These are the Streamlight Task-Lights, 1AA and 2AA. The upper light is powered by a single AA cell and uses a reflector and Nichia CS 5mm LED for light, while the lower light uses a 0.5W Nichia Rigel high powered LED with a special collimating lens and 2 AA cells. Both lights have 3 different output settings: high, low, and flash.

Body: Both lights have anodized aluminum bodies. The head and tailcap have decorative rings machined into them, while the bodies are checkered for grip. The 1AA light has much more gentle checkering, similar to a Maglite, while the 2AA light has a more aggressive checkering giving it a better grip. The tailcap of both lights is drilled for a split-ring attached lanyard and has a vent in the center.

1AA Tailcap, 2AA tailcap

Bezel/Head: The head of both lights is larger in diameter than the body and they are sealed so that they cannot be opened without tools. The 1AA light has a very deep reflector that houses the single 5mm LED, while the 2AA light uses a large collimating lens.

1AA Bezel, 2AA Bezel

Output: The white light produced by the 1AA LED is typical for a Nichia CS 5mm LED - it has a yellowish beam with a bluish center. The beam has a distinct transition between the central spot, corona, and spillbeam, giving it a slightly ringy profile. The 2AA Rigel LED is visibly purplish in tint. The beam has a fairly smooth transition from one part of the beam to the next, with some rings in the spillbeam.

The dim mode is achieved with the use of a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation), which means the light is flickered very rapidly to create the illusion of dimming. This works as a result of a perceptual feature of our brain called "persistence of vision". Basically, our eyes can only pick up motion just so quickly and this results in "gaps" in our visual field. Our brain brain fills in those gaps so our vision does not appear jittery. This is also why animation (movies, TV, etc.) appears to be a continuous flow instead of 24 individual flickering frames per second.

You can detect a PWM dimmed light by moving it very rapidly across your field of vision. You'll then usually see the individual flickers. Reading with a PWM dimmed light can be uncomfortable for some people because the rapid movement of the eyes across the page makes the flicker visible. Although the flicker can be annoying at times, PWM dimmed lights are very good at battery conservation because the light is actually "off" some of the time (in-between the flickers).

   
1AA beam at one meter at target center and at target edge to show spillbeam.

   
2AA beam at one meter at target center and at target edge to show spillbeam.

Runtime Plot: Not bad at all. Fairly typical semi-regulated output.

Runtime completed with included Duracell brand batteries. More information on runtime plots is available HERE.

Runtime completed with included Duracell brand batteries. More information on runtime plots is available HERE.

Switch: The switches are rubber covered electronic clickies with no momentary option available. Press once for high, again for low, again for off. Press and hold until it starts blinking for the flashing mode. The 1AA switch is notably higher than the 2AA switch which could make it prone to accidental activation.

1AA Switch, 2AA Switch

Seals / Water Resistance: O-ring seals protect the ends of the light from the entry of water. It should withstand a drop in a puddle without any trouble. If it gets wet inside, just disassemble as much a possible without tools and let it dry before using again.

Ergonomics: Not much to mention here. They are easy to handle and use.

 
Size compared to a common 2AA aluminum light

Batteries: AA cells power these lights. The instructions do not mention the use of any other battery type than alkaline, so I'd avoid everything else.

A somewhat negative characteristic of these lights is that the boost/switching circuit inside the light is parasitic. It constantly draws current from the batteries even with it turned off. The 1AA only draws 0.4mA, while the 2AA draws about 2mA. This means that if the batteries are left in the light, even with the light turned off, in about 8 months the 1AA light's cell will dead, and in less than 90 days the 2AA battery light will probably have dead cells. As a result, these lights may be good for situations where they will see fairly heavy use, but should not be used as emergency lights with the batteries left in them.

A parasitic circuit is especially bad for NiMH cells, which are sensitive to over discharge, but even alkalines are impacted since they tend to leak when overly drained.

Accessories: A nylon wrist lanyard in included and comes attached to the light.

What I Liked: Water resistant, Inherently impact resistant, Good battery life, Good output, Easy battery change, Lightweight, Stands up

What I Didn't Like: Parasitic circuit will drain the batteries even when the light is turned off. You must remove the cells when storing the light or not using it for long periods of time.

Picky Little Things:

Conclusions: Good general use lights, provided they will see frequent use. Remove the batteries when they are not being used for a significant period of time or else they will become just another "dead battery holder" for the back of your kitchen drawer.

Quick Facts Table: