Fenix E12 V2.0 Flashlight Review

[@julienst9197]

It's the first time I want to buy a AA flashlight. Fenix has really improved this light with this V2.0.

[@jamie74gemini87]

I’ve just ordered this to replace the original E12, I believe it’s a bit smaller so will fit into my jeans zippo pocket even better.

[@jamie74gemini87]

I mean.. hacking my partner’s social media account is fairly low on my priority list when looking at torch reviews... but if it improves your relationship and makes you happy....🙄

[@jshepard152]

2.0 is shorter but also thicker.

[@priakeren3733]

Very compact size for AA flashlight. Nice.....

[@paradoxicalcat7173]

I just ordered an E20v2, and still watching reviews while I wait for its arrival (another 2 days!). I was unsure about the glass lens but figured it would be fairly tough, but you're making me think it is in fact quite fragile. I will be sure to put a lanyard on it!

[@sipher3]

Yeah that’s probably a good idea. I dropped my E12 a few more times with no problem. And the E20 is a little easier to get a hold of so it probably won’t be a problem.

[@paradoxicalcat7173]

@@sipher3 It arrived early! A great light! I'm surprised at how bright it is. 150 lumen is more than adequate for most situations, and 5 lumen is surprisingly useful in properly dark areas. Very pleased I got one!

[@sbmillward]

Thanks for the review. Very informative and helpful.

[@tangoyankee7521]

the best edc light. and AA battery. those 30 lumens for 13 hours are fantastic enough.

[@sipher3]

I agree. 30 lumens is the mode I use most often. I use 5 lumens for reading or close up work, and 160 lumens occasionally. I think 30 to 50 lm is the most practical output for me.

[@MemphisMojo15s]

A 3' drop broke the lens? Wow. I've never had that happen to any Fenix light that I've owned or own. This is a nice light and is similar in ways to my E09R

[@sipher3]

I’ve dropped it a few times since with no problem. It must’ve landed just right the first time. I was looking at the E09R looks like a very cool EDC light.

[@MemphisMojo15s]

@@sipher3 the e09r is a very neat light and bright. The issue I have with that light is the fact it's sealed so the battery can't be replaced. Sorta not liking that idea for a $40 light i probably can't use 10 years from now.

[@dimazimmer175]

great edc flashlight

[@yarideboer6077]

Good video bro from the neterlands i buy 1x 😃

[@solidaudioTV]

Thanks for the review. This helped me figure out if this or the E20 use a glass lens or not (can't find this info on their website). Obviously yours wouldn't have cracked from 3ft if it was plastic. These 2 lights are very similar but the E20 seems like the runtime champ for 2xAA on the market right now. BTW, cool scenery in your outdoor shots - if you don't mind, what city is that in the distance?

[@sipher3]

Your welcome. I would say the E20 would be the way to go unless you need an ultra compact AA like the E12. I’m sure I will purchase the E20 at some point. Like you mentioned the run times are much better and there are times I would like a little more output. The E20 would also fit much better in the hand. The night shot was filmed on Cowles Mountain, San Diego CA.

[@nitrorc4life1]

E20 is very nice, have three a like it so much. But yes, the lens will be the weak spot being so thin. But it does give more light transition, still wish they put a thicker lens in it.

[@practicalguy973]

I hear you on that pocket clip. I just got the E20 V2.0 and I was so excited to get it being the smallest 2AA I've ever seen at 5" long. The pocket clip isn't even reversible on it and it will not tail stand! The E12 V2.0 you have can tail stand and has a dual clip. Fenix really has to step their game up with the clips and tail standing when its the same E series. Otherwise I am really liking that different reflector, mode spacing and run time.

[@sipher3]

Yeah, Fenix is little late to the game with pocket clips. The E20 V2.0 looks like a very nice light. I almost purchased it over the E12, but I tend to prefer single cell lights. I still may pick up one at some point.

[@practicalguy973]

@@sipher3 I really like the size of the E20 V2.0. It's a little more usable hand grip wise being 5" long but still super skinny when pocketing and the run time is really something. Fenix ANSI FL1 NIMH testing is based on 1900mah Eneloop and I'm using Ikea Ladda 2450mah so my run time will increase to about 7hrs for 150 lumen and 40hrs for 30lm which is amazing considering its a constant output over that time in those modes. I was on the fence with the E12 V2.0 but I might still get one also since I like new E series. I hope the dual pocket clip will fit on my E20 V2.0 if I do get one.

[@sipher3]

@@practicalguy973 I’m sure the E12 clip would fit, but it only slides on to a hat about half way. The extra length and weight of the E20 may be too much for it.

[@practicalguy973]

@@sipher3 That's a good point. I have some other clips from an Olight and Lumintop AA but they don't fit! It might not work for hat brim duty but if I can hang it from an edge of a cardboard box or other thin things it will work for me when at work to flood a ceiling. I work in electronic racks with audio video equipment and servers so its a little space with plenty of thin steel supports and mounts per rack. Considering you dropping and smashing the first E12 V2.0 glass I just put heat shrink tube on my head and let it over the edge when heat shrinking to cover the front bezel a little and used some Krazy glue to ensure it does not fall off. That should add a little more shock resistance. I'm glad you pointed out the durability issue and it makes sense since they went for the smallest head diameter so there is thinner aluminum material compared to many of my other flashlights.

[@nitrorc4life1]

You are correct, though I personally do not tail stand any double A size light as they fall over so easily AND usually on a hard surface which jars the internal electronics alot. And being on the longer side, the impact is more then on most others.

[@arindambhattacharjee1121]

Plz inform me that, can I use 1000mah 1.5 volt li lon AA battery in it? Thanks in advance.

[@pericodelospalotes5738]

No, just an Energizer lithium not rechargeable 1.7 volts.

[@juliannarae]

Hello and thanks for this video. I was thinking of purchasing the E12 V2 as I have the E12 Orig Version in still mint condition (been with me for 3 yrs). Now upon seeing ur video, seems the lens is an issue, hmm. The orig version to me is a tank! Solidly built, good low levels of lumens at least for me. I love the 8 lumens and 50 lumens which is right for me for the Orig Version. 130 lumens for the orig version is fine for EDC, realistic daily use and its really quite bright. Not much of a day and night comparison for the V2 in terms of the higher lumens output. But yea, in my usage I'm fine with 50 lumens and low at 8 lums. On the other hand, the V2 looks like more of a "Gentleman's Carry", nice design maybe elegant sort of, pocket EDC more friendly as its 13mm shorter, excellent performance (hours) in low lumens settings, has a decent clip and more importantly NO STAND BY CURRENT which is great! With all that said, I will purchase the bigger brother - E20 V2 primarily for its low lumens performance, back up flashy and No standby current which will be in my daily carry sling bag. As for me, the Orig Version will retain for now with me (EDC) as I tend to look for its solid overall built, 8 and 50 lumens at lower output is a plus for me. I'm fine with 130 lum and perhaps with the beam. Solid Poly lens, can also tail stand and I attached a lanyard to easily pull it out of the pocket. Clip would be much better if I can find one that can fit it but really doesn't matter. Battery for my E12: Fenix rechargeable Li-ion 1600mAh 1.5v, size AA, 2.4Wh *input: 5v/1A micro usb Thanks and Cheers from Doha, Qatar!!!

[@bozmeg6918]

I did not get this as it does not have the "momentary" switch. My E10 does. Too bad.

[@MemphisMojo15s]

Would the LD30 be optional for you? It is compact, tailcap activated with momentary or constant, and a neck button for mode selection-1600 lumens. I am holding out until late March to buy the Fenix C7. 3000 lumens, SST70 LED, and over 55k candela, 5 brightness modes, and lockout function. Throws 470 meters according to the Fenix website. It's kind of on the larger side but I'm good with that

[@bozmeg6918]

@@MemphisMojo15s thanks for the input. I am actually looking at the Tk26r. I am a declared "Flashaholic". Lol

[@MemphisMojo15s]

@@bozmeg6918 yep, me too! I have thought about buying that light also

[@bozmeg6918]

@@MemphisMojo15s ....re Tk26r . Main thing is that it has a red and green light which makes it an all around light.

[@MemphisMojo15s]

@@bozmeg6918 my HT18 came with a red and a green filter. Neat if you wanna hunt coyotes or play with the red light.

[@PalParkTigers]

Do you prefer to carry V2 or the original?

[@sipher3]

If the original came with a clip I would prefer it over the V2. I like the higher medium mode, texture, and overall durability of the original. That being said, no two-way or reversible clip is a dealbreaker for an every day carry for me. Before purchasing the V2, I was considering getting an original e12 and then purchasing a Olight I5t clip for it.

[@Sarrienne]

@@sipher3 I have (and love) the original E12 - Do you know if the I5t clip fits straight on, or does it need modding?

[@sipher3]

@@Sarrienne You might need to mod it. The listed diameter of the I5t is 17.8 mm. The e12 is listed at 19 mm. If it works it would be a tight fit, but that would be a good thing.

[@Sarrienne]

@@sipher3 Fair enough. I was just curious as to why you mentioned that particular clip, and thought maybe it perfectly fit the recessed band on the E12 tailcap.

[@sipher3]

@@Sarrienne My thought was that the i5T clip would clamp onto the body and overlap the recessed portion. I’m not sure if it would work, but it would be something I would be willing to try if I still had the original e12. I found that the recessed part of the e12 was too shallow to be used with any clip. I had a zebra clip on mine and it worked itself loose. That’s how I lost it.

[@ToddReuterOutdoors]

Does it have memory for power settings?

[@sipher3]

No memory. It always comes on in low first. You need to half press to go to medium then high.

[@jackblock7451]

Worktime to thermal system reduce power?.

[@sipher3]

I ran it on high for 20 minutes and didn’t notice any reduction in power. The head was pretty warm, but not too hot. I don’t think this has enough output to require a step down for thermal protection.

[@jackblock7451]

@@sipher3 Fenix E01 V2 reduce power-100lm...120s and about 85-90lm :|.

[@practicalguy973]

@@jackblock7451 Go to fenixlighting website and scroll down the pictures of the flashlight and they have the runtime graph there. Looks like no step down but after 30 minutes as the battery is dying its slowly dropping to about 20 lumen after an hour.

[@solomonkane408]

I like the light it's my new edc but the clip on the bill of a hat is trash

[@sipher3]

I agree the clip in general is trash. I lost mine about two weeks ago. It somehow worked its way out of my pocket because of the clip. I really like the light but I won’t be re-ordering it because of the clip.

[@jcvjcvjcvjcv]

No momentary, no buy. Any decent replacements for a Fenix L1T v2.0? It dropped 200 times on concrete floor from 1m high and it just keeps on going. It's only the belt holster that is worn out. And I think I'm missing out on some efficiency..

[@sipher3]

I had a Olight I5t with momentary. You may check into that one.I prefer momenary for my work light. I like the Fenix e12 v2.0 for EDC though.

[@MemphisMojo15s]

Most tail activated lughts that people use for EDC have momentary. Sorry, I am not sure exactly what you're looking for. The LD30 by Fenix is small and excellent for EDC and has a momentary using the tailcap.

[@jcvjcvjcvjcv]

@@MemphisMojo15s LD30 is (as all 18650 lights are) a lot bigger than the L1T. It's 15mm longer and 10mm wider.

[@MemphisMojo15s]

@@jcvjcvjcvjcv so in other words, you're looking for a smaller light all together? Sorry, I wasn't sure

[@jcvjcvjcvjcv]

@@MemphisMojo15s About the same as the L1T would be nice. The single AA format is very nice for permanent concealed (belt) carry.

[@glennnichols4220]

Send it in to vihn he will make it even more bad ass

[@vp2747]

What's that?

[@glennnichols4220]

@@vp2747 he's on candlpower forums he redomes lights and gets the most potential out of them. Might not be worth it for that small of a light but ask to see if he can do anything with it if interested. He has done several for me, they all carry a warranty and his customer service is exemplary.

[@glennnichols4220]

@@vp2747 I have his info if interested.