I entered the 'serious flashlight' market with these criteria:
1.) Must run off two AA batteries. CR123s are nifty, and they're not really that expensive if you shop online, but they are not common or convenient. With the DC->DC transformers built into modern LED lights, we are past the days when you absolutely required the high voltage offered by the lithium CR123s. And I didn't want a single AA light, because frankly I'd lose it. Plus two cells gives you twice the mileage so why not.
2.) Must have at least one low-power mode for general use. It's great that your flashlight can be used as a signal flare for aircraft, but how
low can you set its brightness to save the battery (and not melt your retinas).
3.) Must have a broad beam. I'm not looking for a weapon light here, I'm looking for a light that helps me find objects and paths in the dark.
4.) Must be no bigger than a Maglite 2AA, with as straight a body as possible, for easy pocket carry. A lot of lights have jumped on the "you can drive over our light with a tank and it won't break" bandwagon, which makes them far more bulky than necessary for people who don't leave their lights in the path of tanks. Many also add pointless flanges or have large heads to encompass large reflectors.
After a fair bit of searching around, it came down to the Fenix LD20 or the Quark AA2. The Fenix light is a little bit cheaper but ultimately I went with the Quark for two reasons. First it offers a lower minimum brightness. And second, it's a more streamlined shape for easy pocket carry (and more aesthetically pleasing). <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
I got my AA2 in the mail today and I was afraid that I was going to have to send it right back out again: it didn't turn on at ALL, even with fresh batteries that I knew were good. I tried swapping the head and tail just for giggles, and now it would turn on in the low modes, even though the head was as tight as I felt I could tighten it without endangering the threads. I went back to the catalog and saw a discrepancy. There is a small ring immediately behind the base of the pocket clip: on the catalog image it was flush to the base of the clip, while on mine there was a small gap. After blistering my fingers a bit I got it all the way down (very VERY tight screw) and put the light back together. Works fine now.
The light in general feels a lot...well, lighter than I expected. The manufacturer says 2.2 ounces minus the batteries, which seems plausible. The two AAs that go
in the light weigh more than the light does. It's also smaller than you'd think: it makes a Mag 2AA look clunky. The overall length is a little shorter, the body diameter is about the same, but the Quark AA2 doesn't have the bulbous reflector assembly on the Mag.
The light does not rattle when shaken along its long axis, though a very mild clunking can be heard from the batteries impacting the side the tube if it's shaken side to side. Mine does not have anodized screw threads, which I thought it was supposed to have, but it's hard to complain since everything fits together smooth and snug.
The switch has a very solid click to it. It does not have a momentary-on function. A full press-and-click turns the light on and off, and a soft press without clicking cycles through brightnesses. Turning the head from fully tight to loosened a turn changes between your options. Fully tightened you get 'maximum' and a tactical strobe. Loosened a turn you get 'moonlight, low, medium, high, SOS pulse, and a beacon pulse. Personally I think the pulse modes are kind of a gimmick, but they're there if you find a use and they don't get in the way.
I don't have light measuring equipment here, but maximum brightness is
intensely bright. 4sevens says 206 lumens. I do not imagine myself using it very much purely because it will be too much light most of the time. A proper test of 'moonlight will have to wait until tonight. Low brightness is the equivalent of what you'd expect from a coin-cell keyring light, with medium and high offering very solid options for general purpose rummaging in dark rooms. The light changes color depending on the level you're driving it at: at the lower levels it has a pronounced greenish color, fading to a very faint green at high, and maximum just give the impression of searing white. (This is the standard Quark AA2, not the "neutral" color option).
Initial impressions, aside from the mysteriously un-tightened clip retaining ring, are very positive. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
