I agree with your assessment. It reminds me of the "do all rifle", that people chase. There's always a compromise. Shorter barrels have pros and cons, just as longer barrels have pros and cons. Lights seem to be in that spot where they fix one "issue", currently being people wanting the most output as possible, but that comes with cons, such as step downs, high temps and less run times. There's a sweet spot in there, that I think you're onto in this video. Good output, good throw, and spill, but no crazy step downs, and I would assume less temp issues. If all a person needs is momentary maximum lighting solutions, the REIN and Surefire are maybe what a person would want. But, if they want consistent longer use, then a step back the other direction seems to be the way to go. Long story short, like rifles, there is no "do all flashlight" IMO.
Sorry, so I'm not really understanding something here with these current 'premium weapon lights' from the big name manufacturers (not counting stuff like the Modlite Hog OKW or the Weltool W65L, which is that crazy-ass LEP light with a spill lens that gives it really great and usable spill while still having 175,000 candela), I'm talking just about these normal, 18650/18350 LED, high candela, weapon lights with still a good amount of flood and spill -- but specifically I am talking about the 18650 versions of the Scout Turbo and the Rein 3.0, since I don't really like mini lights. So with these lights, is there something I'm not getting regarding the Surefire Turbo lights vs the rein 3.0? If we're talking about the purposes and benefits of a high candela, LED weapon light that still has decent flood and spill, does the Surefire offer any benefits or advantage that the Rein does not? I.e. Is there any reason that someone might want to choose the surefire Turbos over the Rein 3.0 besides battery life and brand loyalty/liking the aesthetics of the Surefire over the Rein? The surefire spill doesn't illuminate as much of the area down range, it's not as bright, it throttles faster AND harder, the CRI is worse, the flood is significantly worse, and you gotta pay a bunch of extra money if you want a remote switch. And if you want a clicky cap AND remote switch at the same time on the Surefire, then you have to pay WAY more money, like $170 or something insane Is there ANY reason to go with a Surefire over Rein 3.0 now that the Rein lights can be used with Surefire caps and switches? Is there any advantage to the m640dft or the m340dft over the Rein 3.0 in terms of usability or practicality or like any performance metrics besides battery life? Like is the beam better for 'tactical'/military usage? I have the SureFire Turbo that I just picked up to give it a shot since I already really like Surefire, but I'm struggling to see how the surefire option makes more sense than the Rein now that you can use the surefire ecosystem. Are they more durable? Are they more reliable? I don't get it. They're basically the same price right now; if anything the surefire is still MORE expensive. I can get a Rein 3.0 with the new remote switch and MLOK mount for $260 no tax, and the lowest price I could find a surefire was $240 WITH tax & shipping, without a remote switch or a UE tail cap, so that's like another $120 to get the same sort of setup
It's going to come down to preference, likely. A lot of people do have strong brand loyalties. Also, reliability is a thing. Modlites and Malkoffs offer the least complexity, Surefire seems middle of the road, and the Rein introduces more complexity and tolerance stacking. To whit, they are the only company publishing "how to adjust your light assemble to prevent flickering" type videos. I personally really like the Modlite PLHV2 that just came out with the rubber "buffer" by the spring. It maintains its output far longer than the Rein or Surefire offerings, and is a good mix of spill and throw with a large hot spot and decent LUX. Also, size is a factor, as is the body (Surefire PRO), etc. Many factors will go into a WML choice. That is why I make these videos, to help people to come to their own conclusions in this, as best one can from RUclips. That said...I buy this stuff and T&E it because RUclips didn't help ME make up MY mind, lol!
The big reason Surefire is king is due to the ability to use a dual lead pressure pad with a night vision laser aiming device. Lights like the Rein have a proprietary switch out of the box. If you have no NV needs then the Rein is the performance king no doubt.
I agree with your assessment. It reminds me of the "do all rifle", that people chase. There's always a compromise. Shorter barrels have pros and cons, just as longer barrels have pros and cons. Lights seem to be in that spot where they fix one "issue", currently being people wanting the most output as possible, but that comes with cons, such as step downs, high temps and less run times. There's a sweet spot in there, that I think you're onto in this video. Good output, good throw, and spill, but no crazy step downs, and I would assume less temp issues. If all a person needs is momentary maximum lighting solutions, the REIN and Surefire are maybe what a person would want. But, if they want consistent longer use, then a step back the other direction seems to be the way to go. Long story short, like rifles, there is no "do all flashlight" IMO.
This pretty much justified me making malkoff/arisaka my go to WML.
awesome review man tks. malkoff all day for me.
Sorry, so I'm not really understanding something here with these current 'premium weapon lights' from the big name manufacturers (not counting stuff like the Modlite Hog OKW or the Weltool W65L, which is that crazy-ass LEP light with a spill lens that gives it really great and usable spill while still having 175,000 candela), I'm talking just about these normal, 18650/18350 LED, high candela, weapon lights with still a good amount of flood and spill -- but specifically I am talking about the 18650 versions of the Scout Turbo and the Rein 3.0, since I don't really like mini lights.
So with these lights, is there something I'm not getting regarding the Surefire Turbo lights vs the rein 3.0? If we're talking about the purposes and benefits of a high candela, LED weapon light that still has decent flood and spill, does the Surefire offer any benefits or advantage that the Rein does not? I.e. Is there any reason that someone might want to choose the surefire Turbos over the Rein 3.0 besides battery life and brand loyalty/liking the aesthetics of the Surefire over the Rein? The surefire spill doesn't illuminate as much of the area down range, it's not as bright, it throttles faster AND harder, the CRI is worse, the flood is significantly worse, and you gotta pay a bunch of extra money if you want a remote switch. And if you want a clicky cap AND remote switch at the same time on the Surefire, then you have to pay WAY more money, like $170 or something insane
Is there ANY reason to go with a Surefire over Rein 3.0 now that the Rein lights can be used with Surefire caps and switches? Is there any advantage to the m640dft or the m340dft over the Rein 3.0 in terms of usability or practicality or like any performance metrics besides battery life? Like is the beam better for 'tactical'/military usage? I have the SureFire Turbo that I just picked up to give it a shot since I already really like Surefire, but I'm struggling to see how the surefire option makes more sense than the Rein now that you can use the surefire ecosystem. Are they more durable? Are they more reliable? I don't get it. They're basically the same price right now; if anything the surefire is still MORE expensive. I can get a Rein 3.0 with the new remote switch and MLOK mount for $260 no tax, and the lowest price I could find a surefire was $240 WITH tax & shipping, without a remote switch or a UE tail cap, so that's like another $120 to get the same sort of setup
It's going to come down to preference, likely. A lot of people do have strong brand loyalties. Also, reliability is a thing. Modlites and Malkoffs offer the least complexity, Surefire seems middle of the road, and the Rein introduces more complexity and tolerance stacking. To whit, they are the only company publishing "how to adjust your light assemble to prevent flickering" type videos. I personally really like the Modlite PLHV2 that just came out with the rubber "buffer" by the spring. It maintains its output far longer than the Rein or Surefire offerings, and is a good mix of spill and throw with a large hot spot and decent LUX. Also, size is a factor, as is the body (Surefire PRO), etc. Many factors will go into a WML choice. That is why I make these videos, to help people to come to their own conclusions in this, as best one can from RUclips. That said...I buy this stuff and T&E it because RUclips didn't help ME make up MY mind, lol!
The big reason Surefire is king is due to the ability to use a dual lead pressure pad with a night vision laser aiming device. Lights like the Rein have a proprietary switch out of the box. If you have no NV needs then the Rein is the performance king no doubt.