One of the most popular Fenix flashlights, the PD35, is getting another upgrade. Fenix has just released the PD35 V3.0, the brightest tactical flashlight out of all of its PD35 predecessors. Fenix designed this light to be a high performance tactical flashlight, compact enough to carry with you anywhere, and versatile enough to use in many different situations.
One of the Brightest Tactical Flashlights
So let's get into the details of this light. The PD35 V3.0 delivers 1700 lumens with a maximum beam distance of 357 meters. The power in this light is nothing short of impressive! The far throwing beam is thanks in part to the Luminus SFT40 LED and the small caliber metallic smooth surface reflector which gives a 50% increase in beam distance. For a light that is compact enough to carry, the beam distance is spectacular.
Speaking of, the PD35 V3.0 is less than 5 and half inches in length. With its titanium body clip, it's easy to carry this tactical flashlight around wherever you go. I's compact size and high performance make it a great light for patrolling, daily use, self-defense, outdoor activities, and work.
The Fenix PD35 V3.0 tactical flashlight is a durable as they come thanks to its A6061-T6 aluminum body and sturdy design. This flashlight is ready to go when the going gets tough. It's impact resistant up to 1 meter, able to withstand accidental drops. It's also IP68 waterproof which means that you can use it in heavy rainstorms without a problem. Finally, it has an excellent toothed bezel for extra protection around the LED.
Simple Tac Light Operation
The best tactical flashlights require a good tail switch. That's exactly what you get with the PD35 V3.0 tactical flashlight. It actually has both a tail switch and a side switch making it more versatile. The tail switch is designed with tactical use in mind. For a momentary-on, simply tap the tail switch. To turn on the flashlight, give the tail switch a full press. The side switch will cycle through the brightness levels with a single click while the flashlight is on. A full press of the side switch will give you strobe.
This user interface is similar to the user interfaces of the previous PD35 models. It's a tried and true operation that's user friendly and easy to learn making it ideal for any flashlight user whether they're new in the flashlight game or they’re a seasoned flashlight enthusiast.
The PD35 V3.0 LED flashlight features six total outputs including a strobe. It has turbo at 1700 lumens, high at 600 lumens, medium at 150 lumens, low at 50 lumens, eco at 5 lumens, and finally, strobe at 1700 lumens. This wide range of brightness levels gives you more options on how you'd like to use the light. Lower brightness levels are great for close quarters and conserving the battery. High brightness levels are excellent for large areas or spotting things in the distance.
It also has an intelligent memory function which means that the flashlight will remember the last brightness level you used and turn on to that brightness level. This is especially useful for everyday carry flashlights and outdoor flashlights. Rather than worrying about constantly turning on to the lowest or highest brightness level, you can choose which brightness level you prefer the flashlight to turn on to.
18650 Flashlight
Despite its compact size, the Fenix PD35 V3.0 is a powerful 18650 flashlight. It has a maximum run time of 230 hours using the included 18650 battery. Fenix provides the ARB-L18-2600U USB rechargeable battery. This battery has a micro USB port directly on it allowing you to charge it using a micro USB cable rather than a battery charger. This comes in handy when you need to switch the batteries out. You can plug the battery into a USB charger and continue using your flashlight.
While the PD35 V3.0 has an impressive run time with the included battery, you can always extend that run time using an 18650 battery with a higher milliamp such as the ARB-L18-3500U.
While the PD35 V3 is an 18650 flashlight, it can also function using two CR123 batteries or two 16340 batteries. This gives you a few options on how you'd like to power the flashlight. CR123 batteries are great for cold weather and are recommended backup batteries for camping and outdoor trips.
Another handy feature of this Fenix light is the battery status indicator. When you turn on the light the indicator will glow on the side switch. A green light means your battery is 85 to 100% full, a green flashing light means it is 50 to 85% full, a red light means it's 25 to 50% full, and a flashing red light means it's under 25% and it's time to charge your battery. With this battery indicator, you can plan your usage and have a better idea of what's going on with your battery.
Final Thoughts on the Fenix PD35 V3.0
The Fenix PD35 V3.0 flashlight has all the right features that make it an excellent tactical flashlight. It's extremely bright with 1700 lumens it's compact, it has a long beam distance, it has a tactical tail switch, it's durable, and has multiple brightness levels. And that's just a few of the bullet points. When it comes to looking for the best tactical flashlights this year, the Fenix PD35 V3.0 is definitely in the top 10. So make sure to check out the Fenix PD35 V3.0 tactical flashlight.
