Also, the LD10 has a significantly larger cone mirror thingie (name?) than the LD15. Perhaps that enables the LD10 to focus the beam into a spotlight more efficiently.

The job of a flashlight designer is tough. They're trying to make flashlights as small as possible, while trying to please customers who value throw more, customers who value flood more, and customers who value both equally. Then, there are people like me who notice the color of the beam and how "natural" it appears. It's a balancing act.

That's the reflector. Flashlight optics come in several varieties. Reflectors are the most common, with nearly an infinite variety of different geometries and types out there. Also used are aspheric lenses, total internal reflector (TIR), and recoil reflector being some of the more common types.



You bet.

I did not see any single battery, edc size fenix with XM-L, but mine did come with XP-G R5... @ 115 lumens on turbo. Biggest selling point, for me, was price, waterproof-iness and modes. The local rayovacs, duracell and garrisson don't have the same features..

I can't find the item number. I have an energizer 'tactical' (in other words flat black lol) single AAA battery flashlight found on clearance at Target. this model seems to have been discontinued; it's a shame, as it's a lot of bang for the buck. The output is rated at 50 lumens, it's been through the wash at least twice and survived perfectly (upon opening, the inside was found completely dry), and it was under $20 before the sale. It fits nicely into a pocket, being a bit thicker but shorter than a gel pen.

It's a shame it was discontinued; it seems there wasn't a direct replacement in the model line.

I have an Energizer single AA flashlight that was on clearance at Marshall's. It was intended as a cheap Christmas gift for me. However, it turns out this flashlight is bulletproof. It's rated at 45 lumens, but that makes absolutely NO SENSE to me because its brightness is really close my Fenix LD10 rated at 120 lumens. It has a push button that's better than than the button on my LD10. It's a bit larger and heavier than it could be, but it's construction feels like I could drive my car over it, throw it in a pool, and then fire it up.

EDIT: I found it on the Energizer website!

http://www.energizer.com/lighting-products/hardcase-tactical/Pages/1aa-handheld.aspx

A point often made by flashlight aficionados is that you must typically double the lumen output to achieve any perceived increase in brightness - basically about what you are observing. Lumens are overrated and over hyped.

Today is a wonderful time to be acquiring portable lights, compared to the "good old days" - there are oodles of different brands that are insanely reliable, compared to the clunkers of yesteryear.

Most importantly, when you mash on the button, light emerges and you can see. Tint, throw vs flood, beam configuration, etc. are just details that provide fodder for endless internet discourse.

I have not looked at the Energizer flashlights. How durable and waterproof is it?

If the one ireckon linked is as good as the one I have (an older model), it's really durable. As far as waterproof, mine was in a pants pocket, washed on the heavy duty cycle in a not-so-gentle machine. Then the pants were somehow mixed up with the dirty clothes, and washed again. The inside was bone dry. There was no apparent moisture intrusion inside the front lens (whatever that's called on a flashlight). It's like it never happened.

The battery finally died after a few months of semi-frequent use. In stead of dimming, like most of my other inexpensive LED lights, it flickers. Apparently it's something with the way this particular light is designed to handle power. It can be annoying, but it the beam stutters you know you'll need to replace the battery soon.

For EDC I prefer a handheld light but for a BOB or working on something it's headlamps only, and with BOB lights it's a single CR123.

Single cell lights are more reliable since there are fewer cells to fail (and failures don't cause reversed polarity anywhere).

CR123 batteries can have extremely long shelf life, longer than me anyway. A CR123 light that has been tested will probably be ready for the rest of my life.

Regulated lights are nice as they don't fade towards the end of battery drain but you do pay a price in total light per battery, and a big price in overall usable runtime. The old Luxeon 1w emitter could produce enough light to walk a dark trail for *30 days* (!) continuous run-time in a Maglight 3xD body. That combo was my ideal hurricane last-stand light but I'm not sure anyone makes direct-drive D-cell lights any more.

Lumens, tint, etc - these were often done poorly until recently. But today it's really a question of runtime and battery choice unless you want extremely long range.

Where flashlight designers earn their money today is in thermal management: LEDs can't take much heat and once output gets to 200 lumens or so I start looking at heat dissipation before handing over my money.

Energizer has been producing some decent stuff in addition to their usual junk drawer hardware. I've been carrying their "high tech keychain light". It's a 12/6/beacon lumen keychain light with (2) 2016 batteries and a 2/4/4 hour run time. I'm guessing it's regulated because of the short run time. No idea of the material, but I'd have to guess zinc/copper allow (Zamak 2?)