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Detailed
Information:
The Surefire L5 Digital Lumamax is a major step forward
in the tactical use of LEDs for a lighting source. Prior
to the L5, LEDs were only considered "navigational
lights" for use when the high intensity tactical
incandescent bulb was not needed. Now the advantages
of the highly reliable and shockproof LED are being
officially recognized as having the capability to perform
in tactical environments.
The body finish, both inside and out, is manufactured
to military specifications, giving the light very good
resistance to abrasion and corrosion. The external surface
is Type III hard anodize which is capable of sawing
through the body of a typical aluminum light without
suffering any damage itself. Inside you will see a gold
colored coating which protects the internal surfaces.
The body has a shape designed to facilitate its use
with a firearm. It has a square profile with a rubber
grip ring near the tailcap. Tactical lights are commonly
held between the index and middle finger with the momentary
button against the base of the thumb. The fingers grip
the light at the narrow section of the body. Squeezing
inward on the flanged rubber grip ring forces the light
back against the base of the thumb, depressing the momentary
switch. The lower two fingers on the "light hand"
can be used to grip the base of the "weapon hand"
giving more stability to a firearm while engaging opponents.
Of course, you can hold it using various other grips
as well.
The bezel has a notice engraved upon it warning that
it should be considered a hot surface. Although LEDs
don't produce any heat that is projected forward as
part of the beam (infrared), the body of the light needs
to absorb excess heat created by the process of generating
light and move the heat away from the LED where it could
cause damage. Don't grab the light by the bezel if it
has been on for any significant period of time.
Since the L5 uses a Luxeon V LED, there is no bulb
replacement necessary. Ever. Batteries are the only
thing you'll need for this light besides some silicone
grease to keep the O-ring lubricated once in a while.
The beam produced is very smooth and, as is typical
for Surefire, is rather wide with a strong spillbeam.
Designed for close combat operations, it is important
that the light illuminate a large area so as to provide
useful information about the environment in front of
the user. Other folks will find this very handy when
out walking or hiking as the medium-wide beam will help
prevent stumbling feet. This light is not, however,
designed for spotting distance objects.
Aside from having great output, that great output will
remain about the same for 90 minutes without significant
dimming due to the presence of a regulator circuit in
the bezel that supplies the LED with a consistent level
of energy. After the initial 90 minute bright period,
when the batteries can no longer supply the energy required
by the circuit to keep the light at its best, the illumination
level will diminish over time so you aren't left in
the dark immediately when the batteries start to expire.
The switch on the L5 is different from the previously
typical Surefire tactical switches in that it is a clickie
switch. Press the textured rubber end button for momentary
activation, press until it clicks for constant-on. Twisting
the tailcap backwards 1 full turn locks out the switch
so that accidental activation is prevented. The switch
works remarkably well for use with the Surefire-Rogers
grip and seems at least as effective as the current
tactical switch designs.
Two Surefire 123A lithium batteries are recommended
for powering the light and are included. They can be
purchased on-line at Surefire.com for a very reasonable
price ($1.25 each at the time of this review). I do
not recommend buying 123A batteries in local stores.
Even the nationwide "discount" department
stores sell them for $10 a pair. In case you are interested
in going rechargeable, this light will run on a Pila
168S lithium ion rechargeable battery for about
50 minutes. Click the link to see the review of the
Pila batteries.
There is a clip on the side which has a cutout for
the attachment of a lanyard. Numerous accessories are
available. Since this light is based upon the M2, it
will accept an M2 Turbo Kit if you wish to have greater
"throw". The M2 Turbo Kit uses an incandescent
bulb and larger reflector.
What I Liked: Very bright, tough finish, shockproof
LED, no bulbs to buy ever again, ability to upgrade
to a Turbo Head for distance spotting, waterproof.
What I Didn't Like: Nothing.
Other Things I Noticed: The beam has a very
slight greenish tint. This is not unexpected with Luxeon
Star LEDs as they all have a slight tint of some sort.
Color rendition is still very good and after a few seconds
of use you don't notice the tint. Other Luxeon Star
lights have been seen to have purple, green, amber,
and bluish tints, some very strong. This tint is just
noticeable and is therefore relatively inconsequential.
Conclusions: What can I say? Surefire has once
again done a great job of taking new technologies like
the Luxeon LED and current regulator circuits and adapted
them into an incredibly tough, bright, and versatile
illumination device.
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