****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I live on a farm and have been using the earlier versions of the Fenix LD-22 every day for years. I've bought many lights and these my favorite. The last one I bought is the V2 version.THINGS I LIKE:1) The switches are well designed - the main switch on the end can be operated with the thumb as the body of the light is held between two fingers, aimed at the ground for walking. A light push on the soft button provides temporary light for as long as the button is held down. A firmer push locks the light on until turned off with a second push. Unlike many lights, they did it right.2) A second switch on the side near the front cycles between through various brightness settings from very dim to very bright. The dimmest setting is enough for me to see the ground when walking down to the barn, on trails, or through the woods at night. The brightest setting is almost as bright as a spotlight - I can check on the horses and llamas across the field.3) This light does have the flashing and SOS modes present in many lights today. The big difference is Fenix does not make do what I find very annoying - It does not cycle through those modes with normal operation. The flashing modes are accessible if you need them, by a long push on the side switch.4) I like that the light can use two AA batteries which can be purchased anywhere. I can even keep a couple of spares in my pocket. I don't like rechargeable-only lights since when the battery runs down the light is worthless - doesn't help when deep in the middle of the woods!5) The V2 version does it all - it can use two AA batteries but also comes with a long rechargeable battery with a built-in charging port. If that battery becomes discharged, I can replace it with 2AA batteries when removing it for charging.6) These lights last a LONG time on a set of batteries, over 200 hours at the lowest setting.7) These lights are small and fit well in a shirt or pants pocket.I've read that some people don't like the side switch since it can be hard to find by feel. However, the fix is simple. The light comes with a pocket clip that can be rotated. I simply rotate the clip until it is on the opposite side of the side switch. Then, even in the dark, I can hold the light in my hand so I can feel the pocket clip at the inside of the first joints of my fingers, positioning the side switch perfectly to operate with my thumb to change the brightness.From my Amazon orders page it looks like I've bought 16 Fenex LD22 lights over the last dozen years, some are early versions. I keep them in vehicles, in my shop, the barn, in tool boxes, at the bedside, one in the sun room to call in the cats at night, several around the house, take one with me when traveling, gave a few as presents.Over the years a few things have changed: The side switch was changed from rubber to metal. The max brightness increased from 190 to 300 to 500 to 800 lumens.THINGS I DON'T LIKE AS MUCH:The price has increased.
