Photon Pro vs Fenix L0D

I had the same question. Since I think you're missing the information on the Fenix L0D, check out the following website:

https://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_55&products_id=191

The light is about the size of an AA battery:

I can't comment on either light directly, but I do own a Fenix P3D and L2D and both of them are simple amazing. The light from these flashlights is blinding. The P3D in turbo mode turns night into day. Of course, the L0D has half the output and uses a different element (the P3D/L2D use a Cree 5)… but given my experience with their other products… I wouldn't hesitate to go with anything from Fenix. Great price. Amazing quality. Insane performance.

I use mine for Search and Rescue BTW. Some team members tote 6 cell Maglights and like to talk about how ican's have better throw than LCD's… etc. Then they see the beam from my little Fenix. Their jaws drop. They can't believe it. It fits in the palm of my hand and throws light on trees 200 meters away. Their huge Maglights don't even compare.

I've been trying to find specs on these two lights. Sounds like the Photon Pro might be brighter… but it's also a lot heavier. Both use Cree LED's. The best place online to get info on lights is here:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/

I think you should look at the Nitecore D10/EX10 also.
Cree X-RE Q5 emmitter,130 – 3 lumens, 1.4oz without batteries, H20 proof to IPX-8, Type III HA, Piston Drive etc and can be used as a twisty and a clicky.

If you're interested, SureFire has the E1B Backup LED flashlight which has a higher output (80 lumens), higher runtime (37 hours at 5 lumens) and is only slightly heavier (2.8oz: weights on SureFires include battery weight). More expensive by a long shot, but you get what you pay for. :)

http://www.surefire.com/maxexp/main/co_disp/displ/prrfnbr/24511/sesent/00

I just got a Photon Pro, and it's really neat, but I have never handled any of the Fenix or Surefire models for comparison. The Photon Pro switch allows you to dim the light level just by holding down the button (electrostatically?). Really cool stuff. Sometimes I just sit around adjusting the light level for fun!

I would be interested in seeing the lumen rating for the Photon though – the candela rating doesn't seem to be a very common unit for handheld lights. I could do the conversion if I took the time to take some measurements, but thus far it hasn't been that important to me. No matter though, it's bright enough for me.

Candelas and lumens are almost identical units of measure. A candela is defined as the luminous intensity per steradian (solid angle) whereas a lumen is defined as the luminous intensity * steradian. This implies that a one-candela source that radiates in one single direction is equal to one lumen.

To clarify: if you have a 1 candela light source in a flashlight that radiates in a single hemispherical direction (by use of an elliptical mirror), you would end up with 2*PI lumens (approx. 6 lumens).

In practice, most people use them interchangeably.

"you get what you pay for"

Normally I would agree… and perhaps the SureFire vs. Fenix argument is one of those "religious" battles in the world of flashlights… I don't know… but personally… in this particular case… I would have to disagree. I've use both SureFire and Fenix I think Fenix makes the superior light. But of course, your milage may vary :)

p.s. It's not possible to convert Candlepower to Lumens. They measure two different things.

I think comparing it to the Fenix L0D isn't a particularly good comparison since they are really in a different class from each other. The Photon Pro uses a AA and the L0D using a AAA. Sizing differences, run time -vs- light output, etc are largely driven by the battery. The Fenix is smaller and lighter. The Photon Pro is heavier, brighter, and has a longer runtime.

A better comparison, and one that I can provide is the Proton Pro with the Cree -vs- the Fenix L1D of which uses a AA battery. I have a friend who owns the Proton Pro, I own the L1D.

The Proton Pro wins longer battery life (because it can run at lower levels), better UI, has a low power red light built in, slightly lighter weight. The Fenix L1D has better power regulation, a nicer beam, and seems to be a slightly high quality of build. I have not seen specs on the maximum output of the Proton Pro in terms of lumens, but it the field they seems pretty similar on high.

If I didn't own a L1D now, and needed to purchase a light, I would most likely go for the Proton Pro, though the nitecore d10 is also interesting.

I am with David…

"you get what you pay for" doesn't seem to apply when considering surefire -vs- fenix. I have never heard anyone complain about the quality of the fenix product. Surefire is the older, more established brand. Fenix is relatively new. I think of it as the old establish luxury model Mercedes Benz / Surefire vs the more recent and maybe more innovative technologically Lexus /Fenix. Both are excellent… but the new guy is often a better value. Fenix is almost 3x cheaper than Surefire while having a high quality build and what most consider a superior regulation circuit.

The only thing I would ding most of the Fenix lights on is that their low setting is typically too high 11-20 lumens… where I think it would be good if it would be more like 2-4. In that way the surefire is "better", since it's low is 5 lumens.

As far as runtime and power regulation. If you look at runtime graphs between most of the Fenix and Surefire using similar bulbs and batteries taking in to consideration relative brightness, you will typically find Fenix has the edge in terms of consistency of the beam brightness and the amount of light produced over time. The surefire often has a longer absolute runtime because they often have a lower "low" setting and stretch the time by letting the light level fall overtime (e.g. not as strictly regulated).

Personally, I won't go for the Surefire E1B Backup because I don't like the 123 batteries. I like using AA because I can share them between a variety of devices.

Can some owners of these lights, and experts on the power measurements, comment on what lights are most suitable for which applications. At the moment I am specifically looking for a hand-held light with which I can go night running. If the beam were equivalent to what I get with my Petzl Tikka XP, that'd be about perfect. In this particular case, I'm not super-obsessed with weight or battery life. (If I were looking for a backpacking light, those would be more important considerations.) Thanks.

Check out the NiteCore lights. They are "all the rage" at the moment on the flashlight geek sites.

nitecore.com
NiteCoreUSA.Com
4sevens.com

What I like about them is that they can take rechargeables. The EX10 can take RCR123A's where a lot of other lights that take the CR123's will be damaged if you use the RCR123A's. Also, these nitecore lights have about 100 levels of adjustable levels so you don't have to pick high or low. You just hold down the button while it ramps up or down over a few seconds to the level you want.

That said if you are going to run you might want something like the Zebralight H30-Q5. It's more of a flood. Might make you less dizzy than running with a spot.

Cool looking lights… and the infinite output level is neat… but the runtimes are not very good. Fenix beats the Nitecore (and every other light I've found) on runtime. Of course… if you just want a light for getting around camp at night… this wouldn't be a big issue. I use my Fenix lights for Search and Rescue… so I need long runtimes… and predictable runtimes.

Don't forget that runtime is relative to output. If you don't need the 130 lumens at peak output from the nitecore you just dial it down. Less light output longer runtime. The Nitecore will sustain a far lower output for a longer amount of time that the Fenix… if that's important to you.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=202436

I'd imagine if you are doing search and rescue these small lights aren't really what you want anyway. Something with more light and more batteries fits this need a little more I'd imagine. Since you are doing life and death type work you carry extra batteries too.

Actually… no… the P3D is awesome for the search and rescue tasks that I do. Amazing throw. Insane amount of light. Cuts deep through the woods. Throws light on treetops 200 meters away. Those newer Cree elements are just unreal. And I'm talking about ground SAR by the way. So mostly bushwhacking in small teams. I don't need a flood for my tasks. A lot of other members just have maglights or $10 ican flashlights from the local hardware store… which are next to useless… eat batteries… and slowly dim as they die.

I was considering output. The P3D runs 4.8 hours @ 120 lumens. The Nitecore EX10 does 1.25 hours @ 130. But that's not really fair since it's a single cell torch and the P3D is a dual cell. The P2D runs 2 hours @ 107 lumens. Of course, you have to reduce those times if you're using rechargeables instead of Lithium. But I carry spares. Obviously.

You are right tho' that a lot of the Fenix lights don't have low enough low settings. The P2D/P3D only go down to 12 lumens (30 hours). The variable output and low light capabilities of that Nitecore make it perfect for backpacking. I've been thinking of getting a tiny torch for backpacking (to replace or augment my little photon freedom and e+lite). I was going to go with the L0D since I LOVE my other Fenix lights so much… but this Nitecore light looks pretty cool actually!

Is the beam spread & low setting on the AAA LOD good for reading a book at night ? How does it compare to the Tikka ?

Is the beam spread & medium setting on the LOD good enough for walking through the woods at night ? If not, is the high setting good enough – or do you really need a bigger AA version ?

Thanks.

If you get an L1D there is a $5 diffuser you can buy that would work nice for reading.

https://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?products_id=339

The light-wand is interesting, but for reading or camp chores, I was thinking the light would be in a jack strap,
clipped to a hat brim.

I want to stick with the AAA battery size if possible, since I'd like to also use it for EDC and the AA size seems a little to thick to pocket carry all the time to me.

Thanks.

I've tried the diffuser for reading with my Fenix P3D and I actually decided that I prefer the direct light.

so what did you buy?

I know this post is a bit dated but looking at the Fenix lights. What is the difference between the Ld10+ q5 and the premium R4? I want a AA light with a diffuser for lantern mode. Anybody try the MC10 90 angle light?

After reading the reviews on this site, I first purchased at Photon Pro, and later a Remington RMHL 2AAA-B headlamp.
Used the headlamp all winter for snowshoeing hikes, and found it so incredibly better than anything I'd used before that I have decided to use it for my backpacking lamp. It has only two intensity levels, so nothing to fool with. The only time it got low was when I took a wrong turn on a bushwack and had to snowshoe around the other side of a mountain for over two hours to get home. But it only stopped functioning after 1-2 hours on high, and worked fine on low until I got home. The beam is so bright, that I used the wide angle diffuser all the time. Was using 2 Lithium AAAs.

Used the Photon Pro last month with a fresh, tested, AA Lithium cell for a 5 day hike on the Grafton Loop on the Maine NH border. Used it only for short periods, such as putting up the tent and getting in and out of the tent at night – no reading, cooking or the like. But by the fourth night, the battery was drained. Unlike the garden variety LED's, the light just stopped suddenly, and would not go on, except for about 3 mins. in the lowlight red mode. Very inconvenient. Did not expect the light to last less than an hour, so did not bring an extra battery. Dumb, I know, but guess I was spoiled by the Remington.

It may be that the other small flashlights are better than the Photon, but I am sold on the Remington, even though I've never used a headlamp before to camp, only for night hiking and bushwacking. If I hang it by the headstrap with the diffuser, it should do fine as a tent lamp.

There is a good review of the Remington on this site.
Sam