After a couple weeks of carry and use, here are my thoughts thus far:
The tail switch is fairly stiff. I suppose this helps protect against accidental activation. However, because it sticks out a good distance from the end of light, it is still easy to press in spite of the force required. Also due to this, the light will not tail stand. Good job by Fenix here. I’ve complained that, on some other lights, the manufacturer used a tail switch, but recessed it so the light could tail stand, resulting in a tail switch that is difficult to access. I’ve previously suggested that either (1) an easy-to-access tail switch be used, at the cost of not being able to tail stand, OR (2) a light should be designed to tail stand, but not use a tail switch. I’ve never seen a really successful attempt to do both (i.e. have an easy to reach tail switch and have the light be able to tail stand) at the same time, and often such attempts end up doing neither thing well. Again, kudos to Fenix for picking one option (in this case #1), and executing it well.
Knurling/texturing is on point, enhancing grip without being overly aggressive on pockets or hands.
The pocket clip can only be attached to the light at one location, but can be rotated to any desired location around the light.
It seems to grip the light firmly enough to not be accidentally knocked out of place. I really appreciate this, because I like to keep the pocket clip in a consistent location to help me find the side switch by feel. I’ve had the problem on some other lights that the pocket clip would get rotated to random positions from normal carry, which was annoying. So good job by Fenix here.
The pocket clip is the two-way type, meaning the light can be clipped head up or head down without changing the position of the clip. I’m generally not a fan of this (too many compromises), and am also usually happy with head down carry only. Overall, this pocket clip is pretty well executed. I do wish it carried deeper in the pocket in the head down position though.
Near the middle of the light is a threaded tube. When screwed open (towards the tail), it reveals the integral USB-C charging port (I’m a big fan of these) as well as the set button (more on this below). Overall, this is a clever design that gives the light a very clean, uncluttered look and feel. Even more importantly, when closed (screwed all the way towards the head), it protects the charging port and set button from water, dirt/debris, physical damage, and accidental activation (set button, obviously).
The metal side button is low profile (which I think is best), but I’m easily able to locate it by feel based on the position of the pocket clip. It also features a basic but functional automatic battery level indicator (another must-have on a modern flashlight IMO).
I find the controls fairly intuitive. The tail switch turns the light on/off. With the light on, the side button changes brightness levels and activates/deactivates SOS and strobe modes (if enabled). The set button changes what modes and brightness levels are available (again, more on this later).
This light features up to 7 different brightness levels and modes:
Turbo - 1300 lumens - Bright enough for nearly all reasonable handheld flashlight needs. Thermal regulation doesn’t seem to be a major factor here. Running for one minute in Turbo didn’t result in any observable step-downs. And while the light got slightly warmer, it wasn’t uncomfortably warm. I haven’t tested this, but published charts suggest it would ramp down over the course of 5-10 minutes to about 500 lumens, and hold steady there for roughly an hour until the battery is depleted.
High - 350 lumens - Still pretty bright. Fully regulated, i.e. flat output until battery is depleted at about 2 hours based on published data.
Medium - 100 lumens - Used to be the threshold for good tactical lights not so many years ago. Now considered a “medium” output level. 8+ hours based on published data. A good light level for nighttime navigation with eyes that aren’t adjusted to the dark.
Low - 30 lumens - A good level of light for general nighttime navigation (e.g. walking a trail) with eyes that are moderately adjusted to the dark. 27+ hours of rated runtime means it will easily last all night long if needed.
Moonlight - 1 lumen - This has become a must-have for me. It’s a good level for those middle of the night trips to the restroom, and isn’t blinding even with eyes that are well-adjusted to the dark. And a rated runtime of 500+ hours means it can be run all night as a night light if desired without running down the battery significantly. Also a good option in an extended camping or power outage scenario.
Strobe @ 1300 lumens - I used to be ambivalent about having a strobe, but I’ve grown to really appreciate it for the specific use case of walking on or near a road or parking lot at night. I clip the light to the outside of my pocket, point it at the ground, and activate the strobe. Drivers can see me very well, and tend to give me a wide berth.
SOS @ 30 lumens - I’m really struggling to come up with a realistic use case for this. Even in the admittedly unlikely scenario that I’m trying to signal for a rescue, I would think I would want maximum brightness, so either Strobe or Turbo. But I suppose having this mode doesn’t really hurt anything.
The set button is specific to the Fenix ACE (Advanced Command Edition) series of lights. It is used to semi-customize which outputs are available in operation. I say “semi-customize” because only certain pre-determined combinations are possible, and there is also no way to adjust the light output of each mode (e.g. Moonlight mode will always be 1 lumen). Options are:
Option 1 - Turbo (and optionally Strobe)
Option 3 - Turbo, High, Low (and optionally Strobe)
Option 5 - Turbo, High, Medium, Low, Moonlight, SOS (and optionally Strobe)
I’ve also tried to capture above that Strobe can be independently turned on or off for any of the three main options.
I initially thought it was odd that the options were labeled 1, 3, & 5, as opposed to, say, 1, 2, & 3. What happened to options 2 & 4? But considering that (not counting SOS or Strobe) Option 1 has one brightness level, Option 3 has 3 brightness levels, and Option 5 has 5 brightness levels, I’ve ultimately decided it’s more intuitive the way it is.
While I suppose it’s interesting to have choices, I’m really not sold on the value of this set feature (which I’m sure comes at a cost in terms of bulk, weight, and or dollars). My PD26R ACE is set to option 5 with Strobe turned on, and I’m having trouble envisioning a scenario where I would change this. In fact, I’d be just as happy if this were the only option, since it means all outputs are available by simply using the side button, without having to go back and mess with the set button. It should also be noted here that this light has mode memory (another feature I say all modern lights should have).
The bezel extends far enough past the lens to provide a degree of protection for the lens; yet another feature every flashlight should have, but some inexplicably don’t. There are also some fairly subtle cutouts in the bezel; enough to see if the light has been left on when placed on a table head down, but not enough to get it flagged as a weapon.
The light is highly resistant to water, dust, and impact. Should be table stakes for any modern flashlight.
To sum it all up, the PD26R ACE is well-designed and well-executed. It’s quite pocketable by my standards, and the smallest of Fenix’s ACE series, though certainly larger than some folks would want to carry. I like the range of brightness and mode options, and run times are respectable for a light of this size.
If I could make a few changes:
- I would prefer a pocket clip that allowed deeper (in pocket) head down carry, even if this came at the cost of not allowing head up carry.
- I would be just as happy to have Option 5 be permanent, get rid of the set switch, and take whatever cost/size/weight savings might result from that.
Pic 1 - Solid green battery indicator upon power up indicates the battery still has at least 75% charge remaining. Note center tube in closed position.
Pic 2 - Center tube in open position reveals built-in USB-C charging port.
Pic 3 - Center tube in open position reveals set button (180 degrees offset from charging port).
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