Fenix E05 85 Lumens Pocket Flashlight - Compact & Bright LED Light for Camping, Hiking, Emergency & Everyday Carry (EDC)

I had the original 1st generation E05 which when it came out a few years ago was theoretically the perfect keychain light for me. Which is why the first part of this review will apply both to the 1st generation and this one, as there are some similarities that I do appreciate between both:The E05 is, in my opinion, the best keychain based flashlight you can buy. There are a few things about it that I believe make it such a great buy.-Light. It puts out an absolutely appropriate amount of light for what you will need to do on a day to day basis. Between the 1st generation doing 27 lumens constant and the 2nd generation doing a 5/25/85 you have as much light as you will need for small tasks that this flashlight will typically be involved in.-Durability - These are waterproof and I have never had a concern that I was going too hard on it. They feel solid in the hand and are well built.-Compact - The E05 is one of the smallest flashlights that meets the next criteria that you can buy. It's compact and doesn't make your keys too bulky. I hate bulky keychains so I only carry the bare minimum. Believe me, I wouldn't carry this thing if it wasn't small enough. Which brings me into the next point...-Powered by a AAA battery. None of this button cell stuff that cost like 5 dollars to repower your flashlight. You can get AAAs anywhere for cheap and that's what I really was looking for. You can also use a rechargeable if you so desire, which I may switch over to. I typically run Duracells, though.-Single CREE LED. It seems that the cheaper flashlights tend to have more LEDs because it is cheaper to manufacture several cheap, dimmer LEDs than to manufacture a single bright good LED. With this comes more solders and less durability. I will typically stay away from any flashlight that has any more than one LED on it.-Battery life. Both the first and the second generation is not lacking for battery life. I replace my battery so little that I don't even remember the last time I did. It does eventually run low but honestly I replace mine so infrequently I hardly even know it has a battery in it.-Paint durability. The paint is pretty solid on here, even getting banged around on a set of keys (I beat the crap out of mine) you see only minor wear and the paint doesn't instantly come off.Now for the advantages of the 2nd generation and why I prefer it over the 1st generation E05.-Variable luminosity. The head twists for on and off, starting at 5, then if you do it in 1 sec off/on again you get 25, then again 85 lumens. Most tasks I have 5 lumens is plenty but it is nice to be able to over-do it with 85 for some super dark stuff. One note is that it doesn't like to be on 85 lumens for extended periods. It WILL drop back to 25 lumens after a minute or two, which you can instantly re-up it to 85 but it will not stay on 85 lumens. This is intentional as it does begin to get a slight bit warm when running on a high setting so something to be aware of.-Lens is not some weird diffuser thing. I liked the original E05's lens, it was impossible to scratch because it gave out an area of light but I feel like the lens on this model is less restrictive and allows more light out of it.That's about all I have, there's no real reason not to get this over the 1st gen, unless you absolutely must have simplicity then you can't beat the 1st generation.The Fenix E05 keychain flashlight is super small, allowing you to carry this easily in any configuration on a daily basis. The output is fantastic for a single AAA powered light. Having three modes and a fantastic broad beam makes this one stand out above the crowd.Features I like about this keychain flashlight:Ultra Compact.85 Lumen High mode.Broad Beam Lens.Nicely done knurling.Cree XP-E2 LED for long life.A 8 Lumen Low mode that runs for 15 Hours.IPX8 Rated Waterproof.Twist style switch.Always starts on Low.Usable Medium setting at 25 Lumens.Extra O-Ring, and split ring.Great warranty.Solid build quality.Features that could be added or improved on:A small clip to attach it to a belt or hat.A small lanyard.Overall, this is a premium priced, single AAA powered flashlight that is very compact. The three modes give you plenty of options for EDC use. There are many choices in this price range, but the quality of Fenix products puts the E05 above all othersI have the older model of this light too, and loved it. This one is way better.I'm a flashlight freak. I admit it. I have them all over the house, in cars, office... I'm addicted. The idea of paying around 20 bucks for a tiny flashlight is almost offensive, and yet, I was eager to buy the upgrade even though my original E05 is still working great. A small flashlight that can fit in your pocket comes in handy so many times. This light, is soooo bright. It's not a spot light, but bright enough for anything up close. Walking at night? Check. Fuse box? Check. Sorting through the glove compartment? Check. Under the couch? You get the idea.It will easily illuminate a room bright enough to navigate. It has a good throw, and on high I can light up my back fence from the doorway 35 feet away.On my last backpacking trip, while I did bring another light (addicted, remember?) I promised to only use this one. While I still like a headlamp for the convenience of hands free operation, this light could be your only light if needed. (I used duct tape to attach to my hat!) It worked really well (on low) for a tent dome light, nighttime excursions to the back side of the tree, and (with tape) setting up my tent.Remember that this light is also water resistant/proof. You can literally drop it into the water and it keeps going, so you can even do something crazy like wearing it during night swimming (or whatever).There are many small flashlights available, but I like this one for several reasons. It has three brightness settings, and even the lowest is bright enough to illuminate the ground a few feet ahead, making walking short distances at night safe. It's rugged. I've had mine for several years, and it still works great while taking on a nice patina. Others that I owned previously didn't hold up. It operates off a single AAA battery, so replacements are easy to find. Because this fits on my key ring nicely without adding much bulk, the flashlight is always with me. It is a little pricey, but it's well made and won't fail you. Glad I have it.Far smaller than I expected, but a great little torch. It really is like an elongated AAA battery, and on full beam it packs quite a punch. The functionality is excellent, with switching between settings being extremely intuitive. The only thing that could improve it would have been incorporating some focusing mechanism, but that's difficult in a product this size and arguably would be overkill for the manner in which this is likely to be used.Initially I was actually reticent about the small size. I think the 'survival tools' market more broadly is a ridiculously macho world in which we all buy things that we'll never really need in a bid to make our lives seem more edgy. I wonder how many military spec knives are used largely for opening letters, or how many titanium-bodied torches chiefly help inspect the plumbing every now and again. I think this torch would be considered at most a tertiary back-up on websites packed with the sort of people who do airsoft in a full ghillie suit. I must admit that when this arrived I looked at it and felt a sense of inadequacy. Very phallic I know. Anyway, it really has won me over and for the vast majority of appliances it is about as good as you need.I use it around the house (I live in Delhi where power cuts are relatively frequent) and plan to use it on holidays and some work travel where something to use for walking at night in rural/remote areas is necessary. If you require something for really sustained outdoor use that must provide a more focused, long-distance beam, then it's very unlikely you'll ever consider this product in the first place. If not, then this is a fantastically portable solution that will take care of your everyday needs.I was fed up with the weight of 3-battery pocket torches, and dug out my old original titchy torch, a standard maglite solitaire and decided this is what I'd prefer if I could get it. I looked into getting an led upgrade for it and found this almost as dear as buying a new one. I looked at similar torches running on expensive relatively non standard voltage batteries, and rejected them as being more liable to leave me stranded without a battery, as well as a fiscal nono. Then I found this one. It's 1cm shorter than a solitaire, very bright for it's size, I've had it over a month, and it's still going well on the original battery. I have stock of Eneloop rechargables for my photo gear, so, when the present cell gives up, I'll use them.Edit, 9 months later, finally lost the top 2 power levels (to battery saving mode?), put new battery in, all ok again!Great torch for keyrings, or simply to keep in a pocket - I have mine on a coiled lanyard so it doesn't get lost and it's always at hand. This LED is powered by a single AAA battery, and overall it's only a few millimeters bigger than the battery inside it!If you turn it on it has a brightness of 8 lumens; by "turning-it-off-then-back-on-again-in-less-than-a-second" it changes to 25 lumens, then to 85 lumens after a third cycle. Turning it off for two or more seconds resets the cycle.The 8 lumens setting is suitable for close-up work, like finding a keyhole or for reading a map in a vehicle, range of 3-4 meters, and lasting about 10-12 hours. The 25 lumens setting is good for walking along a dark road, range of about 20 meters and should last for 4-5 hours. The 85 lumens setting is very bright and will light up a whole carpark, however it drains the AAA battery in about 40-45 minutes. Different battery brands have different "mAh" capacity, so the higher capacity batteries will obviously last longer.Amazon and 7dayshop sell "battery boxes" that hold 4 or 5 AAA batteries, so it's easy to keep spare batteries in your pocket. Rechargable AAA batteries are a good investment as well - just make sure you invest in a decent charger like the Ansmann 8+ or 16+, or one of the high-end Duracell chargers. These chargers do not stress the batteries and allow them to go through more recharge cycles before they get delpeted.I've bought several of the Fenix torches - it's a great brand. This is one of the smallest and conceals a couple of very useful features1) It is small - maybe not officially tiny but smaller than my car key remote by a long way. (Think a large USB stick size)2) Smaller lights run on tiny hearing aid or torch batteries - hard to get in a small shop. This runs on a more common AAA battery3) You turn it on by twisting the head of the torch and it comes on with a nice beam that is fine to find the path or keyhole at night However if you immediately turn it off and on again once or twice the beam steps up to the two higher levels. The highest kills the battery fairly fast but it is absolutely dazzling and above anything you would expect from this size of torch. Perfect for those 'lost earring on the gravel at night' moments !If you want a torch small enough to forget on a keyring, in a handbag or pocket - yet powerful enough to save your skin when you need it this is great - I've bought 4 more for friends and family!Bought as a present for my sister and she's very happy with it! I've used hers a few times - it's so compact! Smaller than you might think, even knowing the measurements and seeing the product images. The twist feature is very secure and smooth (some prefer a clicky switch but I think the twist function is preferable on a small keychain flashlight, especially when it works a well as this).It's more than bright enough at its medium setting - my sister has used it to check for slugs (to avoid squishing) on the path up to her front door...and for finding her keys! A much better solution than previously using her phone torch.The black and coloured versions WILL tarnish and wear over time, but this is common with most torches made using hard anodized aluminium (even if listed as scratch-proof). They do a stainless steel version which naturally would wear far better but is considerably heavier and more expensive. The steel version also has a weak point in the lanyard hole placement, which some owners have said caused warping and in some cases snapped metal. Ultimately a matter of taste, but if you don't mind the 'worn in' look and want a reliable, compact and affordable key chain light - this is it!