Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsIt's a maglite... You can't go wrong.
Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2012
I've owned several of these mini-mag LED models. This one was for my father who like camo and anything that comes in camo. Other than the finish which is much more of a matte finish as compaired to the polished metalic finish of it's brothers in the mini-mag LED series, there are no differences in this model. This is still a five function model which EVERYONE and I do mean EVERONE should own at least one of. This is perfect for camping, the tool bag, power outages, and to be kept in the car for emegencies. Simply put these are the BEST small flashlights on Earth! Their LED so battery life is excellent, and they are BRIGHT! This lights up an area better than any standard D-Cell incandecent flashlight I've ever seen! Sure their are lithium powered exotic lights that are brighter, but those are intended to be defensive weapons, not tools.
What about modes and uses...
-First off the bezel is the switch as well as the focal dial. It can be focused from a wide array of patterns (from beam to flood) or twisted off entirely to act as a "candle" of sorts. When using this as a candle, stand the lights "butt" into the bazel and us it as stand. (This is the first of the aforementioned "5 modes". The rest of the list is reached by leaving bezel on and quarter twisting it off and on a set number of times to reach that mode.
-ON --> "Bright Mode" -- Turn the bezel ON once gives the brightest and highest output beam which is fully adjustable.
-ON-OFF-ON --> "Low Mode" -- This mode gives the LED about 50% power and makes it good for lighting something up close (as the first mode may wash out a close surface with brightness. It is also good for better battery life and navigation at night. This mode too is adjustable for beam.
-ON-OFF-ON-OFF-ON --> "Strobe Mode" -- This is a once per second warning strobe as opposed to a defensive one. However this is a highly visible becon which could warn oncoming persons or vehicles of an obstruction in their path. Or just to the fact that you are there.
-ON-OFF-ON-OFF-ON-OFF-ON --> "SOS Mode" -- This is a standed person's best friend. This light can give anyone passng through an area the universal sign of distress and in potentially save a life. It's bright enough at night to be seen even from a distance of about a mile.
From any mode, turning the light off and leaving it for 2 or 3 seconds will reset the list and the next time you turn it on it will be in bright mode. Any mode can also be used in candle mode as well. Of course beam dispursion becomes an issue at that point but it could still be quite useful.
