I am fortunate to work in an industrial environment where the dresscode is jeans and a polo shirt. It is no problem to walk around with a Leatherman on your belt, a folding knife clipped to one front pocket and a high output EDC flashlight clipped to the other pocket. However many of our friends here at ETS must meet a more stylish dresscode and having a SureFire sticking out of your pocket is a no-no.

I ran across the new Fenix LD05 today and was struck by this cool looking little 2xAAA flashlight. It uses a regulated Cree emitter and a clickie switch. It has 3 output levels, including 100 ANSI lumens for 1.5 hours. But what caught my fancy is how it is designed to blend in with a higher dresscode environment. You could have this in your shirt or jacket pocket and slide right by. Put a couple of lithium AAA cells in there and you're golden.

I have no connection with Fenix, I just think that the LD05 offers a good option to those who want to EDC a light with serious capability but can't dress casually.

Thanks,

That does look nice and description is fairly impressive for the cost. Not sure what they meam by "Toughened ultra clear glass lens", though.

I wonder if it is similar to the Pyrex coating on some other manufacturer's models?

Looking around their site, not just their store site, I don't seem to come across any detailed specifications. I've sent off an email via their "Contact Us" link.

Will provide an update if/when I hear.


Buckeye

Too expensive unless money is no object.

Is there any 2xAAA light you'd recommend that performs as well as the LD05 and costs less?

I agree that modern lights are a bit pricy, but cost is relative and a quality flashlight can be worth its weight in gold. FWIW, the Fenix lights I've owned have performed flawlessly and are very durable.

That may seem to be the case, if all you examine is the initial price. However, it happens that the "expensive"ight will outperform and outlast cheaper lights in such a way that in the long haul they actually are cheaper to operate.

I have used both cheap lights and expensive lights. I prefer somewhat expensive (what I would call "value priced" items). What is really expensive is the light that does not perform when the chips are down. In some situations (caves) it can be a matter of life or death.

There are some lights that do seem to be a bit extravagant, more bling than practical working tools, no matter how reliable. But that is true of many items - think firearms, knives, canteens, stoves, etc.

I prefer a PD10 (single CR123 battery 2.9"x.75") myself over the 2 skinny AAA batteries of the LD05 (5.9"x.55") even though the AAA batteries are cheaper and more readily available.

Personally, I am salivating over the new TK35 (4 CR123 batteries, 820 lumens!, 333m throw) At 6.5"x1.7" it is still small enough to fit into a jacket pocket or pants cargo pocket or its belt holster.

BTW, I'm not really sure why wearing a flashlight would be considered a no-no when every bloke has a cell phone holster anyway or you are carrying a barely visible pocket clip knife. JMHO.

I carry two flashlights at all times, even in stuffy corporate environments. Both are 4Sevens, one is a Quark 123 R5 (I have an S2 but I'm not carrying it at the moment) and the backup is a Preon ReVO on my keychain. Both are in my pockets and not noticed until they're needed.

I'll second that.

The pen light here looks quite useful for those who have such wardrobe considerations. I don't view Fenix as a company that makes gimmicky stuff just for fun. So, I'm guessing there's a market that will use this light like people use other Fenix lights. Maybe the few people replying in this thread aren't part of that market.

Depends on how much you value $50 plus $5 S&H. You can do as well for $20 less walking into your local big box store. But if the name and style are worth $20 to you have at it. There is no accounting for taste or susceptibility to advertising hype.

The cheapest and the most expensive often roll out of the same factory in China. Electrical components that determine actual quality are likely to be the same. Electrical components are commodities and none of the brand name manufacturers produce their own.

You might want to avoid the dollar store models if you aren't careful, and you get a leg up in value by buying a major brand name. Fenix doesn't produce enough unit volume to keep a third-party line running so you are paying a premium for production and line setup and tuning. That is in addition to the name. Which explains why you can get similar value for $20 less.

I spelunked for years with a carbide lamp, an incandescent industrial flashlight, and a small candle lantern. I could completely disassemble and renew/repair all of them in complete dark. The key there was not the outstanding quality of any of those units because all of them were solid but cheap. Rather it was the simplicity. When they became available in the early 80s I dropped one of the spare candles and added a pair of light-sticks. A deep bench is always stronger than shallow one.