50. Take this review and go shopping for similar performance in the same size & price if you want a real eye-opener. For comparison, I own a Surefire 6P with the standard bulb. The Fenix L1T V2.0 provides 50% more runtime in high-output mode, is 50% brighter, puts out whiter light and is much smaller and lighter. And the Fenix uses only 1 AA compared to the two CR123 batteries of the Surefire. It has a lower purchase price and let's not even get into the bulb life issue... Bad News Fenix has discontinued this light. If you think it sounds like a good product, drop them an email. You can still get the L1D CE, but there is no way to avoid the "mode gadgetry" of those lights. I used an L1D CE for the better part of a year but finally got tired of accidentally "strobing" myself. __________________ Do you know about the TEXAS State Rifle Association?

December 30, 2007, 07:52 PM	#2
FirstFreedom Junior member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: The Toll Road State, U.S.A. Posts: 12,451	Thanks for the excellent info, JohnK! I'm really starting to become a flashlight junkie, thanks to you guys on here, as much or more so than a gun, knife, sword/bayo, and optics junkie! So far I have acquired, in quality lights -Black Bear Borealis -Black Bear Bear Cub -Fenix L2T -Surefire 6Z (2-CR123) (or is it a 6P - have had this one for years) -Browning 4-AA light - not sure which model (this one is made by Pelican, it would appear) -Black Diamond "Helion" headlamp -Streamlight headlamp -Streamlight TLR-2 pistol light/laser -Streamlight keychain light -Streamlight rechargeable home light I'm getting a Fenix L0D (1-AAA) keychain light this week. My wallet says Curse ye scalawags and your expensive recommendations. (though the Fenix's are quite the nice value). P.S. Guys, FWIW, I'd recommend avoiding the Coast brand lights - I've had 2 that worked well at first, but turned out junky, particularly the flying saucer style keychain light. Last edited by FirstFreedom; December 30, 2007 at 08:51 PM.

December 30, 2007, 09:01 PM	#4
JohnKSa Staff Join Date: February 12, 2001 Location: DFW Area Posts: 24,985	I'm not familiar with that light, but I'd want to know exactly how "various modes are accessed by pressing the tail cap switch". That was basically how the L1D worked. It always came on in the same mode (depending on the head position), but if you started messing with the tailcap switch (e.g. trying to turn it off and on in a relatively short amount of time as taught in some tactical flashlight methods) you'd end up selecting another mode instead of just turning it on and off. If you turned it off and let it sit for a couple of seconds before trying to turn it back on it would finally go back to the original mode. I thought I could deal with it, but after using it for nearly a year I decided that the irritation factor was too high... Simple is better. Also I found that the Rebel Luxeon LED produces a noticeably nicer (whiter and more uniform color) light quality output than the CREE even though they both operate at roughly the same brightness levels. __________________ Do you know about the TEXAS State Rifle Association?

December 30, 2007, 10:20 PM	#7
JohnKSa Staff Join Date: February 12, 2001 Location: DFW Area Posts: 24,985	Get it quick, Fenix has been out of them for awhile now and listed them as discontinued in November, IIRC. __________________ Do you know about the TEXAS State Rifle Association?

January 2, 2008, 07:02 PM	#11
skeeter1 Senior Member Join Date: April 11, 2006 Location: Northeast Ohio Posts: 3,403	Before you laugh too hard... I'm a die-hard flashlight junkie, and the latest ones I got I found on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/2-x-3Watt-3-WATT...QQcmdZViewItem Two 3-watt Luxeon flashlights that I got straight from Hong Kong for <$20, including shipping (took about a week). Kept one for myself and gave one to a shooting buddy of mine. Very bright, and run on 3 AAA batteries. I was going through so many batteries in everything (especially the scanner -- that thing eats batteries) that I've switched over to NiMH batteries for just about everything and buy them here: http://www.all-battery.com/ I've yet to have one of the high-capacity NiMH batteries go bad, and some of them have been recharged dozens of times.

December 30, 2007, 08:46 PM	#3
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,541	There is a similar light, the OLight T15, that has multiple settings for brightness, strobe, and SOS, but has a memory function. Turn it off, turn it back on and it goes back to the previous setting, not square one. http://12.162.177.110/products/product.aspx?pid=6404 Do you have any information on its quality?

December 30, 2007, 10:18 PM	#6
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,541	Thanks. The Olight sounds better than the Fenix --Ds but they are all almost as complicated as a cel phone. I will likely go with one like JohnKs EliteLED.com shows the L1T V2.0 in stock.

January 2, 2008, 12:20 AM	#10
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,541	Allright, allready. I ordered a L1T V2.0 from ElitedLED.com and got confirmation that they had it and that it was sent out Monday. It wasn't much extra so I got the two-AA body to soup it up if I get the urge.

January 5, 2008, 08:29 AM	#14
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,541	My Fenix L1T ordered on JohnKSa's recommendation came in yesterday. I LIKE it! I have bigger lights, brighter lights, smaller lights, etc., but this looks like being the most useful of the bunch. Bright enough, portable enough. It does not have so many options as to be confusing; just off, momentary, on at the switch and high-low at the head. That is enough. All those other settings on later models are just eyewash added because it could be done cheaply on the control board and give them something to advertise.

January 5, 2008, 01:33 PM	#15
JohnKSa Staff Join Date: February 12, 2001 Location: DFW Area Posts: 24,985	Glad you like it. I carry mine all the time--dunno how people who don't carry flashlights get through the day! __________________ Do you know about the TEXAS State Rifle Association?

January 15, 2008, 10:48 PM	#17
grymster2007 Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2007 Location: In the oak studded hills near Napa Posts: 2,203	I got the LOD today. I somehow got the gift-boxed red one in my cart and was not pleased (with myself) when I opened it. It's not even red, but more like metro-orange/pink!.... Then I tried it. Now you flashlight afficianados might chuckle at ol' Grymster, but I find this thing amazing. I have any number of Mag-Lites and other, really crappy flashlights and none of them hold a candle to this little gem! Only real problem with it is it's size. I'm afraid I'll lose it! I'm so please now that I'm considereing it's color a good excuse to give it to Mrs. Grymster and ordering me a more gender appropriate color. And then... I think I'll need a big light too... and then a medium one __________________ grym Last edited by grymster2007; January 15, 2008 at 10:49 PM. Reason: Sorry John... I see this was about the L1T.