Review: SureFire G2Z MaxVision

Today’s review brings us the G2Z-MV (aka “G2Z CombatLight with MaxVision”) from SureFire. While this is a flashlight squarely aimed at the tactical market, it is certainly a contender for every day carry / EDC usage thanks to the lightweight Nitrolon construction.

The main feature of the G2Z-MV is the light’s simplicity, and it’s a definite nod to SureFire’s roots as a manufacturer of utilitarian flashlights. You won’t find any low mode or strobe outputs here — just a blinding 800 lumens with the press of the tailcap. Speaking of the tailcap, the light has a click on/off switch, and the cap can be rotated counter-clockwise to lock out activation. (What’s nice is that the button has enough travel to be useful for momentary purposes, too.)

While the output of the G2Z-MV is listed as 800 lumens, this is in a profile that leans towards a flood beam, with no artifacts, thanks to the MaxVision reflector. After using SureFire lights for years that had more focused optics, the MaxVision is a refreshing change. It seems like the best of both worlds — you can see a wide path in front of you, as well as throwing the beam approximately a couple of hundred feet.

The copy in use here doesn’t have the best centering of the LED in the reflector (in fact, it’s really bad), but that’s a moot point with the MaxVision; in real-world use you don’t even notice. The color / tint of the beam is a brilliant white, but on the neutral side. Again, a refreshing change from LEDs that are often cooler in temperature. (A highly un-scientific test using a light meter app and a blank piece of white paper showed the CCT around 5,200 K.)

All of these lumens come at a price of efficiency, though. There’s no way around it — the G2Z MV is a battery hog and it gets very hot (and quickly). It takes a lot of juice to pour 800 lumens into a flood-style beam. Total runtime is advertised as being 1.5 hours (to the ANSI FL1-2009 standard), but you won’t be getting full output for that duration. The light does seem to step down when batteries are depleted, which is a nice touch. Nobody wants to get left in the dark. Paired up with a set of SureFire LFP123 rechargeable cells, you can have plenty of guilt-free lumens.

So what are the applications for this light? Obviously tactical uses, but it’s been handy here for more mundane tasks, such as looking for dropped items on the floor, or getting the attention of passing drivers while walking the dog. If you need a simple (but very bright) light for intermittent use, this is definitely worthy of adding to your EDC rotation.

Manufacturer Specs:

Length: 4.75″ (12 cm)
Bezel Diameter: 1.1″ (2.8 cm)
Weight w/Batteries: 4.25 oz. (120.5 g)