Surefire G2D Fire Rescue Variable-Output LED

[SmokeJumper]

The G2D is looking good for a working light and for night shoots/classes. What about the new SureFire Stratum with 160, 50, 5 Lumen variable outputs. It's a tad bit shorter in length, brighter on the highest setting, but $40 bucks more.
http://www.surefire.com/Stratum

[rob_s]

I like the look of the Stratum, but it starts to push the cost a little higher than I'd like. I also like the hi-viz nature of the G2 product. I'm thinking of this as a range light and we shoot mostly at night, so the yellow body and reflective stickers are a definite plus.

[ST911]

I like the look of the Stratum, but it starts to push the cost a little higher than I'd like. I also like the hi-viz nature of the G2 product. I'm thinking of this as a range light and we shoot mostly at night, so the yellow body and reflective stickers are a definite plus.

A little yellow can make a lot of difference.

[Dennis]

My issue with the G2D and Stratum is that SF is just copying the tactically crappy and hard to use (for me) click-thru-levels UI of the original Chinese lights like Fenix. This may well be fine for a general use light, but then you are paying almost 100% more for arguably the same thing since other similar lights have proven to work just fine for general applications. I have no problem paying for SF quality, but I like a little innovation as well.

Another issue is sorta like "Train like you Fight", having separate UI for general and tactical carry lights can become an issue as well.

If you want a light to stow for general use then a multi-level but still tactical light from the Fenix T or Olight M series will give you more output options AND allow for use of rechargeable batteries for less than a much less versatile G2D or Stratum. More run-time, more options, and rechargeable!

http://www.batteryjunction.com/olight-m-series.html

Fenix even has a yellow one!
http://www.batteryjunction.com/fenix-t.html

Agile53, I like the way you think and you know what you want and you have the patience to have made exactly right. However, I think teasing others with your custom modded lights is not very nice. Oh, and my new Malkoff Wildcat v2 is so nice that it has relegated my Olight M30 to glove compartment carry!

You can't really go wrong with Surefire, you just aren't always getting the most for your $$$ either...

Dennis.

[rob_s]

I dunno, I think Surefire offers exactly what most people want; simple feature sets in quality built housings. Having now owned a couple, and shopped for more, of the various import brands, I can't stand them. Strobes, fancy programming, etc.... that shit makes my head hurt just reading about it. I keep waiting for one of these makers to claim the light is bright enough to cure cancer!

I view lights the way I view knives; it needs to work as a tool WAY more often than it needs to work as some kind of tactical implement. I need to cut open boxes, cut rope, open packages just like I need to find my keys under the car seat, look for the kid's toy he lost in the yard, find the dog's shit to scoop up with the plastic bag... It may well be that all these wonder brands with their specially tuned this and that and 8 billion lumen ratings are better for "tactical" use, but IMHO I don't have the time or the inclination to wade through all the bullshit, only to ultimately be disappointed in the end product every single time.

Surefire offers me basic feature sets with high quality construction from a known performer with great customer service. If I have to pay 10-20% more for that then I gladly will.

I do NOT want to turn a bezel for output selection, I do NOT want to find myself on some useless strobe feature when I'm looking for dog shit, and I do NOT want a light that I have to program to get to the 3 functions I want out of the 300 it comes with.

[SmokeJumper]

I dunno, I think Surefire offers exactly what most people want; simple feature sets in quality built housings. Having now owned a couple, and shopped for more, of the various import brands, I can't stand them. Strobes, fancy programming, etc.... that shit makes my head hurt just reading about it. I keep waiting for one of these makers to claim the light is bright enough to cure cancer!

I view lights the way I view knives; it needs to work as a tool WAY more often than it needs to work as some kind of tactical implement. I need to cut open boxes, cut rope, open packages just like I need to find my keys under the car seat, look for the kid's toy he lost in the yard, find the dog's shit to scoop up with the plastic bag... It may well be that all these wonder brands with their specially tuned this and that and 8 billion lumen ratings are better for "tactical" use, but IMHO I don't have the time or the inclination to wade through all the bullshit, only to ultimately be disappointed in the end product every single time.

Surefire offers me basic feature sets with high quality construction from a known performer with great customer service. If I have to pay 10-20% more for that then I gladly will.

I do NOT want to turn a bezel for output selection, I do NOT want to find myself on some useless strobe feature when I'm looking for dog shit, and I do NOT want a light that I have to program to get to the 3 functions I want out of the 300 it comes with.

I agree with your logic and thinking, our uses may be different at times, but I like simple and easy to use. The SureFire has three output levels to click through and that's it, no strobe to go through or shut off on these two lights. Before this thread and the mention of a variable ouput light for utility tasks, I was looking at the Tail cap from TNVC with LED upgrade, but it does way more than I felt I needed or wanted to learn to use. http://tnvc.com/items/illumination_tools/muli_tc.html For utility purposes, running course out on the range during night shoots, walking the dog and picking up poop, or map reading or home repairs these two lights will fit the bill amongst a host of other scenarios.
For pricing, SureFire is a bit pricey, but they make very specific illumination tools for many, us included on the forums. I pay a bit more for SF, but if I break it or it fails I know they will take care of it without a hitch. I'm sure Fenix will do this as well, just don't have any experience with them.

[rob_s]

I found the TNVC really confusing until someone sent me theirs to look at. It was slightly less confusing once I had it in my hand and tried it out, but therein lies the problem with all these complex solutions: who has time to handle them all and learn all the ins and outs, and who the hell really wants to for something as inane as a flashlight?

One thing I did like about the TNVC is that, IIRC, it had the ability to come on at low setting with the press of the tailcap, and shift to high with the press of the side button in conjunction. Having it work the opposite way (bright with only the tailcap, dim with both) might be even better.

[ST911]

For pricing, SureFire is a bit pricey, but they make very specific illumination tools for many, us included on the forums. I pay a bit more for SF, but if I break it or it fails I know they will take care of it without a hitch.

I get over price point by thinking in terms of life-cycle cost. Did the widget I bought 10 years ago cost me $100.00, or has it cost me $10 a year? I prefer the latter.

[Dennis]

I dunno, I think Surefire offers exactly what most people want; simple feature sets in quality built housings. Having now owned a couple, and shopped for more, of the various import brands, I can't stand them. Strobes, fancy programming, etc.... that shit makes my head hurt just reading about it. I keep waiting for one of these makers to claim the light is bright enough to cure cancer!

I view lights the way I view knives; it needs to work as a tool WAY more often than it needs to work as some kind of tactical implement. I need to cut open boxes, cut rope, open packages just like I need to find my keys under the car seat, look for the kid's toy he lost in the yard, find the dog's shit to scoop up with the plastic bag... It may well be that all these wonder brands with their specially tuned this and that and 8 billion lumen ratings are better for "tactical" use, but IMHO I don't have the time or the inclination to wade through all the bullshit, only to ultimately be disappointed in the end product every single time.

Surefire offers me basic feature sets with high quality construction from a known performer with great customer service. If I have to pay 10-20% more for that then I gladly will.

I do NOT want to turn a bezel for output selection, I do NOT want to find myself on some useless strobe feature when I'm looking for dog shit, and I do NOT want a light that I have to program to get to the 3 functions I want out of the 300 it comes with.

Rob, we seem to keep ending up on opposite sides of this issue when I think we actually mostly agree. I have owned literally several dozen SF lights and pretty much at least one or more of everything in their lineup from the past 20 years. The primary 3 of my 4 duty lights are SF. I also have a couple dozen of the "import" lights, and found just like you that many are too complicated and don't offer what I want in a light. I recommended the Fenix T and Olight M series as not crazily complicated lights that do offer things that SF does not, namely tactical UI with multiple power levels and most importantly rechargeable capability. The Olight M30 and M20S offer exactly the side button capability as the TNVC but I think a bit more elegantly. All will not accidentally go into a weird mode and will offer the same light with every press of the tailcap.

In this case, I am just pointing out that the Stratum and G2D are offering UI very similar to the original import lights which many did not like where if clicked twice, like if you looked at one thing then wanted to look at another, the light level will switch. All import lights are not the same, and all SF's are not perfect creations.

I guess with my posts I am just trying to offer hopefully knowledgeable observations from my direct experience so that others can make whatever decision they need to make with a bit more real information. More selfishly, I am also hoping for a bit more return on the waaay too many flashlights I own.

Also, you keep saying you don't want to bother with learning about various flashlights but then you post an awful lot in this light forum! I think you might just have a flashlight geek bug in you but you have successfully controlled it for now I say congratulations, it can get pretty expensive...

Dennis.

[rob_s]

I post here because I'm almost entirely not interested beyond my specific needs or wants, and because I generally wind up frustrated with what I see as a marketplace flooded with useless products inspired by the vocal minority like the candlepowerforums members.

Ironically all these threads ever do is push me further towards being a Surefire-only consumer as it is always the easy answer.

The lights you suggested may be good lights, they may even be suited to some people's needs, but from what I can see one requires a head-twist to adjust brightness, which I hate, and I can't tell how the other one works because their list of specs and features is written for the light geeks and not for regular actual users. Which, to come full circle, is one more thing that's frustrating about the geek light market, and something, yet again, that Surefire does 100 times better. Their website gives you a picture, outputs, runtimes and controls. I don't need the rest. If they simply must publish it, put it further down the page or on a separate tab.

I keep coming in here because the market has gotten unbelievably complicated and because I have questions (in this case) about a specific product, and the last thing I want to do is hear the CPF drivel.