flashlight

Not bad for their first tactical entry. The light is a bit on the heavy side, but really no heavier or larger than a comparable-output Surefire of the same class. Both brand’s entries in this category are too big for pocket carry. The low output setting is pretty bright, but dim enough to be useful in tight quarters. Twisting over to the 225-lumen “turbo” mode is easy, but unfortunately cannot be done one-handed. The built-in clip is sturdy, and as promised the light will stand on end to act as a candle. This works on even a slightly tilted surface despite it’s forward-heavy balance. The “olive” color is definitely a natural olive, not the traditional camo green, and has a significant amount of “gold” in it. Still, it’s a pretty well subdued color and shouldn’t be a problem. Black is also available, on a limited trial-run. The light feels reasonably sturdy, but not nearly as much as a comparable Surefire unit. I’m not sure how much pressure it would take to crush the light, or how big of a fall it could take. The orange tail-cap bothers me a little as well – tactical lights are not to be seen until they are used and orange just doesn’t mesh well with this logic.

I don’t have a 225-lumen capable Surefire at my disposal, so I was unable to compare on even ground. I did run it side-by-side with my 100-lumen Lumamax L4 though, and while certainly brighter I’m not convinced of it’s “more than twice as bright” rating. The other drawback is the lack of available filters and other accessories for the front bezel. Still, when you consider the price is less than a third that of it’s Surefire counterpart, this is a very nice tactical light. Fenix also throws in 3 extra washers, a lanyard, an extra (orange) switch cover and a carry pouch that will work on a belt or clip on to other gear.

All said and done, this is an excellent light with good build quality and a fair price. The number one thing they should work on is getting us a design that supports different color filters. I give it 4.5/5 and recommend it to anyone in need of a good, bright tactical light but unsure of Surefire’s outrageous price tag.

I picked up this unit from Fenix-Store.com with the 4sevens LightBar I ordered, as I said excellent shipping turnaround.

In both output shots below, the Fenix T1 Tactical is on the left at 225 lumens, with a Surefire Lumamax L4 on the right at 100 lumens.

My usual impatience waiting on transcontinental warranty service has rewarded me with yet another flashlight. I’ll admit for some time now I’ve wanted to see what all the fuss was about, and if a land-use flashlight with a triple-digit price tag could really be justified. While I’m still not completely convinced on the price, I really like this flashlight – so much in fact, that it’s found its way to daily carry in my pocket instead of the originally intended spot in my bag. It’s small enough to slip quite nicely into a pocket or onto the accessory strap of a certain tactical pant I’m fond of, despite having a better field of vision and brighter output than its Inova counterpart. The optional filters also make a good (and cheap) lens protector while it’s in your pocket, and protect you from the heat after use – and it does get quite hot. Fortunately, it is clearly designed to handle such heat and the unit is just as bright now as it was on day one. The only thing I don’t like about the flashlight is the lack of a rear lanyard attachment point, but as a “pocket” light I haven’t been using a lanyard anyhow.