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- Verified Buyer
I'm a big fan of lighting solutions, for camping, indoor areas without decent lighting, and lights to use for projects or for working on my car, so it's been a bit of a confusing frustration over the years that no one can seem to make a decent lantern....until now!I swear, every other lantern style light I've gotten has just had something wrong with it, being too big and bulky, too dim, too bright, or, the main problem, just providing far more glare, than illumination. That's really my biggest gripe, and I found this light actually by searching, "camp light with no glare." This one, so far, is definitely the best I've found.No surprise, I guess, since it's a Fenix -- I love their tactical flashlights and own several, so I already was feeling confident, with the brand, and, upon arrival and use, Fenix hasn't let me down!Features I like:- Compact size, meaning you can stow it almost anywhere- Fold away ring underneath, so you can hook it and hang it- Magnetized base, so you can stick in on a metal surface- Lighting levels, which go from soft glow white, to blazing bright, plus a red option- Ease of battery change -- no more fumbling with twist lock caps that don't line up- Battery options -- 2 of the AA, or a single CR123A- Durability and quality of build- Automatic SOS pattern (let's hope I never have to use it!)Things they could improve:- As others have said, the lighting sequence -- a lot of cycling, especially to get to the steady red. Would be great to simply add a second button, or perhaps re-arrange the sequence, if sticking with a single button set-up- Shielding -- while this is much less "glare-ish" than any lantern I've ever used, it still is best used overhead, if you want no glare, which isn't always an option. I have no idea why lantern makers can't provide a simple slip on plastic shield, to block one side of the light, so that you can set it down and have it illuminate away from you, without the light blazing in your eyes. Thankfully, this one has lower settings, to reduce that element, but, still, seems an obvious idea.- More base colors would be cool.I have one of these in my car trunk, stuck to the underside of the trunk lid, to supplement my really dim trunk light, and also to be able to remove and stick under my hood if I need to do something roadside, at night, like add washer fluid or whatever. I have another few in my camping gear, and they came in very handy, at home, when we had a power outage a while ago.So, the uses for a variable light lantern are endless and this is a very well put together item. Perhaps some polish on some elements would make it the most perfect lantern on earth -- for now, versus what else is on the market, it already is the best of what's made which is why I wound up buying three for me, and then two for my brother as well.The slight improvements that could be made do not warrant loss of one star, for me, simply because what it already does right is well worth a five star rating.I highly recommend!!!This is an excellent light. However, Fenix should consider a couple of minor changes:1. Red Light: You should not have to cycle through the white light to get to red. The white light kills your night vision.2. Blinking Red Light: The default red light is blinking. I (and probably most people) always want the solid red, but when you change the white light to red, you have to then change the blinking red to solid red.So here's the sequence if it's dark and you want to discreetly turn on the red light: Turn on the light - "Oh NO! I'm blinded by the bright white light!!!!" Quick, double tap the ON button..."Oh no, now I have a flashing red light." Click the ON button.Otherwise, it's a fantastic light - bright, lightweight, long lasting. I'd highly recommend it, even without the improvements above.I love this little lantern. Perfect for power outages and camping trips that I will be taking this year. Reason I gave 4 stars is it was missing the 2 extra Edison bright batteriesThis definitely meets or exceeds my expectations so far for a solid, functional light. The light output is more than sufficient for tent camping or even for enough light to get around in a large room if the power is out. The magnet holds the device firmly in place as well for normal use. I currently have mine stuck to my refrigerator in case of a power outage and I'll be ordering one or two more for the car or outdoor pursuits.This light is fantastic. It can put out as much light as one of the larger LED D-cell lanterns at 1/10th the weight and size. It's light enough to hang from the inside of a tent and the hemisphere design guarantees a nice efficient light distribution. The lowest setting is adequate for preparing for bed, while the high setting puts out more than enough light for reading.Got this for my wife after her mini coleman lantern broke. Great quality, great lighting levels. She really like the solid red, its super soft. The batteries seems to be holding up well so far, but running on only 2AA batteries and her using it all the time I suspect we will be going through batteries every couple weeks.Over all, I would highly recommend this lantern, great lighting.I love this light small but of very high quality, the light really nice warm type from an led. And really bright on high, wish it was cheaper so I can buy some more so just have to space new one s out a bit otherwise would buy four more right now!!!!! And the blue color is nice. Fenix awesome!!The unit is much smaller than I anticipated. Luckily it puts out a ridiculous amount of light and works like a charm! Fenix makes great products and this one is no let down. If you need something small but extremely useful, get it!
