Author Topic: Fenix PD32 v2.0 flashlight review  (Read 1785 times)

Brad Johnson

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Fenix PD32 v2.0 flashlight review
« on: May 14, 2019, 02:27:48 PM »
I bit the bullet and got a Fenix PD35 v2.0 to replace my aging Surefire LX2. The Fenix arrived yesterday and I've had a chance to play with it this morning.

https://www.fenix-store.com/fenix-pd35-v2-0-led-flashlight-1000-lumens/



My thoughts...

Build Quality
Very good to excellent. Made of aluminum and the materials seem of good quality. Milling marks are clean and parts appear to have been tumbled to remove sharp edges. The lens is glass (unknown if it's garden-variety or some type of heat-resistant product). The buttons depress with a quality feel. Overall the initial impression is very good.

Functionality
There are two buttons. The tail cap is the Momentary/On/Off switch. Press lightly to use as a Momentary button. Press until it clicks to use as an On/Off button.  With the light on, press the side button to toggle between five output levels (3/50/150/350/1000) or hold down it for a few moments to activate Strobe. Press again to return to flashlight mode.  

Carryability
The flashlight fits nicely into the 5" x 1" category of EDC units. As with other units in this class, the barrel is slightly smaller in diameter than the LED head or tail cap.  There are no hard corners or sharp edges to snag clothing. The unit fits easily in a pants pocket or can be carried in the included belt holder. It also comes with a removable pocket clip.

Light Throw and Quality
The flashlight throws a cool-white light with a well-defined hot spot that feathers pleasantly (and usefully) at the edges. At ten feet, the hot spot is approximately 18" wide with a bleed circle of several feet. The output modes don't seem to change the light color but do run the extreme in output levels. On Low (3 lumens) the illumination is minimal, comparable to a full moon on a clear night. This is offset by a 430 hour run time (seventeen days!). In an extended emergency or survival situation this could prove a godsend. On High (1000 lumens) the output is dazzlingly bright, making it functionally useless for closeup work but much appreciated for outdoor pursuits. The downside is a dramatically reduced runtime. Fenix claims most of three hours at this mode but what I've seen online says it will only do this for a few minutes until the LED starts to overheat. At that point the protection circuit cuts in and reduces output to a slightly lower level. I find the middle setting (150 lumens) to be the best compromise for general use. Given the ease of switching between output levels, it's really not an issue. Strobe mode is dazzlingly bright, even on a sunny day. Indoors in a dark room? Debilitating.

Quirks and Gripes
Not many, really. The main one centers around the tail cap's protective ears. If you have hammy thumbs like I do, the ears are deep and wide enough to interfere with function unless your finger is perfectly centered between the lobes. Gloves make it even more of an issue. Also, the ears are not long enough to let the light tail-sit. Minor quibbles, sure, but something that should have been addressed in the design of a $70 EDC flashlight, especially the second iteration.

A secondary issue is the small size of the key/strap slot. It's too thin to accept anything more substantial than the supplied strap, requiring some type of secondary attachment type in order to hang the light from a ring or lanyard.

Comparison to a Surefire
I bought this flashlight to replace an aging Surefire LX2, my EDC for the better part of eight years. I hate replacing it but the tail cap switch assembly spontaneously disassembled itself during a recent battery change. I got it back together but the operation is a little funky now. Compared to the price of a comparable current model Surefire the cost of a new tail cap isn't horrible, but it also isn't cheap.

The Fenix offers a noticeably cooler light temperature than the LX2. My Mk1 Calibrated Eyeball says the LX2 is somewhere in the 4000-4500K range while the Fenix is 4500-5000K. The higher color temp's added contrast is nice when there is a bit of ambient light,  but stark and jarring when powered up in complete darkness. The LX2's hot spot feathers off a tad bit more gradually but the Fenix's is still pleasantly soft.

One serious question deals with the Fenix's lumen rating. Either the Surefire, at an advertised 200 lumens on High, is substantially underrated or Fenix is cherry-picking their max measurements to an embarrassingly obvious degree. In a direct side-by-side comparison at 15 feet the Fenix's output should wash the Surefire's output into dim unnoticeability, but it doesn't. It is perceived as slightly brighter, but not five times so. Is it a deal-breaker? No. Just glaringly obvious (pun intended) when directly compared to a product with more trustworthy performance claims.

Weather seals in the Fenix are noticeably less robust than in the Surefire. That's to be expected considering one was made for a retail EDC market, the other for extended harsh-environment military deployment. For my needs the seals will be fine and a dab of silicone gel lube will keep the o-rings from drying out or getting pinched. Should they fail, Fenix was nice enough to ship the flashlight with two spares.

Of course, comparing a $70 light to one that sold for most of $200 is a bit lopsided but it's the only comparable product I have. Compared to the LX2, the Fenix is, well, cheaper. The overall fit, finish, and feel just isn't quite what the LX offers. It's not bad, mind you. It's just not as good. It's no one thing, either. Just a combination of subjective perceptions that add up to, well, quite a lot. Will it make a bit of difference in everyday parlance? Probably not, and the difference in initial investment certainly does much to quell any remaining dissatisfaction. Being able to use a protected-cell 18650 battery is a definite plus, something my Surefire can't do because the body walls are too thin to accommodate an overbore.

Conclusion
It's a good EDC light and worth its modest price, especially if you take advantage of Fenix's perpetual 20% Off promo codes (I used FREE20). Built solid enough for all but the most severe environments and designed well enough that carry options are equal to far more expensive units. Good light, both in quality and quantity, with illumination options that allow for extremes of need with respect to both quantity and runtime.

Brad
« Last Edit: May 16, 2019, 05:51:26 PM by Brad Johnson »
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Hawkmoon

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Brad Johnson

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Re: Fenix PD32 v2.0 review
« Reply #2 on: May 14, 2019, 02:56:47 PM »
https://ezine.m1911.org//showthread.php?213-Fenix-PD35-Review

I read that one while I was doing my research. It's for the first version of the PD35. Mine is the recently-introduced v2.0.

Caveats on the article's age, and because the mfg and dist are both incorrect and outdated. The lights are not made in Arkansas. They aren't even "assembled in the USA". They are manufactured in Shenzhen, China, by a company calling themselves FenixLight. Distribution is currently handled by Fenix Outdoor Products in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

Brad
It's all about the pancakes, people.
"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
-HankB

Perd Hapley

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Re: Fenix PD32 v2.0 review
« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2019, 05:06:10 PM »
You really should have started your post with a link to the specs of the light, or maybe a photo of it. No one's going to be interested in reading a detailed review, until they know what kind of flashlight it is, or if it seems to be the sort of the flashlight they might have a use for.
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Brad Johnson

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Re: Fenix PD32 v2.0 review
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2019, 05:33:07 PM »
You really should have started your post with a link to the specs of the light, or maybe a photo of it. No one's going to be interested in reading a detailed review, until they know what kind of flashlight it is, or if it seems to be the sort of the flashlight they might have a use for.

You mean the link and pic............. that I just now added?  =D

Brad

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« Last Edit: May 15, 2019, 09:43:18 AM by Brad Johnson »
It's all about the pancakes, people.
"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
-HankB

MillCreek

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Re: Fenix PD32 v2.0 review
« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2019, 05:46:49 PM »
Very interesting.  I especially like the plain bezel, as opposed to the ninja attack sharp bezel that is all too common these days.  I can't take those into the courthouse, and I end up drawing more of my blood with it than some miscreant.
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Perd Hapley

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Re: Fenix PD32 v2.0 review
« Reply #6 on: May 14, 2019, 09:33:47 PM »
Very interesting.  I especially like the plain bezel, as opposed to the ninja attack sharp bezel that is all too common these days...

True dat.


You mean the link and pic............. that I just added?

Well - yes.
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Brad Johnson

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Re: Fenix PD32 v2.0 flashlight review
« Reply #7 on: July 12, 2019, 10:20:21 AM »
Two month update.

Still like it.

I did end up getting a Wuben belt holster. The factory Fenix holder is too flimsy for my liking and it rode kinda odd on my belt.

Also, I am extremely surprised at the battery life. I use it every day, albeit intermittently and not for long periods. Today, two months almost to the day after I started using it, is the first time I've had to charge the battery. Wow.

Brad
« Last Edit: July 12, 2019, 05:56:49 PM by Brad Johnson »
It's all about the pancakes, people.
"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
-HankB

K Frame

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Re: Fenix PD32 v2.0 flashlight review
« Reply #8 on: July 12, 2019, 10:31:24 AM »
The last LED light I bought was a cheapie from... New Egg?

Uses the rechargeable CR123 style battery backs (8086?). I think it was something like $12.

It's a bit bulky, which I like, actually, because it's easier to hold onto when my hands are cold and I'm wearing gloves.

It is really bright, and you're able to adjust the beam width by pulling out on the end cap. Out and it throws a wider, difuse beam, in and it sharpens it.

It doesn't have a reflector (one way of keeping the cost down) so the sharp beam doesn't come out as a circle of it, it comes out as a distinct square, but that's no big deal at all.

The only thing I don't like about it is that the tail switch is sensitive to the extreme. Barely breathing on it changes the light output.
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brimic

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Re: Fenix PD32 v2.0 flashlight review
« Reply #9 on: July 12, 2019, 11:53:29 AM »
I lost my surefire PX2 Fury sometime around the time of my divorce (funny how several expensive things went missing as I was moving out of the house). I replaced it with this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U855UPM/ref=psdc_2445457011_t2_B07BH2TT8K

About 75% as good as the Fury, at about 1/2 the price.
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K Frame

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Re: Fenix PD32 v2.0 flashlight review
« Reply #10 on: July 12, 2019, 12:01:50 PM »
Some years ago Mtnbkr and his family gave me a SpiderFire for my birthday. VERY nice flashlight, and very rugged, but it looks as if Spider is out of business.

I also have the original Surefire 6P(?) that I bought back in the 1990s. Also bought one for my Dad. When he died, I gave his to Mtnbkr, and Mtnbkr ended up getting us LED light modules for them. It probably upped battery life by at least a factor of 6.

Unfortunately Mtnbkr's was stolen when his home was broken into some years ago.
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Parker Dean

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Re: Fenix PD32 v2.0 flashlight review
« Reply #11 on: July 12, 2019, 12:12:16 PM »
Regarding Lumen ratings it was my understanding that Surefire was one of the few companies that do Lumen ratings properly. Apparently most companies stick the unshielded emitter in the chamber and and get a reading of all the light coming from the emitter in all directions where measuring only what comes out of the front of the lens is the technically correct method. And as we all know, technically correct is the best kind of correct.

K Frame

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Re: Fenix PD32 v2.0 flashlight review
« Reply #12 on: July 12, 2019, 12:33:12 PM »
"And as we all know, technically correct is the best kind of correct."

Thank you Bureaucrat Conrad!
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brimic

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Re: Fenix PD32 v2.0 flashlight review
« Reply #13 on: July 12, 2019, 01:02:31 PM »
Regarding Lumen ratings it was my understanding that Surefire was one of the few companies that do Lumen ratings properly. Apparently most companies stick the unshielded emitter in the chamber and and get a reading of all the light coming from the emitter in all directions where measuring only what comes out of the front of the lens is the technically correct method. And as we all know, technically correct is the best kind of correct.

Surefire used some sort of dark magic in their Fury flashlights as well. You shine it into a forest at night or into a dark room, and it eliminates all of the shadows. It makes everything brighter than daylight somehow.
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Brad Johnson

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Re: Fenix PD32 v2.0 flashlight review
« Reply #14 on: May 13, 2021, 12:26:12 PM »
Two year update. I carry it every day on a belt ring and it's still going strong. The only hiccup is the trim ring around the mode button has loosened. It will pop completely out with ease, something I've experienced several times when the light was bumped hard or dropped. I've been lucky enough to find both pieces each time, but I know that luck will end someday. Fenix is supposed to be sending a replacement but it has yet to arrive.

In general, still very, very pleased with it.

Brad
It's all about the pancakes, people.
"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
-HankB

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Re: Fenix PD32 v2.0 flashlight review
« Reply #15 on: May 13, 2021, 01:12:00 PM »
I've been using one of these. It has a magnet, and will tilt on its little bracket, so that I can clunk it to (many) car hoods or ferrous objects, so that I can see what I'm doing when someone shows up at 9pm to get a battery changed.
 
IMHO, the most important thing with the lights, besides sheer lumen output, is a flat projection of light, without the hot spot in the middle and falloff toward the edges. This thing is as good as a Nebo that I have in that capacity, and has the magnet.
 
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K Frame

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Re: Fenix PD32 v2.0 flashlight review
« Reply #16 on: May 13, 2021, 01:33:36 PM »
I went back and looked at the marketing material on Fenix's page again and holy monkey balls that is some serious Engrish tranxulazitorion going on... The battery isn't charged... it's... saturated.  :rofl:
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Hawkmoon

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Re: Fenix PD32 v2.0 flashlight review
« Reply #17 on: May 13, 2021, 02:35:40 PM »
I went back and looked at the marketing material on Fenix's page again and holy monkey balls that is some serious Engrish tranxulazitorion going on... The battery isn't charged... it's... saturated.  :rofl:

Yep.

I have one of the first generation PD32s. It supposedly has two operating modes -- meaning two different ways of selecting the light level sequence. I've had the thing for three or four years now and I still haven't figured out how to change the operating mode. I gave up. It's a flashlight -- it makes light.
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Brad Johnson

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Re: Fenix PD32 v2.0 flashlight review
« Reply #18 on: March 16, 2022, 09:47:39 AM »
Quick update due to a warranty issue, plus info that may address Hawk's comment above about changing operating modes.

I mentioned on the two-year update that the mode button trim/cap assembly had loosened and occasionally popped out. Finally did it so well that one of the pieces disappeared. Fenix, to their credit, quickly shipped a no-fuss replacement. Unfortunately it arrived broken.

Or so I thought.

The MODE button wouldn't work at all. No response of any kind. The unit powered on at full bright and I could only switch between that, low, and strobe on the tailcap. Nothing from the MODE button. I thought it was defective but then noticed the bezel had crenellations that my original lamp assembly lacked. Turns out they sent me a PD35 TAC lamp assembly which has both Tactical and Outdoor modes. Tac mode is high/low/strobe only and is toggled using the tailcap button. Outdoor mode has five illumination levels plus strobe which are toggled with the MODE button.

Switching between modes turned out to be deceptively simple. With the unit on, hold down the MODE button for a few seconds until the light double-blinks (you have to sit through a second or two of strobe if you're switching from Outdoor to Tac, but no biggie). That's it. Mode switched. Now the MODE button toggles intensity settings like I want.

Brad
« Last Edit: March 16, 2022, 10:56:06 AM by Brad Johnson »
It's all about the pancakes, people.
"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
-HankB

AJ Dual

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Re: Fenix PD32 v2.0 flashlight review
« Reply #19 on: March 16, 2022, 10:11:07 AM »
For a kid who grew up with Maglites, the past several years of LED's with lithium batteries is so impressive, I stopped worrying about keeping up.

I've got a Fenix TK-16 or whatever it was a few years back, and a LR35 to make use of AA batteries for versatility in battery selection and a 10 year old PD-whatever twistie for micro pocket carry.

It's amazing how tech creeps into all these little corners of life, instead of the big stuff we all thought like flying cars and space stations. 
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JTHunter

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Fenix PD32 v2.0 flashlight review
« Reply #20 on: March 16, 2022, 03:31:41 PM »
Several years ago, I bought a single AAA light from Walmart for just a few bucks.  It is a Maglite with twist ON/OFF switch in the head and is rated at 47 lumens.  It is on one of my keychains and works well enough for those close quarters.  If I need more, I have a 5 "D" cell Maglite or one of those old "million candlepower" 12 volt plug-in lights.
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Re: Fenix PD32 v2.0 flashlight review
« Reply #21 on: March 16, 2022, 04:25:24 PM »
I recently stepped up my rifle mounted light to a Modlite with OKW head.  You can, no *expletive deleted*it, see spray-painted numbers on steel targets well enough to PID and shoot them at 250 yds.  Of course, it also requires a battery capable of 8-10A of current discharge....


But yeah, handheld flashlights have gotten really good in the last couple years.  My PD35 V1 is still going strong.