Fenix TK70 Flashlight for Wildlife Photographers
Being a wildlife photographer a lot of my time spent in the field involves scouting new locations and potential areas for the certain species I'm looking for. One of the best times to do this happens to be in the dark, which unfortunately has not been easy to do up until now. I was recently approached by Fenix Lights to demo some of their products for wildlife photographers.
I immediately inquired about the 2200 lumen TK70 thinking that it would be the most useful for someone in my position, and was I ever right. This light absolutely blows any flashlight I have ever used out of the water. Not only was it able to cut my time walking around in the dark in half but it also has offered me the ability to actually shoot at night which has given me the opportunity to add a very different look to some of my images.
My first impressions of the TK70 after putting it together is the impeccable attention to detail, everything from the ergonomics/balance, down to the quality of the o-rings. Pictures do not do it justice, you need to feel it in your hand to truly understand how well built this light is. The first night I had a chance to take the light out I inserted the 4 D-Cell batteries required and ran out to the backyard just to check out the throw, I was immediately blown away with just how bright this thing actually is. With a throw distance of over 700 meters you will not be disappointed. The 3 Cree XM-L Led's offer a perfect beam not wasting any light with a perfectly polished reflector. The TK70 offers 4 different levels of brightness as well as an SOS and strobe mode controllable with a dual switch system that offers extremely easy operation.
For those users who want something that is durable the TK70 is made of a aircraft grade aluminum, sealed with O-rings, toughened ultra clear glass lens as well as waterproof to 2 meters. From a wildlife photographers standpoint this is a tool I wouldn't want to be without after getting the chance to use it. I would highly recommend purchasing rechargeable batteries as this thing on full blast is a bit of a power hog. I keep the light in the back of my backpack now whenever I go out shooting or exploring at night now, I can easily focus on my subject now with this light illuminating the darkness.
The last few nights i have been tracking a herd of Whitetail Deer and being able to observe them in the dark has made it very easy to track their movements. Here are a few shots of the deer illuminated with the flashlight. You can easily track and photograph without a tripod in the dark with this light, these were shot with a Canon 200 2.8L. Make sure to head on over to Fenix's page and make an order!
