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Flashlights have changed – Fenix PD32 Review

  • Ron 

When I was younger, were either generally cheap and disposable (with really poor light quality) or powerful lighting on a heavy and bulky package. Then came the Maglite – 3 or 4 D cells in a relatively lightweight package with a (relatively) strong beam.

Well, things have changed. Where the Maglite relied on a standard incandescent light bulb, advances in both batteries and bulbs have made flashlights both more compact and powerful.

Fenix-PD32-Flashlight-Beam-600x400

Enter the Fenix PD32. Where a 3 cell Maglite maxed out at 45 lumens and a 245m max beam distance, the Fenix PD32 hits 50 lumens in ‘low’ mode and maxes out at 900 lumens in ‘Turbo’ mode. While Fenix claims a maximum beam distance of 240m, I can say that’s a conservative estimate. That, in a package that fits in your jeans pocket and weighs in a under 4 ounces. The Maglite, by comparison, weighs 30 ounces, is over a foot long and and inch and a half in diameter.

While I’m not one of those ECD (Every Day Carry) guys that totes around a man-purse load of gear, this is a flashlight that I definitely found myself keeping close at hand.

Yes, the Fenix FD32 is at least a $22 premium to the Maglite ($62 vs. $40), but a light that can easily be stowed in a glovebox, back pocket or backpack versus a bulky Maglite is worth the extra cost.

I received the PD32 Flashlight  for free from Fenix in consideration for a gear review.

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