Xeno E03 Flashlight

[Snowdog]

I've been carrying an Inova X3 for a few years while on night errands, etc.

I'm admittedly a layman when it comes to flashlights and I appreciate the apparent quality of my Inova and what I understand to be the "throw" (it will illuminate nicely at a distance).
However, it's on the heavy side and though bright, it's not nuclear bright.

I bought my wife a flashlight for her Christmas stocking made by a company called Xeno, called the E03. It claims to offer over 400 lumens with a 14500 lithium battery. This thing is about the same diameter and roughly half the length of your typical AA cell MiniMag (so it's fairly small).

I got a chance to charge the battery and put it together (because it would sit unopened for months if up to the wife). I'm quite impressed with this tiny flashlight. It appears of quality manufacture considering the price ($25 or so) and with the rechargeable lithium 14500 battery, the "high" setting absolutely drowns out the beam spot from my Inova from 30' away.

There are flashlight forums I plan to visit to research this flashlight, but considering there are knowledgeable folks here, I thought I'd ask.
What's the word on these tiny flashlights in terms of longevity and durability?

 

[wleggart]

LumaForce LF1 520 lumens flashlight

I just bought a LF1 rated 520 lumens as my regular flashlight. I would also appreciate a response from folks knowledgeable about tactical flashlights. Do they; in fact, "blind" over a reasonable distance? I have a 1911 .45/super blackhawk .357 as a defensive weapon(s), and am very familiar with them. I use a two hand hold. Looks to me like I can use a one hand hold and wrist support while holding the flashlight. Look forward to hearing from you guys that have experience

 

[OregonJohnny]

While brands like Xeno, Inova, LumaForce, Lumapower, Liteflux, Lumintop, Terralux, etc. may not get much respect or mention on some of the flashlight forums, if they work for you, great!

"Flashaholics" who really search high and low for the best of the best are willing to pay top dollar for brands such as HDS, Surefire, and McGizmo. That doesn't mean that these same flashaholics don't have some budget Chinese-made lights in their collection. I am a Surefire fanboy (I own 10), but I can appreciate some of the higher-end Chinese lights like Fenix, Jetbeam, and Nitecore.

As far as lights meant for defense along with a weapon, the most important things are:

• Single mode - you do not want to push the switch, then accidentally turn it off and push it again just to have the light go into a lower mode or strobe or something. You want HIGH, you want it NOW, and you want it AGAIN the next time you turn on the light.

• Durability - $150 or $200 may seem like a lot for a Surefire, but believe me, you get a light that will take quite a bit of abuse (and recoil) and keep working.

• Beam profile - A 500-lumen beam isn't much good for "blinding" opponents if the beam is very wide and floody with no hotspot. A tight hotspot will be easier to direct right into the eyes of an aggressor.

For everything you could ever want to know about flashlights, check out candle power forums. Chances are there is someone there with first-hand experience using the exact light you are asking about.