Why would you want a flashlight that costs over $100? Because you want the best! And that surely is what Surefire flashlights are. I had always saw them and was curious. And tried and tried to talk myself out of getting one. But after “wandering” into numerous gun stores, outdoor stores, fishing stores where I always found myself at the Surefire display… I FINALLY HAD TO HAVE ONE. Found a decent deal on eBay and pulled the trigger.
First off… the numerous models Surefire offers gives you exactly what you want. I knew I wanted a 2 mode light (hi and lo beams). And wanted the highest hi beam I could get. I singled it down to a LX2 (200 lumen hi and 15 lumen low) and I thought that was the one I wanted. 200 lumens was going to be AWESOME. But noticing the high price of the CR123 batteries that they take… I decided for the single battery L1 (65 lumen hi and 10 lumen low). Also considered the cheaper E1L but the L1 had higher specs. Also the E1B was a nice option but I liked the looks of the L1 better.
So before I got this light (or torch as the flashaholics call it), I had several nice lights from cheap Hong Kong retailers. They were nice. And I thought they were bright. One was rated at 220 lumens. Well… let me tell you: not all lumens were created equal. At first I had doubts about the meager 65 lumens from the Surefire but it blows all of the cheapo lights away. Much better throw, consistent light and perfectly round beam. The light itself has a great feel and heft. It’s really the Rolls Royce of flashlights. It definitely feels like it will last a lifetime. I just have to make sure I don’t loan it out on set.
If you are on the market for the best flashlight made… definitely don’t be shy to buy a Surefire light.
Specifications
Max Output: 65.0lumens
Low Output / Runtime: 10.0 lumens / 16 hours
Tactical Runtime: 1.5 hours
Length: 4.50 inches
Bezel Diameter: 1.00 inches
Weight w/Batteries: 2.9 ounces
Batteries: 1 123A