Fenix E11 Arrived! :D *Happy*

[N_N_R]

Today the prize I won in a YouTube giveaway arrived! 

First of all, here's the channel of the guy - there's a giveaway every month and his prizes are awesome. May be some of you know him, may be not, just go & check if you're interested: http://www.youtube.com/user/beactivelife

So.... let's start with some pictures first... I can't wait for the evening when I'll be able to play with the flashlight

[Gareth]

Nice pictures N_N_R.   Look forward to hearing what you think once it gets dark.

[enki_ck]

I've been trying very hard not to buy this one. It's an excellent choice for the money. K.I.S.S. user interface and a forward clicky, what's not to like. I may get one as a birthday present for my dad, and to play with it sometimes if he lets me.

And wery cool pics.

[parnass]

Congrats on winning a Fenix E11.   My E11 has worked reliably since purchase.  Enjoy your new light.

[N_N_R]

Gareth, Thanks! : )  Sure, I'll spam the topic later... lol


enki,

Lucky me I adore the momentary-on function! Very useful when I just have to look around so that I don't knock off a glass or sth. Haha, good luck with your dad

Congrats on winning a Fenix E11.   My E11 has worked reliably since purchase.  Enjoy your new light.

Thanks I've been reading people's comments on other forums and most seem dissatisfied with the light. I'm not a "flashaholic", haven't had many flashlights and I'm not really picky in that area I find it wonderful so far. Many people claim their LED is off center or somthing, but I don't notice anything wrong with mine. It's either alright or so little off center that I can't notice it..

[enki_ck]

LOL

I re-read your post and realised my mistake, but you already quoted my original boo boo. I actually watched the video last night, but didn't connect the dots..

[N_N_R]

LOL

I re-read your post and realised my mistake, but you already quoted my original boo boo. I actually watched the video last night, but didn't connect the dots..

"My" quote's been modified

What video?  beactivelife's ?

[enki_ck]

LOL

I re-read your post and realised my mistake, but you already quoted my original boo boo. I actually watched the video last night, but didn't connect the dots..

"My" quote's been modified

What video?  beactivelife's ?

Yes, but I've watched yours too now

[nuphoria]

Nice score

A lot of flashaholics are very picky about the finer points of lights, which doesn't always mean that they are more then enough for the average user. I hope you enjoy this one

[N_N_R]

Yes, but I've watched yours too now

One can't stay undercover for long...

Nice score

A lot of flashaholics are very picky about the finer points of lights, which doesn't always mean that they are more then enough for the average user. I hope you enjoy this one

Thanks Yeah, I do enjoy the light I've had only two proper LEDs so far, that's the second one and it's the first bigger ... So it will be long time before I become an expert at flashlights and allow myself to dislike sth about Fenix :D

The only thing I wonder about: they say the flashlight has that anti-roll function or however the call it, which isn't at all the case, I think. Leave it on an uneven surface and you'll get sooo much rolling... lol

[N_N_R]

Ok, here are my first impressions from the flashlight

Overall, POSITIVE

First of all, it is advertised as a keychain flashlight,  but I think it's too big for this unless you carry one or two keys the most. I think a smaller flashlight would be a better choice for a keychain.

It doesn't tail-stand, which seems to be a concern for many people, but definitely not for me. I've never used a flashlight as a candle - if it dosen't have a light diffuser, the beam goes straight into the ceiling and becomes useless.

It turns on/off with a click on the back - something which makes its use with one hand much easier than having to twist on/off the head. It also has the momentary-on function which I find great as I often need to only have a quck look around and turn the flashlight off.

Near the tail cap you also have a tiny hole where to attach the lanyard which comes with the flashlight. Also quite useful - brings about a feeling of safety - even if you drop your flashlight, it will still hang on your wrist (hopefully ).

Its size makes it very convenient to hold- my E01 was a little bit too tiny and I had to attach a short lanyard on it to make it more comfortable. The E11's size also makes it more convenient to twist the head with one hand. On the other hand, having the E01 to compare... I think the E11 could've been smaller, using one AA battery, given the ratio... E01 battery : size  =/= E11 battery : size. I.e. the E01 isn't that much bigger than the AAA battery it uses as the E11 than the AA battery it uses.

The knurling of the body provides a better grip. They advertise some anti-roll function, but it doesn't really work. If you leave it on an uneven surface, it will definitely start rolling. If you have some luck, the lanyard will stop it

Another thing I like: in whatever mode you leave your flashlight, it will be this mode to turn on when you click it later. If you've left it on its low and turned it off, when you turn it on again, it will be on low. If you've left it on high and turned it off, when you turn it off again, it will be high. You can also switch between the high/low modes when it's in its "momentary on" mode.

Its beam is supposed to be able to go about 70m or so, but I somehow don't think that's possible  It's definitely a light to be used outdoors, though. When I use it inside the room or at much closer distance, it's so bright that the light gets reflected from objects and is unpleasant to the eyes. On the other hand, it can light up a room more than perfectly

As I said above, people who collect and are into flashlights in general, find some not so good things about it, but I can't. I love it

[dks]

Very good review. 

The smallest torch I have played with is the E05 which seems to work well on a keychain.

The anti-roll function seems to work beter on bigger torches, from my limited experience.

[nuphoria]

Uh oh... another flashaholic in the making

Nice review, and yes it's too big for any keychain of mine! The rolling thing can be a pain, depending where you are likely to put it down. It's all about individual practical application really, and if it suits yours then that's excellent

[N_N_R]

Very good review. 

The smallest torch I have played with is the E05 which seems to work well on a keychain.

The anti-roll function seems to work beter on bigger torches, from my limited experience.

Thanks   As far as I know the E05 isn't much bigger than the E01.. As for the anti-roll function, I have no idea, really If I ever have a big flashlight, I'll see.. lol

Uh oh... another flashaholic in the making

NO! I NEED money for FOOD!

It's all about individual practical application really, and if it suits yours then that's excellent

Indeed : )

[Gareth]

That does indeed look to be far to large to be a keyring light IMO.  To get a acceptably small AA light for a keyring I think you really have to go without a tail-switch and accept having a twist-switch design.  Makes them short enough in my experience.

I never got why so many people are so concerned by whether a light can tail stand either.   Honestly I can't think of the last time I even might have found it useful.

[N_N_R]

you really have to go without a tail-switch and accept having a twist-switch design.  Makes them short enough in my experience.

AH, the taaaail-switch makes them LONGER, of coooourse 



*** Btw, I've just tested the flashlight's throw in the dark My camera can't record it, but I'll try to describe the situation... it could really go about 70m, I guess. So, I live on the 6th floor and tested it from the balcony. So, after the building there's a small space where some people have small gardens... then a small sidewalk... then a small road for about two cars to pass... then some sheds... then a few metres of.. nothing.. then the railway, then the motorway ... and then some huge rocks along the motorway. So the beam of the E11 reaches those rocks with both the low & high mode, the high one is better, of course. I wish I could take a picture..

[N_N_R]

I think last night my Fenix E11 killed its first battery... I put a fresh one on 11th April, which makes about 2.5 weeks with daily use of about 30minutes or less a day (that's just approximate- using it as a light at night, reading in bed before falling asleep, the usual clicking on/off & playing during the day). It became visibly lower in brightness, then I tried to go from the 30-lumen option, which I normally use, to the higher, 105, but when I twisted it showed no difference at all. I thought the battery was almost dead, but kept torturing it for a while more until I finished what I was reading. This morning, though, it was again able to switch between low/high mode The battery will soon be dead, though, lol.

I feel like a mom, describing the behaviour of her newborn 

[Lynn LeFey]

I went to REI, intending to get a friend an E05 for his birthday, which they had listed as in-stock. I get there, and of course, no E05. The cost difference on that and an E11 was within our budget, so we got him an E11 instead. I liked the end click switch and 2 light levels.

He gets it out and we play with it a bit. I was very happy with it for a small single-cell flashlight at that cost. He was ecstatic, I think. None of us are flashaholics, and certainly none of us saw any defect in the light spot it produced.

I'm very happy for your win. I think it's a great little light.

[N_N_R]

None of us are flashaholics, and certainly none of us saw any defect in the light spot it produced.

I'm very happy for your win. I think it's a great little light.

I'm not a flashaholic either and I do love it My last post is from 29th where I say it's been 2.5 weeks and the E11 is still with its first battery. Ok... today's 7th May... and it's still with THIS same battery. Of course, you can't use the brighter mode, but the lower mode is more than enough for using inside the room. It's still brighter than the E01, no idea how many lumens currently.

[N_N_R]

Recently we've been living in a house (a normal house with a yard ) and not in our usual flat... and I had pleeenty of opportunities to exploit the Fenix E11 to the full It illuminates the whole yard, you stand in one end of it and can see the opposite. It's perfect for me right now, I'm totally in love and don't see why people dislike this flashlight. I'm not a flashaholic, just a normal flasholover...lol and I appreaciate the functionality of a light. It's been AWESOME.

[Gareth]

You know that every time you post in this thread I have to convince myself that I don't need yet another 1xAA torch.

 

Good to hear you are getting along with it and I know that if it came with a pocket clip my willpower would have failed already.

[N_N_R]

You know that every time you post in this thread I have to convince myself that I don't need yet another 1xAA torch.

 

Take it as a 2 x AA torch... one in the light and one spare just in case... and go buy it



EDIT: and "it illuminates the whole RIGHT" in my previous post was meant to be "the whole YARD" .... what the hell was I writing..

[N_N_R]

Can you recommend a flashlight similar to the Fenix E11?

I've again got that I-want-a-flashlight bug... and realized The Fenix E11 is my only AA flashlight and that I have too many spare AAs .....

[Gareth]

I'm VERY happy with my Eagletac D25A Clicky.  Choices of LED's for different tints and beam shapes, smaller than your E11, more levels and a pocket clip.

Does depend on your budget though and what features you are after, things like the Romisen RC-29 with it's flood-to-throw focus are fun and cheap.

[Millhouse]

As you already have an E11, a 2 mode light with forward clicky switch, how about something different.

If budget allows, Zebralight SC52. A versatile light with a very high output when you need it.

Also worth considering is Nitecore's MT1A. A 2 mode light, mode 1 is full brightness, mode 2 is user defined from 6 settings.

[N_N_R]

Has the design of the Fenix E11 also been changed after the addition of a few more lumens?   http://www.fenixlight.com/viewproduct.asp?id=151

It's a different appearance here, while on eBay, although it reads 115 lumens on some listings, there's still the old design/looks.

@Millhouse, I'm a little late to reply, sorry about that- yeah, Zebralight are a liitttle too much for my budget... : ( And I prefer more traditional designs i.e. just a... cylinder, not much "deviations" or fancy stuff. And I received a Fenix E25 yesterday, whose bezel is already quite a "deviation" for my taste, being a little wider than the body of the light..

[Gareth]

So they have.   It does look much more 'Fenix-like' now I'd say.  The original version was definitely a departure from their normal style.  I will say that I don't think the lumen upgrade would be in any way noticeable to the naked eye, and the run times are only fractionally better, not enough to make it worth upgrading I'd say.

[N_N_R]

So they have.   It does look much more 'Fenix-like' now I'd say.  The original version was definitely a departure from their normal style.  I will say that I don't think the lumen upgrade would be in any way noticeable to the naked eye, and the run times are only fractionally better, not enough to make it worth upgrading I'd say.

Yeah, I agree with this. The best thing they did was change the knurling method/design and make it more "Fenix-like"

[N_N_R]

I've just ordered one of the new Fenix E11s 

Please, someone, save me from me 

[Gareth]

I'll be very interested in hearing how they compare.