Review: Duracell Daylite flashlight. Verdict: Small and very bright.

Patrick Austin

#1 – 12:36 PM September 22, 2008

I've got one of these: https://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?products_id=370

1x AAA, 75 lumens on my frickin' keychain.

Bill_Owens

#2 – 12:40 PM September 22, 2008

I don't own one (I'm too cheap) but for around $25 you can get a 5 W LED to replace the bulb on your 2xAA Mini-Maglite. Claimed "80-100 Lumens", with cheapie batteries (or rechargeables). I get by with the $7 three-LED conversion kits.

Nelson.C

#3 – 12:48 PM September 22, 2008

Caption: "Is this light-sabre workin—" Whoops.

gabrielm

#4 – 12:49 PM September 22, 2008

I recently embedded a Luxeon III Star in the back of my bike helmet. That's 190 Lumens!

Here are some preliminary project photos.

Harrkev

#5 – 12:57 PM September 22, 2008

If you know where to look, you can get 123 batteries for under $2, or less.

Ten seconds with Froogle turned up this:
http://www.camcor.com/cgi-bin/cat/id=1055353595&src=fg

Surefire is the company that makes $200 flashlights. Their cheapest light is $35. The quality of these batteries is excellent.

If you shop around, you can find "generic" 123 batteries for under $1.50 each.

yasth

#6 – 4:35 PM September 22, 2008

You can just run rechargeable 123s, cost you the same $20 for 2 and the charger, and then you can run around blinding people all day long.

crimeshark

#7 – 5:19 PM September 22, 2008

#1: Absolutely. Great little light that I've had on one of key chains for about a year. Produces about the same light on the 'high' setting as much larger flashlight. Very durable and reliable.

For those of you into 123 style flashlights, you can get a variety of rechargeable 123 cells from sources like eBay. Also, Surefire makes a base model 2 cell in plastic that takes 123's and can use their 120 lumen array. It's called the Nitrolon. Runs about 35 bucks or so.

Chinpokomon

#8 – 7:30 PM September 22, 2008

I picked up the "3 Watt Tactical Metal Light" distributed by Energizer: http://www.energizer.com/products/flashlights/worklights/Pages/flexible-rubber-work.aspx It is a 3-watt LED, so I'd imagine it has a similar brightness to other 3-watt LED flashlights.

When you REALLY need a flashlight, I'd rather be able to field strip a remote control and have a flashlight I can use, than carry a supply of expensive and practically proprietary CR123s. Now I realize the CR123 probably has a higher peak current, and therefore capable of producing a brighter, sustained beam, but for a couple of standard AAs (and lithium if you want), this is a very bright, white beam, and is long lasting... I left it on overnight and it was still usable the next night... not great, but certainly passible.

I also like the Coast DigiTac II: http://www.coastportland.com/displayProduct.php?prodid=261&prodnums=¿934¡933¡902¡932¡268¡264¡263¡260¡270¡276¡271¡272¡273¡274¡275¡936¡935¡937¡261¡262¿&mastCat=5 Running on a single AA, this has also been an incredibly long lasting flashlight if not nearly as bright as the aforementioned Energizer. I'm still on my first AA. I don't know for sure, but I suspect it uses a circuit not unlike the joule thief: http://www.evilmadscientist.com/article.php/joulethief to allow it to run off one AA.

I was most disappointed with the INOVA X1: http://www.inovalight.com/x.html and the Coast V2 Power Chip: http://www.coastportland.com/displayProduct.php?prodid=239&prodnums=¿252¡231¡243¡239¡241¡242¡943¡249¡942¡251¡245¡246¡259¡258¡930¡929¡944¡228¡229¡230¡927¡941¡945¿&mastCat=5. Both gave off a blue tinted beam and didn't quite stand up to their peers. Maybe it is a problem by batch of LEDs, but if it is an LED flashlight, I now always check it now before I buy it, or I probably won't even give it a consideration.

Cost-wise, the Energizer has definitely been the best bang for the buck, followed by the Coast DigiTac II. I've had the CDII for a couple years now, and it continues to be a very dependable light.

Anonymous Anonymous

#9 – 7:51 PM September 22, 2008

with all those DIY'ers out there, alot of people simply build their own dirt cheap ridiculously overpowered flashlights...

Ronald Pottol

#10 – 8:23 PM September 22, 2008

I have a https://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_65&products_id=603

same CR123, but 215 lumens on full bright, down to 12 for reading a book at night, plus strobe and SOS (rather have one dim blink a minute as a never lose you flashlight feature).

Digitally regulated is a key feature for any LED light.

A CR123 is common enough (popular camera battery), and you can get much zippier flashlights than with 2 AA.

It is $63, part of that is it has a binned LED (the regular one for that class is on the order of 165 lumen, this gets more light from the same power).

E0157H7

#11 – 10:40 PM September 22, 2008

A good compact flashlight for someone that doesn't need a really zealously designed piece of hardware is the Dorcy 41-4262. It's similar to other, more expensive single-CR123 compact lights, but it's a bit longer because it has a (superior, in my opinion) parabolic reflector in it instead of the typical focusing optics that most compact whatever-watt LED lights have in it. It has a one-watt LED, is regulated and the construction quality is very good. The switch on the endcap won't let you turn it on temporarily by lightly pressing and holding it, but it's only $25.

info

#12 – 12:07 AM September 23, 2008

I would like o suggest going to http://www.dealextreme.com and checking out their lights.
I use the single AA Cree lights and a great headband with a single emitter to walk the dogs at night in the woods.
They are shipped from China but are great quality with user reviews. Shipping can take a few days, but is worth it. I bought a bunch and used them as holiday presents last winter.

Halloween Jack

#13 – 11:31 AM September 23, 2008

Phone geeks, I swear to God.

Anonymous Anonymous

#14 – 4:11 PM July 9, 2009

As near as I can tell, the X1 was never meant to be a super-bright light along the lines of what most of the rest of the flashlight world is producing. I have several LED lights of different levels of brightness and the X1 is what I use at night when I need a little light and don't want to vaporize my night vision altogether.

I've got a Life Gear AA light that's much brighter and a larger multi-mode light that takes an 18650 battery that's much, much brighter than the Life Gear. I've got a Freeplay Indigo that isn't blindingly bright, but works well when the power goes out. I've got headlamps as well. Each light serves a different purpose.

BTW, my X1 produces a whiter light than what you're describing here. No blue tint visible in mine. I've seen others complain of a green tint from this light. There must have been a QC issue that Inova had to work out as far as the light produced by the LED in the X1.