Fenix L2D-CE

The L2D-CE is an excellent general-purpose 2AA light from Fenix.

I really like the UI on this model. It combines the "off for less than 1.5 seconds" of some other Fenix lights with a reverse clickie and the mode-changing twisty head of the L_T series. Here's how it works:

• General Mode (head slightly loose):
  1. Low
  2. Medium
  3. High
  4. S.O.S.
• Turbo Mode (head fully tightened):
  1. Max
  2. Strobe

This works out really well, as you can just keep the light in General to start in low and ramp it up if you want, or you can put it into turbo and switch between Max and Off (with the Strobe in there if you want), or you can just switch between Low and Max by turning the head. I'm quite fond of this system.

The above picture shows the underside of the head. The following picture shows a head-on view of the reflector/emitter.

The following pictures show the interior section of the tailcap, the button area of the tailcap (notice the wedge cutout for the lanyard to allow tailstanding), the entire tailcap, and a full disassembly of the tailcap.

The following picture shows the light entirely disassembled, except for the head. The head can actually be unscrewed with some effort (it's Loctited in place), allowing you to defocus the light to soften the infamous Cree ring.

The light consumes 0.14A, 0.28A, 0.56A, and 1.55A, on Low, Medium, High, and Max, respectively, all at 2.6V, for 0.364W, 0.728W, 1.456W, and 4.03W of power consumption, respectively. Independent testing by Chevrofreak (available both at CPF and FR) indicates that the light is fantastically regulated with NiMH and Lithium on any level, and the Low mode is low enough to allow even alkalines to deliver a perfectly flat output curve for the same amount of time as NiMHs: about TWO DAYS.

This is one heck of a light, with great features, design, and electronics. My only concerns are overall quality and reliability, as sometimes it fails to turn on for a few minutes, sometimes the modes get confused, and the tail clickie sometimes gets stuck. Also of note is that the narrow section will fit into a Nite-Ize Mini Lite-Lok snugly after padding the Lite-Lok with six layers of electrical tape.

The L2D-CE has joined the ranks of easily recommendable lights like the ProPoly series, making the search for an ideal light that much duller. If someone says, "I need a light with good throw, good runtime, and an unbeatable reputation," I recommend a ProPoly. If someone needs a "good general use light for around the house or EDC," I recommend the L2D-CE. If Fenix improved the build quality and beam pattern (perhaps an SSC P4 could please us WWHs), this light would be pretty much perfect. Still, "really excellent" isn't bad at all!