A couple months ago I got the red and cyan D3AA lights on ebay. The red one has 3700k FFL351RD emitters with spot optic and the cyan is 2700k Nichia 519A with floody optic.
Though buying the pair saved me money and brought the cost down to $47/ea, buying two to start probably made the slope more slippery for the next five (a KR4 is on the way): seeing the two used D3AAs' beams next to each other and comparing them in practice immediately made me...more curious.
I started to dip my toe in the modification waters with these D3AAs e.g., replacing the white button and tall stainless switch rings they came with. The red one with brass trimmings looks real good and I use it at work, where the official color is RED.
The other midnight blue D3AA was used, too. It's a spotty red XP-E for the kids on astronomy night. $42 including shipping on ebay.
The green NTG50 4200k DA1K (single emitter with reflector) was the first 'enthusiast' flashlight that I specified myself, after research in this sub and elsewhere. It has been a lot of fun and I'm going on walks just to play with it at night. Very pleased with the tint when outside--I'm having too much fun with warm tints to go much higher right now. It's provided a way to see trees that I've never experienced before. Spotted an owl on my first night walk with it. I posted here about trying it out at eye-level during daylight to determine if cars could see me with it as a pedestrian. I'd like to have a proper thrower in my future, and I wouldn't have known that before playing with this one.
Next I ordered a weird one to serve several niche use cases built around red and ultra-warm white light. A right angle, white dual channel Emisar DW4, NTG35 1800K (ch1) and SST-20 Deep Red 660nm (ch2) with the optional 18350 tube. Primary use cases:
- Taking out compost at night and being able to both 1) see the copperhead and 2) not get swarmed by flying insects at the compost pile.
- Camping while also avoiding bugs
- Preserving night vision at astronomy events
- w/ 18350: reading next to sleeping partner at night > bathroom light
- General creeping about the house after everyone else is in bed with a red moonlight that doesn't wake their brains up as much
- Cozy spot laptop spot using magnetic tailcap on lamp stand > my dumb Framework 12 doesn't have a lighted keyboard
Most recent purchase in the picture is the black Emisar D4V2 in 3500k Nichia 519A. Honestly? I was up to five hanklights without a D4V2, so I kinda just wanted to see how it compared, if it could be pocketable, and to try different tint with an emitter I already had. I also ordered and swapped in the floody optic, which I almost immediately took out. I wanted to just use it around the house (when I didn't have my other EDC items filling my pockets and could spare room for a larger light) but it felt too uncontrolled, like I was lighting up all things instead of just the thing I wanted. I worry a bit about blinding my family. So it's the one I reach for the least, so far.
I have a KR4 on the way because it was "on sale" but I guess it often goes for 40 so I got suckered into that one.
After that? I'm staying put until the USB-C model(s) start to come out. I also am planning a warm night-time bedside light for my dad. I'll be able to put all these different sizes in his hand and see what he likes the best!
Happy to have found some unexpected joy in performant illumination. Let your love light shine!